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What Is Iman And Kufr?

  1. Iman is to accept every word of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as the absolute truth and to testify whole-heartedly the reality and truth of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
  2. One who observes the above would be called a Muslim, that is, if any of his words, actions or conditions does not reject, insult or falsify Allah Ta’ala and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
  3. If you reject one aspect, which you know that to believe is part of Islam, then this is Kufr. For example, to reject Qiyamat, Angels, Jannat, Jahanum, Hisab, or not to believe that Salaah, Saum, Zakaah, or Hajj is Fardh (obligatory) would make one out of the folds of Islam.
  4. It is also Kufr not to believe that the Holy Quran is the Words of Allah Ta’ala.
  5. To insult the Holy Ka’aba, the Holy Quran, or any of the Prophets or Angels is also Kufr.
  6. To degrade any of the Sunnats (actions of the Holy Prophet sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), to make jokes of the orders of Shari’ah (Islamic law), or to reject or suspect it untrue any known and recognized aspects of Islam is also definitely Kufr.
  7. To be a Muslim you have to, together with faith and belief, also pledge your status as a Muslim.
  8. One must pledge his faith unless there is a difficulty, for example, if you cannot speak, or to speak would mean to lose your life or would lose a part of the body, then it is not necessary to pledge your faith with your tongue. However, it is always best and a means of great reward not to say anything against Islam even to save your life.

Al Sadaqat Al Jariyah

Al Sadaqat al Jariyah –  The actions which outlive you!

1.  Give a copy of the Quran to someone and each time they read from it, you will gain hasanaat.

2.  Donate a wheelchair to a hospital and each time a sick person uses it, you will gain hasanaat.

3.  Participate in the building of a mosque.

4.  Help in educating a child.

5.  Teach someone to recite a dua. With each recitation, you will gain hasanaat.

6.  Share a dua or Quran DVD/CD.

7.  Share constructive reading material with someone.

8.  Place a water cooler in a public place.

9.  Plant a tree. Each time any person or an animal sits under its shade or eats from the tree, you will gain hasanaat.

10.  Share this with someone. If one person applies any of the above Inshallah you will receive your hasanaat until the Day of Judgment.

Avoid 7 Great Destructive Sins

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Avoid the seven great destructive sins.” They (the people!) asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What are they?” He said,

” (1) To join partners in worship with Allah;
(2) to practice sorcery;
(3) to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic law);
(4) to eat up usury (Riba),
(5) to eat up the property of an orphan;
(6) to give one’s back to the enemy and flee (running away / escaping) from the battle-field at the time of fighting
(7) and to accuse chaste women who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.”

(Bukhari 8/840)

‘Abdullah b. Amr reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman.

(Muslim 8/3465-Marriage Kitab Al Nikah)

The Best of Muslim

“The best of the Muslims is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.” (Muslim)

“The best of people are those with the most excellent character.” (Tabarani, Sahîh)

“The best of marriages are the easiest ones.” (Abu Dâwûd, Sahîh)

“The best of you are those who feed others and return greetings.” (Abu Ya’la, Hasan)

“The best of that which you treat yourself with is cupping.” (Hakim, Sahîh)

“The best days that you should perform cupping are the 17th, 19th, and 21st of the month. I did not pass a single gathering of angels on the night of Isra’ except that they would say to me, ‘O Muhammad, perform cupping!’” (Ahmad, Sahîh)

“The most beloved of deeds according to Allah are the continuous ones, even if they are little.”(Agreed upon)

“The most beloved words according to Allah the Highest are four: Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilahaillallah and Allahu Akbar; there is no problem with which one you start with.” (Muslim)

“The best of provision is that which suffices.” (Ahmad in ‘Zuhd’, Hasan)

“The best of dowries are the easiest.” (Hakim, Sahîh)

“The most beloved word according to me is that which is most truthful.” (Bukhari)

“The best of dinars are the dinar spent by a man upon his dependents, the dinar spent by a man upon his horse in the path of Allah, and the dinar spent by a man upon his companions in the path of Allah, the Mighty, the Magnificent.”(Muslim)

“The best word of remembrance is: La ilaha illallah and the best supplication is:Alhamdulillah.” (Tirmidhî, Hasan)

“The best of all charity is that which is given to the relative that harbours enmity against you.”(Ahmad, Sahîh)

