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Virtues of Muharram

2009-01-06T06:05:00.000-08:00

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."

Five ways to disobey Allah!

2008-12-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions a conversation between a young lad and the great scholar Ibrahim Bin Adham in his book Kitab At-Tawwabeen, page 285.

The young boy: O Abu Ishaq, I am wronging my soul, advise me with something that'll hold me back from disobeying Allah and breathe new life into my heart.

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Alright. If you take five things from me and fulfill them, you can disobey Allah the Almighty all you want and no harm will come to you.

Young boy: (Interested) Ok, tell me.

Ibrahim Bin Adham: One, if you want to do other than what Allah wants you to do, then do not eat the food that He provides you.

Young boy: Then where am I supposed to eat from when all the food on earth is from Allah?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear lad, is it right that you eat the food Allah the Almighty has given you and then go off and disobey Him?

Young boy: No it is not right. What is the second?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Two, if you want to live life to the fullest in disobedience of Allah, then don't live on His land.

Young boy: That's harder than the first. Where shall I live when all that is in the east and west the belongs to Him?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land, yet still insist on turning your back when He calls you?

Young boy: No it's not right. What's the third?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: If you want to disobey Allah, yet still eating the food He gave you and still living in His land, then find a place where He can't see you.

Young boy: O Abu Ishaq, how can that be so when Allah is the All-Seeing and All-Knowing of all that happens, even what the heart whispers?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land and disobey Him while He watches you and what you are exposing?

Young boy: No it's not right. What's the fourth?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: When the angel of death comes to snatch your soul, tell him to grant you a day so that you can sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness and change your life.

Young boy: He won't grant me that.

Ibrahim Bin Adham: Dear boy, if you find yourself helpless to put off death for just one day and you know that it cannot be delayed by your wishes, how do you expect to win?

Young boy: (With a sigh) What is the fifth?

Ibrahim Bin Adham: When the gatekeepers of Hell will come to drag you away on your face to Hellfire refuse to go with them.

Young boy: Nothing will stop them.

Ibrahim Bin Adham: How do you expect to be saved then?

Young boy: Enough, Abu Ishaq. (And he lowers his head crying). O Allah, forgive me for my transgression.

Epilogue: Young boy went on to become a student of Ibrahim Bin Adham. He repented to Allah sincerely and lived an upright life with his teacher until death parted the two.

Imam Ibrahim Bin Adham died over a thousand years ago in the year 778 CE.

The old man's joy after extreme hardship

2008-11-12T05:27:00.000-08:00

IBN Jarir At-Tabari (d. 310H) narrates:

I was in Makkah during the season of Haj and I saw a man from Khurasan calling out to the people, "Pilgrims, people of Makkah, I have lost a pouch that contains a thousand dinars. So whoever returns the pouch will be rewarded by Allah with good and saved from the Hellfire, and His bounty and favors will be acquired on the Day of Accounting."

An old man from the people of Makkah approached him and said, "Khurasani, our city is in very tough condition, and the days of Haj are few, and its season is appointed, and the doors of profit-making are closed. This money might fall into the hands of a believer who is poor and old in age. Maybe he plans to give it back if you promise that you will give him a little bit of money that is Halal (permissible) for him to use."

The Khurasani asked, "How much does he want?"

"He wants one-tenth of the money."

The Khurasani replied, "No, I will not grant him the money. Instead I will take my case to Allah and complain to Him on the day we meet Him, and Allah is sufficient for us and the best one to trust in."

I realized that it was the old man who was poor, and he was the one who had taken the pouch of dinars and wished to have a little portion of it. So I followed him until he returned to his home. My assumptions were confirmed. I heard him calling onto his wife, "Lubabah!"

She said, "I am at your service, Abu Ghayth."

The old man said, "I found the owner of the dinars calling for it, and he does not intend to give any reward to the person who finds it. I said to him, 'Give us a hundred dinars,' and he refused and said he would take his case to Allah. What should I do, Lubabah? I must return it, for I fear my Lord and I fear that my sin is multiplied."

The wife replied, "Oh man! We have been struggling and suffering from poverty with you for the last 50 years, and you have four daughters, two sisters, my mother and me, and you are the ninth. Keep all the money and feed us, for we are hungry, and clothe us, for you know better our situation. Perhaps Allah the Almighty will make you rich afterwards and you might be able to give the money back after you have fed your children, or Allah will pay the amount you owe on the day when the kingdom will belong to the King (Allah)."

