“If
you reach the evening then do not expect to reach the morning, and if
you reach the morning then do not expect to reach the evening. Take from
your health before your sickness, and from your life before your
death.” – [Reported by Bukhari]
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Man claims to be the Mahdi live on Peace TV !!!
Watch the guy behind him,
his face is priceless subhanAllah lol!
Personal 97
Today the MSA at my school was having a book sale/bake sale! It was great ma'sha'Allah & I got an opportunity to help out at a booth by myself. I can honestly say it was so rewarding subhanAllah, the look on someones face when you offer them a Quran in ENGLISH +FREE is priceless lool. I loved it honestly & I am a very observant person and I noticed so many people looking & as they were passing by looking back at the book sale like they wanted to approach it but didn't have the courage. Odd, alot were very hesitant yet very warm and friendly & just passed me with a smile...Islam is sucha welcoming religion & the people of true faith are so warm and kind ma'sha'allah. I feel like many non-muslims felt that feeling while interacting with us all, they were all happy & smiling - I loved that ma'sha'Allah; May Allah make us successful, ameen. I really think it was a success & wow the books were soo cheap =O I got 2 books myself I just couldn't miss my chance lol it was too great of a deal tabarakAllah, ohh & yes the bake sale was great aswell lool alhamdulilah. There needs to be more of these types of events held by the MSA in'sha'Allah.
Monday, March 28, 2011
My attempt to study was a so-so but mostly a fail right now since I'm exhausted & just cruzing through islamic blogs as usual + blogging ! SubhanAllah basically spent the whole day here at the library :( & now I'm just craving sweets + my great book that I'm reading currently...sigh I'll just go home & in'sha'allah get some rest for tomorrow.I have a serious feeling it shall be a long day ! May Allah make it easy for us all, ameen --FINALS are around the corner.
''It was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir al-Juhani that a group came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [to swear their allegiance (bay’ah,Bayat) to him]. He accepted the bay’ah of nine of them but not of one of them. They said, “O Messenger of Allah, you accepted the bay’ah of nine but not of this one.” He said, “He is wearing an amulet (Taweez,Dagha,Talisman).” The man put his hand (in his shirt) and took it off, then he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) accepted his bay’ah. He said, ‘Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.”
(Narrated by Musnad-Ahmad, 16969) This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 492)
Narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who calls to true guidance will have a reward like the rewards of those who follow him without that detracting from their rewards in the slightest, and the one who calls to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their burden of sin in the slightest.”
[Muslim 4831]
How to pray the two rak‘ahs on the wedding night
I am asking about how to offer the prayer on the wedding night: is the recitation to be done out loud or quietly? What is it permissible to recite in it and when should one say the du‘aa’?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Some scholars regarded it as mustahabb to pray two rak‘ahs before consummating the marriage with the wife, but that is not narrated in the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Rather it is narrated that some of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did that.
1.It was narrated that Abu Sa‘eed, the freed slave of Abu Usayd, said: I got married when I was a slave, and I invited some of the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), among whom were Ibn Mas‘ood, Abu Dharr and Hudhayfah. … And they taught me and said: When your wife enters upon you, pray two rak‘ahs, then ask Allah, may He be exalted, for the good of what has entered upon you and seek refuge with Him from its evil, then go ahead and approach your wife. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (3/401) and ‘Abd al-Razzzaaq in al-Musannaf (6/191). Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Its isnaad to Abu Sa‘eed is saheeh. End quote.
Adaab al-Zafaaf, p. 22
2.It was narrated that Shaqeeq said: A man came to ‘Abd-Allah -i.e., ibn Mas‘ood] who was called Abu Jareer, and said: I have got married to a young girl and I am afraid that she will dislike me.
‘Abd-Allah said: Love is from Allah and dislike is from the Shaytaan, who wants to make hateful to you that which Allah has permitted to you. So when she comes to you, tell her to pray two rak‘ahs behind you. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (3/402); ‘Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (6/191); al-Tabaraani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer, 9/204.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Its isnaad is saheeh. End quote.
Adaab al-Zafaaf, p. 24
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: They say that there is a prayer for getting married and they call it Sunnah or Sunnat al-zawaaj (the Sunnah of marriage), and it is before consummation. And they say: Pray two rak‘ahs, and after that comes the consummation. Please advise us, thank you.
He replied:
It is narrated in some reports from some of the Sahaabah that one should pray two rak‘ahs before consummating the marriage, but there is no reliable report concerning that in terms of soundness. But if you pray two rak‘ahs as some of the early generation did, there is nothing wrong with it; and if you do not do that, there is nothing wrong with it. The matter is broad in scope, but I do not know of any reliable, saheeh Sunnah concerning the matter. End quote.
Secondly:
With regard to the ruling on whether the recitation in this prayer should be out loud or done quietly, if it is nighttime then it should be recited out loud, and if it is daytime then it should be recited quietly. For more information please see the answer to question no. 113891. And any passage from the Qur’aan may be recited.
Thirdly:
With regard to the du‘aa’, he should put his hand on the front of her head and say: “Allaahumma inni as’aluka khayraha wa khayra ma jalabtaha ‘alayhi wa a‘oodhi bika min sharriha wa min sharri ma jabaltaha ‘alayhi (O Allah, verily I ask You for her good and the good of what You have created in her, and I ask seek refuge with You from her evil and the evil of what You have created in her).” Narrated by Abu Dawood (2160); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sunan Abi Dawood.
There is no report in the Sunnah – as far as we know – to specify the time for this du‘aa’, so if one wishes, it may be recited before praying the two rak‘ahs or after.
And Allah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Personal 96
One of my biggest goals for 2011 has to be that I want to become debt free! Subhanallah alot of past decisions were not wise of me and now I suffer the outcome. Alhamdulilah I paid a huge one of them off today so I'm cleared & I have just one other left ..and yes it's a big one aswell =) but qadr of Allah these debts are huge in my eyes but very little in literal terms, I don't owe thousands alhamdulilah so this was a great learning experience I'm so causious now of what I sign and what not, tabarakAllah. I thank Allah for that wisdom. If you have any debts to owe anyone or any company lol walahi pay it off, make 2011 our year so that later on you can enjoy your money & not fall into riba which is worse! Alhamdulilah I made alot of dua and now that I've been blessed with a job I really am just using that to free myself up from anything so that if qadr of Allah I lose my job then I won't feel as bad because the burden would inshaAllah have been relieved. Debt free feels awsome since I'm literally half way there! Make dua for me In'sha'Allah & free yourself aswell =)
Is it permissible for a woman to do her household duties when she is junub?
Is it permissible for a woman to do her usual household duties such as cooking, looking after the children, and housework, before she does ghusl following intercourse?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is haraam for the person who is junub (in a state of impurity following sexual activity) to pray, perform tawaaf, stay in the mosque, recite Qur’aan or touch the Mushaf. Everything else is permissible.
