Think Positively

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The hardships that we, as individuals, and as Muslims, in general, are facing is not because the enemy is stronger, but all that has been caused by some of our own shortcomings, that is, we fell short in obeying the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wassallam.

Allah says,

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّـهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٣١﴾ قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿٣٢

Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (31) Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers. (32)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:31-32]

وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿١٣٢

And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy. (132)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:132]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوٓا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ ﴿٣٣

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds. (33)

[Qur'an Muhammad 47:33]

Every hardships and every disasters that come to us is to remind us of our Creator, to Whom we will be returning. We should think positively in our present state, and turn to Allah.

We should take our lessons from Uhud. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with about 700 of his noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, went to Uhud for a battle against 3000 better armed non-believers. About 70 prominent early Muslims were killed at Uhud, including Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, during a setback. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was injured. Muslims were very much disturbed at what happened. A sense of grief overwhelmed the Muslims. Some of them could not resist wondering why should there be suffering in that manner. Allah reminded the Muslims that the calamity they were facing that day was only half of what they had already inflicted earlier at the battle of Badr, for seventy Muslims were martyred at Uhud while seventy disbelievers were killed at Badr and seventy others from them were taken prisoners by the Muslims. A winner like this need not surrender to sorrow and grief in the event defeat comes.

Allah says,

أَوَلَمَّآ أَصَـٰبَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُم مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّىٰ هَـٰذَا ۖ قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١٦٥

Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had struck [the enemy in the battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, "From where is this?" Say, "It is from yourselves." Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. (165)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:165]

Whatever happened at the Battle of Uhud, was with the leave and will of Allah and out of Divine wisdom. The sincerity of Muslims and the hypocrisy of the hypocrites become so clear that everybody could see it for himself. At the time of the trial, the hypocrites bowed out of the harm's way while true Muslims stood undaunted in the middle of the battle front. The noble Companions were actually tested through their sufferings, and they came out a winner. The Muslims who were killed during the battle, Allah conferred them martyrdom so that others should envy them.

Allah says,

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ أَمْوَٰتًۢا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ﴿١٦٩﴾ فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّـهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا۟ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿١٧٠﴾ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ وَفَضْلٍ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٧١﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِلَّـهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلْقَرْحُ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٧٢

And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision, (169) Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (170) They receive good tidings of favor from Allah and bounty and [of the fact] that Allah does not allow the reward of believers to be lost - (171) Those [believers] who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them and feared Allah is a great reward - (172)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:169-172]

After the Battle of Uhud, Islam spread more and more, and far and wide. This shows that whether Muslims win a battle or receive a set-back, Islam always spreads, as it is a universal religion for the whole of humanity till the end of time.

These are the names of the Muslim martyrs of the Battle of Uhud in alphabetical order following the Arabic alphabet. Some of the letters do not occur because none of the martyrs had names beginning with those letters.

May Allah make us walk in the footsteps of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. Please recite Al-Fatiha for them and for all the Muslims who have gone before us. May Allah grant them peace and mercy. Ameen.

ا

Anas bin an-Nadr al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Unays bin Qatādah bin Rabī‘ah al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Aws bin al-Arqam al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Aws bin Thābit bin al-Mundhir al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Iyās bin Aws al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ث

Thābit bin ‘Amr bin Zayd al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Thābit bin Waqsh al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Tha‘labah bin Sa‘d al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Thaqf bin Farwah al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ح

al-Hārith bin Anas bin Rāfi‘ al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
al-Hārith bin Aws bin Mu‘ādh al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
al-Hārith bin‘Adī bin Kharashah al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
al-Hārith bin ‘Uqbah bin Qābūs al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Hubāb bin Qayzī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Habīb bin Zayd bin Tamīm al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Husayl bin Jābir al-Awsī, Abū Hudhayfa al-Yamān, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

Asadullāh wa Asadu Rasūlihī, Sayyidush Shuhadā’
Hamza bin ‘Abdul Muttalib al-Badrī al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Hanzala bin Abī ‘Āmir al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

خ ذ

Khārijah bin Zayd bin Abī Zuhayr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Khidāsh bin Qatādah al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Khallād bin ‘Amr bin al-Jamūh al-Badrī, al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Khaythama bin al-Hārith al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Dhakwān bin ‘Abdi Qays al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ر ز

Rāfi‘ mawlā Ghaziyya bin ‘Amr al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Rāfi‘ bin Mālik al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Rifā‘ah bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Rifā‘ah bin Waqsh al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Zayd bin Wadī‘ah al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

س

Subay‘ bin Hātib al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sa‘d al-Badrī, mawlā Hātib bin Abī Balta‘ah al-Badrī al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sa‘d bin ar-Rabī‘ bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sa‘īd bin Suwayd al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Salamah bin Thābit bin Waqsh al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

Sulaym bin al-Hārith al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sulaym bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sahl bin Rūmī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sahl bin ‘Adī bin Zayd al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sahl bin Qays bin Abī Ka‘b al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ش ص ض

Shammās bin ‘Uthmān al-Badrī al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Sayfī bin Qayzī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Damrah bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ع

‘Āmir bin Umayya al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Āmir bin Mukhallad al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Āmir bin Yazīd bin as-Sakan al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Abbād bin Sahl al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Ubbād bin al-Khashkhāsh al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Abbās bin ‘Ubāda al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘AbdAllāh bin Jubayr al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

‘AbdAllāh bin Jahsh al-Badrī al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘AbdAllāh bin Salamah al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘AbdAllāh bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘AbdAllāh bin ‘Amr bin Wahb al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Ubayd bin at-Tayyihān al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

‘Ubayd bin al-Mu‘allā al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Utbah bin Rabī‘ bin Rāfi‘ al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Aqrabah al-Juhanī, Abū Bashīr al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Umārah bin Ziyād bin as-Sakan al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Amr bin Thābit bin Waqsh al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

‘Amr bin al-Jamūh al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Amr bin Qays bin Zayd al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Amr bin Mutarrif al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Amr bin Mu‘ādh al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
‘Antarah as-Sulamī al-Badrī, mawlā Sulaym bin ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ق ك

Qurrah bin ‘Uqba al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Qays bin ‘Amr bin Zayd al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Qays bin Mukhallad al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Kaysān, mawlā Banī ‘Adī bin an-Najjār al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

م

Mālik bin Iyās al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Mālik bin Khalaf al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Mālik bin Sinān al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Mālik bin Numaylah al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
al-Mujadhdhar bin Ziyād al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Mus‘ab bin ‘Umayr al-Badrī al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ن

Nu‘mān bin Khalaf al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Nu‘mān bin ‘Abdi ‘Amr al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Nu‘mān bin Mālik al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Nawfal bin ‘Abdillāh al-Badrī al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

و

Wahb bin Qābūs al-Muhājirī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

ي

Yazīd bin Hātib al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Yazīd bin as-Sakan al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Yasār mawlā Abi’l Haytham bin at-Tayyihān al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

Al-Kunā

Abū Ayman, mawlā ‘Amr bin al-Jamūh al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Abū Habbah bin ‘Amr bin Thābit al-Badrī al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Abū Sufyān bin al-Hārith al-Awsī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu
Abū Hubayrah bin al-Hārith al-Khazrajī, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu


Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Give Way To The Most Learned To Lead Prayer

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Far too many times we see someone leading the prayer with incorrect recitation of the Qur'an.

If you never learn how to recite the Qur'an properly, it is incumbent upon you to give way to another person who can recite the Qu'ran properly to lead the prayer, whether others are younger than you or you have been there longer in the masjid. Otherwise, you risk nullifying your prayer and that of your followers. Do you want to carry the sin?

Similarly, the one who gives the adhan (call to prayer), the Mu'aththin, should learn how to make the adhan properly, including saying the words correctly.

