You Run After It, Yet it Flees You!

Bismillaah,


Ibraahim ibn Yazid ibn Shareek at-Taymi was from the early Salaf. He was a companion of the famous tabi'ee, Ibraahim an-Nakha'ee. At-Taymi was known as a very pious individual. Piety was a typical quality of that great generation. May Allah be pleased with them. He was very single-mindedly devoted to Allah, a very knowledgable person; in fact, he was a faqeeh who had immense knowledge of fiqh and hadeeth.  Above all, he was a Zaahid. A Zaahid (ascetic)  is someone who has a lot of Zuhd(ie practices asceticism, not attached to the dunya).  It is said in his prayer, Ibraahim was so stiff in the prostration that sparrows would sit on his back thinking him to be a tree.

Awwam ibn Khawshab said,  "I never found anyone better than Ibrahim at-Taymi. Whether in Salah or out of it, he always bowed his head. He never indulged in worldly conversation."

This same Ibraahim once said to the people in some amazing words which should be written in gold for our 21st century people,

"How much difference is there between you and those people. The world came to them but they ran away from it while the world flees you but you pursue it!"


How amazing and perfect is Allah. What strong,deep words. If we look into the life or biography of any of the early scholars or righteous people, we will see that each of these individuals certainly shared one common characteristic, Zuhd. They all practiced Zuhd. You may be wondering at this point, "Well, what is Zuhd?"

Well the answer is in the following hadeeth reported from Abul 'Abbas, Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Saa'idee (a companion of the prophet sws) in the Sunan of Ibn Majah and others with a good chain that a man came to the prophet (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and said,

"O Messenger of Allah! Guide me to a deed that which, if I do it, (will cause) Allah to love me and the people to (also) love me." So the prophet(salawatu rabee wa salaamuhu alayh) replied,

ازهد في الدنيا يحبك الله وازهد فيما عند الناس يحبك الناس

Meaning, "Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what the people possess and the people will love you."

This simple hadeeth could be the answer to half of our daily problems. What is causing the downfall of nations and this world but materialism and chasing this temporary world?! What has made us forget our religious obligations and duties to Allah is but a little paper dollar! A little paper dollar can keep lead people to not only neglect their salah but their dignity as well. Is this how low we have sunk? Have we forgotten the true meaning and value of life?

When we lost love and interest for al Aakhirah which is the real life, that is when Allah azza wa jall took the blessings and dignity from our hearts. That is when work and material things distracted us from the true worship and even caused us to forget our bleeding ummah.


Tying this hadeeth to the words of Ibraahim at-Taymi mentioned before, we should all look to ourselves and our own personal lives. What kind of life are we living? Are we aiming to live a simple, halaal, worthy life to worship Allah in or are we putting much more pressure on work, school, and the bills totally forgetting about the main purpose of life? Islaam is not just confined to daily rituals.

Islaam is submitting yourself to Allah azza wa jall. Islaam is realizing that Allah azza wa jall always comes first.  Islaam and Zuhd are intertwined! Zuhd is to renounce this world and not be attached to it! We as Muslims ought to realize that our real home is in the Hereafter, not in this meager, temporary place. This world is but enjoyment (mataa3), it will soon cease to exist.  The Aakhirah is the Daarul Qaraar or the true permanent settlement as Allah azza wa jall says in the story of the man who believed from the house of Firawn,

"O my people, this worldly life is only temporary enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter-that is the home of (permanent) settlement." [Suratul Ghaafir ayah 39]

Al Zuhd means to be content with Allah has given you and to not compete with others in the material world. What is worth competing and dying for is that special tree in the paradise of Allah! Yes! One tree in Jannah has more worth than this world and all it contains. This world means nothing to Allah ta'ala but was made for us to worship and glorify Allah in.
Indeed, one drop of water is not even worth anything to Allah ta'ala in this world.  The Messenger of Allah (sws) said,

"If this world had the value of a mosquito's wing in the sight of Allah, no disbeliever would have had a drink of water from it." [Sunan Tirmidhi]

What is this world but a few days and nights? What is this world but a preparation to prepare our luggage for our true home! The days are passing and going by and all you are worried about, o servant of Allah is the latest car, clothes fashion and shoe-line. We should be more concerned with where we are headed. Are we destined for an ever-lasting bliss or an eternal punishment? This should worry us. Once Al Hasan al Basri saw a man laughing so much, so he said to him, "Have you been given the keys to Paradise? Have you been given the good news that you are from the people of Jannah?" The man replied in the negative. Al Hasan al Basri said, "Then I do not know why you are laughing." Subhan Allah that man laughed very little after that. It is definitely something worth thinking about. We become so busy with our lives and daily routines that we forget about death and our final destination.

