It is an established fact that there subsists an opponent who being a devoted threat, wishes eternal torments and dedicates his entire existence to that end. That sworn enemy of mankind: Satan whom ALLAH SWT the greatest has cursed and expelled from HIS presence. Nor is he a mere myth or legend, but a real being who constantly conspires and diverges humans thereby leading them astray on road to Hell. His promise made to ALLAH SWT is compelling. Iblees (Satan) proclaimed: “By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all, except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism). ALLAH said: “The Truth is – and the Truth I say – That I will fill Hell with you [Iblees (Satan)] and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together.” [Sad 38: 82-85].
The Iblees engages humanity into entrapment by employing his unique processes. Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, renowned scholar of Islam, discusses Satan’s modus operandi in greater detail in one of his essays. A humble effort is attempted to simplify the same to enlight the audience.
Fundamentally Iblees strives to his best to ambush mankind within the shackles of kufr and Shirk. If this is successful, his goal of deviating mankind is accomplished. The affected being becomes a part of his army and he deploys him as his agent to mislead others.
If despaired by default, Iblees concentrates in engaging the slaves of ALLAH SWT in bidah (innovations). He loves bidah more than impiety and disobedience as the harm of bidah is in the essence of religion. The holy Prophet PBUH mentioned “Every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance goes to Hell fire.” [Sahih Muslim]. Bidah is undoubtedly a gate to kufr and shirk.
If defeated in trapping the slaves of ALLAH SWT by his two basic methods, Iblees ensures to corrupt them by involving in various forms of major sins. This is the bracket in which most of the common Muslims fall in. Heinous sins like lying, back biting, eavesdropping, deceit and usury (riba) are the common vices to which most succumb. ALLAH SWT says “Those who avoid great sins (Al Kabair) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults, – verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness.” [Al-Najm 53:32].
When overpowered by the worshipper in spite of the above means, Iblees snares believers into minor sins. The holy Prophet advised, “Be aware of the minor sin.” These sins may destroy a person if they accumulate.
If still not able to taste success, Iblees moves on to occupy his targets in permissible acts that do not garner reward or punishment. However, the damage of this level is caused by surpassing the reward missed by being occupied with these deeds.
Finally when Iblees is flattened by all of his operations, he sways the worshippers in engaging in deeds of lesser rewards so as to keep virtue away from them and to prevent them from attaining the rewards of the preferred acts.
We may find ourselves helpless in thwarting away the treat from Satan, but ALLAH SWT the most merciful has promised protection from Satan for the slaves who are Taqwa complaint (Benefits of TAQWA ). Pray ALLAH SWT guides us to sirat-ul-mustaqheem. Aameen
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wit of Hazrath Ali
•Do not befriend a fool, for he hurts you when he wants to help you
•Do not befriend a stingy man, for he will distance himself from you when he is most needed
•Do not befriend a profligate, as he will sell you for a trifle
•And do not befriend a liar, for he is like a mirage, making the distant seem near to you and the near seem distant.”
During the times of Hazrat Ali’s caliphate, two Arabs were travelling together through the Hijaz desert. At meals, they sat together on a convenient spot and opened their food packages. One of them had five loaves of bread and the other three. As they were about to begin their meal, a stranger queried whether he might share their meal. “You are welcome, brother,” they said in unison, and all three had a pleasant time together.
At the time of farewell, the stranger presented them eight dirhams and asked them to divide it amongst themselves. Although, to accept money in lieu for hospitality is considered inappropriate by the Muslims, but the gift was presented in a spirit and manner such that to refuse it would have deemed rude. Therefore they accepted it.
There arouse a disagreement on the matter of distribution of dirhams. The man who had possessed greater share of bread sought five of the eight dirhams. On the other hand, the one with lesser portion demanded an equal half of the amount. It was a question of principle and none would forego his right. Since there was no amicable solution, both agreed to approach the Caliph for a just and reasonable settlement.
Hazrat Ali attentively listened to their account, pondered over it for a while and then addressed the man who had three breads: “Brother! Accept the three dirhams which your companion offers you, for, in reality, you don’t have a right to even those three dirhams.”
“O Caliph!” said the Arab. “It is not the money I’m arguing for; it is my right that I seek. If it is proven reasonably that I deserve not a single dirham, by ALLAH, I shall have no complaint!”
“Then listen,” said Hazrat Ali. “You had three breads and your companion had five, which makes a total of eight loaves and there were three of you to share them. Do you agree?”
“I do,” replied the Arab.
“Now, eight breads could not be divided equally in three shares without dividing them.”
“Evidently impossible…”
“There you are,” said Hazrat Ali, appreciating the remark by the Arab. “But the breads had to be divided in three equal shares and you did it in practice though not apprehensively. The simplest practical solution to this riddle is, let us suppose, each bread was cut into three equal pieces; therefore your three breads made nine pieces and your companion’s five breads made fifteen. Thus making a total of 24 pieces and all of you ate 8 pieces each.
