LANALLAH Islamic BlogZine

2008-10-26T12:55:00.001+02:00

Says who?

by Bint Abdul Khaliq

Brother,You cant grow a beard
You?ll be mocked at and jeered
You?ll be looked at as weird
You?ll be avoided and feared
Says who?

Sister,you cant wear that veil
You?ll look like a whale
Subjugated to the male
In society you will fail
Says who?

Brother, go and talk to her
She has so much to offer
How else will you find a partner?
Quick! Get her number!
Says who?

Sister, keep your gaze high
No need to be shy
You gotta find the perfect guy
With whom your heart will lie
Says who?

Brother,You don?t have to pray
The Masjid is too far away
It?s for the old guys anyway
You?ll get there one day
Says who?

Sister,ignore the azaan
You favourite program is on
So many prayers have already gone
Just forget it and carry on
Says who?

To enter hell he will be the first
Of creation he is the worst
To lead man astray is his thirst
He is shaitaan the cursed
That's who.

ABC of Parenting

2008-01-14T18:00:00.000+02:00

ABC of Parenting

Always trust your children to Allah's care.

Bring them to the Masaajids.

Challenge them to high goals In deen.

Delight in their achievements "Masha`Allah"

Exalt Allah in their presence "Subhaan`Allah"

Frown on evil " Astaghfirullah"

Give them love and understanding

Hear their problems, be there for them.

Ignore not their childish fears, tel them Allah is Always there.

Joyfully accept their apologies, Allah is All Forgiving.

Keep their confidence.

Live a good example before them, Islamic ettiquettes.

Make them your friends.

Never ignore their endless questions!

Open your heart to their love.

Pray for them by name, ...May Allah make them the coolness of your eyes.

Quicken your interest in their spirituality, Dhikrullah (rememberance of Allah)

Remember their needs, show mercy to them

Show them the way of Our Prophet Muhammad and his companions. (peace be upon them All)

Teach them to appreciate every little in life. "Alhamdulillah"

Understand they are still young and Innocent. "Fitrah"

Verify your statements, speak clearly (Repeat it 3 times) like the way Prophet Muhammad {peace be upon him} used to.

Wean them from bad company.

X eXpect them to obey, Allah and their parents,

Yearn for Allah's best for them.

Zealously guide them in the Qur'aan and Sunnah.
Insha'Allah Ameen ya Rabbul `alameen

Courtesy: http://www.everymuslim.net/

A brilliant explanation of “thoughts” by Ibn Qayyim Imam Ibn Qayyim

2007-12-04T09:41:00.000+02:00

Ibn Qayyim (May Allah have mercy upon him) has written a very fine and valuable words on “thoughts”. How correct and appropriate they are! You should ponder over these words of his, try to understand them and memorize them because of their value. I am quoting them for you - despite their lengthiness - with a good hope that you would ponder over them. In them there is good for you in your religious and worldly life.

He says: “You should repulse a thought. If you do not do so, it will develop into a desire. You should therefore wage war against it. If you do not do so, it will become a resolution and firm intention. If you do not repulse this, it will develop into a deed. If you do not make up for it by doing the opposite thereof [the opposite of that evil deed], it will become a habit. It will then be very difficult for you to give it up”

“You should know that the initial stage of every knowledge that is within your choice is your thoughts and notions. These thoughts and notions lead you into fantasies. These fantasies lead towards the will and desire to carry out [those fantasies]. These wills and desires demand the act should be committed. Repeatedly committing these acts cause them to become a habit. So the goodness of these stages lies in the goodness of thoughts and notions, and the wickedness of these thoughts lies in the wickedness of thoughts and notions.” [Al Fawaid, Ibn Qayyim]

In the Sight of ALLAH

2007-11-30T00:02:00.000+02:00

Ml Yunus Patel Saab (D.B)

Sometimes, the poor person who lives in a hut is far superior in the sight of Allah than the one who has millions in his possession. Sometimes the person who has got millions and who possesses assets and properties to tremendous value acquires excellence by Allah.

A person can even be a King, and in the eye of Allah Ta’ala this person is also His Wali. It may well be that that poor person, who is living in a hut, is indulging in zina (adultery), stealing, gambling and other Haraam (forbidden) deeds and therefore, although poor, he is not a Wali of Allah.
The person who is fulfilling the rights of Allah Ta’ala and the rights of His creation, spending in the causes of Deen and earning his livelihood in a Halaal way has much esteem in the eye of Allah.

Allah Ta’ala states in the Qur`aan Sharief :“…Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you...” . [Surah Hujurat 49 : 13]

Allah Ta’ala does not base superiority and esteem on the number of degrees or the amount of wealth or properties a person may have. Neither does beauty, physique or gender contribute to a person’s esteem in the eye of Allah.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) had said :

“Verily Allah does not look towards your faces, or towards your riches; but He sees (the sincerity of) your hearts, and the nature of your deeds.”

The criterion which Allah Ta’ala goes by is how much of submission and obedience is to be found in a person’s life and how much of love for Allah and Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is to be found in his heart. The discrimination is based on Taqwa.

It will only be on the Day of Qiyaamah that we will find out as to who was afdhal (most virtuous).

There will be many people, who in this world were recognized as pious and righteous but in the eye of Allah, they held no esteem. Why? Sometimes this is due to insincerity, or perhaps due to kibr (pride), ujub (vanity) and riyaa (show) or perhaps the person carried out his duties in an ignorant manner. Due to this, his actions do not find favour and acceptance with Allah Ta’ala. (May Allah Ta’ala protect us from all such weaknesses.)

Maulana Sayed Sulaiman Nadvi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) used to say:

Whether we live like this

Or live like that,

What is left to be seen

Is how our stay there will be.

No matter what people call us in this world, we still have to await the Day of Qiyaamah to know our worth by ALLAH.

Why would Allah forgive a big sinner like me?

2007-11-13T18:12:00.000+02:00

Why would Allah forgive a big sinner like me?

lt is reported by a trustworthy man of the past that as he was passing through a street he saw the door of a house open. A woman came out with a child who was crying and pleading while she was pushing him out. She left him outside the house and slammed the door shut in his face. The child left the door and walked a distance. Then he stopped, looked about, began to think, and not finding any other place but his own house where he could take shelter nor anyone who would care for him as his mother would, he returned to his house dejected, sad. He found the door shut. He sat at the sill, put his cheek on the threshold and slept with tear marks on his cheeks. He was in this state when the mother opened the door. When she saw him in this state she could not control herself. She bent down, grabbed him to her bosom, began to kiss him and say in tears: "Oh my boy! My dear child! My very soul! Where were you? Didn't I tell you not to disobey me? Do my bidding, and don't force me to punish you, while I hate to do that." Then she carried the child back and closed the door behind her.