The prophet (sws) advised to be in this world as a wayfarer or traveller. This means we should live in the dunyaa by being in a constant state of worship and doing good deeds alongside making our worldly living. We should not make it our intentions to establish ourselves here because it will all soon end. This life is not permanent. Death is a certainty, what comes after it is what we are here for. Like Allah said,

"Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The hereafter is better for him who fears Allah, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly in the very least!" [Surah al Nisaa' ayah 77]

Yes! How short and worthless it is! The true value is in preparing your house in the gardens above and not in these soils below! Allah describes this amazing, eternally blissful abode,

"The description of Paradise which the righteous are promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clean. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and forgiveness from their Lord." [Surah Muhammad ayah 15]

The prophet lived the true life of Zuhd and piety. A man who could have had all the riches of the world and had the option to be both a prophet and king yet chose the former alone. He is definitely the king of the ascetics and an example for us. Sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The prophet(sws) described himself as a stranger and traveller in this world as is in the following hadeeth,

"What have I to do with this world! I am no more in this world than a traveller who sought the shade of a tree then left it and continued [his journey]." [Sunans of Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

Thus, if we practice Zuhd which is to abstain from the worldly things and to renounce it, we will be able to secure the love of Allah.  And if we are content with what Allah has given us and abstain from what is with others, then the people will also love us. Imam al Nawawi mentions in his Sharh of Sahih Muslim in the commentary of this hadeeth, that Zuhd is,

Renouncing the world means to leave those things which are non-essential even though they may be permissible and instead sticking to the necessities of life. True Zuhd brings peace, tranquility and happiness to the soul. The early righteous would be in such contentment and happiness that they said if the kings knew how much happiness we are living in, they would fight with us for it with their swords.


Let us make it our aim to be content and pleased with what Allah has blessed us with firstly and then let us abstain from those things that are causing us to become weak in our faith. We should contemplate the many blessings Allah azza wa jall has given us.

It is enough of a blessing and favor that Allah guides one to the truth faith. Think of how many are drowning in disbelief and die ascribing partners to Allah in His worship. And Allah azza wa jall chose you out of many to be a Muslim. That is something amazing to think about it.
Do we think and contemplate Allah and the blessing of Islaam and tawheed as we should? Nowadays, we are too busy pleasing others and ourselves and desires and forget about the first we should aim to please. Pleasing Allah should be our number one aim in life until the dirt is poured over us.


O Allah make our souls content with what you have given us and protect us from love of this world and hatred for death.

Beautiful, thought-filled reminder

The Quran and the Value of Time

written by our brother Tareq Mehanna(fa)

"The final Hour will not come until time becomes compressed. So, a year will seem like a month; a month will seem like a week; a week will seem like a day; a day will seem like an hour; and an hour will pass like the time it takes for a palm leaf to burn up."

In this authentic hadith describing the state of the world near the end of time, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) foretold of a phenomenon that we can now all attest to. Time passes faster than ever, whether you're thinking of how quickly your children have grown before your eyes, thinking of your own life in retrospect, thinking each night about how there weren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all that you'd intended - or thinking about how inconspicuously you are now being approached by the month of Ramadan.

As a month which commemorates the revelation of the Qur'an, many articles written for the occasion of Ramadan deal with the rewards of reciting the Qur'an, how often the Salaf would recite it in the month, etc. - none of which are the focus of this article. Rather, our focus is something deeper. Imagine a plain metal box in front of you - at first glance, it is not worth more than the metal from which it was constructed. Your view of the box changes, however, once someone walks by and flips open the lid to reveal gold filling it to the brim. It has now become much more than a box. Likewise, the Mushaf you hold in your hand deceptively appears as paper and ink. But if you properly investigate its contents, you'll uncover immense power hidden within. It is this power which captivated people like al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, and magnetized him into reciting the entire Qur'an sixty times in Ramadan. It is this power that I want to highlight from a number of angles: the power of the Qur'an to change you. 

Some thoughts:

1) Ponder over how the Qur'an could affect a mountain: {"If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and crumbled from the fear of Allah. And We present these parables to people for them to ponder."} [59:21] 

ash-Shawkani explained that this is "...because of its importance, its greatness, its eloquence, its strength of expression, and the lessons it contains that soften hearts. Because of all this, were it to have been sent down upon any of the mountains on Earth, you would have seen that mountain - no matter how solid and massive - crumbling to pieces from humility before Allah, from caution of His punishment, and from fear that it would not be able to give due respect to His Words. So, with this vision and parable, one grasps the loftiness of the Qur'an and how deeply it affects the heart."

In other words, if this is how a solid, hulking, inanimate mountain would be changed by the Qur'an, imagine its potential in changing your tender, living heart and soul...

2) Ponder, now, over how it physically affected the one upon whom it was sent (peace be upon him).

Open up 'Sahih al-Bukhari', go to the second narration of the first chapter, and you'll find that the Prophet was asked: "How does the revelation come to you?" He explained: "Sometimes, it comes to me like the ringing of a bell. This is the most difficult of all..." 'A'ishah then added: "Indeed, I saw the Prophet receiving revelation on a very cold day, and I nonetheless saw sweat dripping from his forehead." (Ibn Hajar commented: "What can be understood from this is that, in fact, all of the revelation was immensely difficult for him to receive.") Following this is the Prophet describing in his own words how, just seconds before the very first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to him in the cave of Hira', Jibril "took hold of me and squeezed me so hard that I could not bear it" - and then did it a second time, and then a third time (Ibn Hajar pointed out that another authentic narration found elsewhere specifies that "...he took me by the throat."). Two narrations later, Ibn 'Abbas summarized: "The Messenger of Allah endured great difficulty while receiving revelation." (As Ibn Hajar quoted in his commentary, "this is because strong words are introduced in a manner which announces their strength, in order for people to pay attention.")