Prayer is obligatory worship, and an integral part of our religion, and adhan is dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in harmony. We should take these matters seriously and learn them properly, and the one who wants to lead prayer, he should learn the rulings of leading a prayer. Our manners with Allah should be of humility and therefore we should be humble enough to recognize that we are not qualified to lead a prayer or give an adhan, if we haven't at least learned how to recite Al-Fatiha and a few surahs correctly with a qualified teacher.

Every male Muslim should learn the rulings of leading a prayer and learn how to recite Al-Fatiha and some surahs correctly, because one of these days you might have to lead a prayer. Allah has put a big reward for congregational prayer. It has been reported in authentic traditions, that the congregational prayers are twenty five times better than the prayers offered alone. So we should offer prayer in a group as much as we can--at home with our families, and at work with our co-workers, if we can't go to the masjid.

Precedence is given to the most learned to lead the prayer. If you are a host, you can delegate it to your guest who is more learned in the rulings of leading a prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“The one most versed in the Book of Allah should lead. If equal, then the one most knowledgeable of the Sunna should lead.” [Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Maja, with the wording being Muslim’s]

It is best that the one more learned in the rulings of prayer lead, then the one whose recitation is better. This is the proper understanding of ‘most versed in the Book of Allah,’ as the scholars explain.

It is not obligatory, however, for the more learned to lead, though it is best. [Shurunbulali, Imdad al-Fattah Sharh Nur al-Idah]

Shaykh al-Islam al-Marghinani explained in the Hidaya that knowledge of the rulings of prayer is given precedence over good recitation because:

a) knowledge is required throughout the actions of prayer, while recitation is but one integral, and

b) those most-versed in the Qur’an at the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) were also the most knowledgeable; because this is often not the case in our times, we give precedence to the more knowledgeable. [Marghinani, al-Hidaya, 1.346]

Imam Shurunbulali reminds us in his Shurunbulaliyya (a Hashiya on Mulla Khusro’s Durar) that,

“This is only when there is no set imam (ratib). If there is one, then he is given precedence over others, even if they are more knowledgeable, as mentioned in al-Bahr.”[Shurunbulali, Hashiyat al-Durar, 1.85]

[by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani]

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

related archives:
Call to Prayer (Adhan)
Prayer, Our Haven

Partners In Crime

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

In general, a believer in Allah and the Last Day, would not like their mistakes and faults to be broadcasted to others. We should conceal the faults of others as we would like others not to expose our own faults.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

...Whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal [his faults] in this life and the Hereafter...

[Muslim]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

O gathering who believe with their tongues but faith has yet to enter into their hearts, do not backbite the Muslims. And do not search into their private matters. Whoever searches for their private matters will have Allah follow up his private matters. And whose private matters Allah follows, He will expose him even [if his act were done] in his house.

[Ahmad and Abu Dawood]

This teaching also serves to protect the honor of people and religious Muslim who may have slipped and committed a sin. Exposing the sins of others (and of our own for that matter) could inadvertently encourage others to do the same, especially if the sin or fault was committed by religious people.

Backbiting or slandering is a great calamity that is far too common in our daily lives. Some people make a living backbiting and slandering people. Sometimes we don't think much of it, but this action will plunge the wrongdoer into the Hellfire. Even the listener will not escape the punishment unless he denounces the action (in his heart, if he is afraid to do it outwardly).

If someone brings you information about someone's bad action or something that the person might dislike being spoken about (including media news), the first thing you do is don't believe it. If it is true, he is backbiting, and if it is not true, he is slandering the person. You don't ask for proofs because you are not a judge or someone who is seeking help to change an evil or seeking justice or seeking a legal opinion for your own situation. You should not have a bad opinion of the person. The nafs tends to want to think bad of the person being backbitten or slandered, and the nafs tends to want to fit in the group and gain acceptance by the group. So you have to work very hard to fight this so you don't become bankrupt in the Day of Judgment and land into the Hellfire.

If you listen to the backbiting, you become their "partner in crime" and you will carry the same punishment.

Be careful when you sit in a group. Recognize that some of the conversation that are taking place can be backbiting or slandering.

If you happen to hear people engaging in backbiting, and if you are able to change the conversation to something else or to a different subject, then it is imperative for you to do so, but if you fear some harm, leave the area, hating the backbiting, and make du'a for those people engaging in the backbiting. If you cannot leave the area, try to deafen your ears and busy yourself with the remembrance of Allah.

Allah is all-Forgiving and He loves to Forgive, and we should never despair of His Mercy, but neither should we openly commit sins or harm the rights of another person, otherwise we cannot hope for Allah to conceal our own faults, in this life, and more importantly, in the Hereafter.

May Allah protect us from harmful speech and conceal our faults, in this life and the next. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Youtube Tribulation

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Every speech and action that is haram (unlawful or prohibited), it is obligatory to cover the ears from hearing it and lower our gaze from looking the haram.

With the fitnah (tribulation) of the Youtube, where people can watch all kinds of things all the time, we have to be conscious of how we spend our time and be very selective in what we watch so we don't fall into sin.

If it is haram to say, it is haram to listen to it. Likewise, if it is haram to do, it is haram to look at it.

There are various unlawful speech (backbiting, slandering, bad language, cursing, lying, mocking, excessive joking, etc.) and unlawful actions (touching between non-mahrams, showing awra (nakedness), hitting/punching on the face like in boxing/wrestling, animal fighting, animal torture, drinking, gambling, killing people, playing unlawful music, etc.) found on what are shown on Youtube. It is not permissible to listen to or look at these things. If you happen to come across such things, you should not stop and watch, and you should not be pleased with it and enjoy it. But it is imperative that you close the page and say astaghfirullah (I seek Allah's forgiveness.)

So be very careful not to fall into the trap of shaytan and your own lower self. Don't let your small children get accustomed to electronic media. As for older children/youths, the best way to get them off these things is to teach them to love Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Ghiba (bacbiting) is a major sin and it is great tribulation in our society. This is prevalent on electronic media, such as the Youtube. Be wary that you might fall into this major sin because you are watching and listening to people doing ghiba on the screen. Don't catch yourself in partner with them.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that the one who listens to someone backbiting is a partner of the one saying it.

Allah says,

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ﴿١

Woe unto every backbiter, slanderer, (1)

[Qur'an Al-Humaza 104:1]

If you are not actively stopping the person from engaging in the backbiting, you should hate it and walk away.

May Allah save us and our families from the tribulations of this life and the next. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related reading: Rules of Backbiting

Falling Short

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah says,

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿٨﴾ وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿٩

Have We not made for him a pair of eyes? And a tongue and a pair of lips?

(Qur'an Balad 90:8-9)

Fudayl recited this verse one night and started crying. He was asked about his crying and said, "Have you spent a single night thanking Allah that he made you two eyes with which you see? Have you spent a single night, thanking Allah that He made you a tongue that you speak with?"

In truth, we are not able to thank Allah for His blessings. There are people who thought their actions were sufficient gratitude for the blessings and turned out that the worship of the lifetime barely equal the blessings of the eyesight. We are always falling on the short side, not on the surplus, but for the kindness of Allah, He accepts our gratitude.

We appreciate Allah's kindness by using His blessings as a means to draw near to Him.

The believer speaks little and does a lot, whereas the hypocrite (munafiq) speaks a lot and does little. When the believer speaks, it is with wisdom, when he is silent, it is in deep thought, when he sees, he takes lessons, and when he acts, it is a cure. If this is the way you are, then you are in the constant worship (of your Lord.) [Al-Fudayl 'Ayyad]

May Allah bring us closer to Him and not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers and pray for the Ummah. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Silence: The Easiest Worship

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

It is said that the one who is silent gains nine parts of safety/well-being

Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiAllahu anhu), said: Beware of being disobedient to Allah when you are alone, for surely the One who witnesses is also the One who judges. Well-being consists of ten parts; nine of them are in being silent – except in the remembrance of Allah – and one of them is in leaving the company of the foolish.

