tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40542616586109220272024-03-13T08:15:02.242-07:00Pathway of Devotion"You feed your mouth, what do you feed your soul?"mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-39612858968587257632010-04-22T06:39:00.000-07:002010-04-22T06:46:32.618-07:00Love and Hate for the sake of Allah (swt)<p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span id="result_box" class="short_text"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="as salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh">السلام </span></span><span id="result_box" class="short_text"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="as salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh">عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته</span></span></p><p face="arial"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www1.sulekha.com/mstore/hebrewprincess/albums/default/Copy%20of%20holding%20hands.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 179px;" src="http://www1.sulekha.com/mstore/hebrewprincess/albums/default/Copy%20of%20holding%20hands.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here are ten Statements from the Salaf On Love and Hate for Allah (SWT)’s Sake<br />These are collected in al-Ghazzali’s ‘Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din’ (2/195 onwards):</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">1 – ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“If one of you is blessed with affection from his brother, he should hold onto that as tightly as possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">2 – ‘Umar also said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“Nobody is given anything besides his Islam better than a righteous friend.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">3 – ‘Ali bin Abi Talib said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“Tend to your brothers, as they are your sustenance in this world and the next. Do you not hear the saying of the people of Hell: {“Now, we have neither intercessors nor close friends to help us!”} [ash-Shu'ara'; 100-1]?”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">4 – ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“By Allah, if I fasted all day without eating, prayed all night without sleeping, spent all of my wealth in the Path of Allah, died the day I died, but had no love in my heart for those who obey Allah, and no hatred in my heart for those who disobey Allah, none of this would benefit me in the least.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">5 – ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“If a man were to stand for seventy years worshipping Allah between the Yemeni Corner and the Maqam of Ibrahim (at the Ka’bah), he would still be resurrected on the Day of Judgement with those whom he loved.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">6 – Ibn as-Sammak said, on his deathbed:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“O Allah! You Know that, even if I had disobeyed You, I loved those who obeyed You! So, make this for me a means of nearness to You!”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">7 – Mujahid said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“Those who love each other for Allah’s Sake, when they smile at each other, their sins fall from each other, just as the leaves fall from a tree before the winter.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">8 – al-Ghazzali said, commenting on the saying of the Prophet: “The strongest bond of faith is to love for Allah and to hate for Allah”:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“Because of this, it is a must that a person have those that he hates for Allah’s Sake, just as he has friends and brothers that he loves for Allah’s Sake.”</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">9 – Abu Hurayrah said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“The slave will be brought between the Hands of Allah – the Exalted – on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will Say to him: ‘Did you love one of my awliya’, so that I can join you with him?’“</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">10 – al-Hasan al-Basri said:</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">“Being harsh against a fasiq brings you closer to Allah – the Exalted.”</p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Taken from: http://mustaqeem.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/love-and-hate-for-the-sake-of-allah-swt/<br /></span></p>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-77005002927874169432010-03-17T11:30:00.001-07:002010-03-17T11:30:56.742-07:00Just a reminder...Reminders are awesome :)<br /><br /><blockquote>The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) likes a tolerant man." [Sahih Muslim]<br /><br />Learn to ignore unpleasant things when they concern your personal likes and dislikes, and are not disobedience of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). You will find that most of the things you find intolerable are not infringements of Allah's rights but rather related to pleasing or displeasing you. If you notice, hear, or see something, which is unpleasant but can be tolerated, act as though you have not seen it. Be tolerant of the mistakes of others.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com/</span><br /></div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-54253268005413363122010-03-04T07:02:00.000-08:002010-03-04T07:34:22.144-08:00The Responsibilities of the Prophet's Ummah<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a beautiful lecture given by Shaikh Abdullah Hakim Quick. He's so awesome masha'Allah. He just tells it as it is.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">All video credits go to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/khalifahklothing">khalifaklothing</a></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lPGOde0Myec&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lPGOde0Myec&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="405" width="500"></embed></object><br /></span>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-78100618116073903622010-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:002010-03-02T12:51:25.325-08:00The Beautiful Names of Allah (swt)<span style="font-family:arial;">When I started my blog in 2008, I promised to describe in detail one of Allah's most beautiful names every month. Unfortunately, the last time I did was a year ago! Literally. So insha'Allah, I'll be starting again. </span> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:arial;">بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >This month's glorious name is <span style="font-style: italic;">Al-Rahim</span> (The Merciful)<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://th09.deviantart.net/fs29/300W/f/2008/048/9/1/Al_rahim_by_liete.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 155px;" src="http://th09.deviantart.net/fs29/300W/f/2008/048/9/1/Al_rahim_by_liete.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"There is no god but He, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate."</span> (2:163)</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Rahim</span> is another attribute, also in the intensive form derived from <span style="font-style: italic;">rahma</span> (mercy). Here, 'mercy' implies pity, patience and forgiveness, all which sinners need. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"O My servants who have transgressed against their souls; do not despair of Allah's mercy; surely He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate."</span> (39:53)</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Allah is more merciful than vengeful. In a Hadith, he says, "<span style="font-style: italic;">My mercy surpasses my wrath.</span>" (Bukhari, Muslim)</span>. <span style="font-family:arial;">In the Hereafter, Allah is All-Compassionate to the believers only.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">My mercy embraces all things, and I shall prescribe it for those who are god-fearing.</span>" (7:156) </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you think this mother would throw her infant child in the fire? Allah is more merciful to His servants than she is to her child.</span>" (Bukhari, Muslim)</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Indeed, to be merciful is essential for a Muslim: "<span style="font-style: italic;">The merciful ones will be given mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those who are on this earth, and the One in heaven will have mercy on you.</span>" (Bukhari)</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />May Allah 'azzawajal make us Muslims who deserve and earn His mercy. Ameen ya Rabb!</span>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-1931142252777201662010-02-26T09:38:00.000-08:002010-02-26T09:42:07.951-08:00Being Generous: A Source of Relaxation<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" class="snap_preview"><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Taken from: http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/being-generous-a-source-of-relaxation/</span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">“…The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was the most generous person in giving away what he owned, and he would never look at something as being either too big or too insignificant to give up for the sake of Allah.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Nobody would ask him for anything except that he gave it to them, regardless of how big or small it was. He gave things away in a way that made it seem that he never feared poverty, and generosity and charity were the most beloved things to him. His happiness and joy in giving something away was more than that felt by those who would accept his gifts. He was the most generous person, and his generosity was like the blowing wind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">If a person in need would approach him, he would always prefer that person to himself. This was sometimes in the form of food, and was sometimes in the form of clothing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">He would have variety in terms of how he would give things away:</span></p> <p><a name='more'></a></p> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes, he would give it as a small gift, sometimes as charity, and sometimes as a large gift.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">He would sometimes buy something from someone then give him back the product itself that he had just paid for, such as what he did with the camel he bought from Jabir.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Sometimes, he would take a loan and then pay back more than he borrowed, or would give back something better or more plentiful than he borrowed.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes, he would buy something and pay more than its value for it.</span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">He would accept a gift and then repay it with a gift many times more valuable.</span></li></ul> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">This was all done out of his generosity and desire to practice as many types of charity and good as possible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">His charity was in what he possessed, his personality, and his words. He would give whatever he had and command others to give charity and encourage them in this and call to it through his actions and words.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">If he saw a stingy person, his mere personality would force that person into being generous and charitable. Whoever interacted with him and accompanied him and observed his lifestyle had no choice but to also be generous and freely giving.