Virtues Of Muharram
Muharram – The first month of the Hijra calendar – is one of the four sacred months about which Allah said: “Verily, the number of months with Allah is 12 months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” (Qur’an, 9:36)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The year is 12 months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab which comes between Jumada and Sha’ban.” (Al-Bukhari, 2958)
It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said that this phrase “so wrong not yourselves therein…” referred to all the months, then these four were singled out and made sacred, so that sin in these months is more serious and good deeds bring a greater reward.
Voluntary fasting
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allah’s month of Muharram.” (Sahih Muslim)
This Hadith is probably meant to encourage fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.
Fasting on ‘Ashoura
Ibn Abbas said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Madina and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoura. When he asked them about it, they said, ‘This is a blessed day, it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa (peace be upon him) fasted on this day.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘We have more right to Musa (peace be upon him) than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded (the Muslims) to fast on that day.” (Al-Bukhari)
Fasting on the day of ‘Ashoura was earlier obligatory, but when fasting Ramadan was made obligatory, the obligation to fast ‘Ashoura was cancelled, i.e., it was no longer obligatory to fast on this day, but it is still recommended.
Virtues of fasting ‘Ashoura
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “For fasting the day of ‘Ashoura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.” (Sahih Muslim)
This is from the bounty of Allah towards us. By fasting one day, He expiates our sins for the whole year. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.
Fasting the ninth and tenth
Abdullah Ibn Abbas said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) fasted on ‘Ashoura and commanded the Muslims to fast as well, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘If I live to see the next year, Insha Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too.’ But it so happened that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away before the next year came.” (Sahih Muslim)
Al-Shafi’i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaq and others said: “It is Mustahab (recommended) to fast on both days, ninth and tenth, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) fasted on the tenth, and intended to fast on the ninth.”
The Way To Paradise Is Very Hard
Paradise is very high, and ascending lofty places takes a great deal of effort. The way to Paradise is filled with things that go against human wishes and inclinations. This needs strong determination and willpower. In a hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (ra) the Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
“Hell has been veiled with desires, and Paradise has been veiled with [surrounded by] hardships.”
an-Nasaa’ee, at-Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “When Allah created Paradise, He told Jibreel, “Go look at it”. So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said, “By Your Glory, no-one will hear of it but he will enter it”. So He surrounded it with hardships and said, “Go and look at it”. So he went and looked at it, then came back and said, “By Your Glory, I fear that no-one will enter it””. [Jaami al-Usool, 10/520, 8068]
an-Nawawi commented on the first hadith:
“This is an example of the beautiful, eloquent and concise speech which the Prophet (saw) was capable, in which he gives a beautiful analogy. It means that nothing will help you to reach Paradise except going through hardships, and nothing will lead you to Hell, but whims and desires. Both are veiled as described, and whoever tears down the veil will reach what was hidden behind it. The veil of Paradise is torn down by going through hardships and the veil of Hell is torn down by giving in to whims and desires. Hardship including striving consistently and patiently in worship, restraining one’s anger, forgiving, being patient, giving in charity, being kind to those who mistreat you, resisting physical desires, etc” [Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim, 17/165]
The Importance Of Seeking Knowledge
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks a way to acquire knowledge, Allah will make his way easy to Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim)
The above Hadith is a part of a long Hadith which talks about the importance and virtues of seeking knowledge.
This Hadith mentions that if one chooses to seek the path of knowledge then he has a lot to gain from it. If we try to analyze, we will understand that the type of knowledge our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioning hear is the knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This kind of knowledge will lead one to paradise. Othman Bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The most superior among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Bukhari)
The road to paradise becomes easy when a Muslim seeks knowledge for the sake of Allah Alone, for only His pleasure and to seek His reward. Since Islam teaches every aspect of life one can easily identify a change in behavior, outlook and perspective of the seeker.
To gain proper kind of knowledge a Muslim should do actions that are ordained by Allah and avoid things forbidden by Him. He should become punctual in offering his Salah, Sawm and other obligations. He should not only improve his relationship with his Lord but also improve his relationship with his kith and kin and all human beings in general.
In any case knowledge is light and ignorance is darkness. But in the light of this Hadith the only kind of knowledge that can be beneficial in the Hereafter is the knowledge of Islam. By gaining knowledge knowledge a person’s life is enlightened and his vision is widened, which reduces the chances of one being misguided.
He doesn’t do anything wrong with himself nor he does it with others. He himself walks in light and helps others to do the same. Furthermore, he is guided by Allah from darkness and evil.
A person who is enriched with the knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah is blessed with many virtues attached as mentioned in the Qur’an and Ahadith. The birds and creatures on land, the fishes in the oceans pray for the forgiveness of a person who he set out in search of knowledge.
To gain knowledge a person has to choose the correct route for it, which is attending Islamic lectures, being a part of gatherings where reflect on Ahadith and verses from the Qur’an, reading religious books and so on. Thus, if a person strives to acquire knowledge then Insha’Allah one shall be able to acquire it, and the road to paradise would become easy as well.
Hafzay kay Lye Mujarab Amal
The Aim Of Education
The greatest objective of education is to prepare the young generation for leadership.