There is nothing wrong with a woman who is junub cooking, looking after her house, taking care of her children or fulfilling any other needs. This is indicated by several pieces of evidence including the following:
(a) It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met him on one of the roads of Madeenah when he was junub. He said: I turned back and went and did ghusl, then I came. He said: “Where were you, O Abu Hurayrah?” I said: “I was junub and I did not like to sit with you when I was not in a state of purity.” He said, “Subhaan Allaah, the Muslim does not become impure.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 279; Muslim, 371.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: This indicates that it is permissible to delay doing ghusl from the time when it first becomes obligatory, and that it is permissible for the one who is junub to go about his business.
Fath al-Baari, 1/391.
It is better for the one who is junub to hasten to do ghusl, lest he forgets that he is junub. And it is recommended for him to do wudoo’ before he touches food and drink and before going to sleep. That is better than doing these things when he is junub. But this wudoo’ is not obligatory, rather it serves to reduce the impurity, and it is mustahabb. There are a number of ahaadeeth concerning that, including the following:
(i) It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was junub and wanted to eat or sleep, he would do wudoo’ as for prayer. (Narrated by Muslim, 305).
(ii) It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Can one of us go to sleep when he is junub?” He said: “Yes, if he does wudoo’ then he can go to sleep when he is junub.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 283; Muslim, 306)
Al-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is mustahabb to do wudoo’ and to wash one's private parts before doing all these things, especially if the man wants to have intercourse with a wife with whom he has not yet had intercourse. It is definitely mustahabb to wash one's private part. Our companions have stated that it is makrooh to sleep, eat, drink or have intercourse before doing wudoo’, and these ahaadeeth indicate that.
There is no dispute among us that this wudoo’ is not obligatory. This is also the view of Maalik and the majority.
Sharh Muslim, 3/217
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
It is mustahabb for the one who is junub to do wudoo’ if he wants to eat, drink, sleep or have intercourse again, but it is makrooh for him to sleep if he has not done wudoo’. It was proven in al-Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, “Can one of us go to sleep when he is junub?” He said: “Yes, if he does wudoo’ as for prayer…”
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/343
See also question no. 6533.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Khushu' in salah
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِى صَلَاتِہِمۡ خَـٰشِعُونَ
"Those who offer their Salât (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness"
(surah mu'minoon: 2
(surah mu'minoon: 2
'When they stood for prayer, they faced forward in their prayer, they lowered their gaze to the place of prostration, and they knew that Allaah had turned to them and so they did not look left or right'
-As- suyooti, al Durr al-Manthur vol.10 pg.557
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Personal 95
I really don't think many people have that special person in their lives that's just been there for them through thick & thin... & might I add wasn't blood related. I feel like I do have that alhamdulilah in my life, where someone has put up with me through so many times they could have just let me drop and not bother to help me get back up. I truly believe that not anyone could be like this , it takes alot of compassion and love for the person to actually be like this. That person where you know something your doing is wrong but just need them to clarify it for you, and when everyone talks about jannah they talk about inshaAllah one day seeing you there and enjoying one anothers company again. SubhanAllah I find that so beautiful. This person pushes me constantly to never give up and strive in a way that I would never stop trying to attain my goals in life. Look into your life do you have that person thats been there from day one and has never floated away or disappeared from your life? Never failed to include you in anything even their plans and have helped you become your ultimate best, sometimes you weren't on good terms but they never let that get in the way of your friendship? It was never awkward to ask them for a favor just because you'll know they would do it for you. SubhanAllah this type of person is one in a million. I feel great knowing that I have this in my life and those amazing qualities I find each in every one of my friends but it's that one person who has all of these qualities. Ma'sha'Allah I hope they enjoy this as they read it. They deserve everything beautiful and amazing in this world and subhanAllah how amazing is it that they never really ask for anything but just enjoy the company they have; tabarakAllah. I hope I can even be a speck of this person because they are truly beautiful inside and out...I'm pretty sure I won't find someone similar to this =S - so they better stay in my life forever lool. Allah has given me great companionship with this person that I am so blessed to have them walahi and would never trade it for anything. Think about your circle and who you find to be the person who makes it all worth it at times and is there for you at times, they need to be acknowledged + make dua for them since they've given you more then anyone else has ever; which is true companionship.
Story about a Student of Knowledge from 1980s as mentioned by Shaykh Falaah Ismaeel
This lecture of Shaykh Falaah Ismaeel (حفظه الله) was recorded on Tuesday, February 08, 2011.
In this lecture the Shaykh covered everything in regards with following the Salaf. He mentioned that we should follow the Salaf in their Aqeedah (creed), Ibadaat (acts of worship), Ikhlaaq (good manners), Mua’mulaat, and in everything. He mentioned many stories and one of the stories was about one of the Student of Knowledge (حفظه الله).
The Shaykh said – “I met one Student of Knowledge about 30 years ago when he was studying in Madinah (Saudi Arabia). We used to live together and sit with Ulemah. He was a very good student, he was excellent in the first year, excellent in the second, and in the third year but when the forth year started, he came to me and told me that he would like to go back to his home country (United Kingdom). Everybody asked him that why you want to leave, you are almost there, finish your education, get your degree, and then leave. He began to cry and said that he got a phone call from his family member and they told him that his father is very sick and he is in the hospital and the family is afraid that he may die (upon kufr). We told him that your father may not die, a lot of people go to the hospital but not everyone dies immediately. But he said that something in my heart telling me to leave. So he got on the plane and went back and didn’t finish the forth and last year of the University”.
The Shaykh said that he didn’t care about the degree. He was truthful with Allah as related to guiding his father to Al-Islam and Allah was truthful with him as well. He went back and after a couple of days, we talked to him and he said alhamdulillah my father has accepted Islam. He said that alhamdulillah my father died upon Islam in the same hospital. The Shaykh said I visited him after many years and he said that now my mother is Muslim and my whole family is Muslim. The Shaykh said what we learn from this story that if you really care about your family and they are non Muslims, then focus your time and do what you can, the success is with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
Link: http://abdurrahmanorg.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/story-about-a-student-of-knowledge-from-1980s-as-mentioned-by-shaykh-falaah-ismaeel/
In this lecture the Shaykh covered everything in regards with following the Salaf. He mentioned that we should follow the Salaf in their Aqeedah (creed), Ibadaat (acts of worship), Ikhlaaq (good manners), Mua’mulaat, and in everything. He mentioned many stories and one of the stories was about one of the Student of Knowledge (حفظه الله).
The Shaykh said – “I met one Student of Knowledge about 30 years ago when he was studying in Madinah (Saudi Arabia). We used to live together and sit with Ulemah. He was a very good student, he was excellent in the first year, excellent in the second, and in the third year but when the forth year started, he came to me and told me that he would like to go back to his home country (United Kingdom). Everybody asked him that why you want to leave, you are almost there, finish your education, get your degree, and then leave. He began to cry and said that he got a phone call from his family member and they told him that his father is very sick and he is in the hospital and the family is afraid that he may die (upon kufr). We told him that your father may not die, a lot of people go to the hospital but not everyone dies immediately. But he said that something in my heart telling me to leave. So he got on the plane and went back and didn’t finish the forth and last year of the University”.
