بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, was asked about that which mostly enters people into the Paradise so he said “the fear of Allah and good character” and he was asked about that which mostly enters people the hellfire and he said “the mouth and the private parts”. (Tirmidhi)
The two actions that can cause one to enter Paradise, by Allah's mercy, are taqwa and good character.
The scholars defined fear of Allah (taqwa) as “placing a barrier between yourself and the punishment of Allah by performing that which He ordered and abstaining from that which He prohibited”.
The one who has good character is good towards Allah's creation. The lowest form of good character is not to harm people and its highest form is to do good to those who do bad to you.
The two actions that can cause one to enter Hellfire, by Allah's justice, are speaking that which displeases Allah and all forms of adultery and fornication.
May Allah make us among the muttaqin and grant us noble characteristics. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Turning Away From Ramadhan Appetites
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would eat in the month of Ramadhan essentially what he would eat at other times of the year. If we follow this sunnah, what this does is that it cultivates that pillar of taqwa that is called shukr (gratitude).
It is sunnah to eat the suhur (pre-dawn meal) and it is recommended to delay the suhr as much as possible until such time that is very close to fajr as long as you are certain that the time of fajr will not enter upon you.
Eating suhur is showing gratitude to Allah in that we see greater significance in the provision that Allah has given us. We also see the lutf of Allah (the kindness of Allah) in what He has provided us to eat, as well as Allah's decreeing that we delay eating the suhur so that the effect will carry through the day. So, we do not overeat. If we stuffed ourselves, it will actually harm us during the day, and we are not following the noble conduct of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The point is that what we normally eat for breakfast, that is what we should take for suhr, nothing extra and lavish. Therefore, we should take the suhur, see it as a blessing and mercy from Allah, and seek in it assistance that it provides spiritually and physically.
The fast is there to inculcate taqwa (Godfearingness). Taqwa can only come about through obedience to Allah. Allah has set the legal limits of fast--i.e. from Fajr (dawn) to Maghrib (sunset). No more or no less. Therefore, one should be avid and enthusiastic to break one's fast. If we eat after Fajr, even if it is one minute after Fajr enters, there is no fasting for that day. If we delay iftar (breaking fast,) it will not legally invalidate the fast but morally it is not in keeping with the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Like all other matters in our worship, we want to obey Allah as perfectly as we can. So, we start the fast when He commands us to start, and we stop the fast when He commands us to stop. In the starting there is obedience and in the stopping there is obedience to Allah. So what we are avid and enthusiastic about breaking fast is obeying Allah concerning the limits of the fast.
When we break our fasts with dates and water, we should be conscious of the significance of dates and water in the time of Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. These two things were were essentially what The Prophet, Allah and bless him and grant him peace, and his companions would eat normally. This is a great sunnah and a great secret for the fasting in the month of Ramadhan. So, we should not get into a habit of preparing a lavish meal. The point behind fasting is turning away from the attachment of these appetites. So, what we eat for dinner or supper, this is optimally what we should take for iftar.
When we physically emulate the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, even though there is benefit in of itself, it is done because in his conduct is the secret of lofty moral behavior for human being. When we break our fast with dates and water, that should remind us that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, ate dates and water as his normal meals in Ramadhan. So we should strive to have normal meals unless you are entertaining guests, then you will entertain them like the way you normally would.
In emulating the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, this is where we get the spiritual assistance during the course of the day that causes us to think about Allah and to endure the inconvenience of fasting for His sake only. We are not distracted with thinking about the special Ramadhan food and that everything has to be perfect as if your fast is sustained by the thought of the lavish meal that you are going to eat at the end of the day. There is less spiritual assistance in doing this. This person is not taking advantage of the moments of Ramadhan. Whereas the one who makes the food an act of gratitude and his fasting during the course of the day is there to occupy himself with Allah. He is not thinking about food when he is fasting. He is not looking forward to food but he is looking forward to the provision of Allah. So, it does not matter how many courses are laid on the table, or if the food has too much salt or too little sugar. He is grateful to Allah nonetheless even if it is only dates and water. The food that he sees becomes a means of his turning to Allah, not his fasting becomes a means of his turning to the food.
May Allah forgive us and rain us with mercy in this blessed month. 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.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, would eat in the month of Ramadhan essentially what he would eat at other times of the year. If we follow this sunnah, what this does is that it cultivates that pillar of taqwa that is called shukr (gratitude).
It is sunnah to eat the suhur (pre-dawn meal) and it is recommended to delay the suhr as much as possible until such time that is very close to fajr as long as you are certain that the time of fajr will not enter upon you.
Eating suhur is showing gratitude to Allah in that we see greater significance in the provision that Allah has given us. We also see the lutf of Allah (the kindness of Allah) in what He has provided us to eat, as well as Allah's decreeing that we delay eating the suhur so that the effect will carry through the day. So, we do not overeat. If we stuffed ourselves, it will actually harm us during the day, and we are not following the noble conduct of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The point is that what we normally eat for breakfast, that is what we should take for suhr, nothing extra and lavish. Therefore, we should take the suhur, see it as a blessing and mercy from Allah, and seek in it assistance that it provides spiritually and physically.
The fast is there to inculcate taqwa (Godfearingness). Taqwa can only come about through obedience to Allah. Allah has set the legal limits of fast--i.e. from Fajr (dawn) to Maghrib (sunset). No more or no less. Therefore, one should be avid and enthusiastic to break one's fast. If we eat after Fajr, even if it is one minute after Fajr enters, there is no fasting for that day. If we delay iftar (breaking fast,) it will not legally invalidate the fast but morally it is not in keeping with the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Like all other matters in our worship, we want to obey Allah as perfectly as we can. So, we start the fast when He commands us to start, and we stop the fast when He commands us to stop. In the starting there is obedience and in the stopping there is obedience to Allah. So what we are avid and enthusiastic about breaking fast is obeying Allah concerning the limits of the fast.
When we break our fasts with dates and water, we should be conscious of the significance of dates and water in the time of Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. These two things were were essentially what The Prophet, Allah and bless him and grant him peace, and his companions would eat normally. This is a great sunnah and a great secret for the fasting in the month of Ramadhan. So, we should not get into a habit of preparing a lavish meal. The point behind fasting is turning away from the attachment of these appetites. So, what we eat for dinner or supper, this is optimally what we should take for iftar.
When we physically emulate the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, even though there is benefit in of itself, it is done because in his conduct is the secret of lofty moral behavior for human being. When we break our fast with dates and water, that should remind us that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, ate dates and water as his normal meals in Ramadhan. So we should strive to have normal meals unless you are entertaining guests, then you will entertain them like the way you normally would.
In emulating the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, this is where we get the spiritual assistance during the course of the day that causes us to think about Allah and to endure the inconvenience of fasting for His sake only. We are not distracted with thinking about the special Ramadhan food and that everything has to be perfect as if your fast is sustained by the thought of the lavish meal that you are going to eat at the end of the day. There is less spiritual assistance in doing this. This person is not taking advantage of the moments of Ramadhan. Whereas the one who makes the food an act of gratitude and his fasting during the course of the day is there to occupy himself with Allah. He is not thinking about food when he is fasting. He is not looking forward to food but he is looking forward to the provision of Allah. So, it does not matter how many courses are laid on the table, or if the food has too much salt or too little sugar. He is grateful to Allah nonetheless even if it is only dates and water. The food that he sees becomes a means of his turning to Allah, not his fasting becomes a means of his turning to the food.
May Allah forgive us and rain us with mercy in this blessed month. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #12 (Don't Lie)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said, “I guarantee a house in the middle of Paradise for a person who avoids lying, even if he was joking.” (Abu Dawud)
Lying is a clear sin and should be avoided at all costs. One is only preventing oneself from the tremendous reward in Paradise by lying.
Truthfulness is the foundation of character of a Muslim and his emulation of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Truthfulness is necessary to save us from the calamity of hypocrisy and from the cause of humiliation and curse from Allah Most High.
Allah Most High says,
Lying is a serious problem, not just for yourself, but for others who are harmed and whose lives can be disrupted because of your lies. If you are perfect in your prayers, fasting and so on, lying will bring you down nonetheless. You can be a bankrupt in the Day of Judgment. So, work on removing this bad trait this Ramadhan and keep working on it. Most people lie, it is just a matter of degree. So don't deny it if you possess the bad trait. This is a first and crucial step to changing. If you catch yourself lying, ask Allah's forgiveness immediately and punish your self by fasting a day or give charity. May Allah give you tawfiq.
Related archive:
Truth and Lying
Lying
May Allah make us among the truthful and protect us from the liars. 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.
The Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said, “I guarantee a house in the middle of Paradise for a person who avoids lying, even if he was joking.” (Abu Dawud)
Lying is a clear sin and should be avoided at all costs. One is only preventing oneself from the tremendous reward in Paradise by lying.
Truthfulness is the foundation of character of a Muslim and his emulation of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Truthfulness is necessary to save us from the calamity of hypocrisy and from the cause of humiliation and curse from Allah Most High.
Allah Most High says,
فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّـهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
...so lay God's curse upon the ones who lie.
Qur'an AleImran 3:61
Lying is a serious problem, not just for yourself, but for others who are harmed and whose lives can be disrupted because of your lies. If you are perfect in your prayers, fasting and so on, lying will bring you down nonetheless. You can be a bankrupt in the Day of Judgment. So, work on removing this bad trait this Ramadhan and keep working on it. Most people lie, it is just a matter of degree. So don't deny it if you possess the bad trait. This is a first and crucial step to changing. If you catch yourself lying, ask Allah's forgiveness immediately and punish your self by fasting a day or give charity. May Allah give you tawfiq.
Related archive:
Truth and Lying
Lying
May Allah make us among the truthful and protect us from the liars. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Friday, August 5, 2011
Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #11 (Avoid Quarrel)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
May Allah guide us. 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.
The Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
“I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a person who avoids quarreling, even if knows he is in the right.” (Abu Dawood)This hadith shows the virtue of good manners and that the one who has good manners is rewarded with a house in Paradise. If you think you are right, suffice that Allah alone sees it. He is the All-Seer. Only He Who matters. We are going to return to Him. Avoiding quarreling keeps the hearts closer and prevents hatred between the Muslims.
May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #10 (Good Character)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
The rules in Shari'ah are not the same as morality. The law represent the very edge of moral conduct. The law is what separates a moral person and a criminal. So, if we want to be a truly moral human beings, we have to follow the Sunnah of Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, which is beyond the limits of the law and closer to the absolute ideal of virtue.
The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
About the wasters, Allah says,
It is sinful to walk across in front of someone who is praying when it is easy to avoid.
Narrated Busr bin Sa`id: that Zaid bin Khalid sent him to Abi Juhaim to ask him what he had heard from Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, about a person passing in front of another person who was praying. Abu Juhaim replied,
May Allah guide us. 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.
The Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
“I guarantee a house in the upper part of Paradise for a person who has good character.” [Abu Dawud ~ Hadith Sahih]
The rules in Shari'ah are not the same as morality. The law represent the very edge of moral conduct. The law is what separates a moral person and a criminal. So, if we want to be a truly moral human beings, we have to follow the Sunnah of Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, which is beyond the limits of the law and closer to the absolute ideal of virtue.
The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
Indeed I was sent in order to complete righteous character.In this month of Ramadhan we want to pay attention to our moral conduct. The key to moral conduct is gratitude to Allah for everything we have--our limbs, our wealth, our knowledge, our health, our life, our surroundings and environment, etc. The way we show gratitude is to use His blessings to worship and obey His commands and not using them to disobey Him. The common phenomenon in Ramadhan is food waste and extravagance during iftar and suhur, and people (children and adults alike) walking in front of people who are praying or people talking in the prayer room and its vicinity without regard to those who are still praying. We want to avoid being the one who do all these. Parents should teach their children not to walk or stand in front of a praying person.
About the wasters, Allah says,
ثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَزۡوَٲجٍ۬ۖ مِّنَ ٱلضَّأۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ وَمِنَ ٱلۡمَعۡزِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِۗ قُلۡ ءَآلذَّڪَرَيۡنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِ أَمَّا ٱشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَرۡحَامُ ٱلۡأُنثَيَيۡنِۖ نَبِّـُٔونِى بِعِلۡمٍ إِن ڪُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِينَ (١٤٣)
...But waste not by excess: for Allah loves not the wasters. (Qur'an Al An'am 6:141
It is sinful to walk across in front of someone who is praying when it is easy to avoid.
Narrated Busr bin Sa`id: that Zaid bin Khalid sent him to Abi Juhaim to ask him what he had heard from Allah's Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, about a person passing in front of another person who was praying. Abu Juhaim replied,
"Allah's Apostle said, 'If the person who passes in front of another person in prayer knew the magnitude of his sin he would prefer to wait for 40 (days, months or years) rather than to pass in front of him." Abu An−Nadr said, "I do not remember exactly whether he said 40 days, months or years." (Bukhari)
May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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