That is the story of a mother and a child: the story of disobedience, punishment, return, forgiveness and unbound love. But the Prophet, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, has told us that: "Allah loves His creation more than a woman does her child." In fact, there is no comparison between the love of a mother for her child and that of Allah whose Mercy encompasses everything. Allah, azza wa jall, is immensely pleased with a man when he repents and turns to Him. And we shall never be deprived of anything by a Lord who is more pleased with the repenting man, than that man..

"..who was traveling through an arid land. He dismounted and took shelter under a tree seeking some rest. He lay there with his beast, loaded with food and water, at his side. But when he awoke, lo! The beast was gone! He began to search for it frantically. He climbed a hill but couldn't see a trace of it. He climbed another hill and still no trace of it. Finally, when hunger and thirst overtook him, he said, 'Let me go back to the tree, and lay down there until death overtakes me.' So he went back to the tree, and lay there with eyes closed - in total despair. And lo! As he opened his eyes and raised his head, there the beast was, right before his very eyes, with all the food and water loaded on it intact! He rushed to it and picked up its halter. (Can you imagine his happiness) But lo! Allah is happier with a man when he turns to Him seeking His forgiveness, than the man who found his beast when he had lost all hopes."

Know it, my dear brother, that true repentance of every sin also brings with it humility and devotion to Allah, and that pleading of a penitent is very dear to Allah. So that what follows after repentance is obedience of a greater degree to the extent that sometimes Satan regrets that he enticed him into that sin at all. That is why you will see that those who repent become very much changed personalities.

Allah does not abandon a man who comes to Him a penitent. Compare the situation with that of a father who used to look after his son with great love and care, providing him with the best of clothing, food and toys. Then one day the father sent him on an errand. But, as the boy was walking an enemy took hold of him, tied him and carried him away to the land of the enemies. There his master treated him exactly in the opposite manner. So that whenever the boy remembered his father and his treatment, his eyes swelled with tears, and the heart with pain. He was in this condition of ill-treatment at the hands of his enemies, when their caravan happened to pass by his father's place again. As he looked around he found his father standing nearby. He ran to him and threw himself at him crying "My father! My very father!". His master followed him and was trying to pull him away, but the boy clung to his father, refusing to let him go. What do you think of this father? Do you think he will abandon him to the enemy, refusing to take back the child? If not, then what is your opinion of the Lord whose love of His creation is greater than the love of a father for his child? When a slave of His runs away from his enemies, and throws himself at the threshold of His door, rolling down in dust before him, saying: "O my Lord! Have mercy upon him who has no one to show Mercy save You, no Helper save you, no refuge save You, no Savior save You, I am Your slave, in Your need, dependent on You, beggar at Your door, You are the refuge, with You is the shelter, there is refuge but with You, nor escape from You except to You" then surely the Lord is not going to turn him back empty handed.

Come along then. On to the good deeds, to virtuous living, in the company of the righteous, steering yourself safe from deviations after the right direction, and misguidance after guidance. And Allah is with you.

Going with the FLOW

2007-11-07T10:26:00.000+02:00

A story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived."

People's reactions to this story:

"You have to accommodate yourself to life and get used to dealing with your problems as they come. You must learn to cooperate."

"We must adapt to nature. Nature cannot change for us. If you try to fight the natural forces, they will overcome you. Because we are made primarily of water, it is easy to become a part of it."

"Because nature is so much more powerful than we are, we must become one with it in order to survive."
"Humans are not the almighty conquerors that they think they are. We can learn a lot from nature. Nature is wonderful and does not intend to harm. It is humans that are harmful."

"Work with what life gives you and you will survive." "Put your life into Allah's hands and you will be OK."

"Although you may not be able to control your destiny, you always have the ability to think and reason about your situation. This will help you come out on top."

11 pieces of advice to help in winning hearts

2007-10-24T11:09:00.000+02:00

Smile:

Smiling is a virtuous action and is regarded as and alms-giving as is mentioned in a hadith “Smiling at your brother’s face is as charity (Sadaqa)”. Abdullah ibn al Harith tells us about the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying that he had never seen someone smile at the other’s face as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to do.

Be always the one who initiates greetings:

The needed skills are the hearty smile, the warm shaking of hands and the friendly welcoming to the other. Being successfully achieved, such kinds of skills are going to be rewarded, referring to the hadith: “In greetings, the better is he who initiates greeting the other”.

Umar al Nadi tells us that he went out once with Umar ibn al Khattab’s son. While walking, he found him saluting all whom he met, whether being old or young. Al Hasan al-Basri also said “Shaking hands strengthens brotherhood feelings”. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said “Do not ever waste your good deeds, even by meeting your brother with a frowning face.” He said also “Shaking hands removes hatred and exchanging presents enhances love and ends enmity”.

The Presents:

It has a strange charming affection that captivates all senses. Hence, exchanging presents and gifts in different occasions is a pleasant habit however gifts should be within one’s tolerable expenses. Ibrahim al Zahri tells us about his father saying “ My father got a sum of money as a reward , in due , he asked me to send donations to his family members and friends . As we were about to finish, he asked me “Have we missed any one?” I answered “No!” He said “I think that we did.” He continued ”We have missed someone whose welcome to me was really warm. Would you please send him this sum of money?” Look how he loved the man and wished to reward him for his warm welcome.

Be silent….speak in what benefits.

Loud voice and chattering are bad merits. You have to be sweet-worded, tender in expressing yourself. Concerning this merit, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “The good word is a charity (is a Sadaqa).” If the good word has its own magic in winning the hearts of your enemies how powerfully it would work then with your brothers’ hearts!!

Be a good listener:

It is to listen patiently and never interrupt the speaker, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) never interrupted a speaker till he ended his speech. And he who fights for this merit gains others love and admiration, whilst on the contrary is the one who chatters and interrupts the other. Atta` tells us about how he behaves concerning this merit and says “When someone speaks to me , I listen to him as if it is the first time I have heard this subject, though I have heard it thousands of times before.

Appearance and dressing:

You have to be careful with your appearance so as to be neat, well –dressed and sweet smelling as well. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says that Allah loves beauty to be in every thing. Umar Ibn Al Khattab said also “I like the young man who is sweetly perfumed and cleanly dressed.” Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal tells us about his father saying “ I’ve never seen some one who is as caring to the cleanliness of his dress , his hair , his moustache and other undesirable body hair as Ahmad Ibn Hanbal used to do”

Being in others favor and helping them:

Good treatment classifies you as an obedient, beloved slave of Allah as the Prophet (peace be upon him) Muhammad says “The more you are in favor of others, the more you are beloved by Allah” as Allah says in the Quran “And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good” (Al-Baqarah: 195)

Being Generous:

Offering money is the key for most of the closed doors that hinder you from reaching others hearts, especially in these days. Now I will tell you a story about the magic of the merit of generosity.

In the conquest of Makkah, there was a man called “Safwan Ibn Umia”. That man ran away after making all possible means in keeping the people of Islam and after making conspiracies to kill the Prophet (peace be upon him). Later on, the Prophet (peace be upon him) forgave him and he came back asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) to give him the time of two months to think about Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “You can take four months, not just two”. In spite of being an atheist, he accompanied the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Hunain and Al Ta’if conquests.

In Al Ta`if, while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was dividing the booties of the war, he noticed that man looking longingly to a vast land in which a large number of cattle were flocking. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him “Do you like it?” The man eagerly answered “Yes.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “It is for you then.” Safwan said “Only a prophet could behave as generously as you have to me. I believe that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His prophet.”

Notice how the Prophet (peace be upon him) found the missing key and succeeded in moving his heart. Some people behave stingily as if they see the ghost of poverty waiting to attack them once they think about being generous in offering money.
To have a good opinion of others andto give them an excuse :

Keeping an eye on others behavior is a bad merit that blocks your way to their hearts. On the contrary is to have a good opinion of them. So, try hard to give your brothers the excuse as much as you can. Concerning this merit, Ibn Al Mubarak says also “The believer is he who gives his brothers the excuse , and the hypocrite is he who seeks their slips.”

Express your feelings… instantly:

If you loved someone, or felt good feelings about him, don’t wait, just tell him at once. Regarding this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “ If you felt the brotherly love of Islam towards any ,you should immediately go and tell him about your feelings.” He added “It is the way relations are to be strongly indicated”.

Such love is to be blessed by Allah if it is for Allah’s sake, not for any other personal affairs such as seeking high position, money, fame etc…. Unless this love is for Allah’s sake, it is a fruitless kind of brotherhood then. When they meet each other on the Day of Judgement, they are not brothers any more but enemies, as Allah says in the Quran “ Friends on that Day will be foes, one to another; except the Righteous.” (Az-Zukhruf: 67)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) says “A man is in the company of whom he loved.” By this he means that on the Day of Judgment, a person will be with whom he loved. So, we have to choose then between two kinds of societies, one is in enmity and the other is a kind brotherly one. Hence, we find that the Prophet (peace be upon him) associated the Makkan immigrants and the Medinan followers as brothers.

It was a rare kind of brotherhood that even two brothers were to be buried together in one grave after being martyred in the conquests. Means of brotherhood was always being indicated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as he says “You are not allowed to enter heaven till you believe in Allah and you will not be true believers unless you love each other. Shall I tell you something to do that indicates love between you? It is to spread salutation of Peace among you.”

The pity is that people are always either cruelly and harshly treating each other or extremely tender that they adore each other. Actually, it is a matter of striking a balance between heart and mind, something that differs according to the difference of characters and circumstances. It is absolutely a blessing given by Allah.

Sociability:

It is the art of being social. Here, a kind of misconception could exist between sociability and hypocrisy. Could you differentiate between the two meanings?
The Prophet (peace be upon him)’s wife, Aisha said “A man came to visit us, but to my surprise, once the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw him, he said “O…that ill- mannered man”, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) changed completely once he sat with him. He welcomed the man warmly, smiling in his face. When the man left, I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about what had surprised me; how he considered this man as being bad, and how he talked to him in such warmth? The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered “Have you ever seen me behaving as a hypocrite?”

He added “In the Day of Judgement, the worst degrees are for those whom people deserted for being mistreated by them.”
Al Qurtubi differentiates between hypocrisy and sociability, regarding sociability as a desirable legal behavior, saying that sociability means sacrificing the worldly affairs for the sake of improving either life on earth or religion, or so as to improve both, while hypocrisy aims at sacrificing religion for the sake of the worldly affairs.
Hence, being sociable for ill-mannered people is aiming to achieve two purposes:
Firstly, to avoid being mistreated by them.
Secondly, being good to them could be guidance for them to step the right way. To be sociable, means to be tender, smiling, praising to the other, intending in the meantime a legal benefit. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says “Being sociable, is as alms-giving.”

Compiled edited and adapted by Khalid Latif

Courtesy: www.everymuslim.net

The Month of Sha'ban: A Preparation for Ramadaan

2007-08-21T21:17:00.000+01:00

Adapted from an article by Mufti Taqi Uthmani Sahib (DB)

Usamah ibn Zaid reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha'ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad, replied: "That (Sha'ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."

We have just entered in to the eighth Islamic month i.e. Sha'ban, a meritorious month for which we find particular instructions in the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

FASTING IN THIS MONTH

It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad used to fast during most of the days of the month of Sha'ban. A few ahadith are cited here regarding fasting in the month of Sha’ban:

1. Anas reports that Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha’ban in honour of Ramadan." 2. Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah says: "Prophet Muhammad used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most favourite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting." 3. In another tradition, she says: "Prophet Muhammad would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha'ban."

These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not like to miss them.

In our context, it will not cause undue difficulty on most of us if we were to observe only a few fasts in Sha’ban so as to get accustomed to the idea of fasting after a whole year. In Ramadaan, everyone finds observing the first few fasts difficult, but if we are accustomed to it already, we will be able to embrace Ramadaan better.

LIST OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, ETC PRESCRIBED

The Ahaadeeth mentioned above also make mention that “in this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year”. Some scholars hold that this takes place on the night of the 15th Sha`ban. Scholars also mention that together with the list of the dead, lists of births and other events are also prescribed.

DEEDS PRESENTED TO ALLAH

The Ahaadeeth also mention that “it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting”

THE NIGHT OF BARA'AH

Another significant feature of the month of Sha'ban is that it contains a night which is termed as "Laylatul Bara'ah" (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha'ban. There are certain traditions of Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him) to prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by Divine mercy:

1. Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah is reported to have said, "Once Prophet Muhammad performed the tahajjud salah and made a very long sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When I saw this, I rose (from my bed) and moved his thumb (to ascertain whether he is alive). The thumb moved, and I returned (to my place). Then I heard him saying in sajdah: 'I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your annoyance, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as fully as You deserve. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.' Thereafter, when he raised his head from sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you think that the Prophet has betrayed you?' I said, 'No, O Prophet of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul has been taken away because your sajdah was very long.' He asked me, 'Do you know which night is this?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'This is the night of the half of Sha'ban. Allah Almighty looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from malice).'

2. In another Tradition Aishah has reported Prophet Muhammad to have said, "This is the middle Night of Sha'ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. …" Kalb was a huge tribe the members of which had a very large number of sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates the big number of the people who are forgiven in this night by Allah Almighty.

3. Mu'adh ibn Jabal reports that Prophet Muhammad said: "Allah Almighty looks upon all those created by Him in the middle Night of Sha'ban and forgives all those created by Him, except the one who associates partners with Him or the one who has malice in his heart (against a Muslim)".

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN THIS NIGHT?

In order to achieve the blessings of the Night of Bara'ah, one should remain awake as much as one can. If it is possible, one should spend the whole night in worship. However, if one cannot do so, one can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably the second half of it, and perform the following acts of worship:(a) Salaah (b) Tilawah. (c) Dhikr & Durood. (d) Du‘a. (e) Those Muslims who cannot perform any additional worship should at least perform the Maghrib, 'Isha' and Fajr in congregation in the Masjid.

Ramadaan: Save the Changes

2007-08-08T20:14:00.001+01:00

-->by Ml Imran Khamissa

Nearly everyone in this age of modern technology has at some stage worked with a P.C. We have used it to draft documents, amend these documents,copied and pasted onto documents, used the 'undo' icon, edited documents, just to mention a few of the time saving operations that we find on this device.

After opening a document that we have worked upon previously and made the necessary changes and improvements a little box appears on the screen asking the question: Do you want to save the changes you have made to thisdocument? You are then given the option of selecting the YES tab or the NO tab. Selecting the YES tab will give you the desired results while selecting the NO tab literally takes you back to square one. All the effort made in editing, improving and shaping the document becomes an exercise in futility.

Don't we all find ourselves in a similar predicament when the blessed month of Ramadaan passes us? Just think of your book of deeds like a document on your P.C. During the month of Ramadaan we have done amongst other things the following:

• Increased our ibaadah and acts of charity

• Taken control of our feelings and emotion

• Responded with compassion and sensitivity to the needs of others

• Multiplied our good deeds

At the same time we have spent many hours on the Musallah begging forAllah's forgiveness for our sins, errors and transgressions.

The vital question that needs to be asked is: Do we want to save thechanges that we have made in the month of Ramadaan?, Are we going to press the YES tab or the No tab? Pressing the YES tab will leave us with a new, improved version. A version of heightened spirituality, a version ofrighteousness, a version that is pleasing to our Creator. Pressing the NO tab will take us back to square one; back to our old habits before Ramadaan, back to the life of sin and immorality, back to a life of heedlessness And back to a life subjecting ourselves to the wrath of the Almighty.

How do we improve on this document; the document of our lives, the document of our deeds, the document that we are going to present to Allah theAlmighty on the Day of Reckoning.

Here are some hints:

• Copy and Paste from the life of our illustrious master Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

• Use the 'undo' icon by making taubah immediately after any transgression as the Hadith states "The one who repents from sin is like one who has committed no sin at all."

• There may not be a need to do a "spell check" but there is certainly a need to do a "sincerity check" and a "shari'ah check" Are we complying?

• There may be files and folders that we want to keep while there could be some others we would not even want others to know exist. Many of us begged Allah to "delete" our sins and dark deeds .We cried before Allah, shed tears of remorse and vowed not to commit those sins in future. Going back to the sins that we have asked Allah's forgiveness for would be like making a visit to the "recycle bin".

• What about viruses? P.C. users are also very wary about e-mails they receive and the sites that they visit, fearing the admission of a virus that may pollute their system and cause it to malfunction. Why do we then subject our minds and thoughts to immoral sites and dens of vice which would pollute our moral system and cause us to malfunction? What anti-virus software have we installed to ward off the variety of fitnahs that confront us everyday?

Fortunate is the person who has saved the changes. Even more unfortunate isthe person who has made no changes as he /she has nothing to save.

The Smart Husband, The Angry Wife, The Fast Hand And The Ferrero Rocher.

2007-08-05T12:15:00.000+01:00

By Hadrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee.

No two people are identical. In the close and regular interaction between husband and wife disagreements are bound to occur. When a wife is angry, the smart husband gets a Ferrero Rocher and places it expertly into her mouth when she stops in her tirade for a gasp of breath for her next round. This is a highly effective ta`weez which will immediately defuse a potentially explosive situation. She will least expect it and she won't know whether to laugh or cry.

Unfortunately, we also find the small hearted husband. He cannot allow anyone, especially his wife, robbing him of his 'self respect'. He needs to show his wife that she is wrong and he is right. How is he to win?This strategy is doomed to fail!!!

This consideration for Deeni reasons only, without any thought of worldly gain, is allowed and is commendable. It is our loss that we do not appreciate the importance of this in Islaam. In some cases, we unfortunately do not even consider this to be part of Deen.

This is what Islaam teaches and what our Auliya-e-Kiraam have demonstrated. They are a people with great levels of understanding of Deen. These are the people whose example we need to follow. The ability to reconcile conflicting demands is a gift that Allah confers on His accepted servants on account of their sincerity.

May Allah (swt) grant us this unique ability...Aameen.

THE STORY OF THE REPENTANCE OF HAZRAT NASOOH

2007-01-17T12:06:00.000+02:00

There was once a man called Nasooh. Although a man, but his outward form and voice was like that of a woman. In the King's palaces, he was appointed to wash the ladies and daughters of the King and to cleanse them. He always used to dress in woman's clothing and was accepted as a maid servant and worker.

Because he was a man and had all the lustful passions of a man, he used, to enjoy all these passions and desires while massaging and washing the ladies of the King's household. On various occasions he repented of his acts and lifestyle, but soon after, his 'self' used to coerce him into breaking his towbah. One day he heard that a certain holy man had arrived and he also went to meet him. He went into the presence of the holy man and asked him to also remember him in his prayers. The saintly man made duah.

"The duah of the holy man reached above the seven heavens. And through that Nasooh was successful. The Lord of Glory and Honour created a means for his salvation"

It so happened that Nasooh and all the other female servants had to be searched. In the female section of the King's palace, a very precious and costly pearl was lost. The door to the female section of the house was closed and the search began. When the pearl was not found, an announcement was made:

"That all the maid servants should become undressed, Whether they were young maidens or old women ".

As he heard this announcement, Nasooh started trembling, as he was in actual fact a man, who for a long time had been acting as a woman, with no one knowing about it. The thought went through his mind: "Today I am going to be disgraced. The King will surely out of his sense of honour and shame, take revenge upon me. That means he will punish me with death. My crime is a very serious one.

Out of fear, Nasooh went into privacy.
His face became pale, his lips turned blue from fear.
Nasooh saw death in front of his eyesAnd shaking like a leaf, he fell down into prostration.

He said:

" O Lord, many times have I chosen the wrong path.
Many times did I repent and many times did I break my repentance.
O Lord, do that which is suitable for Your High Rank.
For from every hole, snakes are biting me.
If the search for the pearl passes the servants and reaches me, Then how great will be the calamity that will befall me?
This time cover me up O! Allah. I seek forgiveness and repent From every improper act of mine.

Nasooh was talking to Allah thus and said:

"O, my Lord, in my heart numerous flames of sorrow are burning And You see the blood of my liver in my supplication to You. And see in which state of destitution and pain I pray to You".

Nasooh was busy crying before Allah in this manner when he heard a voice saying to him: "All have been searched. O Nasooh, come forward and undress, that we may search you ".

As Nasooh heard this announcement he realised, by becoming undressed his secret will be exposed. He was so struck by fear that he fell down unconscious and his soul started flying about in the celestial regions. His soul went near to Allah while he was unconscious. At that time the mercy of Allah started boiling and through the command of Allah the pearl was found, before Nasooh could be searched. This saved Nasooh from any humiliation and disgrace.

Nasooh regained consciousness and his eyes appeared much more enlightened than before. In other words, while he was unconscious, the mercy of Allah caused his soul to experience the nearness of Allah and the light shining in his eyes was from that experience.

The ladies of the King's household came to him and apologised to him and in soft terms begged his pardon for having had suspicions about him. They said: "Pardon our suspicions. We are sorry for having caused you so much trouble. We had a wrong suspicion about you and have in our conversation back-bited you. Pardon us".

Nasooh replied:"This is the grace of God upon me, O0 my benefactors. Whatever was said about me, I am worse than that".

Thereafter one of the King's daughters asked him to bath her. Nasooh had repented and promised to lead a life of righteousness. He had during his unconscious state reached a high place of nearness with Allah. How could he after such contact with Allah and after attaining such Yaqeen in Allah, return to the darkness of sin. He realised that darkness after light was deplorable. He told the King's daughter:

"O daughter, now the strength of my hand has gone,And I have become indisposed."

In this manner, he saved himself from further sin.Thereafter he said to himself:

"My crime and fault has proceeded beyond the limit.How can the fear and sorrow ever leave my heart?I have made true repentance to my Lord, which I will never breakEven though my life should separate from my body".

Lesson from this Story

From this story the following points of advise are extracted:

1. One should never lose hope over his evil deeds. The Mercy of Allah is powerful enough to bring about rectification in all cases.

2. One should also seek the duahs of the saintly ones, just as Nasooh did. He was successful in his request.

3. In this story there is a great lesson in how at the time of extreme emergency, Nasooh turned to Allah and how he cried lamentfully before Him in dire circumstances.

4. We also see how Nasooh spent a large part of his life in sin. This was a very dangerous situation but Allah in His Mercy, arranged a way out for him, by creating a way towards guidance and granted him the ability to make true and sincere towbah. Then the rank of his towbah, which appears in the last couplet, contains a great lesson for repenters. Nasooh promised that even if it should mean his death, he will not break his towbah.

Subhaanallah! What a great promise from Allah's sincere servant, that even if life should be removed from his body, yet he will not in future break his towbah. This is something which points to great rank, great courage and great ambitious nature. May Allah grant us all such towbah and may He guide us to that which He loves and to what pleases Him.

http://yunuspatel.co.za/books-Ma-aarif-E-Mathnavi-41.php

FORGIVENESS

2007-01-16T22:18:00.000+02:00

by Ml S Ravat--

There are many rights of Islamic brotherhood. One of them is forgiveness.

Allah Ta’aala describes the Muttaqin as those who have 4 distinct qualities:Those who spend in ease and adversity.Those who suppress their anger.Those who forgive people.

Not only are we required to forgive one another to be classified as Muttaqin we are further required to react to evil with kindness.

That’s why Allah further says in the verse “and Allah loves those who do good.” Nabi (S.A.W) has mentioned: “Join ties with he who breaks ties. Forgive the one who oppressed you and do good to the one who has done evil to you.

When we respond to evil with goodness it strengthens our brotherhood. That’s why Allah Ta’aala mentions: “Resist with that which is best. The one between yourself and whom there was enmity will instantly become your bosom friend.

Undoubtedly some of our brothers have caused us harm. They have hurt us deeply, but let us look at the Sunnah of Nabi (SAW) in this regard.

For 13 years he was on the receiving end of the persecutions of the Quraysh. When the Muslims were banished to Shïb Abi Talib and the food supply was cut off, the children’s screams of hunger could be heard in Makkah Mukarramah. Imagine seeing your young ones suffer like that, yet when Nabi (SAW) returned in a position of power as a conqueror, his Mubarak (blessed) head was lowered in humility to such an extent that it almost touched his chest. This was the perfect moment to avenge years of persecution and suffering, yet Nabi (SAW) chose to forgive without any conditions, echoing the statement of Yusuf (AS) to his brothers, “there shall be no blame on you today.”

With regards to this incident even the famous Historian Haykal was left astounded. He wrote regarding the conquest of Makkah “The army was ready to wipe out the people of Makkah on his command, God had given him power over his enemy, but Muhammad SAW chose to forgive, thereby giving to humankind and all generations the most perfect example of goodness truthfulness nobility and magnanimity.

Nabi SAW said to the Quraysh “no blame shall be on you today i.e. I have already forgiven you, now I won’t even blame you. Subhanallah!

Yusuf (AS) was separated from his father at a young age due to the actions of his brothers, he was accused of Zina and had to spend many years in jail. Yet, look at his forgiveness, not withstanding the fact that he was now in a position of authority. When he met his father he didn’t complain of his years of difficulty, he rather spoke about the favours of Allah upon him “He had truly been kind to me when he removed me from prison and brought you from the countryside after Shaytaan had caused trouble between my brothers and me.” Subhanallah! What humility he didn’t even mention the incident of the well. He didn’t want his brothers to feel embarrassed. None of us can claim to have suffered to such an extent. If these Ambiya could forgive then who are we?

Allah says “Pardon and forgive, do you not like Allah to forgive you?” Forgive and Seek forgiveness for the pleasure of Allah. Whether the opposite party appreciates or reciprocates is immaterial, you are exonerated in the court of Allah. “He who forgives and makes amends his reward is with Allah.”

Let’s settle our differences today. Let us forgive and seek forgiveness before the end of the day, irrespective of who is right, be the better person. Nabi SAW has said: It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to another Muslim beyond 3 nights. When they meet, the one turns one way and the other one the other way. The better of the two is the one who greets the other first (Bukhari Muslim)

If we want acceptance in the court of Allah, let us reconcile our differences. If want forgiveness in the court of Allah lets forgive one another, otherwise our forgiveness is suspended in the court of Allah as Allah says to the Malaikah “Leave the affairs of these two people until they reconcile.”

Are you a BACKBITER????

2007-01-15T11:13:00.000+02:00

It is narrated by The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) :

"Backbiting is talking about somebody which if he/she heard, would grieve him/her."

Hence, it is not allowed to talk about somebody in his absence, even if what was narrated was true. If it was not true, then it would be a bigger sin and it is called BUHTAN. (false accusation).

It is important to note that to find other's faults or to talk sarcastically or to defame a person is called 'LUMZ'.

In the Qur'aan, Allah states in Surah Al-Hujuraat:

"Do not defame one another."

It means that when you find faults in others, they will turn around and find faults in you.

The beauty of this wording of the Qur'aan is that it says that finding faults in others is like finding faults in you. Just like Allah states: "Do not kill yourself."
Hence, if you kill others, they will try to kill you.

Allah also says in the Qur'aan (Surah Al-Humazah):

"Woe to every slanderer and back-biter!"

In the twelfth verse of Surah Al-Hujurat, Allah made it clear that defaming another Muslim in his absence is like eating the flesh of your dead brother, which obviously, everybody abhors. Hence, it is the most horrible sin. Note that if the person is present, he may have a chance to defend himself, although everybody does not have the courage to defend themselves in these circumstances. If, however, he is defamed in his absence, the damage is deep and somewhat permanent.

Backbiting is not done by the tongue alone, it can also be done with the eyes, hands and other movements. For example, copying somebody who is limping, in order to insult him.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:

" Backbiting is a worse sin than adultery."

It is further explained in a saying of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) , narrated by Abu Sa'eed and Jubair in Bayhaqi:

"Allah may forgive a person if he repents after committing adultery. HOWEVER, Allah will not forgive the one who backbites, till his victim forgives him."

One time, the Messenger of Allah pointed towards two graves and said to his companions that both of these people are being punished in their graves. One of them used to backbite people and the other was not careful about spilling drops of urine on his clothes and body whilst urinating.

During Me’raj, the Prophet saw some people who had nails made of red copper. They were tearing apart their faces and chests with these nails. The Holy Prophet asked the Angel Jibrail a.s about them,

He said,

“They are being punished because they used to eat people’s flesh in their lives, "i.e. used to backbite and defame others.

Abu Huraira narrates that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)said,

“The killing of a Muslim by another unjustly, usurping others’ wealth or defaming other Muslims is totally forbidden (or Haram).” (Muslim)

NOTE: Listening to backbiting is the same as backbiting somebody. It is better to walk away from such individuals.

Backbiting violates the rights of Allah and the rights of people simultaneously. Hence, it is necessary to ask for forgiveness from the victim first, since Allah will not forgive until the victim forgives. If the victim has died or is untraceable, then ransom has to be paid.

Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, :

“The ransom for backbiting is to pray to Allah for forgiveness by saying, “ O Allah! Forgive my sins and his too.”

When backbiting, the person does not think about how the other person would feel if he knew what was said about him, he doesn't think as to how he would feel if the positions were reversed. We like backbiting but hate to be backbitten about.

The Hadith says,

“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

Everyone would hate to be backbitten about so why do they backbite? We should bring into our hearts the fear of Allah to save us from this grave sin and all other sins.

Backbiting to save a Muslim from harm is permitted, but the best thing is not to talk unnecessarily about anyone in a good way as well because the devil will entice you into mentioning his faults. For example, “He's a good person but he has these habits……….”

To save ourselves from this sin and many others, one should act upon this Hadith which deserves to be written in gold.

The Hadith states, “Whoever stayed quiet saved himself.”

This very sin which Muslims consider right is the sin which could send many to hell.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said,

“The tongue is what will cause people to be flung face down into hell.”

May Allah Taa'la save us from the hell fire and all sins that we have committed and may we not be deprived of the goodness of our deeds on the day of Qiyamah, due to a few minutes of carelessness of our tongue.Ameen!

REMOVE THOSE OLD–STAINS OF SINS WITH SALAATUT TASBEEH

2006-10-09T01:09:00.000+02:00

Compiled by a student of Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db)

THE VIRTUES OF SALAATUT TASBEEH

Salaatut Tasbeeh is a very important form of salaah, as is evident from several ahaadith, wherein Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) as a matter of great kindness and favour has stressed on its importance. As such, the Ulamaa, Jurists, Muhadditheen, and Sufis throughout the centuries have been particular in offering this Salaah. Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (radiyallahu anhuma) has narrated that he was once informed by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayi wa sallam) "O Abbaas, Should I not present to you, should I not confer to you, should I not inform you of such an act, which if you practice, Allah will forgive all your sins, whether old or new, intentional or unintentional, minor or major, open or secret." After describing the method of performing this salaah Nabi (sallallahu alayi wa sallam) stated, "If possible, you should offer this salaah once everyday, and if you cannot perform it daily, then offer it on every Friday (weekly), or once a month, or once a year or at least once in your lifetime." [Abu Daawud]

THE STATUS AND IMPORTANCE OF SALAATUT TASBEEH

Imaam Al-Haakim (rah) who is an authority on hadith, has written, "The authenticity of this hadeeth (of salaatut tasbeeh) is supported by the fact that, since the second generation after the Sahabah (until our times), all the great teachers of religion have been offering this salaah with constancy and have been advising the people to do so, among them was Imaam Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak (rah)." [He was the teacher of the teachers of Imaam Bukhari (rah).] [Al Mustadrak Haakim – vol.1, pg.318]

Imaam Al-Baihaqi (rah) has stated that, even before Ibn Mubaarak (rah), Imaam Abul Jauzaa (rah), a Taabi'ee (one who had seen the Sahabah), and whose narrations are considered to be reliable, used to be very particular in offering this salaah daily. As soon as he heard the azaan for the Zuhr Salaah, he would go to the masjid and would complete this Salaah before the Zuhr Salaah.

Imaam Abdul Aziz Ibn Abi Rawwaad (rah) who was the teacher of Ibn Mubaarak (rah) and who was a great devotee, saint and pious man, has stated, "One who desires to attain Jannah should be constant in offering Salaatut Tasbeeh.

"Allamah Taqi Ud-Deen Al-Subki (rah) stated, "This salaah is very important, and one should not get misled if some people happen to deny its importance. The one who ignores it even after learning about its reward, is negligent in religious matters, fails to act like virtuous people, and should not be considered as a reliable person." It is stated in Mirqaat that Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (radiyallahu anhu) used to offer this Salaah every Friday. [Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.244] This salaah is preferable to be performed on all those auspicious nights where extra ibaadat (worship) are encouraged e.g. The 15th Night of Shabaan, The nights of Ramadhaan etc.

[NOTE: The Authenticity of Salaatut Tasbeeh has been affirmed by the muhadditheen. Many of them have written detailed articles on this matter. Allaamah al-Suyyuti (RA) has enumerated up to 20 great muhadditheen who have accepted its authenticity.] [Al-Laalil Masnoo'ah-vol.2, pg.40]. According to the principles of hadeeth, this hadith falls at least in the category of Hasan Ahadith.

THE METHOD OF PERFORMING SALAATUT TASBEEH

Imaam Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak (rah) and many other ulama narrate the following method of offering this salaah. (This method is also reported from Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and is the preferred method of performing this salaah.) "After reciting thanaa and before reciting Surah Faatihah repeat these words (the third Kalimah) 'Subhaanallaahi Walhamdulillaahi, Wa laa ilaaha illallaahu Wallaahu Akbar' fifteen times. Then start with 'a'oodhu' and 'Bismillaah' and after completing Surah Faatihah and another surah, the third Kalimah should be repeated ten times before the ruku, ten times during the ruku, ten times after standing up from the ruku, ten times in each sajdah and ten times while sitting between the two sajdahs. All four rakaats should be performed in this manner, thus completing seventy five times (tasbeehs) in each rakaat and 300 times (tasbeehs) in four rakaats." [Sunan Tirmizi – vol.2, pg.348]

TABLE OF PERFORMING SALAATUT TASBEEH ACCORDING TO ABDULLAH IBN MUBARAK (RAH)

After Thanaa / Before Surah Fatihah: 15 Times
Before Ruku: 10 Times
During Ruku: 10 Times
After Rising from Ruku (While Standing): 10 Times
In the First Sajdah: 10 Times
Between Both Sajdahs (While Sitting): 10 Times
In the Second Sajdah: 10 Times
Total per Rakaat: 75 Times
Total in 4 Rakaats: 300 Times

There are no particular surahs specified for this salaah. Any surah may be recited. However Sayyiduna Ibn Abbaas (radiyallu anhuma) was once asked, "Are there any particular surahs to be recited in this salaah?" He replied, "At takaathur (S.102), Al Asr (S.103), Al Kaafiroon (S.109) and Al Ikhlaas (S.112)." Some Ulamaa have also stated, "The most virtuous surahs (to be recited in this salaah) are Al Hadeed (S.57), Al Hashar (S.59), As Saff (S.61) and At Taghaabun (S.64)." [Raddul Muhtaar – vol.2, pg.461]

SOME IMPORTANT POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND

1. Counting should not be done verbally as this act nullifies the salaah. The best way is that the fingers should be kept in their position, but should be pressed one by one for counting. [Raddul Muhtaar – vol.2, pg.236; Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.244]
2. This Salaah can be offered at any time of the day or night besides the three forbidden times. However, the more appropriate times, in order of preference, are: After midday, any time during the day, and any time during the night. [Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.245]
3. According to some ahaadith, the third Kalimah should also be followed by 'Laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa billaahil aliyyil adheem' It is therefore better to recite it sometimes in addition to the third Kalimah. [Ihyaa Ulummuddeen – vol.2, pg.267]
4. In the ruku, 'subhaana rabbiyal adheem' and in the sajdah, 'subhaana rabbiyal a'alaa' should be recited before reciting the third kalimah. [At Tarsheeh, Libayaani Salaatit Tasbeeh – pg.22]
5. If one missed out all the tasbeehaat or some tasbeehaat in any posture, he should not make up for that deficiency in qaumah (after ruku in the standing posture) or in jalsah (after the first sajdah before the second sajdah).

Don't Say You're Not Important

2006-10-07T20:39:00.000+02:00

It simply isn't true,
The fact that you were born,
Is proof, Allah has a plan for you.

The path may seem unclear right now,
But one day you will see,
That all that came before,
Was truly meant to be.

Allah wrote the book that is your life,
That's all you need to know.
Each day that you are living,
Was written long ago.

Allah only writes best sellers,
So be proud of who you are,
Your character is important,
In this book you are the Star.

Enjoy the novel as it reads,
It will stand throughout the ages,
Savor each chapter as you go,
Taking time to turn the pages

Courtesy: Brother Ghulam Ali

A Smile...

2006-06-06T21:46:00.000+01:00

A SMILE

It costs nothing, but creates much.
It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.
It happens in a flash and the memory of it lasts forever.
None are so rich they can get along without it and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.
It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.
It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away!
If someone is to tired to give you a smile, leave one of yours.
For, nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none to give.

-----Anonymous

SMILING

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,
and someone saw my grin.

When he smiled I realized,I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile just like mine,
could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected!

Forgetfulness

2004-08-13T22:40:00.000+01:00

It is human nature to be forgetful, as the Arab poet said:
“He is only called man (insân) because of his forgetfulness (nasiyân), and it is only called the heart (al-qalb) because it changes so rapidly (yataqallib).”

In the past they said that the first one to forget (awwal nâsin) was the first man (awwal al-nâs), meaning Adam, peace be upon him. Forgetfulness is something that varies from person to person according to each individual’s nature; some may be more forgetful than others. Some of the things that may help to combat forgetfulness are the following:
1. Keeping away from sin, because the bad effects of sin result in a bad memory and the inability to retain knowledge. The darkness of sin cannot co-exist with the light of knowledge. The following words were attributed to al-Shâfi‘î, may Allâh have mercy on him:

“I complained to [my shaykh] Wakî’ about my bad memory, and he taught me that I should keep away from sin. He said that knowledge of Allâh is light, and the light of Allâh is not given to the sinner.”

Al-Khatîb reported in al-Jâmi‘ (2/387) that Yahya ibn Yahya said:

“A man asked Mâlik ibn Anas, ‘O Abu ‘Abd-Allâh! Is there anything that will improve my memory?’ He said, ‘If anything will improve it, it is giving up sin.’”

When a person commits a sin, it overwhelms him and this leads to anxiety and sorrow which keeps him busy thinking about what he has done. This dulls his senses and distracts him from many beneficial things, including seeking knowledge.

2. Frequently remembering Allâh, may He be glorified, by reciting dhikr, tasbîh (saying‘Subhan Allâh’), tahmîd (‘Al-hamdu Lillâh’ ), tahlîl (‘Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh’) and takbîr (‘Allâhu akbar’), etc. Allâh says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…And remember your Lord when you forget…” [al-Kahf 18:24]

3. Not eating too much, because eating too much makes one sleep too much and become lazy, and it dulls the senses, besides exposing one to the risk of physical diseases. Most of the diseases which we see result from food and drink.

4. Some of the scholars have mentioned certain foods which increase the memory, such as drinking honey and eating raisins and chewing certain kinds of gum resin.

Imâm al-Zuhrî said:

“You should eat honey because it is good for the memory.”

He also said:

“Whoever wants to memorize hadîth should eat raisins.” (From al-Jâmi‘ by al-Khatîb, 2/394)

Ibrâhîm ibn [sth. omitted] said,

“You should chew resin gum, because it is Ways To Strengthen One’s Memory

As they mentioned, too much acidic food is one of the causes of laziness and weak memory.

5. Another thing that can help the memory and reduce forgetfulness is cupping (hijâmah) of the head, as is well known from experience. (For more information see Al-Tibb al-Nabawi by Ibn al-Qayyim). And Allâh knows best.

http://www.islaam.net

by Brother Yahya Adel Ibrahîm "

The Flower and The Pearl

2006-05-28T18:24:00.000+01:00

One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive colors met a pearl that lives far in the bottom of the sea and has none of these characteristics. Both got acquainted with each other.

The flower said: "Our family is large; roses and daisies are members of the family. And there are many other species that are various and countless,each has a distinctive scent, appearance ...etc."Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower.

"Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are u depressed?" The pearl asked.

Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance" The flower sighed. And then the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of the sea.”

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colors and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable"

Do you know what the flower and the pearl symbolize? The flower is the unveiled woman ( who shows her charms) and the pearl is the veiled woman (who conceals her beauties).

Think about it!

The Pearls

2005-08-05T19:58:00.000+01:00

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Aisha got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbour and asked Aunty Jamshed if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Aisha loved her pearls.

They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday madressa classes, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green. Aisha had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story from the Quraan.

One night as he finished the story, he asked Aisha , "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favourite."

"That's okay, Aisha, daddy loves you. Allah-hafez." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Aisha's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. May Allah bless you & protect you, Aisha. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Aisha was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Aisha? What's the matter?"

Aisha didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace.

With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Aisha's daddy reached out with one hand to take the cheap necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Aisha.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Allah Almighty. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't Allah great?

Are you holding onto things that Allah wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing Allah will never take away something without giving you something better in its place. The greatest gifts happen when you share love and touch others' hearts!

Jahangir and the Queen

2006-05-25T19:59:00.000+01:00

Courtesy: Al-Haadi Volume 13 Number 2
http://www.alhaadi.org.za

Jahangir and the Queen

Jahangir was one of the famous kings of India. The love of Jahangir for his queen NurJahan was very famous. The king was also well known for his justice. His sense of justice is portrayed in the following incident related by Allamah Shibli (R.A.):
"NurJahan was one day sitting on the roof terrace. Suddenly a wayfarer who had trespassed onto the palace grounds caught sight of her. Her self esteem and beauty could not tolerate a stranger setting eyes on her. She immediately grabbed a pistol and shot at the wayfarer, killing him instantly.

BEHEADED

When the news reached Jahangir, he first verified whether it was true. NurJahan, proud and confident due to her position in the eyes of the king, confessed to killing the man. Jahangir immediately asked a Mufti for the Shar`i ruling in this case. The Mufti replied that the killer should be beheaded.
The next instant Jahangir had issued the order that his wife be arrested and put into chains. He then instructed the swordsman to execute her. Gone were her beauty and the special position she enjoyed in the eyes of the king. NurJahan quickly sent a note to the king stating that the payment of blood money is also an option. Jahangir once again sought a Fatwa on this matter. He was told that blood money could be paid only if the immediate relatives agree to accept it in lieu of the execution. NurJahan thus sent 100 000 dirhams (silver coins) to the family of the deceased. However, they did not accept the money but in turn forgave her and requested the king to withdraw the order to execute her."

LESSONS

There are many lessons to be learnt from this incident. The Qur'an demands that one should uphold justice even if it be against one's own kith and kin. Often in such a situation, due to emotions one forgets justice. Hence the near and dear are supported even if they are wrong. Despite Jahangir's love for his wife, he upheld the cause of justice.

WHAT IS BEST FOR A WOMAN

Another lesson is the deep self-respect that NurJahan possessed. Although her instant reaction of killing the man was incorrect, it was triggered by the very deep sense of self esteem which could not tolerate any stranger setting eyes on her. She certainly possessed some degree of the spirit of Hazrath Fatima (R.A.). Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once asked the Sahaba (R.A): "What is best for a woman?" The answer which delighted Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) came from non other than his beloved daughter Sayyidah Fatima (R.A), who said: " She does not see any (non-mahram) man and nor does any man get to see her (Kanzul Ummaal vol.16; pg. 206)."

Tawakkultu 'Alallah

2006-05-27T14:15:00.000+01:00

by Amatullah

covered by incomprehensible confusion,
stifled by angst,
worried,scared,apprehensive,anxious,guilty,depressed...BREATHE!
just BREATHE!

just wanna go back
and do things differently.
reality is obscured,
i don't have the answers
to the questions
that shatter my peace of mind.
i don't have the courage
to change,
i am
lost
where am i?
who am i?

where can i turn?

please someone,
help me.
just change the inner turmoil to peace,
who is there to help me?

from deep down inside
a spark
a voice
reaches out,
urging me to do
what i KNOW i must do.

i bow my head in shame.
How could i have turned elsewhere?
How could i have forgotten HIM?
HE, who has all the answers,
HE, who did not desert me
even though i deserted HIM,
HE, who has been waiting for me.

i pour out my soul's grief
from the porcelain jug of my heart.
i lay it all at HIS open door,
i leave it all in HIS outstretched hands,
TAWAKKALTU 'ALALLAH!

Now there's a beat in my heart
I hadn't noticed it before,
The beat...
Of incomprehensible hope,
Of unending light,
Of Divine forgiveness,
Of ALLAH'S LOVE...

Now life is transformed.
HIS beautiful qualities
Tranquilize my life,
Just as the rainbow
Colours the pure sky
After the hurricane.

I have rediscovered my
TRUE
Purpose in life.
And though I still don't know all the answers,
It all makes sense now.
Allahu Akbar!

HE has all the answers,
HE will see me through,
HE will give me strength.
For HIS eternal promise:
HE will NEVER give me,
Has NEVER given me,
A burden I cannot bear.

Oh ALLAH, the Creator of Honesty and Justice,
You are The Most Wise, The Most Merciful.
TAWAKKALTU 'ALALLAH!
Oh ALLAH, forgive me!
Oh ALLAH, I love Thee!

Funny???

2006-05-24T21:26:00.000+01:00

Courtesy:
http://www.a2youth.com/multimedia/poems/thought/text-11.html
___________________________________

Funny how a $100 "looks" so big when you take it to masjid,
but so small when you take it to the mall.

Funny how long it takes to pray jumma for an hour,
but how quickly a team plays 60 minutes of basketball.

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at masjid are,
but how short they are when watching a movie.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray,
but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra innings,
but we complain when a Khutba is longer than the regular time.

Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the Quran,
but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert,
but scramble to sit in the back row in the musjid.

Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a Islamic event into our schedule,
but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.

Funny how hard it is for people to learn a simple Hadith well enough to tell others,
but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip.

Funny how we believe what the newspaper say,
but question what the Quran says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, or think, or say, or do anything.

Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Allah, people think twice about sharing.

FUNNY, ISN'T IT?

Are you laughing?

Are you thinking?

1st Annual International Poetry Competition in Praise of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam)

2006-05-23T16:07:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the lack of updates as the administrators were on Umrah, Alhumdulillah. Insha Allah the blog will henceforth be updated regularly. Request for Duas.
LanAllah Team

**************************************************

1st Annual International Praise the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) Poetry Competition

http://praisetheprophet.islamicpoetry.org/

Please spread the word and participate for the Pleasure of Allah , insha Allah

Never Give Up...

2006-04-03T21:00:00.000+01:00

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-- Robert Frost

The Al Hejab ( The Veil ) Lyrics

2006-04-01T23:22:00.000+02:00

-Lyrics to the nasheed Al Hejab (The Veil) by Ahmed Bukhatir

(playing at the moment)

Let them say about my veil

That it’s killing my youth

Let them exaggerate in blaming me

I belong to Religion

No, I swear I would never care

My firm will is like the mountain

What is meant by beauty

If it is easy to get

They tried to deceive me

I shouted at them to leave me

I will remain in my decency

I will never accept impudence

They will never affect my pride

I am the symbol of purity

I walk in the light of piety

Behind the best Prophet(Muhammed [Peace Be Upon Him])

I have a proud soul

That rejects lowliness

In my path, brother

Somaya is the ideal

I am guided by Religion

Our source is pure, sister

Our path is a path of chastity

Follow it without fears

Our Religion is symbol of virtue

It never accepts vice

You are the respectable daughter of Religion

You are the descendant of notables

By my veil and decency

I impose my self-respect

I will go ahead

And never care about blames

LANALLAH __Islamic BlogZine__