Friday 7 June 2013

About Daily Dua (A Day in the life of a Muslim Child)



'And for men and women who engage much in Allah's remembrance, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.' (Surah Al Azhaab: 35).
Keeping our tongue moist through the remembrance of ALLAH () should be part of our daily ritual as is brushing our teeth and eating our meals. Once we integrate daily duas into our life, insha ALLAH we can influence others to follow in this excellent habit, particularly our spouse and children as we know how little children like to imitate, and the best way to teach our children how to practise this beautiful religion of Islam is by our own example. We strive to teach them about the fundamentals of our deen, but sometimes we overlook how crucial a part daily duas form in their lives. Our aim should be to slowly but gradually build their knowledge in this area and particularly from a young age, through implementing them ourselves, and gently reminding them of the duas when they forget, how to recite them and why. Eventually the daily duas will insha ALLAH become second nature to our children.

A Day in the Life Of 
*A Muslim Child*

Some things we have to do by the order of Allah like...


Getting up early in the morning
When you get up early in the morning you are supposed to say this:

Alhamdu lillahilladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana wa ilaihinnushur.
It means: Thanks and praises to Allah who brought us to life after having given us death and to him we shall have to return. 
Entering and coming out of the bathroom
 While entering the bathroom make sure to put you left foot in first and say this:
Allahumma inni a'oodhu bika minal khubthi wal khaba'ith. 
It means: O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the bad and evil things.
Come out and put your right foot out first and say the following supplication:
 Ghufranaka. Alhamdu lillahilladhi adhaba anniladha wa'afani. 
It means: I ask for your forgiveness. Thanks and praises to Allah who removed from me the suffering and gave me relief.

How to do wudu'
Wash your hands three times, then rinse your mouth three times withright hand. Rinse your nose three times with left hand. Then wash your face three times. Then wash your forearms up to elbows three times. After that wipe your head with water once. Insert your index fingers in your ear holes, then wipe the back of your ears with thumb and front of your ears with index fingers. Now in the end wash your feet and rub your toes with you little fingers to make sure that water reaches between them. During this whole process make sure not to waste water. There is a saying of the prophet that even if you are standing on the banks of the river, do not waste any water. After completing wudu' you  should say:

Ash-hadu alla illahailallah wah dahu la syarikalahu wa as hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.

Going to the Mosque
When you leave the house you should say:

Bismillahi tawak-kaltu alallah wa la haula wa la quwwata illah billah.
It means: In the name of Allah. I put my trust in Allah and there is no strength nor power except Allah.

When you are late for prayer some run towards the Masjid. But we should not do that because ALLAH's Messenger has said: When you hear the Iqamah,  proceed to offer the prayer with calmness and solemnity and do not make haste. Pray whatever you are able to pray and complete what ever you have missed. When you enter the Masjid put your right foot in first and say:

Bismillahi wassalamu ala rasulillahi.  Allhummagfirli zunubi waftahli abwaba rahmatika.
It means: In the name of Allah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah! Open for me the doors of your mercy.

Eating at the table
Let's say I was eating a melon and I forgot to say Bismillah our Prophet has given us guidance on all aspects of life. He taught us that if somebody forgot to say Bismillah before starting the meal he should say:

Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu. 
It means: I start in the name of ALLAH at the beginning and at the end.
You should also eat with your right hand and from what's in front of you. After your done eating you should say: 

May ALLAH () make it easy for us and our loved ones to remember Him through the most excellent manner of implementing the daily duas. May He guide us and assist us in continually memorizing a selection of daily duas so that they form an important part of our life and enable us to reap the benefits from them in every possible way. Aameen.

Thursday 6 June 2013

Other Names of Surah Al- Fatihah



In the name of ALLAH, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but ALLAH Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

In the eyes of Arabs if a thing had many different names, this was an indication of its importance.

  • Al-Fatihah (The Opening) – It is named Al-Fatihah, the Opening – because it opens the Book and by it the recitation in prayer commences.
  • Umm al-Quran (Mother of the Quran) – According to At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The chapter commencing with] “All praises and thanks are due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds” is the Mother of the Quran, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses and the Great Quran.” Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said that it was named so because the meaning of the entire Quran is summarized therein. The Arabs named anything that concisely summarizes something or comprises its most important part, Umm, or Mother.
  • Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book) – Al-Bukhari said in the beginning of the Book of Tafsir in his Sahih: “It is named Umm al-Quran because it is the first chapter written in the Quranic texts and the recitation in prayer commences with it.”
  • Sab’ul-Mathani (The Seven Oft Repeated Verses) – It is also named Sab’ul-Mathani, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses, because they are frequently recited and indeed recited in every rakaah of the prayer. Allah says in the Quran:
  • Al-Hamd (Praises to Allah) – It is also named Al-Hamd, the Praise, because it contains mention of hamd just as Al-Baqarah is named so because it contains mention of the cow. Some scholars also gave the reasoning that Al-Hamd comprises heart of Al-Fatihah.
  • As-Salah (The Prayer) – It is named the Prayer because its recitation is a condition for the validity of the prayer.
  • Ash-Shifa – It is also named Ash-Shifa’, the Cure, due to what Ad-Darimi reports on the authority of Abu Sa’id that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The Opening of the Book is a cure to every poison.”
  • Ar-Ruqyah – It is also named Ar-Ruqya, the Spiritual Cure due to the hadith of Abu Sa’id reported by Bukhari that after he had recited it to cure a person who had been bitten by a scorpion, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked him, “…And what made you to know that it was a ruqya.”
  • Asas al-Quran (the Foundation of the Quran) – Ash-Sha’bi records on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he named it , and that he said, “The foundation of Al-Fatihah is, “Bismillah…” (with the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.)

The popular names of this Surah are the following:

islam on Surah Al Fatihah   The ‘Greatest Surah’ in the Quran
“And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of Al-Mathani (the seven repeatedly recited Verses), (i.e. Surat Al-Fatiha) and the Grand Quran. [Quran: Surah Al-Hijr (87)]”
Other scholars have also named it as Al-Kanz (the Treasure), Ash-Shukr (Gratitude), ad-Dua (Supplication), Ash-Shafiyah (the sufficient), Al-Kafiyah (the Sufficient), Al-Wafiyah, the Fulfillment and more.

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Ghost About Ghost (In Islamic Perspective)



According to Qur'an:
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِلَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.

And according to Hadith:

Ibj Majah and At-Tirmidhi reported that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said:
When 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin )Haram) was killed on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah met me, and said: "O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah has said to your father?" Yahya said in his Hadith: "And he said: 'O Jabir, why do I see you broken-hearted?' I (Jabir) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my father has been martyred and he has left behind dependents and debts.' He said: 'Shall I not give you the glad tidings of that with which Allah met your father?' I said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Allah never spoke to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father directly, and He said: "O My slave! Ask something from Me and I shall give it to you." He said: "O Lord, bring me back to life so that I may be killed in Your cause a second time." The Lord, Glorified is He, said: "I have already decreed that they will not return to life." He said: "My Lord, then convey (this news) to those whom I have left behind." Allah said: "Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah, Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision."

In this Hadith, it is clearly stated that no soul may return back to the world of livings, not even the soul of a martyr or a messenger.  Islam believes in the unseen. We don't believe in ghosts.

In the name of ALLAH, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but ALLAH Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Let me specify. What is a "ghost?" Typically, this means "the soul or spirit of a dead person who haunts the world of the living." This definition contradicts Islam; once a soul leaves, it never returns until the Day of Resurrection.  Regarding ghosts of the dead returning, whether to convey a message or take revenge, has no basis in Islam.

So, when a person dies, the soul remains in the grave and a barrier is set up. This means that a soul cannot return to the place of the living, neither can they ascend to heaven or hell just yet. Can we, the living, talk to them? The answer is no.
Verily, you cannot make the dead hear and you cannot make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs and retreat.” [An Naml: 80]

There is only one instance when the dead can hear. According to prophet MUhammad (peace be upon him):

After the deceased is placed in his grave and his companions turn to leave, he hears the shuffling of their feet as they walk away. Then there comes to him two angels.” [related by al Bukhari and Muslim]

This is a momentary possession of the faculty of hearing, which stops at the point when the two angels come to the dead for questioning him/her.
There are many ayaat and hadith that talk about what happens to a human soul when it dies. To summarize:
·         The angel of death comes and extracts the soul
·         The angels wrap it and carry it
·         It is eventually returned to its grave
·         The person is asked the questions of the grave
·         They remain there until resurrection day

Going back to ghosts: on the other hand, we have Jinns, which are mentioned in the Qur'an: invisible beings of great physical strength. They can possess (enter into and speak on behalf of) humans.