“Excellent!” exclaimed the Arab with joy.
“Patience, brother,” said the Caliph, while an amusing smile appeared on his lips. “Now, let us understand that you ate 8 pieces out of your nine and spared only one for the stranger. Your companion also ate 8 pieces out of his 15 and spared 7 pieces for the traveller. It is therefore just that he takes seven dirhams for his seven pieces that the stranger ate and that you take one dirham for your single piece.”
“By ALLAH! Wa-ALLAH! You are the wisest of the men on earth,” proclaimed the Arab and accepted his share of single dirham from the gift and left the court being content with the verdict.
There are many such wisdom crammed events of this virtuous Caliph who happened to be a first cousin of our beloved Prophet PBUH. InshALLAH in future we seek to enlight our audience on Hazrath Ali’s wit.
On the lines of the wonderful advice Luqman AS gave to his son, Hazrat Ali likewise extended wisdom to his son, Hazrat Hassan that we all can pass down our generation:
“My son, remember four things from me, and four more; you will come to no harm as long as you act in accordance with them:
The richest of riches is intelligence, and the greatest poverty is stupidity.
The loneliest isolation is conceit, and the noblest value is goodness of character.
•Do not befriend a stingy man, for he will distance himself from you when he is most needed
•Do not befriend a profligate, as he will sell you for a trifle
•And do not befriend a liar, for he is like a mirage, making the distant seem near to you and the near seem distant.”
During the times of Hazrat Ali’s caliphate, two Arabs were travelling together through the Hijaz desert. At meals, they sat together on a convenient spot and opened their food packages. One of them had five loaves of bread and the other three. As they were about to begin their meal, a stranger queried whether he might share their meal. “You are welcome, brother,” they said in unison, and all three had a pleasant time together.
At the time of farewell, the stranger presented them eight dirhams and asked them to divide it amongst themselves. Although, to accept money in lieu for hospitality is considered inappropriate by the Muslims, but the gift was presented in a spirit and manner such that to refuse it would have deemed rude. Therefore they accepted it.
There arouse a disagreement on the matter of distribution of dirhams. The man who had possessed greater share of bread sought five of the eight dirhams. On the other hand, the one with lesser portion demanded an equal half of the amount. It was a question of principle and none would forego his right. Since there was no amicable solution, both agreed to approach the Caliph for a just and reasonable settlement.
Hazrat Ali attentively listened to their account, pondered over it for a while and then addressed the man who had three breads: “Brother! Accept the three dirhams which your companion offers you, for, in reality, you don’t have a right to even those three dirhams.”
“O Caliph!” said the Arab. “It is not the money I’m arguing for; it is my right that I seek. If it is proven reasonably that I deserve not a single dirham, by ALLAH, I shall have no complaint!”
“Then listen,” said Hazrat Ali. “You had three breads and your companion had five, which makes a total of eight loaves and there were three of you to share them. Do you agree?”
“I do,” replied the Arab.
“Now, eight breads could not be divided equally in three shares without dividing them.”
“Evidently impossible…”
“There you are,” said Hazrat Ali, appreciating the remark by the Arab. “But the breads had to be divided in three equal shares and you did it in practice though not apprehensively. The simplest practical solution to this riddle is, let us suppose, each bread was cut into three equal pieces; therefore your three breads made nine pieces and your companion’s five breads made fifteen. Thus making a total of 24 pieces and all of you ate 8 pieces each.
“Excellent!” exclaimed the Arab with joy.
“Patience, brother,” said the Caliph, while an amusing smile appeared on his lips. “Now, let us understand that you ate 8 pieces out of your nine and spared only one for the stranger. Your companion also ate 8 pieces out of his 15 and spared 7 pieces for the traveller. It is therefore just that he takes seven dirhams for his seven pieces that the stranger ate and that you take one dirham for your single piece.”
“By ALLAH! Wa-ALLAH! You are the wisest of the men on earth,” proclaimed the Arab and accepted his share of single dirham from the gift and left the court being content with the verdict.
There are many such wisdom crammed events of this virtuous Caliph who happened to be a first cousin of our beloved Prophet PBUH. InshALLAH in future we seek to enlight our audience on Hazrath Ali’s wit.
On the lines of the wonderful advice Luqman AS gave to his son, Hazrat Ali likewise extended wisdom to his son, Hazrat Hassan that we all can pass down our generation:
“My son, remember four things from me, and four more; you will come to no harm as long as you act in accordance with them:
The richest of riches is intelligence, and the greatest poverty is stupidity.
The loneliest isolation is conceit, and the noblest value is goodness of character.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Common Acts of Shirik
After dealing with the meaning of Tauheed (Tauheed: The Islamic Monotheism), its types and shirk (SHIRK: The Gravest SIN), the moderators of this blog intend to shed some light on some of the common acts that are prevalent in our societies which are nothing but Shirk.
