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Hope Until The Very End

Once when Ali Bin Abu Talib and Al-Hussain Bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) were walking together they heard a man making dua to Allah. The man was begging Allah to forgive him for his evil deeds. His sincere tone and eloquent words aroused his interest in Ali. He told his son, “Do you not hear the man who is so very penitent because of his sins? Go catch up with him and call him.”

When Al-Hussain caught up with the man, he saw that he was clean-looking, clean-smelling, with nice clothes, and altogether handsome, except that he seemed to be paralyzed on the right side of his body. Al-Hussain said, “Answer the summon of Amir Al-Mu’mineen, Ali Bin Abu Talib.”

Dragging his right side, the man followed Al-Hussain back to where Ali was waiting for them.

“Who are you!” asked Ali.

“A man who did not fulfill the rights of others and is now being punished for that,” replied the man.

“And what is your name?” asked Ali. “Munaazil Bin Laahiq,” said the man.

“What is your story?” asked Ali.

The man said, “I was famous among the Arabs for my frivolous and sinful exploits. Merciful and kind, my father would constantly admonish me and advise me to mend my ways. He would remind me of Allah’s punishment, saying, ‘My son, do not go against He who punishes with the Hell-fire!’ When he would persist in advising me, I felt his voice grating on my nerves. I would get so frustrated that I would beat him with harsh blows. In response to my blows, he one day said, ‘By Allah, I will fast without breaking my fast and I will pray without stopping to sleep.’

“He fasted for an entire week, but seeing no change in my behavior, he climbed a camel and set off to perform Haj. His parting words were, ‘I am going to the House of Allah, and there I will seek help from Allah against you.’ When he reached Makkah, he grasped the curtain of the Ka’ba and made du’a against me, asking Allah to make me paralyzed on one side of my body. By the One who raised the sky and sends down the rain, no sooner did my father finish his du’a that I became paralyzed on my right side, which became like a piece of wood. Anyone who would then pass by me would point to me and say, ‘Allah answered his father’s supplication against him.’”

“What did your father do then?” asked Ali.

“O Amir Al-Mu’mineen, after he became pleased with me, I asked him to go back and invoke Allah on my behalf. He agreed to do so. I walked alongside him as he rode on his camel until we reached a place called the Valley of Arak. When we reached there, a group of birds flew away from a tree, their sudden movement frightened the camel. As the camel raced off in a state of fright, my father fell off it and died.”

It was certainly late for the man, but not too late, and so Ali advised him to continue to make du’a and to repent for his past misdeeds. Ali then parted from the man, but before leaving him, he taught him the du’a that a person in distress should say. (The narration does not specifically mention which du’a Ali taught the man.)

 – an excerpt from the Stories of Repentance

How Did Prophet Unite The Ummah?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) united the Muslim Ummah in various ways, which represent the means for the unity of Muslims of all ages. Such means include that Muslims should be faithful to their message and to their religion. They should establish the doctrine firmly in their hearts, seek knowledge and science, abhor injustice, and realize that their glory and supremacy lie in getting close to Allah, looking forward to Allah’s satisfaction and Paradise, giving the least importance to worldly pleasures and basing all their mottos on their belief.

In short, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gathered his Ummah and united its stances because he is the Seal of the Prophets and the leader of the Messengers sent by Allah. He is the leader of all who fights for the sake of Allah and he was sent as a mercy to all humanity who enjoyed the support and care of Allah Almighty.

And to explain this, let me say briefly that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was able to realize this unity and solidarity thanks to many devices and means, such as the strength of his character, his sincere devotion to his message, as well as his dislike of idol-worship that prevailed at that time; and, moreover, he enriched the hearts with a creed that was superior to the false and trivial pagan beliefs.

He illuminated the hearts with the light of belief in the Glorious Creator Who owns all that is in the Heavens and the Earth. He firmly entrenched this faith, practically and continuously, by the acts of worship his Lord revealed to him, such as prayers, fasting, Zakah, Haj, and other kinds of good deeds.

