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

Al Nahw al Waadih: LESSON 3

Lesson 3 from the book An-Nahw al Waadih 

النحو الواضح الدرس الثالث : تقسيم الفعل بإعتبار زمنه Lesson 3 - Dividing the fi'l (verb) according to its time Examples from sentences.

 1- فعل الماضي THE PAST TENSE VERB 

Examples of sentences:

 1. جرى الكلب -the dog ran
 2. وقف الرجل - the man stood up
 3. ضاع الكتاب - the book was lost
 4. دقت الساعة - the clock rang
 5. جاءت البنت - the daughter came
 6.باضت الدجاجة - the hen laid the egg If we look at the sentences above , we see that all of them include an action taking place in a specific time.
All of the verbs highlighted above are in the past tense.

  القاعدة الرابعة : الفعل الماضي هو كل فعل يدل على حصول عمل في الزمن الماضي. 

THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE: Alfi'l almaadi (the past tense verb) is every verb that shows an action taking place in the past.(alzaman almaadi means the past time). 

2- الفعل المضارع THE PRESENT TENSE VERB

1. اغسل يدي - I am washing my hands
 2. ألبس ثيابي - I am putting my clothes on
 3.نلعب بالكرة - we are playing with the ball
 4.نمشي في الحقول - we are walking in the field
 5.ينبح الكلب - the dog is barking
 6. ينتبه الحارس - the guard is alert
 7.تأكل البنت - the girl is eating 8. تذبل الوردة - the rose is blossoming

 The highlighted verbs are all in the present tense or MUDAARI3. In arabic, the action and the person doing the action are put together. so for example in sentence 1 it says AGHSILU which means "I wash" or "I am washing" AGHSILU shows us washing taking place in the present time or the the future. The same for sentence 2, ALBASU THIYYABI "I wash my clothes or I am washing my clothes" shows us an action taking place in the present time (zaman al haadir) or in the mustaqbal(future )If we also look at each of the above sentences, we see that each fi3l(verb) at the start of the sentence begins with either a TAA, YAA, NUN, or HAMZA. تاءً ، ياءً، نوناً، همزة.

 These 4 huruf are known as "ahruf al mudaari'a" أحرف المضارعة

 For sentences 1 and 2 , AGHSILU and ALBASU both have the harf of hamza before them, this makes it singular. So it is one person talking. AGHSILU( I WASH) ALBASU ( I DRESS) For sentences 3 and 4, the NUN in the verbs NAL3AB and NAMSHI signify a group of people talking. SO the NUN corresponds to "WE" in ARABIC. NAMSHI(WE WALK) NAL3AB (WE PLAY) for sentences, 5 and 6, the YAA is talking about a male person. So in sentence 5, YANBAHU means HE IS BARKING and by the end of the sentence , we know who is barking. THE DOG(alkalb) In sentence 6, YANTABIHU means HE IS ALERT and we finish the sentence, we find out who is alert (THE GUARD, al haaris). And in sentences 7 and 8, the TAA is used for feminine terms, So the first sentences reads TA'KUL ALBINT which means (THE GIRL IS EATING). TA'KUL OR تأكل MEANS "SHE IS EATING" In sentence 8, TATHBUL or تذبل means "SHE IS BLOOMING or BLOSSOMING" and this is referring to the warda(the rose). which is a feminine term since it has the feminine TAA at the end.

  القاعدة الخامسة : الفعل المضارع هو كل فعل يدل على حصول عمل في الزمن الحاضر أو المستقبل ولا بد أن يكون مبدوءًا بحرف من أحرف المضارعة وهي الهمزة والنون والياء والتاء . 

THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE: THE PRESENT TENSE VERB IS EVERY VERB THAT SHOWS AN ACTION TAKING PLACE IN THE PRESENT TIME OR IN THE FUTURE AND IT IS NECESSARY THAT IT STARTS WITH ANY HARF OF THE HURUF OF THE PRESENT VERB WHICH ARE: THE ALIF HAMZA, NUN, YAA, AND TAA.

  3-الفعل الأمر THE IMPERATIVE VERB 

1. إلعب بالكرة - Play with the ball.
 2. أطعم قطك - Feed your cat.
 3. نظف ثيابك - Clean your clothes.
 4. نم مبكراً- Sleep early.
 5. تمهل في السير - Slow down in walking.
 6.أجد مضغ الطعام - Chew the food.

 The first words in the above sentences are all verbs(af3aal). because all of them are showing us that an act is taking place in a specific time. And if we look at the sentences we see that the mutakallim(one talking) is seeking something from the mukhaadib(one being talked to) here and is ordering him to do something in the future.For this reason, every verb from amongst these verbs is called "فعل أمر" OR ORDERING VERB(imperative)

  القاعدة السادسة : فعل الأمر هو كل فعل يطلب به حصول شيءٍ في الزمن المستقبل 

The Sixth Principle: The Fi3l al Amr (imperative, commanding verb) is every verb that demands an action to take place in the future.

