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Mechanics of Prayer

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:49:55 -0600

Khutba (sermon) on the importance and beauty of Prayer (Salat), delivered by Imam Khalid Latif, Executive Director and Chaplain for the Islamic Center at New York University and Muslim Chaplain for the NYPD: New York City Police Department.

Total Time: 19 min 22 sec

Dua'as (Invocations) from the Quran

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:08:35 -0600

This thread contains 42 Dua'as (Invocations) taken from the Holy Quran.

The are presented in the following order:
1. Arabic text
2. Transliteration
3. Translation
4. Citation/Reference - coming soon, inshAllah

Printable view for this thread is also available. Click on "View a Printable Version" button in the bottom-most left corner of this thread.

An iPhone/iPod Touch app is also available, which contains all the following dua'as + their recitation by a native Arabic speaker (so that one may know what the precise enunciation is). It also supports recording and verifying of one's own recitation through the mic. The app is called, QDu'aa by Magnicode inc and is available for $1.99 at iTunes store.

Capcom's Blasphemy

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:34:32 -0600

Please read this and don't forget to sign the petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/condemn...inst-islam

I am actually quite astonished at discovering this.

JazakAllah Khair.

Five before Five

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:13:19 -0600

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Take benefit of five before five:

your youth before your old age,

your health before your sickness,

your wealth before your poverty,

your free-time before your preoccupation,

and your life before your death.”

(Hakim)

Saving Starfish

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:04:31 -0600

Saving Starfish by Khalid Latif

Imam Khalid Latif, Executive Director and Chaplain for the Islamic Center at New York University and Muslim Chaplain for the NYPD: New York City Police Department delivers a heartwarming Khutba on individual effort in making a difference.

Fort Hood Incident

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:55:15 -0600

We Muslims are disgusted by the attack on the Fort Hood military base yesterday. We Muslims stand with our fellow citizens of America in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those victims. Those who commit such hideous and abominable acts are not following the true teachings of Islam, rather they are bringing a bad name to our religion, and their actions are strongly condemned by me and fellow Muslims throughout America.

Qasas-al-Anbia (Stories of the Prophets): Prophet Jacob (Yaqub)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:17:16 -0500

Prophet Jacob (Yaqub) (Peace be upon him)

*Also spelled as: Yaqoob (Peace be upon him)

The Quran does not give details of Isaac's life (peace be upon him), but reliable Quranic commentators mentioned that when Abraham felt that his life was drawing to a close, he wished to see Isaac married. He did not want Isaac to marry one of the Canaanites, who were pagans, so he sent a trustworthy servant to Haran in Iraq to choose a bride for Isaac. The servant's choice fell upon Rebekah Bint Bethuel, Ibn Nahor, who was a brother of Abraham. Isaac married her and she gave birth to a set of twins, Esau (Al Eis) and Jacob (Yaqub).

Ill feelings developed between the two brothers when they grew into manhood. Esau disliked the fact that Jacob was favored by his father and by Allah with prophethood. This ill feeling became so serious that Esau threatened to kill his brother. Fearing for his life, Jacob fled the country.

The People of the Book said that when Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, Bint Bethuel, during his father's life. They said she was sterile, so Isaac prayed to Allah and then she became pregnant. She gave birth to twin boys. The first one was called Esau whom the Arabs called Al-Eis. He became the father of Rum. The second one was called Jacob, which means Israel, (belonging to the people of Israel).

The People of the Book claimed that when Isaac (peace be upon him) grew old and his eye sight had weakened, he had a desire for food, so he asked his son Esau to go hunting and bring him some cooked game. Esau asked him to bless the food and pray for him. Esau, a hunter, went out to get his father the meat. Rebekah, overhearing this, ordered her son Jacob to slaughter two goats of his best flock and cook them as his father liked and bring it to him before his brother returned. She dressed Jacob in his brother's clothes and put goat skin on his arms and neck, for Esau was hairy while Jacob was not. When he approached his father with the food, his father asked: 'Who are you?' Jacob answered: 'I am your son.' When his father finished eating, he prayed for his son to be the more blessed brother and to prevail over them and all people, and for Allah to sustain him and his children.

When he left his father, his brother Esau, who had carried out his father's command, entered. Isaac asked him: "What is this my son?" He answered: "This is the food you like." Isaac asked: "Did you not bring it an hour ago and ask me to pray for you?" Esau said: "No, I swear I did not," and he knew his brother had preceded him in this matter and he was sick at heart.

The People of the Book said Esau threatened to kill his brother when their father was dead. They also said that he asked his father to pray for him that Allah make the earth good for his offspring and multiply his sustenance and fruits.

When their mother knew that Esau threatened his brother Jacob, she commanded her son Jacob to go to her brother Laban in the land of Haran and abide with him for a time until his brother's anger had abated, and to marry one of the Laban's daughters. she told her husband Isaac to command him with that advice and pray for him, and he did.

Jacob (peace be upon him) left his family, when night came he found a place to rest. He took a stone and put it under his head and slept. He dreamed of a ladder from heaven to earth. Angels were ascending and descending and the Lord addressed him and said to him; "I will bless you and your offspring and make this land for you and for those who come after you."