The old exclaimed, "Will I consume Haraam (unlawful) after 86 years of my life, and burn my organs with fire after I have been patient with my poverty, and become worthy of Allah's anger, even though I am close to my grave? No, by Allah, I will not do so!"

I left amazed at his condition and that of his wife.

Later I heard the owner of the pouch calling out again, and the old man repeated his advise. This time he asked for 10 dinars instead of a hundred.

The Khurasani refused.

The people dispersed and left. Later, once again, the Khurasani made the same call.

The old man came again and said, "Khurasani, I said to you the day before yesterday to reward the finder a hundred dinars and you refused. Then I advised you to give him ten dinars and you refused. So will you give only one dinar so that he can buy with half of it things he needs and with the other half sheep's milk so that he can give to the people and feed his children?"

The Khurasani again refused.

The old man said angrily, "Come and take your money so that I can sleep at night, for I have not been in a good mood ever since I found this money."

So the old man went with the owner of the money and I followed them until the old man entered his house, dug a hole, and pulled out the money and said, "Take your money and ask Allah to forgive me and bless me from His bounty."

The Khurasani then said, "Old man, my father died — may Allah have mercy on him — and left behind three thousand dinars and said to me, 'Take out a third of this money and give it to a person from the people who is most deserving of it.'

By Allah, I have not seen a person since I left Khurasan until now, who is more worthy of it than you. So take it, may Allah's blessing be upon you, and may He reward you for the trust you kept and your patience during poverty."

The Khurasani man left without the money.

The old man wept and prayed, "May Allah bless the owner of the money in his grave, and may Allah bless his son."

I left after the Khurasani but Abu Ghayth, the old man, brought me back. He said, "I have seen you following me since the first day; you have come to know of our situation yesterday and today. So this is a gift from Allah to all those attending."

The old man called his daughters, his sisters, and his wife and her mother, and sat down and made me sit down. We were 10. The old man gave out the dinars one by one in order until he reached me and said, "Here is a dinar." The process continued until the bag was empty and I received a hundred dinars.

So joy filled my heart because of the provision they received, more than the joy I had because I received a hundred dinars.

When I was leaving the old man said, "Young man, you are blessed. Keep this money with you, for it is Halal. And know that I used to wake up for Fajr Prayer with this wet shirt. After I was done I would take it off and give it to my daughters so that they could pray, one by one. Then I would go to work between Zuhr Prayer and Asr Prayer and then I would come back at the end of the day with what Allah has given me of dates and dry pieces of bread. Then I would take off my clothes for my daughters and they would pray Zhuhr and `Asr, and the same would happen for the Maghrib and `Isha' Prayers. And we did not ever expect to see this kind of money. So may Allah make us make good use of them, and may Allah bless the person in his grave and multiply the reward for him."

So I told him goodbye and took the hundred dinars and used them to write knowledge for two years. I used it to buy paper and pay rent, and after 16 years I returned to Makkah and inquired about the old man. I was told that he had died a few months after the incident that occurred between us. His wife had died, along with her mother and his two sisters. The only ones that remained were the daughters, who, I found upon asking, were married to kings and princes. I dropped by and they honored me as a guest and treated me kindly until they died also. So May Allah bless them in their graves.

"...And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him..." (Qur'an, 65:2-3).

Doubt on Alcohol party

2008-10-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Question

We are having our Annual office get together and I am in the organizing committee, the problem started when one of my muslim brother said he would not come to the party as there will be alcoh ol served and his religion does not allow him to do so. I didn't know about it before, but since I know it now what should I do ? Is it ok if I attend and what precaution should be taken. The staff will be coming with their family and many don't drink.

Answer:

Alcohol party

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 90-91:

O you who have believed! ‘Khamr’ (all types of intoxicants), games of chance, idols, and divining arrows are all abominable works of the Shaytaan; therefore, stay (far) away from these so that you may attain success. Indeed, the Shaytaan seeks to sow enmity and hatred among you by means of ‘khamr’ (intoxicants) and gambling, and to prevent you from the Remembrance of Allah and from Salaah. Will you not, then, abstain from these things?

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2776 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4477 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

The Prophet (saws) said, "He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must not sit at a cloth (table or gathering) where wine is being circulated."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3765 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the sitting at a cloth (table or gathering) on which wine is drunk.

