بسمالله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Taraweeh and Qiyam for some parts of the world have passed and for those in the Northern Hemisphere, you still have the chance to gain that extra reward from the blessings of Ramadhan. Don't miss this opportunity and don't let the masjids become lean with people because you are preparing for Eid!
For the rest who just completed their last taraweeh or qiyam, reap the benefits of Ramadhan while it lasts during this final moments with many other good deeds--give extra charity and pay your sadaqatul fitr and zakat now before Friday. InshaAllah.
Also, read more Qur'an. Remember each letter you recite is one reward, and rewards are multiplied by 10 of their kind.
Regarding Ramadhan, it was reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "...Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligation at any other time.."
May Allah accept our prayers, fasting, charity, du'as and all acts of good deeds. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your du'as. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Beaming With Light
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
"Purity is half of faith." Someone who observes purity, he is half way there in terms of his faith. The outer purity is a means to inner purity. Wudu' (ablution) is the foremost form of purification. We must have wudu' to perform our prayers.
Teach your children to do their wudu' properly and encourage them to maintain their wudu' throughout the day and have wudu' before going to bed at night. If you instill this habit in them right from young, it will keep them away from stray behaviors and protect them from evil, inshaAllah.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, will know his Ummah in the Day of Judgment from the light that shines from the places of wudu'. It is important that we do our wudu' properly so those limbs will shine in the Day of Judgment.
I remember a Shafi'i Shaykh explaining how to perform wudu' the Shafi' way to a group of students here in Cairo and then he advised the students to follow the Maliki way in terms of wiping the head (which is wiping the whole head as opposed to wiping three strands of hair). He said: I wouldn't want the light just beaming from 3 strands of hair while the Maliki's have their whole head beaming with light! In matters of worship, we should strive to do the most and the most difficult--this is the way of taqwa.
May Allah purify our intentions and our actions. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
"Purity is half of faith." Someone who observes purity, he is half way there in terms of his faith. The outer purity is a means to inner purity. Wudu' (ablution) is the foremost form of purification. We must have wudu' to perform our prayers.
Teach your children to do their wudu' properly and encourage them to maintain their wudu' throughout the day and have wudu' before going to bed at night. If you instill this habit in them right from young, it will keep them away from stray behaviors and protect them from evil, inshaAllah.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, will know his Ummah in the Day of Judgment from the light that shines from the places of wudu'. It is important that we do our wudu' properly so those limbs will shine in the Day of Judgment.
I remember a Shafi'i Shaykh explaining how to perform wudu' the Shafi' way to a group of students here in Cairo and then he advised the students to follow the Maliki way in terms of wiping the head (which is wiping the whole head as opposed to wiping three strands of hair). He said: I wouldn't want the light just beaming from 3 strands of hair while the Maliki's have their whole head beaming with light! In matters of worship, we should strive to do the most and the most difficult--this is the way of taqwa.
May Allah purify our intentions and our actions. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
wassalaam
Monday, September 6, 2010
Ramadhan Gift from Cairo
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
I would like to share with you this beautiful and emotional du'a by Shaykh Muhammad Jibril from last night's witr prayer at Masjid 'Amr bin al-'As, attended by Muslims and observers who packed the masjid and the city corners and streets many blocks. It was a phenomenal sight and experience! MashaAllah. May Allah increase and preserve the Shaykh. Ameen.
The first masjid of the blessed land of Egypt, Masjid 'Amr bin al-'As was built in 642 AD (21 AH) by 'Amr bin al-'As, Allah be pleased with him, the commander of the Muslim army who opened Egypt. It is the oldest existing masjid, not just in Cairo, but the entire African Continent. It was an Islamic learning center long before Al-Azhar Mosque and held up to 5,000 students.
