Prophet Muhammad: Starting The Day With Prayers
Let us try to paint a picture of one day in the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) of Islam. For certain, he wakes up well before dawn, when the dark curtain of the night still covers everything. As he begins to move, he says: “Praise be to God who has returned my spirit to me, given me physical strength and permitted me to glorify Him.” Consider how he welcomes life, full of optimism: “Praise be to God who has returned my spirit to me.”
The life we are given is a blessing for which we thank God and we must use well. It offers a chance of success for whoever aims to succeed. Yet God reminds His servants of the blessing He has given them in the form of sunrise and sunset: “It is God who has made for you the night in which to rest, and the day to make you see. God is limitless in His bounty to man, but most people do not give thanks.” (40: 61) Great is life when it is coupled with good health. It is then that the body organs can function well, without trouble. A Muslim will then move about to willingly fulfill his duties well. It is for this that we praise and thank God for giving us good health.
We need to reflect on the Prophet’s early words as he praises God for “permitting me to glorify Him”. Can we imagine a more polite way in addressing the Lord? Here is an acknowledgement that a new day means permission to resume worship right at the break of dawn.
Muhammad, God’s ever grateful servant, begins his praises using words that impart certitude of faith and pure love in every letter. He says these words morning and evening: “My Lord, I pray You to grant me sound health in this life and in the life to come, to forgive me and to give me purity in faith, life, family and property. My Lord, grant me a cover of my flaws and reassurance in time of fear. Protect me from what lies ahead of me, behind me, to my right, to my left and above me. I appeal to Your greatness to protect me from any danger that lies beneath me.”
The Prophet urged every Muslim to say as he begins or ends his day: “My Lord, You know all that is beyond human perception and all that is witnessed by anyone; You are the Originator of the heavens and the earth; You are the Lord and owner of all. I bear witness that there is no deity other than You. I seek refuge with You from the evil that is within me and from the machinations of Satan.”
As they start their day, the Prophet and his companions say: “We have started this day in the original state of submission to God, with the pure word of faith, following the religion of our Prophet Muhammad and the creed of our father Abraham who followed the pure faith and never associated partners with God.”
That the Prophet’s companions should assert that they follow the religion of Prophet Muhammad is perfectly understandable. Why does the Prophet himself say the same? This occurs in many supplications the Prophet used to say, always asserting his belief in his prophethood or in the truth of his message. I feel that this serves more than one purpose. The first is that it confirms his commitment to implement what he preaches. Many are the religious leaders who appear to consider that their task is to teach others what to do. As for themselves, they consider themselves above accountability. Another purpose is to spite unbelievers by asserting that Islam is the faith of unquestionable truth. Moreover, it is an acknowledgement of the grace God has bestowed on His messenger, and an expression of gratitude and happiness for being chosen for this noble task.
-By SHEIKH MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZALI
People Entering Paradise-Glittering like a Full Moon Or Brightest Star
People entering Paradise-Glittering like a Full Moon or Brightest Star*(Bukhari#469)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Apostle ( Peace Be Upon Him.) said:-
“The first batch of people who will enter Paradise will be glittering like a full moon; and those who will enter next will be glittering like the brightest star.
Their hearts will be as if the heart of a single man, for they will have no enmity amongst themselves.
And everyone of them shall have two wives, each of whom will be so beautiful, pure and transparent that the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the flesh.
They will be glorifying Allah in the morning and evening, and will never fall ill, and they will neither blow their noses, nor spit.
Their utensils will be of gold and silver, and their combs will be of gold, and the fuel used in their will be the aloes-wood, and their sweat will smell like musk.”
Sahih Bukhari-Volume 4, Book 54, Number 469.
Wudu Ki Dua
Subah Aur Shaam Ki Dua
Importance Of Being Truthful
Being truthful means speaking the truth and also saying things that reflect reality. Being truthful is one of the necessities of a human society, one of the virtues of human behavior, and brings great benefits, whilst lying is one of the major elements of corruption in human society, and the cause of the destruction of social structure and ties, one of the most evil features of bad conduct, and causes widespread harm. Hence Islam commanded truthfulness and forbade lying.
Allah says: “O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).” (9:119)
Ibn Katheer said: “It means: be truthful and adhere to truthfulness, and you will be among its people and will be saved from calamity, and this will make a way out for you from your problems.”
Allah says: “if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.” (47:21)
Abd-Allah Ibn Mas’ood (radi allahu anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam – may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You must be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep speaking the truth and striving to speak the truth until he will be recorded with Allah as a siddeeq (speaker of the truth). Beware of telling lies, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire. A man will keep telling lies and striving to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” (Muslim)
This Hadith indicates that truthfulness leads to righteousness, an all-embracing concept that includes all kinds of goodness and different kinds of righteous deeds. Immorality is basically an inclination towards deviation from the truth, and the immoral person is one who is inclined to turn away from the path of guidance. Hence immorality and righteousness are incompatible.