The harm that can come out of our tongues is immense.

You are in control of your tongue and your limbs. If there is no benefit to your speech, or if it is likely to cause harm, or if you are not sure about the benefit or the harm, remain silent.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (radiAllahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good, or keep silent; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbor; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

One must use one's tongue with extreme caution, as wrongful use of speech will be held against one on the Day of Judgement and can land one into the Hellfire.

On the authority of Mu'adh bin Jabal (radiAllahu anhu) who said:

I said: O Messenger of Allah, tell me of an act which will take me into Paradise and will keep me away from the Hell Fire.

He said: You have asked me about a great matter, yet it is easy for him for whom Allah makes it easy: Worship Allah, without associating any partners with Him; establish the Prayer; pay the Zakah; fast in Ramadhan; and make the Pilgrimage to the House.

Then he said: Shall I not guide you towards the Means of Goodness? Fasting is a shield; charity wipes away sin as water extinguishes fire; and the Praying of a man in the depths of the Night. Then he recited: "[Those] who forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do." [Surah as-Sajdah, 16-17]

Then he said: Shall I not inform you of the head of the matter, its pillar and its peak?
I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah.

He said: The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the Prayer and its peak is jihaad.

Then he said: Shall I not tell you of the foundation of all of that?

I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah.

So he took hold of his tongue and said: Restrain this.

I said: O Prophet of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say with it?

He said: May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu'adh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hell Fire upon their faces - or : on their noses - except the harvests of their tongues?

[Tirmidhi]

So guard what is between our jaw bones.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Whoever guarantee what is between their jaws and what is between their two legs, I guarantee Paradise for them.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).

[Qur'an Qaf 50:18].

Silence gives the noble scribe a rest.

Silence is dignified. A believer has a sense of composure and dignity. It helps in circumspection and helps to stay focus on what we want to accomplish.

The easiest of worship is silence. Knowing that you can use your tongue to backbite, you decided to keep silent, you get reward for it. Being silent you veil the faults of other people as well as yours, and save you from being a bankrupt in the Day of Judgment.

Furthermore, by being silent, you don't have to apologize or defend yourself. When you speak, you can offend other people, intentionally or unintentionally. And so you have to defend and explain yourself (more speech). When we are silent, we don't need to put ourselves in a position to defend or apologize.

If you talk too much, e.g. about yourself, you can create fitnah for others. If it is something good, they might be envious or jealous of you and a means to unlock all kinds of evil. If you are silent, you will have less enemies. Beware of praising yourself or praising your teachers to others, because you might be doing it out of boasting or you are not doing it for the right reasons.

Don't refer positively to something that is blameworthy in Islam or speak about it in an acceptable way, or refer negatively to something that is praiseworthy in Islam.

So, if someone wears proper hijab or has a beard, don't say that they are backward or untidy regardless how they wear it or regardless of the custom in your area. If someone is backbiting, if someone is trying to correct the person, don't say it constructive criticism.

A believer acts with purpose. Whoever is careful with consequences remain safe. Act only upon due consideration. Think through and play out in your mind what you want to say.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Prophet's Birthday (sallallahu alayhi wassallam)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

This is the month of the birth of Allah's beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Many Muslims around the world are celebrating mawlid, celebrating the life of the Prophet of mercy.

When Allah loves one of His slaves, He places in His heart veneration for Him and the people and things which are worthy of veneration. He saves him from venerating anything which is worthless and unworthy of veneration. The Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhi wassallam is, amongst all people, the most worthy of veneration. This veneration will be the most precious currency you possess on the Day of Judgement and it will be a cause of salvation on that day.

فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُ‌وهُ وَنَصَرُ‌وهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ‌ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٥٧ ...

So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful. (157) [Qur'an, Al-A'raf 7:157]

O Allah, You have blessed our hearts with belief in him, so make this belief firm and increase it. Once someone believes and venerates him, they will naturally support him.

There are people who disagree with mawlid. If we are of those who disagree, we shouldn't be criticizing people who do celebrate unless we are certain that they are doing something unlawful. Even in such cases, proper manners entails that we are being tactful and speak to others respectfully. Remember that our religion is sincere concern. We do things because we care and desire the best for others in this life and in the Hereafter. We don't do things to divide people. A lot of times, silence is better.

If we are of those who celebrate and attend mawlid, we should celebrate and attend it seeking the pleasure of the Creator through loving and venerating His Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and mentioning his attributes. We should then think about how we can act upon what we hear, and improve our following of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and making a firm resolve to strive to attain the attributes that we hear mentioned. If we do this in every mawlid we attend we will be connected to the spirit and aims of the mawlid.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with people celebrating and remembering important events of our history and show happiness as long as it is within the boundaries of Islam.

We all know that every nation remembers the birth or death of their leaders through celebration of some sort so that successive generations of their people become aware of their leader and benefit from his life, personal traits and achievements. Such occasions help people in many ways, particularly in doing good deeds, strengthen ties, and remain united.

Our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam is our guiding light to the straight path--the path that will take us to Allah, the All-Merciful, the Everlasting. If we don't want to be lost, we should follow his guidance. His guidance are meant to be practiced, not just information stored in our heads or become part of archives in our library and computers. We should always remember that knowledge and practice go hand in hand in Islam. On the Day of Judgment, we are not going to be asked about how much we knew, but rather about how much of our knowledge we put into practice.

Be a lover of the Prophet's sunnah and hadith. Encourage your family to learn the Prophetic tradition and make it a family tradition. Encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. First step is to learn the forty hadith of Imam Nawawi. Plan to learn a new hadith every day or every week. Be consistent. Read a hadith several times until it is memorized. Then, recite the hadith after each obligatory prayer until you are comfortable with it. Once you have learned several ahadith, make it a habit of reciting one different hadith after every obligatory prayer. Whenever you recite a hadith, it is only appropriate that you invoke blessings upon the Prophet: "Allahmmu salli ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad."

Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer. This place is only a brief stop and we will have to move on. Don't waste time and don't look back. Take account of yourself at every moment. Don't procrastinate; tomorrow may not be there for you. Make this world a means to attain the pleasure of Allah and His Divine Mercy.

Be merciful to others. Remember, the Merciful One shows mercy to those who are themselves merciful (to others).

When the slave girl of Abu Lahab gave the good news of Prophet's birth to him, he freed her with the gesture of his right finger. Therefore, every Monday night the torment of Hellfire to him is reduced to a certain extent. This is out of the Divine Mercy and Generosity. [Abu Lahab was one of the the Prophet's paternal uncle, son of Abdul Muttalib. Among the Quraysh he was one of the strongest enemies of Islam. Abu Lahab was a rich, proud man who boasted about his wealth and used it against Islam. So much so that a surah of the Qur'an was dedicated to him and his wife, a lesson for us. This Surah, Al-Masad 111, was revealed about 10 years before Abu Lahab died as a disbeliever.]

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٠٧﴾ قُلْ إِنَّمَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٠٨

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. (107) Say, "It is only revealed to me that your god is but one God; so will you be Muslims [in submission to Him]?" (108)

[Qur'an Al-Anbiya 21:107-108]

As the wife of the Prophet, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, the Prophet's character is the Qur'an. Open the Qur'an every day and recite a few pages and read the meanings. If you reflect on a few verses each day, you are on the road to embrace beautiful and noble character, inshaAllah.

O Allah, increase our belief in him, our veneration for him, our support for him and our following of the light that was sent down with him in every day and every night until we meet You in the best of states.

Ameen.

And Allah knows best.

Allahhumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam

Thanking Allah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Stop and mentally jot down the most important thing or person in your life of this world. What is it? Whatever that is, it is there because Allah created it for you and He give it to you. Are you not grateful?

Unfortunately, Allah tells us that,

وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ﴿١٣ ...

...And few of My servants are grateful. (13)

[Qur’an 34:13]

Allah says,

وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣٤

And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. (34)

[Qur’an Ibrahim 14:34]

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾

Then is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded? (17) And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (18)

Qur'an An-Nahl 16:18]

Take a moment to reflect on Allah's blessings, acknowledge that they are from Allah, thank Allah for them with complete awe of the Giver in our hearts. And Allah is our sufficiency.

May Allah forgive us for all our shortcomings and make us among His grateful servants. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Noble Intentions At Gatherings of Remembrance

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

via Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

At gatherings of remembrance; before reading about the Prophet and his life (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the scholars traditionally make a number of intentions, followed by a recitation of Surat al-Fatihah; donating its reward to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the hope that their remembrance and their intentions are accepted.

Here are some of the intentions that Sayyidi al-Habib `Umar bin Hafiẓ (may Allah preserve him and benefit us by him) makes at these blessed gatherings. The original Arabic is also provided below.

We recite the Fatihah..

with the intention that Allah—by us remembering Him and remembering His Messenger, our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him and his Family and Companions peace) and his birth and awesome attributes—opens the doors to attaining His support and assistance and guidance and to attaining uprightness and the speedy relief of the suffering of the Islamic Ummah..

with the intention that Allah deflects calamities from us and from all of the people of la ilaha ill’Allah in the East and the West..

with the intention that He grants us His guidance in all our movements and our stillness and that He makes us firm upon the truth in what we say, we do and we believe..

with the intention that He enables us to perfect our following of this Prophet, the Chosen One, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him and his Family and Companions peace) in our words and deeds and intentions and aims and desires and our movements and our stillness and in every state, inward and outward, and that He allows us to beautify our emulation of him and allows us to walk along his path and drink from the waters he has drunk from..

with the intention that by him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) He looks upon us, our families, our children, those dear to us and our descendants and upon those who are attached to us..

with the intention that He fills our hearts with the light of faith and certainty and knowledge of Him.. that He makes us among those He has chosen to bring close to Him and among those He has blessed with the realities of sincere and pure slavehood to Him..

with the intention that He protects us from all harm and that He rectifies the inward and the outward, and that He allows us to attain the realities of taqwa..

with the intention that He makes the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) pleased with his Ummah and that He makes us, our families, our children and our friends a joy to his eye..

and that He grants us the greatest portion of His remembrance and the remembrance of this Prophet, the Chosen One..

and that He grants us the greatest portion of His closeness and the closeness of this Prophet, the Chosen One..

and that He grants us the greatest portion of His love and the love of this Prophet, the Chosen One..

and that He grants us the greatest portion of His care and the care of this Prophet, the Chosen One..

and that He grants us the greatest portion of His pleasure and the pleasure of this Prophet, the Chosen One..inwardly and outwardly in every state and in every affair in this life, the Barzakh, the next life and that He gathers us together in the highest level of Firdaws while He is pleased with us.

with the intention that He gives us the greatest portion of being with him in the Barzakh and in the shade of the Throne and at the Pool and when he passes over the Bridge, and when he enters Paradise (may Allah bless him and grant him and his Family and Companions peace).

with the intention that He rectifies our hearts and our bodies, our inward and our outward and all our affairs, that He deflects all evil from us..

with the intention that He raises the ranks of the pious people of this Ummah and all the pious people and that we receive the blessings of the Prophets and Messengers and their families and those that follow them with excellence and that He gives them the greatest of rewards on our behalf and that He unites us with them in the Abode of Mercy while He is pleased with us, without any prior punishment or reprimand or trial or account..

with the intention of removing the tribulations that have befallen us and all the Muslims inwardly and outwardly..

with the intention that Allah blesses us with the most noble of attributes and unites us with the best of groups and that He rectifies every affair inwardly and outwardly in this life and the next..

with the intention that he gives us the best of endings in goodness, gentleness and wellbeing..

with the intentions that the pious people have made and will make and all pious intentions that the knowledge of our Lord, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, encompasses for us and the whole Ummah..

We donate the reward of the Fatihah to the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him and his Family and Companions peace) – al-Fatihah.

Please include the translator, Ustadh Amin Buxton (Allah preserve him and his teachers, and benefit us by them), in your prayers.



***

الفاتحة أن الله يفتح لنا بذكره وذكر رسوله النبي سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم وذكر مولده الكريم وشمائله العظيمة أبواب التأييد والنصرة والتسديد والاستقامة والفرج العاجل لجميع أمة الإسلام وأن يدفع البلاء عنا وعن أهل لا إله إلا الله في مشارق الأرض ومغاربها، وأن يلهمنا رشدنا في حركاتنا وسكناتنا وأن يثبتنا على الحق فيما نقول وفيما نفعل وفيما نعتقد وأن يرزقنا حسن المتابعة لهذا النبي المصطفى محمد صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم في الأقوال والأفعال والنيات والمقاصد والإرادات والحركات والسكنات في جميع الأحوال والشؤون في الظهور والبطون، وأن يرزقنا سبحانه وتعالى حسن الاقتداء به والسير في دربه والشرب من شربه، وأن ينظر به صلى الله عليه وسلم إلينا وإلى أهلينا وإلى أولادنا وإلى ذوينا وإلى ذرارينا وإلى من يوالينا وأن يملأ قلوبنا بأنوار الإيمان واليقين والمعرفة، وأن يجعلنا سبحانه وتعالى ممن ارتضاهم الله لقربه وشرفهم بحقائق العبودية له المحضة الخالصة، وأن يقينا الأسوى، ويصلح لنا السر والنجوى ويحققنا بحقائق التقوى، وأن يسره صلى الله عليه وسلم في أمته وأن يجعلنا سبحانه وتعالى وأهلينا وأولادنا وأصحابنا قرة عين له ويجعلنا من أسعد الناس بذكره وذكر هذا النبي المصطفى ومن أسعد الناس بقربه وقرب هذا النبي المصطفى ومن أسعد الناس بحبه وحب هذا النبي المصطفى ويجعلنا من أسعد الناس بعنايته وعناية هذا الحبيب المصطفى ويجعلنا من أسعد الناس برضاه ورضا هذا الحبيب المصطفى صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم ظاهراً وباطناً في كل شأن وحال في الدنيا والبرزخ والآخرة وأن يجمعنا به في الفردوس الأعلى وهو راضٍ عنا ويجعل لنا سبحانه الحظ الأوفر من الاجتماع به في البرزخ والاجتماع به في ظل العرش والاجتماع به على الحوض المورود والاجتماع به عند المرور على الصراط والاجتماع به عند دخول الجنة صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم، وأن الله يصلح قلوبنا وقوالبنا وظواهرنا وبواطننا وشؤوننا كلها، وأن يدفع عنا الشرور كلها ويعلي درجات الصالحين من أمته وجميع الصالحين ويعيد علينا عوائد النبيين والمرسلين وآل كل منهم وتابعيهم بإحسان ويجزيهم عنا خير الجزاء ويجمعنا بهم في مستقر الرحمة وهو راضٍ عنا من غير سابقة عذاب ولا عتاب ولا فتنة ولا حساب وبنية كشف البلايا عنا وعن جميع المسلمين في الظواهر والخفايا وأن يهبنا الله أعلى المزايا ويلحقنا بخيار السرايا ويصلح لنا كل الشأن ظاهراً وباطناً في الدارين ويختم لنا بأكمل الحسنى في خير ولطف وعافية وعلى ما نواه الصالحون وعلى ما ينويه الصالحون وعلى ما أحاط به علم ربنا الله الرحمن الرحيم من صالح النيات لنا وللأمة أجمعين وإلى حضرة النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم . الفاتحة

Food Is Your Test Until Judgment Day

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Food is a great blessing and so it is befitting that we deal with it with proper manners.