In addition to this, he purified the souls of his people of grudges and hatred; there was no room for aggression or injustice, no room for pride or insults, but rather brotherhood, love, and equality because they were from one common ancestor, and there was no privilege of an Arab over a non-Arab except through piety.

Besides, he taught them that they have no real power or might; that when they are self-conceited they will lose, but when they are proud of their Creator they will succeed and prosper; and that glory belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and to the believers. This is why the Qur’an states: “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e, this Qur’an), and be not divided among yourselves” (Al-Imran, 3:103)

Through such ways, also, the value of the worldly life and its pleasures was minimized in their eyes. As long as one does not attach much importance to this life, his humanity increases, and he is able to gather all human beings under the roof of love and faithfulness. He also made them look forward to a marvelous Heaven and to live for eternal life to come after this transitory life. And since for such causes, competitors must work together and diverse people must cooperate, how will this be the case with those with a common identity?

Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) dyed the patriotic motive with a religious theme and stated that to love your homeland is part of one’s belief, and to defend the property is part of good religion. Such a strong heavenly bond joined all parties with a bond of solidarity and agreement. They could not have authority over their lands and defend their sovereignty to please their Lord unless each and every one of them was of help and support to his brother, for one Muslim to another Muslim is like a solid wall (of bricks) supporting each other.

Finally, the Prophet (peace be upon him) succeeded in uniting his Ummah and people because he turned them into a pious and faithful nation that works for this life as if it will live forever and works for the Hereafter as if death will end it tomorrow. Therefore, this religion will only prosper by what caused its prosperity at the very beginning. As for those who are lagging behind, if they want to come forward, they have the way right in front of them.

Are We Muslims Only In Ramadan?

It is now time for us to re-evaluate our Eman. Question yourselves, and in the process improve yourselves.

We claim to be Muslims, and we claim to believe in Allah, but do we really believe in it with a firm heart, or is it just something we say? We claim to “believe” in the Unseen God, but we see the harmful effects of drinking, clubbing, and smoking, yet we don’t avoid them. Ask yourselves that if we don’t even believe in what can be seen, do we really believe in the Unseen, Just ‘believing’ in the existence of Allah does not make us true Muslims, Shaitaan also, by the way, ‘believes’ in Allah. We must act like Muslims also.

We must also do in actions what we say in words and what we know in our thoughts. We say we’re Muslims, but are we really? He/she is not a true Muslim whose hands and tongue are violent. Several of us stopped cursing and backbiting and lying during the month of Ramadan, but now what? Since Ramadan is over, should we return to those faults? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

Every Muslim is to pray 5 times a day, every day, with no exceptions. Several of us did that very promptly during Ramadan. Now that Ramadan is over, now what? Should we give up those prayers just because Ramadan is over? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

We made duas because we understood that indeed it is Allah who listens and grants. We sought forgiveness from Allah because we realized our faults and felt guilty. We improved our conduct and lowered our voices and controlled our tempers because we realized that a Muslim is one whose actions represent peace and nobility. Now that Ramadan is over, will we go back to our same old selves? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

We tried our best to close our ears to that which was not permissible to hear, we tried our best to stop our tongues at times when we were about to say something which we are not allowed to say, we tried our best to lower our gazes at sights which we are not allowed to see. Now that Ramadan is over, do those things become permissible to us? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

We refrained from going to clubs and watching movies and listening to songs and music during Ramadan because we realized these attributes do not represent Muslims. Now that Ramadan is over, should we return to our previous lifestyle? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

We were awake at night, not spending time in clubs, watching TV, or with friends, but instead, we were awake at night to do ibadat for the Will and Pleasure of Allah. Now that Ramadan is over, are we relieved of our responsibilities? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan???

We refrained from dawn to dusk, not only from the Haraam but also from the Halaal. The purpose of this abstinence was to create patience and virtue, and realize that if you want you can even stay away from the Halaal, so why can you not avoid the Haraam? Sure you can. You just need the will. Now that Ramadan is over, can we go back to eating, talking, watching, doing, and thinking Haraam? Are we Muslims only during Ramadan?

