rilekwancorner

The Life of Sultaan Muhammad al-Faatih

2011-10-23T03:43:00.001+08:00

‎"The Sultan entered the city on horse-back, he dismounted, lay prostate, praising God. Then he entered Aghia Sophia Church and granted the people of Constantinople safety and insured protecting them and their possessions and religious freedom. Sultan Mohammad let them practice their rituals, but he turned half the Churches of Constantinople into mosques. As a matter of fact, what Sultan Mohammad did was nothing compared to what the European kings had done on conquering Muslims' lands. They even destroyed all the mosques in Andalusia, killed all its Muslim believers be them men or women, young or old, and burned many Islamic books!.. the attitude of Sultan Muhammad astounded the European historians who had always been fanatic and malicious. They could not believe the Sultan was forgiving, fair and tolerant towards the Christians."

Tests from Allah

2011-10-21T14:08:00.002+08:00

Article from islamtoday.com

Sheikh Khalid Husayn
Thurs, 01/01/2004

Allah tells us that we will be tested. He also makes it clear to us what is expected from us when we undergo these trials and what our reward will be if we are successful. He says: “Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who, when misfortune strikes them, say: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him is our return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord and it is those who are rightly guided.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 155]

The Prophet (peace be upon him)said: "No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his sins by it." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No Muslim is afflicted by harm, whether it is but the prick of a thorn or something worse, without Allah expiating his evil deeds on account of it and his sins falling away from him like leaves off a tree.'" [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When Allah desires good for someone, He tries him with hardships." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

The Muslim may be tested by all sorts of difficulties like sickness, lack of income, and disobedience from his children. In fact, the many afflictions that may beset a person are incalculable. This is the point that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was stressing when he mentioned: “fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness …even to the extent of a thorn pricking him”.

All of these afflictions, if endured patiently by the believer, are a means of attaining Allah’s forgiveness as well as His reward.

Every one of us is being tested by Allah. He tests us all in different ways. We should not assume that the difficulties that we face in life are punishments or are signs that Allah is displeased with us. Likewise, we should never construe the success and pleasures that others enjoy as signs that Allah is pleased with them or that they are privileged. Sometimes, quite the opposite is true.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If Allah wants good for his servant, He hurries on His punishment in this world, and if He wills ill for a servant, he holds back punishing him for his sin so He can give it to him in full on the Day of Resurrection.”

Allah makes it clear that everything in our lives – the good and the bad of it– is a trial for us. How will we cope in the situation that Allah has placed for us? Will we be grateful in prosperity and patient in affliction or will we be arrogant and disobedient?

Allah says: “Every soul shall taste of death. And We will test you with evil and with good by way of trial. And to Us is your return.” [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ’: 35].

Allah says: “Know that your wealth and your children are but a trial and that Allah has with Him a mighty reward.” [Sûrah al-Anfâl: 28]

Many people do not realize that they are tried just as severely with the good that they are given as they are by the misfortunes that befall them.

Allah says: “And as for man, whenever his Lord tries him by honoring him and makes him lead an easy life, he says: ‘My Lord honors me’. But when He tries him by straitening his means of subsistence, he says: ‘My Lord has disgraced me’.” [Sûrah al-Fajr: 15-16]

Some people are blessed to be born and raised in good Muslim families then turn their backs on Islam, while others are born and raised in non-Muslim countries to unbelieving parents and grow up to be among the best of Muslims.

We are tried with wealth as well as poverty. If we are wealthy, will we hoard our wealth or spend in charity? Will we use it for lawful purposes or squander it in vice? Will we trust in Allah in our investments, or will our avarice and fear of losing our wealth make us take recourse to unlawful means to preserve it and increase it?

If we are poor, will we be content and patient and seek lawful means to attain our sustenance or will we resort to unlawful means to meet our needs? Will we accept the fact that Allah gives more to some people than he does to others, or will we grow hateful and vindictive?

We are tested with health as well as sickness. A man with good eyesight is tested with regards to his use of it. Will he use the blessing of his sight to good purpose or to gaze at unlawful things? His good eyesight may be what takes him to Hell. A blind man is tested whether he will bear patiently with his disability. His patience in affliction may be what earns him his place in Paradise.

Our goal is the Hereafter and we are all being tested. Allah says: “It is He who created death and life that He may try you as to which of you is best in deeds.” [Sûrah al-Mulk: 2]

We may also be tested through others. We know from experience that even a small child can experience suffering as well as a person who is mentally handicapped to such a degree that he cannot understand the concepts of Islam and is not legally accountable. Though it may not be that such a person is not undergoing tests of his own; however his plight may very well be a test for those his life affects. How will they treat him? Will they care for him, respect him, and give him his rights?

We may not be able to fathom the wisdom behind why Allah decrees what He does for us or for others of His creatures. However, we must know that Allah does everything in accordance with His wisdom and bear our trials patiently.

Ultimately, we must remember the words of Allah in the Qur’ân: “He cannot be questioned for what He does but they will be questioned.” [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ’: 23]

Deeds

2011-09-18T02:31:00.000+08:00

Refraining from doing good deeds for fear of showing off

2011-06-14T08:34:00.000+08:00

article from Islamqa.com

What are the guidelines on refraining from doing good deeds for fear of showing off?

Praise be to Allaah.

It should be noted that the Shaytaan is keen to make the Muslim fall into one of two things: either to make him do a good deed in order to show off and for the sake of his reputation, and not sincerely for the sake of Allaah, or to make him refrain from doing the good deed altogether.

The Muslim who is sincere in his intention will not pay any attention to the whispers that the Shaytaan tries to impart to him concerning his action, or his suggestion that it is not for the sake of Allaah. He will not pay attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan suggesting that he should refrain from doing the good deed for fear of showing off. The sincere heart is equally at ease both when doing good deeds in secret and when doing good deeds openly.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:

A woman is asking: I am so afraid of showing off that that I cannot advise some people or tell them not to do certain things such as backbiting, gossiping, and so on. I am afraid that that will be showing off on my part, and I am afraid that people will think that I am showing off. So I do not give them any advice (naseehah). I tell myself: They are educated people, they do not need any advice. What do you suggest?

He replied:

This is one of the traps of the Shaytaan, by means of which he prevents people from calling others to Allaah and from enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. One of the ways in which he does this is to make them think that this is showing off, or that people will think that it is showing off. You should not pay any attention to that, rather what you should do is go ahead and advise your sisters and brothers in faith, if you see them falling short in any duty or committing haraam actions such as gossiping, bucketing, or not covering in front of men.

Do not be afraid of showing off, rather do it solely for the sake of Allaah, be sincere in your intention and receive glad tiding of goodness. Ignore the tricks and whispers of the Shaytaan. Allaah knows what is in your heart, your intention and your sincerity towards Him and your sincerity towards His slaves.

Undoubtedly showing off is shirk and is not permissible, but it is not permissible for a believing man or woman to refrain from doing something that Allaah has enjoined, such as calling people to Him or enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, for fear of showing off, so they should beware of that. They should do what they are obliged to do among men and women, and men and women are equal in this regard. Allaah has stated that in His Holy Book where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al‑Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al‑Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give the Zakaah, and obey Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”

[al-Tawbah 9:71]

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 6/403

It was narrated that Husayn ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan said: I was with Sa’eed ibn Jubayr and he said: “Which of you saw the star that fell last night?” I said, “I did.” Then I said: “I wasn’t praying, but I had been stung…”

Narrated by Muslim, 220.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

He said this (may Allaah have mercy on him) lest anyone think that he was praying qiyaam and praise him for something that he had not done. This is unlike what some people do, when they are happy that the people think that they were praying qiyaam, but that is contrary to Tawheed.

What Husayn said does not come under the heading of showing off, rather it comes under the heading of good deeds. It is not like one who refrains from doing good deeds for fear of showing off, because the Shaytaan may toy with a man and make the idea of refraining from doing good for fear of showing off appear attractive to him. Rather you should do the good deed, and try to avoid showing off to people.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 9/85, 86.

And Allaah knows best

Will Allah punish me? So many are doing far worse..

2011-06-05T02:37:00.002+08:00

Questioner: I'm having a hard time giving up sex with my girlfriend. As long as I give her da'wah is it ok? Will Allah punish me? So many people are doing far worse..

Are we the best that we could be?

2011-05-20T06:18:00.004+08:00

Enlightening lecture by Mufti Ismail Menk of Zimbabwe explaining the importance of good character and the best social conduct practices for a Muslim.

Have we been trying to be the best that we could be in all aspects of our lives?

"All people are good but shaytan is bad. So those who allow shaytan to get the better of them, the worst of them will remain (what is worst in them will stay). And those who disallow shaytan from taking that which is good, insha Allah the good will remain."

"O Son of Adam, when you were born, you came into this world crying. And those around you were smiling in happiness. So live your life in such a way that when you die, you would leave this world smiling and those around you will be crying at their loss"

Anonymous no more.

2011-05-17T17:23:00.015+08:00

Alhamdulillaah, it's been about six years now since I started using blogger and will continue to do so insha Allah. But from now on, I will do so openly as I've realized that there's no reason why I should remain anonymous.

A little something about myself. Hmm, I was born, just like everyone else... Ridhuan is my given name. My mother told me that it was upon the suggestion of my late grandfather. (may Allah forgive him, bless him and grant him Jannah) I went to Ghim Moh Primary School, then Gan Eng Seng School then Singapore Polytechnic. After graduating, I had a motorcycle accident and while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon for around 6 months, alhamdulillaah, Allah guided me to have a strong desire to re-learn Islam following up on a past "wake-up call". One of the paths that I took to seek the truth and get answers was by joining a basic Islamic course at Pergas. Alhamdulillaah, I was able to continue attending the course when I was called up for NS (Police) later as I had lots of free-time being deployed to desk-bound duties.

From there, one thing led to another and I decided to learn more about the Arabic Language. Initially, I was considering Syria as a platform but that didn't materialize. However Allah has better plans for me and in early 2007, I was accepted to learn the Arabic Language at the Institute of Arabic Language for Non-Native Speakers at Umm Al-Qura University of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Currently, I'm pursuing a degree in Education (Arabic Language) at the university.

Anyway, if someone have been following this blog, the person would notice that there's not much of my personal write-ups or views. Most of the times I would post something that I've read or watched on YouTube that have impacted me and I'd post it here to keep an archive so that I could revert to it again next time and also hopefully to spread the message or knowledge to others who may come upon this blog by chance.

Writing is something that I would like to explore insha Allah. I'm not that talented in that field though and it will take me loads of time to write about something. Maybe in the future, I'd also be exploring more into the field of photography which is one of my hobbies and alhamdulillaah, someone bought me a DSLR as a gift recently. So maybe there will be posts of the pics that I've taken in the future.

Oh, why the pseudonym, 'redtide'? Hm, I was just a normal kid being a die-hard fan of Liverpool FC. Hurhur..

That's about it for now. Stay safe. May Allah Almighty grant us the blessings to always be in the best of state health and imaan.

The coolness of our eyes..

2011-05-12T00:00:00.000+08:00

Be patient and listen attentively till the end of the lecture. I agree with what the person who posted the video wrote regarding this.

"Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan takes a very unique approach to an important aspect of our Deen, well I don't want to give away what this lecture is all about because the audience will get to know that at the very end of the lecture.

I thought that he will be speaking about the importance of the relationship between the spouses and the children because of the dua in surah Al-Furqan verse 74 being mentioned. Well he kind of touched on that subject as well but that is not what the lecture is all about. Overall a very classy approach to the issue at hand."

Biography of Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri

2011-05-09T16:07:00.006+08:00

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

The believer does the best deeds yet is most fearful [that his deeds will not be accepted]. If he were to spend a mountain of wealth [in charity], he would not feel sure [of the reward] until he sees it. The more righteous and pious he becomes, the more he fears. But the hypocrite (munâfiq) says, ‘There are so many people, I will be forgiven, no problem.’ So he does wrong and evil deeds, yet holds foolish wishes about Allâh. -Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` 4:586.

Source: http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/index.php/tag/al-hasan-al-basri/#ixzz1LqAdRgN6

Listen and Reflect.. Surah Al-Isra' 17:(9-21)

2011-04-02T19:20:00.000+08:00

9. Verily, this Qur'an guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu'alaihi wasallam), who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise).

10. And that those who believe not in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell).

11. And man invokes (Allah) for evil as he invokes (Allah) for good and man is ever hasty. [i.e. if he is angry with somebody, he invokes (saying): "O Allah! Curse him," and that one should not do, but one should be patient].

12. And We have appointed the night and the day as two 'Ayaat' (signs etc.). Then, We have obliterated the sign of the night (with darkness) while We have made the sign of the day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning. And We have explained everything (in detail) with full explanation.

13. And We have fastened every man's deeds to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open.

14. (It will be said to him): "Read your Book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day."

15. Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another's burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).

16. And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction.

17. And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuuh (Noah)! And Sufficient is your Lord as an All-Knower and All-Beholder of the sins of His slaves.

18. Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected (far away from Allah's Mercy).

19. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allah's obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) - then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allah).

20. On each - these as well as those- We bestow from the bounties of your Lord. And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.

21. See how We prefer one above another (in this world), and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.

Qarin - Syaithan in Our Shadow

2011-03-27T21:07:00.002+08:00

Sharing a post by a local ustaz in Singapore. This is one of the many trials in our life that we have to strive against each and every day, gaining rewards when overpowering it and falling into sins when being overcame by its whispers..

-------------------------------

By: Mohd Kamal Mokhtar

What is qarin?

Qarin is an agent of iblis, placed in very human being whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. The qarin would accompany that particular human wherever he/she goes from the moment of birth till death. The qarin would cooperate with the nafs, which is the wants or inclination of that person to perform evil and corruptive acts. The combination of qarin and a person's desire is like adding fuel to fire. A person with strong iman and faith could overpower the influence of the qarin while those with weak faith would follow his instructions.

Allah states in Surah Yusuf verse 53 :

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيَ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

And I would not absolve myself, verily the human soul is inclined towards evil, except that which my Lord shows mercy, verily my Lord is Most Forgiving Most Merciful.

Allah also states in Surah An Naas verse 5-6:

ٱلَّذِى يُوَسۡوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ (٥) مِنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ (٦

The one that whispers in the hearts of man, from amongst the jinns and man.

The qarin of the Prophet pbuh has embraced Islam

أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا لَيْلًا قَالَتْ فَغِرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَرَأَى مَا أَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكِ يَا عَائِشَةُ أَغِرْتِ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا لِي لَا يَغَارُ مِثْلِي عَلَى مِثْلِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقَدْ جَاءَكِ شَيْطَانُكِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْ مَعِيَ شَيْطَانٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ وَمَعَ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ وَمَعَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَلَكِنْ رَبِّي أَعَانَنِي عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ

'Urwah ibn Zubair ra narrates that 'Aisyah rha the wife of the Prophet pbuh informed him that the Prophet pbuh went out from her house one night and she felt jealous and when the prophet returned and saw what she did, he said : What is the matter with you, are you jealous? and I said : How could I not be jealous for people like me towards people like you. The Prophet pbuh then said: Did your syaithan come to you? She replied: Is with me a syaithan? The Prophet pbuh said : Yes. I then asked: Is it with every human? He answered: Yes. She asked again: And with you O Prophet of Allah? He answered: Yes, but my Lord has assisted me against it until he embraced Islam. ( Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih )

Qarin is imprisoned in Ramadhan

During the month of Ramadhan, the qarin is chained and prevented to be with human. It was reported by Abu Hurairah ra that the Prophet pbuh said :

إذا جاء رمضان فُتِّحت أبواب الجنة، وغُلِّقت أبواب النار، وصُفِّدت الشياطين

When the month of Ramadhan comes, the doors of paradise will be opened wide, and the doors of hell will be closed shut and the syaithans will be chained. ( Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim )

Ways of Protecting ourselves from qarin

1. When there are feelings of doubts in doing acts of devotions, or feelings of encouragement to perform acts of transgression, we are encouraged to recite the ta'awwuz or isti'azhah ( ie to recite a'uzhubillahi minasyaithanir rajim ).

Allah states in Surah Al 'Araf verse 200 :

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ نَزۡغٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And if an evil whisper comes to you from syaithan, then seek refuge with Allah, verily He is All Hearer and All Knowing.

-----------------------------

Let's strive to consistently acquire as much good deeds as possible to counter this, insha Allah.. Allaah Almighty is All-Merciful upon his slaves,
Allaah Almighty says in the Noble Qur'aan,

{'He is the Irresistable (Supreme) over His slaves, and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one's good and bad deeds) over you..'} [Suurah Al-An'aam 6:61]

The following hadeeth explains, in conjunction with this verse regarding whoever intended to do a good deed or a bad deed.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (radhiallaahu'anhuma): The Prophet (sallallaahu'alaihi wasallaam) narrating about his Lord ('Azza wa Jalla) said,"Allaah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write).

If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allaah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him), and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allaah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times, to many more times:

and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allaah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allaah will write one bad deed (in his account)." [Sahih Al-Bukhaari, 8/6491 (O.P. 498)]

Journey to Islam

2011-03-23T01:41:00.001+08:00

From a Roman Catholic priest to a Muslim, brother Idris Taufik shares his journey to Islam. God Almighty speaks to all of us in different ways..

Muhasabah Kejadian Tsunami

2011-03-18T06:50:00.006+08:00

Kita baru sahaja menyaksikan kejadian bencana alam di mana dalam sekelip mata, jutaan rakyat Jepun terkesan dan ratusan jiwa disyaki terkorban. Kejadian bencana gempa bumi dan Tsunami yang sama pernah berlaku tidak berapa lama sebelumnya di negeri jiran kita, Indonesia di mana kesannya lebih besar.(Video Tsunami)

Bagaimanakah sepatutnya kita mengambil iktibar daripadanya?

Kehidupan rakyat Singapura dalam suatu kerangka yang aman dan damai ada baik dan buruknya. Buruknya apabila ia boleh mengakibatkan manusia berasa terlalu selesa hingga lupa kepada janji Allah bahawa setiap daripada kita akan menemui ajalnya satu hari nanti.

Adakah kita bersedia untuk menemui janji Allah itu yang tiada sesiapa tahu bila dan di mana? Sedarkah kita akan tujuan hidup yang sebenar atau kita telah lupa disebabkan kesibukan mengejar kemewahan dan keselesaan di dunia?

Saya merasa terkilan apabila memerhatikan kenaikan segolongan Melayu Islam Singapura, sebahagian besar daripadanya remaja, yang hidup setiap hari seolah-olah tidak beragama dan akan hidup di dunia ini selamanya. Sesetengah dari mereka yang telah ada kesedaran pula menunda-nundakan masa untuk bertaubat atas ketelanjuran.

Mereka terlibat dalam aktiviti yang tidak bermanfaat yang hanya melemahkan bangsa dan juga mencemari imej Islam di kaca mata umum seperti meminum arak, melibatkan diri dalam seks rambang, berpesta di sana-sini meramaikan kelab malam dan malam pesta. Dan disebebkan aktiviti seperti ini juga menyebabkan mereka meninggalkan perkara yang paling penting bagi seseorang Muslim iaitu, solat lima waktu.

Rasoolullaah sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam bersabda:

((Shalat adalah tiang agama, barang siapa yang mengerjakannya berarti ia menegakkan agama, dan barang siapa meninggalkannya berarti ia meruntuhkan agama)) (HR. Bayhaqi)

((Yang pertama-tama diperhitungkan terhadap seorang hamba di hari kiamat dari amal perbuatannya adalah tentang sholatnya. Apabila shalatnya baik, maka dia beruntung dan sukses. Apabila shalatnya buruk, maka ia kecewa dan merugi.)) (HR. An-Nasaa'i, At-Tirmidzi)

Akibat keruntuhan akhlak dari aktiviti-aktiviti tersebut dan jauhnya mereka dari Tuhan, perkara sebesar Tsunami pun tidak dapat memberi kesedaran kepada mereka, mungkin hanya sebesar, “Oh, kesian ye orang yang terkorban, apa nak jadi dengan dunia sekarang ini!?”

Di mana silapnya? Tidakkah ada sesiapa yang menegur atau menasihati golongan ini?

Bagaimana jika dalam keadaan mereka sebegitu, ajal mereka tiba?(Semoga Allah memelihara kita semua daripada kejadian sebegitu dan mudah-mudahan kita meninggalkan dunia dalam keadaan yang baik. Amiin.)

Al-Qur’an mengingatkan kita bahawa bencana alam bukanlah sesuatu kejadian tanpa sebab. Ia adalah amaran Allah dan sesuatu peringatan yang amat menakutkan.

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Ar-Rum ayat 41:

{"Telah timbul berbagai kerosakan dan bala bencana di darat dan di laut dengan sebab apa yang telah dilakukan oleh tangan manusia: (timbulnya yang demikian) kerana Allah hendak merasakan mereka sebahagian dari balasan perbuatan-perbuatan buruk yang mereka telah lakukan, supaya mereka kembali (insaf dan bertaubat)"}

Kita bernasib baik kerana sehingga kini, Singapura tidak terkesan oleh apa-apa bencana alam. Allah masih mengizinkan kita untuk bermuhasabah.

Mudah-mudahan, kejadian bencana Tsunami yang terbaru ini akan lebih menginsafkan kita.

Ayuhlah kita terus berusaha berpesan sesama sendiri untuk senentiasa mengingati tujuan hidup yang sebenar, menjaga hubungan kita dengan Allah dan memperbanyakkan amalan soleh agar terselamat di dunia mahupun di akhirat kelak, insha Allah.

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Al-'Asr ayat (1-3):

{"Demi Masa! Sesungguhnya manusia itu dalam kerugian. Kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh, dan mereka pula berpesan-pesan dengan kebenaran serta berpesan-pesan dengan sabar."}

Allah SWT berfirman di dalam surah Al-Qaari'ah ayat (6-7):

{"Adapun orang yang berat timbangan amal baiknya, Maka ia akan berada dalam kehidupan yang senang lenang."}

Allah Ta'ala lebih Mengetahui..

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Soalan: Adakah semua musibah itu berbentuk hukuman?

Bukan semua musibah itu berbentuk hukuman. Malah musibah itu disebut di dalam surah at-Taubah ayat 51 { قل لن يصيبنا إلا ما كتب الله لنا} sebagai "lana" dan bukan "alayna".

Maknanya musibah tu 'baik' untuk kita. Maka balik pada hadith Nabi SAW, mati itu rehat. Sama ada rehat kepada orang baik2 daripada ujian hidup dunia. Atau rehat untuk kita apabila orang jahat2 mati.

Kalau musibah sentiasa hukuman, patutnya tsunami musnahkan White House, 10 Downing St dan bukannya Acheh atau Sendai - ust Hasrizal

Ya Allah, sesungguhnya aku telah banyak menzalimi diri sendiri..

2011-03-12T23:34:00.005+08:00

وعن أبي بكرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أنه قالَ لرسولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ: عَلِّمْنِي دُعاءً أَدْعو به في صَلاتِي. قالَ: ((قُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ)). مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.

“Abu Bakr radhiallahu ‘anhu pernah berkata kepada nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “Wahai rasulullah, ajarilah aku sebuah do’a yang bisa kupanjatkan dalam shalatku.” Nabi menjawab, “Katakanlah

Allahumma inni zhalamtu nafsi zhulman katsira wa laa yaghfirudz dzunuba illa anta faghfirli maghfiratan min ‘indika warhamni innaka antal ghafurur rahim

(Ya Allah, sesungguhnya aku telah banyak menzhalimi diri sendiri dan tidak ada yang mampu mengampuni dosa melainkan Engkau, maka berilah ampunan kepadaku dari sisi-Mu, dan kasihanilah aku, sesungguhnya Engkau Maha Pengampun dan Maha Penyayang.”)

Cobalah kita memerhatikan dan merenungkan hadits yang agung ini. Bagaimana Ash Shiddiqul Akbar, Abu Bakr radhiallahu ‘anhu meminta kepada nabi agar mengajarkan sebuah do’a untuk dipanjatkan dalam shalatnya, dan nabi pun memerintahkan beliau untuk mengucapkan do’a di atas. Padahal kita semua tahu kedudukan Abu Bakr.

Bagaimana pula dengan diri kita, yang senantiasa melampaui batas terhadap diri sendiri, apa yang layak kita ucapkan?!

Duit hantaran papar nilai bakal suami?

2011-03-10T05:47:00.010+08:00

Berikut pandangan saya mengenai isu wang hantaran. Sila rujuk kepada artikel di bawahnya yang disiarkan di Forum Berita Harian pada 6 Mac.

(Anyway, I tried to make it as short and concise as possible as it was sent to BH. For a more comprehensive read on such issues, check out the following articles, Apabila Zina Lebih Mudah Daripada Kahwin, Nikah, Nafkah, Mukjizat dan Karamah!, Reducing the Mahr is the Sunnah, The negative and harmful consequences of exaggerating concerning the dowry)

Allah Almighty knows best.

----------------------------------------

Saya merujuk kepada tulisan saudari Fauziah Selamat, ‘Duit hantaran papar nilai bakal suami’.

Saya berpendapat dalam soal wang hantaran, ia tidak seharusnya dijadikan isu utama dalam hal perkahwinan dan saya menyokong kepada seruan sesetengah pihak untuk menilai semula istilah wang hantaran agar besesuaian dengan tuntutan syarak.

Adakah benar jika seseorang itu tidak mampu membayar harga hantaran sebanyak $8000 atau apa harga sekalipun, bererti dia tidak mampu menampung belanja keluarganya kelak?

Sebagai contoh, dua pemuda yang sudahpun bekerja dengan gaji bulanan yang sama, yang secara dasarnya, sudah mencukupi bagi menampung sesebuah keluarga. Bezanya salah satu daripada mereka sudahpun menyimpan untuk wang hantaran dan satu lagi belum.

Tidakkah ia sesuatu yang membebankan apabila pemuda yang sudah mampu membina rumahtangga itu terpaksa berhutang atau menundakan perkahwinannya mungkin sehingga 2 atau 3 tahun, hanya untuk mendapatkan wang hantaran yang diminta keluarga tunangannya?

Pada zaman ini, di mana jalan menuju kepada yang haram amat mudah, sebaiknya kita membantu memudahkan yang halal. Kita juga harus adil apabila menilai seseorang calon, bukan hanya pada kemampuannya membayar hantaran. Bagi pembelanjaan majlis perkahwinan pula, sebaiknya kita berbelanja sekadar yang kita mampu dan elakkan pembaziran.

Janganlah semata-mata kerana kehendak kita, anak-anak kita menderita atau lebih teruk lagi, kita membuka jalan fitnah bagi mereka apabila kita menunda-nundakan majlis perkahwinan kerana perkara yang kecil seperti wang hantaran.