We eat out of thankfulness to Allah and out of our service to Allah. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us the proper manners of eating. A concern believer should feel within them the preference of the Prophetic practice and accept that the Prophetic practice is superior. We should try to put into practice the sunnah of eating as much as we can.

We practice basic manners not only in public (formal or informal) but also in private. True adab is a natural part of our behavior. So you avoid pretenses by upholding proper manners even when you are eating alone.

Begin eating with the Name of Allah (e.g. say Bismillah) and end with praising Allah (e.g. say Alhamdulillah)

Eat with humility. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I am but a servant and I eat like a servant." So following the way of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, one eats with one’s hand, sit on the ground, lean forward, etc.

Humility with respect to food is that we realize that this is a tremendous blessing so we eat while feeling overwhelm by the blessing of Allah.

Avoid overeating and wasting food.

Narrated Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that,

The family of Muhammad never ate their fill three days in a row till the Prophet passed away.

[Bukhari]

Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

The believer eats with one stomach while the disbeliever eats with seven stomachs.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Meaning: The believer eats with the manners of Islam and in moderation, while the disbeliever eats based on desires and gluttony and so he eats with seven stomachs.

Allah talks about the disbeliever in the Qur'an, He says:

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ ۖ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰفِلُونَ ﴿١٧٩

And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless. (179)

[Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:179]

Overfill the stomach is the means of you causing much harm to yourself. It is well known that overeating is injurious to health. Every individual has a personal need for food. If this threshold is exceeded then the excess fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals become a burden upon the body. It will usually be dealt with by either expelling this excess from the body through the kidney, lungs or skin, or by storing it in the body in the form of fat. In both cases, the individual will not have benefited from what was eaten.

Ultimately, one eats to live, not lives to eat.

Allah says,

فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا ﴿٥٩﴾ إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا ﴿٦٠

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil - (59) Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all. (60)

[Qur'an Maryam 50:59-60]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

The best generation is my generation, followed by the one after them then the one after them. Then will come a people who bear witness but are not asked to bear witness, who swear oaths but do not fulfill them and fatness will appear among them.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

On the authority of Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying:

No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.

Ibn Masaweh, a Muslim doctor, said after reading this hadith: "If the people only used these words, they would avoid all diseases and maladies and the clinics and pharmacies would be idle."

Another doctor, Al-Harith ibn Kalada said: That which has killed mankind is the introduction of food on top of food before it has been digested.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

My greatest fear for you is the appetites of transgression with regard to your stomachs and your privates and the inclinations which lead astray

[Ahmad]

Overeating has also behavioral and social effects, such as reducing productivity and efficiency at work.

We eat to seek the pleasure of Allah and to give us strength to worship Him and go out to help people.

`Abdullah bin Busr Al-Aslami, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Messenger of Allah, Allah be pleased with him, said,

The best of people is one whose life is long and his conduct is good.

[At-Tirmidhi].

Longevity of life is a blessing, provided it is accompanied by Faith and good deeds; otherwise, the longer life one has, the greater will be the number of sins. Such a long life is disastrous.

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:

The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, was the best of all the people in behavior.

[Bukhari and Muslim].

Al-Hassan Al-Basri:

The test of Adam, peace be upon him, was food and it is your test until Qiyama. And, it used to be said: Whoever takes control of his stomach gets control of all good deeds. And, wisdom does not reside in a full stomach. One day, Al-Hassan offered some food to his companion who said: I have eaten until I am no longer able to eat. To which Al-Hassan said: Subhaana Allah! Does a Muslim eat until he is no longer able to eat?

Ash-Shafi’I said:

I have not filled myself in sixteen years because filling oneself makes the body heavy, removes clear understanding, induces sleep and makes one weak for worship.

We should be wary of the size of our containers. Don't take more than you can eat. It will wind up in the garbage. Allah does not love the wasteful.

Allah says,

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿٣١

And eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.

[Qur'an Al-A'raf 7:31]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us not to eat on your own but to share your food with others. You will it to be more than enough.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Food for two is enough for three, and food for three is enough for four.

[Agreed upon]

Jabir said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say,

The food of one person is enough for two, food for two is enough for four, and food for four is enough for eight.

[Muslim]

Sharing food is a means of developing and strengthening relationship and healing strained and broken relationship that has been strained and fractured. It is much more powerful to invite them for food than go to restaurant.

May Allah help us realize the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and grant us excellent health so we may worship Him well. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Did You Not Know?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection:

O Son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink whin You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.

[Muslim]

In each of these questions there is a sense of 'Did you not know?'

Visiting the sick and feeding the hungry and the thirsty are not merely worldly acts, they are acts of deep eternal consequences that we will be asked about in the Day of Judgment.

We look at things with the eye of faith and responsibility. Anything we do is an opportunity of drawing closer to Allah, an opportunity of increasing our faith and fulfilling our responsibilities towards our fellow human being.

Visiting the sick and feeding the hungry and the thirsty is an expression of our mercy towards our fellow human beings. Allah has divided mercy into 100 portions and He kept 99 portions for Himself and release one for His creation. Mercy in all creation is one reflection of Divine Mercy and this should remind us of the reality of great mercy and bounty of the Lord. Human mercy is pale in comparison to Allah's mercy.

Abdullah b. Umar said that Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The Merciful One shows mercy to those who are themselves merciful (to others). So show mercy to whatever is on earth, then He who is in heaven will show mercy to you.

[Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi]

Narrated Jarir bin 'Abdullah, that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind.

[Bukhari]

Our concern of another is expressed in goodness to another. We do this seeking pleasure of Allah and Divine Mercy.

Narrated Abu Hurayra, that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

No one of you will be saved because of his deeds." They (the Companions) said: "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Not even me, unless Allah bestows mercy upon me. So do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and adopt a moderate course, adopt a moderate course (he said it twice) whereby you will reach your target (Paradise).

[Bukhari]

We seek the mercy of Allah by being actively merciful to His creation. When we do something for people, we don't look at their forms but look at them as creation of Allah.

We have a duty to visit our fellow Muslims who are sick and we have a duty to feed the poor and needy amongst us. Doing so will strengthen Islam and our fraternity and maintain ties of kinship, friendship or any worldly association.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The one who visits the sick is like a person who is in a fruit garden of Paradise until he returns.

[Muslim]

Allah respond to the call of the distressed. He says,

أَمَّن يُجِيبُ ٱلْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٢

Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember. (62)

[Qur'an An-Naml 27:62]

So, when you visit the sick, you gain that favor.

When you walk to visit the sick, you are walking into the mercy of Allah.

A Muslim walking to visit a sick person will be wading in the mercy of Allah. When the visitor sits with the sick one, they will be immersed in mercy until his return.

[Ahmad and Ibn Hibban]

Visiting the sick reminds you of the blessings of Allah and becomes a means of being thankful of the blessings.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace said:

There are two blessings that most people fall short in benefiting from--health and free time.

When you are in good health and you visit someone sick, remind yourself not to lose out these days, in which you have health and free time. If you fill out your time with junk, consider how you have wasted the 2 great blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you and make the most of your good health and free time that is left. Be thankful for the blessings.

Allah has promised that if we are thankful, He will give us more. So thankfulness is the key to increase.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ

And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'(7)

[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:7]

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٧٣

And indeed, your Lord is full of bounty for the people, but most of them do not show gratitude.(73)

[Qur'an An-Naml 27:73]

They are some of Allah's servant who are truly thankful but they are few indeed. These people have absolute increase manifest in different ways.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Hasten to perform good deeds before seven things: are you waiting for poverty which makes you forget? Or wealth which makes you exceed your limits? Or a debilitating disease or senility? Or an unexpected death or the Dajja - he is the worst of the absent thing you are waiting for, or the Hour? The Hour is most bitter and terrible.