There is a common misconception among masses that one can be free of shirk merely by avoiding the worship of statues and idols. Shirk encompasses a wide range of practices and we shall deal with them in brief.
Seeking help from other than Allah swt
Help should be sought only from Allah SWT. In every rakath of our salat we proclaim that “It is You we worship and You we ask for help,” [Al-Fatihah 1:5] and later on if we seek help from other than Allah SWT, we will be falsifying this testimony. “And do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.”[Yunus 10:106]
Prophet PBUH clearly mentioned in one of his traditions, “If you ask, ask of Allah, if you seek help, seek help from Allah SWT.” [Tirmidhi]
Knowledge of the Unseen:
One should register in mind that the Knowledge of the unseen rests only with Allah SWT. Having a belief that any individual be it prophet or a companion or a righteous man or any other person has the knowledge of unseen is an act of Shirk. A huge mass of people are victims of this heinous form of shirk. Allah SWT says: “And with HIM are the keys of Ghaib (all that’s hidden), none knows them but HE.”(Al-Anam 6:59)
The Prophet PBUH said: “No one has knowledge of the unseen except Allah SWT” [At-Tabrani]
Seeking help from the Dead:
The foremost thing regarding the dead is that they do not have the capacity to hear so where does the question of seeking help from them arise. Allah SWT clearly mentions in Quran: “But you cannot make hear those who are in the graves,” [Fatir 35:22]. In another verse the Quran says: “Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear,” [An-Naml 27:80]
Swearing oaths to any other besides Allah
Making a vow is an act of worship and directing a vow to other than Allah amounts to Shirk. Allah SWT says in glorious Quran, “And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows – indeed, Allah knows of it. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.” [Al-Baqarah 2:270]
Prophet PBUH said, “Whoever vows to obey Allah, should obey HIM and whoever vows to disobey HIM, should not disobey HIM,” [Bukhari].
Wearing a Talisman (Taweez)
Wearing talismans or any kind of threads on any part of the body is nothing but shirk. Prophet PBUH said: “Ar Ruqa (incantations) or At-Tamaim (Amulets/Taweez) and At-tiwalah (bewitchment) are all acts of Shirk,” [Ahmed and Abu Dawood]
Sacrificing an animal in any name beside ALLAH SWT
Sacrificing or slaughtering an animal by any other name beside Allah SWT is Shirk. Allah SWT says in Quran, “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone],” [Al-Kawthar 108:2]. The meet of that animal is forbidden to eat. The Messenger of Allah PBUH said, “Allah curses whoever sacrifices (or slaughters) in any name other than Allah,” [Muslim]
Sorcery:
The practice of magic/sorcery is considered rejection of faith (Kufr), as Allah SWT said: “But the devils disbelieved, teaching men magic.” [Al-Baqarah 2:102] “They believe in Al Jibt and At Taghut,” [An-Nisa 4:51] Umar RA is reported to have said that Al Jibt is magic (sorcery) and At Taghut is Ash Shaitan.
Prophet PBUH said: “Avoid the seven grave sins; associating partners with Allah, magic…” [Muslim] Furthermore the punishment for the sorcerers or magicians is nothing but execution. Prophet PBUH said: “The punishment for the sorcerers/magicians is that he be struck with the sword (executed).” [Tirmidhi]
Soothsayers and Fortune-tellers:
Prophet PBUH said: “Whoever visits a fortuneteller or a soothsayer and believes in his words, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammed PBUH.” [Hakim Saheeh]
Friday, November 19, 2010
SHIRK- The Gravest Sin
SHIRK: The gravest SINJun
Shirk is antithesis of Tauheed (Tauheed: The Islamic Monotheism). Shirk, linguistically means to associate, and in terms of Islamic Shariah, shirk means ascribing a partner or rival to Allah in HIS Lordship (ruboobiyyah), HIS worship (Uloohiyyah) or in HIS names and attributes (Asma-was- sifaat). Allah SWT orders, “Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)” [Al-Baqarah 2:222] Shirk is the gravest transgression and sin that a human being can commit. ‘’Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” [An-Nisa 4:48]. ‘’And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray’’ [An-Nisa 4:116].
The most horrendous sin mankind can commit is associating partners with the Magnificent Creator Allah SWT. In the chronology of most dreadful sins, Shirk tops the list. Mercy of Allah SWT can prevail over any sin except Shirk. Ibn Masud RA narrated that the Prophet PBUH said: “Whoever dies while ascribing partners to Allah SWT, enters the hell-fire.”[Bukhari]
Mankind, from the beginning was a single nation which was on the doctrines of Tauheed (Oneness of Allah). Allah SWT says in the Quran: “Mankind was one Ummah, then Allah sent prophets bringing good news and warnings.” [2:213] Ibn Abbaas RA said: “Between Nooh (Noah) and Aadam were ten generations, all of them were upon Sharee’ah (law) of the truth, then they differed. So Allah SWT sent prophets as bringers of good news and as warners.” [Related by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree in his Tafseer (4/275) and al-Haakim (2/546)]. From this statement of Ibn Abbas RA we can infer that the deceit of Shirk started to nurture only after ten generations. In a Hadith al Khudsi Allah SWT says “I created all my servants upon the true Religion (upon Tauheed, free from Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them astray from their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I had made lawful for them, and they commanded them to associate in worship with Me, that which I had sent down no authority.” [Muslim and Ahmad]
The Prophet PBUH said, “Every child is born upon the Fitrah [natural inclination towards Islam] but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Maigan. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a natural offspring. Have you noticed any born mutilated, before you mutilate them?” Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish:“Allaah’s Fitrah with which He created mankind. There is to be no change to the creation (Religion) of Allaah.” [Ar-Rum 30:30] [Agreed upon] After this clear and lucid elucidation, it is of supreme importance for the Muslim to know how Shirk made its unpleasant roots in the minds of believers, after they were Muwahideen (people upon Tauheed). Allah SWT says about the people of Nooh: “And they have said: You shall not forsake your gods, nor shall you forsake Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya’ooq, nor Nasr.” [Nuh 71:23]
Ibn Abbas relates: “Indeed these five (Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya’ooq, nor Nasr) were the names of righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they died, Shaytaan whispered to their people to make statues of them and to place these statues in their places of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this. However, none from amongst them worshipped these statues, until when they died and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next generation) began to worship them.” [Bukhari]
Thus Allah SWT sent Prophet Muhammed PBUH as the final prophet and made his Shareeah a compulsion to follow for the rest of the ummah. This Shareeah prohibits all means and avenues by which people may fall into Shirk at large. Once a person falls into the muck of Shirk all his deeds are of no use.
Brothers!! Building shrines over the graves and intending to travel towards them for having once wishes fulfilled, sacrificing an animal in their name, asking help from them or swearing an oath by the inmate of the grave are all heinous forms of Shirk which the Creator SWT for sure dislikes to core.
This being the case even more so in an age in which knowledge is diminishing, ignorance is increasing, there are few sincere advisers (to the truth) and Shaytaan is co-operating with men and jinn to misguide mankind and to take them away from the worship of Allah SWT alone – the Blessed, the Most High
Shirk is antithesis of Tauheed (Tauheed: The Islamic Monotheism). Shirk, linguistically means to associate, and in terms of Islamic Shariah, shirk means ascribing a partner or rival to Allah in HIS Lordship (ruboobiyyah), HIS worship (Uloohiyyah) or in HIS names and attributes (Asma-was- sifaat). Allah SWT orders, “Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)” [Al-Baqarah 2:222] Shirk is the gravest transgression and sin that a human being can commit. ‘’Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” [An-Nisa 4:48]. ‘’And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray’’ [An-Nisa 4:116].
The most horrendous sin mankind can commit is associating partners with the Magnificent Creator Allah SWT. In the chronology of most dreadful sins, Shirk tops the list. Mercy of Allah SWT can prevail over any sin except Shirk. Ibn Masud RA narrated that the Prophet PBUH said: “Whoever dies while ascribing partners to Allah SWT, enters the hell-fire.”[Bukhari]
Mankind, from the beginning was a single nation which was on the doctrines of Tauheed (Oneness of Allah). Allah SWT says in the Quran: “Mankind was one Ummah, then Allah sent prophets bringing good news and warnings.” [2:213] Ibn Abbaas RA said: “Between Nooh (Noah) and Aadam were ten generations, all of them were upon Sharee’ah (law) of the truth, then they differed. So Allah SWT sent prophets as bringers of good news and as warners.” [Related by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree in his Tafseer (4/275) and al-Haakim (2/546)]. From this statement of Ibn Abbas RA we can infer that the deceit of Shirk started to nurture only after ten generations. In a Hadith al Khudsi Allah SWT says “I created all my servants upon the true Religion (upon Tauheed, free from Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them astray from their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I had made lawful for them, and they commanded them to associate in worship with Me, that which I had sent down no authority.” [Muslim and Ahmad]
The Prophet PBUH said, “Every child is born upon the Fitrah [natural inclination towards Islam] but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Maigan. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a natural offspring. Have you noticed any born mutilated, before you mutilate them?” Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish:“Allaah’s Fitrah with which He created mankind. There is to be no change to the creation (Religion) of Allaah.” [Ar-Rum 30:30] [Agreed upon] After this clear and lucid elucidation, it is of supreme importance for the Muslim to know how Shirk made its unpleasant roots in the minds of believers, after they were Muwahideen (people upon Tauheed). Allah SWT says about the people of Nooh: “And they have said: You shall not forsake your gods, nor shall you forsake Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya’ooq, nor Nasr.” [Nuh 71:23]
Ibn Abbas relates: “Indeed these five (Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya’ooq, nor Nasr) were the names of righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they died, Shaytaan whispered to their people to make statues of them and to place these statues in their places of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this. However, none from amongst them worshipped these statues, until when they died and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next generation) began to worship them.” [Bukhari]
Thus Allah SWT sent Prophet Muhammed PBUH as the final prophet and made his Shareeah a compulsion to follow for the rest of the ummah. This Shareeah prohibits all means and avenues by which people may fall into Shirk at large. Once a person falls into the muck of Shirk all his deeds are of no use.
