Followers

Saturday 31 July 2010

A Ramadan Checklist

 

1. Ask Allah to enable you to reach Ramadan and to get the most out of it as the Salaf used to do.

2. Intend to fast every day with Iman and pure intention seeking the reward from Allah alone. The Prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever fasts in Ramadan with Iman and seeking reward (from Allah) his past sins will be forgiven". (Bukhari)

3. Read the whole Qur'an at least once as the Prophet peace be upon him did. 

4. Have Suhoor as the Prophet peace be upon him said, "Have Suhoor because it is blessed".

5. Make Du'a during the fast because the Prophet peace be upon him said that three people's supplication is not rejected one of them is the fasting person. Ask for the good of this life and the next for yourself, your family and Muslims in general.

6. Make Dua before opening the fast. The Prophet peace be upon him said, "The fasting person has a supplication that is answered when he opens his fast".

7. Give Sadaqah and be good to people. The Prophet peace be upon him was the most generous of people and he was most generous in Ramadan.

8. Avoid anything that diminishes the fast such as, lying, backbiting, cheating, getting angry. The Prophet peace be upon him said "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink." [Bukhari] 


9. Do not eat too much after Iftar.

10. Ask for forgiveness since this is the month Allah frees people from the fire.

11. Pray At-Tarawih with Khushoo. If you pray in the Masjid complete the Salah with the Imam. If you pray at home prolong the Salah as long as you can. The Prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever prays during Ramadan with Iman and seeking reward (from Allah) his past sins will be forgiven".

12. Feed the poor and invite others for Iftar. The Prophet peace be upon him said, "Whoever gives Iftar to someone fasting he will have the same reward without decreasing the reward of the person fasting".

13. Try harder the last ten nights especially the odd nights. The prophet would strive in Ramadan more than he would in any other month and more so in the last ten days.

14. Say this Dua in the nights that Laitul-Qadr is likely to fall on: Allhumma innaka afuwun tuhibbul-afwa fa'fu anni (O Allah you are Forgiving and love forgiveness so forgive me).

15. Ask Allah to accept all your good actions during this month.


From: www.english.islamway.com

I asked for....



Tuesday 27 July 2010

The Love of Allah

A Beautiful Poem



The Ideal Muslimah

Asalamu alaykum to all:)
One of our sisters left a comment about some difficulties she had in getting the Book so I thought I will post the  PDF of the Book just in Case! Jazakallah khair.

Monday 26 July 2010

She Fasts During the Day and Prays at Night in Ramadan...

She Fasts During the Day and Prays at Night in Ramadan...
Excerpt from the Book " The Ideal Musllimah"- By Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi
Translated into English NASSRUDIN AL-KHATTAB- Chapter 1: The Muslimah and her Rabb

Courtesy of Bing
The true Muslim woman fasts the month of Ramadan, and her soul is filled with faith that:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."54

She has the attitude of one who truly fasts, whose faculties keep away from all kinds of sins that
may invalidate the fast or diminish its reward. If she finds herself exposed to the trials of hostility
or argument, she follows the Prophet's advice to men and women who fast:

"When any of you is fasting, he should not utter foul words or raise his voice in anger. If then
anyone provokes or fights him, he should say, `I am observing a fast.'"55
"Whoever does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allah (SWT) has no need of his
giving up his food and drink."56

During Ramadan, the true Muslim woman feels that she is immersed in the atmosphere of a month
unlike any other, when good deeds should be multiplied and the gates of goodness should be
opened wide. She knows that her fasting during this month should be only for Allah (SWT), and
that He will give the reward for it, for the reward of Allah (SWT), the Bountiful and Munificent, is
greater and vaster than anyone could even imagine:

"The reward for every good deed of the sons of Adam will be multiplied anywhere between
ten and seven hundred times. Allah (SWT) said: `Except for fasting, because it is for Me and
I Myself will give recompense for it. He gives up his food and his passion for Me.' For the one
who fasts, there are two times of rejoicing, one when he breaks the fast, and one when he
meets his Lord. Verily the smell that comes from the mouth of one who is fasting is more
pleasing to Allah (SWT) than the scent of musk."57
Therefore the wise Muslim woman must strike a balance, during this all-too-short blessed month,
between her domestic duties and the opportunity this month brings to draw closer to Allah (SWT) through worship and good deeds. 
She should not let her household chores distract her from
performing the obligatory prayers at the appointed times, or from reading Qur'an or praying nafil
prayers. Nor should she let traditional late-night family gatherings keep her from praying qiyam allayl
and tahujjud, and making du`a'. She knows the great reward and abundant forgiveness that
Allah (SWT) has prepared for those who stay up to pray during the night in Ramadan:
"Whoever spends the night in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his
previous sins will be forgiven."58
The Prophet (PBUH) used to strive to do more good deeds during Ramadan than at other times,
especially during the last ten days of it:

`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to strive during Ramadan, and especially the last ten
days of it, more than he used to at other times."59
`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) also said:
"When the last ten days of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would sty up for
the whole night, wake his family up, strive extra hard, and abstain from marital relations."60
The Prophet (PBUH) used to command the Muslims to seek laylat al-qadr, and encouraged them to
spend that night in prayer:
"Seek laylat al-qadr during the last ten days of Ramadan."61
"Whoever spends the night of laylat al-qadr in prayer and worship out of faith and hope of
reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."62

This blessed month is a time that is purely for worship. The serious-minded Muslim woman has no
time to spend on chatting and idle pursuits throughout the night. She should not be among those
who while away the night until dawn approaches, whereupon she offers her family something to
eat and they fall into a deep sleep, and may even miss the fajr prayer!
The true Muslim woman and her family should live an Islamic life during Ramadan, striving to
organize themselves in such a way that when they all come back from tarawih prayers, they do not
stay up for too long, because in a few short hours' time, they will get up to pray qiyam al-layl and
then eat suhur, for the Prophet (PBUH) commanded us to eat suhur, as there is much benefit in it:
"Eat suhur, for in suhur there is blessing."63
The true Muslim woman helps all the members of her family to get up for suhur, in obedience to
the command of the Prophet (PBUH) and in the hope of obtaining the blessings of suhur, such as
the reminder to pray qiyam al-layl, and encouragement to go out to the mosque to pray fajr in
congregation, awell as the physical benefits of strengthening the body for the day's fast. This is
what the Prophet (PBUH) used to do and trained his Companions to do likewise:
Zayd ibn Thabit (RAA) said:
"We ate suhur with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), then we got up to pray." Someone asked,
"How much time was there between the two?" He said: "Fifty ayat [i.e. the time it would take
to recite fifty ayat]."64
There is no doubt that Allah (SWT) will increase the reward of the Muslim woman who is the means
of bringing these blessings to her family during Ramadan:
( As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to
perish the reward of any who do a [single] righteous deed.) (Qur'an 18:30)


Footnotes:
52. Fath al-Bari, 10/527, Kitab al-adab, bab al-madarah ma'a al-nas.
53. Fath al-Bari, 10/528, Kitab al-adab, bab al-madarah ma'a al-nas.
54. Sahih Muslim, 15/206, Kitab fada'il al-Sahabah, bab fada'il Umm al-Mu'minin 'A'ishah.
55. Fath al-Bari, 8/455, Kitab al-tafsir, bab law la idh sami'timuhu zann al-mu'minina wa'lmu'minat
bi anfusihim khayran [al-Nur 24:12]
56. Al-Samt al-Thamin, 110; al-Isti'ab, 4/1851; al-Isabah, 8/93.
57. Al-Isabah, 8/192.
58. Reported by Tirmidhi, 4/662, Kitab sifat al-qiyamah, 54. He said it is a hasan sahih hadith.
59. Bukhari and Muslim. See Sharh al-Sunnah, 13/109, Kitab al-birr wa'l-silah, bab ma la yajuz
min al-zann.
60. Hayat al-Sahabah, 2/151
61. A sahih hadith narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta', 2/975, Kitab al-kalam, bab ma yu'mar bihi
min al-tahaffuz fi'l-kalam.
62. Sahih Muslim, 1/73, Introduction, Bab al-nahy 'an al-hadith bi kulli ma sami'a.
63. Sahih Muslim, 2/12, Kitab al-iman, bab bayan tafadul al-Islam.
64. Reported by Abu Dawud, 4/371, Kitab al-adab, bab fi'l-ghibah; Tirmidhi, 4/660, Kitab sifat alqiyamah,
51; he said it is a hasan sahih hadith.
65. Bukhari and Muslim. See Sharh al-Sunnah, 1/86, Kitab al-iman, bab al-kaba'ir.




Friday 23 July 2010

It's all about trust...

Does the picture above remind you of anything? 
Well, it reminds me of how trusting I was. I trusted my parents to throw me up in the air and not drop me. This is a familiar picture for most of us.
 But what happened since then? Would I trust anyone now, not to "drop" me? I am afraid not.
When we are growing up we look up to our parents and feel secure and confident that they will always tell us the truth, protect us and shelter us. We Trust Them.
 When my children were growing up, I trusted them and I still do, to tell me the truth of where they are and who with, I never searched through their personal possessions, I never lied and back bitten and was never  a hypocrite by pretending to be someone I never was  and Alhamdulillah I have been rewarded with children who trust me enough to tell me the truth. ( sometimes more than I need to know...lol).I always tell them that I appreciate them telling me the truth. This strengthens the bond of trust we have. 
However   ..........................
In the outside world ,we encounter a different scenario.People we meet in our daily lives, have no hesitation in betraying our trust. I often marvel at how far people go..., " reasons" unknown and  possibly dark.
In Islam we read the Hadith of The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which clearly warns us:

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)"  Bukhari (Book 2, Hadith 32).

Here are some tips for building trust:

  
  • Never tell a lie, always tell the truth. And, say it kindly and tactfully.
  • Be real; do not act like somebody you are not.
  • Do not gossip about other people's life. The one you are talking to may think you are gossiping her at her back. The worst scene is - she even pass what you said to other people too.
  • Never betray a confidence. Do not tell the secrets confided to you.
  • Keep all the promises you made. If you cannot keep a promise, better not to promise at all.
  • When you borrow something, always return it as soon as possible on time.
Trust yourself First. Then Trust others. Always search for the good in others.Lead by example .

D O N' T   F O R G E T to also put all your trust in Allah, The Most High.

"O Allah, our Lord! All the praises are for You; You are the Keeper (Establisher or the One Who looks after) of the Heavens and the Earth. All the Praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is therein. You are the Truth, and Your saying is the Truth, and Your promise is the Truth, and the meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the Truth. O Allah! I surrender myself to You, and believe in You, and I put my trust in You (solely depend upon). And to You I complain of my opponents and with Your Evidence I argue. So please forgive the sins which I have done in the past or I will do in the future, and also those (sins) which I did in secret or in public, and that which You know better than I. None has the right to be worshipped but You."
 Bukhari  (Book 93, Hadith 534)



Monday 19 July 2010


 Sha’baan is the name of the (eighth) month, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha’aba) in search of water, or it was said that they dispersed to carry out raids and forays. Or it was said that it is so called because it sha’aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadhaan. 

‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting for an entire month except in Ramadhaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’baan.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

It was reported in the books of the Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon them, that Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:
“The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadhaan.”
Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, regarded it as disliked to fast any entire month apart from Ramadhaan. 

Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, observed more voluntary fasts in Sha’baan than in any other month, and he used to fast most of Sha’baan.”

Usaamah Ibn Zayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’baan.’ He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadhaan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” [An-Nasaa'ee]

Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Fasting in Sha’baan is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadhaan, before or after.
  The status of these fasts is like that of Al-Sunan Al-Rawaatib (optional prayers which the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, continued to perform all the time) which are done before and after obligatory prayers and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadhaan. Just as Al-Sunan Al-Rawaatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, so fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadhaan are better than fasts at other times.
The phrase “Sha’baan is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadaan” indicates that because it comes between two important months, the sacred month of Rajab and the month of Ramadhaan, people are preoccupied with those two months and they do not pay attention to Sha’baan. Many people think that fasting in Rajab is better than fasting in Sha’baan, because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, but this is not the case.
 Read more here.





Friday 16 July 2010

Ma ,Mamma, Mom, Mother ,Amma


Ma ,Mamma, Mom, Mother ,Amma








She was there every time you cried, when a baby. YOU started growing!



She jumped with joy, When you first stood up on your tender feet, YOU grew confident!


She celebrated with happiness on your first birthday. YOU ate the cake!



She gave you sweets, On your first day to School. YOU enjoyed the whole!



She bought YOU new clothes, Instead of sari for herself. YOU showed off to your friends!
She took you to the doctor, When you were sick. YOU recovered your health!

She quarreled with her friend, When you fought with her friend’s kid; to prove you innocent & gave up her friend. YOU cared less for her loss!



She gave you her savings, to buy your bicycle. YOU rode with pride!

She blessed your love marriage, When you came home married. YOU shared your love with your spouse!


She’s now old and lonely, still thinking of YOU. Remember! All that she had, she gave it to YOU. Show your love before you feel it is too late

THINK, for a moment! How much she sacrificed for YOU. The agony & pain she went through all the years. It was for YOU, only for YOU. Give her your time, a bit of your love for that is all she desires. Tell her that you love her and care too. She’s with YOU, no matter where r u!





One day a man came to see the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It seemed that he was trying to solve something but couldn't quite work it out. So he asked the Prophet. ''Tell me, O Prophet!'' I have many relatives and many friends whom I love, and whom I wish to care for and help. But I often find it difficult to decide which of them has the greatest claim upon me? Which of them should come first?'' The Prophet replied immediately, ''Your mother should come first and before all others.''






Thursday 15 July 2010

Islamic Calendar

Asalamu Alaykum and hello to all my readers.

Earlier today with the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan in mind I asked a Sister who has an outstanding amount of beautiful graphics about Islam etc for a Islamic Calendar. Straight away she came up with this result Mashallah :)
By Effat Saleh


  You can also see more of her presentations here :)                        



Sunday 11 July 2010

Award

 Asalamu Alaykum :)

I was so excited and happy to receive my first award from Amira
Jazakillahu khair ♥


My Blogs have done so much for me with the permission of Allah(swt).

I have met some wonderful people. Is it not strange how we feel that we know each other through our posts?

When I have a good or a bad day I always look forward to take some time out either to write or visit your blogs where Inshallah I get a boost in Knowledge, Imaan, and Motivation. You all feel like an extended family to me.

Now the "Where I want to be in  10 years" question....
In ten years I hope to have...

1) Spent more time appreciating The Creation and getting to know my Creator better.
2) Increased my Islamic Knowledge and SHARED IT.
3) To actually start learning Arabic and stick with it ( a few failed attempts already)
4) To go for Hajj and Umrah with my family.
5) To see all my children grown up and settled.
6) To finally find some peace in this life
7) Prepare myself better for the Final Journey
8) Control my fears and phobias
9) Spread some as much comfort and happiness to those whose path I cross.
10) To Love and forgive everybody , including myself.

I'm supposed to award another 10 bloggers, I'll have to think about the rest but for now
I would like to award the following Bloggers (in no paticular order):


Once you receive this award, you can make a post answering the "where will you be in 10 years question" and award 10 other bloggers :)


Tuesday 6 July 2010

The story of the woman who had Taqwa

 
(Verily, along with every hardship is relief. Verily, along with every hardship is relief.) [94:5-6]


This is a sure promise from Him, and indeed, Allah’s promises are true and He never breaks them.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, “A man and his wife from an earlier generation were poor. Once when the man came back from a journey, he went to his wife saying to her, while feeling hunger and fatigued, `Do you have anything to eat’ She said, `Yes, receive the good news of Allah’s provisions.’ He again said to her, `If you have anything to eat, bring it to me.’ She said, `Wait a little longer.’ She was awaiting Allah’s mercy. When the matter was prolonged, he said to her, `Get up and bring me whatever you have to eat, because I am real hungry and fatigued.’ She said, `I will. Soon I will open the oven’s cover, so do not be hasty.’ When he was busy and refrained from insisting for a while, she said to herself, `I should look in my oven.’ So she got up and looked in her oven and found it full of the meat of a lamb, and her mortar and pestle was full of seed grains; it was crushing the seeds on its own. So, she took out what was in the mortar and pestle, after shaking it to remove everything from inside, and also took the meat out that she found in the oven.” Abu Hurayrah added, “By He in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Al-Qasim (Prophet Muhammad )!
This is the same statement that Muhammad (saw) said,
(Had she taken out what was in her mortar and not emptied it fully by shaking it, it would have continued crushing the seeds until the Day of Resurrection.)”

Sunday 4 July 2010

"Verily, with hardship there is relief"

picture courtesy of wunderground.com

I used to be the most impatient person possible in the whole planet :)
I used to fall and wonder and complain and could not understand why things were happening to me.
Of course before Islam, I did not know what my purpose in life was. I thought that this life was the only life we had and it was only to be enjoyed.
As it says in the Qur’an Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path) [2:18]

I used to cover my ears and eyes and wonder blindly.
When I saw others in difficulty around me I used obviously to feel for them as somewhere in my heart there was compassion and love for my fellow human beings. But I also used to feel that if I hang around I would “catch” the misfortune . So I used to do what I can to help and then distance myself.
But in all, myself  and my family was the centre of my existence. I can easily call myself selfish.
Allah, showed me His signs in more than a few occasions but he also showed me His Love and Care. The only problem was, I was unable to recognize any of them.
In the course of the years I saw illnesses in myself and my family, difficult relationships, I saw a beloved parent dying, other people loved by me dying, difficult  years where I felt I was the only person who was suffering . I had nowhere to turn.
The year after I accepted Islam , I had a particularly difficult period in my life. It lasted for approximately 2 years.

Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. (2:155)
It was happening to me. Exactly as in the above Ayat. The only problem was that I was very new to Islam and I was missing this part”… but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” (2:155)
It is was an unbelievable calamity and I am unable to discuss the details here. Myself and my family went through very difficult times emotionally and physically.
The more it went on the more I knew that it was only Allah that could help me.
If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you; if He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, the believers put their trust (Qur'an 3:160)
So I turned to Allah. He heard every dua and He saw me through.
When the event came to an end as I said 2 years later I looked up towards the sky and with eyes full of tears I could only whisper” Alhamdulillah” I knew that the old me could have never coped with what had happened.


The Lessons
"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (Qur'an 3:173-174) 

"And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (Qur'an 5:23) 
"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (Qur'an 2:153) 

"Verily, with hardship there is relief" (Qur'an 94:6)