[Sunan At-Tirmidhi]

Things really don't get better as time passes by. So take the moment you are in and turn towards Allah in it. If you do this, then you are under the favor of Allah whether you are in health or in sickness, in richness or in poorness, in ease or in difficulty, whether you are young or old.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Strange is the affair of the Mu'min (the believer). Verily, all his affairs are good for him. If something pleasing befalls him he thanks (Allah) and it becomes better for him. And if something harmful befalls him he is patient (saabir) and it becomes better for him. And this is only for the mu'min.

Every moment is better for the believers because in every moment they have the right response to Allah. In blessing they are thankful, in calamity they are patient. When they do good, they praise Allah and when they sin they turn to Allah in repentance. In every moment they turn to Allah.

We ask Allah that we find Him in ease and in difficulties and find ease to turn to Him in every moment.

Have concern for the sick and those who suffer. If you realize someone is sick tell other people, while guarding their privacy, so they may visit. Stay in touch with your family and friends so you know if they become sick, you can visit or at least call them and see how you can help them or make du'a for them.

Be the first to set up something in your community, if none exist, where 2 or 3 people are assigned to visit the sick in your community and make du'a for them, take a gift for them, cheer them up, assist them and their families, if they need assistance, not just in terms of money but small things like help doing grocery for them, take food for them, throw their garbage, take their children to school, etc.

O Allah, remove the distress and heal the illness, for you are the Shafi. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing that leaves behind no illness.

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in our night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Being Thankful For The Great Blessing of Parents

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

There is no blessing except from Allah. Our parents is a great blessing. One of the outward signs of being appreciative of the blessing is to be good to our parents.

Allah says,

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٤

And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.

[Qur'an Luqman 31:14]

Unless you are thankful to your parents, you are not thankful to Allah because thankfulness to Allah is being thankful to the Giver and the means of giving. Thankfulness is appreciation in the heart that is expressed in one's conduct, speech, dealing and responses.

Being good to our parents is one of the most significant duties in our religion. After commanding us to worship Allah and avoid making partner with Him, the first thing Allah commands us is be good to our parents.

Allah says,

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنًا‌ۚ إِمَّا يَبۡلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلۡڪِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوۡ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ۬ وَلَا تَنۡہَرۡهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوۡلاً۬ ڪَرِيمً۬ا (٢٣) وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرً۬ا (٢٤

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (23) And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small." (24)

[Qur’an Al-Isra' 17:23-24]

Even a mild expressions of reproach or impropriety is not acceptable. This is recognizing that parents can be annoying, but don't express your disapproval rather express with nobility and gentleness, and lower to them out of mercy.

Remind yourself that their rights are many times greater than the annoyance and inconvenience.

Even if they are wrong, you respond with gentleness and respect. You act with restraint and don't argue with them. It is very hard to argue respectfully and with good manners, so don't argue. Disagree in discreet. Appreciate where they are coming from and take their words into consideration. You not only listen to the words they utter but listen to the meanings of what they are expressing and the care and concern that they are expressing. .

Make du'a for them. One of the good places to make du'a for your parents is during your final sitting during prayer.

رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

،،،My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small. [Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:24]

This is a great reminder to yourself to be excellent to your parents. So you always speak to them with gentleness and generosity even when they are wrong because you realize the favor that they look after you when you were small. Imagine if your mother left you on the street after she gave birth to you. Just by giving birth to you, she did you a huge favor. Your life is a favor to you. Out of thankfulness to your parents that you be good to them, and out of your thankfulness to Allah for the gift of life and making your parents the means for the giving that you obey His command to be kind to them and lower your wing of humility out of mercy and make du'a for them.

"What is goodness to parents?" ibn Abdullah said, "It is easy an easy matter" because we are in tune of what being good is. Goodness is being beautiful and excellent, and excellent entails to being humble to them, to speak to them nicely in a mild and soft tone that does not surpass them unless they have a hearing problem, to give them complete access to your wealth and to give them the best of your food and drink.

Making parents' life enjoyable is a virtuous act.

Mu'adh said, "Bliss belongs to someone who is dutiful towards his parents. Allah Almighty will prolong his life." [Bukhari]

Bahz ibn Hakim's grandfather said, "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then to whom should I be dutiful?' 'Your father,' he replied, 'and then the next closest relative and then the next.'" [Bukhari]

'Ata' ibn Yasar said that a man came to Ibn 'Abbas and said, "I asked a woman to marry me and she refused to marry me. Another man asked her and she agreed to marry him. I became jealous and killed her. Is there any way for me to repent?" He asked, "Is your mother alive?" "No," he replied. He said, "repent to Allah Almighty and try to draw near Him as much as you can." 'Ata' said, "I went to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him, 'Why did you ask him whether his mother was alive?' He replied, 'I do not know of any action better for bringing a person near to Allah than dutifulness to his mother.'"
[Bukhari]

One must hasten to respond to their parents' call even it means he shortens his prayer. One leaves something that is sunnah if it takes away their right. Keep them informed where you are, so that you keep their minds at ease. Stay in touch with them.

You can never repay your parents unless you find them enslaved and set them free. So the least you can do is be good to them.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A child cannot repay his father unless he finds him as a slave and the buys him and sets him free."[Bukhari]

Sa'id ibn Abi Burda said, "I heard my father sat that Ibn 'Umar saw a Yamani man going around the House while carrying his mother on his back, saying, 'I am your humble camel. If her mount is frightened, I am not frightened.' Then he asked, 'Ibn 'Umar? Do you think that I have repaid her?' He replied, 'No, not even for a single groan.' [Bukhari]

"Ibn 'Umar did tawaf and came to the Maqam and prayed two rak'ats. He said, 'Ibn Abi Musa, every two rak'ats make up for everything that has happened between them.'" [Bukhari]

Marwan used to make Abu Hurayra his agent and he used to be located in Dhu'l-Hulayfa. His mother was in one house and he was in another. When he wanted to go out, he would stop at her door and say, "Peace be upon you, mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." She would reply, "And peace be upon you, my son, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." Then he said, "May Allah have mercy on you as you raised me when I was a child." She answered, "May Allah have mercy on you as you were dutiful to me when I was old." Whenever he wanted to go inside, he would do something similar. [Bukhari]

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "A man came to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and made a pledge to him that he would do hijra. He left his parents who were in tears. The Prophet said, 'Go back to them and make them laugh as you made them weep.'" [Bukhari]

Abu Hazim reported that Abu Murra, the mawla of Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib had told him that he rode with Abu Hurayra to his land in al-'Aqiq. When he entered his land, he shouted out in his loudest voice, "Peace be upon you, mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing!" She replied, "And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." He said, "May Allah have mercy on you as you raised me when I was a child." She replied, "My son, may Allah repay you well and be pleased with you as you were dutiful towards me when I was old." [Bukhari]

Disobedience towards one's parents more likely will bring punishment in this world before the next. Obedience towards one's parents is a means to obedience to Allah but not an end in itself. So, it is obligatory to disobey your parents if they call to nonfullfilment of the rights of Allah, yet you must respond in the best manner. If they strive against you that you worship other than allah, then you don't obey them. Yet despite that you keep their company in a good way.

Abu Bakra reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is no wrong action more likely to bring punishment in this world in addition to what is stored up in the next world than oppression and severing ties of kinship."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Disgrace! Disgrace! Disgrace!" They said, "Messenger of Allah, who?" He said, "The one who fails his parents or one of them when they are old will enter the Fire." [Bukhari]

'Imran ibn Husayn said, "The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What do you say about fornication, drinking wine and theft?' 'Allah and His Messenger know best,' we replied. He stated, 'They are acts of outrage and there is punishment for them, but shall I tell you which is the greatest of the great wrong actions? Associating with Allah Almighty and disobeying parents.' He had been reclining, but then he sat up and said, 'and lying.'"

