Blue
So I am sad. I don't know what to do about it. I was sooo happy a few short months ago, I was newly married, and homeFUL instead of homeLESS. But it seems that after Ramadan, on the day of the Eid ul Fitr no doubt, Shaytan paid my family a visit. SubhanAllah, my daughter was hospitalized for her sickle cell anemia on that day, my zawj and I started to argue on some pretty major issues and that has not seemed to cease and my oldest son is having a very had time transitioning from boyhood to manhood.
I think I need counseling, cuz I don't handle stress to well.
I wish that as muslims we always acted as muslims and not just when things are good.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaani Ar-Raheem,Assalama alaikum warahmatu Allaah wabarakatu, wa ba3d, The Messenger of Allaah ( Sallalaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ) said, 'Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practise it will have the same reward as those who practise it without their reward diminishing. ..' [Sunnan Ibn Maajah (209)].
Eid Prayer
Question: What is the ruling on the Eid Prayer?
Answer: I consider the 'Eid prayer to be an obligation upon every individual (Fardh 'Ain) and that it is not permissible for men to leave it. Rather it is an obligation upon them to attend it, because the Prophet ( r) commanded it; in fact, he (r) commanded the young, veiled women to go out to the 'Eid prayer. Indeed, he (r) commanded the menstruating women to go out to 'Eid prayer. Indeed, he commanded the menstruating women to go out to the 'Eid prayer, but to keep away from the prayer place. All of this proves the obligation of it; and this opinion which I have mentioned is the most authoritative opinion, and it was the chosen view of Shaikh Al-Islam, Ibn Taimiyyah.
But it is like the Friday prayer, in that if it is missed, it is not made up for, as there is no evidence that it is necessary to make it up, and no prayer need be offered in place of it, because if the Zuhr prayer in its place, because the time of it is Zuhr time, whereas if the 'Eid prayer is missed, it is not made up for.
My advice to my Muslim brothers is to fear Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful and perform this prayer which consists of goodness, supplication, meeting the people, and fostering harmony and love between them. If the people were invited to a gathering for the purpose of vain pursuits, you would see those who attend rushing to it. Why is this so, when the Messenger ( r) has invited them to this prayer by which they attain a reward from Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High which is their right according to His Promise?
But it is incumbent upon the women when they go out to this prayer to stay clear of the place of the men, and to be in a corner of the Masjid which is far from the men and not to go out beautifully adorned and smelling of perfume or displaying their beauty.
This is why, when the Prophetr ordered the women to go out to it they asked him: Oh, Messenger of Allah! If one of us does not have a Jilbab?' He r said:
' Her sister should cover her with her Jilbab'
The Jilbab is a sheet or something resembling an 'Aba'ah. This proves that the women must go out covered in a Jilbab, because the Messenger r said:
' Her sister should cover her with her Jilbab'
It is incumbent upon the Imam, I mean the Imam of the Eid prayer, when he delivers the sermon to the men, to deliver a special sermon to the women if they can not hear the men's sermon, then it is sufficient.
However, it is preferred for him to end the sermon wit mention of rulings particular to women, admonishing them and reminding them ( of Allah) as he Prophet r used to do when he addressed the men during the Eid prayer turning to the women, he would admonish them and remind them (of Allah)
Taken from Fatawa Arkanul-Islam page562-562By The Honorable Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen
Thursday, September 11, 2008
This is the story of Nabihah:
The following article was written by Abu Shoaib Ashmead Choat, a very dear family friend of ours. He visited Houston a few years ago and gave some talks there; he's a graduate of the College of Hadith from Madinah and an active da'i in Trinidad (where he runs his own full-time Islamic school). His daughter Nabiha passed away last year, while still a teenager. She had grown up in Madinah and memorized significant portions of the Quran. She was an active tajweed teacher in her native land of Trinidad.
After her tragic death, her father Abu Shoiab wrote up this beautiful article. I've asked his permission to post it on our website.
Nabihah My Love
But a Person is With the One Whom They Love
Even before we start to write about this glimpse into the life of our dear daughter, it is necessary to purify our intentions, hence the reason for the delay. This must not be for Shuhrah or fame or some Nahiha fan club, but it must be for, as Allah has said, "Ya ayyuha ladhina amanu itaqullaaha wabtaghoo ilayhil waseelah" (Oh you who believe fear Allah and seek out the means of approach to him). Great effort and attention must be paid in trying to purify our intentions and knowing precisely why we are doing this. It may be a wake up call for a lazy or sleepy Muslim. It may help someone to realize how short and fleeting this life is; how precious it is that we must take every opportunity to do good, no matter how small, and we must seek every opportunity to invite people to Allah and use all the resources available to us in that cause, even if that means the life and death of our dear baby.
