In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Today begins the month of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic Calendar and one of the four sacred months. In the month of Rajab, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, went on the Night Journey and Ascension (Al-Isra wa Al-Mi'raj). This month opens the series of three holy months culminating in Ramadhan: Rajab, Sha'ban, and Ramadhan. During these three months we should prepare and keep ourselves away from sins and disobedience, and low traits and bad manners.
Part of being a slave of Allah is to honor what Allah has honored and considered great what Allah has made great. Allah has made this month of Rajab sacred. So we honor this month and be a thankful slave by indulging ourselves in extra worship and race to good actions, and avoid all disobedience and bad actions at all costs.
Abu Hurayra reported the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
Race to good actions as fast as you can. What are you waiting for except delayed poverty, oppressive wealth, debilitating illness, dottering senility, a swift death or the Dajjal? Or are you waiting for an unseen evil, or the Last Hour? The Last Hour will be most bitter and terrible.[Tirmidhi]
Pay special attention to the rights of others and fulfill them. It is extremely important to get your obligatory prayers, fasting and zakat in place, and as soon as you are financially and physically able, don't delay performing hajj. If you don't perform the obligation, nothing else is going to work for you. But once you get them in place, don't think that you have a one way ticket to Paradise without a detour to a place where no one cares to stop--the Hellfire. We have to be acutely aware of the rights of Allah and everybody. If you don't you will suffer tremendously to a point of no return.
They are rules we have to follow in dealing with people.
We cannot oppress people. Oppression is causing any harm to another, no matter how slight or how insignificant you might think. It is not limited to what we know of tyrants or oppressive and corrupt rulers and authorities.
Be especially careful not to hurt others and wrong others. Be careful not to make fun or mock people (Muslim or non-Muslim). Even if they laugh with you, that doesn't mean they don't feel hurt. One of the serious oppression of another is gossiping, backbiting, slandering and talebearing. These are extremely common calamities that afflict us. Be careful when you sit together with your friends or even your own family members for an innocent talk can turn into backbiting.
We treat people with respect and honor, whether you think they deserve it or not. Your opinion doesn't count in this matter. We cannot treat people like animals. In fact, even with animals, we have to show mercy.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe, and the Emigrant is he who abandons what God has prohibited.
Be an agent of peace or help others to be agents of peace. You don't thwart any peace works. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms and prayers? Making peace between one another. Enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.
If you have any of the signs of hypocrisy, lying, breaking promises or betraying trusts, work on removing them. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
There are three signs of a hypocrite: when he speaks he speaks lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is trusted he betrays his trust.
Allah says,
إِنَّ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ فِى ٱلدَّرْكِ ٱلْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا ﴿١٤٥(Quran An-Nisa 4:145)
Surely, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire.
If you catch yourself in a situation that makes you angry, keep it down and Allah will reward you. Do not try to take your rights by force. Pardon and overlook.
Allah says,
Whoever forgives and makes peace will receive his reward from his Lord.
Allah says,
وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّـهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢٢[Qur'an An-Nur 24:22]
And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (22)
Take accounting of ourselves every night before going to sleep. When we take account of our own deeds, we are able to realize our mistakes and try to correct them immediately. Those who do not engage in accounting of their own deeds, only condemn themselves before Allah.
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْـَٔلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿٩٢﴾ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٣[Qur'an al-Hijr 15:92-93]
So by your Lord, We will surely question them all (92) About what they used to do. (93)
Omar Al-Khattab, the Commander of the believers, advised us that:
Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account [by someone else], weigh your deeds before they are weighed [by someone else].
A true accounting of oneself is to take each of our sin, make a sincere repentance and make amends with the creation and with Allah.
Remember often the terminator of pleasures.
Let's begin this month with repentance to Allah. Astaghfirullaha Al-Adhim wa atubu ilaik
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire, (16) [Qur'an AleImran 3:16]
لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ ﴿١٤٩ ...
...If our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgive us, we will surely be among the losers." (149) [Qur'an Al-A'raf 7:149]
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرٍّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِر لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no God but You, You created me and I am your servant and I abide to your covenant and promise as best as I can, I take refuge in you from the evil of which I committed. I acknowledge your favour upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily no one can forgive sin except you.
May Allah forgive all our sins, grant us steadfastness, guide us to excellence and unite the Ummah in peace Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Related Archive: The Four Sacred Months, Do Not Wrong Yourselves Therein
No comments:
Post a Comment