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">His lifestyle was one of kindness, charity, and goodness. This is why he was the most relaxed of people and the purest and softest of them in heart. Charity and kindness have an amazing effect in bringing about relaxation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">…Kindness to people and helping them through your money, influence, physical help, and other types of kindness is a means of relaxation. The generous and kind person is much more relaxed and purer and softer in heart, while the stingy person who displays no kindness has the tightest chest, the most depressed life, and the most worries and stress. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">And the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) gave an example in the<em> ‘Sahih’ </em>regarding the generous and stingy. He likened them to two men wearing metal armor. Whenever the generous person intends to give something in charity, his armor widens and relaxes until it drags and covers his feet. Whenever the stingy person intends to give charity, every ring of his armor stays in place and doesn’t widen or relax at all. So, this is like the relaxation that the charitable believer feels compared to the tightness that the stingy person feels…”<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">[<em>'Zad al-Ma'ad'</em>; 2/22-26]</span></p> </div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-87873895617780795992010-01-18T09:03:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:11:09.984-08:00Ibn al-Qayyim on Love<blockquote><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Concerning the Desire for Allah and the Signs of the One Who Knows Allah</span></span></span></div> <p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">As for the desire for Allah (raghbah), wanting Him (lit. His Countenance) and yearning for the meeting with Him, then it is the capital of the slave, the foundation of his affair, the basis of his life of goodness, the source of his (true) happiness, success and bliss, and it is the coolness of his eye. For this reason he was created and for it he has been commanded. The messengers have been sent and the books have been revealed also for this purpose. There is no rectification or bliss for the heart unless its desire is solely for Allah, alone, Mighty and Majestic is He. Hence, He alone should be his desire, what he seeks out and his goal. As Allah, the Exalted, has said, “So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah’s worship. And to your Lord turn your desires and intentions” (Qur’an 94:7-8). And He, the Exalted, has also said, “Would that they were contented with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and had said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us of His Bounty, and so will His Messenger. We implore Allah’” (Qur’an 9:59).</span></span></span><br /> </p><p><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Those who desire are three types:</span></span></span></b> </p><ul><li> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Those who desire Allah,</span></span></span></li></ul> <ul><li> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Those who desire what Allah has</span></span></span></li></ul> <ul><li> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">And those who desire other than Allah.</span></span></span></li></ul> <p><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">So the lover is the one who desires Allah. The one who is concerned with works is the one who desires what Allah has. And the one who is satisfied with this life, in neglect to the Hereafter, is the one who desires other than Him. The person whose desire is for Allah alone, Allah with suffice him from every concern, take on all of his affairs, deflect from him what he is not capable himself to deflect, protect him like the protection of a father to his child and preserve him from all afflictions. And whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others. And whoever is for Allah, Allah will be for him where he is not even there for his own self. Whoever knows Allah, nothing will be more beloved to him than Him and no desire will remain in this type of person for anything other than Him, except that which will bring him closer to Him or assist him in his wayfaring to Him.</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">From among the signs of experiential knowledge (ma’rifah) of Allah is veneration and awe (haybah). As the slave’s experiential knowledge of his Lord increases, so to does his veneration and awe increase. As Allah, the Exalted, has said, “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah” (Qur’ân 35:28), meaning, those who are knowledgeable concerning Him. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning Allah and I am the most intense in awe and reverence of Him” (Al-Bukhârî and Muslim).</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">So whoever knows Allah (has ma’rifah) his livelihood will be pure, his life will be sweet, everything will revere him and all fear of created things will leave him. He will find intimacy with Allah and will have an aversion for (common) people. Knowledge of Allah (ma’rifah) will bequeath to him shyness in front of Allah, veneration and reverence of Him, vigilance (concerning His vision), love, trust in Him, turning to Him, pleasure in Him and submission to His ordinances.</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">It was said to Junayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, “There are a group of people here that claim that they can attain righteousness by leaving all movement.” He responded, “Such ones have spoken of the removal of all action, and this is something very immense. The one who fornicates and steals is in a better state than the one who says that (as far as I am concerned). For verily, those who have experiential knowledge of Allah (the ‘ârifûn) have taken their actions from Allah and they have returned to Allah in them. If I were to live one thousand years I would not decrease in performing righteous works.” He also said, “One who knows Allah does not really know Allah until he becomes like the earth; the feet of the righteous and the unrighteous tread upon him. And (until he becomes) like the rain that waters what it likes and what it doesn’t like.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Yahyâ ibn Mu’âdh said, “The one who knows Allah leaves this world (at the time of death) and he has not had his fill of two things: crying over his self and yearning for his Lord.” Others have said, “One who knows Allah will not really know Allah until if he is given a dominion like the kingdom of Solomon it would not distract him from Allah for even the blink of an eye.” It has also been said, “The one who knows Allah has found intimacy with Allah and has an aversion for other than Him. He has realized his poverty in front of Allah, so Allah has enriched him from His creation. And he has humbled himself in front of Allah, so He has ennobled him amongst His creation.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Abû Salymân Ad-Dârânî said, “While (resting) in bed, the one who has experiential knowledge of Allah has openings that do not even come to the one who is standing in prayer!”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Dhun-Nûn (Al-Misrî) said, “For everything there is a punishment. And the punishment of the one who knows Allah (the ‘ârif) is being cut off from the remembrance of Allah.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">In summary, the life of the heart is with Allah and there is no life for it without that, ever. So when the heart is in agreement with the tongue in its dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the heart is in agreement with what the Beloved wants from it; when he (the servant) belittles the many works and statements that he has made and regards even Allah’s subtle generosity and kindness as great; when he embraces obedience and leaves off disobedience, and has left all of it for the sake of his Beloved, so that nothing of it remains; when his heart has become full with reverence, awe, preference and pleasure in Him and his patience in yearning for Him has reached its last straw; when he cannot find repose except in His remembrance, desire for Him and yearning for the meeting with Him; when he cannot find (true) intimacy except in His dhikr, while maintaining His ordinances and preferring Him to others…Then this, this is the true lover (muhibb).</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Junayd said, “I heard Al-Hârith Al-Muhâsibî say: “Love (mahabbah) is your inclination to something with all of your being. Then, your preference to that thing over your own self, your soul and your possessions and wealth. Then, your being in accordance with that thing inwardly and outwardly, privately and publicly. Then, realizing your shortcomings with regards to your love of it.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">It was said, “Love (mahabbah) is a fire that burns in the heart. It burns everything other than what the beloved wants from the lover.” It was also said, “Nay, it is exerting all efforts in pleasing the beloved. And that could never be so until one no longer sees the ‘love’ anymore, but only witnesses the beloved.” It is mentioned in some of the Hadith Qudsi, “My servant, I am, by your right, a lover of you. So, be you, by my right upon you, a lover of Me.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">‘Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak said, “Whomsoever is given something of love and is not given its equivalent of awe and veneration (khashyah), then he is deceived.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Yahyâ ibn Mu’âdh said, “A muster seed’s amount of love is more beloved to me than seventy years of worship without love!”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Abu Bakr Al-Kattânî said, “An issue concerning love (mahabbah) came up in Makkah during the days of the Pilgrimage. The sheikhs spoke on the matter. Junayd was present and he was the youngest amongst them. So they said to him, ‘Give us what you have O Iraqi!’ He lowered his head in humility and his eyes shed tears, and he spoke: ‘(How great is) a slave who has left himself, connected to the dhikr of his Lord, upholding His rights, witnessing Him with his heart. The lights of His Essence have burned his heart and his drink is pure from the cup of His pure love. If such a one speaks, it is by Allah. If he utters, it is from Allah. If he moves, it is by the command of Allah. If he remains silent, he is with Allah. So he is by Allah, for Allah and with Allah.’ So the sheikhs cried and said, “There is nothing that can be added to this. May Allah rectify you, O Tâj Al-‘ârifîn (crown of those who know Allah)!”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">It was said that Allah revealed to Dawûd, peace be upon him, “O Dawûd, I have made it prohbited (harâm) for the hearts to contain the love of Me and the love of others at the same time.”</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">Those who know Allah (the ‘ârifûn) have all agreed that love is not acceptable without compliance (with the Sacred Law), so much so that some of them said, “The reality of love is being in accordance with what beloved wants, concerning what pleases him and what makes him angry.” The People (of the Science of Purification; Al-Qawm) have also agreed that love is not acceptable without Tawhîd (belief in the Oneness of Allah).</span></span></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">It was related that there was a man who claimed that he was overwhelmed by the love of a certain person. So one day this certain person said to him (the lover), “How can this be, when my brother over here is much more attractive and more perfect in beauty?!” The man looked over to him and then the person pushed him and said, “Someone who claims that he loves us and then looks at other than us?!”