“The best prayer is that with the longest standing.” (Muslim)

“The best of all worship is supplication(dua).” (Hakim, Sahîh)

“The best deed is the prayer in its right time and Jihad in the path of Allah.” (Bayhaqi, Sahîh)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: “Which of the believers is the most intelligent?” He (ﷺ) replied, “Those who remember death the most and are best prepared for what comes after it. Those are the intelligent ones.” (Reported by Tabraani, Ibn Majah, classed as Hasan)

Reward Of 10 Days of Dhu’l Hijjah

Among the great seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allah has favored over other days. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” They said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2/457

It was also narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no deed that is better before Allah or more greatly rewarded than a good deed done in the (first) ten days of al-Adha.” It was said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” Narrated by al-Daarimi, 1/357; its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwa’, 3/398.

These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all other days of the year, with no exception, even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadaan are better than the first ten nights of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because they include Laylat al-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months. See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412.
So the Muslim should start these days with sincere repentance to Allah, then he should do a lot of righteous deeds in general, then he should pay attention to doing the following deeds:

1 – Fasting
It is Sunnah for the Muslim to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to do righteous deeds in the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and fasting is one of the best of deeds, which Allah has chosen for Himself as it says in the hadeeth Qudsi: “Allaah says: ‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1805.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. It was narrated from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid from his wife, that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’, and three days each month, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays. Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 4/205 and by Abu Dawood; classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2/462.

2 – Reciting tahmeed, tahleel and takbeer a great deal
It is Sunnah to recite takbeer (saying Allaahu Akbar (Allah is most great)), themed (saying al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allaah)), tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah)) and tasbeeh (saying Subhaan-Allah (Glory be to Allah)), during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, saying these words out loud in the mosques, homes, streets and every place in which it is permissible to remember Allah, to perform this act of worship openly and proclaim the greatness of Allah. Men should recite out loud and women should recite quietly.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)” [al-Hajj 22:28]

The majority are of the view that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the appointed days are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah.
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed during them.” Narrated by Ahmad, 7/224; its isnaad was classed as Saheeh by Ahmad Shaakir.
The takbeer is as follows:
Allah akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise).
And there are other versions.
This takbeer has become a forsaken Sunnah nowadays, especially at the beginning of these ten days. You can hardly hear it except a few. It should be recited out loud, so as to revive the Sunnah and remind the heedless. It was proven that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to go out to the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting the takbeer our loud, and the people would recite takbeer when they heard them, i.e., the people would remember the talkbeer and each one would recite it by himself; it does not mean that they recited in unison – that is not prescribed in shari’ah.

Reviving Sunnahs that have been forgotten brings a great deal of rewards, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Whoever revives one of my Sunnahs that has died out after I am gone, will have a reward like that of everyone who does it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 7/443; this hadeeth is hasan because of corroborating reports.

3 – Doing Hajj and Umrah
One of the greatest deeds that can be done during these ten days is Hajj to the sacred House of Allah. Whoever Allah helps to go on Hajj to His House and do the rituals in the required manner will – in sha Allaah – be included in the words of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise .”

4 – Udhiyah (sacrifice)
One of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allah in these ten days is to slaughter the sacrifice and to look for a good, fat animal, and to spend money on it for the sake of Allah.

Let us hasten to make the most of these great days, before the negligent regrets what he did, and before he asks to go back and receives no response

All praises and thanks be to Allah, Lord of everything that exists. The most Gracious, the Most Merciful.Master of the Day of Judgment You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the Straight Way The Way of of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor those who went astray. Ameen

The Power of Imaan

The famous general of Islam, Taariq Bin Ziyaad on receiv­ing the command of the Khalifah, set off with a naval force of 7,000 Mujahideen to attack Spain. In the year 92 A.H., he landed at a place that now bears his name, viz. Jablut Taaariq or Gibral-ter.

During the voyage to Spain, he saw in a dream Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) giving him the glad tidings of him being the Conqueror of Spain. The first act executed by Taariq was to issue an order to set alight all the ships which had brought them to the shores of Spain. After having burnt out all the ships, he addressed his men: “In front of you is the enemy and behind you is the see.” In view of the glad tidings he had received from Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), he was con­fident of victory over the Christians. The Christian king Roderick confronted Taariq’s relatively small band of Muja­hideen with a powerful army of 100,000.