When he awoke he felt joyful from what he had seen in his dream and vowed, for Allah's sake that if he returned to his family safely, he would build here a temple for Allah the Almighty. He also vowed to give one tenth of his property for the sake of Allah. He poured oil on the stone so as to recognize it and called the place "Ayle's House" (Bethel), which means "House of Allah". It was to be the location of Jerusalem later.

The People of the Book also said that when Jacob came to his maternal uncle in the land of Haran, his uncle had two daughters. The elder one was called Leah (Lia) and the younger one was Rachel (Rahil). The latter was the better and lovelier of the two. His uncle agreed to marry his daughter to him on the condition that Jacob pasture his sheep for seven years.

After a period of time, his uncle prepared a feast and gathered people for the wedding. He married Leah, his elder daughter, to him at night. She was weak-sighted and ugly. When morning came, Jacob discovered she was Leah and he complained to his uncle. "You deceived me; I was engaged to Rachel and you married me to Leah." His uncle said: "It is not our tradition to marry the younger daughter before the elder daughter. However, if you love her sister, work another seven years and I will marry you to both of them."

Jacob worked for seven years and then married Rachel. It was acceptable in their time, as described in the Torah, for a man to marry two sisters. Laban gave a female slave to each daughter. Leah's slave was called Zilpah and Rachel's slave was called Bilha.

How the Qur'an Teaches People about Allah

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:01:34 -0500

How the Qur'an Teaches People about Allah
By Dr. Ghâzî al-Tawbah

The Qur'ân presents us with an approach to teaching the essential tenets of faith that has the ability to strengthen a person's character and contribute in a positive way to the person's emotional and mental development. Exploring the Qur'ân's approach to teaching these beliefs can help us in conveying the essence of our faith in the best possible way.

A Muslim's belief is established upon six essential tenets: belief in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Divine Decree.

These beliefs were set forth in the famous hadîth where the angel Gabriel came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and asked him: "What is belief?" to which the Prophet replied: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, his Messengers, the Last Day, and Divine Decree."

This hadîth is the basis upon which the beliefs of a Muslim are built, and we will take it as the framework for our discussion.

Belief in Allah

The Qur'ân speaks about Allah in a most distinctive and effective way. Instead of a dry discourse, it tells us about Allah through a depiction of His actions in the created world. It speaks about the creation of the human being, the formation of the heavens and the Earth, day and night, the Sun, the Moon and the stars. It also talks about His attributes – like His omnipotence, knowledge, mercy, hearing, and sight – in the context of discussing the signs in creation and matters of the seen and unseen.

This approach has a positive effect on a believer's psychological development. To clarify this, we will look at just one example – how the Qur'ân discusses the creation of the human being.

The Qur'ân tells us that Allah created the human being from clay: " We created the human being from a quintessence of clay." [Sûrah al-Mu'minûn: 12]

We are also told how Allah appointed the human being to be a vicegerent on Earth, and that when He informed the angels of this, they asked him why this creation deserves such a status:

Behold, when your Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Will You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- while we celebrate Your praises and glorify Your holy name?" He said: "I know what you know not." [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 30]

We are then told how the angels were commanded to bow before Adam: "We created you, then We fashioned you. Then we said to the angels: 'Prostrate to Adam.' They all did so except for Satan. He was not among those who prostrated." [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 11]

Allah tells us how he created for Adam a mate: "And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in this are signs for those who reflect." [Sûrah Rûm: 21]

The Qur'ân speaks about how Allah blessed the human being with the gifts of hearing, sight, and a discerning heart: "He it is Who hath created for you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks you give!" [Sûrah al-Mu'minûn: 78]

"Say (unto them, O Muhammad): He it is who gave you being, and has assigned unto you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks you give!" [Sûrah al-Mulk: 23]

"And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts that perhaps you might give thanks." [Sûrah al-Nahl: 78]

The Qur'ân tells us that Allah submitted what is in the Earth and the sea to the human being, and even brough the Sun and Moon into the service of human welfare:

"And He has constrained the night and the day and the Sun and the Moon to be of service unto you, and the stars are made subservient by His command. Lo! Herein indeed are portents for people who have sense. And whatsoever He has created for you in the earth of diverse hues, lo! therein is indeed a portent for people who take heed. And He it is Who constrained the sea to be of service that you eat from it fresh meat and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing it that you may seek of His bounty and that perhaps you may give thanks." [Sûrah al-Nahl: 12-14]

When a Muslim considers these truths about his creation and contemplates on how different he is from the inert matter from which he came, his heart and mind naturally turn to the glorification of Allah. When a Muslim considers how he has been chosen from among all creation to be vicegerent on Earth, and how Allah has honored him by having the angels prostrate before Adam, he naturally glorifies Allah and thanks Him for the immensity of that honor. When the Muslim regards his hearing, sight, and discerning heart as being Allah's gifts, and the act that we have mates to give us comfort, this inspires the Muslim with love for Allah. The Muslim, furthermore, hopes from Allah to continue to provide these blessings.

When the Muslim considers how Allah has placed even the motions of the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon in his service – when he considers how Allah has allowed us to cultivate the Earth and to sail the seas and reap its many bounties – this inspires the Muslim to glorify Allah even more and to place his hopes in Allah all the more strongly.

Belief in the Angels

The Qur'ân takes an equally unique approach to discussing each of the other articles of faith, one that enriches the hearts and minds of the believers. These matters of belief are always presented in the context of tangible events that demonstrate Allah's omnipotence, mercy, and might.

With respect to the angels, we are told that they were created from light. Some of them bear the throne, and constantly glorify Allah. We are told that they witness the believers in their prayers, that they attend the Friday prayers with the human beings.

We are informed that there is an angel who is the custodian of the Fire, that there is an angel of death who takes forth our souls when we die. We are told that angels are always tending to humanity and protecting them by Allah's command.

When a Muslim reads about these matters in the Qur'ân and the authentic Sunnah, and is sure in his belief, this inspires the Muslim to glorify Allah even more. Moreover, the believer feels love for the angels, since he knows that they are always seeking our forgiveness, that they witness our prayers. Our love for Allah grows as well when we consider that it is He who brought these magnificent creations of light into being and has them remain in our presence protecting us.

Belief in the Scriptures

The Qur'ân mentions by name some of the scriptures that Allah has revealed to humanity. There are the scrolls that were revealed to Abraham, the Torah which was revealed to Moses, the Psalms of David, the Gospel that was revealed to Jesus, and the Qur'ân which was revealed to Muhammad – peace be upon all of the messengers.

The Qur'ân praises the earlier scriptures in a number of its verses. It also describes itself in the best of terms, affirming itself as a light and a powerful source of guidance.

There can be no doubt that belief in the scriptures as presented in the Qur'ân and Sunnah bolsters the believer's reverence and love for Allah, since it is Allah who revealed those scriptures and through them guided humanity to what is good for them in this world and the next. It is Allah who lighted our way.

Belief in the Messengers

The Qur'ân and Sunnah tell us that Allah sent prophets and messengers to many different nations and peoples. The stories of a number of these prophets are given to us in great detail. We are told about their lives, their missions, their miracles, and the challenges that they faced. We learn about how they were rejected by their people and how Allah saved them and made them triumph over those who opposed them. There is scarcely a chapter of the Qur'ân that does not mention something about one of the prophets.

This approach to teaching the Muslims' belief in Allah's prophets and messengers plays a vital role in developing the character of the believers. The messengers were sent by Allah to be living examples of how to lead a righteous life. Muslims seek to inculcate into their personalities the exemplary mode of conduct and the impeccable behavior of the messengers. In turn, this leads to a greater reverence for Allah who sent those messengers to be our guides.

The stories of the prophets instill in us the qualities of hope and optimism. We look forward to Allah's help in our righteous endeavors, no matter how much hardship we might face. This is because we read how the prophets, after shouldering great responsibilities and facing enormous obstacles, were always helped by Allah in the end.

The reader of these stories develops a strong sense of kinship for the prophets and identifies with them. By walking in their footsteps, the believer is protected from succumbing to feelings of alienation with respect to his or her faith.

Belief in the Last Day

The Qur'ân, along with the Sunnah, provides us with considerable details about the Last Day. Starting individual's final day on Earth, we are taught about the intoxication of death and being placed in our graves. Then the sacred texts speak about the resurrection, the gathering of the people for the judgment, and then the ultimate destinations of Heaven and Hell.

It is clear from the texts that the reason these matters are mentioned in such detail is to inspire in the believers the fear of Allah's punishment and the hope for His mercy.

Belief in Divine Decree

Everything that happens in Creation takes place in accordance with Allah's knowledge and power. It is all recorded in the sacred tablet before the creation of the heavens and the Earth. These beliefs, presented in their simplicity, inspire trust in Allah.

Conclusion

The Qur'ân and Sunnah always speak about matters faith in the context of the tangible world and human life. They do not offer dry discourses on faith. They do not present intellectual abstractions or delve into philosophical explorations. The sacred texts do not pose intellectual exercises to prove Allah's existence, like Muslim theologians were later to do.

This simple, straightforward approach to faith is one that is practical and relevant to the people. It is an approach that fortifies belief and strengthens character.

Source: Islamtoday.com

The Letters that Begin the Chapters of the Qur'an

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:57:49 -0500

The Letters that Begin the Chapters of the Qur'an
Prepared by the Research Committee of IslamToday.net under the supervision of Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî

Initial, disjoined letters introduce 29 chapters of the Qur'ân. Different chapters begin with different letters: Alîf Lâm Mîm… Kâf Hâ Yâ `Ayn Sâd… Tâ Sîn Mîm… among other combinations. People often wonder about their meaning. In truth, we cannot ascribe any particular meaning to these letters. Any particular meaning that these letters might have is known only to Allah. Ibn Kathîr, in his Tafsîr, informs us that Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali and Ibn Mas`ud all said that "the disjoined letters in the beginning of some chapters are among those things about which Allah has reserved knowledge to Himself."