The Shaykh said that he didn’t care about the degree. He was truthful with Allah as related to guiding his father to Al-Islam and Allah was truthful with him as well. He went back and after a couple of days, we talked to him and he said alhamdulillah my father has accepted Islam. He said that alhamdulillah my father died upon Islam in the same hospital. The Shaykh said I visited him after many years and he said that now my mother is Muslim and my whole family is Muslim. The Shaykh said what we learn from this story that if you really care about your family and they are non Muslims, then focus your time and do what you can, the success is with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
Link: http://abdurrahmanorg.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/story-about-a-student-of-knowledge-from-1980s-as-mentioned-by-shaykh-falaah-ismaeel/
Personal 94
Yesterday I attended my friends wedding, ma'sha'Allah shes my age aswell which is beautiful because getting married young is the best! So alhamdulilah it was nice that everyone came out to her nikkah party & I am happy for her, but I'm also disgusted by my community in a way because so much haram went on that I was not comfortable with. Me and other sisters where cleaning, handing out food & trying to please all of the aunts there and I was just upset with everything walahi. Alot of people who I seen as religious and more pious then myself proved to me that maybe I was wrong about them and some people uplifted my spirits when I seen how firm they remained during situations. I did alot of observing & thinking & wondering..how do you change a community when the youth look up to the elders and the elders don't act islamic ? That's a serious issue. I just hope everyone repented if they are reading this for everything that happened last night, inshaAllah.
Friday, March 25, 2011
"THE TRIBE WORD MUST STOP IN THE SOMALI COMMUNITY" SH ABU TAUBAH
He is so raw, yet speaking the TRUTH !
SubhanAllah...
Surah Ta-Ha طٰہٰ Part 1 of 4
Surah Ta-Ha
Recited by Sh. Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy of Kuwait
Khalaf recitation
The text is from the everyday Hafs text so there will be some discrepancies between what is recited and the dots/fatha/dhamma/kasra notations.
Recited by Sh. Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy of Kuwait
Khalaf recitation
The text is from the everyday Hafs text so there will be some discrepancies between what is recited and the dots/fatha/dhamma/kasra notations.
Personal 93
Listening to all of these ayats and being consistently reminded about marriage & the status between the two who are married I can't help but hope that I have an amazing marriage with the one Allah set for me. No arguing or fighting just seeking knowledge and respect. Surah Mujadilah hit hard when I heard the first ayat, it really through me back & got my mind thinking, Allah All-Knower, All-Seer hears everything and would know about the pointless arguing that spouses have between eachother and how they become very out of hand. I feel like since I am a female that I should show more compassion to my husband if he's frustrated with something instead of adding to the fire and causing an unnecessary ruckus, it's not worth it and I never want to get divorced..like ever in'sha'Allah. Now I'm not married and never have been married before so not everything I say may be true but it sure is what I think. I feel like more women need to acknowledge that there husbands do alot for them & work to provide for them..& we're not even obligated to bring food on the table and if you work that's all yours unless you want to give aswell, talk about luxury lol. So since they work so hard is it really okay for us women to totally forget that once they do something that annoys us or angers us, should we forget everything they do for us on the daily ? Just remind a reminder that Jannah is underneath your HUSBANDS feet after marriage, so if anything he's your ticket in. And to avoid all of that just find a RELIGIOUS brother to begin with so that he atleast will understand you - hereafter wise & help you to better yourself in'sha'Allah, advice from an unmarried sister lol <3
Statement
Allah has indeed heard (and accepted) the statement of the woman who pleads with thee concerning her husband and carries her complaint (in prayer) to Allah: and Allah (always) hears the arguments between both sides among you: for Allah hears and sees (all things).
Seek the hereafter! Allah will suffice you in worldly affairs!
Bismillaah wa-Hamdulillaah was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alaa rasoolilaah
Assalaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,
Abu `Awn said: When the righteous people met one another they would advise each other and if they were absent they would write to one another, (with the following): Whoever does an act seeking the hereafter then Allah will suffice him in his worldly affairs. Whoever corrects what is between him and Allah, then Allah will correct that which is between him and the people. Whoever corrects his behaviour in private, then Allah will correct his situation publicly. (Al-Musannaf: 7/162).
With that in mind read this story:
This lecture of Shaykh Falaah Ismaeel (حفظه الله) was recorded on Tuesday, February 08, 2011.
In this lecture the Shaykh covered everything in regards with following the Salaf. He mentioned that we should follow the Salaf in their Aqeedah (creed), Ibadaat (acts of worship), Ikhlaaq (good manners), Mua’mulaat, and in everything. He mentioned many stories and one of the stories was about one of the Student of Knowledge (حفظه الله).
The Shaykh said – “I met one Student of Knowledge about 30 years ago when he was studying in Madinah (Saudi Arabia). We used to live together and sit with Ulemah. He was a very good student, he was excellent in the first year, excellent in the second, and in the third year but when the forth year started, he came to me and told me that he would like to go back to his home country (United Kingdom). Everybody asked him that why you want to leave, you are almost there, finish your education, get your degree, and then leave. He began to cry and said that he got a phone call from his family member and they told him that his father is very sick and he is in the hospital and the family is afraid that he may die (upon kufr). We told him that your father may not die, a lot of people go to the hospital but not everyone dies immediately. But he said that something in my heart telling me to leave. So he got on the plane and went back and didn’t finish the forth and last year of the University”.
The Shaykh said that he didn’t care about the degree. He was truthful with Allah as related to guiding his father to Al-Islam and Allah was truthful with him as well. He went back and after a couple of days, we talked to him and he said alhamdulillah my father has accepted Islam. He said that alhamdulillah my father died upon Islam in the same hospital. The Shaykh said I visited him after many years and he said that now my mother is Muslim and my whole family is Muslim. The Shaykh said what we learn from this story that if you really care about your family and they are non Muslims, then focus your time and do what you can, the success is with Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allâh ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.
But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient, and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of the happiness in the Hereafter i.e. Paradise and in this world of a high moral character).
(Fussilat 41:34-35)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The meaning of the dhikr ‘Laa Hawlaa wa Laa Quwwata Illaa Billaah’
The meaning of the dhikr ‘Laa Hawlaa wa Laa Quwwata Illaa Billaah’
(this is very often translated by many as ‘there is no power nor might except with / by Allaah’, but the scholars explain this in detail and it is a great clarification wal hamdulillaah
Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen:
Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al-’Abbaad:
(this is very often translated by many as ‘there is no power nor might except with / by Allaah’, but the scholars explain this in detail and it is a great clarification wal hamdulillaah
Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen:
“It means there is no change from one condition to another nor power to do so except by Allaah’s helping you”Source: Sharh of Kitaab ad-Da’waat
“If you say this, it has the (same) meaning as you saying: ‘O Allaah, help me’”
Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al-’Abbaad:
“It means that one has no power to leave sins nor to be upon obedience except by the help of Allaah because everything happens by the qadr of Allaah, His creating and His giving success”Source: Sharh of Sunan Abee Daawood
What do we say during an earthquake?