I didn't know about it before, but since I know it now what should I do? Is it ok if I attend and what precaution should be taken.

Allah Subhanah has commanded the believers to stay far far away from any and all types of intoxicants, and the Messenger of Allah (saws) explicitly forbade the believers to sit or join in a gathering where alcohol is being served.

Thus, if one has prior knowledge that alcohol will be served at a gathering or party, it would be purer and better for them to fear Allah and abstain from attending such gatherings, for Allah indeed has the biggest right that He be obeyed.

But if one attends a gathering or party, knowing that alcohol will be served there, even if they do not consume alcohol themselves, they will indeed share a burden of the sin.

The amazing description of iron in Qur'an

2008-10-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

THE Qur'an disclosing some facts about iron unknown in the 7th century said: "And We sent down iron, in which is mighty power, as well as many benefits for mankind." (Qur'an, 57:25) Literal translation. Arabic 'Anzala' means to send down. (Al-Mawrid, A. Yusuf Ali)

It is said that iron is extracted from the depths of the earth then how is it that the Qur'an mentions it as having been 'sent down.'

The answer is as the Qur'an says that 'the heaven and earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them.' (Qur'an, 2l:30). In other verse the Qur'an said: "Then He rose over towards the heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the earth: come both of you willingly or unwillingly. (Qur'an, 41:ll).

However, this Qur'anic statement was confirmed only in 19th century The scholars admitted that the earth was a gaseous mass, and had in it burning hot magma, after its separation it cooled down and condensed till it was enveloped in a hard layer of 10 to 15 miles of solid crust.

The original gaseous mass had in it all types of metals, like iron, gold, silver, copper and lead etc. Therefore, when the Qur'an spoke of Allah sending down the iron, it referred to the original nebula that contained all the materials.

When the earth cooled and condensed, these metals took their specific shapes along with other matters present in the gaseous mass. That is why these metals can be turned into liquid magma. The earth still contains in it burning hot liquid magma which comes out in an eruption of a volcano. The iron is most important among the metals. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an anthentic Hadith "Verily Allah has sent down four blessings from the sky: the iron, the fire, the water and the salt."

No doubt, all these things were the part of the gaseous mass when the heaven and the earth were joined together. Later, after its separation the earth with all its treasures came down, hence all these matters descended from the sky.

The Qur'an speaks of the benefits the man derives from the iron. Use of iron has all along been an inseparable part of our life. In houses, buildings, industrial machinery and in governing a country we use weapons made of iron. Only one thing remained undefined of which the Qur'an spoke: "We sent down iron in which is mighty or violent power."

During the period of the revelation of the Qur'an in the 7th century, weapons mainly consisted of swords, spears, arrows and armors. The people in those times could not comprehend the violent power of iron. In the 12th century when the cannon was invented the people became aware of its mighty power. But after the development of blast furnaces in the 19th century the use of iron shot up many fold. Machines, automobiles, ships, trains, rails, engines, industrial plants, pistols, revolvers, rifles, guns, cannons of very long range, armored cars, tanks, bombs, missiles, rockets and atomic reactors – all the dangerous weapons did prove the violent power of iron.

No doubt the Qur'an is the Book of Allah, which contains His Omniscient Knowledge. Whatever development the world may achieve, it shall never go beyond the Qur'anic knowledge as Allah said: "And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur'an) as an exposition of everything." (Qur'an, 16:89)

Four things

2008-10-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him & his progeny) Said:

1) Four things that make your body sick:

A) Excessive talking
B) Excessive sleeping
C) Excessive eating and
D) Excessive meeting other people

2) Four things that destroys the body:

A) Worrying
B) Sorrow (Sadness/Grief)
C) Hunger
D) Sleeping late in the night

3) Four things that dry the face & take away its happiness:

A) Lying
B) Being disrespectful / impudent (insisting on something wrong knowingly)
C)! Arguing without adequate knowledge & Information.
D) Excessive immorality (doing something wrong without fear).

4) Four things that increases the wetness of face & its happiness:

A) Piety
B) Loyalty
C) Generosity (being kind)
D) To be helpful to others without he/she asking for that.