The two armies – the army of Islam vastly outnum­bered — met on the banks of the Guadalete River. The fe­rocity with which Taariq and his men fought routed the en­emy resulting in a magnifi­cent victory for the Muslims.

The act of setting ablaze the naval ships will undoubt­edly be viewed as an act of insanity. Be it as it may. The power of Imaan is inexplica­ble to the people of the world. It was this power that drove Taariq to bum the ships and push on to victory.

The state of Taariq’s Yaqeen in Allah Ta’ala can be gauged from this episode which no one can ever accom­plish. The state of the obedi­ence of his troops also testi­fies to their degree of Taqwa. The troops readily submitted to the command. There was no fear and no mutiny. It was such states of Yaqeen and Taqwa that resulted in victory upon vic­tory against overwhelming odds.
[By Hazrat Maulana Ahmad Sadeq Desai]

Anger Management According To Qur’an And Sunnah

How To Control Anger?

1 – Seeking refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan when feeling angry.
Al-Bukhaari (3282) and Muslim (2610) narrated that Sulaymaan ibn Surad said: I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and two men were trading insults, One of them was red in the face and his veins were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“I know a word which, if he said it, what he is feeling would go away. If he said, ‘I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan,’ what he is feeling would go away.”

2 – Changing one’s posture when feeling angry.
Abu Dawood (4782) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us:

“If one of you gets angry when he is standing, let him sit down; if his anger disappears, all well and good, otherwise let him lie down.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

3 – Bring to mind the reward for patience, forbearance, and restraining your anger,
for that is the characteristic of the pious who are promised Paradise,

as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

133. Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous,–

134. Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do good;–

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:133-134]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever restrains his anger when he is able to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with pleasure on the Day of Resurrection. ”

Narrated by Ibn Abi’l-Dunya; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 2623.

Cures for Anger

When talking about cures for anger, it’s important to think about why we get angry in the first place.

A lot of the time, people get angry because they lose control of a situation. Anger is their attempt to regain control, but in actuality, does not help at all. It actually makes it worse because when a person is angry, he has shown weakness. He puts himself at a disadvantage both in dealing with people (in a debate, for example), and also in dealing with shaitan. He becomes a much weaker prey for shaitan.

This is why our beloved Prophet saws said,

“The strong is not the one who is physically powerful, but indeed, the one who controls himself when angry.”

If anger is a problem for you, it may be helpful for you to write down all the times that you can remember that you got angry…then look for a common factor that made you angry, or rather made you act on your anger.

Feeling anger is normal, and the act of being angry is not in and of itself necessarily sinful. It’s what you do with that anger that makes it a problem.

And while we’re on the subject, there’s an amazing lecture (As always mA) by brother Nouman about the characteristics of the people of Jannah, as taken from verses in Surah aal Imraan.

One of them is that they swallow their anger. Brother Nouman analyzes why the word ’swallow’ is used, and not ‘control’, etc.

When we are eating something, and let’s say someone is coming, and we don’t want them to know we were eating, so we quickly swallow the food.. will the person know we were eating? No, right? If there are no signs, like chewing, etc, the person will not even suspect that we were eating.

So in the same way, Allah SWT tells us that the people who shall enter Jannah swallow their anger, or make it completely go away…to the point where the people around them do not even suspect that the person is angry. Subhan Allah.

Usually, when someone is angry, and they’re trying to control themselves, you’ll see them shaking, or turning red, or holding themselves back. And then someone will go and ask them if they’re ok.

So the best thing to do is when you feel anger coming up from inside you, quickly swallow it and make it disappear. Of course, it won’t be that easy, but if you make it your habit, it will become easier and easier to do. And it’s important to note that Allah SWT tells us that the people of Jannah swallow their anger, not that they don’t have anger.

10 Ways Of Honoring Servants

Most Muslims in Eastern countries employ domestic staff as a norm. For some, domestic helpers are a priceless resource who significantly ease our day-to-day chores. Conversely, for others, they can be a source of distress and chagrin.

Many women complain to each other about the trouble they face from the incompetence, treachery, and intentional misdemeanor of their servants. However, we need to remind ourselves that it is in managing our helpers according to Islamic injunctions that the secret lies to get the best out of them.