Q- What do we say during an earthquake?
A – At the time of an earthquake, eclipse, strong wind or flood, (we must) repent to Allah, beseech Him, ask Him for well-being, remember Him a great deal and seek His forgiveness.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said at the time of an eclipse:
because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
And he also said:
One of the means of being safe and sound from all evils is for those in authority to hasten to restrain the foolish and compel them to adhere to the truth, and to implement the laws of Allah among them, and to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, as Allah says:
“The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al?Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al?Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they perform As-Salaah, and give the Zakaah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Qur’an, 9:71)
“Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All?Strong, All?Mighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat?as?Salah (i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational prayers), to pay the Zakaah and they enjoin Al?Ma‘roof, and forbid Al?Munkar (i.e. they make the Qur’an as the law of their country in all the spheres of life). And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures).” (Qur’an, 22:40-41)
And there are many verses with similar meanings.
Sheikh Bin Baz; Majmoo’ Fatawa, 9/150-152
A – At the time of an earthquake, eclipse, strong wind or flood, (we must) repent to Allah, beseech Him, ask Him for well-being, remember Him a great deal and seek His forgiveness.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said at the time of an eclipse:
“When you see that, then turn to remembrance of Allah and call upon Him and ask for His forgiveness.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)It is also mustahabb (recommended) to show compassion to the poor and needy, and to give charity to them,
because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Show mercy, you will be shown mercy.” (Ahmad)And he said: “Those who show mercy will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Show mercy to those who are on earth and the One Who is in heaven will show mercy to you.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
And he also said:
“The one who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.” (Al-Bukhari)It is related from Umar Bin Abdul Aziz that he used to write to his emirs to give charity when earthquakes took place.
One of the means of being safe and sound from all evils is for those in authority to hasten to restrain the foolish and compel them to adhere to the truth, and to implement the laws of Allah among them, and to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, as Allah says:
“The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al?Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al?Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they perform As-Salaah, and give the Zakaah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Qur’an, 9:71)
“Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All?Strong, All?Mighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat?as?Salah (i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational prayers), to pay the Zakaah and they enjoin Al?Ma‘roof, and forbid Al?Munkar (i.e. they make the Qur’an as the law of their country in all the spheres of life). And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures).” (Qur’an, 22:40-41)
And there are many verses with similar meanings.
Sheikh Bin Baz; Majmoo’ Fatawa, 9/150-152
In prostration, do all the toes have to touch the ground?
I know that it is obligatory to prostrate on seven parts, but do all the toes have to touch the ground when prostrating? If some of the toes did not touch the ground does that invalidate the prostration and the prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Islam Q&A
Praise be to Allaah.
It is obligatory to prostrate during prayer on the seven parts that should touch the ground in prostration, which are: the forehead (with which the nose is included), the two hands, the two knees and the ends (toes) of the two feet, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (812) and Muslim (490) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ““I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the hands, the feet and the ends of the feet (i.e., toes).”
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If he omits one of these parts then his prayer is not valid. End quote.
It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat (1/432):
Prostrating on these seven bones, along with the nose, on the place where one is praying, whether it is the ground or a mat or anything else, is a pillar or essential part of the prayer if one is able to do that, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas. End quote.
The perfect way is for the part which is meant to touch the ground in prostration should touch it fully, because when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated, he made the tips of his toes point towards the qiblah (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 785); and because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Rifaa‘ah ibn Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who said to the one who did not pray properly: “When you prostrate, make your prostration firm.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Making the part which is meant to touch the ground in prostration touch it fully is part of making the prostration firm.
It is acceptable to make the part which is meant to touch the ground in prostration touch it partially, according to the correct view of the Shaafa‘i and Hanbali madhhabs.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo‘ (3/423):
Prostrating on the forehead is obligatory, and there is no difference of opinion among us concerning that. It is better to prostrate on the whole forehead, but if one prostrates on it partially, that is acceptable, although it is disliked. This is the correct view which was stated by al-Shaafa‘i in al-Umm, and that was stated definitively by the majority of our companions. Ibn Kajj and al-Daarimi narrated another view that it is obligatory to place the whole forehead on the ground, but this is an odd and weak view. End quote.
Al-Mardaawi said in al-Insaaf (2/418):
It is acceptable to make the part which is meant to touch the ground in prostration touch it partially according to the correct view of our madhhab. Ibn Tameem said: It is permissible to prostrate on part of the hand and even on the back of the hand or the ends of the fingers; by the same token (it is permissible to prostrate) on some of the toes and some of the forehead… End quote.
It says in Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha (3/25):
It is acceptable to make the part which is meant to touch the ground in prostration touch it partially because the hadeeth does not state that the part should touch the ground fully. End quote.
Based on that, if a person prostrates on his feet and some of his toes touch the ground, his prayer is valid, but the Sunnah is to prostrate firmly on the parts of the body on which one rests during prostration as much as possible.
And Allah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Ruling on reciting al-Faatihah during the Janaazah prayer
What is the ruling on reciting al-Faatihah during the Janaazah (funeral) prayer?.
Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, 13/143.
Praise be to Allaah
It is obligatory, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “pray as you have seen me praying.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book [al-Faatihah].” Saheeh – agreed upon.
Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, 13/143.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Prophet's Beautiful Character by Shaykh Yaser Birjas
Shaykh Yaser Birjas from AlMaghrib Institute (www.almaghrib.org) gives us a beautiful and practical talk on the noble character of the Prophet Muhammad salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and how to implement it in our lives as well.
This was recorded on Jan. 20, 2011, organized by Qabeelat Durbah (www.durbah.org) at MCMC, Piscataway, NJ. The masjid was packed with listeners, and over 200 people attended the live video webcast, Alhumdulillah.
Shaykh Yaser Birjas is the Head of AlMaghrib Institute's Islamic Law and Theory Department. Often described as the fatherly figure by students, Shaykh Yaser exudes a calm, gentle and caring demeanour that welcomes students to ask questions with awe and respect. Despite his quietude, Shaykh Yaser's absence is loudly felt and he is strongly missed by all students and fellow instructors alike.
Perpetually migrating, Shaykh Yaser is originally from Palestine and was born in Kuwait in 1970. He started his career in Electronic Engineering in 1988 in the UAE, then in Madinah where he graduated as class Valedictorian with the highest honors from The Islamic University of Madinah's College of Shariah (Fiqh and Usool) in 1996. He had the honor to interact and learn from a number of highly respected scholars such as Shaikh Ash-Shanqitee and Shaikh Al-Uthaimeen (rahimahu Allah).
