Eid Wishes and Greetings

Eid Wishes and Greetings

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My Best Wishes to all my dear readers-"Eid Mubarak"
May Allah (swt) accept our good deeds and forgive our shortcomings!!!
Ameen

Why I do not want to be Only a " Ramadan Muslim"

With Ramadan 2010 fast approaching,  my thoughts turn to other Ramadans past and I can not help but feel that most of us are in great  need to carry the Ramadan spirit not only for  the the 30 days that Ramadan lasts but also for the rest of the year.

We have already, Alhamdulillah,  started preparing spiritually and physically for the blessed days to come.

We are all making our resolutions. I am sure you have all made your lists:

Day 1- Day 30…

No wasting time, spending more time studying and learning the Religion, dusting our Qur’an off the shelf and trying to read it,more memorisation, asking for forgiveness, attending all prayers in the masjid, taraweeh and night prayers a must,  being extra nice to relatives and neighbours, more peaceful, more loving, more charitable and more…

Of course in the month of Ramadan by Allah’s permission, doing good and being good becomes easier. And that is a Blessing from Allah The Most  High, Who Wants us to remember His great favour upon us , The Reveleation of the Holy Qur’an , be grateful, show our gratitude , ask for His Forgiveness and He Wants us to draw closer to Him, He wants to bestow upon us His bounty and blessings.

But this is not only for the few days out of the year that Ramadan lasts.

Of course it is good to aim to have a Blessed Ramadan for yourselves and your families.

But somehow this aim to get close to Allah (swt) must be maintained all through the year.

So the lists we are making must be L O N G  T E R M.

We need to have the  Qur’an in our lives not just for the duration of Ramadan but also forthe rest of the year. We need to study it and understand it and implement it in our lives on a daily basis.

We need to follow the Sunnah of The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) daily, not only for Ramadan.

We need to be able to easily do what is good and avoid all evil on a daily basis.

We need to be charitable and kind on a daily basis.

That’s why I do not want to be an" Only a Ramadan Muslim".

I want to be a “Ramadan”  Muslim", every single day, every hour, every minute and every second of my life.

And remember….from personal experience I say this:

Set your goals, aim high for this Ramadan  but if you have a draw back, please do not give up, but get up,  ask for forgiveness and try again.

This is what I will also do. Inshallah.

Make dua and ask Allah to Guide you and help you not only for Ramadan but for always.

Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maulâ (Patron, Suppor-ter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Al-Baqarah 2:286)

I ask you all to forgive me if I have done or said anything to upset you.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Xenia

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.

Teardrops!

The Muslim Woman and her prayers!

From the Book " The Ideal Muslimah" Chapter 1

She Regularly Prays Five Times a Day
She offers each of the five daily prayers at its appointed time, and does not let domestic chores or
her duties as a wife and mother prevent her from doing so.

Prayer is the link between the servant and his (Rabb). It is the rich source from which a person
derives strength, steadfastness, mercy and contentment, and it is a means of cleansing the stain of
his or her sins:
Abu Hurayrah (RAA) narrated:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: `What would you think if there were a river
running by the door of any of you, and he bathed in it five times every day, would any trace
of dirt be left on him?' The people said: `There would be no trace of dirt on him.' He said:
`This is like the daily prayers, through which Allah (SWT) erases sins.'" (Sharh al-
Sunnah 2/175).

Prayer in the Mosque
Islam has excused women from the obligation to attend the jama`ah prayer in the mosque, but at
the same time, they are permitted to go out of the house to attend jama`ah on condition that they
dress up well enough not to cause any temptation. Indeed, the first Muslim women did go out and
pray in the mosque behind the Prophet (PBUH).
`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to pray fajr, and the believing women would pray with
him, wrapped up in their outer garments; then they would go back to their homes, and
nobody would recognize them."
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Do not prevent your women from attending the mosque if they seek your permission to do
so."
"Do not prevent the female servants of Allah (SWT) from attending the mosques of Allah
(SWT)."
"If your womenfolk seek your permission to go to the mosque, then let them do so."