Rasullullah s.a.w. pernah menyatakan kepada para sahabat, “Apabila orang yang engkau redha agama dan akhlaknya datang meminang, maka kahwinkanlah dia, jika tidak kamu lakukan demikian akan berlakulah fitnah di bumi dan kerosakkan yang besar.”

Ridhuan Muhammad Hasim

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6 Mac 2011, Forum BH

SAYA ingin mengulas berkaitan isu mas kahwin dan perbelanjaan bagi majlis perkahwinan.

Pada pendapat saya, anak muda yang enggan berkahwin atau melewatkan perkahwinan mereka dan isu perceraian tidak harus dikaitkan dengan wang hantaran.

Memang wang hantaran kini dianggarkan mencecah purata $8,000. Tetapi kita mesti ingat jumlah itu sebenarnya tidaklah terlalu tinggi pada masa sekarang.

Islam menggalakkan kita berusaha mendapatkan apa yang kita kehendaki dan ini sama juga dengan perkahwinan. Jika seseorang lelaki ingin berkahwin, orang itu haruslah berusaha mencapai matlamat ini, termasuk dari segi kewangan. Usahlah ambil mudah tentang perkara ini.

Jika sekadar wang hantaran pun mereka tidak mampu atau tidak dapat mengadakannya, bagaimana mereka hendak menampung belanja keluarga mereka kelak?

Tentang majlis perkahwinan, saya berpendapat itu terpulang pada kemampuan keluarga sama ada mahu melakukannya secara besar-besaran ataupun dengan sederhana.

Janganlah perihal wang hantaran dijadikan sebab golongan lelaki ingin mengambil kesempatan. Mereka harus memikirkan tanggungjawab mereka setelah berkahwin kelak.

Fauziah Selamat

Human Being Has a Great Capacity For Self-Delusions

2011-03-08T03:18:00.001+08:00

Article from www.islaam.com.. Link Here!

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Al-Jawab al-Kafi li-man sa'al `an al-Dawa' al-Shafi

Translation: Suheil Laher

There are two things one should take heed of if one wishes to attain success and felicity:

1) To know the details of the means of attaining good and evil, and to be clear about these through witnessing them in the world around, through one's own experience and that of others, as well as through reports one has heard about earlier and latter nations.

One of the most effective means for attaining this is pondering over the Qur'an, for along with the sunnah, it clearly explains the paths to good and evil. If you turn your attention to them, they will suffice you. They will inform you of Allah's treatment of the obedient, and of the sinners. Moreover, apply what you read to practical experience, and you will see the illustration of this - that Allah is true, the Messenger is true, the Qur'an is true, and that Allah fulfills His promise. History contains details of the paths to good and evil mentioned in the Qur'an and sunnah.

2) Beware of deceiving oneself with regard to these paths. This is very important, for the servant knows that sin and heedlessness are harmful to him in his world and the Hereafter, and yet he may deceive himself:

Through relying on Allah's pardon and forgiveness, by procrastination of repentance, by performing istighfar only verbally, by doing good deeds [after impetuously sinning], by knowledge, by justifying his sins by the argument of destiny, by citing examples of people committing similar sins, or by following in the footsteps of ancestors and elders.

Many people think that they can perform some sin, and then if they say "Astaghfirullah" the sin will disappear. Or, they may deceive themselves with a hadith such as: "Whoever says "SubHaanallaahi wa-biHamdih" one hundred times in a day, his sins are taken off from him, even if they be like the foam of the ocean." Or "A servant committed a sin and then said, 'O Lord! I have committed a sin, so forgive me,' and so he was forgiven . . . . then Allah says, 'My servant knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, and takes [to task] for them. I have forgiven My servant, so let him do as he wishes.'"

Such people cling to the texts of hope, and hold fast to them with both hands, and put [all] their reliance in them, such that if they are reprimanded for committing some sin, they will recite all that they known about Allah's mercy and forgiveness. Some went to excessive limits in this, such that they claimed that to remain free of sins is being ignorant or under-estimating Allah's mercy and pardon.

Some deceived people cling to the notion of fatalism; that the servant has no free-will and that he is compelled to commit sins. Other cling to the notion of irja' (false hope), claiming that faith is merely affirmation, and that deeds are neither a part of faith nor have any effect upon it. According to their claim, the iman of the most sinful of believers is just like the iman of the angels Gabriel and Michael.

Some are deceived by their fathers and elders, thinking that they have a rank before Allah, such that they would not leave them to perish. They take this by analogy from the behavior of worldly kings, who might grant a favor or pardon to someone based on the merits of his father or relatives. Such people are used to being taken out of difficult situations by their fathers, and are under the impression that this may happen in the Hereafter too.

Others deceive themselves by reasoning that Allah has no need of punishing them since He gains nothing from it, and He does not lose anything by showing them mercy. Such a person may say, 'I am in dire need of His mercy, and He is not at all needy of [anything]. if a poor, thirsty person were in dire need of a drink of water from someone in whose premises there flows a river, he would not be denied it, and Allah is more generous, and more expansive in mercy.'

Others are deceived by ridiculous misinterpretations/ misunderstandings, e.g.:

"Your Lord will give you, so that you become pleased." [Surah Duha, 5] he says: I am not pleased to enter the Fire. This is despicable ignorance, and clear lies, for he should be pleased by what Allah is pleased by, and it is not against Allah's pleasure to punish the oppressors, wrong-doers, evil-doers, traitors and those persistent on major sins. "Allah forgives all sins." [Surah Zumar, 93]

This is also despicable ignorance, for this verse refers to those who repent; otherwise it would imply invalidation of the verses threatening punishment for the sinners. This is specified by another verse,

"Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, and He forgives anything beneath that to whomever He wills." [Surah Nisa,48] Also, "None will burn in it except the most miserable one who rejected and turned away [from the truth]." [Surah Layl, 15-16].

This is a specific fire from among the various levels of Jahannam, and moreover the fact that only the rejecters will burn in it does not rule out that others may enter it. "[Hell] has been prepared for the unbelievers." [Surah Baqarah, 24]. The fact that it has been prepared for the unbelievers does not rule out that sinful Muslims may also be punished in it, just as the fact that Heaven "has been prepared for the pious" [Surah Aali-`Imran, 133] does not rule out that people with the smallest grain of faith may enter it even if they were not pious.

Some are deceived by fasting the days of `Ashura and `Arafah, such that some may even say that the fast of `Ashura' expiates the whole year, and the fast of `Arafah remains as a surplus of reward. Such people have failed to realize that the fast of Ramadan and the 5 daily prayers are greater and more noble than the fasts of `Arafah and `Ashura, and that [it is understood that] sins are [only] forgiven as long as major sins are avoided. So, [fasting] from one Ramadan to another, [praying] from one Jumu`ah to the next, act in a mutually strengthening manner to achieve forgiveness of minor sins, provided major sins are avoided.

So, how then can an optional fast expiate every major sin of a person while he still persists upon the sins, and has not repented from them?

Also, it is possible that these two optional fasts expiate all sins in totality, but that this has certain prerequisites and conditions, such as avoidance of major sins, or that the expiation is achieved in conjunction with other good deeds, much the same as the 5 daily prayers and the fasting of Ramadan expiate minor sins in conjunction with the avoidance of major sins. "If you abjure the major things which you are prohibited from, We shall expiate you your evil deeds. [Surah Nisa, 31]

Some are deceived by the hadith Qudsi, "I am according to the good expectation/thought of My servant., so let him think of Me as he wishes." i.e. that whatever he thinks I will do to him, I will. But, good expectations can only be with good conduct, for one who does good expects that his Lord will deal with him well, will not break His promise, and will accept his repentance. As for the one of evil conduct, who persists upon major sins, oppression and other evils, the desolation of sin, wrongdoing and [other] prohibited things prevent him from having good expectations of his Lord. This is something we witness in everyday life. A disobedient employee who has run away with company property will not have a good expectation of his boss. The evil of wrong deeds cannot coexist with good expectation. The best in expectation of his Lord['s mercy] is the most obedient to Him. Hasan Basri said, "The believer has good expectation of his Lord, so he make his deeds good. But, the evil person has bad expectation of his Lord, so he does evil."

How can someone claim to have good expectation of his Lord when he is like a runaway, and is doing things which displease and anger his Lord, and has abandoned His orders, and is at war with Him. How can one have good expectation of his Lord if he thinks that He does not see him?

"And, you used not to conceal yourself, lest your hearing, sight and skin testify against you, but you thought that Allah does not know much of what you used to do. And that, your expectation which you entertained about your Lord, has destroyed you, so you have become among those lost/ruined." [Surah Fussilat, 23]

So, these people, who thought that Allah did not know much of what they did, actually had ill- expectation of their Lord, and that destroyed them. Such people are deceived if they think they will directly enter Heaven; they are fooling themselves; Satan is leading them astray and beguiling them.

Ponder over this.

Consider: How is it possible for one's heart to be certain that one is going to meet Allah, that Allah sees and hears all that he does, and knows his secret open affairs, and that he will be made to stand before Allah, answerable for all his deeds - how can one be certain and aware of all of this, and yet persist upon things which displease Allah; persist upon abandoning Allah's orders, neglecting His rights, and yet claim that he has good expectation of Allah?!!

Abu Umamah Sahl ibn Hanif reports: `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr and I entered upon `A'ishah and she said : If only you had seen the Messenger of Allah in one of his illnesses; [when] he had 6 or 7 dinars. The Messenger of Allah ordered me to distribute them [in charity?], but the pain of the Messenger of Allah kept me from doing that, until Allah cured him. Then, he asked me about them: "What have you done? Had you distributed the 6 dinars?" I said, "No, by Allah. Your pain had kept me from doing so." He asked for them to be brought [to him], and put them in his hand then said, "What would be the expectation of Allah's prophet if he met Allah with these in his possession?"

What then, would be the expectation of the people of major sins, and the oppressors, if they were to meet Allah with these sins and forfeited rights of people on their backs? If their claim that they entertained good expectations that Allah would not punish evil and wrongdoing people, were to benefit them, then everyone could do as he wished, doing everything that Allah has forbidden, provided he kept good expectation of Allah, thinking that the fire will not touch him. Subhanallah! How deceived can one be?

Prophet Ibrahim said to his people, "Is it a lie, gods besides Allah, that you desire? What then is your expectation of the Lord of the Worlds?" [Surah Saffat, 86] i.e. what is your expectation of Allah, what do you expect He will do to you if you meet Him having worshipped other than Him?

So, if we reflect over this, we will realize that good expectation of Allah is equivalent to good deeds, for one is moved to good deeds by good hope of Allah, that He will reward him for his efforts and accept them. Otherwise, good expectation along with pursuit of whims and desires and lusts is incapacity.

In short, good expectation can only occur if the means for salvation are pursued. Pursuit of the means to destruction cannot accompany good expectations.

Someone might claim: It might, based on the expansiveness of Allah's mercy and forgiveness and generosity, and that His mercy exceeds His wrath, and that punishing does not benefit Him, nor does forgiveness harm Him.

The reply is: Allah is indeed most generous and merciful, but this is in the appropriate place. Allah is also described as possessing wisdom and might and inflicting retribution, seizing with might, and punishing those deserving punishment. So, if the good expectation is based merely on some of Allah's attributes, then the righteous and the evil, the believer and the unbeliever, would equally be candidates for it. But, the names and attributes of mercy do not benefit the unbeliever or similarly one who has neglected his duty and exposed himself to Allah's curse. Rather, good expectation of Allah is for one who repents, regrets his sins and desists from the. This is good expectation, whereas the first is deception.

"Those who believe, and those who perform hijrah and jihad in the path of Allah - they are hopeful of Allah's mercy." [Surah Baqarah, 218]

So, these people are the ones who can be truly hopeful of Allah's mercy; not the evil and sinful people.

"Then, your Lord is, to those who make hijrah after they have been persecuted, and then perform jihad and are patient/steadfast - indeed, your Lord is, after that, Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Surah Nahl, 119]

So, the knowledgeable one is he who puts hope in its correct place, whereas the deceived one is he who puts it elsewhere.

Wake Up!

2011-03-06T03:27:00.005+08:00

Today after Zohr I was walking towards the Abraj Al-Bait Towers when I saw a familiar face. It was Yusuf Estes! Masha Allah. He was talking to what looked like some Malaysian pilgrims. I thought to myself that this was probably the best chance I'd have to be able to meet him in person and maybe chat a little, so without giving it a second thought I approached them.

Trying to be composed (I was quite nervous though) I said, "Assalaamu'alaikum Shaykh Yusuf!" and extended my hand.

He replied the Salam, turned to me and smiled and shook my hand. Then I introduced myself as a Singaporean and that I've seen his videos on YouTube. He replied, "Oh, so you are neighbors with them(the Malaysian pilgrims)?!"

When he learned that I was from the local university, he said, "Masha Allah, that's a good university, have you heard about the German boxer who became Muslim named Pierre Vogel? He studied at your university too. Look up his name in YouTube. You may even find one with me in it!"

I then had to leave and said my Salams to him and his minder and wished him all the best in his efforts.

With his charming and friendly smile he said, "You too, it was nice meeting you!"

If you don't already know who Yusuf Estes is, check out his amazing story about how he became a Muslim. He was formerly a priest and an active preacher of Christianity. He's been to many parts of the world with a simple intention to invite others to Islam and Allah Almighty has guided many people who attended his talks to revert to Islam. Check out his website, www.islamtomorrow.com

Anyway, the video above is generally about trying to take our da'wah efforts to another level by simply putting in a little more effort to extend the invitation to Islam towards our non-Muslim friends. It's also about practicing wisdom in our dealings with others in any situation, with Muslims and non-Muslims.. and to understand the context of any verse in the Qur'an or the Prophetic traditions before applying it. Whenever we're unsure, always check with the experts regarding it.. the scholars.

Matters of the Heart

2011-03-05T05:36:00.007+08:00

The pic below is an improvised version of the original which is in Malay. Done with the help of 'Fran'. Feel free to copy/download the picture and spread the message. Kher, insha Allah..

Purification of the Soul

2011-02-28T19:36:00.004+08:00

Purification (of the soul) cannot be achieved except by way of the messengers as stated by Ibn Al-Qayyim when he said:

“Purifying the souls is harder and more difficult than curing the bodies. So whoever purifies his soul through exercise, hard work and being in isolation – all of which the messengers did not come with – he is like a sick person that tries to cure himself based on his own opinion.

Where is his opinion with respect to the expertise of a doctor?! The messengers are the doctors of the hearts – there is no way to purify and rectify the hearts except through their way, at their hands and by totally submitting and complying with them. And we ask Allaah for His assistance!” [Madaarij-us-Saalikeen (2/300)]

Respect Between Scholars

2011-02-28T04:17:00.000+08:00

A beautiful story about manners and the respect these scholars had between themselves

The Biography of Shiekh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

2011-02-28T02:49:00.006+08:00

‎'People have differing opinions about the Sufis, some of them exaggerate and see them as the greatest Muslims. There are some who see all the Sufis as innovators, and have left the fold of Islam but this is slanderous. The best opinion about them is that they are a hard working Muslim faction who had worked hard to arrive at the truth. So some of them are unjust to themselves, some of them are frugal and some of them vie in doing good deeds. There are also attached factions that don't belong to the Sufis at all.' - amazing justice shown by Ibn Taymiyyah in his take on Sufis related in part 2 of the video below.

The speaker continued.. "I, in fact, had a discussion with the scholar and Imam, Ibn Baz, may God have mercy on him, before his death about this matter, so I wanted to hear his opinion on what he felt to be true. I asked him if we should adopt Ibn Taymiyyah's opinion about the Sufis, Ibn Baz said two or three times (I'm not exactly sure), he said: "This is my opinion, this is my opinion." I was sitting with him in a private session of three people, no more and he said those completely impartial words of Ibn Taymiyyah were fair."

We have to strive to be fair and uphold justice no matter what..

Allah says in the Noble Qur'an:

"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 8]

Allah Almighty knows best.

What Does Allah Want From Me?

2011-02-24T13:24:00.000+08:00

Article from islamtoday.net..Link Here!

The most important question that a Muslim can ask: What Does Allah want from me as a Muslim? What am I supposed to do in this worldly life I have been granted? We can rephrase this same question in more general terms, revealing that it is indeed the Big Question for all human beings: What is the purpose of my life?

As Muslims, we often hasten to answer this question by quoting the verse of the Qur’an where Allah tells us: “I only created human beings and jinn to worship me.” [Sûrah al-Dhâriyât: 56]

We are certainly right in doing so. It is right for us as Muslims to look for our answer in the words of Allah. Certainly, this verse is one of the most important and relevant verses in the Qur’an addressing the question of what Allah wants from us.

But have we really answered our question yet?

No, we have not. The term “worship” needs to be properly understood. In Islam, worship is defined as everything that we do that Allah loves and is pleased with. It can be in what we do or what we say. It includes both inward and outward actions.

Everyone agrees that prayer, fasting, remembering Allah, purifying the heart, and similar devotional activities are part of worship. It is, therefore obvious that these acts of worship are something that Allah wants from us. However, it is a mistake to forget that our worship – in other words, what we do, say, and think that pleases Allah – is limited to these personal devotions alone. Our worship also includes how we deal with others.

So we must ask our question again: What does Allah want from me as a Muslim in my dealings with others? To answer this question, we must return to the Qur’an and Sunnah. When we do, we find there can be no doubt that the texts point us to at least two types of concerns. First, it is obvious that we are supposed to propagate the faith and convey the message of Islam to others. There are many verses of the Qur’an and Prophetic hadith that call us to this duty. However, that is not all. There are also numerous texts that call upon us to serve humanity. How often are we told to respect, honor, and assist others? These texts help us to complete the picture of how we are expected to worship Allah in our daily lives.

Let us consider some of the main themes:

Helping Others:

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever is engaged in fulfilling his brother’s needs, then Allah will be fulfilling his needs.” [Sahīh al-Bukhārī]

Likewise, he said: “Allah loves best the one who benefits people the most. The most beloved deed to Allah is to make a Muslim happy, remove his distress, pay off his debt, or placate his hunger. For me to go forth in fulfilling my brother’s need is dearer to me than to observe a retreat in this mosque (in Madinah) for worship for a month... And whoever goes forth to fulfil his brother’s need until it is taken care of, then Allah will make his feet tread steadily on that Day when feet will slip.” [al-Silsilah al-Sahihah]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is also reported to have said: “Whoever goes forth to fulfil his brother’s need and makes headway in fulfilling that need, it is better than observing a retreat in the mosque for ten years.” [al-Tabarānī, al-Bayhaqī and al-Hākim]

Being Kind and Well-Mannered:

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) declared: “I was sent only to perfect good conduct.” [al-Silsilah al-Sahīhah]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed just how important it is to show kindness to people and exhibit good manners by describing an ill-mannered person as “bankrupt” even if that person was devoted to prayer and fasting:

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) asked: “Do you know who is bankrupt?”

His Companions replied: “The bankrupt person is one who has neither money nor property.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: “The bankrupt person is one who will come on the Day of Judgment having to his credit much prayer, fasting, and charity. But alas, he will have against him that he ridiculed this person, falsely accused that one, stole the property of another, shed the blood of another, and assaulted another. They will each be compensated from his good deeds, and if his good deeds run out, some of their sins will be transferred to him and he will be consigned to Hell.” [Sahīh Muslim]

Upholding and Defending Justice:

Allah says: "O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort justice or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 135]

Allah also says: "O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 8]

Indeed, Allah tells us in the Qur’an that establishing justice was part of the mission of all the Prophets: “Indeed, We had sent Our Messengers with clear proofs and sent down the scriptures and the balance with them so that people could establish justice.” [Sūrah al-Hadīd: 25]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described the greatest for of struggle for the faith as follows: “The greatest struggle is to speak a true word in front of an unjust ruler.” [Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Sunan al-Tirmidhī, and Sunan Abī Dāwūd]

By helping others, showing kindness, and being just we engage in the worship of Allah, just like we do when we pray and fast. Therefore, these are also part of what it means to fulfil the purpose for which we were created.

How to Give Da'wah

2011-02-18T16:47:00.004+08:00

It's not our job to convince others about the truth of Islam. Having constant debates with them are also futile.

We just have to do our part as Muslims to keep reminding and spreading the message and inviting others to Islam the best that we can, in any way possible, peacefully, sincerely with tact and diplomacy.

Then leave the rest to Allah Almighty...

Let's Observe and Reflect

2011-02-10T19:02:00.000+08:00

Excerpt from the preface of the book, ‘Reflections of Man and the Universe’ (from the writings of Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim in ‘Miftah Dar As-Sa’aadah’ ) arranged by Capt. Anas Abdul Hameed Al-Qoz.

The following are some of the techniques of thinking that Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim puts forth in his book, ‘Miftah Dar As-Sa’aadah’ (The Key to the House of Happiness);

1) Observing, with an open heart, Allah Almighty’s creations in both the universe in general and in the human sphere in particular, with a view to better appreciating Allah’s glory and comprehending His great power and wisdom.

2) Reflecting on Allah’s verses revealed to the Prophet sallallaahu’alayhi wassalam and His shari’a, to develop an awareness of this religion’s superiority and to realize the amazing correspondence between revelation, fitrah (human innate inclination to accept truth), and uncorrupted understanding.

3) Observing Allah’s commandments and abiding by His system, which is conducive to preparing the heart to have the purity and clarity of vision concerning what is good for it. Abstaining from covetous looking, for instance, is of great benefit apart from being an act of obedience; since it protects the heart from corruption, makes it exult at the closeness to Allah, strengthens it; supplies it with a light that enables a believer to have perceptive vision, firmness and courage; protects him or her from the designs of Satan, so that a believer is dedicated to considering what is best for him or her. This is so because there is a close link between the heart and the sight.

4) Guarding against the danger of sins and keeping away from them, since it distracts the mind from proper functioning; it is a fact that the heart will be corrupted if burdened with many sins and that leads in turn to the corruption of the other organs.

5) Guarding against blind imitation, since such a practice blurs thinking and dulls its activity. Instead, man is urged to focus on the teaching of the Scripture and the Prophet’s tradition and to comply with their teachings as exemplified by the upright Caliphs (i.e. the first four Caliphs).

6) Protecting the body from abuse, preserving its comfort and warding off all distracters.

The above techniques, if realized, will surely secure the attainment of the desired target. Some of the benefits of reflection are the following;

a) It is the way to acquiring faith.
b) It uncovers the truth about things and shows the distinction between right and wrong.
c) It wards off delusions and fantasies.
d) It protects one from sins.
e) It is the basis for all acts of obedience (to Allah)
f) It guides to acquainting oneself with Allah Almighty, His Oneness, His Attributes of Perfection; and directing all worship to Him alone, and
g) It is the basis of purity of heart while reciting the Qur’an.

One may add in support of the above, a saying;

تفكروا في خلق الله و لا تفكروا في الله

“Think of Allah’s creation, not of Allah” (As reported by Aby Nu’aym in his book, Al-Hilyah, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas.)

Do Humans Need God in their Lives?

2011-01-14T07:43:00.000+08:00

This post is an attempt to translate this article 'Perlukah Manusia Kepada Tuhan?' from Saifulislam.com with the hope that it may benefit non-Malay readers too..

"If you agree that you need God in this life, only then can I explain why there's a need to perform 'solat' (obligatory prayers). If you agree that you need to pray because you need God in this life, only then would I be able to answer your question on why you have to wear the 'tudung' (Muslim women's head-dress)!"

This is the type of explanation that I often repeat during the programs that I conduct, relating a past experience with two youths who forced me to think hard so as to differentiate between the 'presenting problem' and the 'real problem' at hand.

The 'presenting problem' is that the youth refuses to don the head-dress, refuses to pray, wants to adopt a pet dog at home and hates a particular Islamic Affairs Department in a certain state for detaining popular artistes at 'The Zouk', a discotheque located at Jalan Ampang.

However, the bigger problem is the inability for the youths to realize whether they need God in their lives. Therefore, do religion still have relevance in the remainder of this life, known as the end of times?

If the question "Is there a need for God?" is not solved, then no matter what we do, such as reprimanding a Muslim who refuses to pray, will fall on deaf ears. What are we asking him to pray for? To pray to Who?

If this matter is not solved, then all the attempt to advise regarding matters such as donning the head-dress, covering the 'awrah' (obligatory parts to be covered for a Muslim women), dressing modestly and so on, is an assimilation to the noise that a 'modified exhaust pipe' of a motorcycle, passing through the neighborhood, produces. It is a nuisance to the public and irks the ears.

The biggest challenge for me as a 'da'ie' (caller to Islam), is to encourage humans to think, whether they need God in their lives. This is the most important question that must be solved, before other religious matters are to be presented.

The least Sheikh Abu Bakar Jabir al-Jaza’iri did, was by writing his book entitled 'Aqidah al-Mu'min' (The Belief of a True Muslim) beginning with the topic, "The need of Humans for Belief (Faith)". The question of why humans need religion in their lives is placed first and foremost before other aspects of religion are brought forward for discussion.

However, how much does one need to explain, in order to solve this question, as exemplified by Sheikh Abu Bakar Jabir al-Jaza'iri, before we simply claim in a cliche, "Faith is the Solution!"

This is the issue at hand, that forced me to re-look on such fundamental questions, because I'm truly disturbed with the reality that humans have lost their relationship with God. If, for example, humans are living in a period of hardship, and we suggest to them to have faith in God in order to find strength, it would be an easier task.

However, in the context of the contented lives that many currently experience, where almost everything is affordable and readily available, what of God and the Day of Judgement?.. Are they still relevant?

EXPERIENCE IN FOLLOWING A RELIGION

I'd like to quote a part of the experiences of Rene Descarte (1596 - 1650) in his efforts to build upon the basis of the truth. Educated at 'Jesuit School La Flêche', he ended his study with the most important question, "Is what I'm studying all this while the truth?"

How refreshing it is, the feeling of abandoning all the knowledge that have been gathered, recorded onto a roll of certificate, then to rebuild one's belief on one's own choice, and not on knowledge which is being forced fed, or traditional knowledge passed down throughout generations and also indoctrination which is tiring and blinding?

Hence, he started questioning everything that he had learnt all the while, doubting everything until finally, Descarte came to a basis that is the strongest, which is impossible for him to have any doubts about it... which is the reality of himself!

He's unable to doubt himself because he feels that he himself is a reality, not an illusion. He's able to ensure that his own self is a reality, as he did something which is important which is TO THINK.

Thinking makes his own self a reality, unlike dreaming. Thinking is far from illusion. And it resulted, in his own words, the well known phrase:

Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum!

