- They are a part of the world of the Unseen, belief in them is an integral part of faith and denying their existence or cursing them is disbelief (Kufr).
- They are created from light, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The angels are created from light just as the Jinn are created from smokeless fire and mankind is created from what you have been told about.” (Sahih Muslim)
- They were created before mankind, because the Qur’an says: “Behold, your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a khalifah on earth…’” (Qur’an, 2:30)
- The greatest of all the angels is Jibreel (Gabriel, peace be upon him), the Trustworthy Spirit, who brought the Revelation from Allah to the final Messenger, (Muhammad, peace be upon him) and to the Messengers before him.
- The angels have wings. “Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings – two, or three, or four (pairs).” (Qur’an, 35:1)
- They have an unparalleled beauty and have different sizes, duties and status.
- They do not eat or drink. This is indicated by the conversation between Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the angels who visited him in human form, who refused to eat the fatted calf he placed before them. (Qur’an, 51:26-28)
- They do not get bored or tired of remembering and worshiping Allah: “They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken.” (Qur’an, 21:20)
- Their number is known only to Allah, and they are extremely large in numbers according to various authentic narrations.
- Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mikael (Michael) are mentioned by name in the Qur’an (2:98), as is Malik, the Keeper of HelI (Qur’an, 43:77); Israfeel is mentioned in an authentic narration reported by Muslim; Munkar and Nakeer are mentioned by name as the questioning angels in Sahih Al-Jami.’
- Angels can travel at unimaginable speeds and have the power to take on human forms, as in the story of the angels who visited Ibrahim and Lut (peace be upon them) (Qur’an, 11:69-83); the visit of Jibreel to Mary (peace be upon her) “he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects…” (Qur’an, 19:17-21); and the visits of Jibreel to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) where he was once seen by the Companions as “a man with very white clothing and very black hair… No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognized him.” (Sahih Muslim)
Namaz
Sending Salutations On The Prophet
Sending salutations on the Prophet (peace be upon him) is a form of worship. The Qur’an says : “Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honors, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad) and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salamu Alaikum). (33:56)
In this verse, Muslims have been commanded two things; sallu ‘alaihi, meaning to be inclined to somebody, to attend to him with love and to bend over him, and sallimu taslima, meaning to attend to him with love and to praise somebody and to pray for somebody. When the word yusalli is used with regard to Allah, it cannot mean that Allah should pray to someone else but that He conveys blessings on someone. But when this word is used for His servants whether angels or men, it contains a sense of love, praise and a prayer for mercy. Therefore, the meaning of the command to the believers sallu ‘allaihi (upon the Prophet) is to ask Allah to confer blessings upon him.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When a Muslim asks one blessing for me, Allah sends 10 blessings upon him, and forgives his sins and raises his rank 10 degrees. In another Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) said: “When a person sends one salutation on me the angels send 70 mercies upon him.”
Ubayy Bin Ka’ab narrated: “O Prophet of Allah I spend one-third of my supplication time in sending salutations upon you.” The Prophet (pbuh) replied, “If you increase it would be better for you.” So Ubayy Bin Ka’ab said, “If I make two-third of my supplication time in sending salutation upon you?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied, “If you increase it will be better for you.” So Ubayy Bin Ka’ab said, “Then I will spend the entire time of my supplication in sending salutations upon you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Then Allah will be sufficient for you for this world as well as the next.”
Sending salutations on the Prophet removes many problems for us in this world as well as the next. Ka’ab Bin ‘Ujrah reported: “The Prophet (pbuh) came to us and we asked him, “O Messenger of Allah we already know how to say salaam to you but how should we supplicate for you? ” He said: “Exalt the mention of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You exalted the family of Ibrahim. You are the Praised One and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are the Praised One and the Glorious. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Ibn Masud reported the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) as saying: “The people who will be nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who supplicate Allah most often for me.” (Al-Tirmidhi-Hasan)
And Anas reported, “The best of your days is Friday, “so supplicate Allah more often for me in it, for your supplications will be showed to me. “He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, How will our blessings be displayed to you when your decayed body will have mixed with the earth?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied: “Allah has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets. “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned but he does not supplicate for me.”
Turning Away From Pointless Talk
Wasting valuable time in pointless talk, gossip and chatter is something that few are able to avoid. Imam Al-Bayhaqi mentions valuable narrations in his book The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith.
