بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Before we complain about the situation of Muslims today, we should have a long look at ourselves first. Are we doing anything, anything at all, to help the situation---at the individual level and as a group?
We can do a lot! But many of us talk a lot but no action. They react to situations and after a while they calm down and back to their business as usual. Some fall into despair and think that they cannot do anything. Unfortunately, most of us won't do anything at all, either they are afraid or being selfish.
Allah tests His servants according to their iman. Like the professors, when they write an exam, they would have easy questions that can be answered by the majority of their students, some tough ones that can be answered only by A students and a few that can be answered only by A+ students. These questions will separate between the B and C students, the A and B students, and the A+ and A-. Everyone receive their questions according to their level.
Likewise, if your iman is weak, Allah will give you a simple test. If your level of iman is strong, you will receive a more difficult test.
When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Allah be pleased with him, put his hands on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had the fever, the companion had to withdraw his hands because of the intense heat. He said: "You are going through very severe illness." The Prophet then said that this is because the Prophets suffer double the suffering than everyone else. Indeed, Allah put them through tougher tests because Allah loves them and because they are stronger, greater and better.
We are being tested but how many of us will fail. We have to do our part to the best of our ability and keep doing our part until we meet our Lord. No doubt, there is going to be a lot of struggling and a lot of patience. But there is no victory without struggle and without patience. May Allah save us from being the heedless and make us among the successful and victorious. Ameen.
Why did Prophet Musa, Allah grant him peace, hit the sea with his stick? Because the victory from Allah will not come until you do your part, even with a stick. It was not the stick that parted the sea which allowed the Children of Israel to escape from Fir'aun, it is the Will of Allah.
Allah says, "And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Fir'aun (Pharoah) and his people erected (with such pride)." Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:137
Please do your part. Sign this Petition To Save UCLA's Islamic Studies. It only takes a few clicks. May Allah count this as your good deeds that travel like pillars of light to the heavens.
May Allah increase our iman and our patience and give victory to the Muslims. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Showing posts with label Iman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iman. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Your First Obligation
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our first obligation is to know Allah and to know Him as He really is. This is not for His benefit but for ours. He doesn't need us but we need Him. We need Him for every moment of our lives. He knows us more than we know ourselves. He is the only One who can help us in all our situations. Our lives depend on Him.
"It was We who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein." (Qur'an Qaf 50:16)
But how many people really know and certain about this. We get disappointed, upset and angry when things don't go the way we want them to be. We become impatient when we don't see things happening. We complain to everybody except Allah, We run to everybody for help except Allah. We spend and waste so much resources (time, money, etc) looking for and seeking help from people, but we forget the One who can truly help. If you just just walk to Him, He will come to you at speed.
So, when situations started to overcome your good judgment, calm down, take wudu' and perform 2 cycles of prayer.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration."
Ask Him, talk to Him. He has all the time for you and you are not going anywhere without His Will and things aren't going to get any better without His Will.
We received encouragement in our works when we see the fruits. But when we see our efforts yield nothing and situation is not improving, and the more work we put in, the worse things are, it is extremely difficult to go on, unless we have Faith in Allah and reliance and trust in Allah. We can only have this through knowing Him as He really is.
Remember the story of Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, with his people. For 950 years (!), he dealt with his people, calling them to the worship of Allah alone, counseling them to be mindful of their duties to Allah, to fear Allah and to obey him (the same message brought by all the Prophets). He appealed to them publicly and privately, day and night. His people made fun of him and ridiculed him as a mad man. Whenever he tried to convey the message of Allah to them, they began to thrust their fingers into their ears! But because Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, had the iman and tawakkul in Allah, he kept on going and persisted with his da'wah for 950 years. The unbelievers were drowned (in flood) because of their sins.
"...So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous." (Qur'an Hud 11:49)
He (Nuh) said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day. "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).And every time I have called to them, that thou might forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. So I have called to them aloud; Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,..Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood) and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found― in lieu of Allah― none to help them. And Nuh said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! For, if Thou do leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones." (Qur'an Nuh 71:5-27)
May Allah makes us among the righteous and the patient. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Our first obligation is to know Allah and to know Him as He really is. This is not for His benefit but for ours. He doesn't need us but we need Him. We need Him for every moment of our lives. He knows us more than we know ourselves. He is the only One who can help us in all our situations. Our lives depend on Him.
"It was We who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein." (Qur'an Qaf 50:16)
But how many people really know and certain about this. We get disappointed, upset and angry when things don't go the way we want them to be. We become impatient when we don't see things happening. We complain to everybody except Allah, We run to everybody for help except Allah. We spend and waste so much resources (time, money, etc) looking for and seeking help from people, but we forget the One who can truly help. If you just just walk to Him, He will come to you at speed.
So, when situations started to overcome your good judgment, calm down, take wudu' and perform 2 cycles of prayer.
It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The closest that a servant can be to his Lord is when he is in prostration."
Ask Him, talk to Him. He has all the time for you and you are not going anywhere without His Will and things aren't going to get any better without His Will.
We received encouragement in our works when we see the fruits. But when we see our efforts yield nothing and situation is not improving, and the more work we put in, the worse things are, it is extremely difficult to go on, unless we have Faith in Allah and reliance and trust in Allah. We can only have this through knowing Him as He really is.
Remember the story of Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, with his people. For 950 years (!), he dealt with his people, calling them to the worship of Allah alone, counseling them to be mindful of their duties to Allah, to fear Allah and to obey him (the same message brought by all the Prophets). He appealed to them publicly and privately, day and night. His people made fun of him and ridiculed him as a mad man. Whenever he tried to convey the message of Allah to them, they began to thrust their fingers into their ears! But because Prophet Nuh, Allah grant him peace, had the iman and tawakkul in Allah, he kept on going and persisted with his da'wah for 950 years. The unbelievers were drowned (in flood) because of their sins.
"...So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous." (Qur'an Hud 11:49)
He (Nuh) said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day. "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).And every time I have called to them, that thou might forgive them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given themselves up to arrogance. So I have called to them aloud; Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,..Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood) and were made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found― in lieu of Allah― none to help them. And Nuh said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! For, if Thou do leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones." (Qur'an Nuh 71:5-27)
May Allah makes us among the righteous and the patient. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Friends of Allah Most High
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ
لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
"Surely God's friends -- no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow. Those who believe, and are Godfearing -- for them is good tidings in the present life and in the world to come. There is no changing the words of God; that is the mighty triumph." Qur'an Yunus 10:62-64
Neither fear nor sorrow shall be upon the friends of Allah. Allah is the One who protects His friends from wrath.
Those who believe (those with iman) have certitude in revelation of Allah. He practices it and avoids the forbidden. He finds his hands pull back from that which the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would be disgusted by. He have complete conviction that Allah does not reveal the laws for His benefit but entirely for our benefit. Taqwa or Godfearingness entails to avoiding what is disadvantageous to one. The more the taqwa the more the iman, the more the iman the more the taqwa.
When you do something wrong and you know it is wrong, particularly when you have to take succesive steps that lead up to doing the wrong, your iman decreases. The one who hangs around people with no iman, pretty soon one will find one's taqwa diminishes and pretty soon this is acceptable and so one is let down to less than what one was before.
We have decisions to make to gain iman and taqwa so that Allah may show favor to us. Should I hang around with so and so? What should I do? How do I organize my time? etc.
May Allah make us be one of those who He favors. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ
لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
"Surely God's friends -- no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow. Those who believe, and are Godfearing -- for them is good tidings in the present life and in the world to come. There is no changing the words of God; that is the mighty triumph." Qur'an Yunus 10:62-64
Neither fear nor sorrow shall be upon the friends of Allah. Allah is the One who protects His friends from wrath.
Those who believe (those with iman) have certitude in revelation of Allah. He practices it and avoids the forbidden. He finds his hands pull back from that which the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would be disgusted by. He have complete conviction that Allah does not reveal the laws for His benefit but entirely for our benefit. Taqwa or Godfearingness entails to avoiding what is disadvantageous to one. The more the taqwa the more the iman, the more the iman the more the taqwa.
When you do something wrong and you know it is wrong, particularly when you have to take succesive steps that lead up to doing the wrong, your iman decreases. The one who hangs around people with no iman, pretty soon one will find one's taqwa diminishes and pretty soon this is acceptable and so one is let down to less than what one was before.
We have decisions to make to gain iman and taqwa so that Allah may show favor to us. Should I hang around with so and so? What should I do? How do I organize my time? etc.
May Allah make us be one of those who He favors. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The precious gift of Iman--don't let it taken away
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم
I pray that you are well.
While I was sitting by a fence outside a shop waiting for my car to be smog tested (a requirement in California every 2 years before a vehicle's registration can be renewed), a man walked up to me and asked me what I was reading. I said, Qur'an. He asked me where I was from. I said, "Malaysia." He said he was from Algeria. Then I asked him if he is a Muslim. He said he is an atheist but came from a Muslim family. I asked him what happened to him. He said he saw a lot of bad things that Muslims have done to people and he got turned off with religion. I said don't judge the acts of some to all Muslims and don't believe everything you hear. I said may Allah guide you and I thought he would go away. But he proceeded to ask me what I thought of the oppression of women in Islam. I asked him what made him think that the women in Islam are being oppressed. He gave me examples like women in Saudi Arabia cannot drive, the women under Taliban, etc, etc. I said I am a woman and I never felt being oppressed. I don't really care about not able to drive--I rather someone drive for me. I told him I have been in Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries and I did not see anything really to complain about any more than women can complain about in America. On the contrary, if I were to feel oppressed, I would feel it here in America. I gave him an example of me having to have my smog test (while I am sick) and having to wait for more than an hour for it, in the cold, and trying to ward off pit bull and chihuahua coming to me. Women don't have to do or experience this in Muslim countries. I gave him also an example of him having to work 16 hours a day under the car in the cold for the sake of freedom of speech. I asked him if this is what happiness mean to him--freedom of speech! I asked him to think about it and I asked to be excused.
It turned out that he memorized the Qu'ran and have read various Islamic texts. I sat back thanking Allah for the precious gift of Iman.
May Allah protect our Iman and not let us die except as Muslims, in complete submission to Him. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
السلام عليكم
I pray that you are well.
While I was sitting by a fence outside a shop waiting for my car to be smog tested (a requirement in California every 2 years before a vehicle's registration can be renewed), a man walked up to me and asked me what I was reading. I said, Qur'an. He asked me where I was from. I said, "Malaysia." He said he was from Algeria. Then I asked him if he is a Muslim. He said he is an atheist but came from a Muslim family. I asked him what happened to him. He said he saw a lot of bad things that Muslims have done to people and he got turned off with religion. I said don't judge the acts of some to all Muslims and don't believe everything you hear. I said may Allah guide you and I thought he would go away. But he proceeded to ask me what I thought of the oppression of women in Islam. I asked him what made him think that the women in Islam are being oppressed. He gave me examples like women in Saudi Arabia cannot drive, the women under Taliban, etc, etc. I said I am a woman and I never felt being oppressed. I don't really care about not able to drive--I rather someone drive for me. I told him I have been in Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries and I did not see anything really to complain about any more than women can complain about in America. On the contrary, if I were to feel oppressed, I would feel it here in America. I gave him an example of me having to have my smog test (while I am sick) and having to wait for more than an hour for it, in the cold, and trying to ward off pit bull and chihuahua coming to me. Women don't have to do or experience this in Muslim countries. I gave him also an example of him having to work 16 hours a day under the car in the cold for the sake of freedom of speech. I asked him if this is what happiness mean to him--freedom of speech! I asked him to think about it and I asked to be excused.
It turned out that he memorized the Qu'ran and have read various Islamic texts. I sat back thanking Allah for the precious gift of Iman.
فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٢٥[Qur'an, Al-An'am 6:125]
So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe. (125)
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[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:1-5]
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)
May Allah protect our Iman and not let us die except as Muslims, in complete submission to Him. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, December 7, 2009
Increasing Iman
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
I pray that you are well and in high spirits of Iman.
When the angel of death come to us, nothing else matter except our faith (Iman) in the One. We should be able to say La illaha illallah (there is no god but Allah). You can't say this unless you have been practicing it--like the basketball player who is able to make his basket--he has been practicing for many years to make those perfect shots.
We must go through the physical struggle--something that cause us intense pain--like something happen in our lives, e.g. losing our loved ones, etc. Take for example, Anas ibn Nader (Allah be pleased with him), the companion of Uhud, experienced this intense pain, and that intense pain was hearing the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has been killed.
After the pain is so intense, you need to step back and let go. What did Anas let go off? He let go off this world. We know this because he said to Sa'ad ibn Mua'dah, another great companion (Allah be pleased with him), "I can smell the fragrance of Jannah." And Anas fought unlike any human being could fight.
When you come out of this struggle, your mind body patterns change and you reach a higher level of Iman. And for Anas, he was a matyr and his abode is Jannatul Firdaus inshaAllah.
We may not have the chance to be a matryr like Anas and we don't have to wait till we lose our loved ones or calamities befall us to go through intense pain and hard struggle to reach a higher level of Iman. We can do what was only obligated upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah commanded him (peace and blessings be upon him) to pray at night and this is to prepare him to carry the message of Islam that we have today.
"O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that, Or a little more; And recite the Qur'an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style. Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (i.e. obligations, laws). Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allâh). Qur'an Muzzammil 73:1-6
Many of us don't pray qiyamulail (the night vigil prayer) because it not an easy task to get up at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning while everyone was sleeping. A person has to go through a massive struggle to get up at that time. You go through the process of letting it go and so you rise up from your bed and when you say Allahu Akbar, you entered into a higher level of Iman. Your Iman will get stronger and stronger as long as you don't quit inshaAllah. And you will be able to fight like Anas, in spirit, inshaAllah.
If we wonder why can't we carry the message of Islam, it is because our Iman is not strong and we are not doing anything to make it strong.
May Allah increase our Iman. Ameen.
Assalaamu alaykum
I pray that you are well and in high spirits of Iman.
When the angel of death come to us, nothing else matter except our faith (Iman) in the One. We should be able to say La illaha illallah (there is no god but Allah). You can't say this unless you have been practicing it--like the basketball player who is able to make his basket--he has been practicing for many years to make those perfect shots.
We must go through the physical struggle--something that cause us intense pain--like something happen in our lives, e.g. losing our loved ones, etc. Take for example, Anas ibn Nader (Allah be pleased with him), the companion of Uhud, experienced this intense pain, and that intense pain was hearing the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has been killed.
After the pain is so intense, you need to step back and let go. What did Anas let go off? He let go off this world. We know this because he said to Sa'ad ibn Mua'dah, another great companion (Allah be pleased with him), "I can smell the fragrance of Jannah." And Anas fought unlike any human being could fight.
When you come out of this struggle, your mind body patterns change and you reach a higher level of Iman. And for Anas, he was a matyr and his abode is Jannatul Firdaus inshaAllah.
We may not have the chance to be a matryr like Anas and we don't have to wait till we lose our loved ones or calamities befall us to go through intense pain and hard struggle to reach a higher level of Iman. We can do what was only obligated upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah commanded him (peace and blessings be upon him) to pray at night and this is to prepare him to carry the message of Islam that we have today.
"O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that, Or a little more; And recite the Qur'an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style. Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (i.e. obligations, laws). Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allâh). Qur'an Muzzammil 73:1-6
Many of us don't pray qiyamulail (the night vigil prayer) because it not an easy task to get up at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning while everyone was sleeping. A person has to go through a massive struggle to get up at that time. You go through the process of letting it go and so you rise up from your bed and when you say Allahu Akbar, you entered into a higher level of Iman. Your Iman will get stronger and stronger as long as you don't quit inshaAllah. And you will be able to fight like Anas, in spirit, inshaAllah.
If we wonder why can't we carry the message of Islam, it is because our Iman is not strong and we are not doing anything to make it strong.
May Allah increase our Iman. Ameen.
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