"I doubted, therefore I think, therefore I am!"

That was how Descarte found the truth for himself. Truly rational, embarking on a journey of knowing oneself. Thinking and finding oneself.

KNOWING ONESELF

The road to build upon one's faith have to be built on one's effort to know oneself. That is the basis that our religion teaches:

"Whoever knows oneself, will know his God"

Knowing God through knowing Oneself...

That is the key for humans to return to, bridging their ties with God. Which is the result of the ability to know oneself. The question is, what are the aspects that one must find in oneself?

People who explore their personal selves, will come to two realities. Each and every human being, have strengths and weaknesses. The knowledge of one's strengths and weaknesses will be the factors that will lead to a person discovering and knowing himself.

People who realize that their lives must have a goal will force themselves to find a potential. All this, is on the basis of belief that there is not one person who is born stupid, however, every human is born with different forms of intellect.

What makes a person stupid are certain things that surround him. It could be his parents, even his teacher and the school itself. Schools shouldn't be producing students who are either clever or stupid. However, schools should produce students of different forms of intellect. The job of the education system is to discover the greater potential in every student, and not to filter out students who do not conform to the general standard of intellect.

However, a person will not be able to discover his potential if he lives meagerly. Work meagerly. Think meagerly.

To achieve something wholeheartedly will enable a person to quicken the use all his strength and potential. Once all the strengths of oneself is recognized and maximized, only then will he cross his limits and discover his weaknesses.

This is the way a scientist meets God. To him, science is not just about discovering opportunities, but the mutual agreement towards the limits of the left and right. Those limits are not due to the known and seen universe, but from a being that is too small and weak to fathom.

This is what happens when discovering space, it results in a conclusion that humans and science, are too weak and small to provide answers to life's biggest questions. Most of what we understand about space and beyond, are estimated data and far from the results of experience. Data which proves the perfection of the universe and the weakness of their occupants called human beings.

Scientists become humans who are weak and limited, facing the perfection of a proven system, the perfectness of God.

STRENGTH WILL LEAD TO THE DISCOVERY OF WEAKNESS

Allah has provided humans with an added ability for us to define our own goals.

Allah has bestowed upon humans weaknesses for us to find Him.

Humans cannot afford to remain sated. He will be hungry. And that hunger is what will drive himself to find food. And as a result of food, his weakness will be sustained. For a while.

Humans cannot afford to stay fresh at all times. He will be tired and sleepy. Without any form of aid, that tiredness and sleepiness is what will drive him to search for a period of rest. And as a result of rest, humans regain their strength. For a moment.

That is the physical weakness of humans. Without a need to be taught, that weakness drives humans towards a source of strength to sustain it. A weakness in the form of hunger will drive him to search for strength through food. A weakness in the form of tiredness and sleepiness will drive him to search for strength through rest and sleep.

The weaknesses and limits bound to a human is not only through the physiology of oneself, but also through the soul and emotions.. spiritually and mentally.

Without a need to be taught, humans who are oppressed and tortured, will find their souls yearning for justice. The yearning of the tortured souls in the search for justice, is a way for him to meet God. It is where Allah introduces Himself as THE MOST JUST (AL-'ADL).

Without a need to be taught, humans who are disturbed and fearful, will find their souls yearning for peace and safety. The yearning of the souls which are living in disturbance and fear, is a way for him to meet God. It is where Allah introduces Himself as THE SOURCE OF PEACE (AS-SALAM) and THE GIVER OF TRANQUILITY (AL-MU'MIN)

It is for these reasons Allah Almighty introduces Himself with 99 names, so that each and every human being returns to Him through a source of STRENGTH, whenever they are troubled with WEAKNESS.

THE QUESTION AT HAND

Human beings will only search for God, once they recognize the weakness of oneself.

One's weakness will not be known if one does not strive to optimize one's abilities. That form of striving will not exist if human beings are lazy and have a meager outlook on life.

Hence, the heaviest sentence that is given in this world, to the worst of crimes... when human beings LIVE NEGLIGENTLY AND ARE LAZY TO THINK.

Laziness is a SIN because it holds back a person from the obligation of knowing oneself and knowing God.

It is these types of human beings who thinks as if they themselves are god...

"Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilaah (god)? And Allaah knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then, will guide him after Allaah? Will you not then remember?" [Al-Jathiyah 45:23]

While in reality, he is more heedless than a cattle...

"And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have their hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones." [Al-A'raf 7:179]

Both of the verses above, is regarding the lives of human beings who act like they are gods, and also live like animals due to a mind, eyes, ears and a heart which doesn't function. Both are due to the reluctance to think and to observe life. They are given a mind, with eyes and ears to see and to listen with their hearts... but the hustle and bustle of the worldly life lead them to forget who they really are and who is HE.

Therefore, it is justified that these type of negligent human beings are punished by God due to their own laziness in searching for the truth.

Think about it...

ABU SAIF @ www.saifulislam.com
56000 Kuala Lumpur

Respecting Parents

2011-01-03T05:59:00.000+08:00

{And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.} [Al-Israa' 17:23]

Erti Zuhud

2010-12-25T20:36:00.001+08:00

Bukanlah zuhud itu dengan meninggalkan (pendapatan dan harta) yang halal, bukan juga membuang harta,

kemungkinan seorang yang kaya itu bersifat zuhud apabila hatinya kosong dari dunia (tidak mengharapkan sesuatu dari dunia dan kekayaannya untuk dunia),

dan berkemungkinan orang faqir itu adalah orang yang bersifat duniawi apabila hatinya amat berkehendakan dunia, tatkala itu hatinya segar dengan ikatan kepada dunia.

[Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, Al-Qawanin Al-Fiqhiyyah, hlm 471]

For more, read the full article by Ustaz Zaharuddin - Erti 'Zuhud' dan Adakah Islam Menggalakkan Miskin?

I worshiped Allaah for Fifty Years

2010-12-20T07:57:00.004+08:00

Taken from subulassalaam.com..

Reference: Seeyar 'Alaam an Nubalaa by Al Haafidh adh Dhahabee

Nasr ibn Mahmood al Balkhee said; Ahmad ibn Harb stated:

“I worshiped Allaah for fifty years, I wasn’t able to find the sweetness of worship until I forsook three things:

1. I forsook seeking the acceptance of people, so I was able to speak the truth.

2. I forsook the companionship of the sinner, so I was able to accompany the righteous.

3. I forsook the sweetness of the life of this world, so I was able to find the sweetness of the afterlife.

Notes on Hajj 2010

2010-12-12T22:45:00.011+08:00

The article below was written by a respected and known local ustaz who performed Hajj recently. The recent pilgrimage was his 9th. He shares his thoughts, experiences, the challenges and changes that he observed, positive and negative ones. And there are important issues raised which I have heard before in previous years through others' experiences and I feel, have to be highlighted as it concerns the affairs of every pilgrim who has strived in every way possible, to be able to perform this noble jihad for the sake of Allah Almighty. (insha Allah i'll try to work on an English version of the note soon to spread the message when I have the time - done Alhamdulillaah, located below the original)

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Setelah 8 kali menunaikan ibadah haji, tahun ini 2010, ternyata memberi pengalaman dan pengajaran baru dan mencabar yang mengembirakan dan tidak terlepas juga yang mengecewakan. Biasalah hidup ini ada hitam putihnya. Maka tujuan nota ini dikongsi adalah sebagai menceritakan pengalaman haji tahun 2010. Ianya tidak bertujuan komersial atau menceritakan keburukan individu tertentu, hanya sekadar perkongsian yang diharapkan dapat menjadi iktibar dan tauladan.

Alhamdulillah, terlaksana sudah ibadah haji untuk tahun ini 2010 dan diharapkan agar ianya menjadi haji yang mabrur bagi semua jemaah haji pada tahun ini, amin.

Banyak perubahan yang telah berlaku. Yang paling ketara ialah pembangunan di Mekah. Di sekeliling Masjidil Haram tidak kelihatan lagi bangunan bangunan lama. Hotel-hotel terkenal dahulu seperti Aziz Khogeer, Makkah Hotel, White Palace, Safa Hotel, dan banyak lagi hotel yang didiami oleh jemaah Singapura sudah dirobohkan bagi pembangunan baru. Sekarang, yang berdekatan dengan Masjid Haram adalah hotel baru seperti Zam Zam Tower, Movenpick, Hilton (pun tak lama lagi akan dirobohkan), Mekah City Tower, Safwa, Fairmont, Meridien dan ada lagi yang saya tak ingat nama-namanya.

Bagi yang sudah lama berulang alik ke Mekah, pasti merasakan kelainan atas perubahan yang dilakukan. Ada yang rasa kurang seronok kerana seolah-olah suasana asal Mekah sudah tiada lagi. Bagi saya, perubahan lanskap tidak penting kerana yang paling utama ialah Masjid Haram itu sendiri.

Selain di kawasan Masjid Haram, pembangunan yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan Saudi adalah di kawasan Jamrah. Tempat itu dipeluaskan agar para jemaah haji mudah melakukan ibadah jamrah pada tanggal 10 hingga 13 Zulhijjah.

Itu semua cerita perubahan lanskap yang berlaku di Mekah yang bagi saya, memang wajar dilakukan untuk mempermudahkan lagi dan memberi keselesaan yang sebaik mungkin kepada jemaah haji seluruh dunia.

Namun, sudut lain juga terdapat perubahannya. Sudut itu ialah manasik haji. Sepanjang pengalaman saya, memang terdapat perubahan yang sedikit demi sedikit sehingga akhirnya menjadi virus kepada manasik haji. Dalam bab haji, kita semua sudah dipesan oleh Nabi s.a.w yang maksudnya ialah, “Hendaklah kamu mengambil dariku manasik kamu”. Hadis riwayat Imam Muslim. Maksudnya ialah lakukan ibadah haji serta tirulah gaya dan caranya menurut apa yang telah diajarkan dan ditunjukkan oleh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.

Dalam bab solat juga Nabi s.a.w pernah bersabda dengan maksudnya, “Solatlah kamu sepertimana kamu melihat aku solat.” Hadis Muttafaq ‘Alaih.

Saya cuba memikirkan mengapa di dalam bab solat dan haji, Nabi s.a.w mengingatkan agar diikuti betul-betul apa yang ditunjukkan, manakala ibadah lain seperti zakat dan puasa tidak diperincikan.

Saya berpendapat dan ini pendapat peribadi saya, cabaran solat dan haji lebih besar dari cabaran zakat dan puasa. Dalam al-Quran disebut mengenai solat yang disifatkan sebagai berat dan beban ke atas manusia kecuali mereka yang khusyuk. Haji pula disifatkan oleh Nabi s.a.w sebagai jihad. Manakala zakat dan puasa pula tidak disifatkan sebegitu. Pastinya, orang yang faham akan maksud syariat akan sentiasa akur dan cuba sedaya mungkin untuk melaksanakan ibadah menurut apa yang telah diajarkan oleh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.

Inilah yang berlaku dalam musim haji setiap tahun, pasti ada sahaja kedengaran kaedah dan ajaran baru diperkenalkan. Yang saya pelik, boleh pula diterima orang. Sedangkan kalau dinasihatkan supaya mengikut Sunnah Nabi s.a.w, bermacam-macam alasan diberikan. Ajaran-ajaran baru itu semua dikatakan terdapat di dalam kitab-kitab fiqh dan hadis-hadis ahkam.

Persoalan saya, adakah semua maklumat yang ditulis di dalam kitab-kitab itu boleh digunakan? Adakah orang yang mengajar itu faham mengenai metodologi penulisan para ulama? Inilah musibah yang melanda sebahagian manusia hari ini. Main celup sana sikit, sini sikit dan terus membuat keputusan. Sedangkan mereka tidak memahami kaedah ilmiah dalam mengeluarkan sesuatu hukum.

Contohnya, dalam bab haji, ada sebahagian jemaah dari asia tenggara yang melalui Miqat Yalamlam tidak berihram bila melaluinya. Mereka hanya berihram ketika sudah sampai di Jeddah. Pembimbing mereka mendakwa cara ini terdapat di dalam kitab karangan Imam al-Syawkani. Cuba tanya para ulama, adakah itu cara yang terbaik dan yang lebih penting, adakah ia boleh dilakukan?

Kemudian, ada pula yang mendakwa bahawa kawasan Aziziyah dan Shisha di Mekah sudah termasuk dalam kawasan Mina lantas tidak perlu bermalam lagi di khemah-khemah Mina. Hanya ke Mina untuk melontar jamrah sahaja. Itu pun ada sebahagian jemaah yang diajar untuk jamak (satukan) lontaran jamrah ketiga-tiga hari tasyriq, pada hari terakhir! Inna lillah wa inna ilaihi rajiun!

Islam sudah mudah, bagaimana hendak dimudahkan lagi? Adakah ini dinamakan jihad sepertimana yang Nabi s.a.w umpamakannya dengan Haji?

Saya boleh gambarkan tidak mustahil satu masa nanti, jemaah haji hanya meletakkan kaki sahaja di Arafah buat beberapa ketika lalu keluar terus dari Arafah sebelum tenggelam matahari! Dan akhirnya, mungkin juga nanti ada yang berpendapat, tak perlu ke Mekah, cukup sekadar niat sahaja dalam hati untuk menunaikan haji, sama seperti dakwaan kumpulan ajaran sesat mengenai solat hanya perlukan niat sahaja!

Inilah yang berlaku, semakin tahun, semakin mudah dan gampang gayanya orang melakukan haji. Saya lihat ianya bukan salah para jemaah, tetapi ianya salah orang yang membawa jemaah itu kerana jemaah hanya tahu ikut sahaja. Lebih malang lagi tahun ini, saya diberitahu oleh salah seorang jemaah, ada yang ditipu hanya dengan alasan hendak mempermudahkan operasi agensi mereka semata-mata! KepadaMu ya Allah kami mohon keselamatan dan keampunan.

Bagi saya, inilah ujian untuk saya tahun ini. Melihat perubahan yang berkaitan dengan ibadah sudah mula membiak. Kecewa dan marah rasanya. Jika tidak dibendung dan dikembalikan kepada ajaran sebenar Nabi s.a.w, maka akan kelihatan banyak lagi perkara-perkara pelik pada masa akan datang.

Saya rasa bertanggungjawab untuk berkongsi sama perkara ini agar bakal jemaah haji tidak tersilap langkah. Jangan jadi bak kata pepatah, ‘indah khabar dari rupa’ kerana setiap tahun, saya didatangi dan ditanya oleh jemaah-jemaah yang merasakan sendiri ada kelainan pada cara manasik haji mereka. Apa yang diajarkan di dalam kursus menerusi kitab-kitab semuanya sama tetapi bila sampai ke praktikalnya di Mekah lain pula jadinya. Tahun ini pun cerita yang sama. Ada segelintir jemaah yang mengenali saya bertanya itu dan ini mengenai manasik yang mana mereka merasakan apa yang mereka alami tidak seperti yang mereka pelajari.

Ada yang menyangka bahawa terdapat sekatan atau semacam polisi dari pihak kerajaan Saudi untuk tidak membenarkan jemaah buat itu dan ini. Untuk makluman semua, itu semua tidak berlaku sama sekali. Tidak ada sekatan untuk berihram di dalam pesawat, tidak ada sekatan untuk bermalam di Mina, tidak ada sekatan untuk bermalam di Muzdalifah, tidak ada sekatakan untuk melontar jamrah pada kesemua hari-hari wajib melontar, tidak ada sekatan untuk solat di dalam Masjid Haram dan seterusnya tiada sekatan lain. Hanya tahun ini saya lihat, Hijir Ismail sahaja ditutup.

Jika jemaah haji dihalang kerana masalah keselamatan atau polisi kerajaan Saudi, maka itu bukan salah agensi kerana seperti yang kita tahu, semua yang memasuki Saudi perlu mematuhi undang-undang Negara itu.

Oleh itu teman-teman sekalian, sila pastikan agar anda semua bersiap sedia dengan ilmu pengetahuan yang betul mengenai manasik haji. Belajarlah dengan ramai guru. Kemudian, sebelum memilih mana-mana agensi, istikharahlah kepada Allah minta petunjuk agensi mana yang patut dipilih. Selanjutnya, pastikan agensi yang dipilih itu jujur dalam memberi informasi mengenai perjalanan haji mereka. Jangan cerita di Singapura lain, di Mekah/Madinah lain pula jadinya. Belanja haji bukannya murah, maka adalah wajar dan berbaloi jika kita tahu kemana perginya wang kita bagi memastikan haji kita haji yang sempurna dari awal hingga akhir.

Sebenarnya banyak lagi perkara-perkara pelik yang disampaikan kepada jemaah tapi cukuplah sekadar ini sahaja buat kali ini.

Sekali lagi saya ulangi, ini sekadar menceritakan pengalaman yang berdasarkan fakta yang dialami oleh saya sendiri. Apa yang saya ceritakan bukan andaian tetapi satu realiti yang berlaku. Cerita saya ini juga bukan bertujuan komersial atau hendak mengaibkan sesiapa tapi sekadar menjadikan iktibar mana yang kurang elok marilah diperbaiki kerana hidup ini tidak lama dan kita semua bertanggungjawab kepada Allah kelak akan apa yang kita kerjakan di dunia.

Aqulu qauli haza wa Astaghfirullah al-Azhim wa jami’ al-muslimin wa al-muslimat..

Semoga Allah mengampunkan dosa-dosa kita semua dan merahmati kita selalu. Amin.

al-faqir ila Allah:

Mustazah Bahari

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(English translated version, some additional words here and there but the main message remains)

Having performed hajj 8 times already, this time, in the year 2010, it definitely brings with it, new experiences, lessons and challenges. Similarly to the reality of ups and downs in life, some are positive while others are regretful.

The purpose of me sharing this note is to relate my experiences of Hajj 2010. It’s not intended for commercial purposes or to reveal the depravity of a certain individual but just as a sharing with hope that it would be bring us all lessons and reminders.

Alhamdulillah, the pilgrimage for this year, 2010 have been completed and may it be a ‘hajj mabroor’ (that it’d be accepted) for all the pilgrims, Amin.

There have been so many changes. The most distinct is the development of the city of Makkah. There no longer exist many of the old buildings that were once normally seen around Masjidil Haram. Former well-known hotels where Singaporean pilgrims would normally occupy, such as Aziz Khogee, Makkah Hotel, White Palace, Safa Hotel and many others have been demolished to make way for the new development plans. Currently, the nearest hotels to Masjidil Haram are new hotels such as Zam Zam Tower, Movenpick, Hilton (which would soon be demolished), Makkah City Tower, Safwa, Fairmont, Meridien and many others which names I’ve already forgotten.

For those who haven’t had a returned trip to Makkah for a while, they would surely feel a difference due to the new developments. Some pilgrims who had done so, disliked the new environment as they preferred the old ambiance that previously existed. Personally, the changes in landscape are not as important as Masjidil Haram itself.

Other than the areas around Masjidil Haram, new expansions have been made to the Jamaraat area by the Saudi government. The Jamaraat area has been vastly expanded to accommodate the increase in pilgrims and for more ease and comfort in performing hajj from the 10th to 13th Dzulhijjah. These are some of the changes in landscape that have happened in Makkah, which to me, are relevant and will provide a safer and better experience for all the pilgrims around the world.

From another context, in the rites of Hajj, there also exist changes. In all of my experiences, I’ve noticed changes, which have increased little by little and until now, it has become a harmful virus towards the rites of Hajj. In the chapter of Hajj, we have all been reminded by our Prophet sallallaahu’alayhi wasallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which translates to, “Take from me your ‘manaasik’(rites)”. [Hadeeth Muslim]. It means that we have to perform Hajj according to how Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have demonstrated and taught.

In the chapter of Solat (Prayers), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have also said (translated), “Perform prayers as how you have seen me performed it.” [Hadeeth Muttafaq ‘Alaih (Bukhari & Muslim)]

I’ve tried to reflect, as to why, in the chapters of Prayers and Hajj, the Prophet sallallaahu’alayhi wasallam reminded us in great detail, to be attentive in following the correct way while in other rituals such as Zakat and Fasting, it had not been done similarly.

I’ve resolved on the matter and this is only from my own perspective, the reason is that the challenges that comes with performing Solat and Hajj is much bigger than the challenges in performing Zakat and Fasting. In the Qur’an, there’s a reference about Prayers which was described as a heavy burden for humans except for those who are devoted. As for Hajj, it was described by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a form of Jihad (strive for spiritual perfection). And it was not described to such extent for both Zakat and Fasting.

Surely, those who understands the conditions and laws of Allah will always acknowledge a certain ruling or hadeeth and try their best to perform the Islamic rituals according to what have been taught by Allah through the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

However, for every different Hajj season, there’ll always be stories heard about a new form of practice or ruling that have been taught and utilized. What’s odd is that people actually accepted it as a correct form of practice. Whilst when they were reminded to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), all sorts of reasons would be given. These new forms of practice are said to be found in books of Fiqh and Hadeeths Rulings.

The question is, are all the information which were written in those books valid for use? Do the people who are teaching from those books understand regarding the writing methodology of past scholars? This is the disaster that is sweeping among some of the people today. They’d simply take information from here and there and make a decision regarding a ruling. While the actual fact is that they don’t really understand the academic conditions in deriving a certain ruling.

For example, in the chapter of Hajj, there exist some pilgrims from South East Asia who passed by Miqaat Yalamlam without being in a state of ihram while passing it. They’d only start being in a state of ihram when they’d arrived in Jeddah. Their guide would claim that the opinion for this practice is stated in a book by Imam al-Syawkani. Try to ask the prominent scholars, is that the best way and more importantly, can it be utilized?

Then there are those who claim that the area of Aziziyyah and Shisha in Makkah are included in the areas of Mina hence, there’s no need to stay the night in the camps of Mina. The only requirement is to head to Mina for the stoning ritual at the Jamaraat area. What’s even ‘better’, is that some of the groups of pilgrims were taught to combine all three days of stoning ritual in the days of Tasyriq into one day, in the final day of Tasyriq! Inna lillaahi wa inna ilaihi raaji’oon!

Islam is already simple, how can it be possible for it to be simplified further? Can this type of Hajj be termed as the form of Jihad which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described?

I can imagine that it’s not impossible if one day, the pilgrims would only have to place a foot in Arafah for a moment, then immediately leave Arafah before the sun sets! And maybe there will even be those who will give an opinion that there’s no need to go to Makkah but the intention in the heart would suffice for the completion of Hajj, similar to the claims made by a deviant sect regarding prayers. That it’s enough just by one’s intentions!

These are some of the things that are happening, year after year. It seems that for some, Hajj is getting easier and more relaxing. I observe that for most cases, the pilgrims were not at fault. It is more towards those who are responsible over the pilgrims as most of the pilgrims don’t know much and only follow. Worse, for this year, I’ve been told by a pilgrim that there were some who were cheated just for the selfish desires of the travel agent! Only to You oh Allah, do we hope for safety and forgiveness.

For me, it was a test, seeing changes especially when it involves the rites of worship, spreading. It’s disappointing and exasperating. If it’s not controlled and returned to the correct teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), we will see more of such odd instances in the future.

I feel it’s a responsibility to share this with the hope that future pilgrims will not make a mistake. Don’t make the wrong choice regarding travel agencies, which may actually be just ‘a flash in a pan’ (Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end.) because every year, pilgrims come to me and ask me about this and that as they themselves have felt something amiss in the way that they have been brought about in performing Hajj. Whatever that they have been taught through their courses were similar to the general teachings but when it comes to the practical part in Makkah, it turned out differently. It was the same for this year. There were a number of pilgrims who knows me, who asked about this and that regarding the rites of Hajj they’d performed which they felt wasn’t the same as to what they have learnt.

There were also those who assumed that there exists some form of red-tape or policies from the Saudi Government not to allow the pilgrims to do this or that. For your information, all those assumptions did not happen at all. There are no restrictions to be in a state of ihram in the plane, no restrictions to stay the night in Mina, no restrictions to stay the night in Muzdalifah, no restrictions for the stoning rituals at Jamaraat for all the obligatory days of stoning, no restrictions to pray in Masjidil Haram and similarly about other assumptions. The only restriction that’s apparent for this year is the closure of Hijr Ismail during the Hajj period.

If the pilgrims were restricted due to safety concerns or certain policies from the Saudi government, then that would not be the fault of the travel agency but as we all know, we are all bounded by the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia once we enter the country.

Therefore my friends, please be sure and to be completely prepared with the proper knowledge about the rites of Hajj. Learn with different teachers or asatizahs. Then, before choosing any travel agency, perform istikharah to Allah for guidance as to which agency you should choose. Also, make sure that the agency of choice is honest and regular with the information and service that they provide regarding the Hajj journey. Ensure from the experiences of previous pilgrims, for example, whether what’s been said back in Singapore does/does not occur once in Makkah or Madeenah. The expenditure for Hajj is not cheap; therefore it is a necessary and worthy practice to ensure that our money is well spent to ensure a good journey from start to finish, more importantly, the completion of Hajj according to the best of manners and practices taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

Actually there were many other odd practices that I would like to share but it’s enough for now.

Once again, I repeat, that this is written only to relate facts that are based on my own experiences. What I’ve related are not assumptions but a true reality of what is happening. My story is not for commercial purposes or to humiliate anyone but just as a reminder for us all. Let’s strive to improve ourselves to be better as life is short and we are all responsible to Allah for everything that we do here in this world.

Aqulu qauli haza wa Astaghfirullah al-Azhim wa jami’ al-muslimin wa al-muslimat..

May Allah forgive all our sins and be merciful to us always. Amin.

al-faqir ila Allah:

Mustazah Bahari

The Best of the Best

2010-12-02T03:51:00.004+08:00

Article taken from islamicemirate.com focusing more on the commentary of the 100 hadeeths gathered for the article.

by Abu Eesa Niamatullah

Have you ever wondered to yourself what it actually means to be the best?

When we are told that ‘this is the best’ or ‘that was the greatest’ or ‘this will bring the most benefit’ etc, have you ever thought who on Earth gave such people/editors the authority to tell us that? In an age when we have a plethora of ‘Top 10’ or ‘Top 100’ lists on everything from cars to films, from foods to places, one wonders where is that list that will really provide some benefit to us in this current short life and the next very long one.

Well, wait no more. Below, from a choice of hundreds of narrations from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) you can find 100 hadīth, in no particular order of merit, detailing ways on exactly how to become the best, how to have the most excellent characteristics, what really will prove most beneficial for us to know, what really are the greatest things to think about and hope for and indeed, how to become the most beloved of people to our Magnificent Creator, Allāh jalla wa ‘alā.