</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-size:-1;">-Taken from Ibn al-Qayyim's "The Garden of the Lovers and the Excursion of Those Who Yearn". Translated by Khalil Abu Asma, may Allah ta'ala reward him greatly. Ameen.<br /></span></span></span></p></blockquote>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-24198711691160822642009-12-04T04:55:00.000-08:002009-12-04T04:58:09.824-08:00Hardships as a blessing...<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: arial;">“In our view, a person does not have an understanding of the religion until he thinks of a hardship as being a blessing, and a comfort and luxury as being a hardship.”<br />- Sufyan ath-Thawri<br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/sufyan-ath-thawri/" title="View all posts in Sufyan ath-Thawri" rel="category tag"><br /></a>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-17930714768804692852009-11-24T09:16:00.000-08:002009-11-24T09:21:37.114-08:00Love of Allah<div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />The love of the Beloved<br />must be unconditionally returned.<br /><br />If you claim love<br />yet oppose the Beloved,<br />then your love is but a pretence.<br />You love the enemies of your Beloved<br />and still seek love in return.<br /><br />You fight the beloved of your Beloved.<br />Is this Love or the following of shaytaan?<br />True devotion is nothing<br />but total submission<br />of body and soul<br />to One Love.<br /><br />We have seen humans claim to submit,<br />yet their loyalties are many.<br /><br />They put their trust here, and their hope there,<br />and their love is without consequence.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Found in Ibn al-Qayyim's <span style="font-style: italic;">Al-Walaa wal-Baraa</span>.</span></div></div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-70932672960089310722009-11-16T09:25:00.001-08:002009-11-16T09:30:42.654-08:00First 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xBtCj-J6jIc/SwGLB9BxrJI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Y2KcsGHllvs/s1600/dhulhijjah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 181px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xBtCj-J6jIc/SwGLB9BxrJI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Y2KcsGHllvs/s200/dhulhijjah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404753893499448466" border="0" /></a>
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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most beloved to Allah.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Prophet testified to that. He said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” (Bukhaari)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>WHAT ACTIVITIES IN THESE 10 DAYS WILL BRING THE REWARD OF JANNAH?</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. However, for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allah.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Some of these are:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1) <b>Fast all nine days and especially, the Day of Arafah<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.” (Bukhari, Muslim)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah and he said: “Fasting the Day of Arafah (ninth Dhul-hijjah) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year.” (Muslim)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">2) <b>Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days”, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah).” (Ahmad -Saheeh)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhaari)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah. So recite it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Revive the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Prophet said: “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Tirmidhi- a hasan hadeeth)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">3) <b>Stand in Night Prayers: (Tahajjud, Qiyyam al Layl)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadan?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights as well?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us, His servants: Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhaari, Muslim)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why do we miss this golden opportunity? So, seize the chance and expose yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide you and set things right. He will surely listen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">4) <b>Make Sincere Repentance.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">One of the most important action during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we do not know when we will die and thus become unable to repent, and also because one evil deed leads to another.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">But what does repentance mean?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It means that you come back to Allah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes…. that you regret whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allah loves.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">“But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [Al-Qasas 28:67]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">5) <b>Come back to the Qur’an<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur’an and return to its refuge. Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it. Read it with meaning, reflect on it, understand it, and then implement it in your daily life. Remember that reading one letter of the Qur’an earns you ten rewards.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah, which doesn’t take more than two minutes, will give you more than one thousand rewards!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the reward will be far greater, Insha’Allah.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">6) <b>Increase ALL the types of good deeds.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If we are unable to go to Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves in the worship of Allah; pray extra prayers (Nafil) recite the Qur’an. Make dhikr of Allah, send salaams on the Prophet, make du’a, give charity, honour your parents, uphold ties of kinship, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and add other good deeds and acts of worship during these days.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">[Al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">7) <b>Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad. However, you can get the reward of it right where you are. The Prophet said: “Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rakas, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah.” [He repeated the word "perfect" thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">8) <b>Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Ibn Umar said: The Prophet lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal.” (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">9) <b>Attend ‘Eid prayers</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">But remember that ‘Eid prayer is a form of worship and we should avoid unIslamic behaviour (especially) in dress and in etiquette during these times.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">10) <b>Thank Allah.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">One of the best forms of worshipping Allah subhaanahu wa taala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. Hasten to do good deeds and striving hard in worship.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death).”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">[Al-Hijr 15:99]</span></p> mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-30415393291306707622009-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:002009-11-09T08:58:15.405-08:00The Soul of the Son of Adam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.javno.com/slike/slike_3/r1/g2007/m12/x31158886722531162_5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 122px;" src="http://www.javno.com/slike/slike_3/r1/g2007/m12/x31158886722531162_5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="font-family: arial;" class="main"> <div class="snap_preview"> <p>Ibn Qayyim wrote in his highly esteemed book, Al Fawa’id:<br /></p><p>“How perfect is Allah! In the soul of man is the pride of <strong>Iblis</strong>, the jealousy of <strong>Qabil</strong>, the insolence of the people of <strong>‘Ad</strong>, the tyranny of <strong>Thamud</strong>, the temerity of <strong>Namrud</strong>, the arrogance of <strong>Pharoah</strong>, the wrongdoing of<strong> </strong><strong>Qarun</strong>, the trickeries of the people of <strong>Sabt</strong>, the rebelliousness of <strong>Al-Walid</strong>, the ignorance of <strong>Abu </strong><strong>Jahl</strong>, and the impudence of <strong>Haman</strong>.</p> <p>The soul of man also has many characteristics of beasts. He has the avarice of a crow, the gluttony of a dog, the display of a peacock, the filth of the hog, the malice of the camel, the predatory nature of the lion, the venom of the snake, the frivolity of the ape, the greed of the ant, and the deception of the fox.”</p> <p>The rigid training of the soul exercises these conditions; however, if one allows any of these traits to linger and prevail, one then becomes akin to the ones cursed by Allah and akin to the beasts possessing lowly characteristics. A person who allows these traits to dominate his soul is not that commodity in the contract described by Allah (The Exalted).</p> <p>“Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives.” (Qur’an 9:111)</p> <p>Such a commodity (soul) must be refined by Faith and purified by repentance and attentiveness in worship. the commodity must also be protected from defects or from being destroyed so as to allow the buyer to accept it.</p><p></p><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Source: Gems & Jewels by Abdul-Malik Mujahid<br />Taken from: http://thefitrah.wordpress.com/<br /></span></span> </div> </div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-8151273475614624702009-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:002009-10-27T11:35:37.543-07:00Perfume seller or blacksmith?<span style="font-family:georgia;">A wonderful reminder...<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >RasulAllah (salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: The example of a good companion and a bad one is the bearer of musk and the worker on the fires (i.e. blacksmith). A bearer of musk would give you some from him, or you might enjoy the fragrance of his musk. The worker on the fires, on the other hand, might spoil your clothes with sparks from his bellows, or you get a bad smell from him."</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">[sahih al-Bukhari, vol 3, #314 and Muslim]</span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Who are the top five people you hang out with? List them. Now look at their qualities and you'll notice that you are a product of the sum of them. Do they have the outstanding qualities that you seek? If not, then it's time to find some bearers of musk that you can truly smell great from.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">...Alhamdulillah, I've got a couple o' musk bearers of my own. Ya'll know who you are <3 JazakAllahu khayrun for everything!<br /><br />Taken from the iPod Application, "Daily Hadith".