The Muslim woman and Ramadhan

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

All praise is due to Allaah, the one who raised the heavens without any pillars, the Creator and lord of all things, and may peace and blessings be upon the leader of mankind, the final messenger, and prophet, salaAllahu alayhi wassalam and his blessed family and companions and all those who follow his way until the day of judgment:

To Proceed:

O Muslim sisters, as we know, Ramadhan is the month of Allaah, a special month, in which Allaah bestowed his mercy on this ummah when He chose Muhammad ibn Abdillah (salaAllaahu alayhi wassalam) to be His last and final Messenger, the month in which the first verses of the Quraan were revealed, as Allaah (ta3alla)says:

"...It was the month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was [first] bestowed from on high as a guidance unto man and a self-evident proof of that guidance, and as the standard by which to discern the true from the false. Hence, whoever of you lives to see this month shall fast throughout it; but he that is ill, or on a journey, [shall fast instead for the same] number of other days. God wills that you shall have ease, and does not will you to suffer hardship; but [He desires] that you complete the number [of days required], and that you extol God for His having guided you aright, and that you render your thanks [unto Him].”


In this blessed month, we are to be more careful in what we do than in other months. Why? Because as soon as Ramadhan enters, the gates of al jannah are flung open and the gates of hellfire are locked, and the devils are chained up as our prophet said:

« إذا دخل رمضان فتحت أبواب الجنة، وغلقت أبواب جهنم، وسلسلت الشياطين » رواه البخاري، ومسلم

The Prophet(salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) said: " When Ramadan enters, the doors of paradise are open and the doors of hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained up." (al Bukhari and Muslim)


What mercy and graciousness from Almighty Allaah!! O muslim sister, know and realize that after realizing this wonderful oppurtunity, Ramadhan is not just a month where you must cook for hours in preparing iftaar for the family and making all these exquisite and extravagant dishes. NO! This is but a waste of time, if no acts of worship occupy some of your time.

O sister in Islaam!! This ramadhan, increase in duaa to Allaah! Turn to Allaah, beg Allaah, plead and humble yourself before your lord. No one can stand between you and Allaah! Allaah has ordered us to make duaa to Him:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ


And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islâmic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"

The prophet (salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) also said in the famous hadith that "ad-Duaa is worship" So after this, how could you O sister resist from turning to your lord in prayer and supplication!!! It is an utter disgrace and humiliation that many Muslims now, whenever they are faced with a problem, try to fix it and go through all these means, but forget to turn to Allaah and ask Him for his assistance, when he is the fixer of all problems and the knower of all things. Glory be to Him, Lord of al-Alameen!!

Know O muslim sister, may Allaah forgive me and you that, there are manners and ettiquttes when making duaa. Ask Allaah and supplicate to him using his names and attributes, say " ya Rahmaan, ya Raheem...Ya Ghafaar, ya Ghafur, Ya Jabaar, ya Rabb al Alameen..!!!" Sending salah and salam on the prophet (salaAllaahu alayhi wassalam )is also important especially at the end of the duaa, it is important that you have yaqeen or certainty when making duaa to Allaah and not doubting the duaa and Allaah, for this is a great loss! Allaah is capable of all things, nothing is hard for Him so nothing is impossible for him! Allaah created you and He knew what you needed and what you will need!


There are other manners when supplicating to Allaah. This beneficial book explains other important points:

http://tawheednyc.com/ibaadah/dua/mannersofdua.pdf


Another important thing to do this Ramadhan, is increasing in reading the Quraan. The book of Allaah! Have you ever wondered and asked yourself honestly, when was the last time you took the book of Allaah between your hands and read?!! O sister! Are you not afraid of Allaah's anger and curse on you at the fact that you can sit hours in front of the devil TV, or spend hours listening to music and your favorite singer, and all the latest hits of the season, while you cannot sit and spend a few minutes reading the glorious verses?!!! what a loss and disaster! And yet we ask Allaah to rectify our affairs and to give us victory! Allaah will not give His victory and to a people who have neglected His book and deen!! This is the reality.

Has a lock and seal been placed over our hearts when we cannot read or even think about Allaah's words? Allaah, Most High, Says in the Quran (what means):

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

meaning:

Do they not then think deeply in the Qur'ân, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?

May Allaah have mercy on Ummar ibn al Khataab(radiaAllahu anhu) when he said:

“Verily Allaah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it”

to be cont'd inshaAllaah...

"From the manners of the Prophets...."

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

it was narrated on the authority of Abu ad-Dardaa(radiaAllahu anhu) that he said:

Allaah's Messengers(salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) said:

"3 are from the akhlaaq of the prophets:

1.hastening in the iftaar or breaking of the fast.