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Shamasa Mahri that he said: We went to Amr bin al-As and he was about to die. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: Did the Messenger of Allah not give you tidings of this? Did the Messenger of Allah not give you tidings of this? He (the narrator) said: He turned his face (towards the audience) and said: The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah. Verily I have passed through three phases. (The first one) in which I found myself averse to none else more than I was averse to the Messenger of Allah and there was no other desire stronger in me than the one that I should overpower him and kill him. Had I died in this state, I would have been definitely one of the denizens of Fire. When Allah instilled the love of Islam in my heart, I came to the Apostle and said: Stretch out your right hand so that may pledge my allegiance to you. He stretched out his right hand, I withdrew my hand, He (the Holy Prophet) said: What has happened to you, O 'Amr? I replied: I intend to lay down some condition. He asked: What condition do you intend to put forward? I said: I should be granted pardon. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes out all the previous (misdeeds)? Verily migration wipes out all the previous (misdeeds), and verily the pilgrimage wipes out all the (previous) misdeeds. And then no one was as dear to me than the Messenger of Allah and none was more sublime in my eyes than he. Never could I pluck courage to catch a full glimpse of his face due to its splendor. So if I am asked to describe his features, I cannot do that for I have not eyed him fully. Had I died in this state I had every reason to hope that I would have bee among the dwellers of Paradise. Then we were responsible for certain things (in the light of which) I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, let neither female mourner nor fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill my grave well with earth, then stand around it for the time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy and (in your company) ascertain what answer I can give to the messengers (angels) of Allah.
May Allah forgive all our sins and grant us Jannatul Firdaus and His Noble Countenance, Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
p.s. To play the videos continuously using Windows Media Player or iTunes in the right order, download and convert the videos to MP3 using Youtube Downloader
http://download.cnet.com/YouTube-Downloader/3000-2071_4-10647340.html
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
I would like to share with you this beautiful and emotional du'a by Shaykh Muhammad Jibril from last night's witr prayer at Masjid 'Amr bin al-'As, attended by Muslims and observers who packed the masjid and the city corners and streets many blocks. It was a phenomenal sight and experience! MashaAllah. May Allah increase and preserve the Shaykh. Ameen.
The first masjid of the blessed land of Egypt, Masjid 'Amr bin al-'As was built in 642 AD (21 AH) by 'Amr bin al-'As, Allah be pleased with him, the commander of the Muslim army who opened Egypt. It is the oldest existing masjid, not just in Cairo, but the entire African Continent. It was an Islamic learning center long before Al-Azhar Mosque and held up to 5,000 students.
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Shamasa Mahri that he said: We went to Amr bin al-As and he was about to die. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: Did the Messenger of Allah not give you tidings of this? Did the Messenger of Allah not give you tidings of this? He (the narrator) said: He turned his face (towards the audience) and said: The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah. Verily I have passed through three phases. (The first one) in which I found myself averse to none else more than I was averse to the Messenger of Allah and there was no other desire stronger in me than the one that I should overpower him and kill him. Had I died in this state, I would have been definitely one of the denizens of Fire. When Allah instilled the love of Islam in my heart, I came to the Apostle and said: Stretch out your right hand so that may pledge my allegiance to you. He stretched out his right hand, I withdrew my hand, He (the Holy Prophet) said: What has happened to you, O 'Amr? I replied: I intend to lay down some condition. He asked: What condition do you intend to put forward? I said: I should be granted pardon. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes out all the previous (misdeeds)? Verily migration wipes out all the previous (misdeeds), and verily the pilgrimage wipes out all the (previous) misdeeds. And then no one was as dear to me than the Messenger of Allah and none was more sublime in my eyes than he. Never could I pluck courage to catch a full glimpse of his face due to its splendor. So if I am asked to describe his features, I cannot do that for I have not eyed him fully. Had I died in this state I had every reason to hope that I would have bee among the dwellers of Paradise. Then we were responsible for certain things (in the light of which) I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, let neither female mourner nor fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill my grave well with earth, then stand around it for the time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy and (in your company) ascertain what answer I can give to the messengers (angels) of Allah.