<br /></span></span></span>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-10554888867809537562009-10-18T13:33:00.000-07:002009-10-18T13:39:31.444-07:00Beautiful Excerpt from 'Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship' - by Al Ghazali<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/images/2008/03/23/01_muslim_prayer_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 177px;" src="http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/images/2008/03/23/01_muslim_prayer_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;">When the time for prayer is at hand,<br />I make a proper ablution,<br />go to the spot where I attend to pray<br />and sit there until all my limbs and organs are in a collected state.<br /><br />Then I stand up to perform my prayer,<br />placing the Ka'bah between my brows,<br />the bridge over Hell beneath my feet,<br />Paradise to my right<br />and Hell to my left,<br />and the Angel of Death behind me,<br /> thinking all the while that this is my final prayer.<br />Then I stand between hope and fear.<br /><br /> I carefully pronounce "Allahu Akbar!"<br />Then I recite the Qur'an harmoniously,<br />bow in humility<br />and prostrate myself submissively.<br />I then sit back on my left haunch,<br />spreading out the left foot,<br />raising my right foot on the toes.<br />I follow this with sincerity.<br />Then I wonder<br />whether or not<br />my prayer<br />has been accepted.<br /><br /></span> </div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-5540293113152580262009-10-15T18:48:00.000-07:002009-10-15T18:55:54.431-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span font="" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ></span><span style="font-family:arial;">If you make intense supplication</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the timing of the answer is delayed, </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> do not despair of it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> His reply to you is guaranteed; </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> but in the way He chooses, </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> not the way you choose, </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> and at the moment He desires, </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> not the moment you desire. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> - Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> [Al-hikam al-'Ata'iyyah]</span><span font="" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span></div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-32870053290925670182009-10-14T17:53:00.000-07:002009-10-14T18:03:59.914-07:00“… is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?”<p>There is an interesting section of 'Zad al-Ma'ad' (2/33) where <b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"></b>Ibn al-Qayyim talks about sawm al-wisal, which is that the Prophet would sometimes fast an entire 24-hour day without breaking his fast. When asked by the Companions why he had forbidden them from doing so while he himself would practice it, he replied: "I am not like anyone of you. During the night, my Lord provides me with food and drink."</p> <p><b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"></b>Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that there are two interpretations to what the Prophet meant when he said this. The first is that he is literally provided with food and drink, and the second is that he is being nourished spiritually by Allah. The stronger of the two interpretations is the second, because if the Prophet was being provided with actual food and drink, he would no longer be fasting at all, let alone continuously.</p> <p>He then proceeded with a beautiful exposition of how it is that the servant can be nourished by Allah without eating or drinking anything. Although Ibn al-Qayyim wrote this in regards to the Prophet's continuous fasting, it is something that can actually apply to any fasting person, such as ourselves:</p> <p>"...and those who have even the slightest bit of experience and longing know how little the body needs much physical nourishment when it is instead provided with the nourishment of the heart and soul, let alone when it comes to the one who is joyous, happy, and victorious because he has reached the One he has sought out, and whose eye is cooled by his Beloved, and feels blessed with His closeness, and is pleased with Him and the bounties and gifts of his Beloved.</p> <p>And His protection showers him at all times, and his Beloved is constantly tending to his affairs, being as Generous as can be with complete Love towards him - is this not the greatest nourishment for the one who loves his Lord? So, how would it be when love of the Beloved - than Whom nothing is more exalted, and nothing is greater in might, and nothing is greater in beauty, and nothing is more complete, and nothing is greater in kindness - when love of Him fills the heart, and love of him takes over all regions of his heart and limbs, and love of Him is as firmly established as can be?</p> <p>And this is his condition with the One he loves... So, is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?"</p><p>May Allah make us amongst those nourished by the Love of Allah!</p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Taken from: http://muslimmatters.org/2007/09/21/ibn-al-qayyim-is-such-a-person-not-nourished-night-and-day-by-his-beloved/</span><br /></p>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-68954536344757865612009-10-13T17:02:00.000-07:002009-10-13T17:04:01.762-07:00<p style="text-align: center;">“Someone who turns away in prayer, either with his eyes or his heart, is like a man whom the king summons and seats before him: just when the king starts to call out his name and addresses him, the man turns from him right and left, and his heart turns away. And since his heart is not present, he understands nothing of what the king says to him. What should this man expect from the king in return? At the very least, should he not expect to leave the palace – rejected, cast out and beneath consideration?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">This worshipper is in no wise equal to the one whose heart is present, turned in prayer towards God and so aware of the Grandeur of the One before whom he stands that his heart is filled with awe, his head inclines and he would be ashamed before his Lord to face anyone else, or turn away.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">About these two prayers, as Hassan bin ‘Atiya said: ‘Two men may offer prayer shoulder to shoulder, and yet between their two prayers lies a gulf as [vast] as that separating Heaven from earth. This is because one of them has his heart turned towards God, while the other is forgetful and heedless.’</p> <p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Extract: The Invocation of God; Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya; page 26.</span></p>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-9743419628219848692009-09-28T09:38:00.001-07:002009-09-28T09:49:59.049-07:00Back + New TemplateAssalamu'alaykum wa Rahmatullah!<br /><br />Insha'Allah this reaches you all in good health.<br /><br />Wow! I haven't posted for a zillion years. I've been quite busy with school and life in general but alhamdulillah I am back and ready to post!<br /><br />For those of you who have been following my blog, you've probably noticed that my blog background image had expired. I'm not going to lie, I had noticed but I was too lazy to sign in and change my blog template. When it was brought to my attention again yesterday, I figured it was about time I came back and fixed it. The current template is temporary (I don't really like it!) until I find another one that suits me and the blog :)<br /><br />For today, I have an excerpt from Ibn al-Qayyim's <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><em>Madarij al-Salikin. </em></span>SubhanAllah, it's so true!<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><em><br /></em></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The divine decree related to the believer is always a bounty,</strong></span> even if it is in the form of withholding (something that is desired), and it is a blessing, even if it appears to be a trial, and an affliction that has befallen him is in reality a cure, even though it appears to be a disease!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Unfortunately, due to the ignorance of the worshipper, and his transgressions, he does not consider anything to be a gift or a blessing or a cure unless he can enjoy it immediately, and it is in accordance with his nature. If he were only given a little bit of understanding, then he would have counted being withheld from as a blessing, and the sickness as a mercy, and he would relish the trouble that befalls him more than he relishes his ease, and he would enjoy poverty more than he enjoys richness, and he would be more thankful when he is blessed with little than when he is blessed with a lot.</span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><em>Imam</em> ibn al Qayyim r<em>ahimahullah</em> :</span></p><div style="text-align: right;"> </div><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"> <em>Madarij al-Salikin</em> 2/215-216</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><br /></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"></span></p>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-30126197949429602342009-04-07T09:26:00.000-07:002009-04-07T09:34:21.184-07:00Lives of the Prophets: Nuh (Noah)Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!<br /><br />Insha'Allah this reaches you all in a good state of Iman and Ehsan.<br /><br />I apologize for the delay in posting the parts of this series. It's crunch time for me with respect to school work so I'll be really busy for the next couple of months. But I will try my hardest to update as much as possible. Please keep me in your du'as :}.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> -----------<br /></div><br /><i><b><sup>...a new messenger</sup></b></i><br /><br />Nuh was the first "messenger" of Allah. Nuh is also one of the five greatest prophets mentioned in the Quran including: Mohammad, Moosa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and Ibrahim (Abraham).<br /><br />Very much like all the other prophets and messengers, Nuh came with the same message.<br /><br /><blockquote><sup><i>"And indeed we sent Noah to his people, and he said I have come as a plain warner that you worship none but Allah."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />He came with the message of monotheism; to guide people out of the darkness, and to worship one god, the god.<br /><br /><i><b><sup>...unwanted</sup></b></i><br /><br /><blockquote><sup><i>"Oh my Lord, verily I have called my people night and day. Then verily, I called them openly. Then I called to them in public and in private. But all my calling added nothing, but to their flight from the truth.</i></sup></blockquote><br />Noah tried all methods of preaching and bringing people to their Lord, night and day. He tried every way possible. But the more he tried the more his people ran away from Allah.<br /><blockquote><sup><i>"And verily, every time I call unto them that you might forgive them. They press their ears and cover themselves in garments. And persistent in their refusal, magnify themselves in pride."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Whenever he would speak to them about Allah and call them to the right path, they would ignore him, and mock him and be rude and arrogant to him. Yet he did not give up. He was patient with them for <b>950 years</b>.<br /><br /><sup><i><b>...virtues of forgiveness</b></i></sup><br /><br /><blockquote><sup><i>"So I said to them, 'ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, he's all forgiving.'"</i></sup></blockquote><br />Noah is telling them about the benefits of forgiveness.