5) Four things that stop the Rizq (Sustenance) :

A) Sleeping in the morning (from Fajr to sunrise)
B) Not Performing Namaz or Ir-regular in Prayers
C) Laziness / Idleness
D) Treachery / Dishonesty

6) Four things that bring / increase the Rizq:

A) Staying up in the night for prayers.
B) Excessive Repentance
C) Regular Charity
D) Zikr (Remembrance of Allah / God).

HOW 'AMR B. 'ABASA EMBRACED ISLAM

2008-10-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

'Amr b. 'Abasa Sulami reported: I in the state of the Ignorance (before embracing Islam) used to think that the people were in error and they were not on anything (which may be called the right path) and worshipped the idols. In the meanwhile I heard of a man in Mecca who was giving news (on the basis of his prophetic knowledge) ; so I sat on my ride and went to him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was at that time hiding as his people had made life hard for him. I adopted a friendly attitude (towards the Meccans and thus managed) to enter Mecca and go to him (the Holy Prophet) and

I said to him: Who are you? He said: I am a Prophet (of Allah).

I again said: Who is a Prophet? He said: (I am a Prophet in the sense that) I have been sent by Allah.

I said: What is that which you have been sent with? He said: I have been sent to join ties of relationship (with kindness and affection), to break the Idols, and to proclaim the oneness of Allah (in a manner that) nothing is to be associated with Him.

I said: Who is with you in this (in these beliefs and practices)? He said: A free man and a slave. He (the narrator) said: Abu Bakr and Bilal were there with him among those who had embraced Islam by that time.

I said: I intend to follow you. He said: During these days you would not be able to do so. Don't you see the (hard) condition under which I and (my) people are living? You better go back to your people and when you hear that I have been granted victory, you come to me.

So I went to my family. I was in my home when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to Medina. I was among my people and used to seek news and ask people when he arrived in Medina. Then a group of people belonging to Yathrib (Medina) came. I said (to them): How is that person getting on who has come to Medina? They said: The people are hastening to him, while his people (the polytheists of Mecca) planned to kill him, but they could not do so. I (on hearing It) came to Medina and went to him and said: Messenger of Allah, do you recognise me? He said: Yes, you are the same man who met me at Mecca. I said: It is so.

I again said: Prophet of Allah, tell me that which Allah has taught you and which I do not know, tell me about the prayer.

He said: Observe the dawn prayer, then stop praying when the sun is rising till it Is fully up, for when it rises it comes up between the horns of Satan, and the unbelievers prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended (by angels) till the shadow becomes about the length of a lance; then cease prayer, for at that time Hell is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended by angels, till you pray the afternoon prayer, then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of devil, and at that time the unbelievers prostrate themselves before it.

I said: Apostle of Allah, tell me about ablution also.

He said: None of you who uses water for ablution and rinses his mouth, snuffs up water and blows it, but the sins of his face, and his mouth and his nostrils fall out. When he washes his face, as Allah has commanded him, the sins of his face fall out from the end of his beard with water. Then (when) he washes his forearms up to the elbows, the sins of his arms fall out along with water from his finger-tips. And when he wipes his head, the sins of his head fall out from the points of his hair along with water. And (when) he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his feet fall out from his toes along with water. And if he stands to pray and praises Allah, lauds Him and glorifies Him with what becomes Him and shows wholehearted devotion to Allah, his sins would depart leaving him (as innocent) as he was on the day his mother bore him.

'Amr b. 'Abasa narrated this hadith to Abu Umama, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and Abu Umama said to him: 'Amr b. 'Abasa, think what you are saying that such (a great reward) is given to a man at one place (only in the act of ablution and prayer). Upon this 'Amr said: Abu Umama, I have grown old and my bones have become weak and I am at the door of death; what impetus is there for me to attribute a lie to Allah and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? Had I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) once, twice, or three times (even seven times), I would have never narrated it, but I have heard it from him on occasions more than these.

Are We Muslims ONLY During Ramadhan ?

2008-10-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

It is now time for us to re-evaluate our Iman.

Question ourselves, and in process improve ourselves.

We claim to be Muslims, 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 Muslims, Shaitaan also, by the way, “believes” in Allah. We must act like Muslims also.

We must also do in actions that what we say in words and that what we know in thoughts. We say we’re Muslims, but are we really? He is not a true Muslim whose hands and tongue are violent. Several of us stopped cursing and backbiting and lying during the month of Ramadhan, but now what?

After Ramadhan is over, should we return to those faults?