So, the intensity of the content of the Qur'an is reflected even in the physical intensity the Prophet endured just to receive it.

It is likewise reflected in the extent to which many have suffered for it. Two and half centuries after those first verses were revealed (in the year 231 H), the great scholar Ahmad bin Nasr al-Khuza'i found himself standing on a leather executioner's mat, his hands and feet tightly bound in rope. As he stood waiting, a razor-sharp sword was suddenly swung into his neck. It was left there for a few seconds before being withdrawn, and then brought crashing down on the top of his head. It was finally plunged into his stomach, after which he fatally collapsed onto the mat. He was then decapitated, and his headless body was transferred to an area near Baghdad and crucified in a public square. His head was impaled on a spike and put on display for the public in Baghdad itself. This man had been executed by the Mu'tazilah for no reason other than his persistence in affirming a single fact: that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah. Ironically, his execution took place right on the eve of Ramadan.

3) A book so powerful and touching was designed to affect the entire planet.

In his introduction to 'Tafhim al-Qur'an', al-Mawdudi reminds us that "the Qur'an is neither a book of abstract theories and cold doctrines which the reader can grasp while seated in a cozy armchair, nor is it merely a religious book like other religious books whose secrets can be grasped in seminaries and oratories. Rather, it is the blueprint and guidebook of a message, of a mission, of a movement. As soon as this Book was revealed, it drove a quiet, kind-hearted man from his isolation and seclusion, and placed him upon the battlefield of life to challenge a world that had gone astray. It inspired him to raise his voice against falsehood, and pitted him in a grim struggle against those carrying the banner of disbelief, or disobedience to Allah, of deviance and error. One after another, it sought out everyone who had a pure and noble soul, gathering them together under the flag of the Messenger. It also infuriated all those who, by their nature, were bent on evil and drove them to wage war against the bearers of Truth. This is the Book which inspired and directed that great movement which began with the preaching of a message by an individual, and continued for no fewer than twenty-three years, until the Kingdom of God was truly established on Earth."

So, the Qur'an once changed the planet. And as we can see, it is in the process of doing so again. 

4) But it changes the world by first changing the people who live in it. 

al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad said: "The memorizer of the Qur'an carries the flag of Islam. He shouldn't waste his time in vain amusement, distractions, and pointless matters with those who do so, out of respect for the Qur'an." Such a person implements by opening up the Qur'an and seeing, for example, that the believers "turn away from pointless matters" (23:3) and "if they pass by pointless matters, they pass by while dignifying themselves above them" (25:72), while on the other hand seeing that "among the people are those who purchase pointless talk" (31:6). Looking at this, you ask yourself: where do I want to stand? Then you make a choice.

You come across those who "do not encourage feeding of the poor" (89:18) and "have an extreme love of wealth" (89:20), but also those who "don't feel in their hearts any need for what they've been given, and prefer the welfare of others over themselves even if at the risk of poverty" (59:9). 

You find those who, "if they stand up to pray, do so lazily and for show, and don't remember Allah except little" (4:142), but also those who "are humble and focused in their prayers" (23:2). 

You come across shallow disbelievers who simply "indulge in this life, and eat like cattle eat" (47:12), but also the deep thinkers who "reflect over the creation of the heavens and Earth" (3:191). 

You come across "he who takes his own desires as his god" (45:23), but you'll also meet those who "intensely love Allah more than anything else" (2:165). 

And you even find the Qur'an telling the story of today's world - our story. You come across the leaders and governments who are "tyrannical on Earth, and made its people into subjugated groups, oppressing a group of them by slaughtering their sons" (28:4), who threaten them with prison if they refuse to submit (26:29), and who target Muslim women and children with fire (85:5) for "no reason other than that they believe in Allah" (85:8). These tyrants claim to represent the civilized world, and are materially wealthy and technologically advanced (28:76). Thus, those who are duped by this world choose to ignore their disbelief and oppression of others to instead admire them, their society, and culture with awe, thinking to themselves "if only we had what has been given" to them (28:79). A few sincere scholars stand up to try to open people's eyes (28:80). As a result, some Muslims wake up and migrate to the lands of Islam after their suffering in the lands of the enemy (16:110). A few of them are even inspired to "fight in the path of Allah, and the oppressed men, women, and children," to defend them in various parts of the world (4:75). But many choose to remain in the land of the enemy, who is ever-increasing in oppressing them (4:97). Not only this, but such house slaves, "while sitting back, they say to their brothers: 'If only they had listened to us, they wouldn't have been killed'" (3:168). As if that wasn't bad enough, and despite the fact that the tyrants are clearly "allies of one another" (5:51, 8:73, 45:19), and want to tempt us into watering down Islam (68:9), and will only be pleased with us if we totally abandon it and follow their ways (2:120), and do not love us even though some of us love them (3:119) - despite all this, the scholars-for-dollars assure their disbelieving allies from the People of the Book that they are their reliable partners in the War on Terror until the end (59:11). But because they are "swaying between this and that, not fully here or there" (4:143), they of course also assure us that they are believers (2:14) and sort of, kind of want victory for the Ummah. So, you have to put up with he who, "if tested, turns back on his heels" (22:11), but you also have the pleasure of meeting the "men who have remained true to their covenant with Allah" and "have not changed in the least" (33:23).