Islamic education, of course, has the highest objective. The aim of Islamic education is character building. Growth and development of an Islamic personality should be the final goal of any Islamic school. Islamic values are the foundation of the Islamic personality.
As Muslims our educational aim is to develop the personalities of our children fully so that they will be conscious of their responsibility to Allah (the Creator) and to fellow humans. The aims and objectives of Islamic education have been defined in the Recommendation of the Committee of the First World Conference on Muslim Education as:
“Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through training of the human spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and senses. The training imparted to a Muslim must be such that faith is infused into the whole of his/her personality and creates in him/her an emotional attachment to Islam and enables him to follow the Qur ‘an and Sunnah and be governed by Islamic system of values willingly and joyfully so that he/she may proceed to the realization of his/her status as Khalifatullah to whom Allah has promised the authority of the universe.”
We need to prepare the younger generation having leadership quality and not to be the followers of alien ideologies but to play the role of torchbearer by their excellence in knowledge, character, and positive action.
Some scholars believe that this quality can be developed in Muslim youth by a direct study of the Qur’an with a view to solve the problems of life in its light.
Every Muslim parent is advised to raise his or her children well and properly.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said whoever is not kind to young people is not one of us and the best teaching that a parent can give a child is the teaching of good manners and character.
The Muslim child absorbs the Islamic values from its parents, teachers, peers, friends and the environment, including the care-givers
Nip it in the bud is the best advice. Otherwise once the Muslim child develops undesirable habits and unethical values, it becomes extremely difficult to reform the child into a good Muslim.
5 Things About Dates
The tradition of eating dates during Ramadan dates back to the 7th century when it is said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used the dates to break his fast. Here are some facts about dates:
- Eating a date after fasting all day helps the body start the digestive process and it gives the body the energy it needs to deal with more complex foods. Dates are also very high in fiber, and fiber will fill one up faster than other foods, and this may help prevent over eating.
- For Bedouin Muslims, dates are an incredibly important part of their diet. They are easy to transport, they keep well without refrigeration, they are readily available they are a rich source of vitamins. Dates regularly sold at desert oases and are considered a staple food.
- The health benefits of dates are incomparable. Ripe dates contain about 80 percent sugar. These sugars are natural sugars. Sugar travels to the liver faster than anything else, and the sugars are converted to energy faster than other nutrients. Simple sugars are not healthy. Dates contain sugars that come from a complex carbohydrate.
- Dates are high in vitamins A, B6, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, iron and natural sodium. They also contain a small amount of protein, some good fats, and additional minerals including copper, sulphur and fluoric acid. They are extremely beneficial for the stomach and for the digestive tract because they can prevent bad parasites and bacteria from infiltrating the digestive tract and causing all sorts of digestive and intestinal problems.
- Dates are valuable as medicine for their tonic effect. Milk in which clean and fresh dates have been boiled is a very nourishing and restorative drink to children and adults alike, especially during convalescence.
Why Do We Follow The Sunnah?
Actually, some people claim that the Qur’an is so inclusive that there is no need for the Sunnah (the Prophetic Tradition). They support their claim by citing the Qur’anic verse, “…And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything” (16: 89)
However, this claim is completely wrong and rejected by the Qur’an itself. Allah Almighty says: ” .. And We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’an)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (16: 44)
In addition, Allah declares that obeying the Prophet is obligatory, as it is part of obedience to Him (See: 3: 31; 4: 80; 33: 36; 47: 33; etc.) Therefore, it is not proper for a Muslim who knows Islamic law to say that following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not required.
By and large, the Qur’an sets the general rules without details. For example, there is no mention in the Qur’an that there are five obligatory prayers to be performed daily. Nor is the number of rakahs of each prayer specified, as well as the percentage of wealth to be paid in Zakah; the details in the rituals of Haj, and other such ordinances and dealings.
All of these details are elaborately dealt with in the Sunnah.
Muhazzab Andaz-e-Guftagu
Avoiding Nightmares And Sleep Disturbances
Most nightmares have their basis in our waking lives. They can stem from something we have seen or from what had been preoccupying our minds during the day. They can be the consequence of stressful or frightening experiences.
Nightmares are most common among small children. Their frequency generally decreases with age up to the time of puberty.
Someone who has a nightmare should not become worried. A major cause of nightmares is eating late at night right before going to sleep.
Apart from that, it is recommended for a Muslim to sleep in a state of ritual purity. This mean it is best to perform wudu (ablution) before going to bed.
It is also recommended to lie on the right side when going to sleep. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to sleep on his right side and instructed his followers to do so.
He said (Sahih al-Bukhari (247) and Sahih Muslim (2710)):
If you come to your sleeping place, perform your ablutions as you would for prayer, then lay down on your right side, then say:
“O Allah, I have submitted myself to You and have entrusted to You my affairs, and I have taken refuge in You, in both hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or sanctuary from You except with You. O Allah! I believe in Your Book that You have revealed and Your Prophet whom You have sent.”
If you die in on this night of yours, then you will be on the natural faith. Make these words the last thing that you utter.