In 1997, after the war was over, he went to work as a relief program aide under the international umbrella of relief agencies to rebuild the war-torn Bosnia. Thereafter, and in the year 2000, he immigrated to the U.S. where he served as an Imam (spiritual leader and advisor) at The Islamic Center in El Paso, Texas until summer 2009. He then moved to Orland Park IL, a Chicago suburb, where he worked, until summer 2010, as a director of English programs in Da'wah and outreach for the Orland Park Prayer Center.
He travels around the nation to teach academic classes in Islamic studies as well as to speak on different social subjects pertinent to the lives of Muslims in the West. His specialty in the subject of marriage and relations made him a highly sought marriage counselor for the Muslim community.
Shaykh Yaser currently lives in Irving Texas, with his wife and four children
CRAZIEST THING EVER- BE AWARE!
MY FRIEND EMAILED ME SAYING HOW SHE TYPED MY BLOG WRONG & A CHRISTIAN SITE CAME UP! SO SOMEONE MADE IT SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE MAKES A MISTAKE TYPING MY BLOG IT WOULD DIRECT THEM TO IT.
SHE MISSED THE "S" IN BLOGSPOT
>WWW.QAWLANSAQEELA.BLOGPOT.COM
IT WILL DIRECT YOU TO A CHRISTIAN SITE.
AJEEB WALAHI;
IM ACTUALLY ANGERED BY THAT BUT THEN AGAIN THE INTERNET IS NEVER SAFE!
BE AWARE & PASS THIS ON!
SHE MISSED THE "S" IN BLOGSPOT
>WWW.QAWLANSAQEELA.BLOGPOT.COM
IT WILL DIRECT YOU TO A CHRISTIAN SITE.
AJEEB WALAHI;
IM ACTUALLY ANGERED BY THAT BUT THEN AGAIN THE INTERNET IS NEVER SAFE!
BE AWARE & PASS THIS ON!
BIG THANK YOU TO MY SISTER IN ISLAM- I LOVE HER & NOW SHE'S ACTUALLY GIVING ME THE GIFT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED LOL! AN IPOD FULL OF ABU BAKR AL SHATRI. I REALLY CAN'T THANK HER ENOUGH JAZAKULLAH KAIR & MAY ALLAH REWARD HER IMMENSELY !! SHE KNOWS HOW HAPPY I WAS LAST NIGHT WHEN SHE TEXT ME SAYING SHE DID IT ALREADY =) I LOVE YOUU & NOW WE CAN BOTH SHARE IN THE REWARD! ALHAMDULILAH
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Black Smoke
Surah 56 :Al-Waqiah
41. The Companions of the Left Hand-what will be the Companions of the Left Hand?
42. (They will be) in the midst of a fierce Blast of Fire and in Boiling Water
43. And in the shades of Black Smoke:
44. Nothing (will there be) to refresh, nor to please:
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THE ULTIMATE GIFT SOMEONE COULD GIVE YOU, LIKE AN ACTUAL PRESENT? - THE BEST GIFT IS DUA BUT AS FOR A PRESENT FOR ME IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A CD WITH THE WHOLE QURAN RECITED BY ABU BAKR AL SHATRI. I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS MORE OBSESSED WITH HIM THEN ME LOL; MASHALLAH ALLAH HAS BLESSED HIM WITH A BEAUTIFUL SOOTHING RECITING VOICE..SIGH THIS IS A HINT TO ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME ;) - THINK ABOUT IT EVERYTIME I LISTEN WHICH IS ALL THE TIME; YOU WOULD GET THE GOOD DEED FOR IT LOL IN'SHA'ALLAH<3
And The Ocean (were ink)
And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it to add to its (supply) yet would not the Words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom.
Currently...
Listening to Abu Bakr Al Shatri- Al Baqarah
..& going through different islamic blogs
- ma'sha'Allah I'm loving what I'm seeing & reading!
..& going through different islamic blogs
- ma'sha'Allah I'm loving what I'm seeing & reading!
The Science of the Sun & Islam
Science: The Sun will gradually die. As a star’s core crashes inwards, it eventually becomes hot enough to ignite another of its constituent atoms, helium. Helium atoms fuse together to form carbon. When the helium supply runs out, the centre collapses again and the atmosphere inflates. The Sun isn’t massive enough to fully re-ignite its core for a third time. So it goes on expanding, shedding its atmosphere in a series of bursts… The dying core eventually forms a white dwarf - a spherical diamond the size of the Earth, made of carbon and oxygen. From this point on the Sun will gradually fade away, becoming dimmer and dimmer until its light is finally snuffed out.
Quran: He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the Sun and Moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is Allah, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. [Surah Fatir, 13]
He created the heavens and the earth with truth. He wraps the night around the day and wraps the day around the night, and has made the Sun and Moon subservient, each one running for a specified term. Is He not indeed the Almighty, the Endlessly Forgiving? [Surah az-Zumar, 5]
Innovation: Matching the Recitation in the Jumu'ah Prayer to the Subject Matter of the Khutbah
It has been reported that Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen Rahimahullaah was asked:
Regarding what some khateebs do when they deliver their khutbahs, they give their khutbahs topics relevant to current events, if the time of Israa' and Mi'raaj comes around they speak about it, drawing benefits from it, warning from innovations and mistakes done that day, what is the ruling on this?
It was reported that he answered:
That is good, meaning that a person makes his khutbah relative to certain occasions. That is good, and it is how most of the khutbah's of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) were, when something happened that needed to be addressed he stood up and gave a khutbah (about it), even if it wasn't Jumu'ah. So for a person to give consideration to current situations and focus his khutbahs on them is good. For example, in Ramadhaan, he speaks about Ramadhaan, at Hajj time he speaks about Hajj, and in Rabee' al Awwal he speaks about hijrah, meaning: he considers occasions, there is no problem with that. It is even a proof that the khateeb has understanding and wisdom.
However, there is an issue here that some imaams do, they deliver a khutbah about a topic and then read relative verses of the Qur'aan about that topic (in Salaat al Jumu'ah). This is what is considered an innovation (bid'ah), since the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to keep to the reading of Sab-bih (Soorah al 'Alaa) and al Ghaashiyah, or al Jumu'ah and al Munaafiqoon, and he did not used to consider the subject of the khutbah (when choosing verses to read in the prayer).
Transcribed from: al- Luqaa' al Maftooh (#155, side B)
Abu Abbaas Moosaa Richardson
Posted on Salafitalk.net
Regarding what some khateebs do when they deliver their khutbahs, they give their khutbahs topics relevant to current events, if the time of Israa' and Mi'raaj comes around they speak about it, drawing benefits from it, warning from innovations and mistakes done that day, what is the ruling on this?