How do we begin to describe the love of our life? If Allah had given us someone for one or two years and took her away, it would have been easier because of her short life. Or if she had been married with children and away from the home it would have softened the loss. But our baby girl was in the prime of her life, just at the age of marriage, and the decision is with the Lord of the universe. As our Prophet (SAW) said at the moment of his death, when he was given the choice to go or stay, "Balir-rafeequl-'alaa, Balir-rafeequl-'alaa - certainly the highest companionship, certainly the highest the companionship."
It was late 2004 when Nabiha discovered a non-healing ulcer on her tongue which became exceedingly painful and was preventing her from eating. In March 2005, she had her first operation for the removal of the ulcer and a biopsy, which showed a presence of malignancy. In retrospect, when a Muslim is faced with the news of cancer, he begins to think of the options available to him. Seeking treatment and medical care is encouraged in the Sunnah (called: "at-tadaawee - seeking treatment"). So over the next two years, we followed the full gamut of treatment of up to seven or eight surgeries together with radiotherapy in far away India, a return there for a review, then on to chemotherapy back in Trinidad.
Despite huge setbacks, we were to see the Hand of Allah in everything that challenged us. He tested us but walked us through to the very end. Allahumma laka wa minka; O Allah to you and from you. Laa malja'a minallahi illa ilayhi; There is no refuge from Allah, except in Him.
Our daughter, for those who know her, loved Qur'an and its fine recitation. And even before her loss of speech, she began to slowly lose the ability to pronounce key letters in the Arabic alphabet. She was taught recitation at the finest "Tahfeedh" in Medina, where Salman, the son of Shaikh Thubaytee, was taught. One could imagine the pain she felt, and I remembered her last great effort to recite Qur'an after radiotherapy on her return from India; a moment in time that will not be repeated. Her speech slowly started to dwindle, and with great pain, I heard her say the words of the Prophet Sulayman, "Rabbi Awzi'nee an Ashkura Ni'matakallati an'amta alayya wa 'alaa waalidayya wa an 'amala saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee bi rahmatika fee 'ibadikas saaliheen."
During radiotherapy in India, in early 2006, she and her mother looked for appropriate gifts for her father to no avail.. She thought that the best gift would be to memorize Surat Maryam. Every morning she would memorize a portion, and, while clamped on the cold stainless steel slab in the radiotherapy center in Trivandrum, India, she would revise what she had learnt that morning. While the rays from the linear accelerator machine were destroying the tissue in her neck and jaw, and, in the later stages, even with blood spewing from her mouth, she would be revising Qur'an.
We still remember one morning after she returned, she was anxious to recite what she had memorized, knowing how I loved that Surah. She sobbed bitterly in torment, not being able to pronounce certain letters properly. Her mother rushed downstairs thinking something was seriously wrong… 'nothing could be more agonizing to Nabiha than not being able to pronounce the words of Allah'.
For a few months we thought all was well, until Eid-ul-Fitr 2006. While I stood on the Mimbar, my daughter was at the hospital in Trinidad going through another painful procedure.
All throughout life, people are faced with situations in which they have options in dealing with them. We are sometimes faced with good news and sometimes with bad, but in Naibha's case, it was rare to hear good news. From then on it was constantly downhill. The family was being faced with one piece of bad news after another. The wound only became worse; the swellings increased, but our daughter Nabiha would continue to stand at night in prayer.. It was not as though she became suddenly pious with the onset of illness. Rather, Nabiha continued to sail smoothly without missing a beat on a path that she had always tread. How Allah has blessed us with this privilege. Her sister remembers when we lived in Madinah in the nineties, how she would wake at nights, saying that she went to the washroom and thinking that was a long p….!
For days she would not speak because of the difficulty and pain. When she could not give Dawah with her speech, her fingers did the talking. Constantly admonishing people, worldwide and inviting them to Islam. Two Jewish Americans who became Muslims are living testimony to what she did. As parents we are only now beginning to realize the full extent of the people she advised, admonished, assisted, and supported. What is nice, however, is that the full extent of her work will never be known and is best left to Al 'Aleem. Sincerity is best measured when hidden from people's eyes. As our Prophet (saw) said when he performed Hajj: "Allahumma laa ri'aa feehaa walaa sum'ah - O Allah, let there be no ostentation in it nor fame."
Patience took on a special meaning for this young woman, seeing her life, her beauty, and her youth gradually taken away from her. There would be intense sadness and tears, but she bore her illness with dignity and with the full conviction that if this is what Allah wills, then so be it. Even close to the end I probably lost it when I said "bint, where do you get all this strength" and lifting the frail hand into the air she pointed upwards, a move that words cannot do justice. One remembers laughing then at the relief and contentment for having a child of such Iman and 'Aqeedah.
The ulama say Patience is of three types:
1. Patience on the obedience of Allah
2. Patience in refraining from Allah's disobedience
3. Patience in enduring the painful trials form Allah.
Patience is easier in the third than in the first two. If a Muslim or a Kafir is faced with Cancer they both have to endure it but in the first two types we have choices either to obey Allah or disobey him. We hope and pray that in her moments of solitude and months quietness that our daughter was Dhaakiratullah katheeran - a woman who continued to remember Allah much.