No more subjectivity, no more empty statements; just the divine criteria of what really is the best as developed by the very best himself, Sayyidinā Muhammad al-Mustapha (‘alayhi salātullāh).

So go on, don’t be ordinary. Don’t be common. Don’t be a chamcha…

Be the best.

Commentary on ‘The Best of the Best’.

It is clear that there are a few narrations that require further elucidation as to their meanings so below, I will add a few notes to those hadith which need it.

Sayyidina Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us:

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

This hadith re-affirms the sanctity of the Believer, in fact there is nothing more valuable in the Deen than a life, which is why it is permissible to perform kufr in order to save ones life and yet one is not to be prayed over if he takes his ‘own’ life in an act of suicide. This sanctity has to be protected not just from the weapons of another (the ‘hand’) but also the tongue which is a destructive force in itself. In fact, the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed us that many people would be in the Fire of Hell due simply to what their tongues uttered.

Hence, anyone who controls himself i.e. his anger and passion, as well as his tongue, has indeed achieved the very best during this worldly life in which so many people ruin their Hereafter by spilling the blood and honour of other Muslims.

2. “The best of people are those with the most excellent character.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

Indeed, few things have been as emphasised by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as having good conduct, excellent manners, displaying bravery and honour in fact all possible characteristics which embellish the external so as to make it a worthy carrier of the weighty and priceless message contained within, i.e. the Deen of Islam.

How many times did we see a people loved for their good character and yet how many Muslims today ruin their relations with all and sundry with their distinct lack of adab?

3. “The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind.” (Dāraqutni, Hasan)

Note that this is not just bring benefit to Muslims but to be beneficial to all of mankind; in these times of relative prosperity, the Muslims should be leading the field in education and development in order to revive our marvellous heritage of giving mankind so many tools to help make modern society progress.

How sad it is then, that today either we are forced to prioritise and take care of those who cannot even secure stability in their lives in the occupied lands whereas other eminent Muslims in the Western lands, seem to progress yet forget their ultimate objectives and aims as they fall for the allure of empiricism and material gain, and forget their Lord, the Master of all the Worlds.

4. “The best of people are those who are best in fulfilling (rights).” (Ibn Mājah, Sahīh)

This hadith refers to those who pay their debts on time (or early), those who stick to their promises, those who fulfill their contracts as agreed as well as those who ensure the rights of others are met such as visiting the sick, giving sincere advice etc.

5. “The best of people during fitnah is a man who takes up the reins of his horse pursuing the enemies of Allāh, causing them fear yet they make him fearful too, or a man who secludes himself in the desert fulfilling the rights of Allāh upon him.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

The word fitnah can mean a variety of things such as a trial, a test, tribulation, civil strife etc, all coming from its root meaning in the Arabic which is to treat and melt metal ore to remove impurities and bring out any gold if present. Likewise, a fitnah in the Deen might be a test of some sort for a people or even an individual to try him and see whether his impurities can also be melted away and his true core values of excellence such as patience, wisdom, bravery, and sacrifice can all be allowed to come forth.

In the above example, the first type of fitnah is that of Jihād where the Muslims are called upon to defend their religion, despite their love or hatred of warfare. The man above is scared yet he goes forth for the sake of his Lord and will be rewarded handsomely for this ultimate sacrifice – by giving his life.

The second man is experiencing the other popular form of fitnah which would be between the Muslims themselves, often political in nature between two parties claiming to be on the truth. This form of strife afflicted the Sahabah during the murder of ‛Uthmān and Husayn (radhy Allāhu ‛anhuma) yet the senior Companions at those times such as ibn Abbas, Abu Hurayrah and ibn ‛Umar would always refrain from getting involved and taking sides. They would confine themselves to their houses (and as in other narrations, one should go to the furtherest mountain peaks or the deepest corners of the house) and continue to worship Allāh as sincerely and best as possible.

This is a hadīth which we also can implement in our lives with all the different levels of fitnah that we are exposed to in our local communities here in the West between differing parties, gaining reward as opposed to losing all our hasanāt and carrying the burden of the sins of others.

6. “The best of mankind is my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come a people after them who will become avaricious, who will love gluttony, and who will give witness before they are asked for it.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

The verb يتسمنون (yatasammanun) in this hadith suggests everything that avarice purports to be: becoming neglectful and heedless to the important things in life as one descends into material delights, becoming greedy, lethargic and ultimately taking this life to be his final goal instead of the Hereafter. Over-eating is a key aspect to this, and hence becoming fat, obese and gluttonous as so many Muslims have unfortunately become, even (or shall I say especially?) the religiously ‘practising’ of them, is just confirming the sad reality of this Prophetic narration.

7. “The best of people are those who live longest and excel in their deeds, whereas the worst of people are those who live longest and corrupt their deeds.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

Ask for a long life but make sure it’s spent doing good – not bad!

8. “The best of women are those that please him (her husband) when he sees her, obeys him when she is commanded, and who does not secretly betray him with regards to herself and her money in that which he dislikes.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

9. “The best of women are those that please you when you see them, obey you when commanded, and who safeguard themselves and your money in your absence.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

The second hadith here covers the wealth of the husband as well as her own wealth; it also asks of the Muslim women to make that extra effort in order to safeguard the relationship. Naturally, this has to be taken in conjunction with the man fulfilling all of the rights of his wife as well, something which most men in our morally bereft world have totally forgotten and neglected, yet miraculously seem to remember everything the wife should do…

10. “The best of marriages are the easiest ones.” (Abu Dāwūd, Sahīh)

This doesn’t necessarily mean simple and basic, but rather it should be according to what you can afford to do comfortably. Extravagance and lavishness is not permissible for anyone, yet it is even more ridiculous from those who will have to take out loans simply to maintain the ‘image’.

11. “The best of your dates is the Borniyyū date; it expels disease yet does not contain any disease itself.” (Hākim, Hasan)

Little is known about this date except that is a yellow/red coloured circular-shaped date, soft and fleshy, extremely sweet and according to Imām Abu Hanīfah (rahimahullāh), originally hails from Persia. It is narrated as barniyyū and borniyyū, and is probably an arabicized word with Persian roots.

If you can get hold of some, please share them with your friends. Note: this author is very much your best friend.

12. “The best of your garments are those which are white; shroud your dead in them and clothe your living with them. The best of that which you apply to your eyelids is antimony causing the eyelashes to grow and sharpening the eyesight.” (Ibn Hibbān, Sahīh)

Antimony is what we know as Kohl, or surma in Urdu, and is subject to much difference of opinion between the Imams as to the etiquette with respect to the timings of applying it.

13. “The best quality of your religion is scrupulousness.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

Wara‛ is a word almost synonymous with taqwa i.e. to be constantly in a state of God-conciousness, continually being aware of what one says and does. Wara’ adds that extra dimension of being very careful and cautious in your actions, always preferring the safe option instead of taking any risks – indeed a difficult but noble principle.

14. “The best of your religion is that which is easiest.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

Being too strict and harsh often causes problems, usually causing conflict and rancour which are the last things you want to create in setting a good example. Think about this carefully in your relations and da’wah to your family and friends, not meaning thereby that you throw away the high standards of Islam that must always be upheld, but rather that it is Allah who guides and not you, and if it wasn’t for Him jalla wa ‘ala, then maybe you’d be even more lost than the one in front of you.

This hadith also specifically refers to the Muslim during his choice of certain acts of optional worship. Often people over-burden their selves by avoiding the ‘easy’ option and then end up suffering from burn-out, having in fact done nothing at all.

15. “The best of the prayer lines for men are the first rows, the worst being the final rows. The best of the prayer lines for women are the final rows and the worst are the first rows.” (Muslim)

16. “The best prayers for women are those performed in the most secluded parts of their houses.” (Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahīh)

Although women are allowed to come to the Mosques, they will obtain more reward for those very prayers when performed at home.

17. “The best of you in Islām are those who are most excellent in character as long as you deeply understand the religion.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

18. “The best of you are the best of you in fulfilling (rights).” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

19. “The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

20. “The best of you are my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come after them a people who will betray and be untrustworthy, will give witness even though they have not been asked to, will make vows yet will not fulfil them and obesity will appear amongst them.” (Bukhāri)

The reason that ‘giving witness before being asked to give so’ is sometimes seen as blameworthy (see later) is because it represents the mindset of certain people who do not appreciate the importance and gravity of being a witness, rushing to make a statement often to secure their own interests or even to make false testimony, which is from the major sins. This kind of attitude fits the one who becomes totally neglectful in his religion as previously explained, even falling towards hypocrisy itself by not fulfilling promises and vows, may Allah protect us all from that, Ameen.

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

22. “The best of you is he from whom good is anticipated and safety from his evil is assured; the worst of you is he from whom nothing good is expected and one is not safe from his evil.” (Tirmidhi,Sahīh)

23. “The best thing mankind has been given is excellent character.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

24. “The best of that which you treat yourself with is cupping.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

This is a science which is making a comeback at the present time, masha’Allah, despite the attempts of some to write it off as an ‘invalid’ medical procedure. Many students of knowledge have cupping done regularly, especially for the memory, and have always reported favourable results. There is an increasing need for society to return to the more natural ‘Eastern’ understanding of medicine as opposed to the ‘Western’ notion of simply trying to produce a pill for every possible complaint.

25. “The best of journeys undertaken are to this Mosque of mine and the Ancient House.” (Ahmad,Sahīh)

To visit the Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah is an act of ‘ibādah itself, each prayer equivalent to 1000 prayers and then 100,000 prayers at the Ka’bah in Makkah within the Haram area.

26. “The best of which man can leave behind for himself are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, an ongoing charity whose reward continues to reach him and knowledge which others benefit from after him.” (Ibn Hibbān, Hasan)

27. “The best Mosques for women are the most secluded parts of their houses.” (Bayhaqi, Sahīh)

28. “The best of the world’s women are four: Maryum bint ‛Imrān, Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, Fātimah bint Muhammad and Āsiyah the wife of Fir‛awn.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

29. “The best of 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 Isrā’ except that they would say to me, ‘O Muhammad, perform cupping!’” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

30. “The best day on which the Sun has risen is Friday; on it Ādam was created, on it Ādam was made to enter Paradise and on it he was expelled. The Hour will not be established except on Friday.” (Muslim)

31. “Verily, the best of perfume for men is that which is strong in smell and light in colour, and the best of perfume for women is that which is strong in colour and light in smell.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

32. “The most beloved of religions according to Allāh the Most High is the ‘easy and flexible religion.’” (Ahmad, Hasan)

The word al-Hanīfiyyat’l-Samha refers to the religion which is not only pure monotheism, perfectly exhibited by al-Hanīf Ibrahīm (‘alayhis-salām) but to remember that it is a religion of ease and flexibility. Hanīfiyyah finds its roots in ‘diverting and bending away’, here meaning to bend away from the prevalent polytheism found in society. Samha means that it is ‘easy’, ‘considerate’, ‘flexible’.

Hence after the previously revealed laws/religions, only Islām perfects life with the beauty of worshipping the Creator alone, establishing that pure relationship of servitude and love and yet calls one to be easy with the creation and hence perfecting societal relations.

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

The upshot of being ‘easy’ upon ourselves in our worship is to recognise that to be strict and even ‘extreme’ upon ourselves almost always leads to burnout and a total misalignment of our priorities, thereby gaining the anger of Allah as opposed to his pleasure! What use are long hours of Tahajjud when you can’t wake up for Fajr? What use is being extreme in the hours you study if you can’t appropriate quality time for the correct upbringing of your children?

Everything should always be in balance, and likewise a small yet consistent and continuous action will always bring fruits as well as maintaining an enthusiasm for it, avoiding tiredness, boredom and lethargy.

34. “The most beloved of names according to Allāh are ‘Abd Allah, ‘Abd’l-Rahmān and Hārith.” (Abu Ya‛lā, Sahīh)

Stuck for a name for your new child? You have a huge bank to choose from what with all the Prophets, Sahabah as well as other names that don’t have anti-Islamic connotations; but you can’t beat the above which are the best of the lot.

35. “The most beloved of deeds according to Allāh are the prayer in its right time, then to treat the parents in an excellent manner, and then Jihād in the path of Allāh.” (Agreed upon)

The scholars have said that when the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us that something was the best action, this does not always mean that it is absolutely better than the rest of actions such as illustrated in this hadīth. Often, other hadīth might seem to be contradictory as orders of excellence with respect to our deeds are shown in a different order. Rather, this is to explain to us the ‘weight’ of such a good deed, a way for us to recognise its value, and not just that it is the one and only single best action ever possible in worship.

In any case, ensure the prayer is completed in its right time (which means its earliest time according to many of the scholars except the ‘Isha prayer which should be prayed as late as possible), ensure you don’t ruin your other good deeds by not fully honouring and respecting your parents, and most of all in these politically sensitive times, never forget that Jihad fi-sabīlillāh is the greatest sacrifice anyone can perform and will be the cornerstone of the revival of our Deen before the Last Day.

36. “The most beloved of deeds according to Allāh is that you die and yet your tongue is still moist from the remembrance of Allāh.” (Ibn Hibbān, Hasan)

What greater encouragement can one need to busy oneself day and night with the various adhkār (special words/speech of remembrance) taught to us by the Prophet himself. How convenient then that…

37. “The most beloved words according to Allah the Most High are four: Subhānallāh, Alhamdulillāh, Lā ilāha illallāh and Allāhu Akbar; there is no problem with which one you start with.” (Muslim)

The four great phrases which should make up the mainstay of our daily dhikr: Subhānallāh i.e. ‘Transcendent is Allah (from the imperfections of creation)!’, Alhamdulillāh i.e. ‘All Praise be to Allah’, Lā ilāha illallāh i.e. ‘There is nothing worthy of worship except Allāh’, and Allāhu Akbar i.e. ‘Allāh is the greatest.’

38. “The most beloved of speech according to Allāh is when the servant says, ‘Subhānallāhi wa bihamdihī’ (How Transcendent is Allāh and we praise him!).” (Muslim)

There are many different variations to be found in the books of dhikr, which are based upon the above core formula of ‘How Transcendent (Perfect) is Allāh (above and beyond His creation) and we praise Him.’ I have given a slightly different translation here in order to try and express the concept of Subhānallāh which has no single appropriate word in the English language. Not only is it one of the most common roots of dhikr but also one of the most difficult to translate due to the lack of any language being able to capture the exaltedness and perfection of God, especially when being compared to the utter deficiency of creation, hence He is beyond the limits of all human experience and knowledge except that which He and His Messenger inform us of.

39. “The most beloved of speech according to Allāh the Most High is that which Allāh chose for his Angels: Subhāna Rabbī wa bihamdihī, Subhāna Rabbī wa bihamdihī, Subhāna Rabbī wa bihamdihī.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

What can be more fitting but to emulate those who do nothing better than worshipping Allah perfectly, saying, ‘How Transcendent (and Perfect) is my Lord, and we praise Him.’

40. “The most beloved of people according to Allāh is he who brings most benefit, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allāh the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever holds back his anger, Allāh will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being able to execute it, Allāh will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Standing. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes that for him, Allāh will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey.” (Tabarāni, Hasan)

This wonderful hadīth is an article in itself so at least for now, if we can implement this hadīth in these sanctified days of Dhul Hijjah, success will be guaranteed.

41. “The most beloved of people to me is ‛Ā’ishah and from the men, Abu Bakr.” (Agreed upon)

How many reasons do we have to love this fantastic father and daughter combination? Not only was she the wife of our Prophet, the conveyor of Sunnah, the one whose purity has been attested to by our Lord, but then our own mother too! And how about the greatest man of this Ummah after the Prophets, the Truthful, the one who stood strong and affirmed when the rest hesitated, the Amīr’l-Mu’minīn, the one for whom love is part of faith itself.

How then can one fathom the sheer evil and utter misguidance of those few sects such as some of the Rāfidhah Shī‛ah who consider these two greats as the biggest enemies of Islam. We ask Allah for ‛āfiyah and ask Him to help us learn more about these two heroes of Islām by studying their life story and implementing their qualities in our lives, Ameen.

42. “The best of people in recitation are those who when they recite, you see that they fear Allāh.” (Bayhaqi, Sahīh)

The best thing about this hadith is how true it proves to be anecdotally, with every Muslim having experienced that special moment as they prayed behind an ‘ordinary’ Imām, not one of the superstar reciters of the Muslim world, and yet it proves to be that unique moment of spiritual transcendence. Why? No-one knows, it’s just that at that moment, the sincerity and taqwa of the reciter just comes through and it hits the spot.

So, as well as concentrating on your Tajwīd, give a bit more time to connecting sincerely with the spiritual message and application of the words that you’re reciting in order to become that special loved one…

43. “The best of your leaders are those that you love and they love you, you supplicate for them and they supplicate for you. The worst of your leaders are those that you hate and they hate you, you curse them and they curse you.” (Muslim)

I include this because many readers out there are leaders in their own right, leaders in their communities and in their da‘wah work. So even though this hadith refers in the main to the general leaders and rulers of the Muslims, it can be extended to the leaders of the Mosques, organisations, institutes, schools, community, household and even peer groups, especially considering that the Muslims in the West have absolutely no defacto Ameer (leader) to look to and hence we must all be very careful in our individual responsibilities due to this extra burden in our minority communities.

44. “The best of you are those who are best in paying off their debts.” (Tahāwi, Sahīh)

45. “The best of you are those with the longest lives and most excellent character.” (Bazzār, Sahīh)

46. “The best of you are those with the longest lives and best in action.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

47. “The best of you are those with the softest shoulders during prayer.” (Bayhaqi, Hasan)

The meaning of this hadith according to some scholars is that your shoulders are soft enough in the prayer line so as to let a latecomer squeeze in between you, or for someone who needs to go forwards (or exit even to make wudhu etc). So as well as keep a tight line with everyones shoulders touching the next, this shouldn’t prevent those who have a need to pass through to do so and Allah knows best.

48. “The best of you are those who are best to their wives.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

49. “The best of you are those who are best to their families.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

50. “The best of you during the ‘Period of Ignorance’ are the best of you in Islām as long as they deeply understand the religion.” (Bukhāri)

‘Umar anyone?

51. “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’ān and teach it.” (Dārimi, Sahīh)

52. “The best of companions according to Allāh are those who are best to their companion and the best of neighbours according to Allāh are those that are best to their neighbour.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

53. “The best of places are the Mosques and the worst of places are the markets.” (Tabarāni, Hasan)

54. “The best supplication on the Day of ‛Arafah and the best thing that I and the Prophets before me ever said was, ‘Lā ilāha illallāh wahdahū lā sharīka lahū, lahū’l-mulk wa lahū’l-hamd wa huwa ‛alā kulli shay’in Qadīr.’” (Tirmidhi, Hasan)

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

56. “The best testimony is when one gives it before he is asked to do so.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

This hadith might seem contradictory to the previous narration condemning those who rush to give witness without being asked for it, yet we are dealing with two totally different scenarios.

Here, the one giving witness himself is an upright citizen who recognises the burden and difficulties of giving his word, but ultimately appreciates the responsibility placed upon him by his Lord and his people to ensure justice is meted out and oppression is banished to the side-lines. His recognition of this importance leads him to go forward to help the weak, with not a single benefit for himself – and that’s the difference.

57. “The best of dowries are the easiest.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

Again, something which is appropriate to the position of the groom. This hadith does not mean one should only get married for £5 or an iron ring (despite the protests of the romantics of you!), rather the marriage dowry should have a real intrinsic value and even more importantly, should not be above the normal capability of the groom. Note how the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) didn’t do ‘Ali any favours either when it came to the dowry of his daughter Fatimah (radhy Allahu ‘anhum) yet knowing all the time that the agreed dowry was within his capability.

58. “The best of charity is that which still leaves you self-sufficient for the upper hand is better than the lower hand; start with those you are responsible for.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

What use is giving everything that you have so that you are left begging from others? And what can a person be thinking of when he gives charity to those far away from him when those who are related to him, and hence have a double right over him according to Shari’ah go begging?

59. “The best of gatherings are those that are most open.” (Abu Dāwūd, Sahīh)

Specifically, this hadith is indicating to both those who are present and those who have just arrived, that the circle should be so that if anyone comes late, they can join in comfortably and easily without disturbing the positions and focus of those who are present. The latecomer should also recognise that he musn’t ‘push in’ and step over the necks of the people to get to a place which he doesn’t deserve.

‘Most open’ also means that they are not closed, private and partisan but rather full of barakah, offering khayr and benefit to all and sundry, especially those who might not normally attend such a circle of Qur’an or studying law, hadith or the inner sciences. Naturally, this can only be done if those who are present make space so that no newcomer is made to feel as if he is on the fringe. Ihsan from those present, although maybe un-noticed by the newcomer, is never missed by the angels…

60. “The most beloved deed according to Allāh is to have faith in Allāh, then to maintain the ties of kinship, and then to command to good and forbid the wrong. The most abhorrent of deeds according to Allāh is to associate partners with Him, then to cut the ties of kinship.” (Abu Ya’lā, Hasan)

61. “The most beloved Jihād according to Allāh is that a word of truth be spoken to a tyrant ruler.” (Tabarāni, Hasan)

This hadith shows one of the rare instances in the Sunnah where the word Jihad is used to mean something other than fighting in the way of Islam, but yet still maintains the same concept for it is fully understood that when one does such an action direct to the tyrant ruler, it will be an almost instant yet painful death and thereby the ultimate sacrifice of his life has been given.

Note that one of the reasons that such a death is the very best of endings is due to the fact that people will remember such people who stand for the truth, not fearing the ‘blame of those who blame’, speaking that which Allah commands to despite overwhelming opposition to it. It is these such people who Allah sends to protect the priceless principles this religion has preserved, unlike every single other religion to be found.

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

63. “The most beloved fast according to Allāh is the fast of Dāwūd; he would fast every alternate day. The most beloved prayer according to Allāh is the prayer of Dāwūd; he would sleep half the night, stand a third and then sleep for a sixth.” (Agreed upon)

64. “The most beloved dish according to Allāh is that which most hands feed from.” (Ibn Hibbān,Hasan)

Hence, not only is it liked for people/family/guests to eat from one dish, but the extra barakah is to be found with the greater amount of people eating from the same plate, not allowing those who may harbour ideas of superiority over others due to class and position to step back and eat individually due to their arrogance and ignorance. Note though, it is of course permissible to eat out of ones own dish whilst eating with others.

65. “The most beloved servant of Allāh is he who is most beneficial to his dependents.” (Zawā’id al-Zuhd, Hasan)

66. “The best of earnings is that of the labourer as long as he tries his best.” (Ahmad, Hasan)

There is simply nothing more blessed than a person who earns using his own hands, as self-independent as can possibly be, not having to rely on others.

67. “The best of all deeds is to have faith in Allāh alone, then Jihād and then an accepted Hajj; they surpass all other deeds like the distance between the rising and setting of the Sun.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

68. “The best of all deeds is the Prayer at its earliest time.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

69. “The best of all deeds is the Prayer in its right time, to treat the Parents honourably and Jihād in the path of Allāh.” (al-Khatīb, Sahīh)

70. “The best of all deeds is that you bring happiness to your Muslim brother, pay off his debt or feed him bread.” (Ibn Adiyy, Hasan)

71. “The best of faith is patience and magnanimity.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

Magnanimity is something which if implemented fully in our society, would cause the hearts to come together and soften to one another – being easy and flexible on others, especially when it comes to societal transactions such as debts between one another, or buying something from a shopkeeper etc. To pay that little extra, or to give that extra few ounces is often such a small act yet it never fails to leave a mark on the other person; being easy and patient with others, especially those who are in difficulty, is a characteristic of person of the Garden, someone who seeks the pleasure of Allah alone through his action, despite the worldy ‘loss’ it might be.

72. “The best of days according to Allāh is Friday.” (Bayhaqi, Sahīh)

73. “The best of Jihād is that man strives against his soul and desires.” (Daylami, Sahīh)

74. “The best Hajj is that with the most raised voices and flowing blood.” (Tirmidhi, Hasan)

Hajj as an act of ‘ibādah has those uniquely contrasting periods of intense private moments with our Creator as well as some of the most public and open actions we will ever be required to perform. It is Sunnah to recite the Talbiyyah as loud as possible throughout the Hajj days until one stones the Jamrat’l-’Aqabah; likewise, the sacrifice is a very outwardly act, that is done with speed and confidence (to minimise the suffering of the animals) hence ‘flowing blood.’

75. “The best of supplications is that of on the Day of ‘Arafah, and the best thing that was said by myself and the Prophets before me was, “Lā ilāha illallāh wahdahū lā sharīka lahū.” (There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah alone, He has no partners.) (Mālik, Hasan)

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

77. “The best word of remembrance is: Lā ilāha illallāh and the best supplication is: Al-hamdu lillāh.” (Tirmidhi, Hasan)

78. “The best word of remembrance is: Lā ilāha illallāh and the best (expression of giving) thanks is:Al-hamdu lillāh.” (Baghawi, Hasan)

79. “The best of hours are those deep in the latter part of the night.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

Because no-one will know about your good actions such as Tahajjud, reading the Qur’an, distributing charity etc except the One who knows everything. Such deeds are the most beloved, and naturally the most difficult. It’s not easy to be the best!

80. “The best of all martyrs are those who fight in the front line; they do not turn their faces away until they are killed. They will be rolling around in the highest rooms of Paradise, their Lord laughing at them – when your Lord laughs at a servant, there is no accounting for him.” (Ahmad, Sahīh)

One of the greatest rays of hope for the Islamic nation is that the virtue of Jihād i.e. sacrificing yourself for the cause of God can never be erased from the hearts of the believers, despite all the tremendous efforts of our enemies. The mischief-makers would have to erase the entire Qur’anic and Prophetic legacy to do so and good luck to them in that. Here is just another wonderful example of a hadīth extolling the virtues of those who die fighting whilst defending the cause of humanity against oppression and evil – the true aim of Jihād. They show no fear in the face of the enemy, they suppress their desires and march forward bravely in the face of adversity until their very final breath.

Note the interesting use of the Arabic word تلبط (talabbata) which literally means to roll around on the floor, or wallow in dust or mud etc. This word has appeared in the hadīth literature on a few occasions, most notably in the famous hadīth of Mā‘iz where the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not curse him! Rather, he is rolling around in the gardens of Paradise!” i.e. rolling around, almost deliriously happy as one would do when they have not a single care in the world. And what care would he have after he has reached the ultimate goal, passed the final test, and has nothing but sheer joy and delight to look forward to for infinity!

Can it get any better? Well, it does! For not only that but our Lord then starts to Laugh with us at our joy and satisfaction with that which He has promised us. I mean, can you like imagine that?!

