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Growth Of A Child

Abdullah Bin  Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him)  reported that Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) who is the most truthful said: Verily your creation is in this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother s womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune, and his misfortune. By Him, besides Whom there is no god, that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise

The Virtues of Reciting Some Surahs of the Qur’an

Here are some benefits of reciting certain Surahs (chapters) in the Qur’an:

Surah Al-Fatihah (1)
Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) was traveling when he disembarked and began walking alongside a companion.
He asked him, “Shouldn’t I tell you the best part of the Qur’an?” Then he recited “Alhamdu lillahi rabbil alameen” (Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exist). (The first verse in Surah Al-Fatihah; (1:1)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever masters the first seven (chapters or verses) from the Qur’an is a great scholar.”

Also, Prophet Muhammad said: “In the Fatiha of the Qur’an, there is a cure for all maladies (illnesses).”

Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Prophet Muhammad said: “The Qur’an and those who committed themselves to it will be presented on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Imran.”

Prophet Muhammad also said: “Learn how to recite Surah Al-Baqarah for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle and that Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran are like two flowers which will shade those who learned them by heart on the Day of Judgment as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds.”

Also, Prophet Muhammad said: “Recite Surah Al-Baqarah in your dwellings and do not turn them into graves.

He also said that whoever recited Surah Al-Baqarah at night would be crowned with a crown of Paradise.”

Prophet Muhammad said: “Do not make your house as graves, for Satan shuns a dwelling wherein Surah Al-Baqarah is recited”

Prophet Muhammad was asked, “Which part of the Qur’an is the best?” He replied, “The Surah in which the cow is mentioned.”

He was then asked, “Which part of that Surah?” He replied, “The verse of the Throne (Ayat Al-Kursi) and the last part of Surah Al-Baqarah came down from under the Throne.”

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever recites four verses from the first part of Surah Al-Baqarah, the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three verses from the last part of Surah Al-Baqarah, Satan would never come near him or the members of his family on that day, and nothing he despises would come near him or the members of his family, and never are these verses recited over a madman without him regaining his sanity.”

Ways To Obtain The Love Of Allah

The great scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah is often referred to as the ‘Imam of the Hearts.’ Reading and reflecting on his treatise on the ways that bring about the love of Allah, it isn’t hard to see why…

* Recitation of the Qur’an with reflection and understanding of its meanings and what is intended by it, as one reflects over a book which he has memorized and which he expounds so that he may understand what its author intends from him.

* Getting closer to Allah with supererogatory acts of worship, after the obligatory ones, for they will take him to another level of love that comes after love.

* Constant remembrance in every circumstance by the tongue, the heart, the actions, and (one’s) condition, so a person’s share of love is in accordance with his share of this remembrance.

* Preferring His love over your own when desires overcome you and climbing to reach His love, even if the ascent is difficult.

* The heart’s comprehension of His Names and Attributes, witnessing them and having knowledge of them, to immerse himself in the garden of this knowledge and its fundamental pillars. Whoever knows Allah by His Name, Attributes, and Actions, will, no doubt, love Him.

* Witnessing His generosity, His benevolence, His favors, and blessings, both hidden and open, for these things all call to His love.

* And this is the most amazing of all: the heart’s total surrender to and humility in front of Allah, the Highest, and there are no other words and considerations which give expression to this meaning.

* Being alone in the time of the Descent of Allah (last third of the night) for having private conversations with Him, reciting His Words, investigating the heart, displaying the manners of servitude whilst in front of Him, and then sealing all of that by seeking forgiveness and repentance.

* Sitting with the truthful lovers (of Allah) and gathering the good fruits (emanating) from their speech, just as one picks out the best of fruits, and that you do not speak except when the benefit of the speech prevails and when you know that there is the betterment for you and benefit for others in it.

* Keeping distant from everything that comes between the heart and Allah, the Mighty, and the Majestic. May Allah make us of those who strive to love Him and are loved by Him, Ameen.

– Abridged and excerpted from Madaarijus-Saalikeen from the book The Path to Guidance (pgs.56-60), published by Salafi Publications.

Doing Good Deeds For Show-Off

“So woe to the worshippers, who are neglectful of their prayers. Those who want to be seen (by men).” (Qur’an, 107:4-6)

The word Riya is taken from the word Ruyah (to be seen). So the one to be seen is viewed by the people as one seeking esteem among them. So at times, one would seek self-esteem through one’s actions in this world.

Riya is of many types and forms, its nature and tendency are that it invalidates the actions as stated in the Book and the Sunnah.