Despite the great pain and trauma that we, the family, felt at times, we would say to Nabiha that we are a team and that we would never desert her, not even for a moment. In taking care of our ill child we did our very best, but we knew that one day the angels would take over and that that would be the day when our privilege and source of great blessings would come to an end. As we would shroud and perfume her lifeless body, so too we had the full assurance that the angels would be clothing and perfuming her Ruh.
Her body continued to emaciate and yet she showed extreme patience and courage. Her little body was battling the disease, but as Muslims we know that the body is just a shell… food for the worms of the grave. As a matter of fact, Allah showed us a glimpse of the breakdown of tissue and necrosis even before she left this world. (He showed us just what we could bear; her brother and I both acknowledge that we were about to reach the breaking point. How easy it is for Allah, Al Jabbaar, the One who Overwhelms.) It was a solemn reminder of the fate that each of our bodies will face. The eyes and whatever was little was left of her face remained shining like a beacon in the night, as though the cancer could not touch it. Again, we saw Allah's ease in the battlefield.
When Nabiha died, her feet glowed almost luminously, to a point that it startled us. Those feet that walked Makkah and Madina and stumbled between Safa and Marwa while fasting in Ramadan. Those eyes that cried incessantly when Abdullah Juhani and Salah Budair recited in Taraweeh in the Prophet's masjid. She would not miss her stars in recitation; not for the world.
Allah swt took this family and pushed it through wave upon wave of difficulty. Yet even with the difficulty was ease, smiles, comfort, and the security of knowing that even though He pushed us to the ends of world, He never left us on our own, but was constantly with us, protecting us and nurturing us. We discovered within ourselves, our capabilities for coping with crises we never imagined we could survive. It was easy to visualize a grotesque image of Nabiha once the cancer took over, but Allah has protected us and preserved our beautiful memories of our dear daughter.
When Nabiha died I, the father, was not present. He, Allah, placed me in the heart of the forest out of phone contact. Even when the family tried to call, I would not be accessible. Herein lies my test: Would I blame myself for not being present when she most needed me or will I totally accept the plan of Allah? Alhamduillallah, the one who was absent was able to console those who were present at her passing, and Allah knows whether I would be able to bear seeing her life leave her body.
People comment at our strength, but in truth we are exceedingly weak. He is our source of strength, and we fear to think how those who do not have Allah in their lives can manage? How do they live? How do they face the world and its trials?
Nabiha's life for us now is a bitter-sweet experience. We fear that after her passing, the chasm between us and our Lord will increase, and we will become more distant. Yet, we dare not say, "O Allah bring on the next test," for possibly the next test might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. We only beg to stay close to Him and enjoy His sweet cuddliness; more than a mother can possibly show a child.
We would keeping telling her "my baby just as we helped your helpless body in this life, maybe Allah would allow you to help us on Yawmul Qiyamah." You could not eat nor drink nor speak nor shift your head in those last few months, but on that Day, if we were to receive our book of deeds in our left hand, we would have no power to shift it to the right. What utter helplessness!
Nabiha we love you dearly, but we love Allah more. Just as you loved us dearly, but you loved Allah more…… as you were trained. "And do not say of those who are killed in the path of Allah that they are dead, nay they are sustained by their Lord. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty and rejoice for his sake for those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
O Allah grant our sister Nabiha, Jannatul Firdous. Ameen!
The following article was written by Abu Shoaib Ashmead Choat, a very dear family friend of ours. He visited Houston a few years ago and gave some talks there; he's a graduate of the College of Hadith from Madinah and an active da'i in Trinidad (where he runs his own full-time Islamic school). His daughter Nabiha passed away last year, while still a teenager. She had grown up in Madinah and memorized significant portions of the Quran. She was an active tajweed teacher in her native land of Trinidad.
After her tragic death, her father Abu Shoiab wrote up this beautiful article. I've asked his permission to post it on our website.
Nabihah My Love
But a Person is With the One Whom They Love
Even before we start to write about this glimpse into the life of our dear daughter, it is necessary to purify our intentions, hence the reason for the delay. This must not be for Shuhrah or fame or some Nahiha fan club, but it must be for, as Allah has said, "Ya ayyuha ladhina amanu itaqullaaha wabtaghoo ilayhil waseelah" (Oh you who believe fear Allah and seek out the means of approach to him). Great effort and attention must be paid in trying to purify our intentions and knowing precisely why we are doing this. It may be a wake up call for a lazy or sleepy Muslim. It may help someone to realize how short and fleeting this life is; how precious it is that we must take every opportunity to do good, no matter how small, and we must seek every opportunity to invite people to Allah and use all the resources available to us in that cause, even if that means the life and death of our dear baby.