  1. Think of their pay as Sadaqah

We need to change the way we view our servants’ wages. By considering it an “expense,” we tend to extract the “full value” of the money. For instance, even if a maid is sick, her employer might say, “I pay her to work, so she must work.” But if we consider the salary a “Sadaqah” that helps fill their bellies, we will In Sha Allah be more tolerant of their shortcomings as human beings.

  1. Counsel them when they need it

You might notice that your domestic helpers are disturbed on some days. They are human beings who have problems and worries just like us. Ask them what is troubling them; then advise them to have patience and hope in Allah’s mercy. Keep the counsel short, but show them that you care.

  1. Forgive and forget their mistakes

Just like other human relationships, it is not pleasant to have your past mistakes and wrongs thrown in your face repeatedly. Forgive them for the sake of Allah if they wrong you, and do not be harsh when scolding them.

  1. Do not accuse them of stealing, cheating, or lying on mere suspicion

Many employers are guilty of this unfair action – as soon as something in the house is missing due to their own absentmindedness, the domestic helper is squarely accused of theft or negligence.

“O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin.” (Qur’an, 49:12)

Ask them normally if they have seen the missing object, but do not accuse them of theft or misplacement. In most cases, the object is eventually found after the maid has been fired, causing guilt and embarrassment to the employer for life.

  1. Informally teach them Islamic manners and knowledge

One of the rights of our domestic helpers upon us is that they are taught about Islam, or given its message if they are non-Muslims. Without being overtly ‘preachy’, give them small doses of the truth. The best way is to act upon Islam yourself. This will eventually make them love and respect you for the sake of Allah – which results in a sincere relationship devoid of mistrust and treachery.

  1. Eat with them occasionally without separating utensils

Domestic helpers are not animals. Some people treat them as if they are unhygienic beings from another planet. Allow them to use the utensils from which you and your family eat. If they have dirty habits, teach them hygiene. But do not separate their utensils as if they are untouchables. This will make them feel insulted. They will never return an insult with loyalty or obedience.

I’tikaf – The Spiritual Retreat

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is reported to have said:

“The persons who seclude himself (for I’tikaf) in true faith and hope (of reward from Allah), all of his previous sins shall be forgiven.” (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith 24007)

The meaning of Itikaf is to seclude oneself in the Masjid with the express niyyah (intention) of Itikaf.

Allah has indeed in his perfect wisdom created humanity in a unique way. He has made it such that from time to time His creation needs a rest. We rest at night to give our bodies time to recover. Birds retire to their nests, horses to their stables, bees to their hives, etc. However, there comes a time when more intensive rest or retreat is required. Sometimes due to a person’s physical condition, he is admitted into the hospital’s intensive care unit allowing his or her body time to recover.

Likewise, the soul also needs to recover from the hustle and bustle of the world, the spiritual pollution caused by evil elements of society, the rat race of wanting, desiring, and acquiring more of this world, and the distractions that have diverted our mind, heart, and soul from the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Intensive Care Unit(ICU) for the soul is the Musjid and Itikaf is the facility within this ICU to allow the soul to not only recover but be spiritually rejuvenated!

Itikaf is indeed a Spiritual Retreat!
Inside each and every human being, a constant battle rages. It is like a battle between two wolves. One of the wolves is evil. It is full of hate, lust, and greed. His fangs drip with bitterness and strife. The other wolf is a good one. He is full of love, compassion, and honesty. He never betrays his brother.

These two wolves are constantly at war. Which wolf is going to win the battle?

The answer is quite obvious…. Whichever one you feed.

Our soul is being bombarded by forces of good and evil. We need to feed it good so that it overpowers the evil….and Itikaf is indeed an excellent opportunity to achieve this.

Since the life of the transient world keeps us busy for the whole year with studies, work, social functions, business, traveling, and other such things that cause us to be negligent of our souls and the next life, we may sometimes think that these things are the sole purpose in life and thus, we end up forgetting our true goal – Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). Thus, it is for this reason that I’tikaf is referred to as “The spring of life in a world struck with the drought of the negligence of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).”

The period of I’tikaf is the best time to force one’s self to sit and think and reflect on the self and the world around; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to forget the worries of the transient world and to return to nurturing the soul and linking oneself with the Creator of the soul; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to return back to Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) in true repentance for our sins committed through the year and to give our souls the spiritual strength desperately needed to live a spiritual and pure life in this challenging world.