May Allah forgive all our sins and grant us Jannatul Firdaus and His Noble Countenance, Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
p.s. To play the videos continuously using Windows Media Player or iTunes in the right order, download and convert the videos to MP3 using Youtube Downloader
http://download.cnet.com/YouTube-Downloader/3000-2071_4-10647340.html
Friday, September 3, 2010
Allah is jealous?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
You have a regular devotion of reading a juz of the Qur'an everyday, but tonight you have people coming for iftar and you have already spent most of your day shopping and cooking. You said to yourself, "Entertaining guests for the sake of Allah is a worship, so I'll do my reading later tonight after they leave."
But by the time they left and you finished praying taraweeh, you are too tired and too sleepy (after all you have been getting very little sleep since Ramadhan), to even open the Qur'an. So you missed reading a juz for one day!
I remember this story of a man who wanted to marry this beautiful woman. For a long time he wooed her and he finally passed all obstacles. The woman said to him, "You know my sister is even more beautiful than me and she is standing behind you right now." The man immediately turned around and saw no one behind him. The woman slapped him on the face and left him.
Yes, you missed a wird. Your house won't come tumbling down for missing a wird. After all it is not obligatory. What is the big deal? It is a big deal to your soul. The jealousy of Allah demands that Allah doesn't want you to turn to anything else. If at any time we prefer something over our Creator, that opportunity is gone and will never come back. When the time is gone, it is gone. So, no matter how busy you are, remember Allah is more worthy of your time. Set an hour a day or so to keep your daily wird of reading the Qur'an and not let anything come in the way of fulfilling this wird.
Imagine if you don't have a consistent or an established wird, or you miss your prayers because you spend your time in idle chats, arguments/fights, watching TV, listening to music, reading Sports Illustrated and the like, surfing the internet aimlessly, or excessive socialization on FB, YM and the like. How jealous you think the Master will be? What will happen to you? The degree that one turns away from Allah to that degree Allah distances away from the person. This should be punishment enough.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتۡلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ سِرًّ۬ا وَعَلَانِيَةً۬ يَرۡجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً۬ لَّن تَبُورَ (٢٩) لِيُوَفِّيَهُمۡ أُجُورَهُمۡ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۚۦۤ إِنَّهُ ۥ غَفُورٌ۬ شَڪُورٌ۬ ٣٠
"Verily, those who read the Book of Allah, and establish prayer, and spend, secretly and openly, from that which He has bestowed on them, they look forward to imperishable gain, so that He will fully recompense them their wages and increase them of His grace. Indeed, He is All-Forgiving, Thankful." Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30
Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who recites the Qur'an and is skillful therein will be with the obedient, noble, recording angels, and the one who reads the Qur'an stammering, it being difficult for him, has two rewards." (Bukhari)
May Allah forgives us and makes us among the bearers of the Qur'an. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
You have a regular devotion of reading a juz of the Qur'an everyday, but tonight you have people coming for iftar and you have already spent most of your day shopping and cooking. You said to yourself, "Entertaining guests for the sake of Allah is a worship, so I'll do my reading later tonight after they leave."
But by the time they left and you finished praying taraweeh, you are too tired and too sleepy (after all you have been getting very little sleep since Ramadhan), to even open the Qur'an. So you missed reading a juz for one day!
I remember this story of a man who wanted to marry this beautiful woman. For a long time he wooed her and he finally passed all obstacles. The woman said to him, "You know my sister is even more beautiful than me and she is standing behind you right now." The man immediately turned around and saw no one behind him. The woman slapped him on the face and left him.
Yes, you missed a wird. Your house won't come tumbling down for missing a wird. After all it is not obligatory. What is the big deal? It is a big deal to your soul. The jealousy of Allah demands that Allah doesn't want you to turn to anything else. If at any time we prefer something over our Creator, that opportunity is gone and will never come back. When the time is gone, it is gone. So, no matter how busy you are, remember Allah is more worthy of your time. Set an hour a day or so to keep your daily wird of reading the Qur'an and not let anything come in the way of fulfilling this wird.
Imagine if you don't have a consistent or an established wird, or you miss your prayers because you spend your time in idle chats, arguments/fights, watching TV, listening to music, reading Sports Illustrated and the like, surfing the internet aimlessly, or excessive socialization on FB, YM and the like. How jealous you think the Master will be? What will happen to you? The degree that one turns away from Allah to that degree Allah distances away from the person. This should be punishment enough.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتۡلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ سِرًّ۬ا وَعَلَانِيَةً۬ يَرۡجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً۬ لَّن تَبُورَ (٢٩) لِيُوَفِّيَهُمۡ أُجُورَهُمۡ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۚۦۤ إِنَّهُ ۥ غَفُورٌ۬ شَڪُورٌ۬ ٣٠
"Verily, those who read the Book of Allah, and establish prayer, and spend, secretly and openly, from that which He has bestowed on them, they look forward to imperishable gain, so that He will fully recompense them their wages and increase them of His grace. Indeed, He is All-Forgiving, Thankful." Qur'an Fatir 35:29-30
Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who recites the Qur'an and is skillful therein will be with the obedient, noble, recording angels, and the one who reads the Qur'an stammering, it being difficult for him, has two rewards." (Bukhari)
May Allah forgives us and makes us among the bearers of the Qur'an. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Last Chance?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
"Every soul shall have a taste of death; then unto Us you shall be returned." Qur'an Ankabut 29:57
This was the opening reminder given by the imam of Masjid Al-Azhar, one of the most famous and prestigious masjids in the world today, before explaining how to perform a jenazah prayer and then leading the prayer. Afterwards 2 jenazah were carried out of the masjid. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
In the evening during taraweeh, I was reminded of this fact again when surah Ankabut was recited.
Depending where you are, there are only 6 or 7 days left of Ramadhan and this maybe our last chance to do good deeds and hope to gain multiple reward and have our du'as answered.
"Prosperous are the believers who in their prayers are humble and from idle talk turn away and at almsgiving are active and guard their private parts save from their wives and what their right hands own then being not blameworthy (but whosoever seeks after more than that, those are the transgressors) and who preserve their trusts and their covenant and who observe their prayers.Those are the inheritors who shall inherit Paradise therein dwelling forever." Qur'an Mu'minun 23:1-11
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask him for Al-Firdaus, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise, and above it is the (Mighty) Throne of the Most Merciful."
May Allah facilitates us to encounter Laylatul Qadr and forgives all our sins and grants us Jannatul Firdaus and His Noble Countenance. Ameen, Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
"Every soul shall have a taste of death; then unto Us you shall be returned." Qur'an Ankabut 29:57
This was the opening reminder given by the imam of Masjid Al-Azhar, one of the most famous and prestigious masjids in the world today, before explaining how to perform a jenazah prayer and then leading the prayer. Afterwards 2 jenazah were carried out of the masjid. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
In the evening during taraweeh, I was reminded of this fact again when surah Ankabut was recited.
Depending where you are, there are only 6 or 7 days left of Ramadhan and this maybe our last chance to do good deeds and hope to gain multiple reward and have our du'as answered.
"Prosperous are the believers who in their prayers are humble and from idle talk turn away and at almsgiving are active and guard their private parts save from their wives and what their right hands own then being not blameworthy (but whosoever seeks after more than that, those are the transgressors) and who preserve their trusts and their covenant and who observe their prayers.Those are the inheritors who shall inherit Paradise therein dwelling forever." Qur'an Mu'minun 23:1-11
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask him for Al-Firdaus, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise, and above it is the (Mighty) Throne of the Most Merciful."
May Allah facilitates us to encounter Laylatul Qadr and forgives all our sins and grants us Jannatul Firdaus and His Noble Countenance. Ameen, Please don't forget us in your prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)