She Attends Eid Prayers
Islam has honoured woman and made her equal with man as regards obligatory acts of worship.
Women are also encouraged to attend public gatherings on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, so that they
may take part in these blessed occasions.
We find this in a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn
Jurayj, who said:
"`Ata' told me: "I heard Jabir ibn `Abdullah say: `The Prophet (PBUH) stood up on the
occasion of Eid al-Fitr and led the people in prayer. He began the prayer before the khutbah.
Then he addressed the people. When the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) had finished his khutbah,
he came to the women and spoke to them, whilst leaning on Bilal's arm, and Bilal spread out
his cloak for the women to put their sadaqah in it.'" I [Ibn Jurayj] said to `Ata', `Was it zakat
al-fitr?' He said, `No, it was the sadaqah that they gave at that time; one woman threw her
ring into it, then others followed her lead.' I said to `Ata', `Is it a duty nowadays for the
imam to come to the women and address them when he has finished his khutbah?' He said,
`It most certainly is. This is a duty on them (imams); what is wrong with them that they do
not do that nowadays?'"
According to this hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) exhorted and reminded the women, and accepted the
sadaqah that they themselves willingly gave.

She Prays Sunnah and Nafil Prayers
The Muslim women does not limit herself to the five daily obligatory prayers; she also prays those
sunnah prayers which the Prophet (PBUH) used to perform regularly (al-rawatib), and prays as
many of the nafil (supererogatory) prayers as her time and energy allow. These prayers include
salat al-duha, sunnah prayers following maghrib, and prayers offered at night. Nafil prayers bring a
person closer to Allah (SWT), earn him or her the love and pleasure of Allah (SWT), and make him
or her one of the victorious, obedient and righteous ones. There is no clearer indication of the great
status attained by the believer who draws closer to Allah (SWT) by performing nafil deeds than the
hadith qudsi:
"My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I will love him.
When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his
hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of
Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him
it."

She Performs Her Prayers Properly
The true Muslim tries hard to perform her prayers properly, with deep concentration and precision
of physical movements. She thinks about the meaning of the ayat she is reciting, and the words of
praise and glorification that she is uttering. Her soul is flooded with fear of Allah (SWT), and with
gratitude to Him and sincere worship of Him. If the Titan happens to whisper some idea to her
during the prayer, to distract her from concentrating properly, to keep him away she focuses on
the words that she is reciting from the Qur'an, and the words of praise that she is uttering.
The Muslim woman does not rush back to her housework and chores when she has finished her
prayer. Rather, as the Prophet (PBUH) used to do, she asks Allah (SWT)'s forgiveness by saying
"Astaghfir-Allah" three times, and repeats the du`a': "Allahumma anta al-salam wa minka alsalam,
tabaraka ya dha'l-jalali wa'l-ikram (O Allah (SWT), You are Peace and from You comes
peace, Blessed are You, O Lord of majesty and honour.)"50 Then she repeats the adhkar and
du`a's that the Prophet (PBUH) is known to have recited after completing his prayer. There are
many such adhkar51, one of the most important of which is to repeat "Subhan Allah" thirty-three
times, "La ilaha ill-Allah" thirty-three times, "Allahu akbar" thirty-three times, then to complete one
hundred with "La illaha ill-Allah wahdahu la shaika lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd, wa huwa `ala
kulli shayin qadir." According to a sahih hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Whoever glorifies Allah (SWT) (says subhan Allah) after every prayer thirty three times,
praises Allah (SWT) (says al-hamdu lillah) thirty three times, and magnifies Allah (SWT)
(says Allahu akbar) thirty-three times, which adds up to ninety-nine, then completes one
hundred by saying La illaha ill-Allah wahdahu la shaika lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd, wa
huwa `ala kulli shayin qadir, his sins will be forgiven, even if they were like the foam of the
sea."
Then she turns to Allah (SWT) humbly asking Him to correct all her affairs, in this world and next,
and to bless her abundantly and guide her in everything.
Thus the Muslim woman finishes her prayers, purified in heart and mind and reinvigorated with a
dose of spiritual energy, which will help her to cope with the burdens of everyday life, knowing that
she is under the protection of Allah (SWT). She will not panic if anything bad befalls her, nor will
she become miserly if she enjoys good fortune. This is the attitude of those righteous women who
pray and fear Allah (SWT):
( Truly man was created very impatient; Fretful when evil touches him; and
niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to Prayer. Those who
remain steadfast to their prayer; And those in whose wealth is a recognized right
For the [needy] who asks and him who is prevented [for some reason from asking]) (Qur'an 70:19-25)