<blockquote><sup><i>"And he would send rain to you in abundance. And give you increase in your wealth and children. And bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />This is the result of repentance. Not only will Allah forgive us but he will reward us with his blessings. So we must keep that in mind to never give up hope, if you commit a sin, and we all commit sins, it's never too late to repent. And be sure that Allah will forgive you if you're sincere in your repentance. Even if we feel that we have not committed any sins, we must ask Allah for forgiveness for the sins we committed unknowingly. Even the greatest of the people, Mohammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to ask Allah for forgiveness night and day. So who are we to not worry about our sins?<br /><br /><sup><i><b>...the end of dispute</b></i></sup><br /><br />Nuh had been preaching for 950 years, and he did not give up. He persisted even though he was alone. The people of Nuh, though, gave up.<br /><blockquote><sup><i>"Oh Noah,you have disputed with us and you prolonged this dispute with us. Now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are truthful."</i></sup></blockquote><br />They want it to end. They say to Noah that he's been trying to argue with them for too long, and they want proof that what he is saying is correct. They want him to bring them the punishment of Allah for being disbelievers as a proof.<br /><blockquote><sup><i>"If you seize not, you will surely be among those stoned to death."</i></sup></blockquote><br />Now they are threatening him. They want him to stop or they will throw stones at him till he dies. So Nuh starts to make a prayer against them.<br /><blockquote><sup><i>"My Lord, they have disobeyed me, and followed the ones whose wealth and children gave them no increase or loss."<br /><br />"And it was inspired to Nuh, 'none of your people will believe except those who have already believed"</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Nuh continues his prayer,<blockquote><sup><i>"O Allah, leave none of the non believers on the face of the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead your servants and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Nuh is praying to Allah to destroy all non believers because if they survive they will lure the believers back into being non believers, and cause a great deal of trouble.<br /><br />Allah's commandment came,<blockquote><sup><i>"And construct a ship, under our eyes, and with our inspiration. And address me not on behalf of those who did wrong, they are surely to be drowned."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br /><sup><b><i>...Noah's ark</i></b></sup><br /><br />Noah started building the ark, then and there. The people would mock him for building a ship where there is no water, on top of a hill.<br /><blockquote><i><sup>"If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise, for your mocking. And you will know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace and on whom will come a lasting torment."</sup></i></blockquote><br /><br />They would mock him day by day as he constructed the ship that Allah had commanded him to construct. He was patient, and he told them, you can mock at me but the punishment of Allah will fall upon you soon.<br /><blockquote><sup><i><br />"And it was till then came our command. The springs of earth started gushing water. And rain started falling from the sky." </i></sup></blockquote><br />Allah commanded Nuh to take his family and the believers, and take with him a pair of all animals. Nuh hopped on board.<br /><br />Muslim scholars say that the number of Nuh's followers ranges between 7 and 80. The maximum number of people who believed in Islam over the 950 years that Nuh's had been preaching was 80. Nuh had tremendous amount of patience, he kept on going until they gave up.<br /><br /><i><b><sup>...the flood</sup></b></i><br /><br /><blockquote><sup><i>"The ship sailed with him, amidst waves like mountains."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Imagine waves high as mountains. Tsunami would not be the appropriate term to describe these waves because tsunamis are much smaller. We're talking waves as high as 1000 or 2000 feet. How did Noah's ship survive these large waves? Even the biggest U.S. aircraft carier cannot sustain these waves. It was not the ship that saved Noah and his people from the flood. It was the mercy of Allah. Noah just built the ark to fulfill Allah's command. It is the will of Allah that saves us from tragedies.<br /><br />Nuh is on his ark and he sees his son trying to survive. <blockquote><sup><i>"Oh my son, embark with us and don't be with the non believers."<br />"I will seek refuge in a mountain that will save me from this water."<br />"There's nothing that can save you on this day except the mercy of Allah."<br /><br />"...And waves separated them and he drowned."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Nuh's son drowned, right in front of his own eyes, because he chose to disbelieve. It was a very tragic scene. But again, it was the tremendous patience and faith in Allah that kept Nuh firm on the commandment of Allah.<br /><br /><i><b><sup>...a new beginning for the family</sup></b></i><br /><blockquote><sup><i>"Rain stopped from the sky and Allah commanded the earth to swallow the water."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />The ark landed on a mountain called Judi. When everything settled. Nuh asked Allah, inquiring about his son, because Allah said 'your family will be saved'. <blockquote><sup><i>"Oh my Lord, verily my son is of my family, and certainly your promise is true and you are the most just."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />Often times we give words certain meanings but Islam gives it a new definition. For example "family". Allah says, "Oh Nuh, surely he is not of your family. Verily, his work is unrighteous." Upon hearing that, Nuh realizes that by family Allah meant the believers. Us believers are like a one big family. We must look out for each other and take care of them when they are in need. It is an essential part of Islam to care about the well being of others.<br /><br />Nuh asked Allah for forgiveness due to his ignorance, <blockquote><sup><i>"Oh my Lord, I seek refuge in your from asking you that of which I have no knowledge. And unless you forgive me and have mercy on me, I will indeed be of the losers."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />And in the next verse Allah says to Mohammad, peace and blessings be with him. <blockquote><sup><i>"This is the news of the unseen which we reveal to you. Niether you not your people knew it before. <b>Be patient</b>! Verily, those who fear Allah will be successful."</i></sup></blockquote><br /><br />---<br /><br />Nuh won. After 950 years! And he wouldn't have won if he didn't have patience.<br /><br />I pray to Allah to give us all patience to deal with our problems and issues. And make us among the best of people; the people of heaven.<br /><br />Surely all that's good in this essay is from Allah, and all error is from my own self.<br /><br />I apologize to you if I have said anything to offend you. And I ask Allah for forgiveness if I have said anything incorrect.mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-9465973021453185662009-03-17T19:58:00.001-07:002009-03-17T19:58:54.970-07:00Lives of the Prophets: Sheeth and Idris (Enoch)Sheeth, peace be upon him, was of the prophets who was not mentioned in the Quran. We only know of him through one hadith, of prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him.<br /><i><sup><blockquote>"Allah has revealed 104 scrolls, 50 of them on Sheeth."</blockquote></sup></i><br />Some of the Islamic scholars have mentioned that Sheeth was one of the sons of Adam, and Adam gave him the responsibility to carry out the message when he was passing away.<br /><br />Other than that, we have no knowledge of who he was, what he did, or anything.<br /><br />---<br /><br />Idris (Enoch) peace be upon him, is believed to have come before Nuh (Noah) and after Adam. Allah mentions about him in the Quran:<br /><blockquote><i><sup>"And remember in the book Idris. He was truthful and he was a prophet. And we (Allah) elevated him to a high level."</sup></i></blockquote>From these verses we know that he was a great prophet, who Allah had elevated to a high level, meaning his status in society and in front of Allah.<br /><br />And that is all we know of Idris, peace be upon him.mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-63245376766106909252009-02-04T06:51:00.000-08:002009-02-05T07:09:48.295-08:00Lives of the Prophets: Adam<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Insha'Allah, you are all in a state of good health and Iman.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For the next couple of posts, I will be sharing the work of a very talented brother. TabarkAllah, his knowledge and writing skills leave me speechless and waiting for more. Insha'Allah, keep him in your dua's :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I would like to share with you the stories of the great Prophets, may they be in peace. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah relates the best of stories in the Quran through Mohammad, may he be in peace, to us. Why? Not for our entertainment. Allah wants us to know these stories so that we may reflect and ponder; so we learn from them, from the mistakes of their people, so we don't fall in the same ditch as their people did. By analyzing their lives, we can get guidance from them, since they were the most guided people. If we do not know about someone, how can we love him/her? And if we do not love the prophets, how can we be good Muslims? We cannot appreciate someone if we do not know what they did, and what kind of calamities they faced. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In short, the reason I decided to share the stories with you is so we can love and respect them more and learn from their lives.</span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;">-------------<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Lives of The Prophets: Adam (as)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...prelude</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">How did all of this happen? How did it start? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"In the beginning, there was Allah. Nothing before him. His throne was on water. He wrote down in the tablet everything. And then he created the heavens and the earth."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"The first thing Allah created was the pen, and he ordered it to write, and it wrote everything that will happen until the day of resurrection."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">These are a couple of ahadith (sayings) of Prophet Mohammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Both signifying the events that took place before the creation of heavens and the earth. Before the heavens and the earth was created, Allah had already planned and written down in the preserved tablet what will happen in the heavens and the earth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our fate is sealed. Often times we worry about our wealth; we worry about tomorrow; paranoid; how will we make it in the future, we think.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Allah wrote down the sustenance of the creation 50,000 years before he created the heavens and the earth."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is telling us to not worry about our wealth, our income, our sustenance, because it has already been prescribed for us long before we came into this world. And we will get our share one way or another. Why must we worry ourselves to death about that which is not in our control? It makes very little sense. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...two other beings</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Before Adam was created, there was already 2 creations living in heavens and the earth. Namely (1)angels, and (2)jinns.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Angels are created from light. They are very different from humans, unlike the jinns. Angels do not have the ability to choose from right and wrong. They can only do good, and are unaware of evil. They are the all-righteous beings, with very little intellectual abilities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Jinns are created from fire. They are very much like humans. They can choose between right and wrong. Because jinns are created from fire, they are often referred to as "energy beings". Which means that they are not bound by this 3-dimensional world. They exist among us within our world, but we cannot see them because they do not have a physical appearance. However, they can take form of 3-dimensional objects, both animate and inanimate (among various other extraordinary things they can do). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2a. Iblis is a special character in the story of Adam. I decided to mention him separate from angels and jinns, because he was a jinn, who was so pious that Allah had elevated him to the level of the angels and he used to live in the heavens with the angels. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">These 2 creations had been living in the heavens and earth for eons. Then Allah created Adam. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...Adam moulded out of clay</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Adam, unlike the other 2 energy-beings, was created from earth. He was created from dirt that ALlah picked up from different parts of the world, Allah mixed it with water and it became mud, then it was left to dry to become clay. Adam was honoured such that Allah moulded his form with his own hands. He was moulded in his adult form as he was, and he didn't go through the process that all other human beings have to go through. The process of a single cell, creating tissues and organs, forming an embryo, then a fetus and then finally a baby. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[Just as a side note, I would like to take a moment to elaborate on this point and the significance of Adam being created in his adult form. The fact that Adam was created in his adult form clearly opposes the theory of evolution. Theory of evolution states that all things, objects and living beings were created from a single cell which evolved into the form that it is in today. That is, man was an ape-like creature before it was finally evolved into a human. Whereas Allah crealy says in the Quran that he created Adam with his own hands in his adult form.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I would also like to mention that although Islam opposes the theory of evolution, it doesn't discard all aspects of it; it approves of some, and disproves of some. For example, the theory of evolution states that species have the ability to adapt to the environment, and can change drastically over time, and Islam hsa no argument against that. Species can adapt to the environment because Allah has given them the ability to do so.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There are many other examples of how Islam proves and disproves the theory of evolution, but we will get into that at another time in another journal.]</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...superiority over angels</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah, the most glorious, told the angels that he will place on the world humans. The angels replied, "will you place therein those who will cause mischief and shed blood therein, while we glorify you with praises and thanks?" Allah told them, "I know what you know not."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah blew the soul into Adam's hollow clay body, and brought him to life. Adam sneezed, and said "All praises be to Allah". Allah said, "The mercy of Allah be upon you". The first thing he received as soon as he was brought to life was the mercy of Allah, the all-merciful. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah told Adam to go to the angels and say "peace be with you all", so he did. And the angels replied, "peace be with you too, and the mercy and blessings of Allah". Allah said to Adam, "this is your greeting and the greeting of your descendants". Allah has taught us the greeting, "peace be with you" from the beginning through our forefather Adam, and this is the greeting that we must use when we meet each other. We must spread peace among one another before we say anything else.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...Iblis' rebellion</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When Adam was created, Allah told everyone in the heavens to bow down to Adam. So they all did, except for Iblis. He was driven by pride to rebel against the will of Allah. He said that he will not bow down to Adam because he is superior to Adam. He said, "You created me from fire, and you created him from clay". Thus Iblis was cast down from heaven and was labeled a disbeliever. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It was then Iblis made a promise to Allah that he will lead astray as many humans as possible just to prove to Allah that man is a weak creation. He prayed to Allah to let him live till the last day, and Allah granted his wish, fulfilled his prayer. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[Another side note... prayer is very important and holds a great deal of value in the eyes of Allah. Allah tells us to ask from him, and it is guaranteed that he will give it to us. All we have to do is ask. If we do not ask for whatever reason, whether we are lazy to pray, or we feel that we are not in need of anything, how can Allah give us. Sometimes we feel that Allah does not answer our prayers, that is wrong. Because Allah has guaranteed us that he will answer our prayers. If not in this life, then in the next life (which is better for us). Allah even answered the prayers of Iblis even after his rebellion. So what makes us think our prayers are not being heard?]</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...the covenant</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"And remember when your Lord brought forth the children of Adam, and made them testify themselves saying, 'am I not your Lord?' and they said, 'yes, we testify'. Thus you should not say on the day of resurrection, 'verily, we have been unaware'"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When our souls were created, before we were sent down on Earth in our bodily form, we had made an agreement with Allah. We witnessed for ourselves that we believe in Allah alone. Thus every child is born a Muslim, but it's his surroundings that change him into who he grows up to be. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...along comes Eve</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah created Eve, out of Adam. When they both were created, Allah sent them off to live in the heavens, where they had everything to themselves, except for one tree.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"O Adam, live you and your mate in heaven. And eat from it where ever you want. But do not touch this tree."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The command was simple: do whatever you please, but stay away from 'this tree'. So how can such a great person commit a mistake of eating from that tree then? It was an innocent mistake on Adam's part, if we look at it. He didn't know any better. It was his first experience with the "devil" and he didn't know what would happen. And he didn't just bluntly ate from that tree just to disobey Allah. Iblis tricked him into eating from this tree. Shall I tell you about a tree that will give you infinite life, eternity. And will give you greatest kingdom that will never end?"</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Iblis lured him into committing this sin by telling him lies about eternal life and power and wealth. He knows our weak points, and that's where he attacks us from. We must remember to never give into our desires when it comes to religion because it is the devil trying to lure us into committing sins. This experience was a lesson for all of us to learn from.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >...home sweet home</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Allah told Adam and Eve to get down to Earth. And told them that this dwelling place will be for you for a short period of time. Our forefather, Adam, was from heaven, and that's where we belong. We need to realize that. We must not get too attached to this world. We belong in heaven, and we must not give it up for this temporary world. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And Adam was told by Allah words (prayers to say) and he forgave him. Verily he is the one who forgives.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If you forgive us not and bestow not upon us your mercy. We shall certainly be of the losers."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A great prayer that we all need to learn and memorize and use. We have all committed sins, and we all seek forgiveness! May Allah guide us all to the straight path. May he accept us and our good deeds, and forgive us of our sins. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Last but not least, I would like to apologize if I have offended anyone in anyway.<br /><br /></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">May Allah (swt) reward us all with Jannat-ul-Firdaws. Allahuma ameen. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ma'asalaama (:</span>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-65157230000107655772009-01-07T10:49:00.000-08:002009-01-07T10:57:24.911-08:00I'm Back!<div style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-size:100%;" >My most sincere apologies to do those who frequent my blog often. I've been so busy these past few months, I'm surprised I had time to breathe! But alhamdulillah, I'm back and I will make it up insha'Allah with a series of articles on Purification of the Soul.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purification of the Soul - Sincerity</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Compiled from the works of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali.</span></div><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> </div><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Sincerity is the freeing of one's intentions from all<br />impurities in order to come nearer to Allah. It is to<br />ensure that the intentions behind all acts of worship and<br />obedience to Allah are exclusively for His pleasure. It is the<br />perpetual contemplation of the Creator, to the extent that one<br />forgets the creation.<br /><br />Sincerity is a condition for Allah's acceptance of good<br />deeds performed in accordance with the sunnah of the<br />Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah has<br />commanded this in the Qur'an:<br /><br /><em><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 102);">"And they have been commanded to worship only<br />Allah, being sincere towards Him in their deen<br />and true. (98:5)"</span></em><br /><br />Abu Umama has related that a man once came to the<br />Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and<br />said, "What of a man who joined us in the fighting, his<br />intention being for fame and booty?" The Prophet said, "He<br />recieves nothing." The man repeated the question three times and<br />each time the Prophet said, "He receives nothing". Then he said,<br />"Allah only accepts actions that are intended purely for His<br />pleasure."