It was reported that he answered:
That is good, meaning that a person makes his khutbah relative to certain occasions. That is good, and it is how most of the khutbah's of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) were, when something happened that needed to be addressed he stood up and gave a khutbah (about it), even if it wasn't Jumu'ah. So for a person to give consideration to current situations and focus his khutbahs on them is good. For example, in Ramadhaan, he speaks about Ramadhaan, at Hajj time he speaks about Hajj, and in Rabee' al Awwal he speaks about hijrah, meaning: he considers occasions, there is no problem with that. It is even a proof that the khateeb has understanding and wisdom.
However, there is an issue here that some imaams do, they deliver a khutbah about a topic and then read relative verses of the Qur'aan about that topic (in Salaat al Jumu'ah). This is what is considered an innovation (bid'ah), since the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to keep to the reading of Sab-bih (Soorah al 'Alaa) and al Ghaashiyah, or al Jumu'ah and al Munaafiqoon, and he did not used to consider the subject of the khutbah (when choosing verses to read in the prayer).
Transcribed from: al- Luqaa' al Maftooh (#155, side B)
Abu Abbaas Moosaa Richardson
Posted on Salafitalk.net
Personal 92
While I was going to grab some lunch literally 15 minutes ago, I couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that alot of people have leg problems subhanAllah. My heart goes out to them. In the mall I walked through a store (I know bad habits never die) & I seen a man who had ROBOTIC legs, subhanAllah my heart sank. Ma'sha'allah he was walking fine with them & I was just so intrigued and amazed by technology, but back to the fact that this person must have gone through alot with his legs..only Allah knows his story. Back on campus I seen a girl who looked like one of her legs was just sliding..and she was dragging it. I have a very weak heart when it comes to things like this, subhanAllah I just wanted to share with everyone the importance of giving thanks to Allah. You may never know when & where it would be taken away from you so it's important to give thanks and make lots of dua. Look at your legs, do you acknowledge that there a blessing to you & that there something that can easily be taken away from you. Do you realize without them you can't move or go anywhere, and you would become very dependent on another person or your life would just become a never ending struggle. We complain about bad hair days & bags underneath our eyes..when in all honesty we have nothing to complain about. I have my eyes, legs, arms and I've never broken anything before alhamdulilah so we have the basics; do we give thanks to Allah? Just food for thought. May Allah make it easy for them all. Ameen<3
Monday, March 21, 2011
Personal 91
Me & my sister in islam are teaming up to bring the 40 hadiths of an-Nawawi to QawlanSaqeela straight from the book itself with explanation and everything. May Allah make us successful, Ameen & May Allah reward my friend & grant her jannah! Ameen. Alhamdulilah it's always great to learn with people who want to seek knowledge & hadiths are something that captivate our hearts because we try to attain good characteristics from the Prophet (peace be upon him) & his companions. Often times we don't understand hadiths and there true meanings> sometimes we interpret them the wrong way. May Allah forgive us all, ameen . That's why we want to bring all the explanations to each and every one of the 40 hadiths in'sha'Allah! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do :)
A-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths - Hadith #1 : Actions are judged by intentions
Hadith #1
Actions are judged by intentions
It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:
"Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration isto Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
Background:
This Hadith was expressed by the Prophet (saw) at the time when a man migrated from Makkah to Madinah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying someone.
It is considered to be one of the greatest ahadith in Islam. According to Al-Imam al- Shafi, this Hadith is one third of the knowledge of Islam and it can be related to over 70 topics of Fiqh.
Al-Imam Ahmad (with reference of Imam al Shafi’s statement) said: Islam is based on three fundamentals or principals:
1-Actions of the heart - our internal actions
2-Actions of the limbs - out external actions
3-Interaction between people - our daily dealings with people
These ahadith can be seen as three criteria to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say “as an ‘ibadah” (act of worship) in their daily lives:
Intention or Niyyah has two meanings:
i. the intention before performing an ‘ibadah
ii. the willingness of performing an action
Lessons
In this Hadith, the Prophet (saw) starts with the principle (“actions are judged by intentions”) and then gives three practical examples. This is the methodology used by the Prophet (saw) when conveying the message to Islam. The examples help to illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand and so that they can apply the principle to other similar situations.
The three examples consist of a single good intention (migration for the sake of Allah and his Messenger) and two inferior intentions (migrations for the sake of worldly gains or marriage).
This Hadith emphasizes the importance of ikhlas (sincerity – to be truthful and honest to Allah alone, performing an act solely for Allah’s sake whereby no other witness except Allah is sought). Ikhlas is one of the conditions for the acceptance of good deeds. The other condition is that the actions must be done in accordance with the Shariah (Islamic Law).
The interdependence of these two conditions is being clearly illustrated in the shahadah:
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah is ikhlas – ensuring that our actions are for the sake of Allah and Him alone.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is the Sunnah. The Prophet (saw) is out model and the best example to follow. Following his Sunnah in our ibadah, akhlaq and mu’amalat (dealings) ensures that we are acting in according with the Shariah.
Thus the shahadah shows us that the conditions for performing an action and the acceptance for those actions are:
- It should be for the sake of Allah as he is the only One we worship, and
-It should be in accordance to the Shariah
To achieve ikhlas, we must avoid shirk. Al-Imam al-Harawi said the root cause for insincerity is self-desire (al-hawa’). Therefore no action should be done on the basis of self-desire.
Imam Al-Harawi states that there are 7 types of self-desire.
To make oneself appear good in the hearts of others
To seek the praise of others
To avoid being blamed by others
To seek the glorification of others
To seek the wealth/money of others
To seek the services or love of others
To seek the help of others for oneself
There are various ways in which one can obtain ikhlas:
· Increase in righteous deeds – the more good deeds that we do, the closer we will get to Allah and Insha Allah the more sincere we will become.
· Seeking knowledge – prior to the doing of any deed, we should seek knowledge. Out actions and deeds should be based on knowledge to ensure these are performed with accordance to the Shariah.
· Avoidance of giving false impressions – we should not make others believe that an action is good when it isn’t
· Checking of the intention – Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check your intention – ask yourself before performing an action: “Is this for the sake of Allah”
Ibn Qayyim says: Any Action we do may be defective for 3 reasons:
Being conscious that others are observing our actions
Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the action
Being satisfied with the action
Some examples on how we can obtain ikhlas:
- We should not be proud of ourselves and think that we are better than others if we were to reach the masjid early for salat. Even if we are on the front saff and arrive prior to the imam. We should rather, praise Allah for enabling us to go to the masjid and for being able to perform the salat without any difficulties.
-After every salat, we should tell ourselves that we could have performed it in a better manner and try to improve our next salat.
What if our niyyah changes while we are performing an action? Ibn Rajab said that according to the ilama if the niyyah at the end of the action matches the beginning i.e. doing an action for the sake of Allah then any changes in the middle of performing the action will be forgiven, or it will not matter, insha Allah. However if the niyyah at the end does not match the beginning i.e. we perform the action not for the sake of Allah then repentance must be made
There are four things that contradict ikhlas:
Ma’siyat – committing sins – this will weaken our ikhlas
Shirk
Riya – performing an ‘ibadah with the intention of showing off to others
Nifaq – hypocrisy
Although we must always ensure that our actions do not deviate from ikhlas, there are actions, which are automatically regarded as good intentions for example, seeking knowledge in Islam, helping the community, doing da’wah.