Abu Bakra reported that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I tell you which is the worst of the major wrong actions?" "Yes, Messenger of Allah," they replied. He said, "Associating something else with Allah and disobeying parents." He had been reclining, but then he stood up and said, "And false witness." Abu Bakr said, "He continued to repeat it until I said, 'Is he never going to stop?'" [Bukhari]

Ibn 'Umar said, "Making parents weep is part of disobedience and one of the major wrong actions." [Bukhari]

Parents should make it easy for children to be kind to them. They should not be overbearing towards their children nor excessive in their demands. Always make du'a for your children and not against them.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Three supplications are answered without a doubt: the supplication of someone who is oppressed, the supplication of someone on a journey, and the supplication of parents for their children."

May Allah shower His Mercy on our parents, and make us obedient to Him and excellent to our parents.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Respect Our Elders and Be Like A Date Palm

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

There is a the tree to which Allah likens the believer because it is good in all aspects, it is lasting and it offers different kinds of benefit.

Abdullah ibn 'Umar was in the gathering of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with some of the companions and Abu Bakr and his father were among them.

Ibn 'Umar reported that,

"The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'There is a kind of tree whose leaves do not fall and it is like the Muslim. Tell me what it is.’ The people mentioned different kinds of desert trees … and I said to myself, 'It is the date palm tree,’ but I felt too shy to speak up. Then the people said, 'Tell us what it is, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: 'It is the date palm tree.'"

[Bukhari]

Ibn Umar told his father, as they were walking away, that he knew the answer, and 'Umar said: "It would have been more beloved to me than such and such had you said it was the date palm tree." What he intended was that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplicates for his son and learns of his merit and understanding.

Ibn Umar did not speak out of deference and respect to his elders. Since he was the youngest, and seeing Abu Bakr and his father, 'Umar, silent, he shied away and said nothing. Had the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked him, the adab we would expect from ibn Umar would be deference to his elders, and if the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, insisted, proper manners would be to give the answer. This is indicative of humility and good character. Humility is the adab of slavehood to Allah. It is adab of mercy and respect to one's elders. It is the way of the beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The scholars stated that the Muslim was likened to the date palm due to the abundance of its goodness, the continuity of its shade, the goodness of its fruit and its presence throughout the year. From the time its fruit emerges, it could continue to be eaten until it dries, and after it dries a lot of benefits are gained from it. Likewise from its leaves, wood and branches, they are used for staffs, fire wood, rods, straw mats, ropes and utensils amongst other uses. The last thing is the date stone which is used as fodder for camels. The beauty of its growth and the pleasant shape of its fruit, all of it is beneficial, is goodness and beauty.

Just as the believer is all goodness, from the abundance of his obedience and the nobility of his manners. He constantly prays, fasts, reads, remembers, gives charity, enjoins the ties along with the rest of the forms of worship and other than this.

It was also said another aspect of resemblance to the Muslim is that if the top of it is chopped off the rest of it dies in contrast to the rest of the types of trees. It was also said that it is because it does not produce fruit until it is pollinated.

Our families, communities and societies revolve around the elders and the scholars. If we cut them off, we too will wither away and die.

قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٩

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I am not something original among the Messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner."

[Qur'an Al-Ahqaf 46:9]

May Allah shower us with His Light. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Don't Try To Make A Point

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Respect is not unique to elders but to others as well.

Allah says,

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا ﴿٧٠

And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. (70)

This is the Divine honoring of human beings. This Divine honoring requires from us something, which is the basis of our dealing with other people, that we look on people with the eye of honoring them. We honor people through respectful conduct.

The respect for others entails you uphold manners. Your words and actions towards others should be expressive of respect. This respect relates to our peers, elders and those younger than us.

The prevalent expression of adab towards our elders and peers is respect with words and deeds. With children and those younger than us, it is mercy. Mercy, when expressed towards children is necessarily couched with respect. Part of being merciful to children is listening to them, paying attention to them, putting them forward when appropriate, and disciplining them when appropriate.

Respect and deference to elders is to recognize the status of elders and give them due respect.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had warned us: "Whoever who does not respect our elders is not of us." [Related by Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others]

When we walk with elders, we would walk slightly behind them and it is better to walk to their right because if the elder person is upholding proper manners, they would turn their head towards to the left, if they would sneeze.

We open doors for the elders and keep the door open until they enter. We give them precedent in entering and exiting. People of adab among the elders, they would hasten to be respectful towards children and those younger than them as well.

When you sit with them or discuss with them, you listen rather than speaking. We should not be dismissive of elders. We don't adopt this attitude of "I know better" because this is the attitude of Iblis. His attitude towards Adam was "I am better than him" and this arrogance brought him down and made him an outcast. This is not the attitude of a believer. When you find this attitude, say a'udhubillahi minash shaytaanirrajim (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan) and astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah).

Older people have experience just by virtue of their age. Listen to their voices of experience. Listen to not just what they are saying but where they are coming from. Listen with your heart. They may say something absurd to you, but at least listen to their concern for you. Your heart should hear what others are expressing. Your job is be respectful. You empathize with them, listen attentively, and seek clarification when it is not clear or sounds negative or absurd to you. If your opinion is different, remain calm. Whatever you do, don't be angry.

A man came the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him for advice three times, and the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, answered each time, "Don't be angry."

Respecting the elders is more important than making your point. If you are angry, go drink some water or take wudu'.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Anger is an ember from the fire.”
The Devil overcomes man on three occasions: when he is angry, when he feels lust, and when he is in a state of forgetfulness.

We have to be most careful about having respect towards our elders, showing compassion to them. This is what keeps families together because families revolve around elders. Your point of relating to siblings is your parents and your point of relating to your cousins is your aunts and uncles. If you are not respectful toward your elders your relationship with those of your age and younger in families will wither and weaken. Consequently, our communities and societies will wither away.

Being respectful of people put them at ease. Allah has created human with a need to be respected. This does not mean we belittle and put down youths. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out of his way to give attention to youths. There are hadiths narrated by the young companions, in which the foundation of Islam revolves around.

For example, a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar, that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, put his hands on Abdullah's shoulder, and said: "Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer."

Abdullah ibn Abbas, narrated this hadith:

One day I was behind the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, [riding on the same mount] and he said:

O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be Mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be Mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The Pens have been lifted and the Pages have dried.

[Tirmidhi]

Hasan ibn Ali, who was very young when his grandfather, Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, related the principle of caution. He related, "I memorized from the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Leave that which makes you doubt for what that which does not make you doubt.'"

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, has this great care for the young. At the same time, he honored the young by giving them preeminence. For example, one of the last commands of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was that he made Usama ibn Zayd, who was in his teens at the time, the commander of the Muslim army going out on an expedition with senior and leading companions like Abu Bakr, Umar and others.

We learn manners from people of manners. So seek those people of manners and keep righteous company.

May Allah grant us good manners and righteous companions. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

Related archive: Manners with Allah Most High

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Staying in Touch

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet said the best of faith is to bring happiness to another's heart. One of the ways is to get in touch with people you haven't been in contact with, like your old friends, acquaintances and relatives, especially those who have done you favors, big or small, in the past.

It is much easier now to keep in touch. If they are far way, you can call them, message them or email them. Have a list of people you are trying to get in touch, and contact them. Direct contact/calling is better than messaging or emailing them.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Religion is nasiha.". Nasiha is sincere concern, seeking good for others and do good for others.