Thus, when you read the Qur'an, you are presented with a wide array of characters and their characteristics, ranging from the very best of humanity to its very worst. And al-Hasan al-Basri said: "Those who came before you saw the Qur'an as a collection of messages from their Lord. They would ponder over them by night and implement them by day." So, now ask yourself: which of these people do I want to be? What choice am I going to make? This is the challenge that the Qur'an puts before you.

5) As the Qur'an builds you in this way, consider the fact that during your days in Ramadan, you basically replace one form of nourishment for another: you are prohibited from food & drink at the same time that you are pushed to delve deeper into the Qur'an. Think about the wisdom in this. The point is for you to confirm for yourself that your body can survive even on a minimal amount of food & drink, and that the source of true life - the nourishment you cannot do without - is found only in the Qur'an. 

I recently experienced this myself. Following my sentencing in court, I was immediately moved from Boston to Rhode Island, to Brooklyn, to Manhattan, back to Brooklyn, to Oklahoma City, and finally to my current location in Indiana - a process which lasted approximately six weeks. Because of my frequent flyer status, I was never in any one place long enough to obtain an Arabic copy of the Qur'an. It was the single longest period of my life in which I didn't have access to the Qur'an, and I could feel it. When I finally arrived here and got hold of one, I felt replenished.

6) This brings me to my last point: take advantage of the Qur'an while you have access to it, because there will come a time when nobody will have access to it. In another authentic hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) warned us that right before the end of time, "Islam will fade away like color fades from fabric, to the point that nobody will know of fasting, prayer, the rites of pilgrimage, or charity. And the Qur'an will be lifted up and vanish overnight, such that not a single verse of it will remain on Earth..."

Written by: Tariq Mehanna
Friday, 21st of Rajab 1434 (31st of May 2013)
Terre Haute CMU 

A series of advices for believing women: Hijaab&Modesty

Continued series on "Advices for believing women"

Advice #2: The Hijaab and its purpose

Bismillah,

Indeed, all praise and thanks are due to Allah alone, lord of the heavens and the earth. Without him we would not be able to breath, see, hear or think. Without Allah, we are nothing. Thus, only He alone has every right to be worshipped and I reject all others that are worshipped beside Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad ibn Abdullaah is the final prophet and messenger of Allah for mankind. He is the brother of Musa (Moses) and Eesa (Jesus son of Mary), he was the best of creation and a mercy for mankind. So peace and blessings be upon him (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam).


In the last post, I advised my sisters regarding parents in Islam and how they should be treated. I did this realizing my own mistakes and faults and pointed out that yes we are all human beings.

In our present day and age, the ummah is slowly beginning to wake up from its slumber. The nations of kufr have united against the ummah of Muhammad without doubt. Their hatred for Islaam and its people is apparent with the words they speak and by their actions, but as Allah said, the hidden hatred in their hearts is worse. We see protests, violent clashes and massacres taking place all over the lands of Islaam.  Through the media,  one realizes that the issue is not light and that things are getting worse and more serious. We see the faces of many young people in these massacres and demonstrations. We are happy that "yes, finally we are waking up to see some of our problem."  This is as it may seem but the reality is different. Why do we not have a solution to our problems?

What will get this ummah anywhere is most definitely and certainly one thing. That is turning back to Islaam completely-not partially. Turning back to the Quran and sunnah is the initial key and solution to our many present-day problems. When we do this, we will surely see the victory of Allah right in front of us. Once we establish this, it is important to know what to do next and what is expected from us.

My dear sister, know and realize that the paradise of Allah is indeed expensive and not cheap. Saying la ilaha illa Allah alone is not sufficient to take us to al jannah. Rather, it is "KNOWING" La ilaha illa Allah.  What do we mean when we say "knowing" la ilaha illa Allah? Well, we  say this just as Allah azza wa jall commanded The Messenger of Allah in the Noble Revelation,

"So know that la ilaha illa Allah and seek forgiveness for your sin and also for the believing men and believing women.." [Surah Muhammad ayah 19]

Knowledge is the key to following the Pure Book and Sunnah of our beloved (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam). The ummah will grow and progress by first going back to what it is lacking in. What will burn and eradicate the fire of disbelief and ignorance is knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah. If we are ignorant of our own belief, how will we overcome our enemy? If we do not know what we are living for and who we seek to die for, then what good is left in us my dear sisters?

So know and realize my dear sister that Islam is a set of principles, rules, akhlaaq(manners), and not merely statements. We adhere to Islam with conviction through our actions.

The hijaab, my beloved sister is from Allah and you as a jewel and daughter of Islam should appreciate that. The Muslim woman is the happiest and closest woman to Allah in obedience because when she wears the proper hijaab she does it out of love and obedience to her creator and not to a man.

Look around you my dear and respected sister, the women in the magazines and those who model for the different companies are all dressing to please and appeal to men. These companies and industries are run by men! This is a pure depiction of the contradictory of the west and their so called democracy and call to freedom.

Know O Muslimah that you are the most free woman on Earth! May Allah keep you happy and make you content with Islaam as well as us. The hijaab requires a pure intention, a strong heart and patience. It is not mere clothing, rather it is a form of Ibadah! Yes this is indeed true.

After all this, realize and understand my sister that the proper, Islaamic hijaab has several conditions. If every sister adheres to these conditions, we would see much better results in our communities for we know children imitate their elders. We are the example for the next generation. Are children become what we are. So let us as muslim women who believe in Allah and the last day turn to the proper hijaab for the sake of Allah.

THE CONDITIONS OF THE HIJAAB as per the Quran and Sunnah:

1.  It must cover the entire body.

Allah clearly mentions in Surah al Ahzaab (Surah 33) ayahs 53, 59 and in Surah Al Noor (Surah 24) ayah 31 the hijaab. In Surah al Ahzaab, Allah azza wa jall uses the term jilbaab and hijaab and in Surah al Noor, the term khumur (plural of khimaar which means scarf).

First, we should know that the khimaar is not the hijaab itself but is actually a part of the hijaab. The khimaar is the part of the hijaab that covers the hair and neck. The hijaab is the entire covering, it can be one piece or 2 piece. The jilbaab is the full hijaab and is one long garment which the musim woman puts over herself. We mention these differences because many people refer to the scarf as hijaab when this is definitely not the case. Someone can be wearing a scarf and that can be just a scarf and not the hijaab because the hijaab must always fulfill the conditions.

So, the hijaab must cover the entire body. As we know, the scholars have differed over covering the face and hands. According to one group , it is waajib (obligatory) to also cover the face and hands. In this case the niqaab is also a part of the hijaab. It covers the face and sometimes the eyes.

Another group of scholars said it is mustahhab(highly recommended) that a Muslim woman covers her face. Either way, it is a virtuous act and may Allah reward the women who wear it for His sake and keep them firm.

2. The hijaab must be loose and not tight.

This is a very important rule. Sometimes we see sisters (may Allah forgive them and us) who wear maa sha Allah plain black abaaya but that is tight from the top and curvy from the waist and opens down. This shows the figure of the woman and this is not allowed. The point of the hijaab is for the woman to be dressed as a chaste,modest believing woman. The hijaab is not meant to attract people to the woman's body shape. This destroys the purpose of the hijaab my dear sister, so please avoid this.

3. The hijaab must not be decorated

As we mentioned, the hijaab is not meant to attract people. We should not wear shiny, glittery things on our hijaab or dress or skirt. Things that would bring us out or make us stand out.This is not to say that the hijaab must be dull colored and plain black. The hijaab can be any decent, non-attracting attention color but it should not be shiny and have decorations on it.

4. The hijaab must be long 

Some sisters wear short skirts or abayas even though these skirts or abayas may be plain and not decorative. The prophet (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said "all of a woman is awrah." Awrah means something that is to be covered like the private parts. My dear sisters it is mandatory that we learn our deen and seek knowledge. We were not created to merely go to school, work, and have fun. Our main purpose and goal in life is to worship Allah and to please Him.  If we do this, we will find all happiness and acquire a sense of blissful peace.

The feet of a woman are awrah as we know. Therefore, how can a sister cover her feet with socks yet wear a short skirt or abaya in which the skin of her legs or ankles are showing? The hijaab must be long enough to cover the feet. If the sister is wearing socks, the dress or skirt can be up to the ankle or a little past that. It doesnt have to be so long. If she can not find socks then she should make the dress or skirt is long enough that her feet are covered.  In any case the feet must be covered, this is the view of the majority of the scholars. The proof for this is from the hadeeth of Umm Salamah (radiyallahu anha).  Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan that Umm Salamah was asked about a woman who prayed in a khimaar and a dress. She replied, "There is nothing wrong with it if the dir' (chemise) covers her feet."  The hadeeth has been graded weak and strong by different scholars but the meaning is correct.  So we advice our sisters to make sure that their hijaab is long. The longer the better.

5. The hijaab must not be transparent

The hijaab as we said, must be thick and not show the figure of the woman. Similarly, it must not be thin in material that would make it see-through. This breaks the purpose of hijaab which is to cover the shape of the woman. The prophet (sala allahu alayhi wa sallam) said towards the end of time before the Day of Judgment, women will appear who will be dressed but naked(kaasiyaat 'aariyyaat).[refer. Hadeeth of Ibn Ummar, Sahih Muslim]

Wearing see-through clothing shows the woman's skin beneath her clothing although she is wearing actual clothing. This is definitely not hijaab and may Allah guide us all.

6. The hijaab must not resemble the clothing of the disbelievers

The hijaab must not be from the kuffar brands like we have nowadays CK, skinny jeans, etc. My dear sister, understand that the hijaab is a garment we as muslim women wear for the sake of Allah, not for people. The hijaab is meant to bring you closer to Allah, not to lead you to imitating the disbelievers. Remember the prophet (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said "whoever imitates a people is from among them." So we should make sure that we imitate the hijaab of the mothers of the believers and female companions. We dont need to "modernize" the hijaab. Allah has made it for all times! Its the best uniform for the muslim woman. Its what brings us closer together when we see one another in public. More importantly, its what brings us closer to ALLAH.

7. The hijaab must not be perfumed

Beware o female slave of Allah! This is very important my dear sister as it has become common nowadays. My dear sister if you are not aware of the issue now, please listen carefully. It is not permissible for a muslim woman to spray herself with perfume before she leaves her home. You may ask, "well what's the proof?"

A woman who smelt of perfume passed by Abu Hurayra (radiya allahu anhu) and was on her way to the masjid. So he said to her, "O slave-woman of the Compeller (yaa Amatul Jabbar)! Where are you headed?" she replied, "To the masjid." He said, " And have you put on perfume for that?" She replied, "yes." He said, " I heard the messenger of Allah say, "Any woman who puts on perfume then goes out to the masjid, no salah will be accepted from her until she takes a bath." [ Sunan Ibn Majah]

Finally, it all goes back to intention. Before you leave your home each and every moment, ask yourself the question, "Why am I wearing this?" and "Am I wearing this hijaab for the sake of Allah?" "is Allah azza wa jall pleased with what I am wearing?"These are important questions because they affect us.  These questions show you how much the hijaab means to you, how much Allah means to you. My dear sister, know that Islaam is meant to protect the muslim. The hijaab is not oppression to you, rather it is honor and dignity. The Muslim woman is the only and truly dignified woman on the face of the earth. When you do something for the sake of Allah, never think of it as a loss. It is actually a gain and a great benefit for you. All these women who walk about half naked are not like you. You are what is shining the street when you walk down that street in proper hijaab. Hijaab is becoming more strange and strange in these miserable times we are living in. It is a blessing for Allah to choose us to be the ones to revive it. Let the haters continue their false talk, they can never distinguish the light of Allah, al Islaam. Alhamdulillah more sisters are coming back to the truth. We thank Allah for Islaam and we always ask him for thabaat (firmness) bi-idhnillaah.

May Allah make us true believing chaste women and we ask Allah to keep us firm in our Islaam. May Allah help each and every sister and guide her to the proper hijaab. May Allah protect the muslim women all over the world who wear the hijaab for the sake of Allah.

A series of advices for believing women: Parents

~**Dealing with parents**~

Bismillah

Our parents. We love them, they love us- at least this is the case for most people. We share a mutual relationship with our parents. When we say parents nowadays in the western context, it almost seems like a business partnership and in most cases we fail to realize who it is we are arguing with or yelling at.

The status of parents has almost become diminished in our societies and the media has a great portion to do with it. So, who are our parents? Why have we lost so much respect for the two who brought us into this world and why have we failed to please them?

My sister in Islam, have you forgotten the high status Allah azza wa jall has granted our parents over others? Why do we treat our friends and companions more graciously than our parents?
We must know that Allah azza wa jall has not mentioned the order of tawheed or to worship Him alone in the Quran except that He immediately followed it with being dutiful to one's parents. Allah azza wa jall says,

"Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship) and do good to parents.." [Surah Al Nisaa':36]

Thus, being dutiful to one's parents is of the greatest deeds in Islam and comes with great reward. The Messenger of Allah (sala allahu alayhi wa sallam) was asked, "Which of the deeds is loved most by Allah?" He replied, "Salah at its fixed time."and then he was asked, "What next?" He replied, "Kindness to parents..."[Al Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Mas'ud hadeeth]

On the contrary, being 'aaq or disobedient and rude to one's parents is the from the four greatest major sins in Islam. The four greatest major sins have been reported to us in the following hadeeth:

Abu Bakrah ibn al Haarith (ra) narrated, The Messenger of Allah (sws) said, "Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the major sins?"The Messenger of Allah asked this question thrice! We said, "Yes O Messenger of Allah!" He said, "Al Shirku billah (ascribing partners to Allah in His worship), to be undutiful to one's parents." The Messenger of Allah sat up from his reclining position and said, "And I warn you against giving forged statement and a false testimony; I warn you against giving forged statement and a false testimony." The Messenger of Allah kept repeating that warning till we wished he would stop." [Al Bukhari and Muslim]

Therefore my dear sisters the issue is certainly not a light one. Allah in His infinite mercy knows the pain and emotions of the mother and the hardwork and stress both parents go through to work for and raise righteous children. How then do we repay them by being selfish and rude children.
 Allah has even taught us how to talk to our parents in His noble book.

We should not say the word "uff" or anything close to that. In our times, many teens tend to say similar words like "ugh,pfff, sheesh.." This may seem like it means nothing but to a parent, especially the mother, this word carries a lot of hurtful images and meaning. Let's turn to Allah in forgiveness everyday after our five daily prayers and sunnah/nafl prayers and ask for His forgiveness for the shortcomings we fall into that we may or may not be aware of.

Remember, if you forget something , there is always one who has not forgotten. We can never pay our parents back for the suffering and trouble they went through to raise us especially in such environments as ours. The least we can do is make duaa for them in our sujood and ask Allah to have mercy on them and to give them jannah. This is a lot. In fact making dua for one's parents is from the qualities of the early righteous.

Look at Ibraahim (AS). His father was Aazaar, the idol-worshipper who made it his custom to make and design the village idols. Ibraahim knew his father was on the wrong path and he clearly understand that it was incumbent on him to advice his father. Why? Because Allah tells us to save ourselves and  families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones!

In Surat Maryam, we are shown the etiquettes of approaching one's parents when one or either of them are indulged in wrong actions. Ibraahim approached his father in the most respectful way, yet he was given back the most harsh and offending reply an obedient child could bear. And yet after all the advice and da'wah to his parent, Ibraahim (AS) for a long time continued to make duaa for Him that Allah forgives him and guides him until Allah azza wa jall finally forbade him from doing so.

What would he say? Our father, Al Khaleel would supplicate to His lord, "And forgive my father, He is indeed among those who are lost." [Surah Shuara:86]

Just pay attention to the wording of the dua! If Ibraahim wanted, he could have cursed his father for rejecting Allah and mocking him! He could have made dua to Allah that Allah gives him a miraculous guidance to Islam. Instead he chose such beautiful dua of forgiveness for a man who clearly disowned him for choosing the right path.


So whenever we fall into a confrontation with our parents knowing that they are actually wrong, we should still contain ourselves and put ourselves in Ibraahim's shoes. We should avoid raising our voice at our parents, we should stay silent and let them finish what they have to say, and only then do we say our take. We should also never forget the power of dua!

Allah tells us many times in the Quran to call onto Him and to supplicate. We are even told that those who do not supplicate to Allah often are stingy and have a kind of arrogance. This is because as a human being, we are weak and not enough for ourselves. The one who created us is the only one who can relieve us of our distress and pain. So, why not call to Him and make duaa?!

Have we forgotten that Allah is the changer of the hearts, the hearts are in his hands an He (azza wa jall) turns them as He pleases. We should follow in the footsteps of the best of creation (sala Allahu alayhi wa sallam ) who would supplicate often, "Ya Muqallibal quloob thabbit qalbi 'ala deenik" meaning, "O turner of the hearts! Keep my heart firm on your religion." What an amazing, profounding dua. We should use this dua for ourselves and for our parents. If you are having a hard time convincing your parents of something, just make wudhu, pray 2 rak'ah salah and make dua to Allah in the middle of the night, when all are asleep and it is just you and Allah. Take that time to plead to Him and to ask Him for forgiveness and then for your needs. We should not be shy of Allah! This is what Allah wants from us. He wants us to cry and complain to Him as a child would to his mother.


We ask Allah to make us dutiful to our parents and to allow us to do that which pleases Him first and foremost. And peace and blessings upon the final Messenger.

A Blessed Land

A Blessed Land

A land so blessed you truly are
I wonder and dream of you from afar
I dream of walking over your golden-green land
Which many a prophet of Allah did once stand
Bilaad ash-Shaam! Oh place of purity and truth
Oh land of the glorious days of the believing youth
Oh land of Tawheed! That upright , true deen
Oh land of martyrs the greatest any man has seen
In you many pure blood was spilled 
But for a just cause were they killed
To you , Ibraahim and Lut did migrate
From the takbeers of Ibn al Waleed and alQa'qaa did your walls shake!
I hear your painful cries my beloved land 
To Allah only do I complain and raise my hand
I hear your cries yet I do not respond
So I ask my Lord, All Mighty to pardon me 
and fear not O Children of Dimashq for the morning of victory is but near dawn! You shall see!

-Muhibbatu-shaam 

The Sunnah is like the Ark of Nuh

Bismillaah,

It is reported that Imam Malik ibn Anas (rahimahullah), the imam of Darul Hijrah (Madinah) of his time, said:

"The sunnah is like the ark of Nuh (AS). Whoever goes on it is saved and whoever leaves it will drown." [Taareekh Baghdad: 3850]

What does it mean to say that the sunnah is like the ark of Nuh (Noah peace be upon him)? We should first look at the definition of this word, "sunnah."

Linguistically, sunnah means "the path/way that is to be followed."  According to the scholars of Aqeedah, sunnah means, " the guidance of the prophet, Islaam, the sharia of Muhammad."

The sunnah is what every muslim is required to follow. It is the guidance of Muhammad ibn Abdullah (sala Allahu alayhi wassalam). It is what corresponds with the book of Allah. It is among the sources of this great deen. We have the book of Allah, the Quran and second, the sunnah of His final prophet and messenger. Where can a person go without these two sources? True success lies in following the Quran and sunnah and being attached to these two. If we abandon the sunnah then we have also abandoned the Quran.

Allah azza wa jall says, "Say, obey Allah and obey the Messenger . Then if they turn away, Allah does not love the disbelievers." [Surah 3: 32]

Allah also says, " And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and be cautious; but if you turn back, then know that obligated on our messengers is only the clear delivery (of the message of Islam, Quran and sunnah)." [Surah 5:92]

The sunnah has its role in Islam. In fact, the sunnah is what explains the Quran for us. This is why we find many verses in the Quran where Allah is telling us to obey ALLAH and the MESSENGER. The sunnah is our guiding light. It is what brings us from the darknesses of ignorance , guiding us to worshipping the Almighty upon insight and knowledge.

Oh Muslim! Know that we are living in a strange era where the sunnah is looked down upon by people. A strange time is upon us in which those who follow the sunnah are seen as radicals, extremists and show-offs. Do not listen to these false claims and ignore the barking of the dogs. All they wish to see you is drown in the ocean of ignorance and falsehood as they are.  However, be wise and intelligent and stick to the anchor of this great ship of the sunnah.

Indeed, Allah's Messenger prophesied these tricky years we are living and advised us greatly.
"For surely, he lives from amongst you shall see much differing, so it is upon you to be upon my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided caliphs. Bite on to it with your back molar teeth..." [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi from the hadith of Irbadh ibn Saariyyah, saheeh by al Albani]

So there you have it. What are we to do in such miserable times where the sunnah is abandoned and people differ with one another regarding the religion? We are to follow the sunnah of our beloved and those who followed him in righteousness. We are to follow the path  of those who follow the sunnah even if we must go through a dark, scary forest. The tests are plenty but the fruits are sweet. We must ask Allah for firmness and steadfastness.

Remember those before you who were thrown in prisons for defending this great aspect of Islam, the sunnah. Remember the likes of Sufyan ath-Thawree, Imam Ahmad, Ibn Taymiyyah, and the rest. Remember your brethren who were killed for preserving what may seem to us a small act of the sunnah but was a great deal to people at the time.

Be proud of who you are my brother and sister. Realize the end is for the believers even though the tyrants and aggressors may detest it. The sunnah of Allah is what will be the final decree to come to pass and no creation can prevent this.

Those who convey the Message of Allah and fear Him, and fear none but Allah, and sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner.

Al Nahw al Waadih: LESSON 4

LESSON 4: الفاعل or The Do-er

Examples of Sentences:
 1. طار العصفور - The sparrow flew
 2. جرى الحصان - The horse ran
 3. لعب الولد - The boy played
 4.يعوم السمك - The fish is flowing(in the water)
 5. يلسع البعوض - The mosquito is biting
 6. تأكل البنت - The girl is eating

 All of the words above are examples of sentences and each sentence is made up of a FI3l (action) and an ISM (noun), and if we look in the first sentence for example, we see that the one who TAARA(flew) is the sparrow(al3usfur), and the one who JARA(ran) is the horse, and the one who LA3IBA(played) is the boy.

 So the sparrow is the one who did the act of flying and the horse is the one who did the act of running and so on.. And if we look at each ISM ( noun) , we find that the FI3L(verb) has perceded it.
EXAMPLE: طار العصفور. The verb(طار) is before the ISM(sparrow).

 We also find that the ISM in this case is MARFU3(ending with a dhamma).

EXAMPLES: al 3usfuru, alhisaanu, alwaladu, as-samaku, albu3udhu, albintu)

 القاعدة السابعة: الفاعل: إسمٌ مرفوعٌ تقدمه فعلٌ ، ودل على الذي فعل الفعل
  The Seventh Principle: ALFAA3il (The Doer): is an Ism(noun) that is marfu3( ending with dhamma) and has a fi3l(verb) proceeding it and it(the faa3il) shows the one who did the action.

تمرينات (some exercises for this lesson) ضع فاعلاً لكل فعل من الأفعال الأتي (Place a doer for each verb from the following verbs)
1. نبح - barked. EX: نبح القلب (THE DOG BARKED)
2. يضحك - laughing EX: يضحك محمد (MUHMMAD IS LAUGHING)
3. يبكي - crying EX:يبكي الولد (THE BOY IS CRYING)
4. نطح - burped EX: نطح سليمان (SULAYMAN BURPED)
5. يشرب - drinking EX: يشرب الطبيب كوب من ماء بارد (THE DOCTOR IS DRINKING A CUP OF COLD WATER)
6. عطس- sneezed EX: عطس موسى ثم حمد الله ( MUSA SNEEZED AND THEN HE PRAISED ALLAH)
7. سافر - travelled EX: سافر التاجر إلى بلده (THE BUSINESSMAN TRAVELLED TO HIS COUNTRY)
8. يركب -riding EX: يركب المقاتل فرسه (THE FIGHTER IS CLIMBING HIS HORSE)

  تمرين في الاعراب (an exercise in i3raab-the breaking down of grammar) 

EXAMPLE:
 حضر الغائب 1 meaning: "The absent one came."

 حضر - فعل ماض HADAR- Is a past tense verb

 الغائب - فاعل مرفوع ALGHAAEB - Is faa3il (do-er) that is marfu3 (ending with dhamma).

 2.يطير الذباب meaning: "The fly is flying"

 يطير - فعل مضارع YATEERU- Is a present tense verb

 الذباب- فاعل مرفوع ADh-Dhubaabu- Is faa3il (do-er) that is marfu3 (ending with dhamma).

 END OF LESSON 4