Based on this Hadith, scholars have derived some rulings (ahkam) amongst which are:
When a person swears by Allah by saying Wallahi, but their intention is not to actually swear by Allah, this is considered pointless. In many instances, the swearing by Allah is done simply out of habit – as it may be a culture to some, or to others this expression readily rolls off their tongues. A Muslim should do his/her best to minimize this.
When someone is requested to give an oath, he is judged by his intention when he gives the oath.
There can be a combination of intentions between performing an ibadah and teaching others – we perform an ‘ibadah for the sake of Allah and we also do it with the intention of teaching others. For example when the Prophet (saw) performed the Hajj, he did it for the sake of Allah as well as to teach his companions (May Allah be pleased with them all)
A man may go through the process of divorcing his wife, verbally in or outside the court. Its validity would depend on his intention.
What could be seen as ghibah (backbiting – talking bad even though these are factual), could simply be a joke or a dua. If someone talks bad about someone else, it is his intention which determines whether it is ghibah backbiting or not.
Conclusion
Our actions are determined or undermined, by our intention, i.e: whether they are good or bad. Therefore we should always check our intention. We must ensure that the action is for the sake of Allah so that it is accepted by Him and that we will be rewarded for it.
Actions are judged by intentions
It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:
"Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration isto Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
Background:
This Hadith was expressed by the Prophet (saw) at the time when a man migrated from Makkah to Madinah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying someone.
It is considered to be one of the greatest ahadith in Islam. According to Al-Imam al- Shafi, this Hadith is one third of the knowledge of Islam and it can be related to over 70 topics of Fiqh.
Al-Imam Ahmad (with reference of Imam al Shafi’s statement) said: Islam is based on three fundamentals or principals:
1-Actions of the heart - our internal actions
2-Actions of the limbs - out external actions
3-Interaction between people - our daily dealings with people
These ahadith can be seen as three criteria to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say “as an ‘ibadah” (act of worship) in their daily lives:
Intention or Niyyah has two meanings:
i. the intention before performing an ‘ibadah
ii. the willingness of performing an action
Lessons
In this Hadith, the Prophet (saw) starts with the principle (“actions are judged by intentions”) and then gives three practical examples. This is the methodology used by the Prophet (saw) when conveying the message to Islam. The examples help to illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand and so that they can apply the principle to other similar situations.
The three examples consist of a single good intention (migration for the sake of Allah and his Messenger) and two inferior intentions (migrations for the sake of worldly gains or marriage).
This Hadith emphasizes the importance of ikhlas (sincerity – to be truthful and honest to Allah alone, performing an act solely for Allah’s sake whereby no other witness except Allah is sought). Ikhlas is one of the conditions for the acceptance of good deeds. The other condition is that the actions must be done in accordance with the Shariah (Islamic Law).
The interdependence of these two conditions is being clearly illustrated in the shahadah:
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah is ikhlas – ensuring that our actions are for the sake of Allah and Him alone.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is the Sunnah. The Prophet (saw) is out model and the best example to follow. Following his Sunnah in our ibadah, akhlaq and mu’amalat (dealings) ensures that we are acting in according with the Shariah.
Thus the shahadah shows us that the conditions for performing an action and the acceptance for those actions are:
- It should be for the sake of Allah as he is the only One we worship, and
-It should be in accordance to the Shariah
To achieve ikhlas, we must avoid shirk. Al-Imam al-Harawi said the root cause for insincerity is self-desire (al-hawa’). Therefore no action should be done on the basis of self-desire.
Imam Al-Harawi states that there are 7 types of self-desire.
To make oneself appear good in the hearts of others
To seek the praise of others
To avoid being blamed by others
To seek the glorification of others
To seek the wealth/money of others
To seek the services or love of others
To seek the help of others for oneself
There are various ways in which one can obtain ikhlas:
· Increase in righteous deeds – the more good deeds that we do, the closer we will get to Allah and Insha Allah the more sincere we will become.
· Seeking knowledge – prior to the doing of any deed, we should seek knowledge. Out actions and deeds should be based on knowledge to ensure these are performed with accordance to the Shariah.
· Avoidance of giving false impressions – we should not make others believe that an action is good when it isn’t
· Checking of the intention – Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check your intention – ask yourself before performing an action: “Is this for the sake of Allah”
Ibn Qayyim says: Any Action we do may be defective for 3 reasons:
Being conscious that others are observing our actions
Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the action
Being satisfied with the action
Some examples on how we can obtain ikhlas:
- We should not be proud of ourselves and think that we are better than others if we were to reach the masjid early for salat. Even if we are on the front saff and arrive prior to the imam. We should rather, praise Allah for enabling us to go to the masjid and for being able to perform the salat without any difficulties.
-After every salat, we should tell ourselves that we could have performed it in a better manner and try to improve our next salat.
What if our niyyah changes while we are performing an action? Ibn Rajab said that according to the ilama if the niyyah at the end of the action matches the beginning i.e. doing an action for the sake of Allah then any changes in the middle of performing the action will be forgiven, or it will not matter, insha Allah. However if the niyyah at the end does not match the beginning i.e. we perform the action not for the sake of Allah then repentance must be made
There are four things that contradict ikhlas:
Ma’siyat – committing sins – this will weaken our ikhlas
Shirk
Riya – performing an ‘ibadah with the intention of showing off to others
Nifaq – hypocrisy
Although we must always ensure that our actions do not deviate from ikhlas, there are actions, which are automatically regarded as good intentions for example, seeking knowledge in Islam, helping the community, doing da’wah.
Based on this Hadith, scholars have derived some rulings (ahkam) amongst which are:
When a person swears by Allah by saying Wallahi, but their intention is not to actually swear by Allah, this is considered pointless. In many instances, the swearing by Allah is done simply out of habit – as it may be a culture to some, or to others this expression readily rolls off their tongues. A Muslim should do his/her best to minimize this.
When someone is requested to give an oath, he is judged by his intention when he gives the oath.
There can be a combination of intentions between performing an ibadah and teaching others – we perform an ‘ibadah for the sake of Allah and we also do it with the intention of teaching others. For example when the Prophet (saw) performed the Hajj, he did it for the sake of Allah as well as to teach his companions (May Allah be pleased with them all)
A man may go through the process of divorcing his wife, verbally in or outside the court. Its validity would depend on his intention.
What could be seen as ghibah (backbiting – talking bad even though these are factual), could simply be a joke or a dua. If someone talks bad about someone else, it is his intention which determines whether it is ghibah backbiting or not.