Brothers!! Building shrines over the graves and intending to travel towards them for having once wishes fulfilled, sacrificing an animal in their name, asking help from them or swearing an oath by the inmate of the grave are all heinous forms of Shirk which the Creator SWT for sure dislikes to core.
This being the case even more so in an age in which knowledge is diminishing, ignorance is increasing, there are few sincere advisers (to the truth) and Shaytaan is co-operating with men and jinn to misguide mankind and to take them away from the worship of Allah SWT alone – the Blessed, the Most High
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Dua
“Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)
Imagine your next door neighbor has a personal servant. You find out that the servant is asking for a house, a fancy car, and a large screen TV. Personally speaking, what do you think you would have done in this situation? The most probable thing that would happen is that you would just stare at him blankly. Most likely, the only thing on your mind would be, “His job is to work and just get paid – not to start asking for gifts and free handouts”. Let’s take the scene even further and imagine that not only did the neighbor say yes, but he is encouraging him to ask for more items.
If this was really to happen, any ordinary bystander would have been visibly puzzled at the peculiarity of this scene. However, if we were to look at the scene from a different angle, we might look at it differently. In reality, that scene is very much alike with the connection between Allah and his servants, with the mere exception that Allah’s kingdom would not decrease at all when He gives. Allah’s love for His servants can be beautifully summarized in the following Hadith, “Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)”.
It’s amazing to see how great Dua really is. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than Duaa” (Ibn Majah)
There are benefits of making Dua including:
1. The loss of arrogance - For someone that makes constant Dua, arrogance is something that is not among their characteristics because when one beseeches Allah, he is affirming his own powerlessness.
2. The fulfillment of the Dua – You get what you wanted. For the people that sometimes see that their Duas are not being accepted, there is either the option that the Dua will be accepted later on in this life or in the Hereafter or the option that the Dua will accepted by other means as one Hadith said, Jabir narrates from the Prophet, “Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation.” (Tirmidhi)
One personal example that I can share is that when I was younger, I had wanted to win first place in a Quran competiton and so, I made Dua to Allah (swt) to help me win. Unfortunately, when the day for the competition came, there was another event that was taking place somewhere else and I had to go with my parents to that event instead of the competition. I felt sad because I had really wanted to win that competition and I wondered what happened to my Dua.
Two weeks later, my parents take me to a speech competition and there, I found out that the organizers will also be holding a Quran competition. I signed up for the competition and after participating in it, the awards ceremony started. Before starting, the organizers made a statement that made me awestruck; they said they would like to thank the organizers of a Quran competition that was held two weeks ago because the format of the whole competition was exactly the same as the one held two weeks back. I only became even more awestruck when I found out that I won first place.
Looking back, I realized that if we make a Dua, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will answer it in the best possible way for us. Therefore, if we do not see our Dua being accepted immediately, we should not despair because either it will help us against some misfortune, or it might be accepted later…
3. The doors of mercy are opened – Abdullah bin Umar narrated that the Prophet said, “For whoever the door of Dua opened, for him the doors of mercy are opened...” (Tirmidhi)-
4. It has the power to change destiny (only the minor Qadr – not major ones such as the signs of the Day of Judgment) – Salman Farsi narrated that the Prophet said, “Dua turns away destiny and good deeds lengthen age (Tirmidhi).
There are certain things that one should keep in mind concerning the Dua:
1. The Prophet once said, “Dua is Ibadah” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Abu Dawud). Since it is a type of worship, it is something that we must always do. This is even to the extent that the Prophet said, “Allah is extremely displeased with the person who doesn’t do duaa to Allah” (Tirmidhi).
2. As mentioned before, the Dua must always be done. Nowadays, we only say our Duas when hardship befalls us and is the last resort, when all else has failed. However, this should not be the case as the Prophet (saw) said, Whosoever desires that Allah answers his Duas in unfavorable and difficult conditions, he should make plentiful dua in days of ease and comfort.”
3. Try making Dua for others because if you do so, the same thing may also occur to you too. There are certain ayahs in the Quran such as the last Ayah in Surah Nuh, the meaning of which is, “O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!” If you are to recite this verse, then you get a sin erased for every Muslim living in this world. Also, the Prophet said, ”Duaa for a person not present is accepted quickly by Allah”.
4. Have complete conviction that Allah will accept the Dua, because if you don’t, then there is a high chance it won’t be accepted. The Prophet said, “When anyone of you does Dua then don’t say “Oh Allah! Forgive me if you want“, “Have mercy on me if you want“, “Give me subsistence if you wish” rather believe completely that HE will do whatever HE wishes. Nobody can force Him.” (Bukhari)
5. The best times to make Dua is when one is in Sujood, the times between Adhan and Iqamah, as well as at other times as indicated by the following Hadith in which the Prophet said, “Three types of people’s Duas are not rejected: 1) At the time of Iftar the person who has fasted 2) Adil ruler’s Dua 3) The Dua of the oppressed. Allah raises the Dua of the oppressed on the clouds and the doors of heaven are opened for it and Allah says, “Oath of MY Majesty and Honor! I will help and aid you. Even though if the help is after few days.” (Tirmidhi) Another Hadith listed another three in which the Prophet said, Three Duas are such in which there is no doubt of their acceptance: 1) Father’s Dua 2) Traveler’s Dua 3) Dua of the oppressed”. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
May the above information strengthen your resolve to make more Duas and may it benefit you in many ways. Ameen…
Imagine your next door neighbor has a personal servant. You find out that the servant is asking for a house, a fancy car, and a large screen TV. Personally speaking, what do you think you would have done in this situation? The most probable thing that would happen is that you would just stare at him blankly. Most likely, the only thing on your mind would be, “His job is to work and just get paid – not to start asking for gifts and free handouts”. Let’s take the scene even further and imagine that not only did the neighbor say yes, but he is encouraging him to ask for more items.
If this was really to happen, any ordinary bystander would have been visibly puzzled at the peculiarity of this scene. However, if we were to look at the scene from a different angle, we might look at it differently. In reality, that scene is very much alike with the connection between Allah and his servants, with the mere exception that Allah’s kingdom would not decrease at all when He gives. Allah’s love for His servants can be beautifully summarized in the following Hadith, “Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)”.
It’s amazing to see how great Dua really is. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than Duaa” (Ibn Majah)
There are benefits of making Dua including:
1. The loss of arrogance - For someone that makes constant Dua, arrogance is something that is not among their characteristics because when one beseeches Allah, he is affirming his own powerlessness.
2. The fulfillment of the Dua – You get what you wanted. For the people that sometimes see that their Duas are not being accepted, there is either the option that the Dua will be accepted later on in this life or in the Hereafter or the option that the Dua will accepted by other means as one Hadith said, Jabir narrates from the Prophet, “Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation.” (Tirmidhi)
One personal example that I can share is that when I was younger, I had wanted to win first place in a Quran competiton and so, I made Dua to Allah (swt) to help me win. Unfortunately, when the day for the competition came, there was another event that was taking place somewhere else and I had to go with my parents to that event instead of the competition. I felt sad because I had really wanted to win that competition and I wondered what happened to my Dua.
Two weeks later, my parents take me to a speech competition and there, I found out that the organizers will also be holding a Quran competition. I signed up for the competition and after participating in it, the awards ceremony started. Before starting, the organizers made a statement that made me awestruck; they said they would like to thank the organizers of a Quran competition that was held two weeks ago because the format of the whole competition was exactly the same as the one held two weeks back. I only became even more awestruck when I found out that I won first place.
Looking back, I realized that if we make a Dua, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will answer it in the best possible way for us. Therefore, if we do not see our Dua being accepted immediately, we should not despair because either it will help us against some misfortune, or it might be accepted later…
3. The doors of mercy are opened – Abdullah bin Umar narrated that the Prophet said, “For whoever the door of Dua opened, for him the doors of mercy are opened...” (Tirmidhi)-
4. It has the power to change destiny (only the minor Qadr – not major ones such as the signs of the Day of Judgment) – Salman Farsi narrated that the Prophet said, “Dua turns away destiny and good deeds lengthen age (Tirmidhi).
There are certain things that one should keep in mind concerning the Dua:
1. The Prophet once said, “Dua is Ibadah” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Abu Dawud). Since it is a type of worship, it is something that we must always do. This is even to the extent that the Prophet said, “Allah is extremely displeased with the person who doesn’t do duaa to Allah” (Tirmidhi).
2. As mentioned before, the Dua must always be done. Nowadays, we only say our Duas when hardship befalls us and is the last resort, when all else has failed. However, this should not be the case as the Prophet (saw) said, Whosoever desires that Allah answers his Duas in unfavorable and difficult conditions, he should make plentiful dua in days of ease and comfort.”