However, this does not imply that these letters are meaningless or that they do not serve a clear and discernable function for those who read and listen to the Qur'ân. There is a general meaning that can be understood from all of the letters. These letters serve to highlight the literary nature of the Qur'ân.

Ibn Jarîr al-Tabarî, in his Tafsîr, gives us a survey of what early scholars of the Arabic language have explained about this stylistic device.

Some language scholars state that these are letters of the alphabet and that Allah suffices with them for the entire alphabet of twenty-eight letters…

Others say that the chapters begin this way in order to draw the attention of the polytheists – who had called each other to ignore the Qur'ân – so that when their attention was gotten, they would listen to what was understandable.

Others say these letters are a means of introducing the chapters. Allah begins his discourse by using them.

If one were to argue that this implies that the Qur'ân contains meaningless words, they explain that this is not the case. The meaning here is that the discourse is starting, so it is known that a new chapter is beginning and the previous one has ended. It serves to distinguish between speech acts. This is something known in the speech of the Arabs.

Introducing a speech with disjoined letters as a stylistic means for beginning an eloquent discourse was not strange to the people at the time that the Qur’ân was revealed. This is why the unbelievers in Mecca never made an issue out of these letters, though they would go to great pains to find whatever they could to criticize Islam.

The mention of disjoined alphabet letters introduces to the listeners the idea that what follows is constructed from mere letters and words. This literary device is used to precede a discourse of literary eloquence. The one who introduces his discourse in this way is emphasizing that he is going to bring forth a feat of great eloquence from such simple materials.

We find that the Qur’ân often uses this stylistic device when it begins chapters in which it refers to itself. “Alîf Lâm Mîm… This is the Book in which there is no doubt.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 1-2]

“Alîf Lâm Mîm… Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal. It is He Who sent down to thee, in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).” [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 1-3]

“Alîf Lâm Mîm Sâd… A Book revealed unto thee,- So let thy heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account,- that with it thou might warn (the erring) and teach the believers. [Sûrah al-A`râf: 1-2]

“Alîf Lâm Râ… These are the verses of the Book of Wisdom.” [Sûrah Yûnus: 1]

“Alîf Lâm Râ… (This is) a Book, whose verses are made decisive, then are they made plain, from the Wise, All-aware.” [Sûrah Hûd: 1]

“Alîf Lâm Râ… These are the verses of the Book that makes (things) manifest.” [Sûrah Yûsuf: 1]

“Alîf Lâm Mîm Râ… These are the verses of the Book; and that which is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, but most people do not believe.” [Sûrah al-Ra`d: 1]

“Alîf Lâm Râ… A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that you might lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light - by the leave of their Lord - to the Way of (Him) the Exalted in power, worthy of all praise!” [Sûrah Ibrâhîm: 1]

“Alîf Lâm Râ… These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Quran that makes (things) clear.” [Sûrah al-Hijr: 1]

“Kâf Hâ Yâ `Ayn Sâd… (This is) a recital of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zachariah.” [Sûrah Maryam 1-2]

“Tâ Hâ…We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress, but only as an admonition to those who fear (Allah) – a revelation from Him Who created the earth and the heavens on high.” [Sûrah Tâ Hâ: 1-4]

“Tâ Sîn Mîm… These are verses of the Book that makes (things) clear.” [Sûrah al-Shu`arâ’: 1-2]

“Tâ Sîn Mîm… These are Verses of the Book that makes (things) clear. [Sûrah al-Qasas: 1-2]

This should give us a feeling of how this stylistic device is used. The Qur’ân also uses this device on occasion to introduce chapters where it does not directly refer to itself, but goes straight into making its exposition. Even in these cases, however, the use of these letters is a reference to the nature of the Qur’ân as a literary entity. The device essentially foregrounds the linguistic nature of the message being imparted.

Some Muslims began speculating as to why certain letters are used to introduce certain chapters and other letters to introduce others. This is needless speculation, since it does not bear upon the fundamental purpose or meaning of the literary device itself. We should leave to Allah the knowledge of why He chooses certain letters over others in various chapters.

A problem arose in the Muslim world when some people began reading cryptic meanings into the letters. This led scholars of those generations to re-emphasize the fact that we do not know the “meaning” of these letters and must not try to concoct baseless interpretations. Such statements should never be understood to mean that these letters are meaningless and serve no function. The statements of those scholars merely warns against supplying specific interpretations to the letters, when we have no basis or authority for doing so

Of course, there may be aspects to the wisdom behind these opening letters other than the one we have mentioned here. However, aside from their clear and apparent literary function, we need to be cautions about speculating on what these letters mean.

Ibn Kathîr gives us good advice when he says:

If we find an authentic narration leading to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that explains these letters, we will embrace the Prophet's statement. Otherwise, we will stop where we were made to stop and will proclaim:

"We believe in it. All of it is from our Lord." [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 7]

The scholars did not concur on a single opinion or explanation on this topic. Therefore, whoever thinks that one scholar's opinion is correct, he can follow it; otherwise it is better to refrain from making any judgment on this matter.

