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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)

5 Things About Battle Of Badr

The Battle of Badr took place on the seventeenth of Ramadan, two years after Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) Hijrah (emigration) to Madina. Here’s more information about the battle, which was the first armed conflict that the Muslims were ever engaged in.

  1. The Muslims went out of Madina to investigate a caravan that was returning to Makkah from Syria, not intending to engage in battle. The caravan escaped, but its leader Abu Sufyan managed to send word to Makkah, asking for forces to come and protect the caravan.
  2. The Makkan tribes marched with an enormous army of 1,000 men, 100 horses, 700 camels, and luxurious provisions to last for several days, while the Muslims numbered 313 ill-equipped men on 70 camels and a few horses.
  3. Led by the Prophet (PBUH), the Muslims marched forward and at the suggestion of a companion, Hubab Bin Mundhir, encamped south on the nearest water well, restricting the Makkans’ access to water.
  4. The Battle of Badr is one of the few battles explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an: “And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr when you were a weak little force. So fear Allah much that you may be grateful.” Qur’an: 3:123
  5. Many important Makkan leaders were killed or taken prisoner in this battle, the most noteworthy of whom was Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam. The Battle of Badr strengthened the Muslims’ status in Arabia as a strong force and consolidated the Muslims’ faith.

Fear Allah Alone

KHAWF (fear) is one of the acts of worship and should be for Allah alone. This has a tremendous position and lofty status in the fields of worship. It can be divided into two categories:

Shirk of ‘secret fear’
It is to fear someone about affairs over which only Allah has power. For example: To fear that a creature could prevent you from completing your life span, or to fear that someone would stop your sustenance, or to fear that someone (has the power) to prevent you from entering Paradise.

Such fear that a person harbors toward a created being with the belief that he has the ability to do these things when only Allah Alone has the power and ability to do them, is secret fear and is considered Shirk (associating partners with Allah).

Disobedience
If a person doesn’t say the truth, or enjoin good and forbid wrong, because of fear of another person, then this is an act of disobedience.

Fear is an act of worship and should be entertained for Allah alone. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“…so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers…” (Qur’an, 3:175)

Allah also said:

“…Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price…“ (Qur’an, 5:44)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seven people shall receive shade from Allah when there is no shade except His shade… (one of them is) a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth and he says ‘I fear Allah.'” (Al-Bukhari)

Extract from the Sheikh’s lecture “Enter into Islam wholeheartedly”

Benefits Of Night Worship

The special character, which distinguishes the month of Ramadan from the rest of the year is derived from the type of action we do during this month, be they obligatory or voluntary. We have spoken about fasting and the reasons for making it obligatory, as well as the role it plays in the building of the special character, which the nation of Islam has. We have pointed out that fasting has much to do with the preparation of Muslims for the task assigned to them by God, namely, conveying the divine message of Islam to mankind. Although fasting is the main thing, we do in Ramadan, it is only the obligatory part. There are other aspects of worship, which we associate with Ramadan in one way or another and which contribute to its distinctive characteristics.

Every Muslim knows that emulating the Prophet (peace be upon him) in any action he did during the 23 years of his mission is strongly recommended. It goes without saying that some of these actions we must do since they are Islamic duties. What is not obligatory and has been done by the Prophet constitutes a recommended practice, which earns a reward if done by any Muslim. When we look at what the Prophet did in Ramadan, we find that he was exceptionally charitable in this blessed month. In order to appreciate his generosity, we need to remember that the Prophet was the most generous of people at all times. He never hesitated to give away whatever he had, trusting always that God will give him more for his charity. In Ramadan, however, he was exceedingly charitable, with no limits to his generosity.

Moreover, prayer, which is the mainstay of Islamic worship, and indeed the Islamic faith, receive even stronger emphasis during Ramadan. When you go anywhere in the Muslim world during Ramadan, you find that mosques witness some unusual activity during this month. Worshippers gather for a late congregational prayer, which is offered after Isha, the night prayer, and takes much longer than any of the five obligatory prayers offered daily. Nevertheless, this worship exercise is not obligatory. We do it, following the guidance of the Prophet. It is authentically reported that he came out into the mosque one night during Ramadan and a group of his companions joined him in a congregational prayer. He did the same on the following two nights with the congregation increasing every night. On the fourth night, the mosque was overcrowded, but the Prophet did not come out. In the morning, when he came out for the obligatory dawn prayer, Fajr, said to his companions that he was aware of their presence. He simply did not want to come out because he feared that this worship might become obligatory to them. He wanted to keep it voluntary. However, the indication is clear that congregational night worship during Ramadan is strongly recommended.

How To Strengthen Our Faith

Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Qur’an. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is addressing you. People are described in different categories in the Qur’an; think of which one you find yourself in.

Realize the greatness of Allah. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.

Make an effort to gain Islamic knowledge. Learn at least the basic things we need to know in daily life, e.g. how to make Wudhu properly. Know the meanings of Allah’s names and attributes. Only those who have knowledge truly fear Allah (Refer Qur’an, 35:28).

Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered and His religion is taught.

Do more good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.

Remember death, the destroyer of pleasures, frequently.

Ponder over the different stages of the Hereafter. From graves to being raised on the Day of Judgment to one’s final destination in paradise or hell-fire.

Make Du’a. Realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don’t covet material things in this life.

Every night, before going to sleep, think about the good deeds and the sins we did during that day.

Realize the effects of sins and disobedience. Eemaan (faith) increases with good deeds and decreases with sins.

Hope In Allah

RAJAA’ (hope) is an aspect of worship. This is the type of hope a person has for Allah’s pleasure and reward along with having Iman (correct belief) and doing righteous deeds. It is waiting for Allah’s reward and seeking His pleasure. Hope is the opposite of despair. Being despaired of Allah’s Mercy is one of the major sins. Hope, however, is an act of worship beloved to Allah. Allah said in the Qur’an:

“Verily, those who have believed, and those who have emigrated (for Allah’s religion) and have striven hard in the way of Allah, all these hope for Allah’s Mercy…” (Qur’an, 2:218)

The opposite of hope is despair and hopelessness in the Mercy of Allah. Allah said:

“…Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” (Qur’an, 12:87)

And in another verse:

“…And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?” (Qur’an, 15:56)

So hope is a quality or an aspect of Tawheed, whereas despair, its opposite, is not. It is (rather) an act of disobedience. Allah mentioned in the above verses that despair is a characteristic of those who are astray and who do not believe in Him.

Extract from the Sheikh’s lecture “Enter into Islam wholeheartedly”

Ramadan Duties

Ramadan is the month “in which the Holy Qur’an was sent down as a guide to mankind and as clear (signs) for guidance and judgment between right and wrong.” This month calls upon us, yet again, to reflect on our lives and judge for ourselves to what extent we have lived, and live, by Divine Guidance.

True, we observe fast and attend night prayers. But do we, in the 11 interposing months, remember that while fasting is “for a fixed number of days,” the spirit of self-discipline and the sense of mission that it is meant to instill in us are for the lifetime? And are we looking forward to this Ramadan as a new opportunity to recommit ourselves to a meaningful life, or as another yearly opportunity to relapse into a month of zombie days and gastronomic nights while deluding ourselves that we are pious?

The Qur’an is quite specific about what fasting is for. It is neither to punish the body with thirst and hunger nor to indulge it with fat and sloth. “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may have taqwa.” Authentic commentators have translated the comprehensive word “taqwa” as “self-restraint” in its widest sense of guarding one’s tongue, hand, and heart against evil and, hence denotes righteousness, piety, and good conduct.

Fasting and special prayers are an important part of Ramadan, defined as they are as our obligations to our Creator and Sustainer. Equally important are the duties He has placed on us as obligations to our fellow men and other living beings that share this planet with us and to the planet itself — the environment, water, air, vegetation, and other bounties of nature. Ramadan is the time when we must rededicate ourselves to one of the basic principles of Islam — “Render unto each his due”: To the One God His due — worship to Him alone, and to His creations their due — their rights.

The test is: Have we been becoming, with every passing Ramadan, more conscious of our obligations to render these dues? Living in a society we acquire obligations — as parents or children, wives or husbands, neighbors or colleagues, employers or employees, rulers or ruled, compatriots or aliens, superiors or subordinates.

Beginning a verse with “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West,” the Qur’an defines righteousness as, among others, “… to spend your sustenance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask and for the freedom of slaves” and closes it with “(and) fulfill the contracts which ye have made… Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.”

An honest review will tell most of us that, the worst of our failures in every Ramadan has been our failure to “fulfill the contracts we have made” — specifically or by assumption — as citizens, public officials, employers, employed, or ordinary men and women.

We should remember that for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions, Ramadan was a month of action, of fulfilling obligations — to their Lord and to their fellow creations. It cannot be anything less for us if we hope to be “the People of Truth, the God-fearing.”

May Allah help us make it so.