Conclusion
Our actions are determined or undermined, by our intention, i.e: whether they are good or bad. Therefore we should always check our intention. We must ensure that the action is for the sake of Allah so that it is accepted by Him and that we will be rewarded for it.
Humility of Abu Bakr as-Sadeeq
So I said: ‘I will not say it.’
Aboo Bakr said: ‘You will say it or I will request the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – to order you to say it.’
So I said: ‘I will not say it.’
Aboo Bakr left that portion of land for me and went off to the Prophet – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and I followed him. The people from my tribe followed us and said to me: ‘May Allaah have mercy on Aboo Bakr. Why is he going to the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – about you, and he said what he said about you?’
So I said: ‘Do you know who this is?? This Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq, he is one of the two who were in the cave, he is one who has grown old as a Muslim (one of the elders of the Muslims), beware he does not turn around and see you assisting me against him and becomes angry and meets the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – will become angry due to him being angry, and then Allaah ‘Azza wa Jal becomes angry due to them being angry, and Rabeeyah will be destroyed.’
They said: ‘What do you order us to do?’
I said: ‘Go back.’
Aboo Bakr – radhiyAllaahu ‘anhu – went off to the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam –, so I followed him by myself, until he reached the Prophet – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and he told him the whole story as it was. The Prophet – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – raised his head towards me and said: ‘O Rabeeyah what’s the matter between you and as-Siddeeq?’
I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – such and such happened, and he said a statement to me which I disliked, then he said to me, say something similar to what I said to you so that I can be requited, but I refused.’
Then the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – said: ‘Yes, do not say a word back to him, but say: ‘May Allaah forgive you O Aboo Bakr. May Allaah forgive you O Aboo Bakr.’
Hasan said: ‘Aboo Bakr turned around and he was crying.’
As-Saheehah, No. 3258
Fajr Prayers; Deep Story !
I have been struggling with Fajr prayers for a while now. The cold mornings of this endless winter create an incredible feeling of morning laziness; your blanket is all you need and your bed you will not leave.
I spent about a week trying to wake up for Fajr everyday and could not even pray before I left the house for school. Shaytan’s tricks were endless; his plan for me not to have a special connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala kept surprising me everyday: “I should sleep a little more, Fajr is in five minutes anyways, my alarm is too loud, I’ll lower the volume, I can’t wake up so early I have a long day tomorrow, I’ll just pray before I leave, etc.” I’m sure a lot of you know what I’m talking about.
During this infamous week, my landlord sent me an email saying there was a problem with the payment I had made for the month and I needed to get the cheque down to their agency by the following morning, before 8 a.m. I live about an hour and thirty minutes by bus from the agency, which meant I would have to wake up before Fajr time to make it in time.
I woke up right when my alarm went off, took a shower, got ready and was out before Fajr time. While I was waiting for the bus, I realized how cold it was, but something else was nagging at me and I could not understand what it was. I was very upset about having had to wake up early, and did not even want to go to drop the cheque off to my landlord. Then it hit me. I realized, with tears running down my face, and with awkward looks from people in the bus shelter, that I did not do this for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. I had let Shaytan win over me for a whole week, giving myself all kinds of excuses to not get up and pray, but when it had come to a matter pertaining to the Dunya, to please someone who had authority over me in the Dunya, I did not hesitate. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala forgive me for this and all of us for our negligence concerning Him.
The question remains: who do we want to please? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or mere people, who themselves will suffer for their own sins and shortcomings? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or Shaytan himself? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or our personal desires?
As silly and sad as it sounds, this battle was between my Lord and landlord, although I know my love for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is infinite and keeps growing everyday. The situations may vary, but the struggle is the same; whether you have been completely missing Fajr prayer, feel very lazy waking up, or simply missing out on the sweetness of a deed for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, the problem remains the same. As Muslims we need to remember how blessed we are to have Islam in our lives, so why not live up to our name, face our struggles, and challenge ourselves for the sake of Allah?
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala give us the strength to overcome this feeling of laziness and excuses that we constantly hide behind, Ameen.
I want to end with a du’aa my father used to repeat in the car every morning when we were kids; a du’aa I only recently became fond of and deeply attached to:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, anxiety and sorrow, and I seek refuge in You from the torments of grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trials and tribulations of life and death.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.
I spent about a week trying to wake up for Fajr everyday and could not even pray before I left the house for school. Shaytan’s tricks were endless; his plan for me not to have a special connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala kept surprising me everyday: “I should sleep a little more, Fajr is in five minutes anyways, my alarm is too loud, I’ll lower the volume, I can’t wake up so early I have a long day tomorrow, I’ll just pray before I leave, etc.” I’m sure a lot of you know what I’m talking about.
During this infamous week, my landlord sent me an email saying there was a problem with the payment I had made for the month and I needed to get the cheque down to their agency by the following morning, before 8 a.m. I live about an hour and thirty minutes by bus from the agency, which meant I would have to wake up before Fajr time to make it in time.
I woke up right when my alarm went off, took a shower, got ready and was out before Fajr time. While I was waiting for the bus, I realized how cold it was, but something else was nagging at me and I could not understand what it was. I was very upset about having had to wake up early, and did not even want to go to drop the cheque off to my landlord. Then it hit me. I realized, with tears running down my face, and with awkward looks from people in the bus shelter, that I did not do this for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. I had let Shaytan win over me for a whole week, giving myself all kinds of excuses to not get up and pray, but when it had come to a matter pertaining to the Dunya, to please someone who had authority over me in the Dunya, I did not hesitate. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala forgive me for this and all of us for our negligence concerning Him.
The question remains: who do we want to please? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or mere people, who themselves will suffer for their own sins and shortcomings? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or Shaytan himself? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala or our personal desires?
As silly and sad as it sounds, this battle was between my Lord and landlord, although I know my love for Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is infinite and keeps growing everyday. The situations may vary, but the struggle is the same; whether you have been completely missing Fajr prayer, feel very lazy waking up, or simply missing out on the sweetness of a deed for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, the problem remains the same. As Muslims we need to remember how blessed we are to have Islam in our lives, so why not live up to our name, face our struggles, and challenge ourselves for the sake of Allah?
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala give us the strength to overcome this feeling of laziness and excuses that we constantly hide behind, Ameen.
I want to end with a du’aa my father used to repeat in the car every morning when we were kids; a du’aa I only recently became fond of and deeply attached to:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, anxiety and sorrow, and I seek refuge in You from the torments of grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trials and tribulations of life and death.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.
'O Lord !
Narrated Anas bin Malik (R.A): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “At every womb Allah appoints an angel who says, ‘O Lord! A drop of semen, O Lord! A clot. O Lord! A little lump of flesh.” Then if Allah wishes (to complete) its creation, the angel asks, (O Lord!) Will it be a male or female, a wretched or a blessed, and how much will his provision be? And what will his age be?’ So all that is written while the child is still in the mother’s womb.”
Volume 1, Book 6, Number 315: Sahih Bukhari
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)