Al-Hasan Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (radi allahu anhu) said: I memorized from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam): “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt, for truthfulness is certainty and tranquility, whilst lying is doubt and confusion.” (Tirmidhi)
In the lengthy Hadith of Abu Sufyaan (radi allahu anhu) describing his meeting with Heraclius, Abu Sufyaan (radi allahu anhu) said: (Heraclius) said, “What does he (the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) command you to do?” I said, “He says: worship Allah alone and do not associate anything in worship with Him, and abandon that which your forefathers did. He commands us to pray, to be truthful, to be chaste and to uphold the ties of kinship.” (Bukhaari and Muslim)
A Living Language
The Qur’an was able to hold the Arabic language in thrall from the moment it was revealed. Indeed its haunting rhythms rocked the whole Arabia from Sudan to Syria and from Morocco to Oman.
While the Qur’an continues to occupy the pedestal as an abiding model for literary Arabic, the languages of other scriptures had all become dead.
In fact, Arabic has defied the usual norms of the evolution of languages through history. The French scholar Ernest Renan (1823-1894), who had carried out extensive research on Semitic languages, had this to say about the Arabic language:
The Arabic language is the most astonishing event of human history. Unknown during the classical period, it suddenly emerged as a complete language. After this, it did not undergo any noticeable changes, so one cannot define for it an early or a late stage. It is just the same today as it was when it first appeared (quoted by Khan).
In acknowledging this “astonishing event of human history” this French Orientalist, was in fact acknowledging the miraculous nature of the Qur’an. It was the Qur’an’s phenomenal literary style which preserved the Arabic language from alteration, such as other languages have undergone.
A Challenging, Transformational Book
There is no other book in human history that has molded, and is continuing to mold, the life of generations of people as the Qur’an.
Every verse of the Qur’an has become the unalterable source of a code of laws that govern every aspect of the life of Muslims.
This was a book that reformed and refined the lives of thousands of Bedouins who could not think of anything beyond the confines of their clans before; a book that transformed the camel-herds of Arabia into Caliphs and learned judges; a book that brought into being the renowned universities and centers of learning that awakened a new enlightenment in the world, such as no other civilization of the past could match.
Muslims consider it a brilliant and lasting miracle of God because Prophet Muhammad’s only source of inspiration for the revolution he brought about was the Qur’an.
With the Qur’an in his hand, Prophet Muhammad gave shape to the nucleus of a universal society in the Arabia of those days, out of those scattered and cantankerous desert tribes, who had little by way of scientific knowledge or material resources.
Their initiation into a stable Islamic cultural order was effected independent of all the socio-political systems or powers existing in the world at that time.
The Qur’an was at the center of this unique spiritual revolution. All the factors required for forging unity among tribes, races and social classes, for the liberation of thought patterns and the ennobling of knowledge. Indeed all the criteria for social transformation were derived from the very text of the Qur’an and from the culture that emerged from the Qur’an.
Even aggressors who ravaged Islamic lands and triumphed over the Muslims owing to their military superiority, lost their dominance in the end when they were confronted with the spiritual power of Islam; and eventually, many of them adopted the religion of the people they had conquered.
Rizq Mein Brabri Na Honay Ki Hikmatein
Ibaadah (Worship) And Levels Of Love
Al-‘Ibaadah (worship) which we are commanded to perform includes the meaning of humility and love, it contains intense humility before Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa – Glory be to He, Allah, the Most High) together with the intense love for Him. The uppermost level of love is the adoration (Tatayum) and its lowermost level is the interest, because the heart is first interested in the beloved. After the interest comes the affection, then the love, and finally the adoration. In Arabic “Taym-u-Allaah” (the adorer of Allah) is used to mean “Abd-u-Allaah” (the worshiper of Allah) because the adorer is the one who yields completely to their lover.
One who submits to someone with hatred is not worshiping him. And one who loves someone without submitting to him is likewise not worshiping him; this is like a man who loves his son and friends. Therefore, neither love nor submission alone are sufficient in worshiping Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa). Allah must be loved most by Al-‘Abd (the slave) and He (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa) must be the greatest of all in his sight. Nothing deserves complete love and submission except Allah . It is a futile love when anything has been loved for other than the sake of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa). And whatever has been highly regarded without it being by the Command of Allah, its glorification is rejected.
The love for Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa) and Ar-Rasool (the messenger Mohammed) [sallallaahu ‘alayhee wa sallam – may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him], should override any other love.
Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’alaa) said:
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and Fighting in His Cause; then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the rebellious folk.” [At-Tawbah:24]
Thus, the essence of love should be due to Allah and His Messenger, so too with the obedience. For the obedience is due to Allah and His Messenger, and pleasing is due to Allah and His Messenger,
“But it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) if they are (true) believers.” [At-Tawbah:62]
Lambi Umeed Ki Muzamat