(1)<br /><br />Abu Sa'id al-Khudri related that the Prophet (saw) said<br />in his khutba during the farewell pilgrimage, "Allah<br />will bless whoever hears these words and whoever understands<br />them, for it may be that those who pass on this knowledge are<br />not those who will understand it the best. There are three<br />things concerning which the heart of a believer should feel no<br />enmity or malice: devoting one's actions to Allah, giving<br />counsel to the Imams of the Muslims, and being loyal to the<br />majority."(2)<br /><br />What is meant here is that these three things strengthen<br />the heart, and whoever distinguishes himself in them<br />will have a heart purified from all manner of deceit, corruption<br />and evil.<br /><br />A servant can only free himself from shaytan through<br />sincere devotion, for Allah tells us in the Quran that<br />Iblis said to Him:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 102);"><em>"Except those of Your servants who are sincere.<br />(38:83)"</em></span><br /><br />It has been related that a rigtheous man used to say, "O<br />self, be devout and you will be pure." When any wordly<br />fortune, in which the self finds comfort and towards which the<br />heart inclines, intrudes upon our worship, then it impairs the<br />purity of our efforts and ruins our sincerity. Man is<br />preoccupied with his good fortune and immersed in his desires<br />and appetites; rarely are his actions or acts of worship free of<br />temporary objectives and desires of this kind. For this reason<br />it has been said that whoever secures a single moment of pure<br />devotion to Allah in his life will survive, for devotion is rare<br />and precious, and cleansing the heart of its impurities is an<br />exacting undertaking.<br /><br />In fact, devotion is the purifying of the heart from all<br />impurities, whether few or many, so that the intention of<br />drawing nearer to Allah is freed from all other motives, except<br />that of seeking His pleasure. This can only come from a lover<br />of Allah, who is so absorbed in contemplation of the next world<br />that there remains in his heart no place for the love of this<br />world. Such a person must be devote and pure in all his actions,<br />even in eating, drinking and answering the calls of nature.<br />With rare exceptions, anyone who is not like this will find the<br />door of devotion closed in his face.<br /><br />The everyday actions of a person who is overwhelmed by<br />his or her love for Allah and the akhira are<br />characterised by his love and they are, in fact, pure devotion.<br />In the same way, anyone whose soul is overwhelmed by love for<br />and preoccupation with this world, or status and authority, will<br />be so overwhelmed by these things that no act of worship, be it<br />prayer or fasting, will be acceptable, except in very rare<br />cases.<br /><br />The remedy for love of this world is to break the<br />worldly desires of the self, ending its greed for this<br />world and purifying it in preparation for the next world. This<br />will then become the state of the heart and sincere devotion<br />will become easier to attain. There are a great many actions<br />where a man acts, thinking they are purely intended for Allah's<br />pleasure, but he is deluded, for he fails to see the defects in<br />them.<br /><br />It has been related that a man was used to praying in<br />the first row in the mosque. One day he was late for the<br />prayer, so he prayed in the second row. Feeling embarrassment<br />when people saw him in the second row, he realised that the<br />pleasure and satisfaction of the heart that he used to gain from<br />praying in the first row were due to his seeing people seeing<br />him there and admiring him for it. This is a subtle and<br />intangible condition and actions are rarely safe from it. Apart<br />from those whom Allah has assisted, few are aware of such<br />delicate matters. Those who do not realise it only come to see<br />their good deeds appearing as bad ones on the Day of<br />Resurrection; they are the ones referred to in Allah's words:<br /><br /><em><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 102);">"And something will come to them from Allah<br />which they<br />had never anticipated, for the evil of their<br />deeds will become apparent to them. (39:47-48)"<br /></span></em><br />And also:<br /><br /><em><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 102);">"Say: Shall We tell you who will lose most in<br />respect of their<br />deeds? Those whose efforts were astray in the<br />life of this world, while they thought that<br />they were doing good works. (18:103-104)"<br /></span></em><br />Yaqub said: "A devout person is someone who conceals<br />things that are good, in the same way that he conceals<br />things that are bad."<br /><br />As-Sousi said: "True devotion is to lose the faculty of<br />being conscious of your devotion; for someone who<br />identifies devotion in his devotion is a person whose devotion<br />is in need of devotion." To contemplate devotion is to admire<br />it, and admiration is an afflication; and that which is pure is<br />whatever is free of all afflictions. This means that one's deeds<br />should be purified from any self-admiration concerning the<br />actions they entail.<br /><br />Ayyub said: "It is much harder for the people of action<br />to purify their intentions than it is to execute any of<br />their actions."<br /><br />Some people have said: "To be devout for a short while<br />is to survive for ever, but devotion is rare."<br /><br />Suhail was asked: "What is the most difficult thing for<br />the self? He said: "Devotion, when the self does not<br />have the good fortune of being endowed with it."<br /><br />Al-Fudayl said: "Forsaking action for the sake of other<br />people is to seek their admiration. To act for the sake<br />of their admiration is to associate others with Allah. Devotion<br />is when Allah frees you from both of these states.</span></p><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Insha'Allah, keep our Palestinian brothers and sisters in your du'as.</p><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-family:arial;">Ma'asalaama (:<br /></p><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> </div><p face="arial" style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes: 1. Sahih, an-Nisa'i, Kitab al-Jihad, 6/25; al Hafidh ibn<br />Hajar, Fath al-Qadir, 6/28. 2. Sahih, Ibn Ma'jah; also Ibn<br />Hibban, Marwarid adh-Dham'an, p.47, on the authority of Zaid ibn<br />Thabit.</span></p><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><br /></div>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-20840932454629548192008-11-19T19:26:00.000-08:002008-11-19T19:42:08.649-08:0015 Tips on Earning Rewards from Allah (swt)<span style="font-family: arial;">Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,<br /><br />Insha'Allah this reaches you in good health.<br /><br />I came across this wonderful article. May Allah (swt) reward the brother who wrote it immensely. Allahuma ameen.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;">15 Tips to Earning Rewards from Allah</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1- Avoid Things that Allah has forbidden, including the great sins as well as continually performing the lesser sins, and perform what Allah orders us to perform: The prophet peace be upon him said: "Allah has recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds. Then he made them clear: He who has intended a good deed and does not do it, Allah writes it down with Him as a performed good deed; but if he intends it and does perform it; Allah records for him from ten good deeds to seven hundred times that or more than that. If he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, then Allah writes it down as a good deed; but if he intends an evil deed and performs it, Allah records it as one evil deed" (Sahih Al-Jami) <br /><br />2- Reciting the Quran and pondering over it's meanings: The Prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever recites one word from the Book of Allah will be rewarded for a good deed and ten more like it; and I don't say that Alif Lam Mim is a word but Alif is a word and Lam is a word and Mim is a word" (Alif Lam Mim is 3 Arabic Characters.)<br /><br />3- Guiding people to righteous deeds: The prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever guides one to a good thing will get the same reward as the person who performs the deed" (Sahih Al-Jami)<br /><br />4- Enjoining good and eradicating evil: Allah revealed in the Quran, {Those of the children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and used to transgress. They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily, evil was that they used to do} (Al-Maida:78)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This is one of the obligatory duties that many people fail to perform today. Due to this reason, sins are being committed openly and without shame and no one is saying anything about them. The prophet peace be upon him said, "If the people see an evil deed and they do not change it, then Allah may inflict them all with a punishment".</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Allah says in the Quran: "And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong .. "<br /><br />5- Supplications to Allah: It's the best act of worship as the Prophet peace be upon him said, "The most virtuous act of worship is supplication" (Sahih Al-Jami). It's very important to be certain that Allah will answer your supplication, the Prophet peace be upon him said: "There is no Muslim on this earth who supplicates to Allah except that Allah will give him what he asked or He will remove some evil from him, as long as he does not supplicate for something evil or as long as he does not supplicate for cutting of the ties of kinship and as long as he does not become impatient and say, 'I supplicated and supplicated and I was not responded to'"<br /><br />6- Marrying religious women: The prophet peace be upon him said, "A woman is married for her religion, wealth or beauty; marry the religious women and you will prosper". He also said, "A thankful heart, a tongue that remembers Allah and a pious wife that helps you in your worldly and religious matters, is better than what the people are amassing" (Sahih Al-Jami)<br /><br />7- Bringing up pious children and training them to have good Islamic character: The prophet peace be upon him said, "A man will be raised some degrees in Paradise and he will say, 'For what reason am I receiving this ?' He will be told, 'Because of your son asking forgiveness for you'"<br /><br />8- Having good manners and character: The prophet peace be upon him said, "The most beloved of you to me and the closest of you to me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the best manners; the most hated of you to me and farthest from me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the worst manners, those who speak and do not even care about what they are saying" (Sahih Al-Jami), and he also said, "The person of good manners will get the same reward as the person who prays during the night and fasts during the day" (Sahih Al-Jami).<br /><br />9- Performing many voluntary prayers: This is particularly beneficial during the last third of the night in which the gates of the heavens are opened and the supplications are responded to. The prophet peace be upon him said, "Allah waits until one half or two-thirds of the night has passed and He says, 'My slaves, shall ask from no one except Me. Whoever asks from Me, I shall respond to him. Whoever asks Me for something, I will give it to him. Whoever asks for my forgiveness, I shall forgive him. And this continues until the dawn" (Sahih Al-Jami).</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Similarly, performing the Sunnan prayers, is also a way of gaining Allah's pleasure and reward. These Sunnan prayers are two rakats before the dawn obligatory prayer, four before the noon obligatory prayer and four after it, two after the sunset prayer and two after the night prayer and the witr prayer.<br /><br />10- Being obedient and respectful to one's parents: This is one of the greatest ways to attain Allah's pleasure and reward. Allah mentions worshipping Him together with obeying one's parents. Allah says in the Quran, "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain to old age with you, say not 'File' unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy and say, 'My Lord, have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little'" (Al-Isra)<br /><br />11- Jihad in the way of Allah: A hadith of the Prophet peace be upon him says, "Being on guard in the way of Allah for one month is better than perpetual fasting for a year. Whoever dies while guarding in the way of Allah will be safe from the great frightening. And he will be provided his provisions, and smell the scent from paradise, and receive the reward of the one who guards until Allah resurrects him" (Sahih Al-Jami)<br /><br />12- Remembering Allah at all times: The prophet peace be upon him stated that Allah said, "I am as My slave thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself. I make mention of him to Myself and if me makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it." (Al-Bukhari).<br /><br />13- Speaking the truth and not fearing punishment of anyone: The prophet peace be upon him, "The leader of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib and a person who faces an unjust ruler and advises him to do good and he is killed because of his speech" (Sahih Al-Jami)<br /><br />14- Giving charity and spending in the way of Allah: Allah says in the Quran, "Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicity, verily their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve" (Al-Baqara 274). And Allah also says, "And spend of that which We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, 'My Lord if only You would reprieve me for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous.' But Allah reprieves no soul when its term comes, and Allah is aware of what you do" (Al-Munafiqoon).<br /><br />15- Learning the beneficial knowledge: One should learn that knowledge that will benefit him in the Hereafter and act by it in order to be a good example for others. The authentic knowledge is the one that is based on Quran and Sunnah.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Insha'Allah keep your Muslim brothers and sisters in your du'as.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Ma'asalaam (:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Source: Al-Basheer Magazine</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Written by: Jamal Zarabozo (Modified by IslamWay Team)</span>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-86401767263662138772008-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:002008-11-17T19:41:01.921-08:00Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah.<br /><strong><br /></strong><strong></strong><blockquote><strong>People believe the radiation from mobile phones, blue tooth headsets and phone masts can cause cancer, know that the radiation of wealth can kill off the spirituality of the heart! </strong>[<em>Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq</em>]</blockquote><br />I'd like to bring this amazing blog to your attention: http://s-stranger.blogspot.com/<br />Masha'Allah, the sister that runs this blog is such a pious and devoted Muslimah and I felt the need to 'spread the word'. So insha'Allah, please do visit her blog, check out her breath-taking Islamic Wallpapers, or just say hello to her.<br /><br />Until next time, insha'Allah,<br /><br />ma'asalaam (:mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-78674472849993608112008-10-29T19:56:00.000-07:002008-10-29T20:02:55.533-07:00Air Janazah - are you ready?<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29751">Get a free trip on Air Janaza</a><br /></div><br /><blockquote>When we are leaving this world for the next one, it shall be like a trip to another country. Where details of that country won't be found in glamorous travel brochures, but in the Holy Qur'aan and the hadith. Where our plane won't be British Airways, Gulf Air,PIA, or American Airlines, but Air Janazah. Where our luggage won't be the allowed 23 kgs, but our deeds no matter how heavy they weigh.<br /><br />You don't pay for excess luggage. They are carried free of charge. With your Creator's compliment. Where our dress won't be a Pierre Cardin suit or the like but the white cotton shroud Where our perfume won't be Chanel,Paco Rabanne, but the camphor and attar. Where our passports won't be British, French, Pakistani or American but Al Islam.<br />Where our visa won't be the 6 months leave but the "La Illaha Illallah.." Where the air hostess won't be gorgeous females but Isra'iil and its like Where the in-flight services won't be 1st class or economy but a piece of beautifully scented or foul smelling cloth. Where our place of destination won't be Heathrow Terminal 1, Islamabaad or Riyadh International Terminal but the Qabarastaan. Where our waiting lounge won't be nice carpeted and air-conditioned rooms but the 6 feet deep gloomy Qabar. Where the Immigration Officer won't be Her Majesty's officers but Munkar and Nakir.They only check out whether you deserve the place you yearn to go.<br /><br />Where there is no need for Customs Officers or detectors. Where the transit airport will be Al Barzaakh. Where our final place of destination will be either the Garden under which rivers flow or the hell Fire.<br /><br />This trip does not come with a price tag. It is free of charge. So your savings would not come handy This flight can never be hijacked so do not worry about terrorists. Food won't be served on this flight so do not worry about your allergies or whether the food is Halal.<br />Do not worry about leg room; you won't need it, as your legs will become things of the past. Do not worry about delays. This flight is always punctual. It arrives and leaves on time. Do not worry about the in-flight entertainment programme because you would have lost all your sense of joy. Do not worry about booking this trip, it has already been booked the day you became a fetus in your mother's womb.<br /><br />Ah! At last good news! Do not worry about who will be sitting next to you. You will have the luxury of being the only passenger. So enjoy it while you can. If only you can!<br />One small snag though, this trip comes with no warning.<br /><br />ARE YOU PREPARED?</blockquote>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-17226864886112295412008-10-16T07:11:00.000-07:002008-10-16T07:21:59.239-07:00Jewish Rabbi in YathribAssalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuhu,<br /><br />May this reach you all in good health, insha'Allah.<br /><br />Well, it's been a while since I last posted which was, sometime around 'Eid. Soo, I'll make a comeback with this story taken from <a href="http://qisas.com/">Qisas.com</a>. [Don't forget to visit this site insha'Allah, as well as it's sisters sites <a href="http://sacredhadith.com/">Sacred Hadith</a> and <a href="http://qisas.com/wisdom/">Drops of Wisdom</a>]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A Jewish rabbi in Yathrib<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">By Abdul Basit</span><br /><br />Al-Husayn ibn Sailam was a Jewish rabbi in Yathrib who was widely respected and honoured by the people of the city even by those who were not Jewish. He was known for his piety and goodness, his upright conduct and his truthfulness.<br /><br />Al-Husayn lived a peaceful and gentle life but he was serious, purposeful and organized in the way he spent his time. For a fixed period each day, he would worship, teach and preach in the temple.<br /><br />Then he would spend some time in his orchard, looking after date palms, pruning and pollinating. Thereafter, to increase his understanding and knowledge of his religion, he would devote himself to the study of the Torah..<br /><br />In this study, it is said he was particularly struck by some verses of the Torah which dealt with the coming of a Prophet who would complete the message of previous Prophets. Al-Husayn therefore took an immediate and keen interest when he heard reports of the appearance of a Prophet in Makkah.<br /><br />He said: "When I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of God, peace be on him, I began to make enquiries about his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place and I began to compare this information with what is contained m our books. From these enquiries, I became convinced about the authenticity of his prophethood and I affirmed the truth of his mission. However, I concealed my conclusions from the Jews. I held my tongue...<br /><br />Then came the day when the Prophet, peace be on him, left Makkah and headed for Yathrib. When he reached Yathrib and stopped at Quba, a man came rushing into the city, calling out to people and announcing the arrival of the Prophet. At that moment, I was at the top of a palm tree doing some work.<br /><br />My aunt, Khalidah bint al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. On hearing the news, I shouted:<br /><br />'Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (God is Great! God is Great!' When my aunt heard my takbir, she remonstrated with me: 'May God frustrate you...By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming you would not have been more enthusiastic.' 'Auntie, he is really, by God, the 'brother' of Moses and follows his religion. He was sent with the same mission as Moses.' She was silent for a while and then said: 'Is he the Prophet about whom you spoke to us who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by previous (Prophets) and complete the message of his Lord?' 'Yes,' I replied.<br /><br />Without any delay or hesitation, I went out to meet the Prophet. I saw crowds of people at his door. I moved about in the crowds until I reached close to him. The first words I heard him say were:<br /><br />'O people! Spread peace...Share food...Pray during the night while people (normally) sleep... and you will enter Paradise in peace...' I looked at him closely. I scrutinized him and was convinced that his face was not that of an impostor. I went closer to him and made the declaration of faith that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet turned to me and asked: 'What is your name?' 'Al-Husayn ibn Sailam,' I replied.<br /><br />'Instead, it is (now) Abdullah ibn Sallam,' he said (giving me a new name). 'Yes,' I agreed. 'Abdullah ibn Sailam (it shall be). By Him who has sent you with the Truth, I do not wish to have another name after this day.'<br /></div><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">O Allah! Render the thoughts and inclinations within our heart, to be Your fear and remembrance, and let our endeavours and desires be devoted to what You love and appreciate. Allahuma Ameen.<br /></span></blockquote><br />Insha'Allah make du'a for me :)<br /><br />Ma'asalaammutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054261658610922027.post-6488732962812921842008-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:41:02.412-07:00'Eid Sa'eed!!Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.geocities.com/rahi_dun/EM4.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.geocities.com/rahi_dun/EM4.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>mutmai'naahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03567466988292775876noreply@blogger.com7