Allahu Akbar.

81. “The best of all martyrs is he whose blood is shed and whose horse is slaughtered.” (Tabarāni,Sahīh)

82. “The best of all charity is the shade of a canopy (provided) in the path of Allāh, the Mighty and Magnificent, to gift ones servant in the path of Allāh and to gift ones she-camel in the path of Allāh.” (Ahmad, Hasan)

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

To give charity or a gift to someone who likes you and you like them is no doubt a good action, but it’s not very difficult is it? Now change it to someone who can’t stand you, for no good reason, and hence they’re not really going to be number one in your good books are they?

Islam offers real solutions to these everyday difficult scenarios that we face, often requiring us to transcend the norm, the standard apathetic arrogance that we all suffer from, and for us to lower ourselves, to become humble, and to make the first step. Always, the one who makes the first move gets the greater reward and this is no different; charity to such a person is a great swallowing of pride on your behalf and often rather than not, will have a lasting impression on someone who will soon realise how silly they have been.

84. “The best of all charity is that you give it while you are healthy and desirous (of that money), hoping to become wealthy but fearing poverty. Don’t delay until you are about to breathe your last and then you say, ‘This is for ‘so and so’ and this is for ‘so and so’’, for indeed, it has already been written that ‘so and so’ would receive that.” (Abu Dāwūd, Sahīh)

This hadith is explaining the situation of someone who is happy, healthy, and wealthy and hence in an optimum position to give money away for the sake of Allah, despite wanting to save more and more in his time of success. This is sacrifice number one.

Then we have the variation of such a person who holds out on sharing any good with the rest of his family and society but when the time comes for him to move on to the Hereafter, he believes that he’s doing everyone some kind of favour by giving them their God-assured right of the inheritance, even though Allah ‘azza wa jall had decreed that whether he was to give it willingly or unwillingly.

How strange!

85. “The best of all charity is when the one with little strives to give; start with those you are responsible for.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

86. “The best charity is to provide water.” (Ibn Mājah, Hasan)

87. “The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the prayer in the depth of the night, and the best fast after the month of Ramadhān is the month of Allah, Muharram.” (Muslim)

88. “The best prayer is the prayer of the man in his home except for the obligatory prayer.” (Nasā’ī,Sahīh)

The one who prays all his sunnah prayers in the Mosque should really reconsider his action and try to avoid turning his house into a graveyard.

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

Not only is the Qiyam (i.e. all sections of the rak’ah where you stand) a pillar and integral of the prayer, but to elongate it by reciting extra Qur’an therein, is better than the elongation of any other section of the prayer, even the prostration.

90. “The best of all prayers according to Allāh is the Friday morning prayer in congregation.” (Ibn Nu‘aym, Sahīh)

This is a practice which not enough Muslims take heed of; how sad it is that with such a hadith, one still finds no more than a couple of rows during the Friday morning Fajr prayer at the local Mosque.

91. “The best fast is the fast of my brother Dāwūd; he would fast every alternate day and he would never flee (the battlefront) when the armies would meet.” (Tirmidhi, Sahīh)

92. “The best of all fasts after Ramadhān is in the month that you call Muharram.” (Nasā’ī, Sahīh)

93. “The best of all worship is supplication.” (Hākim, Sahīh)

94. “The best deed is the prayer in its right time and Jihād in the path of Allāh.” (Bayhaqi, Sahīh)

95. “The best of the Qur’ān is: “Al-hamdu lillāhi Rabb’l-‘Ālamīn”. (Hākim, Sahīh)

Here, the ‘part’ refers to the ‘full’ i.e. the best of the Qur’an is Surat’l-Fatihah, due to its overwhelmingly comprehensive, pure, and unique expression of praise, recognition, servitude, and request for guidance.

96. “The best of earnings is a blessed sale and that which a man earns with his hands.” (Ahmad,Sahīh)

97. “The best of the Believers is the most excellent of them in character.” (Ibn Mājah, Sahīh)

This one is a slightly different narration, this time linking character to faith itself. How often do we not pay attention to this most fundamental and vital aspect of Islam? How often have you shown excellent character and manners to your non-Muslim friends and neighbours but then treated your fellow Muslims like dirt? You want to be loved by Allāh? Sort out your manners.

98. “The best of the Believers with respect to Islām is the one from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe; and the best of the Believers with respect to Īmān are the most excellent of them in character; and the best of those who migrate is he who migrates from that which Allāh the Most High has prohibited; and the best of Jihād is when one strives against his soul for the sake of Allāh, the Mighty, the Magnificent.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

This hadith is very important in that it shows the different levels of a person’s religion. The minimum level, Islām, shows that if one is not to do any good to another person then at least let him do no harm. The middle level, Īmān, takes it one step further for the Believer, for good character is a positive action/effect upon others, so you are actually bringing good to others. As for the hijrah(migration) then this has been reserved for the highest level, the station of Ihsān, where the Believer migrates away i.e. avoids all that which Allah has forbidden, especially so in secret as is the standard expected from the Muhsineen.

99. “The best of mankind is the believer between two honourable persons.” (Tabarāni, Sahīh)

There has been much dispute over the meaning of ‘the two honourable persons’ but it is most likely referring to the Muslim father and Muslim son, both honourable due to their Islam, and both honourable due to their taqwa i.e. god-conciousness, especially at times of strife.

That time of strife has been described by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as a time that will come where virtually everyone will be pursuing the ephemeral delights of this world, and the Final Hour will be very close – at such a time of fitnah, the greatest thing that mankind will have is his recognition that Allah is his Lord i.e. his Islam. Said person will only be found in such circumstances due to a great sacrifice and upbringing by his believing and indeed honourable father. Such a man will also be of substance himself if he will be able to raise a righteous son in such circumstances.

Hence, such a man is indeed from the best of mankind during that day.

100. “The best of all days in the world are the ten days (of Dhul Hijjah).” (Bazzār, Sahīh)

And Allah ‘azza wa jall knows best.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon his servant Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those who follow him in righteousness until the Final Day.

AE

Food for thought

2010-11-12T01:42:00.000+08:00

In the Holy Qur'an, Adam was mentioned 25 times, Noah was mentioned 43 times, Abraham was mentioned 69 times, Moses was mentioned 136 times, David was mentioned 16 times, Jesus was mentioned 25 times and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was mentioned 4 times..

{And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam), of some of them We have related to you their story. And some We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the Leave of Allah..} [Ghaafir 40:78]

Keep Our Hearts and Minds Alive

2010-10-30T02:53:00.002+08:00

Here's an opportunity to increase our knowledge of the Qur'an. A comprehensive tafseer audio library for the English speaking Muslim Community by Bayyinah Institute instructors. Something to help keep our hearts and minds alive and deter us from being in a state of heedlessness, insha Allah. May Allah Almighty bless their efforts.

Link to Podcast by Bro Nouman Ali Khan

Let's Start Healing

2010-10-29T05:55:00.004+08:00

May we all find a successful way to heal from all physical and spiritual illnesses. Let's always be ready for the sickness that has no cure, which is death and old age. Below is a supplication from an authentic hadeeth to be read when ill:

اِذْهَبِ البَأْسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءً إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَماً

- translated excerpt from zaharuddin.net

Muslims' Future in the West

2010-10-18T05:32:00.003+08:00

The realities of today and the future whereby Islam is continuously being attacked at its very foundations and the importance of Muslims to counter this by guarding their hearts and minds to be a strong community of Mu'mins spiritually and intellectually.

Timely Reminder

2010-10-11T04:04:00.003+08:00

{"And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly."} [2:281]

The story of the Shaykh from Azhar and the prostitute

2010-09-28T02:54:00.004+08:00

Stumbled upon this through a link of a facebook fanpage called 'Lives of the Salaf'..

Did you hear of the story of the Shaykh from Azhar and the prostitute? No?

Well, here you go, as was narrated by Shaykh Ali Tantawi [May Allah have mercy on him] in his memoir about Shaykh Ahmad Al-Zayaat [May Allah have mercy on him].

Shaykh Ali Tantawi said:

"The Shaykh (Ahmad Al-Zayaat) was a teacher, who did not know anything of this world except: The Azhar where he used to teach, the house he used to live in, and the road between them.

As years passed by, and he got older, his health started to deteriorate, and he needed to rest. So the doctor forced him to take some time of, and suggested that he goes somewhere away from his place of work and residence, and advised him to enjoy the quietness and calmness of the parks next to the Nile.

So one day, the Shaykh went out and stopped a carriage (as cars were not that available at the time). He told the driver: My son, take me to a nice place were I can enjoy the view and relax.

The driver of the carriage, however, was a wicked person, and took the Shaykh to a place in Egypt, which at the time had several prostitution houses.

After arriving he told the Shaykh: Here [we are].

The Shaykh said: O son, Magrib prayer is drawing near, where can I pray? Take me first to the Masjid.

The Driver [pointing to one of those houses] said: The Masjid is over there.

The door [of the place] was open, and the lady running that house was sitting, in the manner those like her usually sit.

When the Shaykh saw her, he lowered his gaze. He saw a seat, so he headed there and sat, waiting for the Call for prayer (Adhan).

[The woman in confusion, just] stared at him.

What brought that man here?

He doesn't look like any of her regular customers.

She kept thinking to herself, but did not dare ask him what he was doing here.

What kept her from asking was the shyness that remained in her heart, even as a prostitute. However, that shyness only appears in front of people of Piety.

He, on the other hand, kept doing Tasbeeh (saying Subhan Allah), whilst looking at his watch, until he heard the Adhan of Maghrib from far away.

He asked her: Where is the Moazin (Person who calls for prayers) here?

Why didn't he call for prayer when the time entered?

Are you his daughter?

She kept silent.

He waited for a while, and then said: My daughter, Maghrib time is short, and it is not permissible to delay it, and I do not see anyone here, so if you have your Wudu (ablution) then pray behind me Jama'ah.

He gave the call for prayer, and without looking at her, as he was about to give the Iqamah, he noticed stillness behind him?!

He asked: What is wrong? Don't you have your Wudu?

All of a sudden, as if her Iman (Faith) woke up and she remembered the old days. The days when she was filled with purity, and was away from sin, she started to cry loudly, and threw herself at his feet.

The Shaykh surprised, did not know in what way he can calm her.

She then, started narrating her story.

He saw in her words great regret, and felt the truth in her repentance. He realized the sincerity in what she was saying, so he told her: Listen, my daughter, to what the Lord of all creation says: {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins "} (39:53).

All sins, my daughter, all sins..

The door of repentance is open to every sinner and it is so wide that it can encompass them all no matter how heavy their load [of sins] is even Kufr.

So whoever disbelieves in the all Mighty, after he was a believer, but repents before the hour of his death comes, and he was sincere in his repentance, and he renewed his Islam, Allah will accept him.

Allah, my dear daughter, is the most Generous of all. Did you ever hear of anyone generous shutting the door in the face of those who come seeking him?

Stand up and go wash yourself, and cover yourself. Go and clean your skin with water and your heart with repentance and regret. Approach your Lord, and I will wait for you.

But do not delay, so that we do not miss Maghrib prayer.

She did as he asked, and returned to him with a new dress and a new heart. She stood behind him and prayed. She felt and tasted the sweetness of that prayer, and felt that this prayer purified her heart.

When the prayer was over, he told her: Come with me, and try to cut every relation you have with this place and everyone in it. Try to erase the time you spent here from your memory.

Consistently ask Allah for his forgiveness, and increase in doing righteous deeds.

Verily, adultery is not as big a sin as Kufr, and Hind [bint 'Utbah “ May Allah be pleased with her], who was a disbeliever and had animosity in her heart to the Prophet of Allah. After that she became from the righteous believers, and we started saying: Allah is well-pleased with her.

The Shaykh then took her to a house of righteous ladies, and then found her a righteous husband and advised him to take good care of her" 1/252.

[Original writer in Arabic forum said]: Notice [May Allah shower you with Mercy] the state of this woman, how she was and how she changed. It was nothing more than simple words from an old man that led her into changing her life upside down.

So if you only think how many people are just like this woman.

People who are drowning in filth, people who the dust from their sins gathered around their hearts shedding away its light.

These sins caused them to see the Truth as Falsehood and the Falsehood as Truth.

How much are they in need of one to take by their hands, and to clear the dust away from their hearts.

They do not need complicated educational and behavioral philosophical treatments, or theories in the manners of interaction and persuasion. Neither are they in need of complicated statements.

What they truly need is for someone to feel sorry for them and for their state Someone to understand their situation and to hope for their guidance Someone who would speak a word that would leave his heart, [and touch theirs]. A word which he seeks nothing from except the Face of Allah.

After this the light, that was for so long covered with sins, would emerge and their souls would return to its Fitrah, and would return to its harmony with the universe and to the true manner of life.

--------------

Reference:

www.abdurrahman.org - Inspirational Stories

Responding Positively

2010-09-23T02:09:00.006+08:00

The following video is about a group of brothers from the UK trying their best to emulate the method of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which is to POSITIVELY RESPOND by presenting the peace and beauty that Islam teaches and propagates, to the wider society. Allah Almighty says in the Noble Qur'an,

[ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَـدِلْهُم بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ]

{Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them with that which is best. Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path, and He best knows those who are guided.} [Surah An-Nahl 16:125]

The Weight of the Qur'an

2010-09-22T07:06:00.002+08:00

Taken from sayingsofthesalaf.net..

It is reported that Ibn ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – said,

“We were the beginning [the heads] of this Ummah, and perhaps a man from the best of the Companions of Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and the most righteous amongst them could maintain only one chapter of the Qur`ân or thereabouts. For the Qur`ân was weighty upon them, and they were given knowledge of it or action based on it. But the last of this Ummah will find the Qur`ân light [and easy] – the child and the non-Arab will recite it, without possessing any knowledge about it.”

Al-Harawî, Dhamm Al-Kalâm wa Ahlihî Vol. 5 p144.

The Goodly Life

2010-09-21T10:10:00.002+08:00

'Life' refers to every single moment that is lived within it, and every hour spent within it, and within all of these we have a life that is either with us or against us..

Islam Agama Rasional dan Sederhana

2010-09-15T09:52:00.000+08:00

Motivation to Recite the Qur'an Better

2010-09-05T21:16:00.025+08:00

The Qur'an is the word of Allah. The superiority of the Qur'an over the words of His creation is like the superiority of Allah Himself over His creation. The movement of the tongue in reciting the Qur'an is the best action that the tongue may ever perform.

If we research the hadeeths of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we'll find many regarding the virtues of reciting the Qur'an, one of them is as follows;

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam) said, "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.'' (At-Tirmidhi)

Let me share my own personal journey in trying to be better at reciting the Qur'an. I still remember the times when my recitation was very slow and akin to a kindergarten kid reading his first book after learning ABC. And this was way after I had first learned the basics of recitation.

I started learning while around the age of 8 at a weekly Qur'an recitation class, sent by my parents, but due to much negligence in reciting it daily, with exception to the weekly class, the level of recitation remained poor, and actually became even worse as I stopped attending the classes altogether during the later part of secondary school without completing recitation of the whole Qur'an.

I still remember while at class, my pronunciation and tajweed was often wrong that my teacher had to stop and correct me every few seconds or so. As such, it resulted in a lot of time taken to read just one page of the Qur'an and the progress from one page to another was very slow.

Back then I was also very ignorant of the virtues of reading the Qur'an and not only that, I was very ignorant of Islam itself! So all these factors, in addition to my ignorance made me become frustrated, easily bored and in the end led me to neglect it altogether except for recitation of surah Yasin once in a while. Alhamdulillaah, nowadays every Friday morning or Thursday night more of surah al-Kahf insya Allah.. its genuinely Sunnah..

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.” (Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. Ibn Hajar said in Takhreej al-Adhkaar that this is a hasan hadeeth, and he said, this is the strongest report that has been narrated concerning reading Soorat al-Kahf. See: Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6470)

It was only during my NS years when I started to recite more, alhamdulillah, as I began to attend a weekly basic Islamic knowledge course. This time, I was more motivated as I realized that the Qur'an is the basic and most important guide for a Muslim, hence the need to be more proficient in its recitation and knowledgeable about its contents.

Alhamdulillah, maybe due to some keenness in that aspect, Allah guided me to think about going back to attending weekly Qur'an recitation class for guidance on proper pronunciation. Actually, that didn't last too and I didn't manage to finish reciting the whole Qur'an with the ustaz as I was kept busy with other commitments.

However, this time, my recitation and understanding of the tajweed improved more because in addition to the weekly recitation under the guidance of the ustaz, I also strived, to try to at least read a few verses or one page of the Qur'an every day and revise tajweed knowledge. Another factor that helped me in improving my tajweed was also the usage of a Qur'an where there are colour indicators to aid in reciting the proper tajweed, whether its 2,4 or 6 harakaats or the emphasis of raa' or qalqalah for example.

This was when I realized, that the key factor for improvement is simply to put in more time and effort in practicing on our own and to regularly recite the Qur'an. We just have to recite as much as we can with the time that we have, with or without a teacher to monitor.

Of course when we read alone, there is a higher chance of overlooking our mistakes but this is not a good reason for not practicing on our own. I'm not saying there's no need to read in front of someone who's proficient in the recitation and knowledge of the Qur'an, but we cannot just rely on the ustaz's weekly classes to help us improve.

I've observed too often that people who rely merely on their weekly classes, just don't improve much even though they have recited in the same class for many years. Some even neglected recitation of the Qur'an totally except for a few selected verses when they have completed reciting the whole Qur'an with an ustaz. Worse, some would be proud of it. It's as though they feel their small effort would be enough and they have chalked up enough deeds and rewards to save them in the hereafter. This is definitely a misconception.

Personally, while reading alone, to help prevent myself from overlooking mistakes that I might make, I would recite slowly and concentrate to listen to myself at all times. Slow recitation would help us be more aware when we make mistakes. At times I would also record my own recitation of a certain soorah then replay it, looking out for tajweed mistakes that I may have overlooked. I realized that when we listen to our own recitation, we'll actually realize better some of the poor recitation that we have been making even though previously, we thought that the recitation was fine.

Another way that I practiced, to try keep mistakes to a minimum when I recite alone, is by listening to the recitation of the verses that I'm about to read from the mp3 audio recording of good reciters before I recite the verses myself. My favourites are Shaykh Mishary Rashid al-Afasy and Shaykh Fahd al-Kanderi.

Alhamduliillah, I have managed to improve over the past few years especially, as I try to implement such exercises and try to increase the pages that I read daily on my own. Do keep in mind that it not as easy as it may seem. It requires continuous practice, a great deal of patience and perseverance before we'll see the results.

For now, I try to complete the recitation of the whole Qur'an by myself at least once within a few months. In the near future, I hope to be able to do this at least once every month. This would require us to read at least 20 pages every single day.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam) said to me, "Recite the whole Qur'an in one month's time." I said, "But I have power (to do more than that)." Allah's Apostle said, "Then finish the recitation of the Qur'an in seven days, and do not finish it in less than this period." (al-Bukhari)

These next few hadeeths should motivate all of us to recite the Qur'an no matter what level we're at,

The Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam said: "The one who reads the Qur'an while having previously memorized it is with the angels, noble and dutiful, and the one who recites the Qur'an while it is difficult for him will receive two rewards." (al-Bukhari and Muslim) He also said: "It will be said (in Paradise) to the reciter of the Qur'an who acted upon its teachings: read, ascend and beautify as you did in your worldly life, for indeed your level is that equal to your last verse," (at-Tirmidhi)

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: The Prophet said, "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and has no smell." (al-Bukhari)

Here's a few additional hadeeths for other reasons with regards to the Qur'an;

The reward of teaching: The Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam said: "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it." (al-Bukhari)

The reward for teaching the Qur'an to one's children: The Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam said: "One who reads the Qur'an, learns it, and acts upon it will place upon his parents a crown of light as brilliant as the sun. He will clothe them with cloaks that are more valuable than this whole world. They will ask: 'Why are we made to wear this garment [of honor]? It will be said to them: 'Due to the importance your child paid to the Qur'an.' " (al-Hakim)

Intercession of the Qur'an for its reciter in the Hereafter: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Recite the Qur'an, for it will intercede for its companions on the Day of Resurrection." (Muslim) He sallallaahu'alayhi wassallam also said: "A slave's fasting and recitation of the Qur'an will intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection." (Ahmad and al-Hakim)

Multiplication of Reward: Every person who recites the Qur'an purely for Allah's sake will receive reward, but this reward is multiplied if the recitation is accompanied with attentiveness, contemplation and understanding of what is being recited. If it is done in this manner, each recited letter will be multiplied from ten to seven hundred times.

Daily recitation: The companions of the Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam would recite the Qur'an daily, and none of them would make a habit of reciting the whole Qur'an in less than a week. Rather, they were prohibited from reciting it in less than three days.

Thus my dear brothers and sisters, let's spend our time in reciting the Qur'an. Set ourselves a fixed amount of passage or time to recite daily, and do not leave it no matter what happens, since a small amount recited regularly is better than a large amount recited occasionally.

If we forget or fall asleep, make up that recitation on the next day, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever falls asleep and fails to recite his portion of the Qur'an, or part of it, and then recited it between the Fajr and Dhuhr prayer the following day, it will be written for him as if he read it at night," (Muslim)

Let's not be of those who neglect the Qur'an or forget it in any way, such as failing to read it, recite it, not contemplating its meanings, not putting its teachings into action or not seeking the cure of illnesses by it. This is a reminder especially for myself before others.

Allah Almighty knows best.

references:

- 'The Virtues of Reciting the Qur'an', And Explanation of the Last Tenth of the Noble Qur'an (www.tafseer.info)
- 'Virtues of Qur'an' of Sahih Bukhari (www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=61&translator=1&start=0&number=0)

Intellectual Humility

2010-09-04T13:53:00.001+08:00

This video is a very important reminder about keeping our 'intellectual humility' in check at all times.. May Allah Almighty guide us whenever we make mistakes or fall into error and increase us in humility.. Amiin.

Culture vs Islam

2010-08-25T20:53:00.003+08:00

The Essence of Fasting in Ramadan

2010-08-24T00:09:00.004+08:00

Masya Allah, these are great reminders about the essence of fasting in Ramadan by Professor Tariq Ramadan. May Allaah Almighty bless and reward all those who were involved in the production of this video. Three parts in all.

Criticize Less and Learn More

2010-08-23T08:34:00.009+08:00

This is a reminder to myself.. The problem with having a blog with no one commenting or criticizing is that one could get carried away, 'shiok sendiri' in a sense with our own views. If the view is accurate, alhamdulillah, but what if the view is inaccurate or constricted? Alhamdulillaah, thank you Allah for blessing me to have a self-critical attitude, to keep learning and keep an open mind.

For this reason, I think that my views in the recent entry 'No Place For Boys', while it is a reality, however, it is really a constricted view of what's happening in the mosques around Singapore. The documentary below is about the differences between the culture and practice of managing mosques in the Arab Countries and Singapore and also Malaysia. It is one of the causes for the change in my views. Hence, I think it's better if the post is removed. It's really much better to learn rather than criticize.

"O Allah! Verily, we seek refuge with You against going astray or that we lead others astray, or that we slip or are caused to slip, or that we oppress or that we are oppressed by others, or that we be ignorant or that ignorance is perpetrated against us." (Al-Tirmidhi no. 3427. It is an authentic Hadith. See Saheeh Sunan Al-Tirmidhi no. 2725)

Ameen Ya Rabb!

Stop Living in a Dream and Be Realistic!

2010-08-20T09:46:00.005+08:00

This video is hilarious! Well at least for me it is.

Bro Baba Ali now has a new project called halfourdeen.com, a matchmaking website which he set up recently to help ease the process of those single brothers and sisters out there searching for their other half, their soulmate. He also claims that it is different from all the other matchmaking websites out there.. something I can vouch for actually..

Masya Allah the da'wah and tarbiyah efforts of this bro who, for those who don't already know, is a revert! May Allah continue to shower His Blessings upon him.

Why and How to Learn Arabic for Comprehension of the Qur'an

2010-08-16T16:32:00.002+08:00

A must watch I feel.. do watch if you have the time.

Apabila Artis Mula Berbicara Tentang Agama

2010-08-12T18:05:00.064+08:00

Sila rujuk kepada artikel ini sebelum membaca komen di bawah.. 'Ilmu penawar keracunan ideologi'

My Personal Comment

Sebuah artikel yang berat sebelah dan sempit di dalam penilaiannya yang hanya memfokuskan kepada keburukan yang timbul akibat kumpulan-kumpulan atau individu tertentu yang mencemarkan nama Islam akibat tindakan mereka yang tidak amanah dan melampau yang dukacitanya, menisbahkan diri mereka sendiri sebagai pendukung sunnah yang tulen ataupun 'Salafi' padahal jauh sekali daripada ajaran dan akhlak Rasoolullah sallallaahu'alaihi wasallam.

Lebih lagi apabila beliau membuat kesimpulan umum bahawa semua yang belajar di Arab Saudi atau cenderung kepada pendapat dan pemikiran ulama-ulama tersebut, sebakul dengan mereka yang tidak berakhlak, berfikiran extrimis dan radikal yang jelas membelakangi sunnah.

Padahal hanya segelintir yang terlibat dan sebahagian besar dari mereka yang memperjuangkan Sunnah, mengambil jalan tengah, bersikap sederhana dan ikhlas memperjuangkan mempraktikkan Sunnah Rasoolullaah sallallaahu'alaihi wasallam dari nas-nas yang sahih dan boleh dipercayai, serta menghormati kepelbagaian pendapat dan mencuba sebaik mungkin mengelakkan kekecohan dan perpecahan di dalam masyarakat.

Tidak tahukah beliau bahawa diantara para sukarelawan Religious Rehabilitative Group (RRG) atau kakitangan dan juga sesetengah mereka yang memegang jawatan penting di dalam badan-badan Islam besar di Singapura contohnya, juga terdiri daripada graduan dari Universiti Islam Madinah ataupun universiti Arab Saudi yang lain, dan mereka diiktiraf atas kesarjanaan dan ilmu mereka?

Dan selama ini TIADA SEORANG PUN diantara pelajar-pelajar atau para graduan Singapura dari universiti-universiti Saudi yang terlibat dengan aktiviti keganasan atau telah mencapai suatu tahap hingga mengkafirkan antara sesama Muslim..

Back to basics I think, we cannot judge the teachings of any scholar, ustaz or any Islamic institution by the actions of certain individuals or groups who portray a radical and take an extreme stance which is different from what they have learnt or been taught most probably due to their own misinterpretation and naivety being influenced by radical groups or individuals who have their own personal agenda, deviating from what Islam itself actually promotes and represents.

We must judge by examining fairly the teachings in the books themselves, understanding the context of what is being taught as a whole.

The reality is that, (from my own personal experience studying at one of the universities there and also attending some study circles at Masjidil Haram, Makkah Al-Mukarramah), these institutions and their scholars always promotes peace, understanding, respecting the different opinions and we can observe through the own words of such scholars in their books or articles and the asatizahs themselves always maintaining a sense of humility, displaying excellent moral conduct and character in any situation, always respecting one and all and would always remind their students or Muslims in general to do the same, to always be conscious of Allah in all that they do, to be aware that their every word or actions will be taken into account by Allah Almighty one day..

Additional comments from a friend..

Quote: Artist turned socio-political commentator?

Some facts are referred to certain statistic, fair enough but for the following statements takde bukti yg jelas... contoh:

'apabila diselediki' = macam mana kau selidik? bawa team forensic ke?

'Kami memang... sudah cam pemuda fahaman... radikal itu kerana imej mereka yang terserlah' = Ade statistics ke, org radikal mesti imej camtu? atau stereotype?

'Kemudian, kami diberitahu bahawa' = sape yg beritahu? org yg boleh dipercayai ke?

Maaf cakap, dah macam baca karangan budak secondary school pula.

and (this just in) comments from a respectable and well-known local ustaz..

'Sesiapa sahaja boleh membuat komen tentang agama. Samada dia itu artis ke, tukang masak ke, pekebun ke atau sebagainya. Namun satu ciri yang tak boleh lepas ialah dia mesti memiliki peribadi agama yang baik. Dia mesti mempunyai sifat 'adlah yang tidak boleh dipertikaikan.

Bagi si artis yang kononnya nak komen tentang ulama salaf terutama ulama unggul seperti Ibn Taimiyah, kita tengok sahaja peribadinya. Rambutnya menyerupai perempuan dan pernah hidup di kota London dan menyanyi di pub-pub yang menggalakkan peminuman arak. Bila balik Singapura, tiba-tiba alim pula dan dah nak komen tentang ajaran-ajaran tertentu. Macam mana nak terima kata-kata dia?

Kalau dah nak jadi alim, biar alim betul-betul. Tukar cara hidup tu dulu kemudian baru mula bercakap. Kalau boleh pun belajar Bahasa Arab dan baca karangan-karangan ulama-ulama yang nak dikomen. Barulah betul. Ini petik kata sana, petik kata sini dan kemudian buat penelitian yang tidak tepat. Tak malu ke?'

On The Other Hand

Sila rujuk artikel ini..Al-Qaeda ancam guling kerajaan Arab Saudi

Aik., pelik..si Radikal nak gulingkan "penyokongnya" di dalam keradikalan?

Funny world and times we live in

Allah Almighty knows best.

Soal Jawab Puasa

2010-08-11T08:45:00.000+08:00

A Much Needed Advice For All

2010-08-08T13:13:00.005+08:00

{And they divided not till after knowledge had come to them, through (selfish) transgression between themselves. And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord for an appointed term, the matter would have been settled between them. And verily, those who were made to inherit the Scripture after them, are in grave doubt concerning it.} [Ash-Shura 42:14]

A much needed advice for all.. religious people are too busy arguing over petty disagreements, neglecting more important issues, keep dissing each other and be disunited, the less religious, ignorant and youth more importantly, become confused and just decide to forget about it.. the next generation suffers for the worse.

Question On Tawakkal

2010-08-02T21:39:00.007+08:00

Once upon a time, I was bloghopping when I came across an entry which questioned on the limits of tawakkal, literally meaning putting one's trust in Allah. Here's part of the entry..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The question is this: Where do you draw the line between giving up and leaving it to Him? Yes, its a question on tawakkal. Something I’ve grappled with for quite a while.

Once, I had wanted something so badly. I prayed, I put in effort, I tried whatever I could (with the limited resources and capabilities that I had at that time) and I gave my all. And then, I decided that I should just leave it to Him. Things that I was doing did not seem to get me any closer to what I wanted.

When I told a friend that I was leaving it to Him, she said to me, “You’re being too tawakkal.” What is too tawakkal?? How do you know if you’ve done enough?

Anyway, that was then. I did not get what I had wanted but I’ve made peace with it and I actually kind of see that Allah had other plans for me and I’m happy where I am with regards to that issue.

Fairly recently, I made up my mind about where my priorities should be and since then, decisions that I had made would have those as a guideline.

Again, someone commented, “You give up too easily.”

Now I’m really confused. When I’m doing so much, someone says I don’t do enough, another says I should leave it to Him. When I really DO leave it to Him, another says I give up too easily.

How do you define giving up and how do you know if you’re giving up or you’re really sincerely, honestly just leaving it to Him?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The entry made me do my own research on the matter and after reading a number of articles, I came upon these articles which helped me understand better on the matters of tawakkal.

The first article was originally in Malay and I have done a simple translation of it to English here entitled 'Searching For Success With Reference to Allah'..

I will re-post the second article here. The original article have been removed from the website itself but alhamdulillaah, I have posted it before in this blog.

And also this article entitled 'The Concept Of Trust In Allah'.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Article originally from islamonline.net

There Is Good In Every Event

By Harun Yahya, Muslim Thinker.

Every event that happens to the Muslim has one sort or another of goodness in it. Allah states that even events that seem to be unfavorable may have a lot of good in them:

[It may well be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed a lot of good.] (An-Nisaa' 4:19)

[It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.] (Al-Baqarah 2:216)

Aware of this secret, believers seek goodness and beauty in every event. No seemingly adverse incident, hardship, or mischief ails or worries them. They maintain their composure, whether the experience is insignificant or a serious ordeal. Sincere Muslims even see goodness and divine purpose in the loss of all their hard earned possessions. They express gratitude to Allah for the gift of life. They have faith that Allah may have protected them from committing an evil act or against too much attachment for possessions.

Accordingly, believers give their most inner thanks to Him because no loss in this world equals the loss in the hereafter. Loss in the hereafter means eternal and intolerable punishment (unless Allah wills otherwise). Those who keep themselves occupied with the remembrance of the hereafter view every event as goodness and beauty leading to the hereafter.

Those who overcome such ordeals will recognize their weaknesses before Allah and will reconsider how much they are in need of Him. They will turn to Allah with much humility through prayers and remembrance that will bring them closer to Him. This is surely an enormous benefit to their hereafter. These aside, by putting absolute trust in Allah and showing steadfastness, they will earn His pleasure and will be rewarded with eternal bliss.

People should seek goodness and beauty not only in ordeals, but also in daily routines. For example, burning the food one has painstakingly prepared may lead one to take numerous measures that would, by the will of Allah, prevent a more serious accident in the future. A young person might fail the college admission test on which all hopes for the future had been pinned.

People should, however, know that there is goodness in their failure, too; they should be able to think that Allah might have willed them to avoid some adverse circumstances or people and thereby feel pleased with the result. Alternatively, by thinking that Allah has placed in every event many other blessings that are either obvious or beyond the imagination, believers see the beauty of full submission to the guidance of Allah.

People may not always see the goodness and divine purpose behind every incident. Even if this is the case, they know for certain that there is goodness in all events. They offer prayers for Allah to discover the goodness and divine purpose hidden behind everything that happens.

Those who are aware that everything has a purpose in Allah's creation never use phrases such as "I wish I had not done this" or "I wish I had not said that" and so on. Mistakes, defects, or seemingly unfortunate events essentially include blessings, and each one of them is the trial of destiny. Allah gives important lessons and reminders to humans in the destiny He creates individually for each person.

For those who can evaluate with insight, there are no mistakes or adversities, but rather lessons, warnings, and wisdom from Allah. For example, a Muslim whose shop burns down will search his or her soul, and will become even more sincere and true in his or her faith, deeming it as a warning by Allah against overindulgence in worldly goods and attachments.

Consequently, no matter what one encounters in this life, the ordeals will all eventually end. A person who recalls a hardship will be amazed that it is nothing more than a reminiscence in the mind. This is also how people recall the scenes from a film. Accordingly, one day will come and the most painful experience will become only a memory, more like the image of a scene from a movie. Only one thing will remain — the attitude a person assumed during the time of hardship and whether Allah is pleased with him or her.

People will not be called to account for their experiences, but rather for their attitudes, thoughts, and sincerity they displayed at the time of these experiences. Therefore, endeavoring to see the goodness and the divine purpose Allah creates in the situations encountered and taking a positive attitude will bring bliss to believers both in this world and in the hereafter. No sorrow or fear awaits these believers who are aware of this secret. Similarly, no one, no event can create fear, harm, or distress in this world or in the hereafter. Allah reveals this secret in the Qur'an:

[Those who follow My guidance will feel no fear and will know no sorrow.] (Al-Baqarah 2:38)

[Yes, the closer servants of Allah will feel no fear nor shall they grieve: those who believe and have done their duty, there is good news for them in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the great victory.] (Yunus 10:62-64)

- Harun Yahya was born in Ankara in 1956. He studied fine arts at Istanbul's Mimar Sinan University and philosophy at Istanbul University. Since the 1980s, he has published many books on political, faith-related, and scientific issues.

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Just To Add..

From what I understand, in whatever that we're striving for to achieve, it definitely needs effort and not only that, but the RIGHT form of planning and effort as well as placing complete trust in Allah in everything that we do. Only then, we may have a higher chance of success and at the same time will be rewarded and blessed for trusting Him.

If it doesn’t turn out the way we hope for, only Allah knows best as what has been stated the second article..

“Every event that happens to the Muslim has one sort or another of goodness in it. Allah states that even events that seem to be unfavorable may have a lot of good in them:

[It may well be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed a lot of good.] (An-Nisaa’ 4:19)

[It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.] (Al-Baqarah 2:216)

“Mistakes, defects, or seemingly unfortunate events essentially include blessings, and each one of them is the trial of destiny. Allah gives important lessons and reminders to humans in the destiny He creates individually for each person.

For those who can evaluate with insight, there are no mistakes or adversities, but rather lessons, warnings, and wisdom from Allah.”

Allah Almighty knows best.

A Mother's Love

2010-07-29T01:47:00.009+08:00

"Alamak, habis la.. dah basah nih..Dah la, apa bleh buat." I exclaimed.

"O'oh.. hm, nanti balik boleh cuba seterika kasi dia kering..," My mother assured.

I thought she wasn't serious. Now it's all ironed up.

I just came back from a short weekend getaway and unfortunately, my mini copy of a translation of the Noble Qur'an got wet. The soft and thin pages will never retain the same shape again. Still, my mum tried to do something about it by ironing out the remaining damp pages. I was wondering what was she doing cooped up in the room for past half hour or so.. Masya Allah.

Of course, the book has now expanded a little larger than its original state and is in shambles. I'm probably going to buy a new one and the old one will be disposed of (burnt), but I just had to take a picture of this for memory's sake as a reminder of one of the many numerous little things that my mother does out of love for the sake of her children..

My Lord! Bestow on my parents Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.

O Allah, forgive me and my parents, and reward them with the finest reward. O Allah, elevate their position in the hereafter and this Dunya; make that which befalls them an expiation for their sins. O Allah, grant them residence in Firdaus, the highest level of Jannah, with the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, and the Martyrs. Ameen.

Love you Mum, I really appreciate this and all the many other things big or small that you do for us each and every day. (",)

And no it's not Mother's Day.. never wait till Mother's Day..

Searching For Success With Reference To Allah

2010-07-27T05:35:00.014+08:00

This is the second article from saifulislam.com that I've translated for the benefit of all, insya Allah. (Original article entitled 'Mencari Kemenangan Dengan Acuan Allah' here!) Do note that the accuracy of the translation may not be 100%, but the general idea should be there. It is one of the articles in my personal collection of Islamic articles that I refer to often as a reminder from time to time.

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"Hm.. Allah had saved the grossly ignorant dwellers of Mecca who had not only tarnished Masjidil Haram with more than 300 idols but also performed circumumbulation around it naked! But Allah had saved them from the attacks of Abrahah's Elephant Army," I tried to reflect the situation at Mecca just before the birth of Rasoolullaah SAW.

"If such grossly ignorant Meccan dwellers were saved from destruction, why didn't Allah save us? Why are we Muslims continuously at the losing end? Aren't we already worshiping Him? Aren't we the ones who are striving in His Name? Why didn't Allah help us then?" The questions that were disturbing my thoughts became more and more critical.

Moreover, if we were to view it in today's context, whatever that's bad and of ignorance continues to win and flourish, but whatever of Islam and the truth continues to be weakened and oppressed as if it is not being aided.

Where did it go wrong?

I searched deep in thought, while at the same time, my hands searched.. each and every page of Allah's word was turned and contemplated upon until I came to a particular promise by Allah:

“And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad sallallaahu'alayhi wasallam) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.” (Al-Anfaal 8 : 33)

That's His promise.

That there will be no tribe that will be left in suffering, if in their midst lies Muhammad SAW (peace and blessings be upon him).

It doesn't matter that the dwellers of Mecca were grossly ignorant, the reason being was that the imminent birth of Muhammad SAW will be from them, hence, it becomes a reason for Allah to save them, just as how Allah had saved those who strive during of the war of Badar, Uhud and even Khandaq which was highly critical due to its situation of potentially endangering the lives of all Muslims back then.

Today, our Prophet SAW (peace and blessings be upon him) is not physically present and will never be.. because his body have returned to its origin. But how about the way we practice our religion? Is our Islam the same as Rasoolullaah's Islam? Is the way we search for success and victory, similar as compared to the way Rasoolullah SAW searched for it? Or in simpler terms, does Rasoolullah SAW, figuratively speaking, 'exist' in our daily lives? Do we try to follow the way he lived, drink, eat or go about performing his responsibilities in the challenges of everyday life?

Maybe Rasoolullaah SAW is not present.. as many of those who are named Muhammad today and strive due to love for Prophet Muhammad.. neglects and do not follow the reference that was used by him SAW (peace and blessings be upon him).:

“[Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah (religion) of Allah (Islam) and which Sibgah (religion) can be better that Allah's? And we are His worshipers." (Al-Baqarah 2 : 138)

THE WAY OUT

Death lurks from the back, as well as the front.

Moses and the pious Children of Israel were surrounded and trapped. At their backs were Pharaoh and his army, while at the front was the vast sea. Logically, there's no way out.

"Let's just prepare ourselves for death!"

However, giving up the hope of Allah's blessings is not a characteristic of those who deserve to be helped. Because all the narrow mindedness of this worldly life can never be compared to the Allah's vast powers and ability to provide help.

“And whoever 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 could never imagine.” (Al-Thalaq: 2-3)

The sea was parted, providing help through a safe avenue which was totally unexpected and unthinkable for Moses and the Children of Israel. Even as humans of a low standing, they were saved and able to continue their journey while the mighty Pharaoh and his army who has managed to be in power and dictate their people for a long time, easily fell defeated, drowned in the sea.. because they are too lowly as compared to Allah All Mighty and All Powerful.

The condition for success is TAQWA (Taqwa = God consciousness - the love and fear that a Muslim feels for Allah. [A person with taqwa desires to be in the good pleasures of Allah and to stay away from those things that would displease Allah. He is careful not to go beyond the bounds and limits set by Allah. www.islamicemirate.com/index.php]).

CONDITION OF TAQWA

Taqwa is not a merely a slogan. It is also not a mode for the Friday prayers Imam to put his congregation to sleep.

Taqwa is the yardstick that Allah will use to measure the qualities of humans. The best of you are those who have the highest form and value of taqwa.

"What is Taqwa?", asked Umar al-Khattab towards Ubai ibn Ka'ab (radhiyallaahu'anhuma).

"Have you ever walked through a path full of thorns?" replied Ubai with a probing question.

"Yes I have," Umar replied.

"What did you do as you walked?" continued Ubai.

"I would slightly lift my thobe and walk slowly and carefully," replied Umar.

"And so, that is TAQWA!" concluded Ubai ibn Ka'ab towards Umar al-Khattab's question regarding TAQWA.

TAQWA is the measure of the quality of humans who have to continuously face a path of various challenges. There will be benefits as well as losses. There will be things that are permissable and non-permissable... a person of Taqwa will consider every single matter in his life as a whole. He will proceed with caution, be smart to control the steps that he will take, and be concerned and not heedless towards any challenges that will come in his way throughout his life. That is TAQWA.

A person of Taqwa is not someone who would live life as he likes.

A striver of Taqwa is not someone who strives as he likes.

They would carefully consider every single law of Allah, things that will lead to success and things that would lead to failure and doom.

THE LAWS OF ALLAH

The question is, how does the law of Allah work?

"Abide by the Qur'an and Sunnah," as what we all would generally state.

Exactly and it's true.. however, maybe it's not yet clear, complete or even practical.

The guidance of Allah is there in the Qur'an and Sunnah, but that's not the only references where the guidance of Allah exists in this life. There is guidance from the two main texts, and there is guidance from the rules of the universe.

The rules of the texts is termed as Syariatullah.

The rules of the universe is termed as Sunnatullah.

OUR PROPHET, SYARIATULLAH AND SUNNATULLAH

As Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam taught us how to go about leading our daily lives, he often provided a demonstration that would enable a person to encompass the ways of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah.

i. Daily Living

Just observe how slaughtering is performed. We were taught to slaughter in the best manner. And the Sunnah of it can be explained through the practice of saying the Basmalah (Bismillaahirrahmaanirraheem) and the use of a sharp knife. What is the purpose of using a sharp knife?

"So that the chicken would feel less pain!" would be the standard answer for most of us.

"Syariat (Rules of Allah) is provided for the benefit of mankind, not the chicken," I would explain.

The use of a sharp knife will fasten the work of slaughtering. There would be lesser energy used which would contribute to a more productive outcome. Efficiency and effectiveness would increase.. to put it in today's context, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was teaching us on matters regarding productivity.

Therefore, the quality of a good slaughter is not just through the saying of Basmalah, but also depends on the usage of sharp knife.

ii. Matters of Striving in life

"I am the Messenger of Allah, I am most loved by Allah, Allah have ordained for me to migrate and strive for His religion, Allah will definitely help me..!?"

Has there ever been a moment whereby the Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam thought that way? Did the Prophet ever perceived that as long as his mission was in Allah's name, for Islam and the truth, that the mission would definitely result in victory, hence he would belittle the importance of planning and strategy?

The answer is... Never once in his life!

For the migration, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would utilize every available wisdom and would maximize opportunities for success with the consideration of all forms of strategy that it would be the principle reference to what would be named later as THE SCIENCE OF STRATEGY.

The planning and strategy of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was so vast that his companions had to ask, which plan is a revelation from God and which plan is his own professional view?

The revelations from God would be something that is a must to follow and abide by in Syariatullah terms. While in Sunnatullah terms, there is a need for continuous discussions, analysis and work as a whole.

There is no higher or lower preference between meeting the demands of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah.. because both make up the rules of Allah for the welfare of human lives. The textual verses of rules that we are bound to follow and the sciences of the rules of the universe are both to be fully implemented as a whole.

CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE MEASURE OF GOD CONSCIOUSNESS

Such an approach towards the question of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah, was not only recorded during the times of Prophetship, whereas it continued to be a yardstick for the perfection of the works of the Ummah in future agendas that followed.

"Constantinople will definitely be freed. The best of leaders is its leader (the one who conquers it) and the best of armies is its army (which conquers it)" [Hakim, 4.422; Bukhari, Tarikh al-Saghir, 139; I. Hanbal, 4.335]

Year 44 of the Hijri calander, Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (radhiyallaahu'anhu) sent the first delegation of Muslims with the sole purpose of subduing the city of Constantinople. Many of the Prophet's companions participated, including Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and Ibn Abbas himself. They had set out with a strong belief of the possibility of attaining success due to the promise of the Prophet sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam, that the great city of Constantinople along with its pride and arrogance will fall in the hands of Islam, not to be colonized but to be freed from the slavery between their own people.

How was the strength of Constantinople back then? How was the climate there? How was the sociopolitical condition of its residents?

The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) didn't know. Even so, because they were so convinced with the promise of the Prophet, that there would be a future victory for Islam... they proceeded.

The mission wasn't successful. It didn't mean that it failed, it was just not the time for success. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (radhiallahu'anhu) died a martyr. Even though they were the generation of companions that were under the direct tutelage of Rasooolullaah sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam, still, Allah had not allowed success because there's a big lesson to be learnt that needs to be heeded by the Ummah.

Efforts were then made in the period of Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik, in the era of Harun al-Rashid and was continuously tried agan and again.. even till the era of Sultan Yildirim Beyazit (1389-1403) and Murat II (1421-1451) during the Ottoman era.. the promise of the Prophet was still not yet fulfilled.

Until the rise of the era of the Ottoman Sultanate, when the 7th Sultan titled Sultan Muhammad bin Murad II was crowned. He was a normal human being who has special qualities.

Special in the passion towards the mission of Constantinople.

Special in the possession of a character with a high virtue and vastness in knowledge.

Special in mastering the proficiency of governing and the art of war.

Special towards the practice of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah which was highly valued in the name of TAQWA.

Sultan Muhamamad al-Fatih researched regarding the city of Constantinople from a strategic aspect, political aspect and social aspect. He knew enough about the strengths and weaknesses of the city he was about to subdue, therefore he proceeded in accordance to the information that he had gathered. And even his army was at a similar level of God consciousness and noble attributes that he possessed.

While he was with the thousands of his army, marching towards Constantinople, they had passed by a field of grapes. Sultan Muhammad pretended to fall ill.

"Only grapes would cure my illness," he proclaimed.

However, not even a soldier from his army had grapes with him. The field of grapes that wasn't theirs was not even touched and it was not even brought up as one of the proposed solutions to solve the problem.

"I am fine now!" exclaimed Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih.

It was proven that his army was the best of armies. Sultan Muhammad was 'cured' as he observed the high level of Syariatullah that his army possessed as seen with their TAQWA, as well as them abiding the laws of Sunnatullah.

After the offer for a peaceful resolution was rejected at the last minute, attacks were launched one after another... the battle went on for more than a month until finally, came the moment that was promised by Allah and His messenger.. Constantinople collapsed in the hands of a normal human being who possess certain special qualities... Sultan Muhammad bin Murad II a.k.a. Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih.

A normal human being who's special in some aspects, was able to forge success due to combining the practice of the laws of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah.

The Prophet's (sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam) saying regarding the victory of Islam in the city of Constantinople didn't occur in the hands of his companions. It was obtained in the hands of the best of leaders and army, more than 800 years after that promise was made by the Prophet.

That is the formula for the success of Islam.

Islam was not won only due to its mission being an Islamic mission.

Success happens when there is a completion of the right form of efforts to meet with every single factor that is required for success.

Come on strivers of Islam.. if the goal is to bring victory to Islam, don't give an excuse that the walls of Constantinople are too strong to fall or that the journey is too far. Don't give an excuse that it is too tricky to solve. Success is near, if those who strive completes the conditions of TAQWA. Which is the compliance of Syariatullah and Sunnatullah.

Integrity is important.

Commitment towards the Syari'ah laws while campaigning is important.

What's permissible and not permissible will always be important.

Record efficiency and management is important.

Usage of all forms of communication skills is important.

Technology is important.

Both Islamic Law and Science is important.

That is the formula for the success of Islam.

FINAL MOTIVATION

"The city of Constantinople will be in the hands of this nation!" reminded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) towards his companions who were tiring in the battle of Khandaq.

Constantinople?

That sort of promise is too much.

Why so? The number of residents of Madeenah were small. Furthermore, the Prophet (sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam) and his companions were caught in between life and death, as they were being surrounded by the entire rank of Arab Nationalists who teamed up to form the Coalition army. And suddenly, the Prophet gave a promise that we, who were very small in number as well as in a state of in between life and death, will subdue Constantinople, the biggest city in the world!

Isn't this something impossible?

This is how the Prophet (sallallaahu'alayhi wassalam) motivated his companions.

Believing after seeing something, has no value of faith. It is only a form of attestation towards something that has been produced. This type of belief is a cheap form of belief that has no need for effort and sacrifice.

However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his companions to believe before seeing something, and to work hard towards realizing what they believe in.

That is the greatness of the motivation of the mind of a professional Mu'min (pious and righteous believer).

They believe before they see and work hard to see what they believe.

We have never seen Paradise, however, we believe in it. Therefore, work hard to see what we believe.

We have also never seen the success of Islam, furthermore, we are clouded by one failure after another. However, we believe that the future belongs to Islam. Therefore, work hard to see what we believe.

That victory belongs to Islam.

If all the conditions that lead to it are met.

ABU SAIF @ www.saifulislam.com
56000 Kuala Lumpur

Last sermon of 'Umar ibn 'Abd Al-'Azeez

2010-07-18T21:09:00.002+08:00

Taken from islamicemirate.com..

It is reported that the last sermon ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz – Allâh have mercy on him – delivered was as follows:

He praised Allâh and said, “You were not created in vain, nor will you be left without purpose. Verily, you have an appointed time in which Allâh – the Most High – will come down to judge you.

Wretched and ruined will he be who leaves the mercy of Allâh and is denied a Garden whose width is that of the heavens and Earth.

Know you not that no one will be safe tomorrow save one who is wary of today and fears it; and sells the transitory for what will remain, and the little for the plenty, and fear in exchange for security [in the hereafter]?

See you not that you are in the loins of the dead, to be taken by those who remain after you, until all matters return to the Best of Inheritors?

Every day, [in the funerals] you accompany those returning to Allâh the Mighty and Sublime, having spent their time, until you hide them in a crevice in the ground, in the belly of a bare and unfurnished hole, having parted from their loved ones, stroking the dirt and facing their accounts. Now, they are dependent on their deeds, free of what they left behind, in need of [the deeds] they put before them.

So fear Allâh before the time He appointed is up and death descends upon you. This is what I have to say.” He then lifted the edge of his garment over his face and wept profusely, and made everyone around him weep.

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm Vol. 3 p343.

Do Humans need God in their lives?

2010-07-09T10:29:00.007+08:00

This post is an attempt to translate this article 'Perlukah Manusia Kepada Tuhan?' from Saifulislam.com with the hope that it may benefit non-Malay readers too..

Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum!

"I doubted, therefore I think, therefore I am!"

"Whoever knows oneself, will know his God"

Hence, the heaviest sentence that is given in this world, to the worst of crimes... when human beings LIVE NEGLIGENTLY AND ARE LAZY TO THINK.

Laziness is a SIN because it holds back a person from the obligation of knowing oneself and knowing God.

It is these types of human beings who thinks as if they themselves are god...

While in reality, he is more heedless than a cattle...

It's Summer Again..

2010-06-18T07:36:00.007+08:00

Ah, it's been too long. Things are looking positive for this upcoming holiday. I hope to fill it with lots of beneficial activities, unlike the dullness and inactivity of this blog in recent months. There will be good learning opportunities with programs by ustaz Hasrizal of Saifulislam.com between the 2-4 of July (Jerayawara bersama Ustaz Hasrizal).

Then there will be a conference with the heading "Muslims in Multicultural Societies" between the 14-16 of July. Looking forward to meet Prof. Tariq Ramadan and to experience and gain from the discourses that will take place. (Conference Brochure).

Hope there will be more of such events. If not, then maybe I could take a short trip to our neighboring country and visit places such as Kelantan, to experience the Islamic atmosphere that Tuan Guru Nik Aziz has brought to the state. Maybe even attend his famous weekly 'ceramah', usually on Friday mornings, where people would come in droves from all over Malaysia. Or attend other 'ceramahs' by the many personalities all over Malaysia.

Apart from that, there will always be the chill out sessions with family and friends and maybe we could also slip in an island trip or two, hmmm, why not? Insya Allaah.. less than a week to go now.. Singapore here I come!

Insya Allah we'll find our way..

2010-05-03T18:30:00.001+08:00

Here's one of the better nasyids from Maher Zain. Masya Allah, I think it's great that he's able to make use of his knowledge of the modern music world and incorporate it into beautiful, easy listening nasyids as a form of da'wah. Here's some of my other favourites from his 'Thank You Allah' album, 'Open Your Eyes', 'Baarakallaahu Lakuma', 'Thank You Allah', 'For the Rest of My Life', 'Palestine Will Be Free'..

Be mindful, we are Muslims..

2010-04-22T07:27:00.002+08:00

"Always be mindful of how we conduct ourselves as Muslims. People are always watching. Our conduct alone can be a form of da'wah (calling others to Islam) and as we all know, all Muslims are obligated to contribute to da'wah one way or another..."

The statement above is gathered from a speech in that I caught in YouTube by former rap artiste 'Loon' now brother Amir Junaid Muhaddith who reverted to Islam recently around the end of 2008. If that doesn't ring a bell, 'Loon' was signed up by Bad Boy records and was part of the team which included P. Diddy and Usher who made the songs 'I need a girl(part 1 and 2)' popular.

I've always been interested to learn about the experiences shared by Muslim reverts regarding their life before and after Islam. Especially those who eventually become ambassadors of Islam conveying the message among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. For example, Yusuf Estes, Baba Ali, Hussain Yee, Lim Jooi Soon, Mu'tah Baele ('Napolean' of the group Outlawz another rap artiste) and Loon himself. (their stories can be found on YouTube)

Their past stories and the 180 degrees transformation to how they are now, often left me amazed and enlightened. And reminded me that as a born Muslim, I often take for granted the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon me as I definitely could have done the same or even more as I had more time and already have the resources. What have I been doing all this while.. What have we been doing? How much have we striven as Muslims? Are we fully submitting ourselves to Allah in all aspects of our lives?

How to Be Successful in Life

2010-04-08T05:57:00.000+08:00

This is a good answer as to how a Muslim should view what is success in life. Each and every person may already have their own theories on what success is or should be.

Let's take a moment to reflect on this article. An Islamic perspective on the issue. Question answered by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid.

Question: How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and hereafter.What kind of success or prosperity that Islam want the ummah islam gain in this world?

Praise be to Allaah.

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.

There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following:

1 – Faith and righteous deeds:

This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”

[al-Nahl 16:97]

Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.

The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah (with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter) follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.

They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them.

And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good.

This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allaah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward”

[al-Nisa’ 4:114]

Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.

3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety.

In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.

The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.

4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past.

Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future.

So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a du’aa’ or taught a du’aa’ to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’aa’ (supplication) must be accompanied by action.

So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan.” (Narrated by Muslim).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types:

a – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allaah.

b – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allaah’s will.

Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.

5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress.

Allaah says:

“verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”

[al-Ra’d 13:28]

Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.

6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness.

That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things.

A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:

“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

And he said, “Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).” (Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).

If a person utters these du’aa’s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that.

When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can.

Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.

8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind.

For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen.

But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart.

How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity.

It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.

The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him”

[al-Talaaq 65:3]

i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him.

So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.

If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.

See al-Wasaa’il al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayaat al-Sa’eedah by Shatkh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di

Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:

1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)

2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)

3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)

4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment.

5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.

6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).

7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.

8- Affirming one's hope in Him.

9- Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.

10- Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur’aan, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.

11- Seeking forgiveness.

12- Repentance.

13- Jihad.

14- Salaah (prayer).

15- Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Abû Bakr to ‘Umar on his Deathbed

2010-04-03T18:12:00.005+08:00

When Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq was on his deathbed he called ‘Umar – Allah be pleased with them – and said:

"Fear Allah o ‘Umar, and know that Allah has deeds to be done for Him in the day which He will not accept if done at night, and He has deeds to be done for Him at night which He will not accept if done during the day. He will not accept extra (nâfilah) deeds unless you fulfill the obligatory deeds. The scales of those whose scales will be weighty on the Day of Resurrection will only be weighty because they followed the truth in this life and it was weighty to them. And scales in which the truth will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be heavy. And the scales of those whose scales will be light on the Day of Resurrection will only be light because they followed falsehood in this life and it was a light matter to them. And scales in which falsehood will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be light.

Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Paradise and mentioned them in the context of their best deeds, and overlooked their evil deeds, so when I remember them I say to myself: I fear that I will not be included with them. And Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Hell and mentioned them in the context of their worst deeds and rejected their best deeds, so when I remember them I say: I hope I won’t be amongst them. Allah’s worshippers should always be in a state of hope and fear, they shouldn’t wish flimsy wishes about Allah and neither should they despair of Allah’s mercy.

If you keep to this advice of mine, no one who is not with you now should be more beloved to you than death – and it is sure to come to you. But if you disregard this advice, no one who is not with you now should be more hated to you than death – and you cannot escape it.

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ` Vol.1 p18; and Ibn Al-Jawzî, Sifah Al-Safwah.

- taken from SayingsOfTheSalaf.net

Staying Firm on the deen of Allah

2010-03-31T12:13:00.003+08:00

Article from 'DailyReminders.org'..

The believer who is guided by Allah (S.W.T.) to this deen is always faced in this life with the danger of not remaining firm on the deen. This is due to a number of reasons among which:

Running into the trial of doubtful acts and the trial of desires; these doubtful acts and desires that be stirred up by the Satans of man and Jinns from time to time.... Taking the opportunity when the believer is busy with his life and when he is unconscious of his Lord, also taking advantage of the lack of knowledge of the deen of Allah (S.W.T.) and the lack of its implementation, which has become among the diseases in the life of this ummah.

This problem is more severe now because of the exceptional case that Muslims live in this age and that is living in non-Islamic societies where they are not ruled by the divine rules and where the deen of Allah (S.W.T.) is not prevalent over the lives of people.... To the point that the status of a person is like what the prophet (S.A.W.) described, "Holding onto his deen is like holding onto ember (a burning piece of coal)."

Also the other reason for a believer not to remain firm on the deen is Building the firmness in the deen of Allah (S.W.T.) on the heart which is not stable and always changing about which the prophet (S.A.W.) said in an authentic hadith reported by Imams Ahmad and Al-Hakim, "The heart of the son of Adam is up to be more unstable than the boiling water in a pot." The prophet also said about it in another authentic hadith reported by Imam Ahmad, "It was called "al’qalb" (meaning the heart) from "Taqalub" because of its changing nature; the example of the heart is like a feather at the trunk of a tree that the wind keeps turning it upside down." For this reason, the prophet (S.A.W.) used to supplicate frequently which was reported in an authentic hadith by Imam At-Trimithi saying, "O’ Allah, The One Who changes hearts, make my heart firm on your deen."

What are the means that help us remain firm on the deen of Allah (S.W.T.)? There are many:

Firstly, reciting, memorizing, and reflecting upon the verses of Qur’an; It is the strong "rope" of Allah (S.W.T.), the clear light; whosoever holds on tight to it, Allah (S.W.T.) will protect him. Qur’an was revealed on different occasions over a long period of time to make the prophet (S.A.W.) firm on the deen of Allah. Allah (S.W.T.) replies to the question of the non-believers in surat Al-Furqan, (Verse 32), what can be translated as,

"And those who disbelieve say: "Why is the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?" Thus (it is send down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages. (It was revealed to the prophet (S.A.W.) in 23 years.)"

Why was The Qur’an a source of firmness?

* * It implants the belief in Allah (S.W.T.); it purifies the soul with a tie to Allah, so it assures the heart of the believer so that it does not weaken during trials.

* * It provides the Muslim with the right perspectives and values, so the Muslim will be able to view the situations around him with the right perspectives, and look into things with the absolute true and just standard so the Muslim would not lose control and go astray.

* * It refutes all the heresies stirred by the enemies of Islam in all times and places.

Secondly, from the means that help us remain firm on the deen of Allah (S.W.T.), is abiding by the Ash-shar’iah (Islamic body of laws) and doing good deeds starting with saying the good firm word La-Ilaha-Illa-Lah the word of oneness. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Ibrahim, (Verse 27), what can be translated as,

"Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter."

Qatadah (a scholar from the generation that came after the companions of the prophet) said, "As to this life, Allah (S.W.T.) make them firm with the goodness and the righteous deed, and as to the Hereafter, in the grave." Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat An-Nissa’, (Verse 66), what can be translated as,

"If they had done what they were told, it would have been better for them, and would have strengthened their (Faith)."

Imam Bukhari reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) says in a Qudsi (the divine sacred hadith which he narrates on behalf of Allah), "...And my servant keeps getting closer to me with the recommended acts (An-nafal) until I love him, and if I loved him, I would be his hearing with which he hears, and his vision with which he sees, and his hand with which he beats, and his leg with which he walks...". This means the protection that Allah (S.W.T.) provides for his servant and the firmness on the truth.

Thirdly, from the means that help us remain firm on the deen of Allah (S.W.T.) is by studying the stories of the prophets and reflecting upon them and learning lessons and morals from them because these stories were not revealed for entertainment and wasting time, but they were revealed to make the prophet’s heart and the hearts of the believers firm because of what they suffered in carrying the message of Islam. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Huud, (Verse 120), what can be translated as,

"And all that We relate to you (o Muhammad) of the news of the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your heart thereby. And in this (chapter of the Qur’an) has come to you the truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder for the believers."

These Qur’anic stories are numerous. For example:

Allah (S.W.T.) says about prophet Ibrahim (S.A.W.) in surat Al-Anbiya, (Verses 68-70), what can be translated as,

"They said: "Burn him and help you gods, if you will be doing. We (Allah) said: "O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Abraham! And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.".

Here, we can see and feel the magnitude of being firm in front of the oppression and torture.

In another example Allah (S.W.T.) says about Musa and his followers, when they confronted Pharaoh and his soldiers, in surat Ash-shua’ara, (Verses 61-66), what can be translated as,

"And when the two hosts saw each other, the people of Moses said: We are sure to be overtaken. Moses said: "NO, verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me. Then We inspired Moses (saying): "Strike the sea with your stick." And it parted, and each separate part (of that seawater) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. Then We brought near the others (Pharaoh’s party) to that place. And We saved Moses and all those with him. The We drowned the others (Pharaoh and his soldiers)."

Here, we see and feel the greatness of being firm on the truth when chased by the oppressors, and being firm in the moments of hardship, and the solution of Allah (S.W.T.) coming down in the decisive moment.

In another example Allah (S.W.T.) also says in the story of the magicians of Pharaoh when the truth was unveiled to them, so they accepted it and embraced it and remained firm on it despite the warnings of Pharaoh and his oppression when he said in surat Taha, (Verses 71,72) what can be translated as,

"(Pharaoh) said: "Believe you in him (Moses) before I give you permission? Verily! He is you chief who taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you shall surely know which of us (I (Pharaoh) or the Lord of Moses (Allah)) can give the sever and more lasting torment."

Here, the firmness of the few believers comes with no backing down, no shake down, and no weakness, when they said what can be translated as,

"They said: "We don’t prefer you over the clear signs that have come to us, and Him (Allah) Who created us. So decide whatever you desire to decide, for you can only decide (regarding) this life of the world."

Why so Many Hadiths Abu Hurayrah?

2010-03-28T23:23:00.003+08:00

Taken from SayingsOf TheSalaf.net..

It is reported that Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “People say, ‘Abû Hurayrah reports so many [hadîth ],’ but if it were not for two verses in Allâh’s book, I would not narrate a single hadîth .” Then he recited, “Verily, those who hide what Allâh has sent down of the Book (Al-Baqarah: 174),” and “Verily, those who hide what We have sent down of clear explanation and guidance. (Al-Baqarah: 159)” He then said, “Our brothers, the Muhâjirûn, used to be occupied with trading in the markets, and our brothers, the Ansâr, would be occupied with dealing with their wealth and property, but Abû Hurayrah used to stay with Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – for his fill, and would be present when they were not.”

This wording has been reported by Al-Hâfidh Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm Vol.1 p464.

Commenting on this narration, Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr states, “In this narration there are a number of meanings to understand, including:

[1] The hadîth from Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – has the same ruling as the revealed Book of Allâh ‘azza wa jall.

[2] Knowledge should be shown, spread and taught.

[3] One should stick with the scholars.

[4] One should be satisfied with the little he can get of worldly provision in order to pursue his desire for knowledge.

[5] One should prefer knowledge over being occupied with worldly pursuits and income.

Weird But True..

2010-03-28T01:10:00.002+08:00

This is a past video regarding the book 'Pelik Tapi Benar dalam Solat' which was ridiculed by a Malaysian ustaz at a certain seminar in Singapore recently which created controversy.

The book discusses the type of allowances permissible while performing solat, (such as carrying your child who needs attention), through authentic proofs of hadeeths from Prophet Muhammad but not commonly known to the average Muslim in our region.

Isn’t this that time?

It is reported that Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

How will you be if you reach a time when you will see people who do not distinguish truth from falsehood, believer from unbeliever, trustworthy from treacherous, nor ignorant from knowledgeable, and neither recognize what is right nor censure what is wrong?

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ 1:188.

After reporting this narration, Imâm Ibn Battah (d. 387H) said:

To Allâh we belong and to Him we will return! We have reached that time, we have heard this and have come to know most of it and witnessed it. If a man to whom Allâh has bestowed sound reasoning looks and thinks carefully and ponders the matter of Islâm and its people and treads the rightly guided path as regards to them, it will become clear to him that most people have turned back on their heals, deviated from the correct path, and turned away from correct proof.

Many people have started to like what they used to hate, allow what they used to forbid and recognize what they used to reject. And for sure – Allâh have mercy on you – this is not the [right] character of the Muslims, nor the behaviour of those who have insight into this religion, and neither of those who believe in it and are certain about it.

--> The excerpt above is from this website sayingsofthesalaf.net, a website that I've been looking into recently. Be enlightened and humbled by quotes, deeds and stories of our Righteous Predecessors, the first three generations of Islam.

It's been a while..

2010-02-06T17:03:00.002+08:00

It's getting cooler here. Felt like a big air conditioner has been switched on outside. Wonder how it'll be like when I visit Egypt next week. Masya Allah, Egypt uh. Thank you Allah for this opportunity, I can't thank enough. Last time I checked, the lowest temperature was at 9 degrees. It'll probably feel like I'm in a freezer just like when I was at Jordan. Brr. Should I go get that jacket?

Just one left for the exams. I think that this term will be okay. For someone who studies at the last minute, what more can you expect? Change. You just have to change. Set goals. Aim for it and be disciplined and focused. Hah. Easier said than done. Been trying since secondary school days. Tsk.

Will be doing a lot of driving this week. Sending off some friends home at the airport. Fetching my sis and her son home from the airport the day after tomorrow. The tasks will be made easier since I enjoy driving. My sis and her husband and their 7 month old son will be staying here at Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Her husband had just been accepted to study here. Isn't that great? All praises to Allah Almighty.

Kalimataan - the Seal of al-Bukhari

2009-12-03T08:05:00.003+08:00

'There are two phrases which are beloved to the Most Merciful, light on the tongue, yet heavy on the scales (of reward): glory be to Allah and all praise to Him, glory be to Allah, the Almighty.'

Virtues of Blood Donation

2009-11-12T07:14:00.001+08:00

Every year, there would be a blood donation drive just before the Haj season stationed at the foyer of my school building. And for the past two years, all I did was be part of the larger group of curious onlookers of the blood donors. The only thing that kept me from donating was fear. Fear of the thought of a thicker than normal needle being hooked through your vein while bearing the 'excruciating pain' that may come along with it. When I teased my schoolmates about donating, the excuses came in all shapes and forms;

"Oh, I think have too little blood"

"Nah, I think there's enough donors"

"Look at how skinny I am! Ask him, I think his blood reserves are aplenty (pointing to a bigger sized guy)"

This year I finally braved myself to donate. After pondering about it, I felt that whatever fear I may have about the experience of donating blood, whether if I may encounter a bad experience with an inefficient nurse poking a wrong spot and getting a bad bruise as a result of it or any pain that I may have to undergo, it is nothing compared to the pain and suffering that others may suffer due to insufficient supply of blood at the bloodbank.

You could sense the poor response each time there's a blood donation drive. We definitely could do with more blood donors. So the next time we encounter a blood donation drive, just donate! Don't hesitate!

Yea, I know, I know, it took me years to convince myself. Well it's not as painful as I thought it'd be.

Anyway, here's an article about the virtues of Blood Donation from islamonline.net

Name of Questioner: Nadia (United Kingdom)
Title: Virtues of Blood Donation

Question:

Dear scholars, As-salamu `alaykum. Is it permissible to donate blood to patients? Jazakum Allah khayran.

Date: 09/Jun/2004
Name of Mufti: Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Topic: Morals & Values

Wa`alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we commend your pursuit of knowledge and your keenness to seek what is lawful and avoid what is not. We earnestly implore Allah to bless your efforts in this honorable way.

First of all, we would like to stress that Islam encourages us to be charitable to all regardless of differences of religion or race. Blood donation comes at the top of charitable deeds; therefore every Muslim and Muslimah should not only participate in it but also take initiatives in their communities to encourage the act.

Responding to the question, the eminent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states the following:

Blood donation is the best assistance a man can offer a patient who needs a blood transfusion due to blood loss or surgery. Donating blood is a highly estimated deed, as it saves the life of a human being whether he is a Muslim or not. It is an act whose virtue is explicitly clarified in the Qur’anic verse in which Allah the Almighty says: “Whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” (Al-Ma’idah: 32).

It is well-known that donating money is a highly esteemed deed in Islam; Allah is pleased with such deeds, so He accepts them and multiplies their reward up to seven-hundred-fold and more, by His Will. Donating blood is even greater in virtue and reward than donating money, as the former saves the life of a human being. Blood, which is a part of man, is more precious than money. The blood donor gives part of his body to his brother or sister out of love and solidarity.

The virtue of blood donation increases when it is done to support a person in a hazardous condition and relieve his hardship. This is an extra virtue that qualifies one for more reward from Allah the Almighty. It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah likes supporting a man in need” (Reported by Abu Ya`la, Ad-Dailamy and Ibn `Asakir, on the authority of Ibn Anas, as related in Faidul-Qadir 2/287).

It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If one removes a hardship of a Muslim in this life, Allah will relieve a hardship from him on the Day of Judgment” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Ibn `Umar, as related in Al-Lu’lu’ Wal-Marjan 1667).

Moreover, it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared that supporting the needy, even animals, deserves great reward in Allah’s Sight. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, ‘This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine.’ So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and gave the dog water. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?” He replied, “Yes, there is a reward for serving any living creature” (Reported by Abu Hurayrah, as related in Al-Lu’lu’ Wal-Marjan 1447).

It seems that the Prophet’s Companions thought that serving such creatures does not entail any reward from Allah the Almighty and that there is no value for such an act in Islam. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them that being good to any living creature, whether it be a dog or such, deserves great reward. So what about assisting a human being, and what if that human being is a true believer? It then entails much greater reward.

Blood donation generally entails great reward, and when it is done for the favor of someone’s kin, it deserves even greater reward, as it strengthens the ties of kinship and enhances good relations among relatives. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Supporting a needy person is a charitable deed, while supporting a relative is two charitable deeds: spending money and strengthening the ties of kinship.” (Reported in Al-Jami` As-Saghir by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim on the authority of Salman Ibn Amir; verified by Al-Hakim, and supported by Adh-Dhahabi, as related in Faydul-Qadir by Al-Manawi 4/237).

This reward especially multiplies if the relation between one and his kin is not originally good. In other words, if a man is having a dispute with his relatives and can overcome feelings of enmity and hatred that are rejected by Allah and by people, and extend a helping hand, whether with money or blood, he then offers the best act of charity, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) considered it so when he said: “Charity is to support a kin with a severed relation (that is, one who does not keep good relations with his kin).” (Reported in Al-Jami` As-Saghir by Ahmad and At-Tabarani on the authority of Abu Ayoub and Hakeem Ibn Hizam, and in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Sa`id. Reported also by At-Tabarani and Al-Hakim on the authority of Umm Kulthum bint `Uqbah, and verified by Al-Hakim, according to Muslim’s conditions; and supported by Adh-Dhahabi, as related in Faydul-Qadir: 2/38).

"... And live with your people wherever you like."

2009-11-09T18:54:00.000+08:00

Article from islamtoday.com..

by Shiekh Abd Allah b. Bayyih

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Fudayk, establish prayer, avoid bad deeds, and live with your people wherever you like.” [Sahîh Ibn Hibbân (4861)] The narrators of this hadîth are all reliable.

The meaning of the hadith:

Fudayk belonged to a tribe who were all non-Muslims. Fudayk, who had accepted Islam, used to live with them. Fudayk’s people had requested him to live with them and pledged to him that they would not impose upon him in his faith in any way.

Fudayk then went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked about whether he should emigrate, saying: “O Messenger of Allah! There are people claiming that whoever does not emigrate will come to ruin.”

To this the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “O Fudayk, establish prayer, avoid bad deeds, and live with your people wherever you like.”

Ibn Hibbân explains the meaning of the hadîth as follows [Sahîh Ibn Hibbân (11/203)]:

The command to “establish prayer” is a command indicating obligation upon those being addressed under relevant circumstances.

The command to “avoid bad deeds” is a command indicating obligation upon all Muslims under all circumstances. They must not perpetrate evil and sinful deeds upon themselves or upon others. This refers to all deeds that Allah is displeased with

The imperative tense of the verb “live” in the phrase “and live with your people wherever you like” indicates permissibility. What it means is that if a person who shuns bad deeds as we have mentioned, then there is no harm in his living wherever he chooses to live, even if the location is not ideal.

Indeed, a Muslim who lives in a non-Muslim country should take the injunctions of this hadîth to heart and live his life accordingly. He should establish prayer. He should avoid fornication, drinking, and all other licentious, sinful deeds.

Its legal implications:

It is generally understood that a Muslim living in an Islamic country should not leave it for a non-Muslim country without a good reason. This hadîth is evidence that if a Muslim is already living in a non-Muslim country and is able to worship Allah and carry out the rites of his religion, then he is under no obligation to leave his country.

Scholars disagree regarding the emigration of a Muslim who lives in a non-Muslim country.

The first opinion is that a Muslim can live in a non-Muslim country as long as he is free to practice his religion. This is the opinion of the vast majority of jurists. It is the ruling followed by the Hanafî, Shâfi`î, and Hanbalî schools of law.

Those who hold this opinion cite the hadîth under discussion as evidence.

Another hadîth which is used as evidence for the permissibility of living in non-Muslim countries is where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The countries are Allah’s countries and the people are Allah’s servants, so wherever you find good living atmosphere, then live.” [Musnad Ahmad (1420) – with a weak chain of transmission]

The second opinion is that of the Mâlikî and Zâhirî schools of law – that it is obligatory for a Muslim to emigrate from a non-Muslim country to a Muslim country if he is capable of doing so.

The cite hadîth like: “Do not be in sight of each other’s house fires.” [Sunan al-Tiimidhî (1604), Sunan Abî Dâwûd (2645), and Sunan al-Nasâ’î (4780)] There is disagreement about the authenticity of this hadîth as well as about its meaning.

The third opinion is quite the opposite of the second. Al-Mâwardî and many other Shâfi`î scholars hold the view that if a Muslim is able to practice his religion freely in a non-Muslim country, then he should not leave. They argue that it is his duty to remain in that country, because if he leaves, then the country will be devoid of a Muslim presence.

Conclusions:

What all this amounts to is that there is flexibility in the matter. If a Muslim feels the need to live in a Muslim country where he can practice his religion with greater freedom and comfort, then it is a good thing for him to do so if he gets the opportunity. However, if he finds it better for him to stay where he is, then he is free to do so. As long as he is free to practice his faith, then he may stay in his country. We might add another consideration that he must take into account: He should be able to raise his children as Muslims.

And Allah knows best.

The Five Categories of People who Pray

2009-10-17T04:37:00.003+08:00

Article from subulassalaam.com..

Author: Al Imaam Ibn Qayyim al Jawzeeyah
Reference: Al Waabil as Saayib: Vol. 1 P. 138

The first: The category of the oppressor to himself, the negligent one, one who is deficient in performing ablution for it, negligent with its appointed time periods, its boundaries and its pillars.

The second: One who preserves it appointed time periods, its boundaries, its outward pillars and ablution for it. However, he forsakes striving against his own self from whisperings and thinking to himself, and so is preoccupied with whisperings and thoughts.

The third: One who preserves its appointed time periods, its pillars as well as strives against himself in repelling whisperings and distracting thoughts that overcome him, he is busy in striving against his enemy in order to prevent him from stealing his prayer, he is in prayer as well as Jihaad.

The fourth: One whom when he stands for prayer perfects its rights, its pillars and its boundaries. His heart is occupied with preserving its boundaries and preventing anything of it being lost, rather all his attention is directed to performing it as it should be, in its most complete and perfect form, his heart is occupied with the prayer and worshiping his Lord the Elevated with it.

The fifth: One who performs the prayer like the previous person, but in addition to this, he has taken his heart and presented it to his Lord. He looks at his Lord with his heart, fully concerned with Him, in utmost obedience out of love and reverence for Him, it is as if he sees and witnesses his Lord. All distracting thoughts and whisperings fade away and the veil between him and his Lord is removed. The difference between this person in his prayer and others, is greater and better than all that is between the heavens and earth, he is fully occupied and overjoyed with his Lord in his prayer.

The first category is punished, the second is held accountable, the third is pardoned, the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is brought close to his Lord, because he gains a portion of what made the prayer a delight to him.