3. Try making Dua for others because if you do so, the same thing may also occur to you too. There are certain ayahs in the Quran such as the last Ayah in Surah Nuh, the meaning of which is, “O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!” If you are to recite this verse, then you get a sin erased for every Muslim living in this world. Also, the Prophet said, ”Duaa for a person not present is accepted quickly by Allah”.
4. Have complete conviction that Allah will accept the Dua, because if you don’t, then there is a high chance it won’t be accepted. The Prophet said, “When anyone of you does Dua then don’t say “Oh Allah! Forgive me if you want“, “Have mercy on me if you want“, “Give me subsistence if you wish” rather believe completely that HE will do whatever HE wishes. Nobody can force Him.” (Bukhari)
5. The best times to make Dua is when one is in Sujood, the times between Adhan and Iqamah, as well as at other times as indicated by the following Hadith in which the Prophet said, “Three types of people’s Duas are not rejected: 1) At the time of Iftar the person who has fasted 2) Adil ruler’s Dua 3) The Dua of the oppressed. Allah raises the Dua of the oppressed on the clouds and the doors of heaven are opened for it and Allah says, “Oath of MY Majesty and Honor! I will help and aid you. Even though if the help is after few days.” (Tirmidhi) Another Hadith listed another three in which the Prophet said, Three Duas are such in which there is no doubt of their acceptance: 1) Father’s Dua 2) Traveler’s Dua 3) Dua of the oppressed”. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
May the above information strengthen your resolve to make more Duas and may it benefit you in many ways. Ameen…
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Bindi and Tikka
Why do the Muslim married women not put bindi or tika on the forehead and wear Mangalsutra, like Hindu married women?
Bindi or tika
Bindi is derived from the sanskrit word bindu, which means a ‘dot’. It is usually a red dot made with vermilion powder and is worn by the Hindu women between their eyebrows on their forehead.
Bindi is considered a symbol o...f ‘Parvati’ and signifies female energy which is believed by Hindus to protect women and their husbands. It is traditionally a symbol of marriage and is worn by the Hindu married women. It is also called as tika.
Bindi has become a fashion
Nowadays, wearing bindi has become a fashion and is even worn by unmarried girls and women. The shape of the bindi is no longer restricted to a dot and is available in various shapes, including oval, star, heart shaped, etc. It is even available in different bright colours like blue, green, yellow, orange, etc. The material of the bindi is no longer restricted to vermilion powder, but is made of coloured felt and other material. It is also available in a variety of designs in combination with coloured glass, glitter, etc.
Mangalsutra
Mangalsutra means a thread of good-will. It is a necklace worn specially by Hindu married women as a symbol of their marriage. It consists of two strings of black beads with a pendant usually of gold. The black beads are believed to act as a protection against evil. It is believed to protect the women’s marriage and the life of her husband. In southern India, mangalsutra is called tali, which is a small gold ornament string on a cotton cord or a gold chain.
Hindu Married women are never supposed to remove their mangalsutra. It is only cut off when a Hindu lady becomes a widow.
Allah Is the Protector
Allah (swt), our Creator, is the best to protect human beings. We do not require any red dot or black thread to protect us from evil. It is mentioned in the Glorius Qur’an in Surah Anam Chapter 6 verse 14
"Say: Shall I take for my protector any other than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth?"
Bindi or tika
Bindi is derived from the sanskrit word bindu, which means a ‘dot’. It is usually a red dot made with vermilion powder and is worn by the Hindu women between their eyebrows on their forehead.
Bindi is considered a symbol o...f ‘Parvati’ and signifies female energy which is believed by Hindus to protect women and their husbands. It is traditionally a symbol of marriage and is worn by the Hindu married women. It is also called as tika.
Bindi has become a fashion
Nowadays, wearing bindi has become a fashion and is even worn by unmarried girls and women. The shape of the bindi is no longer restricted to a dot and is available in various shapes, including oval, star, heart shaped, etc. It is even available in different bright colours like blue, green, yellow, orange, etc. The material of the bindi is no longer restricted to vermilion powder, but is made of coloured felt and other material. It is also available in a variety of designs in combination with coloured glass, glitter, etc.
Mangalsutra
Mangalsutra means a thread of good-will. It is a necklace worn specially by Hindu married women as a symbol of their marriage. It consists of two strings of black beads with a pendant usually of gold. The black beads are believed to act as a protection against evil. It is believed to protect the women’s marriage and the life of her husband. In southern India, mangalsutra is called tali, which is a small gold ornament string on a cotton cord or a gold chain.
Hindu Married women are never supposed to remove their mangalsutra. It is only cut off when a Hindu lady becomes a widow.
Allah Is the Protector
Allah (swt), our Creator, is the best to protect human beings. We do not require any red dot or black thread to protect us from evil. It is mentioned in the Glorius Qur’an in Surah Anam Chapter 6 verse 14
"Say: Shall I take for my protector any other than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth?"