And Allah knows best.

Book: The Prophetic Commentary Of The Qur'an

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:55:50 -0500

The Prophetic Commentary Of The Qur'an
By Sheikh Salman Al-Oadah.

[Excerpt from the book]
The Qur'ân came to humanity after all the previous revealed scriptures had either been lost or, like the Torah and the Gospel , corrupted. Allah speaks about how people had corrupted the scriptures, saying: “Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah' to gain from it a paltry price. So woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they gain from it.” [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 79]

Source: Islamtoday.com

Download

*Note: If clicking on the above link, crashes your browser or slows it down, it is because the browser is trying to open the book in your browser instead of downloading it. To fix this, 'RIGHT CLICK ON THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON AND THEN SAVE AS TO YOUR PC'

Book: Alleviating the Difficulties of the Hajj

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:47:44 -0500

Alleviating the Difficulties of the Hajj
By Sheikh Salman Al-Oadah, et al.

This book presents a collection of short articles that focus on the Hajj and how Islamic Law seeks to make the Hajj easy. I have drawn these articles from my much longer work: A Commentary on the Book of Hajj from `Umdah al-Fiqh. In this present work, I deal with some very pertinent issues that Muslims need to know about. These are issues of general relevance that people frequently ask about and wherein many people face unnecessary hardships. Some of these articles have previously appeared in a different form, either on the IslamToday website or in various newspapers, where they have been well received by the public. They have also received the recommendation of members of the scholarly community. This positive reception has encouraged me to republish these articles in book form.

Source: Islamtoday.com

Download

*Note: If clicking on the above link, crashes your browser, it is because the browser is trying to open the book in your browser instead of download it. To fix this, 'RIGHT CLICK ON THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON AND THEN SAVE AS TO YOUR PC'

Qasas-al-Anbia (Stories of the Prophets): Prophet Ishmael & Isaac (Ismail and Ishaq)

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:37:51 -0500

Prophet Ishmael and Isaac (Ismail and Ishaq) - (Peace be upon them)

One day, Abraham woke up and asked his wife Hajar to get her son and prepare for a long journey. In a few days Abraham started out with his wife Hajar and their son Ishmael. The child was still nursing and not yet weaned.

Abraham walked through cultivated land, desert, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and came to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water. The valley had no sign of life. After Abraham had helped his wife and child to dismount, he left them with a small amount of food and water which was hardly enough for 2 days. He turned around and walked away. He wife hurried after him asking: "Where are you going Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?"

Abraham did not answer her, but continued walking. She repeated what she had said, but he remained silent. Finally she understood that he was not acting on his own initiative. she realized that Allah had commanded him to do this. She asked him : "Did Allah command you to do so?" He replied: "Yes." Then his great wife said: "We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has commanded you is with us."

Abraham invoked Almighty Allah thus: "O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House (the Ka'ba at Mecca); in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayers perfectly (Iqamat as salat) so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and O Allah provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. O our Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what we reveal. Nothing on the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah." (Ch 14:37-38)

Ibn Abbas narrated: "The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. she used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah (by dragging it). Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him to a place near the Kaba under a tree on the spot of ZamZam at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water so he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates and a small water skin containing some water and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying: "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything to enjoy?" she repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him : "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said: "Yes." She then said: "Then HE will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards. On reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Kaba and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers: "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and O Allah provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks." (Ch 14:37)

Ibn Abbas's narration continued; "Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had) When the water in the water skin had been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty, She started looking at him (Ishmael) tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. she too on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended for As Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of Al Marwa. There she stood and started looking expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. she repeated that running between Safa And Marwa seven times."

Chapter on Repentance from Riyad as-Salihin by Imam Nawawi

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:52:10 -0500

Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)

by Imam Nawawi

2. Chapter on Repentance

Source: SunniPath.com - the whole book is available for free on this link.

Scholars say that it is s a duty to repent of every wrong action. If it is disobedience which occurs between a person and Allah and does not involve the right of another human being, repentance has three preconditions. The first is that one divest himself of disobedience. The second is that he regret doing it. The third is that he resolve not to ever return to it. If one of the three is lacking, then his repentance is not sound. If it involves to another human being, repentance has four preconditions: these three and that he discharges his duty to the other person. If it is money or the like, he pays it to him. If it is a hadd-punishment because of slander and the like it, he give shim power over him or seeks his pardon. If it is slander, he undoes it, He must repent of all wrong actions. If he repents of some of them, the people of truth say that his repentance of them is sound, but he still has the rest. There is much evidence in the Book, the Sunna and the consensus of the Community about the obligation to repent.

Allah Almighty says, "Turn towards Allah, O believers, every one of you, so that perhaps you will have success," (24:31)

and the Almighty says, "Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn in repentance to Him," (11:3)

and the Almighty says, "O you who believe! Turn in sincere repentance to Allah." (66:8)

13. Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'By Allah, I ask Allah's forgiveness and turn towards Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."

14. Al-Agharr ibn Yasar al-Muzani said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O people! Turn in repentance towards Allah and ask His forgiveness. I turn towards Him a hundred times a day."[Muslim]

15. Abu Hamza Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari, the servant of the Messenger of Allah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah is happier about the repentance of one His slaves than one of you would be about finding your camel which had strayed away from you in the middle of the desert."[Agreed upon]

In the variant of Muslim, "Allah has greater joy at the repentance of one His slaves when he turns towards Him than one of you would have over his mount, which, having escaped from him with his food and drink in the middle of the desert so that he has despaired of finding it and gone to a tree to lie down in its shade, suddenly appears standing by him while he is in that state, so that he takes its reins and then says out of the intensity of his joy, 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!' getting confused because of his intense joy.'"

How To Attain Taqwaa

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:16:59 -0500

How To Attain Taqwaa
Author: Shaikh Saleem al-Hilaalee

The concept of taqwaa is always linked to ibaadah in the Quran. 'Ibaadah can be defined as: to do what Allah has commanded and to avoid what He has prohibited. 'Ibaadah has also been defined as a concept that includes all actions that Allah loves and approves of, whether they are actions of the heart, the toungue or the limbs. So taqwaa is linked with doing what is correct and avoiding that which is wrong. Taqwaa is the fruit of doing the actions of 'Ibaadah. In other words, if one does what Allah has commanded him to do, and abstains from that which he has been forbidden, he will achieve taqwaa. Allah mentions in His Book ( that means ):

" O you who believe ! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become muttaqoon ( those who have taqwaa or piety )." [ Al-Baqarah 2:183 ].

In this aayah and in many others, Allah has shown us that taqwaa is the result or fruit of doing actions of ibaadah.

The meaning of Taqwaa

Now that we have clarified how to achieve taqwaa, we define what the concept of taqwaa means. Taqwaa means: to cleanse or purify the heart and the soul. This fact is proven by some ayaat in Suorat ush-Shams in which Allah (T) says (what means)

" By the sun and its brightness, by the moon as it follows it, by the day as it shows its brightness, by the night as it conceals it, by the heaven and its wondrous make, by the earth and all its expanse, and by the soul and He Who perfected it in proportion, then He showed it what is wrong for it and what is right for it - indeed he succeeds who purifies it, and he fails who corrupts it." [ Ash-Shams 91:1-10 ].

Allah begins this soorah by taking seven oaths. Whenever Allah begins a soorah or an ayaah with an oath, He (T) does so to bear witness to the fact that whatever follows this oath is very important and essential for us to understand. Therefore, we should pay very close attention to what is being said, and reflect upon its meanings. To cleans one's heart and to purify the soul, one must perform righteous actions that Allah has enjoined upon us, and our destruction lies in doing the actions that Allah has forbidden. As Allah is the Guardian and Protector of the Soul, we should do every good deed hoping for Allah's Mercy and fearing His Punishment, having full reliance and trust in Him (T).

Purification of the Soul

Among the missions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) Allah sent him with the command to purify the souls of the Muslims in particular, and of mankind in general. Allah (T) says (what means)

" He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His ayaat, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Hikmah, while before they had been in error." [ Al-Jumu'ah 62:2 ].

In this ayaah the word Hikmah is often translated as wisdom. Immam ash-Shafi', one of the greatest scholars of Islaam, said that when Allah mentions Hikmah in the Qur'aan it refers to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)In addition to this ayaah, we see that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)was sent with three tasks:

1) To teach the Qur'aan.

2) To teach the Sunnah.

3) To show the means of purifying the soul.

This purification is obtained by doing the proper acts of 'ibaadah and by avoiding sins and disobedience.

Conditions for Attaining Taqwaa

How does a person know that his acts of 'ibaadah are helping him to achieve taqwaa ? To develop taqwaa, one must fulfill the following conditions:-

1) Ikhlaas, sincere intention that the act is performed purely for the pleasure of Allah, out of love for Him, while hoping for His reward and mercy, as well as fearing His anger and punishment if He is disobeyed.

2) To do the deed in accordance with the authentic Sunnah. To have the necessary knowledge of the 'ibaadah that is being performed. To know how the Prophet .performed the action and proper times for the performance of that action.

Concerning Ikhlaas, it must be present both before and after performing the deed, with no riyaa or sum'ah ( doing things to be seen or heard by people ). For instance, after doing a good deed, someone tells others, " Look at all the good I have been doing ", or " I'm such a marvelous person because I do such and such".

This formula, if used to achieve taqwaa, is scientific, in that if you follow it, while fullfilling all of its conditions and their rights, you will achieve taqwaa in shaa a 'Llaah.

Surah Qadr

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:26:47 -0500

Surah Qadr
By Qari Syed Sadaqat Ali

Surat Al-Qadr (Arabic: سورة القدر‎) (Power, Fate) is the 97th Sura of the Qur'an with 5 Ayat. It is a Meccan surah.

Iphone/Ipod Touch: Islamic Media Center

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:57:47 -0500

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you,

In this thread InshAllah, I will be posting Islamic apps, podcasts, and other media related links specially made for the ipod touch and the iphone, so those Muslim brothers and sisters of ours who own one, can put it to good use. Ameen.

This thread will be updated every two weeks, inshAllah. So be sure to check us frequently for latest updates.

JazakAllah Khair.

Last Update on: Nov 12, 2009

The Making of a Hypocrite

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:43:50 -0500

Question

Salamu `alaikum wa rahmatullah

My question is regarding nifaq (hypocrisy) since I am always confused about my actions. I want to ask who is a hypocrite: (1) one who keeps his ties strong with his belief but leaves Allah's way when Allah puts him into some trouble or (2) one who forgets about Allah in normal days but turns towards Allah when Allah puts him into some trouble, but when Allah takes him out of trouble he continues his previous life?
Please guide me in this situation as my behavior is always the second one and I am afraid I am a hypocrite. And are there any actions which I should do to confirm myself that I am

Answered by Waleed Ahmed Najmeddine

Salam.

Thank you for your question. First of all I would like to say that I do not believe you are a hypocrite by reason of the fact that you are worried about it! This is a very good sign that you are a sincere believer, in fact.

Those who analyze their souls and find nothing to feel guilty for really should be worried because none of us is without faults and flaws.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) describes the attributes of a hypocrite in faith in a very concise way. The Prophet once said that the signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he promises, he breaks it; and if he is entrusted with something, he betrays the trust (Al-Bukhari).

This does not mean that if a Muslim tells lies, breaks promises, or betrays trusts he becomes a hypocrite. It means that these qualities, if found to be a part of their nature in their regular dealings with people, are strong indicators that this person's faith is weak.

Only Allah knows for sure who among us is a sincere believer and who is a true hypocrite. Sometimes hypocrites don't even realize that they are hypocrites. They are so convincing to other people that they even convince themselves they are believers, whereas their behavior shows quite the opposite.

They always find ways to justify their sinful actions and convince themselves that they are good believers. You do not seem to be this type of person because you find faults in yourself and do not lie to yourself.

You mention two very important patterns of behavior that many people find themselves in from time to time. The first is that of those whose faith is strong as long as their life is going smoothly, but as soon as something goes wrong they become miserable and ask, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why has Allah forsaken me?"

*{And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord honors me. But when He tries him (differently), then restricts for him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.}* (Al-Fajr 89:15-16)

Although this is not the proper attitude to have when things become difficult in our lives, it is human nature to be fickle or inconsistent in our level of belief. Life is always changing, so maintaining firm faith at all times is difficult for the best of us.

Faith increases and decreases but we must do our best to maintain a balance at all times. Part of our faith in Islam requires us to believe in the divine decree (qadar) of Allah.

If good things happen, we consider these to be blessings from Allah's mercy and generosity. We do not attribute them to our own skill and talents, nor do we let them cause us to forget Allah's blessings on us.

If bad things happen, we attribute them to the wrongfulness of our actions and we do not let sorrow or despair cause us to lose faith in Allah. True faith is firm regardless of the circumstances around us.

The second behavior pattern you mention is that of those who only remember Allah when bad things happen.

*{So when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a favor from Us, he says: I have been given it only by means of knowledge. Nay, it is a trial, but most of them do not know.}* (Az- Zumar 39:49)

These are people who are not really close to Allah in the way they lead their lives until something bad happens to them. They do not pray regularly, or not at all, nor do they try to put the needs of others ahead of their own needs. Not only that, but they fall into sinful practices as well to further distance themselves from Allah and their duties toward Him.

When the natural negative consequences of their actions come back to harm them, they return to Allah and the way of Islam for a short time and then resort to their old ways as soon as things get better again. I hope that this is not describing you.

The best way to avoid being a hypocrite is to ask yourself why you are doing a certain good deed. If, for example, you are praying in a mosque, sincerely ask yourself, "Why am I praying here in this mosque?" If the honest answer is "To please Allah" or "To receive Allah's forgiveness for my sins," then you are doing it for the right reasons.

If you find that you are there because you want someone to see that you are a good Muslim who prays in the mosque, you need to get this out of your heart.

Having the proper intentions is the most important aspect of our actions. If our deeds are for anyone other than Allah, or for Allah and someone else, He will reject them and there will be no reward for them, no matter how great the deeds.

It is also very important to stay close to Allah at all times, whether we are in prayers or just performing our daily routines. Before doing anything, we need to always ask ourselves, "Is this an action that is acceptable in Islam? Is this the way that Allah would like me to do this?" If the answer is yes, then we should go ahead without fear, even if people may say that we are wrong.

Being in a state of hypocrisy is really far worse than being a non-believer. At least non-believers are up front about not believing in the message of Islam. Their position is clear and we know where we stand with them, what to expect from them.