For whoever is delighted with his prayer in the life of this world, will be delighted by being close to his Lord in the afterlife as well as being delighted with his Lord in this life, and whoever is delighted with Allaah, everything would be delighted with him, and whoever is not delighted with Allaah the Elevated, his soul will be torn apart for the life of this world in loss.

It is narrated that when a servant stands for prayer, Allaah the Glorified says; “Remove the veil.”, and if the servant turns away He says: “Replace it.”

This ‘turning away’ has been explained as the turning of the heart away from Allaah the Mighty to other than Him. So if he turns away, the veil is replaced between him and his Lord and Shaytaan enters and presents worldly affairs to him, he shows them to him in the image of a woman. But if he turns with his heart to Allaah and does not turn away, Shaytaan would not be able to come between Allaah and that heart, he only enters if the veil is replaced. If he returns to Allaah the Elevated with his heart, the Shaytaan would escape, and if he turns away, the Shaytaan would return, such is his state with his enemy in prayer.

Jahil agama punca mudah terjebak amalan syirik

2009-10-04T04:24:00.005+08:00

Artikel dari al-qayyim.net.. Klik di sini!

Oleh: Mohd Yaakub bin Mohd Yunus
Thursday, 01 October 2009

Rasulullah sendiri memperingatkan umat jangan keterlaluan menyanjungi serta memujinya. KEGIATAN kaki judi menjadikan kubur lama yang dianggap keramat dan ber-kuasa untuk menunaikan segala permintaan termasuk untuk mendapatkan nombor ekor, malah terdapat juga pihak tertentu menjadikan kubur sebagai tempat memohon disembuhkan penyakit.

Sering kali kubur orang soleh seperti Nabi, sahabat Rasulullah SAW, ulama dan wali dianggap memiliki keramat akan dikunjungi masyarakat Islam bertujuan untuk beribadah dan dijadikan perantaraan bagi membuat permohonan tertentu kepada Allah. Ada di antara kubur berkenaan dihiasi binaan indah, diterangi lampu bahkan ada juga sehingga didirikan masjid di atasnya.

Sikap berlebihan dalam mengagungkan orang soleh sebegini menjadi asal munculnya amalan syirik yang terburuk di atas muka bumi ini iaitu penyembahan berhala. Firman Allah, "Dan mereka berkata jangan sekali-kali kamu meninggalkan (penyembahan) tuhan kamu dan jangan pula kamu tinggalkan Wadd, dan jangan pula Suwaa', Yaghuts, Ya'uq dan Nasr." (Nuh: 23).

Menurut Ibnu Abbas r.a, Wadd, Suwaa', Yaghuts, Ya'uq dan Nasr adalah orang soleh daripada kalangan kaum Nabi Nuh. Apabila mereka meninggal dunia maka syaitan membisikkan ke telinga kaum itu agar membuat patung menyerupai mereka agar dapat mereka mengenang segala amalan soleh serta jasa orang soleh berkenaan. Patung itu turut dijadikan perangsang bagi mereka untuk mencontohi perbuatan orang soleh. Patung berkenaan pada peringkat awalnya tidak disembah oleh kaum itu. Namun masa berlalu dan generasi awal kaum ini meninggal dunia, generasi baru yang menggantikannya banyak melupakan ajaran agama sebenar. Syaitan sekali lagi memainkan peranan untuk menyesatkan umat manusia dengan membisikkan kepada mereka bahawa generasi sebelum mereka itu menyembah patung berkenaan untuk mendekat diri mereka kepada Allah.

Disebabkan kejahilan mereka terhadap ajaran agama maka bermulalah amalan menyembah patung orang soleh itu atas dasar mengagungkan dan kecintaan terhadap mereka serta ia dijadikan sebagai objek perantaraan untuk memohon doa serta syafaat. Al-Laata yang juga antara berhala terbesar pada zaman jahiliah di Makkah juga nama seorang yang masa hidupnya gemar memberi makanan kepada jemaah haji yang mengunjungi Kaabah.

Sehubungan itu, Rasulullah SAW sentiasa memperingatkan kepada umat manusia agar jangan berlebihan dalam menyanjungi serta memuji dirinya. Mengagungkan Rasulullah hanya akan tercapai dengan melaksanakan segala perintah dan larangannya seperti termaktub di dalam al-Quran serta sunnahnya. Baginda amat khuatir sekiranya umat Islam terjerumus melakukan kesilapan seperti umat lalu yang berlebihan dalam mengagungkan orang soleh sehingga melakukan perbuatan syirik. Ketika hayatnya baginda berkali-kali memperingatkan sahabat agar menghindari sikap melampaui batas golongan Yahudi dan Nasrani yang membangunkan tempat ibadah di atas kuburan orang soleh mereka. Amaran ini diulangi lagi ketika baginda sedang uzur bahkan menurut Aishah r.a. ketika baginda hampir wafat Rasulullah masih sempat bersabda: "Semoga laknat Allah ditimpakan kepada orang Yahudi dan Nasrani. Mereka menjadikan kuburan Nabi-Nabi mereka sebagai tempat ibadah (masjid)." (Hadis riwayat Imam al-Bukhari).

Beginilah peringatan yang begitu keras daripada Rasulullah kepada umatnya agar tidak didirikan masjid di atas kuburan orang soleh dan jangan menjadikan kuburan mereka sebagai tempat beribadah seperti solat, tawaf, membaca al-Quran, menyembelih haiwan korban, memohon doa serta pertolongan.

Solat menghadap kuburan adalah diharamkan sebagaimana sabdanya: "Jangan kamu solat menghadap kubur dan jangan duduk di atas kubur." (Hadis riwayat Imam Muslim) Baginda juga pernah bersabda: "Janganlah kalian jadikan rumah kalian seperti kuburan, kerana sesungguhnya syaitan akan lari dari rumah yang dibaca di dalamnya surat al-Baqarah." (Hadis riwayat Imam Muslim). Menerusi hadis ini dapat kita fahami bahawa dilarang menjadikan rumah seperti kuburan yang tidak dibaca al-Quran. Secara tidak langsung ia menunjukkan bahawa kawasan perkuburan bukanlah tempat untuk beribadah seperti membaca al-Quran sebagaimana di rumah. Majoriti ulama salaf seperti Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam al-Syafi'i, Imam Ahmad dan imam lain melarang membaca al-Quran di kawasan perkuburan. Sebagai contoh Imam Abu Dawud berkata dalam kitab Masaa'il Imam Ahmad: "Aku mendengar Imam Ahmad ketika beliau ditanya mengenai membaca al-Quran di pemakaman? Beliau menjawab: "Tidak boleh". Menurut Ibnu Taimiyah di dalam Iqtidhaa' Shirathal Mustaqim: "Daripada al-Syafie sendiri tidak terdapat perkataan mengenai masalah ini, yang demikian ini menunjukkan bahawa (baca al-Quran di perkuburan) menurut beliau adalah bidaah. Imam Malik berkata: "Tidak aku dapati seorang pun daripada sahabat dan tabi'in yang melakukan hal itu."

Tindakan sesetengah pihak yang sanggup melakukan perjalanan yang jauh semata-mata untuk mengunjungi kuburan orang soleh dengan tujuan untuk beribadah dan mencari keberkatan sebenarnya bertentangan dengan syarak. Baginda bersabda: "Tidak boleh dipersiapkan perjalanan jauh (bertujuan untuk ibadah) kecuali kepada tiga masjid; Masjidilharam (di Makkah), Masjid Rasulullah (Masjid Nabawi di Madinah) dan Masjid al-Aqsa (di Palestin). (Hadis riwayat Imam al-Bukhari)

Rasulullah juga mengharamkan kuburan ditinggikan atau dibangunkan binaan seperti kubah di atasnya seperti yang sering dilakukan terhadap kuburan orang yang dianggap soleh serta memiliki kedudukan yang tinggi di dalam masyarakat. Ali r.a pernah berkata: "Mahukah kamu saya utuskan suatu tugas yang dulu pernah Nabi mengutuskan untukku tugas itu? Iaitu janganlah kamu biarkan satu patung kecuali sudah kamu hancurkan dan jangan pula ada kuburan yang tinggi melainkan kamu ratakan." (Hadis riwayat Muslim).

Wallaahu'alam.

Ikut dalil dan fakta buang taklid buta

2009-09-25T08:32:00.001+08:00

Before You Regret

2009-09-24T03:02:00.003+08:00

Article from islamonline.net

By Harun Yahya
Muslim Thinker - Turkey

{"Why should Allaah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. And Allaah is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing."} (An-Nisaa’ 4:147)

People are created with many weaknesses and imperfections. Throughout our lives, we forget many things and make countless mistakes. However through repentance, which Allah grants us as a great favor, it is always possible in this world to correct our mistakes. Indeed, the world is created just for this purpose: We are trained, put to test, and purified of our mistakes in this world. It is likely that we may deeply regret our mistakes or the way we have led our lives. However, it is always possible to make up for this regret. After having lived through this regret, we can ask for repentance and hope for Allah’s forgiveness.

In the Qur’an, Allah gives the glad tidings that He will forgive any sin provided one repents sincerely. Allah knows our inner thoughts and every word we keep to ourselves. He knows whether we are true to Him or not. Allah, in the Qur’an, describes His closeness to His servants:

{"Your Lord knows best what is in your inner-selves. If you are righteous, then, verily, He is Ever Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again in obedience, and in repentance."} (Al-Israa’ 17:25)

Yet, another important fact surfaces here: After death, it is not possible to make up for the mistakes and sins committed in this world unless Allah wills otherwise. So not a single moment do we have to lose. Minutes pass by in a blink of the eye and with every moment passing, we draw even closer to death. Furthermore, we can never foresee when death will confront us. Its date, hour, and minute can never be known. We all will certainly die one day and will give an account of our deeds in the presence of Allah.

For this reason, man must always bear in mind that he may soon die. If he is not to regret in the Hereafter, he must reconsider his life. If it were the time to meet the angels of death right now, would you be able to give an account of all the years you have spent in this world? What have you done so far to earn the consent of Allah? Have you been meticulous enough in fulfilling Allah’s commands?

A person might not have an affirmative answer to any of these questions. But if he repents and sincerely makes an absolute commitment to live to earn the good pleasure of Allah, then he can hope for Allah’s forgiveness. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) frequently sought forgiveness from Allah:

“By Allah, I seek the pardon of Allah and return penitently to Him every day more than seventy times.” (Al-Bukhari)

We must take refuge in Allah, Who is Al-Ghaffar (The Forgiver, He Who is All-Forgiving), Al-Halim (Forbearing One, He Who is clement), and At-Tawwab (The Acceptor of repentance). Allah will absolutely give the rewards of those who persevere and often turn to Him. He will certainly forgive His servants who have faith and reward their good deeds according to the best of what they did. In one verse, Allah states this great glad tiding as follows:

{Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allaah (of good deeds) will remain. And those who are patient, We will certainly pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do. Whoever works righteousness - whether male of female - while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islaamic Monotheism), verily, to him he We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay then certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)} (An-Nahl 16:96-97)

Never forget that at any time any one of us might be caught by death and, though being full of regret, might not have again the opportunity to correct the wrongs we committed in the worldly life. For this reason, we should lose no time in asking for repentance from Allah and living by His commands and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the only way to be a servant upon whom Allah bestows His mercy and love. This is, again, the only way to attain Paradise, the eternal abode Allah prepares for His true believers.

* Excerpted with some minor modifications from the book Before You Regret.

Harun Yahya was born in Ankara in 1956. He studied fine arts at Istanbul's Mimar Sinan University and philosophy at Istanbul University. Since the 1980s, he has published many books on political, faith-related, and scientific issues.

Disbeliever's Good Deeds: Can They Take Him to Paradise?

2009-09-17T22:26:00.007+08:00

Article from islamonline.net. I was quite shocked when I heard stories about Muslims believing that even the Kaafir (disbeliever) will be able to enter Jannah (Paradise). Either the person is still ignorant about this fact or that he/she has been taught or have read the wrong form of Tauheed/Aqeedah (basic Islamic belief).

Name of Questioner: Abdol - Iran
Title: Disbeliever's Good Deeds: Can They Take Him to Paradise?
Question:

As-Salamu` alykum. I heard some Muslims saying that only good Muslims go to Heaven. But what about the other good people who are kind, generous, support the poor but are the Christians or Jews. Do they go to Heaven or not ?

Date: 18/Jun/2002
Name of Counsellor: IOL Shari`ah Researchers

Topic: Muslim Belief

Answer:

Wa`alykum As-Salaamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for showing keenness on knowing the teachings of Islam, and we appreciate the great confidence you have in us. We hope our efforts meet your expectations, yet we apologize for the late reply.

As regards your question, we’d like to make it clear that Allah Almighty never disregards any good deed, be it from a believer or a disbeliever; He gives good reward for it. But the point here is, as a believer does good deeds, he does so with certain belief that he will be rewarded in the Hereafter; i.e. whatever he does, it’s for the sake of Allah, and he will get its reward in the Hereafter. However, there are people who are good and benevolent by nature, and many of them love their brothers and sisters in humanity, despite that they are not believers.

Explaining the type of reward granted to such people, the Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence makes it clear that there is surely a reward in this world for people who, despite lacking iman (belief), contribute to the progress of mankind, are good by nature, giving charity…etc.

But the criterion for getting reward in the Hereafter is belief. This is based on the Hadith, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, states: “Allah never disregards a good deed of a believer; he reward him for it in this world and in the Hereafter. As for a disbeliever, he is rewarded for the good deeds in this world so that when he is in the Afterlife, no more reward will be there for him.”.

In making this point more clearer, clarifying that Jannah (Paradise) is for believers, Sheikh Hamed Al-`Ali, instructor of Islamic Heritage at the Faculty of Education, Kuwait and Imam of Dahiat As-Sabahiyya Mosque, states:

“No one will enter Jannah (Paradise) except a believer. Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an,

{'And the dwellers of the Fire will call to the dwellers of Paradise: "Pour on us some water of anything that Allaah has provided you with." They will say: "Both (water and provision) Allaah has forbidden to the disbelievers.'} (Al-‘Araaf: 50)

Also the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe.” (Agreed upon hadith)

This is one of signs of Allah’s absolute justice, because when a disbeliever does something good in this world, he or she does it for the sake of a worldly gain, and it is granted to him/her. On the contrary, a believer does his or her action for the sake of seeking reward in the Hereafter, and it is on this basis he or she is granted reward according to his or her intention.

Thus, Allah gives everyone what he or she has striven for. The believer has striven and worked for the success in the Hereafter, and as such he or she is given the same recompense for his work. But as for the disbeliever, as long as his deeds do not spring from belief (part of which is believing in the Hereafter), then he or she is not admitted to Paradise. The Kafir, or disbeliever, does not seek or strive for what is in the Hereafter, rather he or she wants to attain the pleasures in this life such as seeking people’s admiration, peace of mind, etc.

If the Kafir wishes and really seeks the reward in the Hereafter, he or she would right away believe in Allah, the Hereafter, and follow the messengers of Allah and never disbelieve in any of them, because disbelieving in anyone of them would be counted as disbelieving in all messengers since the message they all brought is the same and each Prophet believed in whoever came before him and gave glad tidings to the Prophet who would come after him.

In brief, Jannah is only granted for those who strive for it and there are some conditions to be met for a person to be admitted to Jannah. Whoever works in this life for the sake of the Hereafter and fulfills the conditions of Jannah, he or she will be admitted to it. Conversely, those who fail to work for Jannah or work for it but do not fulfill its conditions will never enter it. This is the absolute justice of Allah, and Allah does not do injustice to any body.”

Shedding more light on this issue, Sheikh `Attiyah Saqr, former Head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states the following:

“ In terms of the reward of the Hereafter, it is totally agreed upon that a disbeliever receives no reward in the Hereafter nor does a believer who offers good deeds out of showing off. However, when talking about the reward of this world, the case is different in the sense that every one is paid for his deeds whether bad or good. Thus, a disbeliever receives reward for the good deeds he offers in this world. Almighty Allah says:

{'And (remember) when Ibraahim (Abraham) said, "My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allaah and the Last Day." He (Allaah) answered: "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!"} (Al-Baqarah: 126)

Almighty Allah also says: {'Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therien, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.”} (Hud: 15-16)

All these Qur’anic verses make it clear that both a believer and a disbeliever get reward in this life for their good deeds. However, there is another reward for a believer in the Hereafter while a disbeliever is denied such a reward, due to his disbelief. Muslim reported that `Aisha, may Allah be pleased, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

“O Messenger of Allah! It was the trait of Ibn Jud`aan in pre-Islamic period to feed the needy and keep ties of kinship, will he benefit from these good deeds?(in the Hereafter)” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “No, for he never said: ‘My Lord! Forgive my sin on the Day of Judgment" i.e. he was doing all that while insisting on disbelief.”

Do keep in touch. If you have any other question, don't hesitate to contact us.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Missing Ramadhan already..

2009-09-12T16:39:00.005+08:00

There are only 8 nights left.

How much have we done so far?

What are our plans within these last few days and nights?

Are we sure we'll meet the month of Ramadhan again next year?

Let's strive to increase in good deeds for these remaining days and nights..

It's never too late..

And it's always worth it!

Ijtahidu ya ikhwan!

Assumption is the root of all evil

2009-09-09T07:26:00.007+08:00

I was reading bro Rizhan's blog entry about this topic and decided to share something.

Remember recently that a certain Muslim organisation tried to bring Dr Zakir Naik to Singapore but he was not granted a permit?

To be honest, I was disappointed that it didn't happen. Dr Zakir Naik is one of the better da'ies in the Muslim world, who's recognised worldwide and his talks are somewhat very inspirational, beneficial and even extraordinary, Masya Allaah.

Knowing this just added to the disappointment. Guess what was the first thing that came to mind? Maybe the government decided to do this because of this, maybe a certain Muslim body did that because of something else. However, they are all just maybes coming from me and and they remain as such.

Thankfully, I kept an open mind and decided not to make any conclusion on the matter until I get some facts about what really happened. And alhamdulillaah, I managed to get answers recently at an iftar-cum-open talk session between a main Muslim body and the Singapore Students of Al-Haramain Asy-Syarifain.

During the open dicussion, I decided to ask, why Dr Zakir Naik's talk was not approved to be held in Singapore and we all know the benefits he brings to Islam and the general public as a whole, while on the other hand, a certain 'Grand' Sheikh was allowed to come to Singapore and some of the things he does are not beneficial at all to the general Muslim community and some of the rituals he introduced to them are not even Islamic.

Firstly, about the Sheikh, we were told that he has been advised about certain things that he did for example, spreading his own opinions about Wahhabism to the general public which would only create division, hatred and confusion. And the reason he was allowed to come to Singapore, which in recent times, seems quite often, is due to the fact that it was a closed session and not opened to the public.

And we were told that even the controversial Ameenah Wadud, had came to Singapore recently and given a talk albeit in a closed session.

For Dr Zakir Naik, however, the organisers wanted it to be in public. For any talks to be held public, it will have to go through some bodies of the government and they will always be very strict, especially if the talk touched on topics such as different religious or racial issues. And of course with his speeches available on YouTube, I'm sure those government bodies have made a thorough research on the speaker. And we know how Singapore works especially on these sensitive issues.

Thus, this was why he was not granted permit to give a talk here. From what I understand, generally, the organisers had acted independantly and didn't seek advice from the main Muslim body. They didn't know about the government's stringent assesment before allowing talks like these to be held in public. What should have been done was for the talk to be held in a closed session as that would have definitely allow him to give a talk here.

This was the answer given to my query, being told to us from someone who holds quite a high post in the Muslim body, whom I respect and trust. Now that the Muslim organisation have known about it and have been advised about how to go about bringing personalities like Dr Zakir Naik here, I hope that they will invite him here again in the near future, insya Allaah.

{"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful."} (Suurah Al-Hujuraat 49:12)

And Allaah Almighty knows best.

Sharing Session

2009-09-07T02:01:00.008+08:00

Day and time check: Sunday, 9.30 am

I’ve just got back home since yesterday afternoon, feeling groggy, body starting to ache all over, however feeling quite fulfilled for the events that took place for the past few days. Alhamdulillaah. It has become a regular occurance, that each time I visit a different mosque for the night prayers, I’d bump into a friend or acquaintance. Yesterday was by far the most unexpected but at the same time a delightful experience.

My mosque-hopping escapades were mostly a spontaneous affair. Last night was no different. It was already about 5 p.m. and I thought since there would be a soccer gathering at ECP sports planet at around 11 p.m., might as well go to Masjid Kampong Siglap. As soon as I entered the mosque, I bumped into bro Ash-Shafi’ie, one of the Islaamic University of Madeenah undergrads who was attached for work there. While waiting for Isya’ prayers, I was thinking about where to have a bite after the night prayers before the soccer meet when I saw bro Khairu Rejal,

“Salam, apa ko buat kat sini bro?”
“Wassalaam. Ada program ah nanti lepas taraweeh 8 rakaat, join ah!”
“Program apa?”
“Ada sharing session gitu, join je”

Just before I entered the function room where the ‘sharing session’ was held, I bumped into bro Dzar, one of my current schoolmates. Then as I entered the room, I saw Dr Al-Bakri and went over to say Hi. Hm, event apa nie? Macam serious je, I thought. Only after further enquiry that I realized it was an iftar, tazkirah and qiyam program jointly organized by the different bodies of Muslim activists in Singapore. And I wasn’t part of any organisation, haha. Freelance lah. I guess being invited by Bro Khairu would make me part of SAFF eh? Boleh? I also met Bro Muhammad from NTU at the talk, who just recently got married. He was my bunkmate during NS. Small world uh.

The tazkirah session was short but enriching. Topic was Da’iyah and Tarbiyah, presented by Ustaz Zainal Arifin former mudir of Madrasah Aljunied. His knowledge is vast, Masya Allaah. Baarakallaahu feeh. The tazkirah session was too good to give it a miss that I decided to come a little late for the soccer meet. Ok lah, at least I’d still have 2 hours of soccer. But it was extended for another hour anyway. Hah.

Anyway, da’wah and tarbiyah is a responsibility of each and every Muslim. There are numerous references we can turn to in the Noble Qur’an and about the basis of da’wah by the Prophets and the importance of spreading knowledge from what we have learned and practiced. For example Allah Almighty says in the Noble Qur’an in these few verses for example;

{“(And remember) when Allaah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it..”} [Suurah Al-‘Imraan 3:187]. This ayat demands those who are endowed with knowledge should teach it. While the verses that follow show that it is Haraam to conceal it.

{“And who is better in speech than he who [says: ‘My Lord is Allaah (believes in His Oneness),’ and then stands firm (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allaah’s (Islaamic Monotheism)…” [Suurah Fussilat 41:33]

{“Invite (mankind, O Muhammad s.a.w.) to the way of your Lord (i.e. Islaam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better…”} [Suurah An-Nahl 16:125]

There are also hadeeths mentioning the importance and excellence of tarbiyah (teaching).

`Ali said that the Messenger of Allah said to him: "If Allah guides a man through your help, it is better (for you) than red camels." [Bukahari and Muslim]
N.B. Red camels at that time were from among the people's most precious possession. He also said: Whoever acquires knowledge and keep it concealed Allah will bridle him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection. [Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi]

He also said: "Verily Allah, His angels, the inmates of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish in the sea send salutation on the one who teaches good to the people." [Its chain is Hassan]. He said: "If the son of Adam dies, all his works is stopped except three. Charity that‘s continuous, useful knowledge or a righteous child who supplicates for him." [Muslim]

The messenger of Allah said: "Whoever guides or directs to good, then he gets the same amount of blessing as the one who does it." [Related by Muslim].

Since there was going to be another tazkirah session after fajr prayers by Ustaz Zainal Arifin, I decided to come back to the Mosque after the soccer meet. This time, the soccer meet was attended by lesser people as compared to last week. This meant more playing time for us and faster ‘pancit’ time. What to do? This is the reality of getting further from the tireless age of youth and the result of practicing a lifestyle of irregular exercise, tsk tsk. But it was still all good, merapatkan ukhuwwah antara kita, alhamdulillaah.

Back to the mosque, I realised that three other bros from the Islaamic University of Madeenah were at the mosque too, Wafi, Zainal and his brother, Umar. They were helping out for the RYC camp for youths. Masya Allaah, I met so many people in one place.

The morning tazkirah was mainly about the meaning and importance behind Suurah Al-Asr. Basically, it somewhat depicts the code of conduct, what the past Prophets and the early generation Muslims who strive in the cause of Islam hold on to. Ustaz also stressed on the importance of understanding ‘Aqeedah the way the salafussoleh (Prophet Muhammad’s companions and the two generations thereafter) believed. This is the basis for a Muslim. If one's understanding of ‘Aqeedah is strong and sound, then everything else will fall in place.

Another thing that I'm impressed apart from the ustaz's knowledge is how humble and approachable he is. He went around interacting with all those who were present irregardless of standing or age. He's like a fatherly figure to all of us.

Alhamdulillaah, for the opportunity and experience gained. Some of the things I’ve learned and experienced so far for this Ramadan while Mosque-hopping, would never have occurred if I had just stayed at home or remained in my area for night prayers.

We still have about 13 days to go, insya Allaah. Let’s try our best for these remaining days and nights of Ramadhan being firm and steadfast on the good that we have done so far and let's strive to increase our efforts and may we be blessed and granted the opportunity to meet the Night of Al-Qadr’(decree), a night better than a thousand months.

And Allaah Almighty knows best.

Avoid The Secret Sins

2009-08-28T09:04:00.006+08:00

Just a reminder for myself and all. English translations available for the vid.

{"But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kiraaman (honourable) Kaatibiin - writing down (your deeds), They know all that you do."} [Suurah Al-Infitaar 82:(10-12)]

{"There is no human being but has a protector over him (or her) (i.e. angels in charge of each human being guarding him, writing his good and bad deeds"} [Suurah At-Taariq 86:4]

Let's work on improving ourselves and striving in performing good deeds and staying away from bad deeds as much as possible. Seek help and ask from Allaah and only Allaah. Don't stop supplicating, hoping and asking from Allaah.

Allaah Almighty says in Suurah Al-Baqarah 2:186,

{"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad s.a.w.) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright."}

in conjuction with this Suurah is the following hadeeth qudsi,

Narrated Abu Hurairah (radhiallaahu 'anhu) : The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallaam) said, "Allaah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. Then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My Protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge), and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoit him.'" [Sahih Al-Bukhari, 8/6502 (O.P.509)] - Interpretation of the Meanings of The Noble Qur'aan; A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with Comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari