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Archive for October, 2009

Days Of White

Narrated Abu Huraira رضي الله عنهما

My friend (the Prophet) advised me to do three things and I shall not leave them till I die, these are: To fast three days every month, to offer the Duha prayer, and to offer Witr before sleeping.

(Volume 2, Book 21, Number 274)

Narrated Qatadah Ibn Malhan al-Qaysi رضي الله عنهما

The Apostle of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to command us to fast the days of the white (nights): thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the month. He said: This is like keeping perpetual fast.

(Abu Dawud. Book 13, Number 2443)

13th, 14th and 15th are on Sunday 1st November, Monday 2nd November and Tuesday 3rd November.

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Deeds

If any one of you improves [follows strictly] his Islamic religion then his good deeds will be rewarded ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and a bad deed will be recorded as it is.

[Bukhari]

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The Greatest Thing

Abu Dhar said; O Messenger of Allah, what is the greatest thing that has been revealed to you?’ He said, Ayat al-Kursi, ‘Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa’
[an-Nasa’i]

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Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, “Read the Qur’an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith tells the excellence of reciting the Qur’an and acting upon its injunctions. Intercession (in this Hadath) means that the Qur’an will be endowed with the power of speech by Allah and it will request Allah to forgive the sins of its reciters who acted upon its teachings. Allah will accept the request of the Qur’an, as signified in other Ahadith.

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Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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Here are ten means of keeping on doing good deeds bi’ithnillaah.

1. Seek Allah’s support, beseeching Him Almighty to guide you to the right path and help you remain steadfast in faith. Allah Almighty has praised the supplication of those who are of sound instruction when they (have ) said: [Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after Thou hast guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Thy Presence. Lo! Thou, only Thou art the Bestower.] (Al `Imran 3:8 )

2. Be keen on being in the company of the righteous and attending dhikr meetings such as religious lectures or visiting a righteous friend to make dhikr (remembrance of Allah) together.

3. Acquire knowledge about the biographies of the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) and the righteous believers by reading books and listening to tapes. This will stimulate you to keep firm in faith and follow in their footsteps.

4. Listen to tapes that deal with religious admonitions and righteous speeches.

5. Be keen on observing the obligatory acts of worship.

6. Keep on offering supererogatory acts of worship; do what you are most inclined to and can do regularly, even if it is little. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O people! Do only those good deeds which you can do, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) till you get tired, and the best deeds to Allah are the incessant ones, even though they may be few.”

7. Start learning Allah’s Book by heart. Recite what you have learned during Prayer and keep reciting the Qur’an as much as you can.

8. Perform dhikr a lot and ask Almighty Allah for forgiveness. This may seem a tiny good act, yet observing it regularly increases faith and strengthens the heart.

9. Keep away from every thing that may cause your heart to divert from the right path such as bad people, indecent television programs, pornographic pictures, and love songs.

10. Last, but not least in importance, truly repent to Almighty Allah and be keen on not deviating from the right path again. Allah Almighty rejoices when His bondman returns to Him Most High in true repentance.

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Continue to Strive

Ten different phrases that are short, easy, and light, but will give you what no eye has seen, no hear has heard, and what no mind has imagined.

Enjoy (and implement):

1 – “Whoever says: ‘Glorified is Allah, the Most Great, and praised is He’ [Subhan Allah al-‘Adhim wa bi-Hamdih] will have a date palm planted for him in Paradise.” [‘Sahih al-Jami” #5531]

2 – “Whoever is stricken with sadness, grief, sickness or hardship and says: ‘Allah is my Lord, without any partners’ [Allahu Rabbi, la sharika lah], then it will be removed from him.” [‘Sahih al-Jami” #6040]

3 – “Whoever ate something, then said: ‘Praise be to Allah who has fed me this food and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part’ [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi at’amani hadha wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins. And whoever wears a garment and says: ‘Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me without any strength or power on my part’ [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi kasani hadha at-thawb wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins.” [‘Sahih al-Jami” #6086]

4 – “Whoever enters the marketplace and says: ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah who has no partners, for Him is the Dominion, and for Him is all Praise, He brings life and He causes death, and He is Alive and does not die, in His Hand is all good, and He is able to do all things,’ [La ilaha ill-Allah, Wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-Mulk, wa lahul-Hamd, yuhyiyy wa yumit, wa Huwa Hayyun la yamut, bi Yadihil-Khayr wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in Qadir] then Allah will write one million good deeds for him, and will wipe away one million of his bad deeds, and will raise him one million levels and will build a home for him in Paradise.” [‘Sahih al-Jami” #6231]

5 – “Whoever controls his anger when he is able to act upon it, then Allah will call him to come in front of all of the Creation so that he would let him choose from the Hur al-‘Ayn and marry from them whomever he pleases.” [‘Sahih al-Jami” #6518]

6 – “Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times [Allahumma inni as’aluk al-Jannah], then Paradise will say: “O Allah! Enter him into Paradise!” And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times [Allahumma najjini min an-Nar], the Fire will say: “O Allah! Protect him from the Fire!”” [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and it is authentic]

7 – “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allah writes for him – for every believing man and woman – a good deed.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad, and it is authentic]

8 – ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: “Whoever reads ‘al-Mulk’ (chapter 67 of the Qur’an) every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we used to call it al-mani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah, it is a chapter which – whoever recites it every night – has done very well.” [‘Sahih at-Targhib wat-Tarhib’ #1475]

9 – “Whoever asks Allah sincerely for martyrdom [Allahumma inni as’aluk ash-shahadah], Allah will cause him to reach the status of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed.” [‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ #1909]

10 – “No one witnesses that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that I am Allah’s Messenger – truthfully, from his heart – except that Allah makes the Fire of Hell forbidden to touch him.” [Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Bayhaqi]

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Smiling Is Charity

flower

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“There is no person who does not have the obligation of (doing) charity every day that the sun rises.”

Whereupon he was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, from where would we get something to give in charity (so often)?” To which he (peace and blessings be upon him) replied,

“Indeed the gates to goodness are many: glorifying God, praising Him, magnifying Him, saying ‘There is no god but Allah,’ enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, removing (any source of) harm from the road, making the deaf hear (and understand), guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you and with deep concern to give succor to him who asks, carrying with the strength of your arms (the burdens of) the weak. All these are (acts of) charity.” And he added, “And your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, your removing of stones, thorns, and bones from people’s paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in the world is charity for you.”

Any person who comes across this beautiful saying must pause for some moments to consider some of its meanings and implications. The hadith has two main concerns:

1) Awakening the springs of goodness in the human heart
2) Strengthening the society with the bond of love, affection, and brotherhood

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Fudhayl ibn al-‘Iyadh: ‘It used to be said that the characteristics of the Prophets and the righteous, the chosen ones from Mankind whose hearts are pure, are three characteristics: They were forbearing, oft-returning (to Allah), and they all had a portion of Qiyam al-Layl (the night prayer).’

Musa `alayhisalam: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘I passed by Musa – `alayhisalam – on the night of my Ascension while he was in his grave praying.’ 1

‘Isa `alayhisalam: ‘Verily the night and the day are two stores so look to what you do in them.’
Ibn ‘Abbas (radhiallahu `anhu) said regarding Prophet ‘Isa, ‘Wherever the night caught up with him, he would straighten his feet and stand in prayer until the morning.’ 2

Dawud `alayhisalam: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Dawud was the most devout worshipper from Mankind.’ 3

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘The most beloved of prayers to Allah is the prayer of Dawud and the most beloved of fasts to Allah is the fast of Dawud. He used to sleep half of the night, stand up in prayer for a third of it and sleep a sixth of it, and he used to fast on alternate days.’ 4

Sulayman `alayhisalam: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘The mother of Sulayman ibn Dawud said to Sulayman ‘O my son, do not sleep a lot at night because indeed, sleeping too much at night will leave a man in poverty on the Day of Judgment.’ 5

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References

1] Sahih Muslim, Ahmad and al-Nasa’i
2] Al-Bidayah wal-Nihayah (2/16)
3] Sahih Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim
4] Sahih al-Bukhari
5] Reported by Ibn Majah and al-Bayhaqi (chain contains al-Fadhl ibn ‘Isa who is weak)

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اللّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَاء وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Footstool extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

One of the greatest gifts that we have been given by Allah [SWT] is that of Ayatul Kursi (the Verse of the Footstool). It is verse 255 in Surah Baqarah (2). Here are some of it’s virtues:

A Guarantee of Paradise
“The one who recites it after each of the obligatory prayers, then death will be the only thing [i.e. barrier] preventing him from entering al-Jannah.” [1]

The Prophet described it as the greatest ayah in the Quran. [2]
In it the Most Great Name of Allah (ismullahi al-’atham) is mentioned. [3]
It protects from the shayatin (devils). [4]

The believer who recites it following an obligatory salah is under the Care and Protection of Allah until the commencement of the next prayer. [5]

It is the only place in the Quran where the Kursi (Footstool of Allah) is mentioned.

Footnotes
[1]The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] said: “Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi immediately after each prescribed (obligatory) prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.”
[Reported by An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban]

[2]Ubayy bin Ka’b [RA] reported:
The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] said, “Abu Mundhir (Ubayy bin Ka’b)! Do you know which Ayah in Allah’s Book is the greatest?

I said, “Allah and His messenger know best.”

He [SAWS] again said, “Do you know which Ayah in Allah’s Book, according to you, is the greatest?”

I (Abu Mundhir) replied, “It is ‘Allah la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum’ [2:255]“.

Thereupon he [SAWS] patted me in the chest and said, “Rejoice by your knowledge, O Abu Mundhir! (i.e, may this knowledge be a source of respect, honour and benefit to you).”
[Muslim]

[3]Asma’ bint Yazid (radiAllahu anhu) reported:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say about these two following Ayahs, i.e, verses: “Allah! There is no god but He – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. [2:255], And, Alif Lam Mim, Allah! There is no god but He – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal [3:1-2], That they contain Allah’s Greatest Name.”
[Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in his Musnad]

[4] and [5] : http://www.islaam.net/main/display.php?id=615&category=4

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