Al Nahw al Waadih: LESSON 2

LESSON 2: Parts of a Sentence - أجزاء الجملة 

This lesson is telling us the categories of a basic sentence structure in the Arabic language.

 The examples of the sentences we shall use:

1. ركب إبراهيم الحصان - Ibraahim boarded the horse.
2. يداعب إسماعيل القط - Ismaaeel is playing the kitten.
3.يحصد الفلاح القمح - The farmer is harvesting the wheat.
4. تأكل الشاة فولاً وشعيرا - The sheep is eating grain(barley).
5. سمعت النصيحة - I listened to the advice.
6.يسطع النور في الحجرة - The light is entering (pouring in) the room.
7. تجري السفينة على الماء - The ship is sailing the water.
8.هل تحب السفر ؟ - Do you love travel?

We learned in the previous lesson that jumla mufeeda is made up of parts which are words(kalimaat). If we look at the above sentences and their meanings, we will find that Ibraahim, Ismaaeel, and the farmer are all words that name people(ashkaas, individuals). And the words; hisaan(horse), qidd(kitten), and shaat(sheep) are all words that name types of animals. and the words; qumh(wheat), fool, and sha'eer are all words that name type of nabaat(plants, etc), and the words; room(hujra), safeena(ship), and water name inanimate(nonliving) things. So each one of these words is an ism.

 And if we look at the other words such as; ركب، يداعب ، يحصد ، تأكل are all words that show us what is taking place in a specific time(zaman khaas), so RAKIBA(he went on) shows us an action taking place in the PAST tense.( this is known as fi3l maadi) , YUDA3IB(playing with) is a verb that is in the PRESENT tense(known as fi3l mudaari3).

 Finally, if we look at the words or expressions : في، على، وهل . FEE means, "in" ALA means "on or upon" and HAL means " do" These words are all HURUF or prepositions. If they are used alone, one will never get a complete understanding and therefore, these expressions are used with in the sentence and NEVER alone.

 PARTS of sentence are divided into 3 categories:

 إسم - كل لفظ يسمي به إنسان أو حيوان أو نبات أو جماد أو أي شيئ آخر

Meaning: ISM is a noun, which is every word that names a person, animal, plant, inanimate things or anything else of that sort.

فعل -كل لفظ يدل على حصول عمل في زمن خاص

Meaning: FI3l is every word that leads or shows an action taking place in a specific time(zaman khass)

 حرف - كل لفظ لا يظهر معناه إلا مع غيره

Meaning:  HARF means every lafdh (word, expression) whose meaning is not clear by itself. EX: feehi, 3ala, ilaa, min, bi, are HURUF(prepositions)

    القاعدة الثالثة : الكلمة ثلاثة أنواع : إسمٌ ، وفعلٌ وحرفٌ

The Third Principle:The kalima is of 3 types: 1. ism ( a noun) 2. fi3l ( a verb) 3. harf( a preposition)

  SOME EXERCISES (HOMEWORK): EXERCISE 1

اقرا الجمل الآتية وبين الأسماء التي تدل على أشخاص والتي تدل على حيوان والتي تدل على نبات والتي تدل على جماد

  Read the sentences and make clear the nouns that name people and the ones that name animals, and the ones that name plants and nonliving things.

 فريد يجري في الشارع - Fareed is running in the street.

 علي يركب الحمار -Ali is riding the donkey.

 يحب الولد البرتقال - The boy loves the orange.

 يحترق الحطب - The firewood is burning.

 الكلب ينام في البستان - The dog is sleeping in the garden.

 يتسلق الغلمان في الجبل - The boys are climbing the mountain.

 الثعلب يأكل الدجاج - The fox is eating the chicken.

 البستاني يجمع الأزهار - The gardener is collecting the flowers.

إفترس الذئب كبشاً - The wolf hunted a lamb.

 يسبح الأولاد في البحر - The boys are swimming in the ocean.

 الحديد يدوب في النار - The iron is melting in the fire.

 المداد في الدواة- The ink is in the inkstand.