Hypocrites, on the other hand, are not up front and do not reveal what is in their heart. They pretend to be believers when in the company of Muslims, but when they retire to their intimate friends, they show their true colors. They are described in the Qur'an:

*{When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting."}* (Al-Baqarah 2:14)

Allah describes the hypocrites in the Qur'an in many places. Since we cannot know what is in their hearts, we must look to their actions to best determine their level of faith or lack of it.

If we find their actions to be sinful, we should either advise them to change their ways, or, if they do not listen, avoid contact with them as much as possible so that they do not affect us negatively.

*{The hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are close-fisted with their hands. They have forgotten Allah so He has forgotten them. Verily the hypocrites are rebellious and perverse.}* (At-Tawbah 9:67)

I hope that this has clarified things for you. I ask Allah to purify our hearts of hypocrisy of all types and to lead us all to what pleases Him alone. Please keep in touch.

Salam.

Ahadith on Sins, their Punishments, Repentance, Qayamah and the Day of Judgement

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:42:51 -0500

Assalamoallayikum, in this thread, I will be inshAllah posting Ahadith from authentic ahadith books pertaining to the subjects in the title. I hope inshAllah, we will all learn from these ahadith, and may Allah (s.w.t) guide us all. Ameen.

Persisting in Sin

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:36:38 -0500

What will happened to that person doing same sin again and again ?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

If a person commits sin time after time, his sin is forgiven every time if he follows his sin with repentance – if his repentance each time is sincere. The evidence that it is permissible to repent time after time is the fact that those who apostatized from Islam at the time of Abu Bakr were brought back to Islam by Abu Bakr and he accepted that from them, although he knew that they had been kaafirs, then they entered Islam, then they went back to kufr, then they came back to Islam. All the Sahaabah accepted their repentance despite the fact that what the apostates had done was worse than what a sinning Muslim does. So the repentance of a sinning Muslim, even if he sins repeatedly, is more likely to be accepted than repentance on the part of a kaafir time after time.

But what we are saying is subject to the condition that the first and subsequent cases of repentance be sincere and from the heart, not simply an outward show of repentance.

What we are saying should not be understood to mean that we are encouraging sin and that it may be committed time after time, and that the Muslim should take the mercy of Allaah and the fact that Allaah accepts repentance as an excuse to commit sin. No, our intention is to encourage the sinner to repent time after time. We want to put the mind of the Muslim who wants to come back to Allaah at rest, and tell him that the gate of mercy is open, and that Allaah’s forgiveness is greater than his sin, so he should not despair of the mercy of Allaah and he should keep turning to Him.

Al-Bukhaari (7507) and Muslim (2758) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that his Lord said: “My slave commits sin, then he says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ Then he commits sin again, and says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ Then he commits sin again, and says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ …”

Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:

Ibn Abi Dunya narrated with his isnaad that ‘Ali said: “The best of you is every tempted one who repents (i.e., every time he is tempted by this world, he repents).” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “For how long?” He said, “Until the Shaytaan is defeated.”

Ibn Maajah narrated a marfoo’ report from Ibn Mas’ood which says: “The one who repents from sin is like the one who did not commit sin.” (Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3427).

It was said to al-Hasan: Shouldn’t one of us feel too shy to ask his Lord to forgive his sin, then do it again, then ask for forgiveness, then do it again? He said: The Shaytaan wishes that you would have this attitude, so do not tire of asking for forgiveness.

And it was narrated that he said: I do not think this is anything other than the attitude of the believers, i.e., every time a believer sins, he repents.

‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said in his khutbah: O people, whoever commits sin, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent. If he does it again, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent, and if he does it again, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent. For it is sin which hangs around a person’s neck, and doom comes from persisting in sin.

What this means is that a person will inevitably commit the sins that it is decreed he will commit, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam has his share of zina (adultery) written for him, and that will inevitably catch up with him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2657).

But Allaah has given people a way out from the sins they commit and sin is erased by repentance and seeking forgiveness. If they do that then they will get rid of the evil of sin, but if they persist in sin, then they will be doomed.

Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hakam, 1/164-165.

And Allaah knows best.

Cite: IslamQA.com

Love of Allah (s.w.t) and His Prophet Muhmmad (s.a.w)

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:11:31 -0500

Question: How can I get Allah to love me and the people to love me as well?

Answered by Sheikh Muhammad al-Qannâs

I advise the questioner to fear Allah, obey Him, and increase his good deeds. By increasing our good deeds, being faithful, and adhering to the Prophet’s Sunnah, we become closer to our Lord and this helps in our attaining His love.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah says: ‘The most beloved things with which My servant draws nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My servant keeps drawing closer to Me through performing voluntary acts until I love him. And when I love him, I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, his sense of sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection I will protect him…” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

When Allah loves someone, He will make him beloved among the people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying: ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven: ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also.’ And so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the Earth.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim (2673)]

Allah says: “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will the Most Gracious bestow love.” [Sûrah Maryam: 96]

I advise you, my dear brother, to practice good manners and to treat people kindly. These acts will establish love and good feeling in people’s hearts.

May Allah guide us all.

Source: Islamtoday.com