“Like those who spend from their wealth to be seen by men, and they do not believe in Allah and the Last Day. Their example is like the example of a hard rock on which is a little soil, then on it falls heavy rain which flows off it and they will not be able to do anything with whatever they have earned and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Qur’an, 2:264)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “What I fear for you the most is the minor shirk, that is Ar-Riya. Allah will say on the Day of Judgement when He is rewarding the people for their actions: Go to those for whom you did Riya for in the world then see if you find the reward with them.” (Ahmad, 5/428, 429)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Shall I not inform you of what I fear for you more than the Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal? It is the hidden shirk. It is when a man stands up for prayer, then beautifies his prayer for another to look at.” (Ibn Majah, no. 2604, Hasan)

So be warned, from Riya as it is an evil tribulation that annihilates our actions. The Fire will be kindled first for the people who showed off because they took enjoyment from the results of their actions in the life of this world.

So flee from Riya as you would flee from a lion, as Riya and one’s hidden desires even weakened the stands of the senior scholars, let alone the general masses.

The scholars and the active worshippers, who made great efforts to tread the path to the Hereafter, were put to trial by it. When they took control of themselves and abstained from desires, they were not being allured to the apparent and open sins committed by the limbs.

However, when they became relaxed, they began to pretend to show knowledge, and actions and to present gatherings, to be observed by the people with reverence and esteem. They feel great delight and they looked down upon the idea of leaving sins.

So one of them thinks that he is from amongst the sincere worshippers of Allah but he has been confirmed as one of the hypocrites. This is a great deception and no one is safe from it except the angels.

O Allah, Lord of the Heavens and the earth, purify our hearts from hypocrisy and our actions from Riya. Make us firm upon Your straight path so that we achieve certainty.

Excerpt from the book Invalidation of Actions.

How Islam Views Wealth?

People usually have two extreme points of view regarding money: some see money as the root of all evils and others see money as the one and only source of happiness in this life and thus regard amassing wealth as the be-all and end-all of life. Money has an important position in all communities and people exaggerate its importance: the English say “money is honey” and “money talks, money walks” and the Arabs say “money revives the dead bodies.”

Islam adopts a middle path that regards money as something important and one of the pleasures of life, “Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world.” (Qur’an, 18:46), that should be used to help others and make others human beings happy and satisfied. “…but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to the Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free….” (Qur’an, 2:177)

However we are also reminded that money has another negative aspect that should be avoided, or otherwise, man will go astray “O you who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that, then they are the losers.” (Qur’an, 63:9)

The history of Islam abounds with examples of men who used their money to support their religion, the most important among them Abu Bakr Al Siddiq and Othman Ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with them). For example, Othman Ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), bought a well that was owned by a Jew who used to exploit people’s need for water. He purchased the well from the Jews and gave that away to Muslims for free. Abu Bakr spent most of his money supporting Islam, especially in its early days. In one instance, he paid money to set Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) free, who was tortured by his heartless master for embracing Islam. This is why Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said “Abu Bakr is our master who set our master (meaning Bilal) free.”

However, it should be pointed out that Islam is not against having wealth or leading a comfortable life, but it seeks to instill in the Muslim’s consciousness the fact that earning money should never be an aim in itself. In other words, money should be one’s slave and not his master.

Looking Deeper Into The Inner Secrets Of Fasting

Know, that in the fast (Sawm) is a special quality that is not found in anything else. And that is its close connection to Allah, such that He says: “The fast is for Me and I will reward it.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
This connection is enough to show the high status of fasting. Similarly, the Ka’bah is highly dignified due to its close connection to Him, as occurs in His statement:

“And sanctify My House.” (Qur’an, 22:26)

Indeed, the fast is only virtuous due to two significant concepts:
The first: It is a secret and hidden action thus, no one from the creation is able to see it. Therefore Riya (showing off) cannot enter into it.

The second: It is a means of subjugating the enemies of Allah. This is because the road that the enemies (of Allah) embark upon (in order to misguide the Son of Adam) is that of desires. And eating and drinking strengthen the desires.

There are many reports that indicate the merits of fasting, and they are all well-known.

Recommended acts of fasting
The pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and delaying in taking it is preferable, as well as hastening to break the fast and doing so with dates. Generosity in giving is also recommended during Ramadan, as well as doing good deeds and increasing in charity. This is in accordance with the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
It is also recommended to study the Qur’an and perform I’tikaaf during Ramadan, especially in the last 10 days, as well as increase the exertion (towards doing good deeds) in it.