2.delaying the suhur or pre-dawn meal.

3, and placing the right hand over the left hand in the salah."

[reported by at-Tabarani in "al-Kabeer" in a marfu3 mawquf sahih way, it is authentic.]


MEANING of the Hadith:

Allaah has given the prophets and messengers with high akhlaaq, they were the highest example in chastity and generousity and in humbleness , patience , courage, and hastening towards the good.And there came in this narration 3 matters from their akhlaaq:

FIRST: hastening in the iftaar:

They would hasten to break the fast when its time came just like they would hasten to fast when its time came.

SECOND: delaying the suhur:

it is also another praiseworthy act of the prophets, and this is done so, because for the one who delays his suhur, then his whole day he is active and strong.

THIRD: placing the right hand over the left in Salah:

another beautiful mannerism of the prophets, which shows humbleness, tranquility, submitting oneself to Allaah ta3alla.

WHAT CAN BE TAKEN FROM THE HADITH:

1. the virtue of hastening in the iftaar and delaying the suhur
2.the virtue of placing the right hand over the left in salah and that it is sunnah.

taken from the book "40 Hadeeth-each hadith relating to 3 matters" written by sh. Saalih as-Sadlan



Umm Abdullah

Amongst the Greatest Losses...

assalamu alaikum

Ibn Qayyim(rahimahullah) said:

“Know that the greatest of losses is for you to be preoccupied with one who will bring you nothing but a loss in your time with Allah – the Mighty and Majestic – and being cut off from Him; wasting your time with the person, a weakening of your energy, and the dispersing of your resolve. So, if you are tested with this – and you must be tested with this – deal with him according to how Allah would wish, and be patient with him as much as possible. Get closer to Allah and His Pleasure by way of this person, and make your getting together with him something to benefit from, not something to incur a loss from. Be with him as if you are a man who is on a road who was stopped by another man, who then asks you to take him on your journey. Make sure that you are the one who gives him a ride, and that he is not the one giving you the ride. If he refuses, and there is nothing to gain from travelling with him, do not stop for him, bid him farewell, and do not even turn back to look at him, as he is a highway robber, regardless of who he really is.
So, save your heart, be wary of how you spend your days and nights, and do not let the Sun set before you arrive at your destination.”

{‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib‘}

Practicing the Deen....is it hard?

Assalamu alaikum,

Some people say Islam is hard to practice or there is too much to do or we are in difficult times where Islam is hard to practice. I have pesonally heard this. We need to realize and know that Allah is not Unjust and unfair. Allah created us for one sole purpose and that is to worship Him. Allah says in several places in His noble book that DO YOU THINK YOU WERE CREATED JUST FOR FUN? Just to party, enjoy yourself and live life to the "fullest" as some ignorant people now say??

NEVER!! By Allah, who raised the skies without any pillars, we are not here for any of these things except for one clarified purpose! Many muslims, in fact any Muslim who reads the Quran, listens to lectures, has some knowledge, must have heard the verse:

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).(ath-Thaariyat:56)

However, how many of us actually live this verse? How many of us actually contemplate our state and ask, " am I worshiping Allah? Am I fulfilling this verse?"

Its so amazing how you will not hear a muslim actually say practicing the deen is tough but many of us say this by how we live, behave, and dress. To be honest, Allah's deen is the most easy and flexible. How dare any Muslim say that practicing Islam is difficult or hard when Allah Almighty said so many times that he does not burden a soul more than it can bear!??! Allah is the most Just. He doesnt oppress any one.

Allah says:

And Allah wills no injustice for (His) slaves.(surah al Ghaafir:31)

No one can come on judgment day, disbeliever or believer and say "O ALLAH, you have oppressed me!" In fact, most of the regretful people on that day will be asking or rather, be BEGGING, Allah for a second chance, as they have nothing else to ask for or say.


I think its high time that we realize that we are the ones who need to CHANGEE for Islam, not Islam itself. The religion of Allah is complete and perfect. No doubt about it. Its very amazing that in Islam, a person is required to do as much good(obligations, acts of worship)as they CAN. So how is this unfair?!!There is no overburdening someone or making things difficult on them. Allah is truly the Most Merciful. Didnt Allah say:

So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can(at-Taghabun:16)

Allah didnt say to fear Him and thats it but Allah out of his mercy said AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! A person can be in a situation where they cannot pray so they are excused to another alternative, a person is excused from performing hajj if they do not have the means of travelling and wealth. imagine if we were ordered to make hajj regardless of our situations!? How merciful is the Most High!