How do we begin to describe the love of our life? If Allah had given us someone for one or two years and took her away, it would have been easier because of her short life. Or if she had been married with children and away from the home it would have softened the loss. But our baby girl was in the prime of her life, just at the age of marriage, and the decision is with the Lord of the universe. As our Prophet (SAW) said at the moment of his death, when he was given the choice to go or stay, "Balir-rafeequl-'alaa, Balir-rafeequl-'alaa - certainly the highest companionship, certainly the highest the companionship."
It was late 2004 when Nabiha discovered a non-healing ulcer on her tongue which became exceedingly painful and was preventing her from eating. In March 2005, she had her first operation for the removal of the ulcer and a biopsy, which showed a presence of malignancy. In retrospect, when a Muslim is faced with the news of cancer, he begins to think of the options available to him. Seeking treatment and medical care is encouraged in the Sunnah (called: "at-tadaawee - seeking treatment"). So over the next two years, we followed the full gamut of treatment of up to seven or eight surgeries together with radiotherapy in far away India, a return there for a review, then on to chemotherapy back in Trinidad.
Despite huge setbacks, we were to see the Hand of Allah in everything that challenged us. He tested us but walked us through to the very end. Allahumma laka wa minka; O Allah to you and from you. Laa malja'a minallahi illa ilayhi; There is no refuge from Allah, except in Him.
Our daughter, for those who know her, loved Qur'an and its fine recitation. And even before her loss of speech, she began to slowly lose the ability to pronounce key letters in the Arabic alphabet. She was taught recitation at the finest "Tahfeedh" in Medina, where Salman, the son of Shaikh Thubaytee, was taught. One could imagine the pain she felt, and I remembered her last great effort to recite Qur'an after radiotherapy on her return from India; a moment in time that will not be repeated. Her speech slowly started to dwindle, and with great pain, I heard her say the words of the Prophet Sulayman, "Rabbi Awzi'nee an Ashkura Ni'matakallati an'amta alayya wa 'alaa waalidayya wa an 'amala saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee bi rahmatika fee 'ibadikas saaliheen."
During radiotherapy in India, in early 2006, she and her mother looked for appropriate gifts for her father to no avail.. She thought that the best gift would be to memorize Surat Maryam. Every morning she would memorize a portion, and, while clamped on the cold stainless steel slab in the radiotherapy center in Trivandrum, India, she would revise what she had learnt that morning. While the rays from the linear accelerator machine were destroying the tissue in her neck and jaw, and, in the later stages, even with blood spewing from her mouth, she would be revising Qur'an.
We still remember one morning after she returned, she was anxious to recite what she had memorized, knowing how I loved that Surah. She sobbed bitterly in torment, not being able to pronounce certain letters properly. Her mother rushed downstairs thinking something was seriously wrong… 'nothing could be more agonizing to Nabiha than not being able to pronounce the words of Allah'.
For a few months we thought all was well, until Eid-ul-Fitr 2006. While I stood on the Mimbar, my daughter was at the hospital in Trinidad going through another painful procedure.
All throughout life, people are faced with situations in which they have options in dealing with them. We are sometimes faced with good news and sometimes with bad, but in Naibha's case, it was rare to hear good news. From then on it was constantly downhill. The family was being faced with one piece of bad news after another. The wound only became worse; the swellings increased, but our daughter Nabiha would continue to stand at night in prayer.. It was not as though she became suddenly pious with the onset of illness. Rather, Nabiha continued to sail smoothly without missing a beat on a path that she had always tread. How Allah has blessed us with this privilege. Her sister remembers when we lived in Madinah in the nineties, how she would wake at nights, saying that she went to the washroom and thinking that was a long p….!
For days she would not speak because of the difficulty and pain. When she could not give Dawah with her speech, her fingers did the talking. Constantly admonishing people, worldwide and inviting them to Islam. Two Jewish Americans who became Muslims are living testimony to what she did. As parents we are only now beginning to realize the full extent of the people she advised, admonished, assisted, and supported. What is nice, however, is that the full extent of her work will never be known and is best left to Al 'Aleem. Sincerity is best measured when hidden from people's eyes. As our Prophet (saw) said when he performed Hajj: "Allahumma laa ri'aa feehaa walaa sum'ah - O Allah, let there be no ostentation in it nor fame."
Patience took on a special meaning for this young woman, seeing her life, her beauty, and her youth gradually taken away from her. There would be intense sadness and tears, but she bore her illness with dignity and with the full conviction that if this is what Allah wills, then so be it. Even close to the end I probably lost it when I said "bint, where do you get all this strength" and lifting the frail hand into the air she pointed upwards, a move that words cannot do justice. One remembers laughing then at the relief and contentment for having a child of such Iman and 'Aqeedah.
The ulama say Patience is of three types:
1. Patience on the obedience of Allah
2. Patience in refraining from Allah's disobedience
3. Patience in enduring the painful trials form Allah.
Patience is easier in the third than in the first two. If a Muslim or a Kafir is faced with Cancer they both have to endure it but in the first two types we have choices either to obey Allah or disobey him. We hope and pray that in her moments of solitude and months quietness that our daughter was Dhaakiratullah katheeran - a woman who continued to remember Allah much.