Keeping in touch with old friends and relatives, and ask about their health and their family, etc, is from the expressed concern and love and take you out of your self-centeredness. We live to seek the pleasure of Allah and seeking the blessings and favors of Allah. So even with this little gesture becomes ways of shining light into our lives.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed in touch even with the friends of his wife, Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, even long after she passed away, and sent them presents. By honoring his wife, he honored her friends. This is sincere concern by being merciful to Allah's creation.

If people try to contact you, you reciprocate and don't put off replying. Something that can be done right right away, don't defer them to later. If you don't do things today, today, when will you do tomorrow's work.

If someone send you a salaam in writing, replying to the salaam is obligatory either you say it to yourself or writing back to them with the salaam.

Make routines. Routines add up. The believers who succeed are those who make routines of virtuous things, not just in religious acts but also social acts. For example, every week you invite some people over for food.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: A man asked the Prophet, "What Islamic traits are the best?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know." [Bukhari]

May Allah give us understanding of the subtleties of the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Take Off Your Shoes

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

A believer has a concern for cleanliness, is good mannered and tactful. He has a sense of humility and not self-centered.

In maintaining that sense of cleanliness, the proper practice is to take off your shoes when entering someone's house unless the host insists that you keep them on.

The Islamic manner is that you don't wear outside shoes around the house. Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, used to serve the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and one of his functions was keeping the sandals of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

When you take your shoes off, take them off in a proper manner and place. Take off the left shoe first and then the right, and keep them close together and line them up in a proper way.

If your shoes are dirty, brush off the dirt so they are in presentable appearance. Don't bring dirt or mud into somebody's house (and driveway). It is not in the excellence of our faith to inconvenient our host who has to clean after us.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us not to put on our shoes while standing (if your shoes requiring tying). Sit down or lean against something and get into a dignified fashion. Don't be bending with your rear up in the air or facing others while trying to tie your shoes. When you put on your shoes, it is sunnah to say Bismillah and thank Allah for the blessing of shoes.

May Allah make us from those who uphold the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Don't Knock Like The Police

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

A house is a place of rest/tranquility. You should recognize that a house is a place where others rest and when something is at rest, you don't cause disturbance. When you enter it, you enter in the manner that preserve that stillness and tranquility.

We have spiritual home and physical home. Our spiritual home is our heart. And Allah is meant to dwell in our hearts by His remembrance. We should remind ourselves this with respect to people's house and our own houses. In our own houses we should make it houses of remembrance of Allah.

When you knock at somebody's door or ring their door bell, don't do it in an annoying way. Don't make it louder than necessary. Don't knock so hard that the person on the other side thought you are the police.

The Companions would knock at door of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the tips of their fingers. Of course, in our times (with big homes, media noises, etc), the knock is not too soft that the person inside the house could not hear the knock.

The governing concern is gentleness and kindness. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever lack kindness, lack all good."

Generally, the sunnah is to knock or ring the doorbell 3 times and leave enough time in between the knocks or rings such that a person can complete 4 cycles of prayer, so if the person inside is praying, he has enough time to finish the prayer and come to the door. Normally it is enough to stop at 3 knocks or ringing. Make each knocks or rings clear enough that a person in a normal circumstances would have heard it.

If after 3 knocks or rings, no one come to the door, then leave. If it is something important or the person you know is expecting you, then you may knock or ring the doorbell more than 3 times. If you think the person might be sleeping, you might want to call them before you come.

The important thing is don't start behaving like a spy--by going to the window and knocking at the window or going around the back door and knocking the back door or calling their cell phone to see if they are actually home, etc.

Also, when knocking or ringing the doorbell, be considerate of the neighbors and don't annoy the neighbors, particularly at night.

If you are asked to identify, identify yourself with your own name, and if necessary, explain who you are. It is not proper manners to say "Me" or "It's Me" or "I am here for so and so" and the like. This is done without being excessively loud but make yourself clearly heard.

When visiting someone or going home, bring a little gift. Little gestures make a difference. Don't be self-centered. Be for others and you will find that Allah will be for you. By opening to others and being of care and concern for others, your care and concerns will be taking care of by Allah. Be merciful to those on earth and the Lord of the heavens will be merciful to you.

Mercy is seeking good for others and do good for others. We seek the favors of Allah, so even little things, like entering and leaving the house, become ways of shining light into our lives.

May Allah make us among those who follow the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, with all its subtleties. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

I Am At Your Service

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Islam has rules and etiquettes that apply to all. Proper manners are not general values but they are specific guidance from the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Adab is the right way of doing something and putting things in their right places. Everything we do has an adab of doing it. This adab comes from the Prophetic examples, the one who is most praised for his character. His character is the most distinguished aspect of his outward person.

Character is an inward disposition that causes one to exhibit praiseworthy traits and act in ways that are praiseworthy. It is the right way of expression. The way one is, is the the way one acts. The basis of good character is seeking Divine pleasure and Divine Mercy. One way that is expressed is striving to please Allah such that our conduct is seeking Divine Mercy.

Adab has many benefits. It teaches us restraint. Restraint is a means of taqwa. Proper manners will remind you of Allah and awakens your heart to Allah. It is also an expression of excellence and beauty. Allah has decreed excellence in all things. Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. This excellence and beauty is both beloved to Allah and to people. When you act with proper manners with people, people feel safe, honored and comfortable, and it strengthens bonds between people.

The character of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is defined as tremendous.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٤

And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted (standard of) character. (4)

[Qur'an Al-Qalam 68:4]

The Prophet's character was the Qur'an.

Sa’ad, Allah be pleased with him, reported:

Once I went to Aisha and her father, Allah be pleased with them both, and asked them about the character and conduct of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to which Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, replied: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. She said: The character of the Messenger of Allah is the Qur'an.

That is the adab of the Qur'an. Observe what Allah tells us in the Qur'an about praiseworthy conduct--how the Prophet dealt with people, with difficult people, etc.

With that we should learn the Qur'an properly and read the Qur'an attentively because the Qur'an details the character of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The basis in terms of proper manners is gentleness with people and honoring people. Striving to uphold gentleness returns to mercy. The one who is merciful is granted mercy from Allah.

Once Aisha, the mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked how was the Prophet's character and she recited the first 10 verses of Surah al-Mukminun.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلَاتِهِمْ خَـٰشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ ٱللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَوٰةِ فَـٰعِلُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ ﴿٥﴾ إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿٧﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٨﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٰتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٩﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ

Certainly will the believers have succeeded: (1) They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (2) And they who turn away from ill speech (3) And they who are observant of zakah (4) And they who guard their private parts (5) Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed - (6) But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors - (7) And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive (8) And they who carefully maintain their prayers - (9) Those are the inheritors (10) Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally. (11)

[Qur'an Al-Mu'minun 23:1-10]

She also told us that no one had better manners than the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace; No one of his Companions or his family members would call him to something except that he answered "labbayk" ("I am at your service")

The beauty of the conduct of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is not expressed in a person whose mind is not illumined with the light of Allah. He is the beloved of Allah. He had no other concern except for Allah. His sole motive was Allah and what moved him was Allah. Even in the littlest thing he manifested them in excellence and beauty. This excellence and beauty is summarized in this verse of the Qur'an,

خُذِ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ ﴿١٩٩

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant ones. (199)

[Qur'an 'Araf 7:199]

Teach your children to love the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): it is the key to every good and the means for all virtue. Every Muslim household should connect the hearts of those in it to their Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), directing the attention of the upcoming generation to their Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace); indeed, this grounds and strengthens the secret of emulation and comportment in them, and raises them to a high rank in attaining the contentment of the Lord. -Habib Umar

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ...

...Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and our offspring comfort of our eyes and make us leaders for the righteous. [Qur'an 25:74]

We ask Allah to help us remove our blameworthy traits and grant us good character.

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam