A Healing For Us

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Qur'an, its superior wisdom, and the fact that no one can produce the like of it, even a chapter like it, are definite evidence that it is the Speech of Allah Almighty, Dhu-l-Jalali wa-l-Ikram (Lord of Glory and Honor, Lord of Majesty and Generosity).

Additionally, Qur'an has many miraculous attributes proving that it is a revelation from Allah, the Creator. One of these attributes is the medical Miracle of Qur’an.

Qur’an has healing power for the believers. This includes healing the heart (mental or spiritual disease) and physical healing.

Allah says,

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا ﴿٨٢﴾

And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss. (82) [al-Isra’ 17:82]

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ ۖ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ ﴿٤٤

And if We had made it a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place. (44) [al-Fussilat 41:44]

وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ

..And [Allah] shall heal the breast of the believers. (at-Tawba 9:14)

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ ﴿٨٠

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me (80) [ash-Shu'ara 26:80] (A supplication of Prophet Ibrahim, Allah grant him peace)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٥٧

O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers. (57)[Yunus 10:57]

Honey is mentioned in the Qur’an, and that it is a healing for mankind. Allah says:

ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٩

hen eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]." There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought. (69) [al-Nahl 16:69]

We know now the health benefits of honey.

A drink seasoned with ginger is served to the People of Paradise. We know now the health benefits of ginger and ginger drink.

وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا ﴿١٧

They will be served therein with a cup of a drink seasoned with Zanjabil (ginger). [Qur'an Al-Insan 76:17]

The Qur’an is the complete healing for all mental, spiritual and physical diseases, all diseases of this world and the Hereafter. But not everyone is guided to use it for the purpose of healing. If the sick person uses the Qur’an for healing in the proper way, and applies it to his disease with sincerity, faith, complete acceptance and firm conviction, fulfilling all its conditions, then no disease can resist it.

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

A group of the companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them.

Some of them said, ‘Why don’t you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.’ So they went to them and said, ‘O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?’

One of them said, ‘Yes, by Allah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.’ Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.’

Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen [Surah al-Fatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay.

Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, ‘Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.’

So they went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, ‘How did you know that it (al-Fatiha) is a ruqyah?’ Then he added, ‘You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.’ And the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, smiled.

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2156; Muslim, 2201]

For those who cannot yet read Qur'an in Arabic and anxious to recite it, now we have an pretty good online Qur'an with transliteration and translation, verse by verse. If you want to listen to the recitation of the Qur'an, this is a good site. Please benefit.

It is recommended to complete reciting the entire Qur'an monthly. Why not try to reach that goal for ourselves?

We all suffer from some sort of heart disease. Maybe you don't have a physical heart disease, but we are constantly being attacked by spiritual heart disease (hypocrisy, miserliness, arrogance, ostentation, showing off, jealousy and envy, anger, malice, hatred, covetousness, selfishness, ingratitude, obliviousness to the blessings, heedlessness, extravagance, rancor, love of the world, greed, vanity, false hopes, iniquity, treachery, negative thoughts, and the list can go on...) This is more serious than a physical heart disease and we should treat them. We will find people who would spend lots of money, time and effort to treat their physical heart problem but they don't care to put even a few minutes a day to recite the Qur'an. Only our connection to the Qur'an can heal our ailments.

May Allah guide us and bless us with excellent health to worship Him. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

A Heart Harder Than Solid Rock

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

On the authority of Haani, the freed slave of 'Uthman, who said "When 'Uthman ibn 'Affan stood at a grave he wouls weep until his beard was wet. So it was said to him: "Indeed you make mention of Paradise and Hellfire and you do not weep, and you are weeping at this?". He replied, "Indeed the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Verily the grave is the first abode of the Hereafter, if one is saved from it then what follows is made easier for him. And if one is not saved from it, then what follows is more severe". He also (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "I have never seen a sight more horrid than the grave"" [At-Tirmidhi]

When we hear someone died, or when we see a funeral and maybe we could follow the funeral to the cemetery and could see the grave with our eyes and could see the end of the human being when he is placed in a hole and earth being dumped on him, are we affected? Most people are not affected, some may even joke and laugh at the cemetery, and if they are affected, it is only a temporary effect and very soon they forget. Why? Because some people, their hearts are like solid rock, may be even harder.

Allah Almighty says,

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّـهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٧٤

Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (74) [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:74]

Allah Almighty says:

يْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ

Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. [Qur'an An-Nisa 4:78]

Our term here on this earth is not indefinite. Death is certain to come. When the angel of death appears to take our souls, there is no turning back. That's it. Time's up. Nothing you have accumulated until that moment will go with you to the grave -- no loved ones, no loved things -- except your deeds.

The life in the grave is one of the Gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell.

Narrated by Abu Sa'id:
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The grave (or the life of the soul between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment) is one of the Gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell!" [At-Tirmidhi 5352]

There is indeed questioning and punishment of the souls in the graves.

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thabit
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The people who invoke others with Allah, are passing through the ordeal in the graves. If it were not for the fact that you would stop burying your dead in the graves, I would have certainly made you hear the sound of the torment in the graves, which I hear.” [Muslim 6859]

Narrated by Al-Bara' ibn Azib:
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “When a believer is buried in the grave two angels will come to him (Munkar and Nakir, both have dark faces and blue eyes), make him sit up, and ask : ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘He is the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace).’ They will ask: ‘ Who made you aware of this?’ He will reply: ‘I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘My servant has spoken the truth. So spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise.’ Then some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see. At the death of the unbeliever his soul will be restored to his body in the grave. Then two angels will come to him. They will make him sit up and ask him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask: ‘Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell. Then some of its heat and burning hot wind will come to him, and his grave will be compressed, such that his ribs will be crushed together. An angel who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer, such that, if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it, which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his soul will be restored to him (again). [Sunan of Abu-Dawood 4735]

Imagine what it would be like to be in our graves right now; can we answer those 4 questions truthfully?

We won't be able to answer them truthfully if don't live a life of obedience to Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. While we are still breathing, repent for our past sins and obey Allah and His Messenger. Give people their due rights and don't hurt and take the rights of others. Accumulate lots of good deeds; make good deeds beloved to us, and inshaAllah we will have handsome, good smelling companion of good deeds that will be with us until the Day of Judgment and not the ugly, and stinking companion of bad deeds.

May Allah forgive our sins and grant us righteous deeds and save us from the trial and tribulations of the grave. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Homeownership

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Homeownership is not as glamorous as most people think. So what if you feel rich and accomplished--it is not real. It is more hassle than its worth and you ownership is only on paper--because you took out a loan (like most people) and now you become the slave to the bank, working even harder to make your payments, until your old age. And you have already kissed all your hard earned money goodbye, and nothing left even to buy your dentures. And in the down real estate market like what has been happening since the last 5 years, you can put a little sign in your front lawn: $$$$$$ R.I.P.

Now, the idea of moving up--the house getting bigger and bigger. What's the point having a big house when you spend most of your time outside anyway--working (and most of what you earn go towards paying your debts) and doing outdoor things. You can't enjoy it and only use to store things that you never use or things that are mostly for show. And after 15 or 16 hours at work, you wouldn't feel like spending time in the kitchen cooking or cleaning or doing anything energetic. So you sit in a small corner, in front of TV or computer, until you have to sleep. When you sleep, you don't even see the rest of the house. And if you have a really big house, like a mansion, you probably haven't set foot in certain areas except when you first bought it and when you showed around your house to your friends. You hardly home on the weekends--you go out--entertain yourself or seek knowledge or socialize or work overtime. So, you see you just need a place to lie down/sleep, a space (not an office room) where you can do some typing on your computer, a small bathroom to clean yourself, a small kitchen to cook meals and an area where you pray and occasionally have a few guests to sit. How big do you really need for this? So, can you see that it is a big waste to have a big house? A family of 4-6 people should suffice with no more than 1,000 square feet.

Don't say 'my house is an investment.' Investment in what? Is this an orphanage, is this a place of worship, is this a house of dhikr, where you bring people together frequently for remembrance of Allah, or is this a place of learning? If not, how long are you going to keep your house? Are you going to live that long? If you have a loan, you will die with a big debt...who is going to pay your debt? One of the things that could cause punishment in the grave is debts.

A companion died leaving some debts. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told his brother to pay his debts because the deceased cannot go to Paradise until the debt is paid off.

Do we have anyone, even among our family members, who could pay off our debts? If you are doubtful, don't get ourselves buried in debts.

Imam An-Nasa'i reported, in a good chain of transmission, and Al-Hakim, and the wordings are his, that Mohamed ibn Abdullah ibn Jahsh said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting where the funerals are put (by the graves) then he raised his head to heavens, then he lowered his gaze, and then he put his hand on his forehead and said: "Glory be to Allah! Glory be to Allah! What a stern revelation." He said: we knew but kept silent. The following day I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about the stern revelation. He said: "it is revealed about the debt. By Him in Whose Hands is my soul if a man was killed on the cause of Allah, then he lived again and was killed again, then he lived again and was killed again while he has unpaid debt he will not enter Paradise unless his debt is paid off."

Imam Muslim reported in his authentic book of Hadith: "Allah forgives all the sins of a martyr except unpaid debt".

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, has sought refuge with Allah from debt so many times a man from the companions said to him: "O Messenger of Allah why do you so frequently seek refuge with Allah from being in debt?" He replied: "A person in debt tells lies whenever he speaks, and breaks promises whenever he makes (them)." [Agreed upon]

Not to mention you have created a source of a huge fitnah for your families/relatives and for yourself in the grave--your house will be a cause of hurt for the family/relatives you left behind because they might fight over it and the so many things in it, not necessarily because they are greedy (although most people are) but they can be sentimental and want to keep the house and things in it.

Don't forget the fact that a house has all the qualities of the ugliest type of investment.
1)Not liquid -- You can’t cash out whenever you want, 2) High leverage -- You have to borrow a lot of money in most cases. 3) No diversification -- For most people, a house is by far the largest part of their portfolio and greatly exceeds the 10% of net worth that any other investment should be.

Granted, some people like to have roots but to these people, ask yourself, how many people live where their roots are. Kids grow, they move in with their friends in college, they get married and moved away. If opportunities come knocking at your door right now, you can't move away so easily--you have to deal with your house. If you rent and have little, it would take no time to pick up and leave. You can live wherever in the world you want and whenever you want. It is a hassle-free life.

If you are not convinced, now look at your personal reasons for wanting to own a house. Do you feel like you can’t accomplish something in life until you own a house? Do you feel like its part of getting married and 'Settling down', i.e. creating a nest for your future children? For you, is it a part of becoming an adult. Is this what your parents taught you? Examine the real reasons you want to own and make sure they are coming from a good spot in your heart.

Do you really want to spend all that time working for the bank (making payments)? Do you really want to spend your time working on your house that you cannot take with you to your grave? Is this where your time is best spent towards creating a successful life for yourself and your family in this world and the Hereafter?

Actually, if you are not too busy working to pay off your house and fixing your house, you can invest in the the real estate better than anything in this world--that is in Jannah. I cannot comprehend how beautiful the real estate and mansions there but you know it must be beautiful because Allah says so. You only know the reality of beauty of your mansions in Jannah when you see them for yourself but first we have to save our spot in Jannah. You need a ticket to get to Jannah, but you don't have to wait in line to get it...you need to put some effort though.

You don't need hundred of thousands of dollars to acquire real estate in Paradise. Everyday you can have one for yourself, while it would take you years to have a small property in this world.

If you build a masjid for the sake of Allah, Allah will build a palace for you in Paradise. You have an opportunity now by your generous donation to the Masjid Al-Ittehad new masjid project.

Pray 12 cycles of sunnah prayers before and after the 5 obligatory prayers on daily basis (2 cycles before Fajr, 4 cycles before Dhuhr, 2 cycles after Dhuhr, 2 cycles after Maghrib and 2 cycles after 'Isha) and Allah will build a palace in Paradise for you.

In the akhirah, you can get your big mansions on a daily basis by just praying 12 extra rakaah a day. Let us not let go of this tremendous reward.

What we have here is pale in comparison to what we can have in Paradise. But if we busy ourselves with this dunya, then we won't have the time to work on the Hereafter, which is the home of our eternal life.

Be in this world as a wayfarer, no room for much things of this dunya, and along the way pick up a lot of good deeds, so when you meet Allah you have a lot to show for.

O Allah, You alleviate debt and sin so alleviate them from me. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the sins and from being in debt. [Prophetic du'a]

May Allah guide us and grant us tawfiq to the highest station. Ameen.

Please include us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Beautiful Women

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

What is told about Paradise is only an approximation, indescribable in worldly terms. What we can imagine of Jannah is a small fraction of the real thing. Everything will be a new pleasurable experience in Jannah, nothing we can comprehend in this life. May Allah grant us the highest Paradise.

Every women in Paradise are beautiful. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned about the beauty of the women of Paradise.

...If one of the women of Paradise appeared to the people of the earth, she would fill the space between Heaven and the Earth with light and pleasant scent and her head cover is better than the world and whatever is in it.

[Bukhari]

The wives of men in Paradise are so beautiful that it was said by one of the scholars who wrote about Paradise, that the husband would stare at her for 40 years, just contemplating on her beauty.

This alone should put our short term in this life into perspective and start putting our acts together.

All this half naked women in flashy and tight clothing, and makeup and perfume that they wear thinking that they look beautiful and smell good, they are not going to be that beautiful women of Paradise. In fact, they are aiming for a great torment in the next world because the fitnah they have caused to men and families, intentionally or unintentionally, by the fact that they choose to expose what they are not supposed to expose and wear what they wear.

For men, lower your gaze...save your gaze for the women in Paradise, whether they be Hoorain or your wife from this world.

Marry someone who can help you get to Jannah because there is where the real pleasure is, for men as well as women. The pleasure here in this world is temporary and always coupled with pain, immediately or some time in the future.

A woman came to Khalifah Omar and told him that she did not love her husband. Omar then advised her about marriage -- that marriages are not established on love, that it is cooperation in this world, and then we are going to die.

Asma binti Abu Bakr came to her father and complained about her husband, Zubayr ibn Awwam (one of the 10 promised Paradise). Abu Bakr knew that Zubayr will have one of the highest status in Paradise and he wanted his daughter to be with him and he advised Asma to be patient because a woman who has a righteous husband and does not remarry after he dies, Allah will bring them together in Jannah.

Whatever we do, it is not all about this world. It is about our eternal life. Do we want to be companions of people of Paradise or people of Hellfire...we have to make the choice now.

May Allah save us from the fitnah of this world and forgive all our sins and shortcomings. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Everything is Good

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Remember the Lord, the Creator of everything there is. He is Al Qadir (All Powerful).

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلِلَّـهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١٧ ...

And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He creates what He wills, and Allah is over all things competent. (17)

[Qur'an Al-Ma'idah 5:17]

He gives sovereignty (kingdom) to whom He wills and He takes sovereignty (kingdom) away from whom He wills, and He honors whom He wills and He humiliates whom He wills.

A person or a people may regard something as evil and unwelcome, and it may be so for that person or people, but as a poet put it very succinctly, the calamities of one group are the gains of another. As to the person or the people afflicted with calamities, there is wisdom for the affliction. Allah is Al Hakim, the Perfectly Wise. It is He who has wisdom in all order and actions.

وَإِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿٦

And indeed, [O Muhammad], you receive the Qur'an from one Wise and Knowing. (6)

[Qur'an An-Naml 27:6]

We might not be able to see the wisdom as to why what we perceive as bad, happens, but everything is good--and nothing is really evil or bad--for in Allah's Hand is the good.

قُلِ ٱللَّـهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٦

Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things. (26)

[Qur'an AleImaran 3:26]

May Allah Almighty forgive all our sins and all our shortcomings, and protect us from the trial and tribulations of this life and the next, and raise our ranks among those who are guided and the righteous. Ameen.

Please include us in your night prayers. May Allah reward you.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

An Opportunity is Knocking at Your Door

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

As most of you all know, Masjid Vista (California) community is seeking donations and loans to purchase a new site for a masjid. They have gathered some funds but are short about $650,000 (USD).

By you receiving the request for donations or loans, here or elsewhere, Allah is giving you an opportunity to do a tremendous good for the Vista community and the nearby cities, which reward you will continue to reap even after you die, inshaAllah.

Don't let this opportunity pass you by. It is knocking at your door right at this moment. Open your wallets and give generously, whether you go to that masjid or not. What is excess (beyond your need), give it away.

Allah rewards good deeds and no good deed is too small to Him. No one can reward you better than Him. He is the Most Generous and Most Gracious and no one can outdo Him in His generosity and largess.

Allah Almighty says,

مَّن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يُقْرِضُ ٱللَّـهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَـٰعِفَهُۥ لَهُۥٓ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَٱللَّـهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْصُۜطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٢٤٥

Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned. (245) [Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:245]

Don't look at this as their project. It is our project as much as theirs because we are His vicegerent on this earth. We all are going back to the same Lord and we all have to answer to the same Lord as to whether or not we have fulfilled the amanah that we accepted from the Creator.

Allah Almighty says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا ﴿٧٠﴾ يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٧١﴾ إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا ﴿٧٢

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. (70) He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment. (71) Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant. (72) [Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:70-72]

I reckon every working person can spare at least a $100 towards this project. If everyone donate $100 within the next few weeks, that would enable a House of Allah to be erected in our community, which is very much needed in these times of religious ignorance.

If you look at what your monthly expenditures, surely you can find a way to cut $100 next month and raise the amount individually for this project.

If you don't have excess, you can raise funds for the masjid on your own in a number of ways. Here are some suggestions:

1. Skip eating out next month
2. Don't buy unnecessary things like sweets/soda/ice cream/chips next month -- they are not healthy for you anyway
3. Carpool so you can save on gas
4. Cancel your plan to take your family to the amusement park(s), or ski trip and other leisure trips -- you don't need it
5. Have garage sales of the items you don't need
6. Don't go to the movies
7. Skip buying the new phone/electronics -- chances are you don't need it
8. Don't buy new clothes -- chances are you have plenty in your wardrobe

and many more ways you can think of.

Pass this along to your friends and family. Remember, those who assist others in doing good are rewarded the same as those who do the good deed, without diminishing their reward.

You may send your donation check (tax deductible) directly to the masjid:

Masjid Al-Ittehad
925 Anza Ave, Vista, CA 92084, USA
(write on Memo line: New Masjid Vista Project)

For more information, visit masjidalittehad.com

May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives:
Homeownership

Setting Priorities

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Be careful who you follow in this life, because you might wind up with the wrong crowd in the Day of Judgment. If you want to be with the successful, follow the way of the beloved of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Narrated Anas: A man asked the Prophet about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. [Bukhari]

Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, for those who are Godfearing.

الٓمٓ ﴿١﴾ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٥

Alif, Lam, Meem. (1) This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah - (2) Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, (3) And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]. (4) Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. (5)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2]

Therefore, despite our busy schedules, we have to make recitation of the Qur'an a priority in our lives and strive to understand its meanings.

If you don't know how to recite the Qur'an, you can easily learn it and it would not take more than a few months to learn how to recite properly if you are keen and out the time to do it. It is not difficult--millions of people, educated or uneducated, Arab and non-Arab, young and old, and reverts/converts, have done it. It is only difficult if you don't put the time to learn it. People can study for their degrees which take years to complete; and they can spend months sacrificing their sleep and social life to study for GMAT, GRE, Law School Admission exam, board exams, etc. They don't mind doing all these. Why? Because this is their priority.

Allah Words are paramount. We should know what He says. We have to set priorities in our lives, and reciting His Book daily has to be a high priority. If you can't complete the entire Qur'an daily like many of our righteous are doing, start with a few pages a day. The best time to do this would be before and/or after Fajr before you get busy with people. In this way, you can keep it as a routine. Always start with a small amount and gradually increase the amount.

If you are serious, you can learn Arabic and memorize the Qur'an vocabulary in a fairly short time. Once you memorize the Qur'an vocabulary, the meanings will open up to you, inshaAllah. Every time you recite the Qur'an with the intention to draw closeness to Allah, it will increase your Iman, and the more you know and understand the meanings, the more you love Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

May Allah grant us tawfiq and increase our love for Him and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Ultimate Victory

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah has a plan for us. It is not going to change. We were created to fulfill His purpose. But He did not create us and left us alone to figure things out and wander. It is the Will of Allah that He sent us Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and revealed what He revealed to him, Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a guide for us in this life. So, we should follow the teachings and examples of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in order to attain success in this life before the next. He is the exemplar for eternal success.

Be careful who you follow in this life, because you will wind up with the wrong crowd in the Day of Judgment. If you want to be with the successful, follow the beloved of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Narrated Anas: A man asked the Prophet about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. [Bukhari]

If you are trying to follow Allah's guidance, and you feel things are not getting better, in fact they are getting worse and worse, don't despair. This is probably a sign that you are on the right path. Every person who claims to be a believer will be tested in one way or another.

Every believer will have to go through the tests of Iman in order to attain victory in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter.

مْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ ٱللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ ٱللَّـهِ قَرِيبٌ ﴿٢١٤

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, "When is the help of Allah?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (214)

[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:214]

مَّا كَانَ ٱللَّـهُ لِيَذَرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىٰ يَمِيزَ ٱلْخَبِيثَ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبِ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّـهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْغَيْبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يَجْتَبِى مِن رُّسُلِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّـهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٧٩

Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good. Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen. But [instead], Allah chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward. (179)

[Qur'an aleImran 3:179]

Allah will test every believing slave according to his level of faith. The Prophets faced the most severe trials, followed by the righteous.

The beloved Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, faced the most trials.

Prophet Ibrahim was disowned by his family and thrown by his people into a blazing fire; Allah rescued him from that, and made him the father of two nations.

ٱللَّـهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٦﴾ قَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ لَهُۥ بُنْيَـٰنًا فَأَلْقُوهُ فِى ٱلْجَحِيمِ ﴿٩٧﴾ فَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْأَسْفَلِينَ ﴿٩٨﴾ وَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ ﴿٩٩

He said, "Do you worship that which you [yourselves] carve, (95) While Allah created you and that which you do?" (96) They said, "Construct for him a furnace and throw him into the burning fire." (97) And they intended for him a plan, but We made them the most debased. (98) And [then] he said, "Indeed, I will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord; He will guide me. (99)

[Qur'an As-Saffat 37:96-99]

The young Prophet Yusuf was thrown by his brothers into a well; later he was sold into slavery, then imprisoned for years; but in the end he became an important minister of Egypt, and was reunited with his father, Prophet Ya'qub and his brothers. [Surah Yusuf 12]

Prophet Yunus gave up on his mission to the people of Nineveh, ventured onto a ship and was then cast into the sea, where he was swallowed by a fish. He called upon Allah with all his heart and was rescued. He returned to his mission and achieved success.

وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ﴿٨٣﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرٍّۢ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَـٰبِدِينَ ﴿٨٤﴾ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾ وَأَدْخَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى رَحْمَتِنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿٨٦﴾ وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾ وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ ﴿٨٩﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ ﴿٩٠

And [mention] Ayub, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful." (83) So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah]. (84) And [mention] Ismail and Idrees and Dhul-Kifl; all were of the patient. (85) And We admitted them into Our mercy. Indeed, they were of the righteous. (86) And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (87) So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers. (88) And [mention] Zakariyya, when he called to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the best of inheritors." (89) So We responded to him, and We gave to him Yahya, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive. (90)

[Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:83-90]

وَلَقَدْ نَادَىٰنَا نُوحٌ فَلَنِعْمَ ٱلْمُجِيبُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾ وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ﴿٧٦
وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥ هُمُ ٱلْبَاقِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾ وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ ﴿٧٨
سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰ نُوحٍ فِى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٧٩

And Noah had certainly called Us, and [We are] the best of responders. (75) And We saved him and his family from the great affliction. (76) And We made his descendants those remaining [on the earth] (77) And left for him [favorable mention] among later generations: (78) "Peace upon Noah among the worlds." (79

[Qur'an As-Saffat 37:75-79]

Allah inspired the mother of baby Musa and told her to place her infant into a chest and send it floating down the Nile. If the soldiers of Pharaoh ever learned about his birth.

وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِى وَلَا تَحْزَنِىٓ ۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿٧

And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers." (7)

[Qur'an al-Qasas 28:7]

That was a hard plan to follow, but she trusted her Lord, and carried out her mission.

Maryam, the mother of Isa, became pregnant without a father and she delivered her child alone under a palm tree, far from her people as she feared their reaction; but Allah helped her through miracles, until she became the honored mother of a great Prophet.

Our mother, Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was slandered, but Allah brought the truth to light, and she became a leader and scholar in her own right.

The companion Umm Salamah lost her beloved husband Abu Salamah in the battle of Uhud; she thought that no husband could ever be better than him, and yet she ended up marrying the best of creation, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Things are not always what they seem. Be patient.

Allah has given us a religious life. This is a great blessing and we should be grateful by living it. Religious life is what will bring us repose in this world and the next. It benefits you. If you have patience (sabr), it will lighten the load and help you to cope with life. When we are faced with trials, we can only succeed in these tests if we are patient, have trust in Allah that He will help us and being steadfast in the religion.

May Allah help us fulfill His purpose with excellence and grant us success in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Bittersweet of Trials and Tribulations

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Who on this earth doesn't have difficulties? We can look at difficulties as problems or as gifts.

Difficulties are a problem when we make them a problem. If we focus on the difficulties themselves and not paying attention to the benefits that they may bring and we forget the blessings we have, then even a small difficulty is a big problem. This is actually our weakness and shortsightedness that we should strive to wean out of.

Everything will pass, including the difficulties you are suffering right now. After that difficulty has passed, you forget that it ever happened, like many other ones you experienced before. At the time it happened, you think you will never make it.

Imagine, if you can remember all the pains, all the sufferings you have endured from the time you were born, even just all the pains and sufferings of the last 5 years, you would be in bed, unable to lift yourself up to do what you are doing right now. This is out of Allah's mercy and in itself a great blessing that Allah saves you from remembering every calamity in your life all at once.

So, when you are hit with another difficulty, remember the All Merciful. Don't panic...for it makes your enemy rejoice and makes your friend feel sad, and it makes Allah angry and makes the shaytan happy, and it destroys reward and weakens resolve. Be patient and strive to please Allah, turn to Allah and say Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’un (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return), make your friend happy, console your friends before they console you. This is steadfastness and a sign of perfection – not slapping one's cheeks, rending one's garment, wishing for death and being discontent with the Divine decree.

Yes, we don't want difficulties and we always ask Allah to save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. But Allah will test us--with difficulties and with ease.

Allah Almighty says,

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّـهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿٣

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (2) But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. (3)

[Qur'an Ankabut 29:2-3]

Sometimes the test of ease is more difficult than the test of difficulties.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said: "A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.”

The higher your station with Allah, the harder the tests. Just like the tests during our grade and high school--there were not easy from our little perspective at the time, but you know now that they were not near as difficult as the college exams or bar exams you had just taken but you endured and passed the exams nonetheless, because you want this promise of a good career and to reach the status of those who are successful in the field.

Likewise, if you respond well to Allah's test for you, it can become a great gift for you...for if you are patient and content with the Divine decree, Allah has stored up for you something that is many times greater than what you have suffered through the difficulty, and if He willed He could have made the calamity even greater. [Similarly, if you show gratitude for the blessing of ease and it drives you to higher and lofty goals, it is a means of increase for you from the Most Generous.]

Have faith in the All Merciful and trust in Him and although, sometimes we may not understand the reason behind certain things, know that as long as you obey Him, whatever He will do for you is, in fact for your betterment.

Allah Almighty says,

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا ﴿٣

And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (3)

[Qur'an at-Talaaq 65:3]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'If you put your trust completely in Allah, He will arrange for your sustenance in the same way as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with their stomachs empty and return filled in the evening.' (Tirmidhi-saheeh).

If you have been ill for a long time, sure it is not easy for you and for everyone around you. But know that this is better for you. Be patient and you do your best to treat your sickness, while believing that only Allah cures, not the medicine. Sickness is a means of expiation for your sins and a source of great reward.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.' (Muslim)

And He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said: 'On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world (when they see the immense rewards for the afflictions they suffered).' (Tirmidhi-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

If you don't have that big house, that nice car, that high career, or you can't find any job except pushing carts or cleaning toilets or sweeping floors or flipping hamburgers, or you don't have that many fans or speaking engagements, or you don't have that beautiful spouse/children, or you cannot have children, know that it is better for you. Maybe these things that you desire would have become a source of 'fitnah' (trial) for you. Perhaps you would have become arrogant, proud and conceited because of it, and Allah saved you from it.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Any one in whose heart is even a mustard seed's worth of pride will not enter Paradise.' (Muslim)

If one of your loved one passed away, believe that it is for the best. You never know, had the one who passed away lived longer, may be his life would have been one of sins and disobedience and Allah, out of His Mercy, took him before that....in a state of Iman.

If life has been difficult, one difficulty after another hits you, hear the good news from the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: 'Trials will continue to befall the believing man and woman, with regard to themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allah with no sin on them.' (Tirmidhi--saheeh by al-Albaani)

Remember that the One Who is testing you is the Most Wise, the Most Merciful and the Most Loving. He did not send the difficulties to cause you pain or to destroy you. Rather, He wants you to come close to Him--through your supplication to Him, seeking His protection filled with humility, and complaining to Him, alone, in the depths of the night. The difficulties you are facing is a reminder for you to return to Allah and ask for His forgiveness. Who knows, if He didn't give you this difficulty, maybe you would have strayed away from Him far, far away.

When we go through pain and suffering, keep in mind that as long as we fear Allah and stay away from the forbidden and try our best to obey His Commands, He will never do us wrong. Have good opinion of Allah, that He will protect us, guide us and do the best for us.

Allah says in a hadith Qudsi: 'I am as my slave thinks of me and I am with him whenever he remembers me.' (Agreed Upon).

وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّـهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا ﴿٢ ...

... And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (2) [Qur'an At-Talaaq 65:2]

Difficulties are like medicine: even though it is bitter, yet, in spite of its bitterness you still give it to the one whom you love. Your difficulties are a sign of Allah's love for you. Be patient and wait for the fruits of your patience.

Think what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Paradise is surrounded with difficulties, and Hell is surrounded with desires.”

The bitterness of this world is the essence of sweetness in the Hereafter. Similarly the sweetness of this world is the essence of bitterness in the Hereafter. It is better to move from temporary bitterness to eternal sweetness than the other way round.

May Allah make give ease to those who are in difficulties and help us to remember Him and worship Him with excellence, and save us from the trials and tribulation of this life and the next. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Charity

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Giving charity is a necessary part of our every day life.

Reported Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him: Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Every day the sun rises charity (Sadaqah) is due on every joint of a person: you administer justice between two men is a charity; and assisting a man to mount his beast, or helping him load his luggage on it is a charity; and a good word is a charity; and every step that you take (towards the mosque) for Salat (prayer) is a charity and removing harmful things from the road is a charity.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Our mother Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Charity is giving and it is not limited to tangible things like money and services, but it is all good actions. So, all people, whether rich or poor, big or small, strong or weak, can become givers and receivers on an equal basis. When you give a smile, it is charity.

The standard on which our life is judged in Islam is not the materialistic or the economic standard alone but one based on faith, feeling, and sensitivity, which form the core of human relations.

Begin by meeting your brother or sister with a smile and give the salutation of peace, assalaamu alaykum (may peace be upon you). You would attain great rewards and blessings from Allah.

No good action is too small. Aisha once gave a beggar a single grape. Someone questioned her regarding her negligible contribution to which she replied, "This is heavier than many small ants!"

Whatever good we do for people, it should be solely for the sake of Allah. If we are truthful to ourselves, we don't tell people what good we have done.

If you do that, you have to ask yourself, "Did I secretly have some sort of desire for reward or some recognition or affirmation from people?" If you do have the expectation of some sort of reward from other than Allah, this will negate the good that you did. If you sincerely did it for Allah, then you don't need to seek recognition or affirmation from others.

Once you give something, you have no connection with the person who you gave to with regard to that thing you gave. You have no right to tell people, "I did this" and "I gave this." It is as if you are telling them "I still have a connection with that person."

When your give to people, material or non-material, such as money, advice, or time, whether it be to your friend or family, you don't want to destroy your good deed by reminding them of what you did for them or give to them. This could hurt their feelings. We should always mind other's feelings. Some people are more emotional than others and depending on their state at that moment, the person might be more sensitive than at other times, but that does not matter. What matters is the other person's feelings. You should ask pardon from that person and excuse yourself for what you did and in the future, stay way from reminding people what you did for them. A believer has subtle insights of how people feel, and we should not be totally blind of this matter.

Sometimes you want to remind your children or your spouse that there are other people in their lives. In this situation, it is permissible to remind them what you have done for them because you are trying to point out the blessings and that they should be thankful to people.

Narrated from Abu Hurayrah: Rasulullah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah.

(Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

But be very careful how you say it, when you say it and where you say it, so it does not turn into harm to you and the other person. If you don't administer it properly, it can easily turn into a sick tree with poison.

When you give sadaqah (charity), maintain good manners. Allah loves good character and good manners, and dislikes evil character and bad manners. Give with spirit of love and giving. Don’t give with “your hand on top” as in reminding the taker and yourself that you are giving. Don't just throw it to the hands of the person as this would hurt the person's feelings. Hold the hand or if the person is sitting on the ground, lower yourself and give it to the person.

Remember you give to please Allah Almighty. Show humility and thank Allah and thank the person for accepting your giving.

Our mother Aisha perfumed the charity she was giving because it would go right into Allah's hands and it is more fitting that it smells good. She thanked the poor person for giving her the opportunity to give to Allah.

One should be diligent in giving charity in secret. In this way, it will make sure that the taker can avoid the feeling of embarrassment and you can avoid the feelings of fame or boasting.

إِن تُبْدُوا۟ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ﴿٢٧١

If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah, with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted. (271)

[Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:271]

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

In the day of judgment in which the sun approached 1 mile and people are drowned sweating, seven groups of people will be put in the shadow of arsh (heaven):

1. a just ruler,
2. a youth who grows by worshiping Allah,
3. one who makes dhikr and sheds tear due to fear of Allah where no body exists,
4. one whose heart is connected to the masjids,
5. one who gives sadaqa and conceals it and one whose left hand does not aware of what right hand is,
6. Two people who like each other for the sake of Allah,
7. One who rejects when a beautiful lady invites him, by saying: “I fear from Allah Almighty.”

May Allah enable us to worship Him with excellence. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Nosy People

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When you meet people, it is good to ask them how they are doing and be cordial. But don't ask too many questions because you might harm them.

Harming another person is not allowed.

The person might answer your questions because he doesn't want to be rude but later on he might regret it because it might be something he feels uncomfortable for people to know. Your asking too many questions might cause him to lie because he does not want you to know all of his affairs. He might be harsh to you because he doesn't want to answer your question. In short, your asking him too many questions have caused him fitnah and harmed him.

When you have a conversation with people, look at the person and think twice before asking about his state and his private affairs. Everybody is different and we should expect that people have varying levels as to what they consider harmful to them, and act accordingly.

A believer is intelligent and he understands subtle things. You should stop when you feel that you would be asking too many questions.

If it is does not directly affect you, then it is probably not your business. Don't catch ourselves prying into people's business by us asking too many questions. If they want you to know, they will bring it up on their own.

Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

The believers are gentle and kindly like a tractable camel which when guided lets itself be guided and when made to sit even on stones does so.

[Tirmidhi]

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Modesty

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Modesty is a virtue which Islam demands of Muslim men and women. The most powerful verses commanding the believers to be modest occur in Surah an-Nur.

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠

Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30)

[Quran An-Nur 24:30]

The rule of modesty is equally applicable to men and women.

... وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except ...

[Qur'an An-Nur 24:31]

With immodesty, nakedness and indecency is at an all time high, not just in the West and non-Muslim countries, but also in Muslim countries, we can't hope for it to get better unless we ourselves observe modesty.

Observe the Islamic dress code and exercise caution when interacting with the opposite gender.

Wear what is modest and appropriate. Just because a man's awrah is between the navel and the knees, that doesn't mean a man should show their chest, armpit or hairy arms and legs, for example. A woman should wear a full hijab and careful not to make her hijab a fashion that it attracts the attention of men more.

We should take lessons from the men and women of Ansar who did not think twice to obey Allah's command the moment it was revealed.

Our mother, Aisha said:

By Allah, I never saw any women better than the women of the Ansar (i.e. the women of Madina) or stronger in their confirmation of Allah's Book. When Surat al-Nur was revealed -- {and to draw their 'khumur' over their bosoms} (24:31) -- their men went back to them reciting to them what Allah had revealed to them in that [sura or verse], each man reciting it to his wife, daughter, sister, and relative. Not one woman among them remained except she got up on the spot, tore up her waist-wrap and covered herself from head-to-toe (i`jtajarat) with it. They prayed the very next dawn prayer covered from head to toe (mu`tajirat).

Islam requires men and women to avoid illicit sexual relations at all costs.

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًا ﴿٣٢

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (32)

[Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:32]

Because the desire to have sexual relationships originates with the look that one person gives another, Islam prohibits a person from casting amorous glances towards another. Since it is quite impossible for people to have their eyes fixed constantly to the ground and inconceivable that a man will never see a woman or a woman will never see a man, Islam absolves from blame the first chance look, but prohibits one from casting a second look or continuing to stare at a face which one finds attractive at first sight.

Jarir, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

I asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) what I should do if I happened to cast a look (at a woman) by chance. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, 'Turn your eyes away.'

Deal with the opposite gender with modesty and decency. We are human and part of being human is to be attracted to the opposite gender. We have to realize what the dangers in all of us--you and the person you are interacting with. The interaction is based on caution and not left free for anyone to do what they feel like doing. At the same time we are not rude with each other because good character is about seeing to people's needs. If you can help someone, help the person, with good character plus modesty.

We are looking for a median in dealing with the opposite sex--not cold, not unfriendly, not harsh. We want to be helpful and friendly but there is an element of modesty. Nothing is more dangerous than attraction to the opposite sex.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I left no tribulation for man after me greater than tribulation of woman."

How many cases in your own community of families that have fallen apart because of this point? A mother fall in love with a man at work and ran away, or a father have an affair with a woman at work and divorces his wife. These people can be good people but they were not careful in in their interactions with their co-worker of the opposite sex. This is just one example. So many things went wrong in our communities because of this tribulation.

It boils down to a sense of scrupulousness and fearing of Allah in our dealings. A woman who is observing modesty is clear, direct and to the point, not girly and giggly. A man who is observing modesty will not joke around with non-mahram woman. If you feel the opposite sex is cold, you are friendly, and if you feel the opposite sex is too friendly, you become cold. This is how you can guard your religion and preserve our families.

There is no replacement for modesty in our appearance and our dealings with others.

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

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Covering Your Body

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When I see pictures of Muslim women without hijab, I can't help it but to write about this again. And here again, some people might say, here she goes again!

Keep all that beauty to yourself. You are like diamonds and diamonds are only shown to special and specific people. It is not something to be worn around at all times and shown to everybody no matter who they are.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, paved the path to the Pleasure of Allah, the path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor. This path is a straight one, surrounded by virtue from all sides and attends to the best moral characteristics, which are increased by the clothing of purity, concealment, and chastity. It is the path toward harmonious contentment and happiness in this life and the Hereafter.

This is why Allah, our Creator, the Protector, has made wearing hijab an obligation upon the woman as a safeguard of her chastity and protection of her honor and sign of her faith. Dispel this myth that hijab is only for the Arabs and not suitable for people living in the west or in certain climate or in any so called civilized world.

Proper hijab is covering your body in such a way that it does not disclose the shape of your body and the color of your skin, from head to toe except the face and the hands up to the wrist joints, without showing the hair, ears, neck and under the chin. If your face causes men to look at you with desire or if you fear fitnah because of unwanted attention wherever you go, you should wear niqab (face covering), even though wearing niqab is generally not obligatory. This is the way of piety and taqwa.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)

[Qur'an An-Noor 24:31]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٥٩

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (59)

[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:59]

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

...If the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but this and this" --- and he pointed to his face and hands.

You are doing yourself a constant good deed by wearing hijab and helping others to do good deed by your example and encouraging them and motivate them to wear hijab. You will be a shining example how women in Islam are so highly respected and valued and powerful in Islam.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ ﴿٢

And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition. (2)

[Qur'an Muhammad 47:2]

وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقًا ۙ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَأُتُوا۟ بِهِۦ مُتَشَـٰبِهًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿٢٥

And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. (25)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:25]

Even if you are not convinced or you disagree with the reasons and virtues for hijab, that is irrelevant and does not change the fact that it is compulsory on you. Maybe God Almighty does not want you to understand. Nevertheless, He is testing you -- to see if you would follow His command and please Him.

If you don't wear hijab, know that your body is on display in the market of Shaytan seducing the hearts of men. Your hairstyle, the tight clothing showing detail of your figure, the short dresses showing off your legs, the short sleeves showing off you arms, and the flashy and fragrant clothing all angers the Merciful and pleases the Shaytan. Every day that passes while you are in this condition, distances you further from Allah and brings you closer to the circles of Shaytan. Each day curses and anger are directed toward you from the Heavens until you repent.

If you want to wait to wear hijab when you are old and decrepit, can you guarantee that you will live tomorrow (or even the next moment)?

Remember, every day brings you closer to the grave and the Angel of Death is ready to capture your soul.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (185).

[Qur'an Ale'Imran 3:185]

If you want to wait until you get married or finish college or after you do hajj to wear hijab, what makes you think these future expectations will even occur?

Don't forget that Allah truly knows what your intentions are! So don’t think you are fooling anybody by giving these excuses.

Every time a man looks at you because you are not wearing hijab you get the sin because you are aiding the man to commit a sin for looking at you on account of you having your nakedness (awrah) displayed. You have caused fitnah for him.

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠

Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30)

(Qur'N An-Nur 24:30)

Pay attention of any pictures of you without hijab (even with hijab but provocative) in public forums like Facebook. Delete them. Take all the means to take them down. As well, don't allow anyone to take pictures of you without hijab because it is bound to be circulated around and you cannot take them back.

For girls, parents should start getting them use to wear head cover and lose clothing at young age. I see many parents who started their little daughters with wearing lose clothes and not letting any parts of their body showing except the face and the hands. The girls would grow up this way and wouldn't think of wearing any other way. It will make your job of raising them to be a good Muslimah a lot easier especially in places where children have little or no Islamic guidance outside of the home. It will save you a lot of headaches in the future. You won't be sorry, dear sisters and brothers.

Parents make a mistake of not inculcating this Islamic value at an early age. Some would show off their daughters with flashy or tight fitting clothes (jeans, shorts, etc) for whatever reasons. This will haunt them later on when they start becoming more practicing.

Exposing your little and young daughters to hijab now is a small effort than trying to make them wear hijab when they reach their teens.

Because you know your daughter is beautiful and she can keep all that beauty to herself, she is like the diamond. Again, diamonds are only shown to special and specific people and it is not something to be worn around at all times and shown to everybody. You will help your daughter creates a good family when they grow up because she will catch the attention of a pious Muslim man to come and ask for her hand in marriage. Most pious men won't even consider marriage with a non-hijabi.

Caution: The intention for wearing hijab should still be to observe the command of Allah and to seek Divine Pleasure.

To my sisters who are not wearing (proper) hijab, get on the train of repentance before death passes by your station.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Related Archives:

Tomorrow is not promised

Grab the guidance

Correct Hijab

Quit the display

A Glimpse of a Believer

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Believers are not harsh, hostile, violent or hateful people.

They breathe love and kindle love all around. Their hearts are rich and spacious, with feelings vast and deep, embracing others with mercy and compassion.

They stand with courtesy and politeness; good mannered, respectful, kind, merciful and compassionate are their main attributes. Even if their lives are at stake, or they face oppression or slander, they find no need to behave crudely and violently.

Their behavior corresponds to affluence and wisdom. Their path is well-set, their destination lofty, and none of these are to be bartered for. With commitment to their faith, they acknowledge the great ones as great, and the smaller ones as a rose to be smelled with care and concern.

Believers represent people of good character and prevent mischief and hideousness that they race beside the angels, who say, "All-Glorified You are (in that You are absolutely above having any defect or doing anything meaningless, and Yours are all the attributes of perfection). We have no knowledge save what You have taught us. Surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."

Such believers never abuse the blessings that are innately bestowed in contradiction to the purpose of their creation; their hearts quake when Allah is mentioned.

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّـهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا ۚ لَّهُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿٤

Those only are believers who, when God is mentioned, their hearts quake, and when His signs are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and in their Lord they put their trust, (2) those who perform the prayer, and expend of what We have provided them, (3) those in truth are the believers; they have degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous provision. (4)

[Qur'an Al-Anfal 8:2-4]

In each moment of their lives, believers act knowing that Allah is watching them; they always act in a refined and courteous manner, whether in the presence of Allah alone or in the company of others.

Believers are exceptional for they display an elegance arises from the awareness of their status as servants of Allah; they are as kind as much as they are cautious, fully conscious of what they say or do; they avoid frivolity in all matters, while maintaining calm and lenience with a generous heart open to all.

Believers make this brief life long enough to build this world and to invest in the next. They do not waste even the smallest of the many innate blessings bestowed upon them; they do not busy themselves with useless things. They can give away all that has been bestowed on them for the pleasure of the One while scrupulously making sure a single penny is not wasted.

True believers ameliorate each favor in abundance, like an ear of grain producing as many as seven, seventy, or seven-hundred more grains. Each of these favors becomes a staircase ascending to the One, a ramp to attain His good pleasure. Then believers march to their destination together with the inheritors of the Heavens.

They share the blessings of their closeness to Allah with those their paths cross, and they strive to inspire their souls.

They are people who prosper and the Gardens await them.

مِ
الٓمٓ ﴿١﴾ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَو‌ٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٥

Alif Lam Mim (1) That is the Book, wherein is no doubt, a guidance to the Godfearing (2) who believe in the Unseen, and perform the prayer, and expend of that We have provided them; (3) who believe in what has been sent down to thee and what has been sent down before thee, and have faith in the Hereafter; (4) those are upon guidance from their Lord, those are the ones who prosper. (5)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:1-5]

وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقًا ۙ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَأُتُوا۟ بِهِۦ مُتَشَـٰبِهًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَآ أَزْوَ‌ٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿٢٥

Give thou good tidings to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, that for them await gardens underneath which rivers flow; whensoever they are provided with fruits therefrom they shall say, 'This is that wherewithal we were provided before'; that they shall be given in perfect semblance; and there for them shall be spouses purified; therein they shall dwell forever. (25)

[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:25]

يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾ ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً ﴿٢٨﴾ فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ﴿٢٩﴾ وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ﴿٣٠

[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, (27) Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], (28) And enter among My [righteous] servants (29) And enter My Paradise." (30)

[Qur'an Al-Fajr 89:27-30]

May Allah make us His best servants and enter us into His highest Paradise. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

related archives:

The Believers, The Unbelievers and the Hypocrites

Lifestyle of a Believer

Praising

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

People everywhere praise people. We get praised and we praise about anything that seems to be remarkable, and, in many cases, anything that is simple and routine. We are becoming praise junkies. We overpraise.

It is prohibited to praise a person unless you are sure that there won't be any harm either to you, the one praising, and to the one praised.

It is permissible to praise someone who is doing something good, but don't do it too much.

Too much praise can backfire when given in a way that is insincere, make the person praised afraid to try new things or take a risk for fear of not being able to stay on top where people's praises have put them, or the one praised may depend on what he heard of praise and ignore acquiring more good deeds.

People who do things to seek Allah's pleasure don't really need the praise. In fact, it might hurt them if you praise them too much. If your praise is exaggerated and not all true and sincere, it means you have lied and now you are also harming yourself.

The praise may encourage the praised persons to overestimate themselves, especially if they were people of position or wealth. Also, such praise may lead the praised person to be arrogant, which may lead to laziness or lose the sincerity in their works. They might lose that motivation that they used to have when they were doing the things for the sake of Allah. Essentially, you have slaughtered their motivation to do good works or increase good works by your praise.

Abu Musa said, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard a man praising another man and saying good words about him while he was present with them. He said, 'You have destroyed ­or broke the back of the man!’” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Abdur- Rahman bin Abi Bakrah said that a man was once mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Another man said good words of praise about him. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, then said, what translated means, “Woe unto you! You have beheaded your friend. If one of you has to praise, let him say, ‘I think this and that’ (about the praised man), if he thinks that he deserves it, ‘And his reckoning is with Allah,’ and let him not ascribe purity (to anyone).” [Bukhari and Muslim]

If you know that the person like to be praised, you definitely don’t praise him. If you do, then you aiding his lower self (nafs) in his oppression. When he does thing to seek things from people (e.g. praises or thanks), he is an oppressor. By praising or thanking him for what he is doing your are praising or thanking his oppression. If he is not looking for praise or thanks it is permissible to praise or thank him. In fact, it is encouraged to praise him because he would be encouraged and motivated to increase his good actions.

We should recognize people's efforts to encourage them to continue and increase good works and work hard to achieve higher goals. But remember, don't overpraise. There is something about praising people constantly that is belittling because the person has to get people's approval all the time and will constantly look to people for validation.

Be careful about praise if someone is doing haram. We should not praise the person or speak about the haram in an accepting way.

This is a good du'a to make when someone praises you.

اللهم اغفر لي ما لا يعلمون ولا تؤاخذني بما يقولون واجعلني خيرا مما يظنون

O Allah, I ask your forgivness for what they do not know about me, and I ask you not to account me for what they claim, and make me better than what they perceive me.

This du'a also reminds the person praising and the person praised that Allah knows best.

May Allah increase us in good deeds seeking only His pleasure. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Muslims Are Clean

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Cleanliness has been considered one of the important factors by which to judge a civilization’s or society’s development. Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, both physically and spiritually. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and his environment, and he will be rewarded by Allah.

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

Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded by Allah).

[Bukhari]

Allah loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.

Allah says,

إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ ﴿٢٢٢ ...

Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (222)

[Qur'an Al-baqarah 2:222]

Allah says,

لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ ﴿١٠٨

Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves. (108)

[Que'an At-Tawba 9:108]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in one of his sayings has termed cleanliness/purity as half of faith.

Purity is half of faith. Alhamdulillah [Praise be to Allah] fills the scales, and Subhana-Allah [How far is Allah from every imperfection] and Alhamdulillah [Praise be to Allah] fill that which is between heaven and earth. Prayer is light; charity is a proof; patience is illumination; and the Quran is an argument for or against you. Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.

[Muslim]

What we can glean from the above is that without cleanliness of our body and environment, one cannot receive the proximity of Allah spiritually and most importantly, faith cannot be completed in the absence of cleanliness and purity. Worshipping and seeking Allah’s love is conditioned upon cleanliness and purity.

So, cleanliness is a fundamental and powerful tenet of our faith. However, unfortunately, it is not reflected in our society.

Throwing garbage in the streets, roads or parks is a common practice in our society. Whether there are garbage bins or not, we have no right to litter in public places. It is interesting to see even most people who came from North America where there are litter laws (and they probably follow those laws), when they are visiting in another country that does not have such laws, they would quickly develop the habit of littering like the residents. This shows their lack of sensitivity towards cleanliness and hygiene.

When you travel or live in certain so called second or third world countries, finding a toilet can be a great challenge. Even if you can find one, it is in such pathetic condition that you cannot use it.

There are many other examples which can be cited to indicate the pathetic condition of cleanliness and hygiene in our society. But I think suffice with these two.

Each and everyone of us has a role to play to educate and sensitize the masses about the importance of cleanliness in the light of the Islamic teachings. We should, individually and collectively, make this valuable principle of Islam part of our lives.

Like everything else in Islam, it begins with you and your family first.

Allah orders the believer to be tidy in appearance.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿١﴾ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ ﴿٢﴾ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ﴿٣﴾ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ ﴿٤﴾ وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ ﴿٥

O you who covers himself [with a garment], (1) Arise and warn (2) And your Lord glorify (3) And your clothing purify (4) And uncleanliness avoid (5)

[Qur'an Al-Muddathir 74:4]

The Qur'an insists that the believer maintain a constant state of purity.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّـهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦

O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. (6)

[Qur'an Al-Ma'ida 5:6]

Part of our personal cleanliness is through maintaining wudu' (ablution). Wudu' is a condition for the validity of prayers. Wudu' is also required when we want to touch the Qur'an, and it is recommended to have wudu' when we recite the Qur'an or hadith. We are encouraged to be in wudu' throughout our awake time and take wudu' before we go to sleep.

Every Friday, it is sunnah to take a complete bath (ghusl), cleanse ourselves, put perfume (for men) before going to the masjid for Jumu'ah prayer. Even if we have an excuse not to pray Jumu'ah or if we are not legally required to pray Jumu'ah, we should perform the ghusl of Friday.

Salman Al-Farsi said: the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said 'Allah will forgive the sins of the past week for he who on Friday will take a bath, cleanse himself, put on his [regular] perfume or any perfume available in house. Then, he goes out [to Jumu’ah prayer] and does not try to separate two friends. Then he prays wherever he could and listens to the Imam.'

We should wash our body as soon as it requires washing to keep ourselves fresh and clean. To take a bath on Friday is specifically required since a large number of people will be gathering at mosques. However, if our body became dirty or we sweat, then, we should take a bath as frequent as needed to keep fresh and clean. Don't try to camouflage bad body odor with perfume. You do need to take shower. It is bad manners to be in public with bad body odor.

We should always try to look nice and smell nice, even when we are alone. Why? Because, not only we will feel and smell good and be ready to greet any surprise guest ir visitor, this should be our manner with Allah and the honorable angels who are present all the time.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, advised the Muslims to appear neat and tidy in private and in public. Once when returning home from battle he advised his army.

You are soon going to meet your brothers, so tidy your saddles and clothes. Be distinguished in the eyes of the people.

[Abu Dawud]

On another occasion he said:

Don't ever come with your hair and beard disheveled like a devil.

[Al-Tirmidhi]

He also said,

Had I not been afraid of overburdening my community, I would have ordered them to brush their teeth for every prayer.

[Bukhari]

Moral hygiene was not ignored, either, for the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, encouraged the Muslims to make a special prayer upon seeing themselves in the mirror.

O Allah, You have endowed me with a good form. Likewise bless me with an immaculate character and forbid my face from touching the Hellfire.

[Ahmad]

Muslims dress modestly for it helps us in maintaining purity of thought.

Muslims give charity in order to purify their wealth. Those who Allah has blessed them with wealth but do not give charity and pay the required annual zakat has in effect contaminated his wealth by hoarding that which rightfully belongs to others.

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٠٣

Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah 's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (103

[Qur'an At-Tawba 9:103]

Maintain cleanliness in your house. Cleanliness is the key to hygiene and health. It prevents many illnesses. It attracts family members to the house and a source of respect for the family.

Always keep your house clean and tidy. Avoid clutter and avoid mess. Keep things in their proper places. If you haven't use the item for a while, chances are you don't need it--discard them (give to someone who can use it or throw it away.)

Clean the toilets and the kitchen every day, and as often as needed.

Dust regularly, at least once a week (in some areas you would need to do this more frequently) and remove all stains and dirt from the walls, doors, windows, furniture, and other items.

Keep the garbage in a covered dustbin, keep it away from the other rooms, and kitchen. Empty the dustbin regularly. Do not keep the garbage in front of your house.

Do not let your children urinate in the garden or the yard, and if they did, wash the place immediately.

Do not pile up dirty dishes. Wash them as soon as possible after use. Wash the dishes with clean water, and afterwards keep them in a clean place. Don't get into the habit of leaving dishes in the sink overnight.

Do not pile up dirty laundry. Wash them as soon as possible, and fold and put them away after they are dry. Remove all dirty clothes, especially babies' nappies, from the vicinity of all rooms and kitchen and wash them as soon as possible.

Wash your hands before eating and teach your children to do the same. After food, one should wash one's hands and mouth. If possible one should brush one's teeth after every meal. Brushing one's teeth is essential, at least, once a day, preferably before sleeping at night.

Cut your nails once a week, the sunnah is on Fridays. Long nails are not hygienic, because germs can live under long nails.

Take a bath, at least, once a week (at least every Friday), if possible daily.

One must remove all hair from under one's armpit as well as other places by shaving or other means. Hidden hair on the body is a suitable place for the growing germs.

Do not leave food exposed to flies, because flies are carriers of many dangerous microbes.

Rise early and make your bed as soon as you rise. Take shower and begin your day fresh.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam