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Bilal Becomes A Muslim

Bilal (Radeeya Allah Anho) embraced Islam in the first year of Muhammad’s prophecy at the age of 30. There was an age difference of ten years between him and the Prophet (P.B.U.H), as the Prophet received the message of Islam at the age of forty. Bilal was one of the first people in Makkah to embrace Islam.

Bilal had something valuable; he was the third person who became a Muslim in Makkah. This is a very important point, because he was a slave to a very cruel, disbelieving man from Quraish, Umaya Ibn Khalaf. This man lived and died a disbeliever, and Bilal wished to declare his religion openly, although he was forbidden to do so. Even though he had to hide his beliefs from his cruel master, his declaration of faith was accepted. Bear in mind that during the period of severe suffering in Makkah, no one openly declared their faith in Islam except seven people.

Firstly, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), secondly Abu Bakr (R.A.), and thirdly person was Bilal Ibn Rabah (R.A.). Because he loved his religion so much, he couldn’t hide it, and so he forsook his life for the sake of Allah.

Bilal stood in the middle of Makkah and testified, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. He was among the Companions who were greatly harmed by the disbelievers because of his faith in Islam.

Umaya Ibn Khalaf used to take him to the desert and wait until the temperature reached forty or fifty degrees. He ordered his servants to undress Bilal, then cover him in an iron material, and place a heavy stone on his chest, which was so heavy that ten men couldn’t lift it. They would leave him like that for hours.

They would then return to him, and by then Bilal would literally be melting. They would demand Bilal to reject his faith in Allah and Muhammad (P.B.U.H.); but Bilal endless response would be: “Only one, only one” (meaning only One God). He stayed in this situation for endless days and months.

However, Bilal remained patient until Abu Bakr went to Umaya Ibn Khalaf and told him, “Why don’t you have mercy on this poor man?”

Umaya replied, “You give mercy to him”.

Abu Bakr said, “Yes, I will buy him. How much will you sell him for?”

A slave at that time was worth Dinars of silver. Since Bilal was in poor health and was beaten excessively, he was worth only one silver Dinar. The spiteful Umaya Ibn Khalaf said, “I will sell him for nine silver Dinars.” Abu Bakr replied, “And I will buy him for that price.”

Umaya laughed and said, “You know Abu Bakr, if you had argued the price with me, I would have sold Bilal to you for one Dinar”.

So Abu Bakr replied, “Umaya, if you had demanded one hundred Dinars, I would still have bought him!”

Brothers and sisters, spend wealth on people around you who are in need, be devoted and ready to sacrifice yourself. When you live solely for yourself and your children, you will live small and die small. But when you live for others, Allah will extend your life with each person you have helped.

If I asked women here, what is the state of your wardrobes? Filled with clothes? Do you wear them all? You’ll find that you don’t wear half of them. Why? Because fashion changes, and because you’re going to lose weight next year, etc. This is a selfish and greedy act. Give to those who need; those who can benefit from your unwanted goods.

The Migration to Madinah
Bilal stayed with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) until the migration to Madinah (Al Hijrah), where they left Makkah for Madinah.

Something strange occurred in Madinah. The Prophet’s Mosque had been built, but people found it difficult to know the prayer times. How would they know when it is time for prayer? One of the Muslims suggested ringing a bell to signal that it is time for prayer. This idea was rejected, since the Christians use a bell to call members to church. Another Muslim suggested that they could raise a flag and walk with it to signal it was time to pray. But this idea was also rejected.

A companion called Abdullah Ibn Zayd (R.A.) came and said, “O Allah’s Prophet! That night, I dreamt I saw a man selling bells, so I asked him if I could buy one. He replied, Why do you need it? I said, so that people would know it was time to pray. The man replied, I can tell you something better than that. I asked him what it was. He said: Call for the prayer.”

O brothers and sisters! His dream was about religion! Some of the youths’ dreams are to get a particular car, and that’s all they dream of!

While Abdullah Ibn Zayd told them of his dream, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab said, “I swear by Allah’s messenger, I saw exactly what he saw too!” Upon this, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said, “Thanks be to Allah for this blessed vision. Tell Bilal to call for the prayer. He has a more beautiful voice than yours.”

Does Islam care about beauty, and how to make things look and sound beautiful? Is that our religion? Yes, that’s our religion! This is Islam.

So the call for the prayer was heard, and Bilal became the first caller for the prayers in Islam, and the first caller for the prayer for the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).

Battles and the Return to Makkah
Bilal stayed with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and never missed a single battle with him. When he was going to the battle of Badr to face the disbelievers, imagine who was among them? Umaya Ibn Khalaf! Bilal had come face to face with him! What would you do to the one who had tortured you? When Bilal saw him, he said, “Umaya Ibn Khalaf, the head of the disbelievers, I won’t survive if he survives.” During the battle, Umaya Ibn Khalaf was killed.

When the Muslims returned to Makkah, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) returned the favor to Bilal. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said, “Bilal, climb on the Kabah back and call out for the prayer”. It doesn’t end there. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) asked, “Where is the Kabah key?” There were 10,000 people standing in front of the Kabah, and the space inside the Ka‘bah would not allow more than one person to pray next to the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). Who will enter with Allah’s Prophet?! Surely Abu Bakr or Omar or Othman? No, it’s a pious and loyal day, “Where’s Bilal, come Bilal, pray with me inside the Kabah”. No one had prayed in the Kabah with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), except one person, Bilal Ibn Rabah. From then on, when Omar met Bilal, he used to say, “Bilal, Abu Bakr is your master, and you are our master.” ‘Omar used to say this to Bilal! Look at what he learnt from the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).

Once the Prophet asked Bilal, “Bilal, tell me the best deed you have done, as I heard your footsteps in Paradise.”

“I swear the most I’ve done is that whenever my ablution was nullified, I would perform ablution immediately, and I would always pray two Raka‘s after ablution,” Bilal replied.

“That’s it Bilal!” The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) exclaimed.

Brothers and sisters, do you want to hear your feet walking in Paradise? Don’t move except when you are pure and on ablution. How can you leave your house in the morning when you are not?

Adil Khan

Raping With Your Eyes

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Compassionate
“May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You”

Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls
and our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Are you one of those who check out ladies on the streets, bus, train, or anywhere you see them? You check her out, and in a flash, you can tell all about her size and shape. You can also say the color of her lipstick, how her hair was styled, and what clothes she was wearing, etc., etc. Do you end up saying “wow”…

In modern Western terms, this is called: Checking her out. It’s also called: Raping with the Eyes.

Rape: The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse

But hey, we did not do anything. We did not even touch or talk to her. How could I have “raped” her with my eyes? For that, ask yourself, say…

Didn’t you look at places where you are not allowed to look at non-mehram women?
Somewhere in your mind, you had a naughty thought about her.
All said and done…. let us now look from the ladies’ point of view? Well “THEY DO NOT LIKE IT AT ALL”.

Jareer ibn Abdullaah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about an accidental glance at a woman. He commanded me to turn my gaze away.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said: This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. See al-Sunan, 2700).

Commenting on this hadeeth, al-Mubaarakpoori said, “Accidental” means that his gaze fell on a non-mehram woman unintentionally. “He commanded me to turn my gaze away” means that we are not to look a second time, because
The first glance was not by choice and would be forgiven, but any further glances would be counted as sin, and we should heed the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)…” [al-Noor 24:30].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “O Ali, do not follow a glance with another, for you will be forgiven for the first, but not for the second.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2701; see Saheeh al-Jaami, 7953)

And if you think that Allah SWT does not know where you were looking, and what thoughts went through your mind?
Allah says, “Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.” (Surah Ghafir 40:19).

“The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, … and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari (no. 6612), Muslim (no. 2657), Ahmed (2/276)].

Misconception among men
 We are allowed to look (meaning stare/gaze) at non-Muslim women.
We are allowed to look at the exposed parts of the ladies who have exposed themselves.
We are not allowed to look at Muslim girls & it is a sin to look (meaning to stare/gaze) at a Muslim lady wearing burkha/hijab.
But hey, even if it is a sin, it is a minor sin. The Prophet (PBUH) has said, “Beware of small sins because small sins when accumulated turn into a big fire…”

You must have all heard this hadith: Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) passed by two graves and said, “One of them is (getting punishment in the grave) for not cleaning himself after urine….” Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

So when the person goes through such a severe punishment for “small sins”… then you can rest assured that these so-called “small sins” (done daily) have turned into a big heap of fire.

One of the fitnahs (temptations) with which we are tested is the fitnah of women, as the Prophet (pBUH) said: “I have not left behind me any fitnah (temptation) more harmful to men than women.” What needs to be done.

1. Faith in Allah.
Faith in Allah and fear of Allah provide a safety valve and protect a person against committing haram actions and following his own whims and desires.

If the believer becomes aware that Allah is always watching and if he ponders the meanings of His names and attributes, such as the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Watchful, the Reckoner, the Preserver, the All-Encompassing, that will generate fear of Him in secret and in public, and will put a stop to disobedience towards Allah, and will reduce the strength of desire that leads many people to commit haram actions.

2. Lowering the gaze and avoiding looking at haram things
The gaze can generate bad thoughts in the heart, which then lead to ideas and then to desires, then to will and resolve, and then inevitably to doing haram things. Think about the meaning of this verse, which makes a connection between the first steps towards haram and the result. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” [al-Noor 24:30]

3. Warding off evil thoughts
Bad thoughts pose a danger to the heart… If a person dwells on them and does not push them away, they will develop into an idea, then into will and resolve, which will inevitably lead to haram actions. Beware of dwelling on passing thoughts; rather, what you must do is to ward them off and crowd them out with good thoughts.

The treatment, then, is to ward off these passing thoughts and keep yourself busy with beneficial thoughts.

4. Marriage
It was narrated that Abd-Allaah ibn Masood said: The Prophet (PBUH) said: “O young men, whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065.

5. Fasting
because of the hadith quoted above, in which it says, “…and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5065.

The less a person eats, the weaker their desire becomes, and the weaker their desire is, the fewer sins they commit.

6. Keeping away from bad companions.
The Prophet (PBUH) said: “A man will follow the way of his close friends, so let each one of you look at who he takes as a close friend.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 8433; classed as hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 4046.

What annoys the Shaitan the most? When the man stops looking at the girls and shows respect to his Lord.

Adil ibn Manzoor Khan with inputs by Asma bint Saeed

Fabi Ayyi Aala-i Rabbikuma Tukazziban

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.” (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:160)

“Fabi Ayyi Aala-i Rabbikuma Tukazziban (So, Oh Jinn and Mankind) which of the Favors of your RABB (Lord) will you then deny?” (Surah Rahman, 55:13)

Please read the fascinating facts and favors (just from our body, others are many, many more) we take for granted from our Almighty Allah subhan wa taala:

  • Our heart beats around 100,000 times every day. Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey.
  • The human body contains approximately 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. These 5.6 liters of blood circulate through the body three times every minute. A drop of blood contains 250 million cells.
  • It takes approximately 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circulate around the entire body. The average red blood cell lives for 120 days. Platelets, which are one of the constituents of the blood, are produced at the rate of 200 billion per day.
  • There are 2.5 trillion (give or take) red blood cells in our bodies at any moment. To maintain this number, about 2.5 million new ones need to be produced every second by our bone marrow, or we give birth to 100 billion red blood cells every day.
  • Our eyes can distinguish up to one million color surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.
  • Our lungs inhale over two million liters of air every day, without even thinking. They are large enough to cover a tennis court.
  • Our hearing is so sensitive that it can distinguish between hundreds of thousands of different sounds.
  • Our sense of touch is more refined than any device ever created.
  • Our brain is more complex than the most powerful computer and has over 100 billion nerve cells.
  • Considering all the tissues and cells in our body, 25 million new cells are being produced each second. That’s a little less than the population of Canada, every second!
  • When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph.
  • We have over 600 muscles. We exercise at least 30 muscles when we smile.
  • We are about 70 percent water. We make one liter of saliva a day.
  • Our nose is our personal air-conditioning system: It warms cold air, cools hot air, and filters impurities.
  • In one square inch of our hand, we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors, and 75 pressure sensors.
  • We have copper, zinc, cobalt, calcium, manganese, phosphates, nickel, and silicon in our bodies.
  • The amount of carbon in the human body is enough to fill about 9,000 ‘lead’ pencils.
  • One square inch of human skin contains 625 sweat glands. The human skin contains 280,000 heat receptors.
  • There are 137 million light-sensitive cells in the eye’s retina, and the fluid that fills the eye is changed 15 times a day.
  • Our eyes never grow, and our nose and ears never stop growing. The muscles of the eye move more than 100,000 times a day. Every hour, the human eye can process 36,000 bits of information.
  • Humans have the ability to distinguish 4,000 to 10,000 smells.
  • You breathe in about 7 quarts of air every minute. Good! Air is cost-free.
  • The human skull is made up of 29 different bones, and the human hand has 27 bones.
  • Our Brain has over 100 billion nerve cells. There are about 1350000 neurons in the human spinal cord.
  • The length of human blood vessels is such that it circles the globe two and a half times.
  • Human kidneys have about 1 million nephrons that filter out liquids and wastes.
  • The human liver performs 500 different functions.

Remember to worship the Creator, not his creations.

“Fabi Ayyi Aala-i Rabbikuma Tukazziban (So, Oh Jinn and Mankind) which of the Favors of your RABB (Lord) will you then deny?” (Surah Rahman, 55:13)

Riba: Road To Hell

The chapter of Riba in the religion of Islam is of sublime significance. For a believer to stay away from this, one has to know about it in detail. The evil tree of usury is getting watered day by the followers of all religions; be it Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

The monster is growing at a hellish pace. Though the true teachings of all these religions strongly condemn and prohibit usury in their original versions. Later, the clerics of the Jewish and Christian churches abandoned the prohibitions relating to Riba (interest, usury).

The present world is filled with the filth of Riba. It has become almost impossible for an individual to stay away from this evil. Over 90% of the financial transactions that are carried out in today’s world contain a partial or complete essence of riba in it.

Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallm had warned 1400 years ago: A time will certainly come over the people when none will remain who will not devour usury. If he does not devour it, its vapors will overtake him. (Ahmed, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Ibn Majah).

In simple words, Riba can be defined as a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more and better than the quantity borrowed.

The literal meaning of interest or Al-RIBA, as it is used in the Arabic language, means to excess or increase.

In Islamic terminology, interest means effortless profit, or that profit which comes free from compensation, or that extra earning obtained that is free of exchange.

The Holy Quran is also very tough on the chapter of usury. Quran says, “Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom Satan by his touch has driven to madness. That is because they say, trade is like usury , but Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury,” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse no.275)

“OH, who believes! Devour not usury doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah that you may prosper.” (Surah Al-Imran, verse no.130)

“That they took usury though they were forbidden and they devoured people’s wealth wrongfully; we have prepared for those amongst them who reject faith a grievous chastisement.” (Surah Al-Nisaa verse 161)

Allah never said that He and His messenger would wage war against one who commits any evil deed, except Riba. Allah SWT says, “If you do not, take notice of war from Allah and his Messenger, but if you repent, you shall have your capital sum. Deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah verse no.279).

One can easily understand the magnitude of the crime through the above-mentioned verses of Holy Quran.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallm said: Usury has seventy divisions. The easiest division of them is like a man marrying his mother (Ibn Majah).

Again, in another tradition, Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallm said: A dirham of usury that a man devours, and he knows, is greater than 36 fornications (Ahmed).

In one tradition, the prophet said, “This night I dreamt that two men came and took me to a Holy land whence we proceeded on till we reached a river of blood, where a man was standing, and on its bank was standing another man with stones in his hands. The man in the middle of the river tried to come out, but the other threw a stone in his mouth and forced him to go back to his original place.

So, whenever he tried to come out, the other man would throw a stone in his mouth and force him to go back to his former place. I asked, Who is this? I was told, The person in the river was a RIBA-eater.”

Apart from the one who gives and the one who accepts interest, the person who writes the transaction or the one who bears the witness is also equally culpable.

Hazrat Jabir R.A. has reported that the Messenger of Allah PBUH cursed the devourer of usury, it’s payer, its scribe, and its two witnesses. He also said that they were equal (in sin).

One fact that we must always remember is that ALLAH has bestowed us a very short life in this world, and within this period, we have to achieve milestones.

The biggest of all the milestones is paradise, which is our ultimate goal. Riba, for sure, puts one into hell forever.

Love In Quran

And yet there are some people who replace Allah with rivals, loving them as Allah is loved. But the believers love Allah more intensely

It was made attractive to people, the love of things they crave; women, sons, heaped-up heaps of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and will-tilled land. But that is for the enjoyment of this worldly life, but Allah, with Him is the beautiful homecoming

ALLAH LOVES
Those who do good deeds

Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah, and be not cast by your own hands to ruin; and do good. Lo! Allah loveth the beneficent.

Those who ask Him for forgiveness & Those who purify themselves

They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.

Those who are Allah-fearing
Nay, but (the chosen of Allah is) he who fulfilleth his pledge and wardeth off (evil); for lo! Allah loveth those who ward off (evil).

Those who are steadfast
And with how many a prophet have there been a number of devoted men who fought (beside him). They quailed not for aught that befell them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor were they brought low. Allah loveth the steadfast.

Those who trust Him
It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).

Those who act justly
Listeners for the sake of falsehood! Greedy for illicit gain! If then they have recourse unto thee (Muhammad) judge between them or disclaim jurisdiction. If thou disclaimest jurisdiction, then they cannot harm thee at all. But if thou judgest, judge between them with equity. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable.

Those who strive for His cause
Lo! Allah loveth them who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure.

Those who follow His Prophet
Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

ALLAH DOES NOT LOVE

The Aggressors
Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.

The Disbelievers
Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not the disbelievers (in His guidance).

Those who Inflict Injustice
And as for those who believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. Allah loveth not wrong-doers.

Evil
The Jews say: Allah’s hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered, and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will. That which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them, and We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. As often as they light a fire for war, Allah extinguisheth it. Their effort is for corruption in the land, and Allah loveth not corrupters.

And Evil Doers
And when he turneth away (from thee) his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle; and Allah loveth not mischief.

Those who are Arrogant
And serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveller and the wayfarer and (the slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loveth not such as are proud and boastful,

Those who Spend Lavishly
He it is Who produceth gardens trellised and untrellised, and the date-palm, and crops of divers flavour, and the olive and the pomegranate, like and unlike. Eat ye of the fruit thereof when it fruiteth, and pay the due thereof upon the harvest day, and be not prodigal. Lo! Allah loveth not the prodigals.