Despite the great pain and trauma that we, the family, felt at times, we would say to Nabiha that we are a team and that we would never desert her, not even for a moment. In taking care of our ill child we did our very best, but we knew that one day the angels would take over and that that would be the day when our privilege and source of great blessings would come to an end. As we would shroud and perfume her lifeless body, so too we had the full assurance that the angels would be clothing and perfuming her Ruh.
Her body continued to emaciate and yet she showed extreme patience and courage. Her little body was battling the disease, but as Muslims we know that the body is just a shell… food for the worms of the grave. As a matter of fact, Allah showed us a glimpse of the breakdown of tissue and necrosis even before she left this world. (He showed us just what we could bear; her brother and I both acknowledge that we were about to reach the breaking point. How easy it is for Allah, Al Jabbaar, the One who Overwhelms.) It was a solemn reminder of the fate that each of our bodies will face. The eyes and whatever was little was left of her face remained shining like a beacon in the night, as though the cancer could not touch it. Again, we saw Allah's ease in the battlefield.
When Nabiha died, her feet glowed almost luminously, to a point that it startled us. Those feet that walked Makkah and Madina and stumbled between Safa and Marwa while fasting in Ramadan. Those eyes that cried incessantly when Abdullah Juhani and Salah Budair recited in Taraweeh in the Prophet's masjid. She would not miss her stars in recitation; not for the world.
Allah swt took this family and pushed it through wave upon wave of difficulty. Yet even with the difficulty was ease, smiles, comfort, and the security of knowing that even though He pushed us to the ends of world, He never left us on our own, but was constantly with us, protecting us and nurturing us. We discovered within ourselves, our capabilities for coping with crises we never imagined we could survive. It was easy to visualize a grotesque image of Nabiha once the cancer took over, but Allah has protected us and preserved our beautiful memories of our dear daughter.
When Nabiha died I, the father, was not present. He, Allah, placed me in the heart of the forest out of phone contact. Even when the family tried to call, I would not be accessible. Herein lies my test: Would I blame myself for not being present when she most needed me or will I totally accept the plan of Allah? Alhamduillallah, the one who was absent was able to console those who were present at her passing, and Allah knows whether I would be able to bear seeing her life leave her body.
People comment at our strength, but in truth we are exceedingly weak. He is our source of strength, and we fear to think how those who do not have Allah in their lives can manage? How do they live? How do they face the world and its trials?
Nabiha's life for us now is a bitter-sweet experience. We fear that after her passing, the chasm between us and our Lord will increase, and we will become more distant. Yet, we dare not say, "O Allah bring on the next test," for possibly the next test might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. We only beg to stay close to Him and enjoy His sweet cuddliness; more than a mother can possibly show a child.
We would keeping telling her "my baby just as we helped your helpless body in this life, maybe Allah would allow you to help us on Yawmul Qiyamah." You could not eat nor drink nor speak nor shift your head in those last few months, but on that Day, if we were to receive our book of deeds in our left hand, we would have no power to shift it to the right. What utter helplessness!
Nabiha we love you dearly, but we love Allah more. Just as you loved us dearly, but you loved Allah more…… as you were trained. "And do not say of those who are killed in the path of Allah that they are dead, nay they are sustained by their Lord. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty and rejoice for his sake for those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
O Allah grant our sister Nabiha, Jannatul Firdous. Ameen!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
What should one Preoccupy his Time with during the Month of Ramadaan?
AUTHOR:
Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan
SOURCE:
Ittihaaf Ahlil-Eemaan bi Duroos Shahri Ramadaan
PRODUCED BY:
Al-Ibaanah.com
All praise be to Allaah for His blessings and generosity. He has blessed us by allowing us to reach the month of Ramadaan and enabling us to do good deeds by which we can draw nearer to Him. And may the peace and blessings be on our prophet Muhammad – who was the first to hasten to do good deeds – as well as upon his family and Companions – those who believed in him, supported him and followed the light that was revealed to him. They are the successful ones.
As for what follows, then:
I advise you and myself to fear Allaah during this blessed month as well as in any other month. However, this month has a special merit by which Allaah has distinguished it, since it is a unique occasion for performing good deeds. The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would supplicate to Allaah to allow him to be able to reach Ramadaan. So when the month of Rajab would come in, he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would say: “O Allaah! Bless us during Rajab and Sha’baan and allow us to reach Ramadaan.”
The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would also give his Companions the glad tidings of its arrival and explain to them its many virtues, saying to them: “O people! A great and blessed month has come upon you.”
The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would encourage his Companions to strive hard in performing good deeds during this month, both the obligatory and recommended ones, such as prayer, charity, showing goodness and kindness, being patient while obeying Allaah, spending one’s day with fasting, one’s night with praying and one’s hours with recitation of the Qur’aan and remembering Allaah.
So do not waste time by being heedless and refusing, as is the case with the wretched ones who have forgotten Allaah and so He has caused them to forget themselves. Such people do not extract benefit from the passing of occasions for doing good, nor do they realize their sanctity or know their worth.
Many people don’t know this month except as a month for various types of foods and beverages. So they go to great extents in giving their souls what they desire. And they exceed in buying fancy types of foods and drinks. It is well known that the intake of too much food and drink causes one to be lazy with acts of worship. What is required for the Muslim is that he decrease in his intake of food and drink such that he is energetic when it comes to acts of worship.
Some people don’t know the month of Ramadaan except as a month in which one sleeps during the day and stays up all night doing things that have no benefit or things that cause harm. So these people stay awake most of the night or all of it then sleep in the daytime even over the times of the obligatory prayers. So they don’t pray with the congregation or in the prescribed times of prayer.
Another group of people sit at the dinner table when it’s time to break fast and abandon performing the Maghrib prayer in congregation. These types of people do not know the value of the month of Ramadaan nor do they refrain from violating its sanctity by committing the forbidden type of sleeplessness (i.e. all night), abandoning the obligations and doing the prohibited.
Next to these people are those individuals who don’t view the month of Ramadaan except as an opportunity for doing business, displaying their products and chasing after the worldly life, which is temporary. So they are active in buying and selling, thus spending all their time in the marketplaces and abandoning the masaajid. And if they do go to the masaajid, then they are in haste and anguish. They do not relax while in the masaajid since their joy and comfort lies in the market areas.
And there is another type of people that do not know the month of Ramadaan except as a time for begging in the masaajid and in the streets. So they spend most of their time going back and forth from here and there and traveling from one country to another in order to collect money through begging and by presenting themselves as being needy when they are in fact wealthy, and as injured when they are in fact healthy! Such people are denying Allaah’s blessing on them and taking the people’s wealth unjustly. And they are wasting their precious time in things that are harmful to them. So there are no special merits that can be found in Ramadaan for these types of people.
O servants of Allaah! The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would strive hard during this month more than he would in any other month. Even though the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was strong in performing worship at all times, he would free himself up during this month from many of the duties, which in reality were acts of worship, leaving off these righteous deeds for deeds that were better than those. The Salaf would follow his example in this regard and so they would particularize this month with higher ambitions, thus keeping themselves unoccupied in it so that they could perform good deeds. They would spend their night in Tahajjud prayer and their day in fasting, remembrance of Allaah and recitation of the Qur’aan, thus frequenting the masaajid for that purpose. So we should compare our conditions to their conditions and see what the extent of our abilities is in this month.
And we should know that just as the good deeds are multiplied during this month, then likewise, evil acts are worse and their punishment is greater. So we should fear Allaah and magnify the sanctity of this month. "And whoever magnifies the sacred things of Allaah, this is better for him in the sight of his Lord." [Surah Al-Hajj] May Allaah grant us all the ability to have righteous statements and actions. And may the peace and blessings be on our prophet Muhammad, as well as all of his family and Companions. http://www.al- ibaanah.com/ articles. php?ArtID= 120
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The Sin of Speaking without Knowledge
Speaking about Allah, the Most High, without knowledge, is the foremost aspect of shirk, which incurs the most severe punishment from Allah. For this reason, this is not allowed under any circumstances. This is clearly communicated by Allah in Surah A'araaf, which highlights the severity of this sin, by comparing it with other major sins. He, the Mighty said: "Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are, Al-Fawaahish (every kind of illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly. He, the Most High then moved on to describe a more severe "sin, unjust oppression" Then to that sin which is even more severe: "joining partners (in worship) with Allah (shirk), for which He gave no authority" And then He, the All-Knowing punctuated it with that sin which most severe: "and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge. " [Al-A'araaf 7: 331 In the Tafseer of this Aayah, the scholars of Islam have said that: "If speaking about Islam (Allah, the Most High) is not the greatest crime, then Allah certainly intended to emphasize it that way. Zinaa (fornication and adultery), the first mentioned (sin in the Aayah) is an act of one committing a sin on his/her own soul. Secondly: (Allah mentions) oppression, a sin committed against others. This is definitely a greater evil. Then He, the Most High mentions shirk (i.e. joining partners in worship with Allah), obviously a greater evil than the first two, and finally, speaking without knowledge in Islam; Every sin that followed was always greater than the previous one. Thus, if it (speaking about Allah without knowledge) is not the greatest of sins, as it was mentioned last, it was certainly intended (by Allah) to be understood that way." It should be seriously noted that this very grave sin is only because of Satan's encouragement of the ignorant and sometimes arrogant seekers of name and fame. Allah, the Most High said: "Verily, it is indeed Satan that makes you do evil and say things about Allah (or His deen) of which you have no proper knowledge." [Al-Baqarah 2:169] Therefore, based upon the above aayah, we find that this is the most serious prohibition with Allah Himself. The following categories of sins are incorporated in "Speaking of Allah without knowledge": a) Lying upon Allah, the Almighty. b) Attributing to Allah, the Most High, what is not suitable for Him c) Bid'ah (innovation) or modifying and altering Allah's Deen d) Negating what He, the Most High, has affirmed e) Affirming what He, the Most High, negated f) Hostility to those who champion His cause g) Supporting His enemies h) Loving those whom He hates and hating those He loves i) Describing Him with what does not befit Him in His Essence, His Attributes, His Statements or His Actions. Therefore, because of the amount of sins included in this category, there can be no greater prohibition. It is from this sin that Shirk (associating partners with Allah) and all forms of Kufr (disbelief) originate. All forms of Bid'ah (innovations) are also founded upon "speaking about Allah without knowledge." Another thing which the scholars say is: Notice how Allah SWT has arranged the crimes in order of their seriousness: Open shameful deeds - Secret shameful deeds - Oppression - Shirk - Talking about have with no knowledge. So talking about Allah SWT with no knowledge could be a worse form of Shirk in some cases. Wallahu A'lam.
~this post was taken from muslimah connection
A Mothers Advice to her Daughter
The following is an advice from a Jahili mother to her daughter on her wedding day.
O my daughter! If the advice were to be left off the virtuous and well-mannered, you would be in no need of advice. However, the advice reminds the forgetful and guides the wise. And if a women were to forsake marriage because of her parents' wealth or their fondness of her, you would be in least need for marriage. However, the women have been made for the men, and for them were the men made.O my daughter! You are now departing from the climate where you lived and the nest where you grew, to a unfamiliar domicile and companion. By virtue of your husband's custody, he is now a watcher and master over you. So be a maid to him, and he will surely be your servant. Be his earth(in submission), and he will be your sky (in protection). Preserve for him ten qualities, and they will be a treasure for you:
1) Submit to him by showing contentment (in regard to what he gives you)
2) Listen to him and obey him in the best manner.
3) Guard where his eye looks, so that it will not fall on anything ugly from you.
4) Guard what his nose smells, so that he will not smell from you but the best aroma.
5) Respect his meal times, for the attack of hunger is a cause for rage.
6) Respect his sleep times, for the disturbance of sleep is a cause of annoyance.
7) Safeguard his wealth by employing good judgment.
8) Care for his children and servants by employing good planning.
9) Do not disobey any of his commands, for if you do, you would bring resentment into his breast.
10) Do not disclose any of his secrets, for if you do, you would not be secure from his revenge.
Furthermore, do not display joy when he is worried, nor sadness when he is happy, for this will breed hatred. And remember, my daughter, that the more you please him, the more he honors you. And remember that you will not attain what you desire from him unless you give preference to his likes over yours."
Recorded in al-Aghani by al-Asbahani (partially included in Tuhfat ul-'Arus, pp.91-92).
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Graditude
I have been in Georgia now, since April 2007. Masha'Allah it has been and long rough road for my children and I. I mean in a 9 month period we lived in hotels, with 3 Muslim families and 1 Kufaar family (5 percenters the worst) . People were mean too us, took advantage of us. When I tell my husband some of the things that happened it breaks his heart Masha'Allah. But I was thinking about the situation today. I actually think about it almost everyday. But today, I was really kinda happy that we had those experiences. You know what I mean? Allah forbid that we ever go back to the state of homelessness again. But I also pray that I never forget the lessons that were learned. In that time period, I learned so much about the Mercy of my Rabb! Althought I didn't have a place of my own, we never slept on the streets, shelter or in our van! We always ate. I got a chance to look at this religion in ways that I never did before. I feel like now I have such a better understanding of iman, and wanting for my fellow muslim what I want for myself. Believe me being put in that situation, really lets you see the worst in your fellow Muslim. Allahu Must'an.
I have really seen the mercy of ALLAH in my life. Since the birth of my daughter 4 years ago I have wanted to be a stay at home mother, she has sickle cell anemia and I have always hated leaving her with people. But Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed my children and I will a wonder brother to be my husband and my children's wali (that's what they call him) and this man is a wonderful provider, he's a patient, kind generous brother, Masaha'Allah. We now have a home and I was able to leave my part time job and stay home with the younger two of my children Masah'Allah. I am homeschooling my daughter now, my baby boy is potty trained. Alhamdulillah. Insha'Allah we will be blessed to see another Ramadan. Life, Masha'Allah is good. Alhamdulillah. I am soo grateful to Allah for the test I have been tested with and the lessons I have learned. I pray that I never forget and insha'Allah I will be able to help someone else in a simular situation.
As Ramadan quickly approaches I am grateful to Allah for the good and the bad, for having a wonderful new husband Masah'Allah and great children. I am praying that I come out of Ramadan a better student of Islam, better wife and mother. I pray that Allah forgives our sins and accepts our fast. I pray that we do more good deeds and practice this religion the way that Allah has intended and His Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) showed us how without following our own desires and using our own intellect. Ameen
I have been in Georgia now, since April 2007. Masha'Allah it has been and long rough road for my children and I. I mean in a 9 month period we lived in hotels, with 3 Muslim families and 1 Kufaar family (5 percenters the worst) . People were mean too us, took advantage of us. When I tell my husband some of the things that happened it breaks his heart Masha'Allah. But I was thinking about the situation today. I actually think about it almost everyday. But today, I was really kinda happy that we had those experiences. You know what I mean? Allah forbid that we ever go back to the state of homelessness again. But I also pray that I never forget the lessons that were learned. In that time period, I learned so much about the Mercy of my Rabb! Althought I didn't have a place of my own, we never slept on the streets, shelter or in our van! We always ate. I got a chance to look at this religion in ways that I never did before. I feel like now I have such a better understanding of iman, and wanting for my fellow muslim what I want for myself. Believe me being put in that situation, really lets you see the worst in your fellow Muslim. Allahu Must'an.
I have really seen the mercy of ALLAH in my life. Since the birth of my daughter 4 years ago I have wanted to be a stay at home mother, she has sickle cell anemia and I have always hated leaving her with people. But Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed my children and I will a wonder brother to be my husband and my children's wali (that's what they call him) and this man is a wonderful provider, he's a patient, kind generous brother, Masaha'Allah. We now have a home and I was able to leave my part time job and stay home with the younger two of my children Masah'Allah. I am homeschooling my daughter now, my baby boy is potty trained. Alhamdulillah. Insha'Allah we will be blessed to see another Ramadan. Life, Masha'Allah is good. Alhamdulillah. I am soo grateful to Allah for the test I have been tested with and the lessons I have learned. I pray that I never forget and insha'Allah I will be able to help someone else in a simular situation.
As Ramadan quickly approaches I am grateful to Allah for the good and the bad, for having a wonderful new husband Masah'Allah and great children. I am praying that I come out of Ramadan a better student of Islam, better wife and mother. I pray that Allah forgives our sins and accepts our fast. I pray that we do more good deeds and practice this religion the way that Allah has intended and His Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) showed us how without following our own desires and using our own intellect. Ameen
Friday, August 15, 2008
........................... just venting
So my life has been so crazy for a while now, but Masaha'Allah things are starting to slow down and become "normal". But during the craziness chapter, I got a ticket on the day of my wedding no doubt. First off, I was sorta homeless when I got married and like all of my belonging and my children's belonging were in my van, so you can imagine the embarrassement of not having a place for my new husband to sit in the van. But Alhamdulillah we got over that, but then shortly after that I got pulled over by the police and a ticket for having a busted headlight! SubhanaAllah, the day of the signing of my Nikkah was banana's, I have only told you part of all the craziness, I'll save that for another post.
OK. So fast forward to today. I have a court date for this ticket on I believe the 19th of this month but my husband says the 18th, Allahu Alim. So my husband tells me to get the ticket. So I got to my purse, to get my wallet, where I KNOW the ticket is and ............NO TICKET! So my zawj says look in the purse, so I look in the purse and ................ NO TICKET! SubhanAllah where the heck is this thing. So then my wonderful zawj, who is sooo good to me Masha'Allah says, I thought you had it together better than that!!
Yo like I was just the bag lady a month ago when you married me. Give me second to unpack and get it together! was the thought that came to my mind, but I just said. OK honey go to sleep, I'll take care of it in the morning.
So how am I gonna find this ticket!
So my life has been so crazy for a while now, but Masaha'Allah things are starting to slow down and become "normal". But during the craziness chapter, I got a ticket on the day of my wedding no doubt. First off, I was sorta homeless when I got married and like all of my belonging and my children's belonging were in my van, so you can imagine the embarrassement of not having a place for my new husband to sit in the van. But Alhamdulillah we got over that, but then shortly after that I got pulled over by the police and a ticket for having a busted headlight! SubhanaAllah, the day of the signing of my Nikkah was banana's, I have only told you part of all the craziness, I'll save that for another post.
OK. So fast forward to today. I have a court date for this ticket on I believe the 19th of this month but my husband says the 18th, Allahu Alim. So my husband tells me to get the ticket. So I got to my purse, to get my wallet, where I KNOW the ticket is and ............NO TICKET! So my zawj says look in the purse, so I look in the purse and ................ NO TICKET! SubhanAllah where the heck is this thing. So then my wonderful zawj, who is sooo good to me Masha'Allah says, I thought you had it together better than that!!
Yo like I was just the bag lady a month ago when you married me. Give me second to unpack and get it together! was the thought that came to my mind, but I just said. OK honey go to sleep, I'll take care of it in the morning.
So how am I gonna find this ticket!
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