In the two Saheehs, Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “When the (last) 10 days (of Ramadan) would come, the Prophet would tighten his waist-wrapper (Izaar), spend the night in worship, and wake his family up (for prayer).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The scholars have mentioned two views concerning the meaning of “tighten his waist wrapper (Izaar)”:
First: It means turning away from women. Second: It is an expression denoting his (peace be upon him) eagerness and diligence in doing good deeds. They also say that the reason for his (peace be upon him) exertion in the last 10 days of Ramadan was due to his seeking the Night of Al-Qadr (Laylat-ul-Qadr).

Levels of fasting
There are three levels of fasting: The general fast, the specific fast, and the more specific fast.
As for the general fast, then it is the refraining of the stomach and the private parts from fulfilling their desires.
The specific fast is the refraining of one’s gaze, tongue, hands, feet, hearing and eyes, as well as the rest of his body parts from committing sinful acts.

As for the more specific fast, then it is the heart’s abstention from its yearning after the worldly affairs and the thoughts which distance one away from Allah, as well as its (the heart’s) abstention from all the things that Allah has placed on the same level.

The characteristics of the specific fast are that one lowers his gaze and safeguards his tongue from the repulsive speech that is forbidden, disliked, or has no benefit, as well as controlling the rest of his body parts.

In a Hadith reported by Al-Bukhari: “Whosoever does not abandon false speech and the acting upon it, Allah is not in need of him leaving off his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
Another characteristic of the specific fast is that one does not overfill himself with food during the night. Instead, he eats in due measure, for indeed, the son of Adam does not fill a vessel eviler than his stomach. If he were to eat his fill during the first part of the night, he would not make good use of himself for the remainder of the night. In the same way, if he eats to his fill for Suhoor, he does not make good use of himself until the afternoon. This is because excessive eating breeds laziness and lethargy.

Therefore, the objective of fasting disappears due to one’s excessiveness in eating, for what is intended by the fast, is that one savors the taste of hunger and becomes an abandoner of desires.

-By Imam Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisee
– Mukhtasar Minhaj-ul-Qasideen (pp. 38-41)

Get Close To Allah

  • Start off each day with the waking-up supplications, thanking Allah for waking up in good shape.
  • Put Allah first in your life.
  • Broaden your horizons – learn 5 new verses from the Holy Qur’an every day, take up a booklet having supplications, and read them.
  • If someone says something mean to you, just shrug it off and dismiss it in a friendly, laid-back manner, and pray that Allah shall forgive him.
  • When you get angry, remember Allah, and think how short and worthless life is to waste in being angry.
  • Remember that you can never have too many friends, but you can have a few quality friends that help you fulfill the purpose of your creation (i.e. live for Allah).
  • When you’re happy, try to share your happiness with others. Thank Allah for that, and pray for its continuation.
  • When something bad or embarrassing happens to you, just think that it could always be worse, remember the reward of patience, and thank Allah that it’s not worse than it is.
  • Do something extra of goodness once in a while, like feeding a poor person, or caressing an orphan’s head.
  • Never stop believing that you can win Allah’s love and thus work for it. Then you can win the love of Allah’s slaves.
  • Spend some time thinking of Allah’s amazing creation.
  • Always love those who love Allah unconditionally. This way you will ensure that you live for Him, love for Him, and hate for Him (those who are enemies of Him).
  • Find the righteous ways to express yourself, and if you think that what you are about to say shall cause no benefit, maintain silence.
  • Every now and then, give yourself a break. Give time to your family and friends, but always remember Allah and watch that He is watching you.
  • Pray for the blessing to come to those who are lost, and pray to Allah to guide them to the true path.
  • Hug your parents, kiss their hands and heads, and always obey them except when they order you to disobey Allah.
  • Smile to everyone, for your smile makes a big difference to him or she, and you are rewarded.
  • Forgive, forget, and smile.
  • Tears are not for women only… tears are for all human beings with feelings remaining in them. Don’t restrain your tears when remembering Allah.
  • When people criticize your actions and effort, revise your actions and see if they please Allah or not. If they do; then ignore and remember how the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) were criticized, made fun of, and even physically harmed, so have patience.
  • Read the Holy Qur’an daily and try to have a schedule for completing it as much as you could. As you open the Holy Qur’an daily, read with attention not just pass your eyes through the words.
  • Don’t let popularity go to your head, for it never lasts and you may lose from it more than gain.
  • Never look down on anybody, for, to Allah, they may be better than you.
  • Convey this to all Muslims with the intention of having a healthy society living for Allah and pray: “Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.” (Qur’an, 16:125)