Allah’ the Most High, has said: “Successful are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who turn away from pointless talk,” (Qur’an, 23:1-3) and: “Those who do not bear witness to what is false, but when they pass by pointless talk, pass by with dignity.” (Qur’an, 25:72) and: “When they hear pointless talk, they turn away from it.” (Qur’an, 28:55)
Pointless talk (laghw) is speech which is futile and irrelevant, and bears no relation to any true purpose. It brings no benefit to the one who utters it, and may well bring him misfortune instead.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “It is part of a man’s sound practice of Islam that he leaves alone that which is of no concern to him.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Dhu’l-Nun said, “Whoever loves Allah, lives truly, and whoever is inclined to anything else damages his mind. A foolish man comes and goes, paying attention to what is nothing, while the intelligent man thinks over his own thoughts scrupulously.”
Who Will Enter Paradise
First and foremost, I want to remind you that Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, and divided people into believers and disbelievers.
And, He will give paradise to the one who obeys Him, and He will give the Hellfire to the one who disobeys Him.
Allah Says:
“For those who answered their Lord’s call (believed in the oneness of Allah and followed his Messenger Muhammad (P.B.U.H), i.e., Islamic Monotheism) is the best reward (i.e., paradise). But those who answered not His call (disbelieved in the oneness of Allah and followed not His Messenger Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) if they had all that is in the earth together its like, they would offer it in order to save themselves (from the torment, but it will be in vain). For them, there will be the terrible reckoning. Their dwelling place will be Hellfire and worst indeed is that place for rest.”
Narrated Anas bin Malik [May Allah be pleased with him]:
Allah’s prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to say, “A disbeliever will be asked: suppose you had as much gold as to fill the earth, would you offer it to ransom yourself (from the Hell-fire)? He will reply, “Yes”. Then it will be said to him, “You were asked for something easier than that (to join none in worship) with Allah (i.e., to accept Islam, but you refused).”
Allah says:
“Verily, the dwellers of paradise, that day, will be busy with joyful things, they and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds) and all that they ask for. (It will be said to them) salaam (peace be on you) – a word from the Lord (Allah), Most Merciful.”
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) said;
“When anyone of you dies, his destination is displayed before him both in the forenoon and in the afternoon, so if he is from the people of paradise, he is shown his place in paradise and if he is from the people of Hell, he is shown his place in Hell.”
Durood Shareef Ki Fazeelat
Prophet Muhammad: The Ideal Husband
The family in general and the wife in particular is a precious trust and great responsibility that a Muslim must shoulder and never neglect. In this matter, just like in all others, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), is an example for all husbands in the way he treated and nurtured his wives.
The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), encouraged people to nurture their families; he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), said: “Allah will ask every person about those under his guardianship. (He will ask) whether he protected and preserved them, or squandered them; (this is) the extent to which He will ask man about his family members.”
What did the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), do with regard to nurturing his wives? How did he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ),, educate them, enjoin them to do good and forbid them from doing evil? What was his manner and method in talking to them and being kind to them? These questions are answered below.
· The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would teach his wives matters pertaining to faith:The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would teach his wives matters related to faith and creed and expound to them the oneness of Allah The Almighty and His greatness. He, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would explain the Names and Attributes of Allah to them, as well as matters related to the Hereafter. Once he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), was talking to ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her about accountability in the Hereafter and said: “He who is questioned will be punished.” `Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her then asked, “Does Allah not say (what means): {Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand. He will be judged with an easy account}[Quran 84: 7-8]He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) clarified and this, saying:“This does not mean holding people to account. Rather, it refers to merely presenting to them their records, but the one who will be questioned will certainly be punished.”
· The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), would teach his wives supplications and the mention of Allah The Almighty:The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), also taught his wives designated mentions of Allah The Almighty, such as how to seek refuge in Allah The Almighty from evil, etc. Once, he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), saw the moon and said to ‘Aa’ishah may Allah be pleased with her: “O ‘Aa’ishah! Seek refuge in Allah from the evil of this, as it is (what is referred to by) ‘The evil of darkness when it settles.’ (referring to Quran: 113: 3]).”He, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), was pointing to the moon, as it is an indicator of the approach of evening, during which many evils can take place.
· The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would teach his wives to fear Allah The Almighty:The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would run back and forth, in and out of his house, whenever he felt the wind and saw the clouds forming, and signs of disturbance would appear on his face. Once ‘Aa’ishah may Allah be pleased with her said to him when he did so, “People rejoice upon seeing the wind (and clouds) while I see you do what you do (i.e., become disturbed).” He, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ),responded: “O ‘Aa’ishah! What assurance do I have that it will not be one of punishment? Allah has punished earlier nations with the wind; when these people felt the wind (and saw) the clouds approaching, they said, ‘This is a cloud bringing us rain!’”Thus, a Muslim must always fear Allah The Almighty and His punishment.
· The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would make his wives accustomed to worship:The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would train his wives to wake up at night to perform the voluntary night prayers, by waking them up himself. Moreover, his teaching was not limited to prayer, as he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), instructed ‘Aa’ishah may Allah be pleased with her to spend in charity, saying: “Do not hoard, otherwise, Allah will withhold from you.”[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] He, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), thereby taught her not to restrict her spending in charity and to be extremely generous. This shows how keen he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), was to instruct his wives in recommended matters and not just regarding mandatory matters or prohibitions.
They Have Taken Away All Rewards
“O, Prophet of Allah! The rich among us have taken away all the rewards,” complained the poor Companions. “They pray as we pray, they fast as we fast, but they also give wealth in charity (while we have no wealth to spend).” (Refer Imam Nawawi’s 40 Hadith for the full narration.)
The poor among the Ummah deserve a special mention because they are more often than not overlooked, their interests disregarded and their voices ignored. Throughout human history, they have always been the first to believe in the Messengers of Allah, and they will enter Jannah 500 years before everyone else.
During Ramadan last year, at the initiative of a friend, we stood at a traffic signal giving away dates, water and laban just before Iftar time for commuting people who may not have a chance otherwise to break their fast with food. We distributed all the food packs without realizing we had kept none for ourselves, which left us with no other option than breaking our fast at a masjid nearby. The adhan was called while we were heading to the masjid.
We joined the “banquet” of a people who would seldom – if ever – join ours. They were those whose names would never find place in the sprawling invitations we give out for our lavish feasts. Yes, they were all there – the African children and the Asian laborers.
Yet they welcomed us with a smile and made space for us. They shared their Iftar, which was no more than some dates, a piece of bread that they broke into half for us, and some drinks. Being used to excess, we couldn’t imagine how the already small meal would be sufficient for them if they divided between us.
The African children, stereotyped for crimes and what not, were wonderful. A boy turned to me and passed on his can of soft drink. What should I do? I refused. “Children they are after all, who not just love, but crave for sweet drinks,” I thought. He pushed the can towards me and gestured he would share his friend’s.
These are people who we don’t even say our salaams to. The Black women scavengers are seen all around the country. They stop with their trolleys and children at the time of Salah and pray on pavements. Nevertheless, we pass them by as if they don’t exist, as if they are excluded from the obligation of saying salaams to our fellow Muslims.
Ways To Deal With Stress And Anxiety
Stress is life. Stress is anything that causes mental, physical, or spiritual tension. There is no running away from it. All that matters is how you deal with it. This article does not deal with the factors of stress, anxiety, and depression, nor is it a clinical advice.
If you feel depressed, you are not alone. It has been estimated that 75 to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians in America are for stress-related problems.
This is why it is wise to consult a doctor if you are having physical symptoms of stress. However, here are some tips that can help from a spiritual perspective.
1. Ask Him, He Listens
Turn each anxiety, each fear and each concern into a Dua’a (supplication). Look at it as another reason to submit to God and be in Sajdah (prostration), during which you are closest to Allah. God listens and already knows what is in your heart, but He wants you to ask Him for what you want. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah is angry with those who do not ask Him for anything. (Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said that in prayer he would find rest and relief (Nasai). He would also regularly ask for God’s forgiveness and remain in prostration during prayer praising God and asking for His forgiveness. (Bukhari)
2. Tie your camel: Do your part
One day Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
Muslims must never become fatalistic. Although we know only Allah is in control and that He has decreed all things, we are each responsible for making the right choices and doing the right thing in all situations of our lives. We must work to alleviate the hardships we, our families and our communities face.
3. Remember that human responsibility is limited
While we need to carry out our duty to the best of our abilities, always remember that you don’t control the outcome of events. Even the Prophets did not control the outcome of their efforts. Some were successful, others were not. Once you have done your duty, leave the results to Allah.
Regardless of the results of your efforts, you will be rewarded for the part you have played.
4. Leave the world behind you five times a day
Use the five daily prayers as a means to become more Hereafter-oriented and less attached to this temporary world.
Start distancing yourself as soon as you hear Adhan, the call to prayer. When you perform Wudu (ablution), keep repeating Shahada, the declaration of faith, as water drops slip down your face, hands, arms and hair. When you stand ready to pray, mentally prepare yourself to leave this world and all of its worries and stresses behind you.
5. Seek help through Sabr (patience)
Seek help through Sabr and Salat (Qur’an 2:45). This instruction from Allah provides us with two critical tools that can ease our worries and pain. Patience and prayer are two oft-neglected stress-busters.
Patience helps us keep our mind and attitude towards our difficulties in check.
6. Excuse Me! You are Not Running the World, He is.
It is important to remind ourselves that we don’t control all the variables in the world. God does. He is the Wise, the All-Knowing. Sometimes our limited human faculties are not able to comprehend His wisdom, but knowing that He is in control and that as human beings we submit to His Will, enriches our humanity and enhances our obedience towards him.
Aqeeda Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Say Mutaliq Ahadith