Teach Kids To Do Good

It is one of Allah’s blessings to the Muslim that He enables him to fast in the daytime of Ramadan and spend his nights in prayer. It is a month in which good deeds are multiplied and people are raised in status when Allah frees some of His servants from the Hellfire. So the Muslim should strive to make the most of this month to attain the goodness it brings; he should hasten to worship Allah night and day.

Such great blessing of Allah is obvious in considering people who have been deprived of tasting the sweetness of this month because of sickness, death, or misguidance! A Muslim must make use of this blessed month to get his children accustomed to the ethics and morals of fasting.

A Muslim must make the most of his time during this month. He has an unavoidable duty toward his children, to raise them well and bring them up properly, to urge them to do all kinds of good deeds and make them get used to that. A child usually grows up in the manner to which the parents make him or her accustomed.

During the blessed days of Ramadan, fathers and mothers have a great role to play in seizing this good occasion for their own benefit and for that of their children, and we can offer parents the following advice:

1. Check on the children’s fasting and encourage those who fall short in this regard.

2. Remind them about the real nature of fasting, and that it is not just giving up food and drink, but it is a means of attaining taqwa (piety), and that it is an opportunity for sins to be forgiven and expiated.

It was reported by Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ascended the pulpit and said Ameen: It was said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you do that?” He said, “Jibreel (Aleh Salam) said to me, ‘May Allah curse a person who lets Ramadan elapse without having his sins forgiven,’ and I (Prophet Muhammad) said, ‘Ameen.’ Then he said, ‘May Allah curse the one who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise,’ and I said, ‘Ameen.’ Then he said, ‘May Allah curse the one in whose presence you (the Prophet) are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you,’ and I said, ‘Ameen. ‘ (Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah, At-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Ibn Hibban)

3. Teach them the manners and rules of eating, such as eating with the right hand from what is directly in front of them, reminding them that extravagance is haram (unlawful) and harmful to the body.

4. Don’t let them spend too long eating iftar so that they don’t miss performing Maghrib prayer in the congregation.

5. Remind them about the situation of the poor and destitute who cannot find even a morsel of food to satisfy their hunger. Remind them of the situation of those who have migrated or are fighting in jihad for the sake of Allah in all places.

Etiquette Of Going To The Bathroom

You may say that this is a strange topic to be writing about. However, we all visit the bathroom and as we know, it is a place of filth where we relieve ourselves of the filth in our bodies. Have we ever stopped to think about what the Islamic etiquette is to visit the bathroom or has it become an automated everyday action?

We must be aware that this beautiful religion has even instructed us on how to clean after relieving ourselves.

Just observe the greatness of Islam that nothing, major or minor, has been left out. At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), when one of the polytheists said to Salman Al-Farsi mockingly, “Your Prophet has taught you everything, even how to defecate!” Salman replied with pride, “Yes, indeed! He forbade us to face the Qiblah when urinating or defecating.” (Al-Tirmidhi, no. 16)

Therefore, we should know that this is not a matter of shame, but something we should be proud of.

Below are some points are listed that we should remember when visiting the bathroom.

1. Always enter with the left leg and recite the du’a: (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from male and female noxious beings (devils or evil Jinn).”

2. Don’t face the Qiblah or show your back towards it. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When any one of you sits down to answer the call of nature, he should not face the Qiblah or turn his back towards it.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 389)

3. Allah’s name should not be mentioned in the toilet, nor should anything that has the name of Allah on it be carried inside.

Hell – Definition And Explanation

Hell is the abode that Allah (SWT) has prepared for those who do not believe in Him (SWT), those who rebel against His (SWT) laws and disbelieve in His Messengers. It is the punishment for His (SWT) enemies, the prison for evildoers.

It is the ultimate humiliation and loss; there is nothing worse:

“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him, and never will the Dhaalimoon [polytheists and wrongdoers] find any helpers” (3:192)

“Know they not that whoever opposes and shows hostility to Allah and His Messenger, certainly for him will be the fire of Hell to abide therein? That is an extreme disgrace“. (9:63)

“The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!” (39:15)

How could Hell be other than what we have described when it is full of utterly indescribable torment, pain, and grief? It is eternal and its inhabitants will remain there forever. Allah (SWT) has condemned them and their place in the Fire:

“Evil indeed it [Hell] is as an abode and as a place to dwell” (25:66)

“This is so! And for the Tagheen [transgressors] – will be an evil final return – Hell! Where they will burn, and worst [indeed] is that place to rest!” (38:55-6)