Among the proofs of this are:
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity being possessed. That is because they say, "Trade is [just] like interest." But ALLAH has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. Surah Baqarah, verse 275
The highlighted section (my notes), in Arabic, refers to possession by Jinns.

Islam explains the realm of the unseen: the jinn. The jinn are creations of ALLAH that live in the world parallel to us. Jinn is an Arabic word derived from the verb, Janna, which means to conceal or hide. As their name suggests, jinn are physically invisible from us. And this invisibility is probably the reason why some of us have been denying their existence. Regarding the jinn’s origin, it is mentioned that:
Indeed, We have created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We have created the jinn before that from the smokeless flame of the fire.” [Al Hijr 15:26-27]

Like ourselves, ALLAH has created and has required the jinn to worship Him.
I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Al Dhariyat 51:56]

However, jinn do possess some powers and abilities that distinguish them from us, which include taking on a different physical form, like that of a human, for instance. Some jinn, like us, abuse the powers and capabilities given to them by ALLAH. One of the several ways that these jinn manipulate their powers is through visions.

Indeed, he (Iblis) and his tribe (jinn) watch you from a position where you cannot see them.” [Al A'raf 7:27]

For some, like my sister, visions of dead people (whether familiar or strangers) or those of the ‘unseen’ are common. Those who do not believe in the jinn as God’s creation would be convinced that these are indeed the souls of the departed trying to tell us something. And this is exactly what the jinn is trying to do: lead us astray – from our beliefs and the truth.

Other ways these jinn manipulate us into shirk is through fortune telling, black magic, whispering into our hearts, or trying to communicate with us.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to ALLAH’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  ALLAH Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.


WALLALLAHHUALAMBISSAWAB…

Tuesday 4 June 2013

About Satan Faces The Muslim Girl

 



 Today I am going to bring my reader to a story that really a touchable one.   Satan is the enemy of people who engaged in serving Allah s.w.t and following the commandment laid down by Him through our beloved prophet s.a.w,  Therefore, we would always try as hard as we can to derived away form satan desires, teachings and the likes, by following our Islamic rule.

In the name of ALLAH, we praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers. 

Satan was having a hard day. He was unable to find any true challenges to entice into following him into hellfire. The hypocrites and non-believers were no problem. He did not even have to search for them, they flocked to him by the millions every day. They were almost pests and more common then horse flies in a barn on a hot summer day.

"Hmmm" thought Satan "I need a real challenge to prove I can mislead anybody" "Where should I look for my prize victim?"

Then it came to him. Go to the mosque and look for the most innocent person leaving after morning Fajr.  He went and waited, soon many came out in a big rush to get to work. He thought "these people may be faithful, but they do not have the piety to stay for saying Du'as".  He then decided to wait for the very last person to leave. After what seemed to be a very long wait a very young girl dressed modestly and wearing both a hijab and Niqab came out. Although Shaytan could not see her face or body he knew she was immaculately beautiful by the glow that surrounded her. Here is my challenge he thought.

His evil mind devised a plan to lead this innocent child into his clutches. She was young and pure but she was also at an age when she would have thoughts of marriage and thinking of a man in her arms. This was the weakness he would attack and lead this innocent into the trap of fitnah and zina.

He knew he could not conquer her directly, but he could easily entice a handsome young man who had already tasted and yearned for pleasures of the flesh. It was easy to whisper into this young man and tell him how lovely and desirable that young girl would be. He whispered to the young man ways to be deceitful, flirtatious and filled him with desire for the young girl.

The young man tried to seduce the girl with flirtation, but she scorned and ignored his advances. Satan whispered more and urged the man to be more forceful. The young girl did her best to fight him off but he was too big and too strong to fight him. She did her best and fought to her death. As she laid on the ground dieing a peaceful smile crossed her face and her last word was "ALLAH s.w.t.

Satan was furious with anger, he struck out at the young man and shouted. "You fool you sent my prize directly to ALLAH s.w.t and because of you I have lost her forever for she surly will be in Jannah when I enter the Hellfire."

The young man answered "But you now have me?"

"Idiot" shouted Satan "You always were mine, your own lustful desires sent you to me. I did not have to capture you. You ran to me and would still be going to the hellfire even if I had never spoken to you"

The final & the most important journey of a man begins with his One leg wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud) {waltafatul saaqu bil saaq}...the only thing that takes him forward to the blissfull destination are his GOOD DEEDS.....are we ready for it?

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to ALLAH’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  ALLAH Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

WALLALLAHHUALAMBISSAWAB…

Copyright @ 2013 My Heart.