Al Nahw al Waadih: LESSON 1

 LESSON 1 الجملة المفيدة 

 What is jumla mufeeda means a sentence with a complete meaning(in other words, a sentence can not really be a sentence unless it makes sense and has a complete meaning)

Examples from sentences:

 1- الْبُسْتَانُ جميلٌ which means "the garden is beautiful"
2- الشَّمْسُ طَالِعةٌ which means "the sun is rising"
3- شَمَّ عَلِيٌّ وَرْدَةً which means "Alee smelled the rose"
 4- قَطَفَ مُحَمَّدٌ زَهْرَةً which means "Muhammad picked a flower"
 5- يَعِيشُ السَّمكُ في الْمَاءِ which means "the fish lives in the water"
6- يَكْثُرُ النَّخِيلُ في مِصْرَ which means "the palm trees increase in Egypt"

  Explanation: If we look at the first example الْبُسْتَانُ جميلٌ, we find that it is composed of 2 words. One being الْبُسْتَانُ (the garden) and the other being جميلٌ (is beautiful). If we were to take just the first word (al bustaan), we would not have a complete understanding except a single word, which is not enough to carry on(the speech). The same goes for if we took the other word (jameel). However if we put these 2 words together, (al bustaanu jameel), then we would have a complete understanding of what is being said.

 Therefore, this is the jumla mufeeda. It is every sentence with a full, making-sense meaning.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE:  التركيب الذي يفيد فائدة تامة يسمى جملة مفيدة، ويسمى أيضًا كلامًا. الجملة المفيدة قد تتركب من كلمتين، وقد تتركب من أكثر، وكل كلمة فيها تعد جزءًا منها.

MEANING: 1. the words that make a complete meaning is called JUMLA MUFEEDA and is also called KALAM 2.the jumla mufeeda can be composed of 2 words or more, and each word in the jumla mufeeda is counted as part of it.

  Some exercises: (For vocabulary)

 اقرأ الجمل الآتية وبين الكلمات في كل واحدة منها: Read the sentences and make clear the meaning in each one.

1- السَّماءُ مُمْطرَةٌ - the sky is raining
 2- الْحَديقَة جميلة - the garden is beautiful(al hadeeqa is another word of bustaan)
3- يَنقطِعُ المطرُ - the rain has stopped
4- يَسِيرُ السَّحابُ - the clouds are moving
 5- تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ - the sun is rising
 6- تجِفُّ الْأَرْضُ - the earth is shaking
 7- الطَّائرُ فَوْقَ الشَّجرَةِ - the plane is above the tree
8- يقطِفُ علِيٌّ الْأَزهارَ - Ali is picking the flowers
 9- يَلْعَبُ الْغِلْمانُ بالْكُرَة - the boys are playing with the ball
 10- يَنْزِلُ المطَرُ مِنَ السَّماءِ - the rain is falling from the sky
11- تَسِيرُ السُّفُنُ في الْبحار - the ships are sailing the seas
12- يَشْتَدُّ الْبَرْدُ فَوْقَ الجبال - the cold is worsening above the mountains OR the cold above the mountains is worsening

Which sentences show a jumla mufeeda(sentence that makes sense and has complete meaning)??

 1- لَيْسَ الْجَوُّ - NO " The weather is not..."
This sentence is not a jumla mufeeda because we do not have a complete sentence

2- أَكلَ فريدٌ YES "Fareed ate" We have a complete meaning

3- القِطارُ سَريعٌ YES "The train is fast"

 4- إن اجْتهَدْتَ NO "If you work hard..." not complete

5- ليتَ الْمريض NO "The sick is not.."

 6- الثوْبُ نَظيفٌ YES "the garment is clean"

 7- الْكِتابُ الَّذِي NO "The book which.."

8- البنتُ المُتَعَلِّمة NO "The learning daughter.."

  Optional Homework: (4) اجعل كل مثال من الأمثلة الآتية جملة مفيدة بوضع كلمة ملائمة في المكان الخالي

Make each of these sentences a jumla mufeeda by placing a word in the middle that would make sense
 1- الْعُصْفُور .... الْقفَض meaning " The sparrow(bird)...cage" PLACE A WORD

 2- الْولدُ .... الْفَاكِهةَ "the boy...the fruit" PLACE A WORD

3- الثَّورُ ... الأَرض "The ox..the earth" PLACE A WORD

 4- الْولدُ الْمُهَذَّبُ ... "the well behaved boy..." ADD WORD

5- الحِذاءُ الضَّيِّقُ ... " The narrow(squishy) shoe..."

6- القمَرُ ... السَّماء "the moon...the sky" PLACE A WORD IN THE MIDDLE

 (5) ضع كل كلمة من الكلمات الآتية في جملة مفيدة مركبة من كلمتين:

PUT EACH OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS INTO A JUMLA MUFEEDA MADE UP OF 2 WORDS ONLY

 الحَديقة - THE GARDEN

 (EX: THE GARDEN IS BEAUTIFUL الْحَديقَة جميلة
 الشَّجرة- THE TREE

 الأَزهار - THE FLOWERS

 الشَّمْس - THE SUN

 (6) ضع كل كلمة من الكلمات الآتية في جملة مفيدة مركبة من أكثر من كلمتين:

 PUT EACH OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS INTO A JUMLA MUFEEDA MADE UP OF MORE THAN 2 WORDS

 الْماء - THE WATER

 الْفاكِهة -THE FRUIT

يَلْعَبُ - HE IS PLAYING

 EXAMPLE FOR يَلْعَبُ 

  يلعب محمد في البيت يَرْكَبُ  meaning, "Muhammad is playing in the house."

End of Lesson 1

The Youth in Islaam

The Youth in Islaam By Umm Abdullah 

 Ibraahim, the father of the prophets- Abul Anbiyaa'. The noble Messenger of Allah, who particularly introduced the concept of tawheed and hanifiyyah(the upright way) to the land of the Two Rivers(as they call it-Mesopotamia) . The greatest of the five greatest messengers(ulul 3azm min ar-rusul) according to some scholars like Ibn Kathir (rh). He was also known as Khaleel ar Rahmaan , the close companion of the Most Merciful. Indeed, this man was none other than Ibraahim (alayhissalam). The man whom Allah called a nation(ummah)! 

As Allah says,

{ إن إبراهيم كان أمة قانتا لله حنيفا ولم يك من المشركين } 

"Verily, Ibrahim (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), or a nation, obedient to Allah, Hanifa (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and those who joined partners with Allah). "[Surah al Nahl:120] 

 Ibraahim(AS) is one of the most spectacular figures in history;therefore, it is no wonder that he is 

revered not only by us, Muslims, but also by the Christians and Jews, although they have tampered 

with his image and life somewhat (within their books). It is quite interesting that these religions attribute monotheism to Ibraahim (Abraham in English). Ibraahim(AS) is a truly unique Messenger. He lived in a very strange era, but what he did is something an ordinary human without the help of Allah could never do. Ibraahim grew up in a society where kufr and shirk where rampant. He saw the worship of paganistic idols right and left. He saw animal sacrifices to these so called gods, who were in reality powerless and speechless carved stones. Ibraahim was such a great thinker although he was a mere teen, who could have ignored such thoughts of religion. He could've chosen to just enjoy his youth and life. NO. After thinking and watching, and watching and thinking, Ibraahim realized that surely this is not the right way and something clicked in him. Ibraahim was given these inspirations by Allah and his story is well-known by all; therefore, I will not go into the story of Al Haneef(The Upright, Man of Tawheed), Ibraahim (Alayhis-salam). However, what we need to understand and carefully think over is the strength and high station of one who believes in Allah, calls others to Him, and endures in the rough path ahead. What Ibraahim did was not easy, if some people may think so. Indeed, what He (AS) endured in the path of Allah was something that is an example for all youth and youngsters in today's day and age. Islaam has become the most unpopular subject in the world. In our day and age, the enemies are striking at the ummah from an internal and external point. Muslims have become subject to the western lifestyle of the disbelievers and many of us have given into the dhulm(oppression) and hawan(humiliation) of this time. We have forgotten who our ancestors were and we have forgotten to contemplate and ponder(at-tadaburr) in the stories Allah (SWT) has revealed to us in His noble Furqan(criterion). Ibraahim(AS) acted against his whole society and challenged them with regards to their belief system. SubhanAllah! Imagine this O reader! A young boy , who was perhaps 15 or 16 years of age did this! Allah (SWT ) says, concerning what the people of Ibraahim said about him,

{ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ }

 They said: "We heard a young man talking (against) them who is called Ibrahim (Abraham)."[Surah al Anbiyaa':60] 

 SubhanAllah!! Imagine this Oh fellow Muslim! He was a teenager and he challenged his whole nation, including his flesh and blood-his father! This just goes to show us how the youth were when they had tawheed and Islaam and what the youth have become without tawheed and by abandoning the Islamic practices. What a huge difference. Ibraahim (AS) knew very well what would be the consequences of his action when he went forth to break the idols of the temple;however, he took it upon himself to take the first steps in introducing the concept of tawheed to his people,regardless of the consequences and outcome. His father being at the top at the top of his list. Ibraahim(AS) was a very dutiful boy. He did not wish to fight with his father nor disobey him , but he knew that it was his responsibility to protect him from the fire.

 Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,

  وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِي عَنْكَ شَيْئًا يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي قَدْ جَاءَنِي مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِي أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطًا سَوِيًّا يَا أَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ عَصِيًّا يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنْتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ۖ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا قَالَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّا وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُو رَبِّي عَسَىٰ أَلَّا أَكُونَ بِدُعَاءِ رَبِّي شَقِيًّا 

"And mention in the Book (the Qur'an) Ibrahim (Abraham). Verily! He was a man of truth, a Prophet.When he said to his father: "O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything? "O my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I will guide you to a Straight Path."O my father! Worship not Shaitan (Satan). Verily! Shaitan (Satan) has been a rebel against the Most Beneficent (Allah). "O my father! Verily! I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent (Allah) overtake you, so that you become a companion of Shaitan (Satan) (in the Hell-fire)." [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi]He (the father) said: "Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim (Abraham)? If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you." Ibrahim (Abraham) said: "Peace be on you! I will ask Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto me, Ever Most Gracious. "And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah. And I shall call on my Lord; and I hope that I shall not be unblest in my invocation to my Lord."[Surah Maryam: 41-48] 