On the authority of Abu Hurairah 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (radiAllaahu 'anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayi wa sallam) say:
"What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. For verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed [the nations] who were before you".
[Related by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Look carefully at the bolded parts of this hadith. What is the beloved Messenger saying? Whatever is haraam or made haram by Allah and His Messenger then STAY AWAY from it period!! subhnaAllah! How many Muslims have not only stopped practicing the obligations but with that, indulge in the forbidden!! It would have been a less evil situation to stop practicing but without getting involved in the haram.

Wallahi, Allah will not have mercy on this ummah until we WAKE up and return to back to our deen! Many ignorant muslims always point fingers at the kuffar, whenever Muslims are in the media or when bad things happen to the ummah around the globe. For example, when we see what is happening to the Muslims in Palestine, every Muslim's heart aches and blood boils and we just get fired up and wish to do something.But yet what amazes me more is how we wish to help change the situation without even looking to change our ownselves first. Honestly, did we think this deen is that cheap and helpless...


How many of us actually think of this when Allah says:

Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves(surah ar-Ra'ad:11)

Indeed the purchase of Allah is expensive, indeed the purchase of Allah is expensive! It is paradise and let me tell you that paradise is not FREE!! You have to pay the price to enter it. No one goes to jannah for free and thats why the more sacrifice and trouble one goes through for the sake of Allah, the higher their level in paradise is.

So please brothers and sisters, next time the thought of "practicing the deen is difficult or tough" comes into our mind, let us instead say that we are the ones being difficult and we need to change ourselves and only then will Allah the Most High help us and give us victory.


by Umm Abdullah

"One Day those who disbelieved will wish they were Muslims"PART 2

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

previously, we talked about how Allaah(azza wa jall) told us that one day the disbelieving people will REGRET the kufr and waste of time they did in this world and deny that they had any accomplishments in life when they see the reality beyond death. I want to share a sad and amazing story based on this verse exactly. Many of us have probably read it or heard it before but as Allaah said in His book that remembrance and telling stories benefit the people.

Imam ibn Qayyim al Jawzi relates in his works, the story of a Muslim man named Abd ibn AbdurRaheem. He was a mujahid during the early muslim generations after the sahabah. He was also a haafidh(memorizer) of the Quran and a somewhat student of knowledge. This man was someone who amazed the people due to his life of jihaad and level of knowledge. In this time, the Muslims were waging war and battles against the Romans and it so happened that one day the Muslims encountered the Romans in one of the cities. The muslims besieged the city and the fort of the kuffar, so they were totally surrounded. As this man was going around, he saw from one of the balconies of the fort, a beautiful woman looking out with a sad expression. He completely froze and just fell head over heels for this lady. So he began to correspond with this shaytana, may Allah not make us slaves of our desires, because once your desires become your master, know that you have lost paradise. They talked and the more they talked, he fell more in love with her. While, his brothers were out there fighting and getting injured and killed for Allaahs word to be the highest, and here is their old pal, the haafidh, the student of knowledge conversing with the enemy's woman folk! wa subhnaAllah! He, eventually asked her how he can come in to see her, she said, "you cant." He inquired, "why not?" and she replied,"you have to become a christian to enter." So what did he do? He abandoned the truth which turned the sahabah(may Allah be pleased with them) from being alcoholics, pagans, womanizers, and every bad thing to becoming the conquerors of Persia and Arabia. Later on, the city was taken by the Muslims and years passed by. One day, some of his old Muslim friends ran into him in the marketplace and they talked. He looked somewhat differently, dressing not as his old self,with a cross hanging from his neck. They asked,"Oh so and so what happened to you? You use to be a mujahid haafidh of the Quran student of knowledge, our brother? What happened to your quran, hadith, and etc?" He said, " Oh, I forgot all of that! Now I am married, I have a family." He then said that he forgot all of Quran except the following verses where Allaah(azza wa jall) says:

رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُواْ لَوۡ كَانُواْ مُسۡلِمِينَ (٢) ذَرۡهُمۡ يَأۡڪُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ وَيُلۡهِهِمُ ٱلۡأَمَلُ‌ۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣)

"Perhaps (often) will those who disbelieve wish that they were Muslims [those who have submitted themselves to Allah's Will in Islam Islamic Monotheism, this will be on the Day of Resurrection when they will see the disbelievers going to Hell and the Muslims going to Paradise].Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!"(Surah al Hijr:2-3)



So choose now, O Muslim(a), what are you? A slave of Allah or a slave to your desires which in turn are workers for the accursed shaytan?? make the decision before a day comes when the decision for your final destination will be judged.


And Allah is the Turner of the Hearts and the one who guides.

"One Day those who disbelieved will wish they were Muslims"`

assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah


Allah(azza wa jall) says in His noble book:

رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُواْ لَوۡ كَانُواْ مُسۡلِمِينَ (٢) ذَرۡهُمۡ يَأۡڪُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ وَيُلۡهِهِمُ ٱلۡأَمَلُ‌ۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣)

It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims. (2) Let them eat and enjoy life, and let (false) hope beguile them. They will come to know! (3) [Surah al Hijr ayaat 2-3]

Yes! One day, these disbelieving people will wish they were believers, but that will be too late then. Even those intelligent among the kuffar, as soon as they see the hellfire and its horrors, will regret and deny that they had accomplished anything or were even intelligent minded people. Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein,... Darwin, where do you think those individuals are today? Indeed, they are with their lord and they have seen the reality. Ibn Qayyim(rahimahullah) says that if you look at the Quran, you will see that most of the arguments of the people of Jahannam(hellfire) are those of regrets and requests for second chances. Allaah informed us of what the wrongdoers and disbelievers cry out when they approach death:

وَيَوۡمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيۡهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيۡتَنِى ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلاً۬ (٢٧) يَـٰوَيۡلَتَىٰ لَيۡتَنِى لَمۡ أَتَّخِذۡ فُلَانًا خَلِيلاً۬ (٢٨) لَّقَدۡ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّڪۡرِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ جَآءَنِى‌ۗ وَڪَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لِلۡإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولاً۬ (٢٩)

"And (remember) the Day when the Zalim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist, etc.) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger ( Muhammad ). "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! "He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur'an) after it had come to me. And Shaitan (Satan) is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need." [Surah al Furqan ayaat 27-29]


also;

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرۡجِعُونِ (٩٩) لَعَلِّىٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَـٰلِحً۬ا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُ‌ۚ كَلَّآ‌ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآٮِٕلُهَا‌ۖ وَمِن وَرَآٮِٕهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ (١٠٠)

"Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back, "So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected."[Surah al Muminoon ayaat 99=100]

That is the true regret and the biggest loss. May Allah protect us from it. However, we should all be careful and safeguard our imaan and deen at all times. No one can fool or hide from Allaah. We should always remember that Allah(azza wa jall) is ar-Raqeeb as Allaah says:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ رَقِيبً۬ا

Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.[Surah an-Nisaa ayah 1]

One of the Salaf recited the verse "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them)." from Surah al Fajr to a man who use to lie a lot, after that, this man never lied. SubhnaAllah! How many of us today-forget lying, steal, backbite, curse, and do every sin under the sun, and not realize that Allaah is WATCHING ME!


This ummah lost its honor and glory the day it started commit sins publicly and openly disobey Allaah! We need to turn back to Allah and we need to do it NOW, not later. Never say, " I WILL" this is what our pious predecessors use to warn from doing.at-Tasweef which comes from the word sawfa meaning "I WILL" The shaytan uses this trick to lead many people astray. Some people have the idea that death comes at a later stage and that it is a peace of cake to declare the shahada the last minute, just like that. First of all, who said death is fixed to a certain age and category of people? O slaves of Allaah, death recognizes no gender, age, kings,presidents, or any superpower! Death will come to you whether you approve of it or not, whether you are ready or not! The best people on the face of the Earth, tasted death, what do you think about me and you! The leader of all mankind, the best of Allaah(azza wa jall)'s creation felt the agony of death as he(salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) was leaving this world to go to his Lord! what do you think about us!?

Allaah(azza wa jall) says:

And the stupor of death will come in truth: "This is what you have been avoiding!"


to be cont'd............

Ahadith Qudsi2

assalamu alaikum,


This is a continuation from the AHADITH QUDSI1 post:

Hadith 4:


On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) said: Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection:
Where are those who love one another through My glory? Today I shall give them shade in My shade, it being a day when there is no shade but My shade.(Sahih Muslim)

Hadith 5:


narrated Abu Hurayra-radiaAllahu anhu-that the Messenger of Allah(salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) said:

Allah says:

When my servant intends to do a bad deed, Do not write it(as a sin) until he does it, if he does it then write it as like it(one bad deed), and if he leaves it for my sake, then write it as one good deed. And if he intends to do a good deed but does not do it, write it down as one good deed, and if he does it, then write it as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times.(Sahih Bukhari)

Hadith 6:

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (salaAllahu alayhi wassalam) said: Allah the Almighty said:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed. (Sahiihs Bukhari and Muslim)