Qur’an Recitation

Qur’an recitation is of two types:

1. Practical recitation
Reading sincerely with belief in it and acting upon the orders of Allah and refraining from what He prohibited.

2. Word recitation
Many narrations emphasize the great reward for those who recite the Qur’an.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The best of you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” (Bukhari)

He (peace be upon him) also said, “The one who excels in reciting the Qur’an will be in the company of the honored angels.” (Sahih Muslim)

And, “The example of the believer who reads the Qur’an is like that of the Utrujah (a citrus fruit) which has a beautiful fragrance and a beautiful taste.

While the example of the believer who does not read the Qur’an is like that of the date fruit: It has sweet taste, but has no fragrance.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “He who recites one letter of the Book of Allah, will be rewarded for it, and the reward will be multiplied in folds.” (Tirmidhi – classed Saheeh by Al-Albani)

There are certain Surahs of the Qur’an that have more rewards for their recitation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Satan does not enter the house wherein Surah Al-Baqarah is recited. (Sahih Muslim)

When one recites Ayaatul-Kursi at night, as the prophet (peace be upon him) informed us, he will be protected by Allah, and Satan will not come near him till he wakes up in the morning. (Bukhari)

Similar protection is also for reciting the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah or the last three Surahs of the Qur’an. (Bukhari)

– By Shiekh Muhammad Bin Saalih Al-Uthaymeen

Beating The Heat With Positive Thinking

Every other person nowadays repeatedly exclaims, with loud sighs and exasperated wipes of wet brows, how extremely hot the weather is. Despite going through this bout of intense heat every year as summer makes its debut, we seem to find it shocking how high the temperatures can shoot up, come July. Consequently, we loathe how the heat adversely affects our day-to-day living, especially in those developing countries where air conditioners, generators, refrigerators, and deep freezers are still elusive luxuries that not everyone can afford.

There are ways of countering our by-default habit of complaining, cribbing and negative thinking about the hot summer. We should remind ourselves that we are indeed tremendously blessed by Allah through His wonderful creation of the heavens and the earth, which sees four seasons come and go throughout the year, with each bringing forth special bounties and joys that benefit us.

Heat brings vegetation
The heat, accompanied by rainfall, brings forth our provision – all that we eat and drink with much relish. The blazing sun melts the snow from the mountains causing rivers, geysers, and fresh-water streams to gush forth for us.

“And He it is who has caused waters to come down from the sky; and by this means have We brought forth all living growth, and out of this have We brought forth greenness. Out of this do We bring forth close-growing grain; and out of the palm tree, dates in thick clusters; and gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: (all) so alike, and yet so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!” (Qur’an, 6:99)

The process of photosynthesis that the sunlight causes makes the dead trees come alive and bear fruit; the seeds sown into the ground produce grains, pulses, vegetables, and rice that we whip up into exotic delicacies. Furthermore, animals mate during this season and increase in numbers.

Fruit and flowers
When Allah brings upon us the summer season, He also provides us with means to get relief from the hot weather in the form of succulent seasonal fruit full of nutrients that replenish our bodies, saving them from the adverse effects of dehydration and perspiration. Similarly, the summer sees flowers bloom and arid landscape come alive with greenery and color. The Muslim gets a chance to see the breathtaking beauty of Allah’s creation that immediately sets his tongue in motion with praise and dhikr!

Blessing of clothing
If Allah shines the sun’s heat down upon us for some weeks without relent, He also provides us with the material with which we can protect ourselves from it. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And Allah has given you, of that which He has created, shelter from the sun; and has given you places of refuge in the mountains, and has given you coats to ward off the heat from you, and coats (of armor) to save you from your own foolhardiness. Thus does He perfect His favor unto you, in order that you may surrender (unto Him).” (Qur’an, 16:81)

Fasting Of Spiders

There are many types of spiders in the world. Spiders have eight legs, mandibles converted into poison fangs, two feelers, and a large unsegmented abdomen bearing several spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects. Spiders have six or eight eyes on the back of the cephalothorax, the upper part of their body.

There is a Surah in the Noble Qur’an called “Al-Ankabout”, meaning “The Spider”. There Allah says: “The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider’s house if they but knew.” [Al-Ankabout 41]

Spiders played a great role in hiding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) when they were in the Cave of Thawr on the way to Al-Madinah during the course of the Hijrah (the Prophet’s emigration from Makkah to Madinah). Spiders spun a great web across the entrance of the cave, and this misled the polytheists who were seeking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companion. They thought that the spiders had spun their web years before Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born.

Spiders fast during the period of laying eggs and incubating them. At that time they do not have any sort of food. Female spiders spin nests and cocoons and lay their eggs. Then they remain there all the time to protect the eggs till the young emerge. The length of incubation varies from one species of spider to another. But in all cases, this term is spent without any food, which makes the spiders very weak.

From specific glands, the spiders release some liquids that are necessary for feeding the young, who are not able to seek their food by themselves until they grow up. So they take these juices until they are able to hunt their food from the surrounding environment.

At that time mother spiders break their fast and return back to their normal life. This is another demonstration of Allah’s Power manifest in His creatures. Chance has nothing to do with such demonstrations of Allah’s Might. Rather it is the ultimate truth of creation.

Prophet Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam)

Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam)was the son of Dawud(Alaih Assalaam). As you already know, Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) was very just even as a young boy, and he became well-known and respected for his wisdom. when he became a man, Allah made him His prophet. Allah also taught him to understand the languages of birds and animals. yet in spite of his wisdom and many wealthy possessions, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) never forgot Allah. He knew that all goodness comes from Allah. Thus, he always told his people: Thank Allah for the good He has given you and for His generosity. Worship Allah and do good deeds.

Once, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) and his soldiers were passing through a valley inhabited by ants. Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) heard one ant say to another: Quick, get out of the way and hide! Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) and his soldiers are coming, and they will trample on us and not even know they have done so!

Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), of course, was able to understand the ants’ language. He laughed and ordered his soldiers to stay still and wait until all the ants had crawled away to safety. Then he prayed to Allah: O Allah, help me in doing the right things so that You will be contented with me.

One day, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) called all the birds to gather around him, but as he glanced through the flock, he noticed that the Hoopoe bird was not there. Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) waited for some time, and just as he was deciding not to wait any longer, the Hoopoe suddenly came flying in and sat himself down next to Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam). I have come from a far-away city called Saba, the Hoopoe said. The people there are very rich and they have a Queen who sits on a magnificent throne. These people worship the sun and believe that they are right to treat the sun as God. But they are wrong, are they not? They will never find the right way to Allah if they go on like that. Allah is the only One Whom all creatures should worship.

Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) then wrote a letter to the Queen of Saba and sent the Hoopoe to take it to her.
When the Queen of Saba received the letter, she called all the wise men of the city to her. I have received a letter from Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), said the Queen. In it, Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) writes that we should believe in Allah and worship only Him. What would you advise me to do?

We are very powerful and can make war against Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), but you have to decide for yourself what is to be done, the wise men answered.

But war could cause destruction to our city, and our best warriors will turn into cruel fighters, the Queen protested. Therefore, I would prefer not to make war. Instead, I will send Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) a present.
When the messengers of the Queen of Saba arrived with the present, they were very surprised because Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam) became very angry. Why do you bring me these riches instead of listening to my advice? Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) scolded. What Allah has given me is much better than all these riches. Go to your Queen and take her presents with you!

When she heard the Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) had refused her valuable gifts, the Queen of Saba, in her turn, was surprised. So, she decided to go to see Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) for herself. She called her people and made preparations for the journey to Sulaiman’s city.

When the Queen arrived, Sulaiman (Alaih Assalaam) explained to her about Allah and she realized how wrong she had been to worship the sum. You are right, she told Sulaiman(Alaih Assalaam), from now on, I shall worship only Allah. He is our only Lord and we should obey only Him.