 In this dialogue, we see the beautiful mannerisms of Ibraahim(AS) and how he was with his father. We also see the harshness and roughness of his father, Aazar.Allah showed us the interesting dialogue of monotheism Ibraahim had with his father in Suratul Maryam, which shows Ibraahim (alayhi-ssalam) was indeed one who practiced birrul walidayn(being dutiful to one's parents). This also shows the seriousness of the issue of giving da'wah to one's family and that they come first. One should not rush to calling others to pray and fast when his or her own family are corrupt and disobeying Allah! Did not Allah ta'alla say, 

وأنذر عشيرتك الأقربين

"And warn your nearest kinsmen." [Surah alShu'ara: 214] 

 Oh Muslim! Oh believer in Allah and His oneness and in the Day of Recompense! Realize that the role of the young in Islaam is indeed a great one. Islaam is not and was not a deen that was established on its own. The youth are the ones who can make a society or corrupt it. We have a great role and responsibility  therefore, we should take this issue seriously. It is up to us and upon us to decide and change our situation. The era of our parents has passed, this is our era so let us wake up to the call of Allah azza wa jall.

Allah is calling you oh youth of Islaam to that which will bring us to life. Allah ta'alla says in His noble revelation:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

"O you who believe! Answer Allâh (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allâh comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered." [Surah al Anfaal: 24] The Quran and Sunnah are what give life to us. If we stick to these two sources, we are promised and assured guidance. Why then do we not turn to these two and stick to them? Do we not fear the Almighty's warning after the above mentioned ayah? {وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ}

"And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the good and the bad people), and know that Allâh is Severe in punishment."[ Surah al Anfaal: 25] We may wonder why is Allah punishing the entire ummah for the actions of some? This is to show us that we are one ummah and our victory and pain is one. We should guide one another to what is good and forbid one another from what is false and wrong. Only then, will Allah give us the victory we deserve.

May Allah use us for the victory of His deen! 

 And Allah knows best.

Let the Fear of Allah Remain!

بسم الله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله أما بعد

Fearing one's creator is an essential part of faith(emaan). Allah azza wa jall has not created us for any purpose other than His worship. This is as the ayah goes: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ 

And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). [surah adh-Dhariyaat:57]

 al Imam ibn Kathir (rh) says in the tafsir of this ayah: Meaning, `I, Allah, only created them so that I order them to worship Me, not that I need them.' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah, ﴿إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ﴾ (...except that they should worship Me.) meaning, "So that they worship Me, willingly or unwillingly.'' [Tafsir Quran al Adheem]

Therefore, it is mandatory on every sane human being to realize his or her purpose in life. We were not created for mere play.
Allah swt also says in His noble book:

  أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ 

"Did you think that We had created you in play, and that you would not be brought back to Us'' [alMu'minoon:115]

 So, there will be a final day , where we shall return to our Master and Creator. Ibn Kathir also mentions in the tafsir of this ayah: `Did you think that you were created in vain, with no purpose, with nothing required of you and no wisdom on Our part'? Or it was said that "in play'' meant to play and amuse yourselves, like the animals were created, who have no reward or punishment. But you were created to worship Allah and carry out His commands.' [Tafsir Quran al Adheem]

 So, O son of Adam, the matter is more than just living a life and enjoying it. You will meet your creator. It is only a person of right mind and yaqeen(certainty in Allah) who wonders and prepares for this great meeting. (the meeting between the creator and the creation). Many people say from their mouthes that they are muslims (ones who have submitted to Allah ta3alla) but when you say them one way or another, there are many contradictions that make you think is this person really a muslim?? Islam is different from the other religions. Our deen teaches us that there are conditions for one's emaan and islam to be correct and valid.

Firstly, Islam means to submit to the laws and commands of Allah, our creator, willingly. So, do we follow the commands of Allah and His orders or do we take our Islam for granted and just say we are muslims because our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were muslims?

Think about it , O servant of Allah! When we talk about emaan, we should pay attention even more. In the Quran , you will find that Allah swt mentions the word believers(mumineen, mu'minoon) , imaan(belief), many times. So, Allah is talking to those who have imaan(true faith and belief in Allah) and are truly believers. We must realize that not every Muslim is a mu'min. A muslim is one who has proclaimed the shahadatayn( testifies to the oneness of Allah and Muhammad saws as being the final messenger) and practices the basic tenets of Islam and imaan. This is a muslim. A muslim may fall into major sins and minor sins because the level of imaan is not that strong. Imaan as we know it, has many branches and it is the belief of Ahlussunah that emaan increases with good deeds and decreases with sins and disobedience. A mu'min is a muslim who completes the basics of Islam and adds to that and does not engage in the major sins.

Allah praises the mu'minoon in the Quran:

  قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ 

"Successful indeed are the believers." [Surah al Mu'minoon:1]

 One of the qualities of the mu'minoon is that they have taqwa of Allah swt. In Lisaan al Arab , the word taqwa means to have khawf(fear) of Allah. The believer fears Allah(has taqwa) and is constantly in a state of imaan and taqwa. The believer does not worship Allah on and off. We should abstain from this 2-face way How can we expect help and mercy from Allah if we turn away from him and constantly are in a state of taqwa.

Allah (SWT) does not accept the prayer of a heedless one(ghaafil). You must be sincere Oh Believer! You must know that you are dealing with an All-Forgiving, All-Wise one.

 Indeed, Allah's Messenger (SAWS) once pointed to his chest and said 3 times: "Taqwa is here.Taqwa is here. Taqwa is here." [Sahih Muslim]

 This means when the heart attains the fear of Allah subhanaah, then the limbs also take this beautiful concept and thus leading the body and mind to be at peace. Muslims are missing this concept of true taqwa(being consciousness of Allah). If people had taqwaa of Allah, the victory of Allah would already be upon us and there would not be so many problems in the ummah as there are today. Nowadays, people not only neglect the Quran and sunnah BUT expose their sin and brag about their sin. SubhanAllah, is there a worse crime!?

Did not the prophet(saws) say, "All of my nation will be forgiven except the mujaahireen.(Those who expose their sin and tell people after Allah has concealed it for them)." [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim] A few decades ago, young Muslims or Muslims who would smoke or drink would do so in secret. Now people have lost all shame and can careless what anyone thinks. But what is ironic and interesting is for some people to worry what someone else would think as they drink and commit evil, heinous deeds in private but how they fail to realize that nothing is hidden from Allah. Allah is watching their every deed , yet they do not bother to think if Allah is pleased with them or angered by their act. Who is more important, the creator or creation? The creator has the most right for you to stop doing what displeases Him. He is watching all that you do and on the day when the books are open and the records are read aloud, only then will you wake up.

Is it not wise to wake up now while you still have time?



Oh Allah help us. Indeed, there is no power and might except with Allah.

The Day we Lost Our Honor

THE DAY WE LOST...

  The Day we lost our honor was when the beloved nation of Muhammad(saws) deviated and forgot its well-guided sources.

 The Day we lost our honor and power was when the leaders of the ummah traded their deen for the dunyaa'.

The Day we lost our honor was when the Muslim lands were sold for the protection of the tyrannical, unjust claimants of our lands. 

 The Day we lost our power and honor was when the Muslim women deviated from the proper covering and hijaab and began to indulge in tabaruj(display of beauty , going out frequently).

  The Day we lost our honor was when the sunnah began to become so unpracticed among the muslims(our parents and grandparents) that one who practiced the sunnah was looked down upon and declared, "Wahhabi" and "extremist." Since when is someone who follows the sunnah extreme? 

 The Day we lost our honor was when our scholars and people of knowledge kept quiet from the matters of the ummah.

  The Day we lost our honor and strength was when the ummmah forgot about the Hereafter and indulged in this world and its affairs.

 The Day we lost our izzah(honor) was when we gave the authority of the ummah to those unfit(ruwaybiddah).

  The Day we lost our honor was when the ummah let down their sisters, the chaste women(afeefaat) and allowed them to be arrested and violated all over the world. 

 Until when Oh Muslims? Until when?

The Characteristics of The True Scholars

Who are the scholars and what defines a scholar? Is it a government or a regime that defines who is an 'aalim ? The Most High has already defined for us who is an 'aalim and the qualities of this category of people. The first quality of a true scholar is known for:


1. Having Fear of Allah

Allah azza wa jall says:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

meaning: 

 It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.[AlFaatir:28]

Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah says about this ayah: 

"And this shows that each one who fears Allah is an 'aalim(person of knowledge,scholar) and this is true, and it(the ayah) is not proof that every scholar or person of knowledge fears Allah!" ["Majmoo' al Fataawa" 7/539. See also "Tafseer al Baydhaawi" 4/418 and "Fath al Qadeer"4/494]

Ibn Katheer says: " only those who have knowledge truly fear Him as He should be feared, because the more they know about the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing Who has the most perfect attributes and is described with the most beautiful Names, the more they will fear Him"

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah:(It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.) those who know that Allah is able to do all things. Ibn `Abbas said, "The one among His servants who knows about Ar-Rahman, is the one who does not associate anything in worship with Him; the one who accepts as lawful that which He has permitted and accepts as unlawful that which He has prohibited. He obeys His commands and is certain that he will meet Him and be brought to account for his deeds. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Fear is what stands between you and disobeying Allah, may He be glorified.'' 

It is also reported that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) said: "Knowledge is not from narrating much ahadeeth, but true knowledge is on fearing Allah."

We also need to understand that there is a clear distinction between the scholars of the Salaf and those of the Khalaf. Salaf meaning earlier generations, the best generations in this ummah(the sahaba, tabi'een and followers of the tabi'een). These were the best and it is an obligation upon us to follow them , for Allah preferred them and was pleased with them as He said in His noble book. As for the KHALAF, then this term refers to the generations after them until our times. And indeed it has been said; 

 كل خير في إتباع من سلف وكل شر في إبتداع من خلف 

It actually means, " All good is in following the Salaf and all evil is in an innovation from one after(khalaf)." 

Therefore, it is incumbent on the believer to stick to the path of the pious predecessors before us and not incline towards the khalaf. Although the khalaf had good and bad among them, we are still to refrain from over-extolling them and blind following them. The only one whom we are obligated to blind follow (do taqleed on) is Muhammad(sala Allahu alayhi wassallam). 

2. Not Hiding the truth regardless the blame of the blamers

Allah says:

 وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَـقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ

Meaning:

(And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad  and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it, but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they bought.[Surah Aali Imraan:187]

Ibn Kathir says in his tafsir of the ayah, In this Ayah, Allah chastises the People of the Scriptures, from whom Allah took the covenant by the words of their Prophets, that they would believe in Muhammad and describe him to the people, so that they would recognize and follow him when Allah sent him. However, they hid this truth and preferred the the small amounts and the material gains instead of the rewards of this life and the Hereafter that they were promised. This is a losing deal and a failing trade, indeed.

These Ayat also contain a warning for the scholars not to imitate their behavior, so that they do not suffer the same fate and become like them. Therefore, the scholars are required to spread the beneficial knowledge that they have, encouraging the various righteous good deeds. They are also warned against hiding any part of their knowledge.

 3.Firmness in The Battlefield and  patience in times of calamities

The proof for this in the words of Allah ta'ala:

 وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِىٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّـبِرِينَ - وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ ربَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِى أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَـفِرِينَ - فَـْاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ 

Meaning:

And many a Prophet (i.e. many from amongst the Prophets) fought (in Allah's Cause) and along with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah's Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).And they said nothing but: "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions (in keeping our duties to You), establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk." So Allah gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves Al-Muhsinun.[Aal Imraan: 146-148]

ـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Oh you who believe! Endure and be more patient(with your enemy), and fear Allah, so that you may be successful. [Surah Aali Imraan: 200]

4. Enjoining the Good and Forbid the Evil

لَوْلاَ يَنْهَـهُمُ الرَّبَّـنِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحْبَارُ عَن قَوْلِهِمُ الإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ

Meaning:

Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.[Surah al Maaidah:63]

5.Ruling with the Shariah and endorsing and calling to it

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالاْحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآء فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِـئَايَـتِى ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَـفِرُونَ

Meaning: 

Verily, We did send down the Taurah (Torah) [to Musa (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's Will, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Taurah (Torah) after those Prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kafirun(i.e. disbelievers - of a lesser degree as they do not act on Allah's Laws ).[Surah al Maaidah: 44]

If we see the Quran, especially in these ayaat in the Surahs of Aal Imraan, alNisaa', al Maaidah, and al A'raaf, Allah speaks about the Bani Israael and criticized them on certain things such as; their distorting the words of Allah in the Injeel(Gospel) and Tawrah(Torah), the killing of their prophets( It is said at one point, they received more than 70 prophets and would kill one prophet after another), their indulgence in Ribaa'(usury , interest),and more. Allah ta'ala specifically told us about their scholars -corrupt scholars of course , who would sell the words of Allah for a cheap price. These scholars would twist the ahkaam(rulings) and the Tawrah and the Injeel to suit their desires and that of the rulers of the time(The Romans). And indeed they were the ones behind the plot to kill the Masih(Messiah),  Esa the son of Maryam (alayhissalam). These scholars knew what they were doing was wrong, yet they used the book of Allah to twist the verses, to suit their whims and desires. They feared the creation and turned away from the remembrance and fear of the Creator. 

These ayaat , although Allah was speaking of the scholar of the people of the book and their priests and rabbis, they also apply to the scholars of the ummah of Muhammad(salAllahu alayhi wassallam) and in these ayaat, Allah warns us that if we follow in their footsteps, we will meet a worse or similar fate ie, the punishment of Allah ta'alla in this world and in the next.

6. Guiding the Ummah upon the Haqq(truth) in times of Fitan(trials and tribulations) and not staying quiet or misleading the masses, but instead guiding them.

Allah says:

وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّـنِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

On the contrary (he would say): "Be you Rabbaniyun (learned men of religion who practise what they know and also preach others), because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it."[Surah Aal Imraan: 79]

Ibn Abbas said in the tafsir of "koonu rabaniyeen" that this means  to be wise and fuqahaa'.  Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Jarir alTabari also said something similar. 

So, the 'aalim is the one who educates the ummah on their basic obligations and guides them in their lives. The 'aalim does not shut himself from the people and keep his 'ilm to himself. The Messenger of Allah said:

(Whoever was asked about knowledge that he knew but did not disclose it, will be tied with a bridle made of fire on the Day of Resurrection.)

.(reference: hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al Aas which has been graded hasan, al Haakim also graded it sahih following the conditions of alBukhari and Muslim) 

The 'ulama are to be at the forefront of the battle, confronting the fitnah with their knowledge that Allah has blessed them with. That is why the Messenger of Allah (salaAllahu alayhi wassallam) said, "Fight against the polytheists with your wealth, selves, and tongues(speech, words,)." [Musnad Ahmad]

The greatest jihaad is to speak a word of truth in front of a corrupt , tyrant. This is what our early predecessors did. They did not perch next to the people of authority and watch them do as they please. No! They advised them, warned them, and fulfilled their duties as scholars, teachers, and advisers.

7. Not selling the words of Allah and the truth out of cowardice, fear or based on desires. 

Allah ta'alla tells us a story in Surah al A'raaf, which is the seventh chapter of the Quran. This story is about a man who  was a scholar of Bani Israai,, whose name was Bal'am(Ibn Kathir on the tafsir of the ayah from Ibn Abbas). This man saw the miracles of Allah, but turned his back on them and followed his desires.

 وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Meaning: 

 And recite (O Muhammad ) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away, so Shaitan (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people who reject Our Ayat(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.[Surah al A'raaf:175-176]

This was someone who Allah had given the knowledge of His ayaat, and what did he do? He turned his back on them after he saw the dunyaa and it appeased him.So, Allah(swt) compared him to a dog! For indeed, the dog lolls his tongue out in both situations, whether you drive him away or let him be! He sat with the evil corrupt rulers and their wealth and luxury blinded him from the truth and led him to abandon the truth. He clung to this world. This is what clinging to the material world does to people. It blinds them and leads them to loss. So, the believers need to beware of clinging to the Earth and specifically, the scholars because they are the ones looked at and followed. If they go astray, masses of people (laymen) will follow suit. And there is no might and power except with Allah.

We ask Allah to preserve the righteous scholars of the ummah and to keep them firm on the truth. And we ask Allah to expose the falsifiers and those in disguise as scholars , who harm the ummah greatly with their false fataawa and words.

Be FIRM on What Allaah Loves!

BE FIRM ON WHAT ALLAH LOVES!

Ibraaheem al-Harbee said, "I heard Ahmad (Ibn Hanbal) say,

‘If you love that Allaah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself'.” [al-Aadaabush-Shar’iyyah (2/31) by Ibn Muflih]

 These were the words of the great scholar, the Imam(leader) of AhlulSunnah wal Jama3ah. The man who stood up to one of the greatest trials to be released upon this nation. It was none other than the fitna of the issue of "The Creation of the Quran" which was being spread like wildfire by the Mu'tazilah(one of the evil misguided sects). So, who was this great giant of Islam who stood up for the truth he believed in? 

He was none other than Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Anyone who reads the biography of this man will have to admire him and what he went through. He was a man who sacrificed his life and everything he loved in order to please Allah Almighty and not the Creation.

 We should all realize that Islaam is not a deen built on "I love" only. The truth requires much more than just lip-service, because everyone and anyone can say I love, but the real deal is to prove that love with your actions.
 Imam Ahmad paid a hefty price for standing up for Islam at a time when scholars were giving into the false words of the Mu'tazilah that the Qur'an is created and not Allah's kalaam(contrary to the belief of Ahlulsunnah). Imam Ahmad saw his companions give in and surrender to the fitna and these were the companions of Imam Ahmad we are talking about.

Al Islaam is not just any religion, it is not a way of life. It is THE ONLY WAY of life which is recognized by the Creator. Let us learn to appreciate this way and milla of the Hunafaa(Upright Ones). This path of love and truth in which many sacrificed their lives and wealth for. Prophets and Messengers were reviled, mocked , and killed by their own people  because of it. The sahaba spilled their blood because of it.

The true and sincere believer is always on guard and worried if his deeds are even accepted by Allah. The companions use to worry about this, so how can we, being in the miserable state we are in now(as an ummah) be so confident? Allah ta'ala says:

 Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers. [ Surah al A'raaf:99]

  We should try our best to fear Allah and abstain from the Haraam. Strive to practice your Deen and always put it first and foremost before your dunya affairs.