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Visiting Graveyards on 15th Sha'ban
Question:In the light of the teaching of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, is it a correct Islamic practice to visit graveyards on the night of Shab-e-baraat? please narrate the Hadith related to this night.
Answer:
Giving significance to the night of 15th Sha'ban, visiting graveyards, doing extra Ibaadah (worship) and offering extra Nawaafil Salaah with the intention of specifically doing so on the occasion of 15th Sha'ban, having illuminations, considering it to be the Eid of the dead and keeping awake for the whole night of 15th Sha'ban and encouraging others to do the same -- all these are Bid'ah (innovation) . The prophet and the Sahaabah never did so nor commanded the muslims to do so.
We don't find any evidence of such things in the entire authentic Seerah of the Prophet and his companions. According to Allamah Ibn Rajab Abu Bakr Turtoshi, Ibn Wazzah Qurtubi, Suyuti, Shokani etc. all the Ahadith pertaining to the subject are weak and unacceptable.
The Hadith that is generally quoted to support the practices done on the night of 15th Sha'ban is Zaif (weak) according to Muhaddiseen (the scholars of Ahadith) and is not to be put into practice.
Narrated Aisha (R.A.),
I missed Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) during the night and found him in al-Baqi'. He said: Were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would deal unjustly with you? I said: Allah's Messenger , I thought that you had gone to some of your other wives. He (the prophet) said: Verily Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, comes down to the heaven of the world in the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives sins even more abundant than the hair of the goats of Kalb. (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 739; Sunan Ibn-I-Majah, Hadith No. 1389; Ahmad Vol. 6, 238)
According to Imam Bukhari and Tirmidhi, the above mentioned Hadith has a broken chain of narrators in two places, and therefore it is weak. Allamah Ibnul Arabi (543H), in his commentary of Sunan -At-Tirmidhi, titled 'Arizatul-Ahwazi', Vol 3, Pg No. 216 adds: '....further, in it Hajjaj Ibn Artaat is not reliable.'
However, it is established that the Prophet (pbuh) did visit the Baqi graveyard once, as Allah had commanded him and he prayed for Ahle-Baqi (the people of Baqi), but the exact night of this event is not known, as there is no clear proof in this regard. The prophet had done this by the commandment of Allah (swt), therefore the Prophet was an exception to this act.
Aisha (R.A.) says that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Gabriel came to me and said; Your Rabb commands you to go to the graveyard of Baqi and seek forgiveness for them". (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2256)
It is permissible for men to visit graveyard whenever they wish and pray for the dead, however it is not permissible to fix a specific day or night for the purpose and consider it to be of a special virtue unless we find any proof for doing so from the Qur'an or the authentic Ahadith.
Allamah Ibnul Arabi writes: "There is no reliable Hadith regarding the 15th of Sha'ban. Although certain commentators insist that the verse from Surah Dukhan, chapter 44, verse 4: 'In that (night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom', refer to 15th of Sha'ban, but this is not true, as Allah did not reveal the Qur'an in Sha'ban. The Qur'an was revealed in Ramadan, as mentioned in Surah Baqarah, chapter 2, verse 185, and this can only be statement of a person who transgresses the book of Allah (swt) and is careless of his word". (Arizatul Ahwazi, Vol. 3, Page No. 217)
According to Hadith of Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Hadith No. 1885: ".. Most evil affairs are their innovations, and every innovation is an error..."
So Muslims should beware of and steer clear of all innovation and bid'ah.
Answer:
Giving significance to the night of 15th Sha'ban, visiting graveyards, doing extra Ibaadah (worship) and offering extra Nawaafil Salaah with the intention of specifically doing so on the occasion of 15th Sha'ban, having illuminations, considering it to be the Eid of the dead and keeping awake for the whole night of 15th Sha'ban and encouraging others to do the same -- all these are Bid'ah (innovation) . The prophet and the Sahaabah never did so nor commanded the muslims to do so.
We don't find any evidence of such things in the entire authentic Seerah of the Prophet and his companions. According to Allamah Ibn Rajab Abu Bakr Turtoshi, Ibn Wazzah Qurtubi, Suyuti, Shokani etc. all the Ahadith pertaining to the subject are weak and unacceptable.
The Hadith that is generally quoted to support the practices done on the night of 15th Sha'ban is Zaif (weak) according to Muhaddiseen (the scholars of Ahadith) and is not to be put into practice.
Narrated Aisha (R.A.),
I missed Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) during the night and found him in al-Baqi'. He said: Were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would deal unjustly with you? I said: Allah's Messenger , I thought that you had gone to some of your other wives. He (the prophet) said: Verily Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, comes down to the heaven of the world in the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives sins even more abundant than the hair of the goats of Kalb. (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 739; Sunan Ibn-I-Majah, Hadith No. 1389; Ahmad Vol. 6, 238)
According to Imam Bukhari and Tirmidhi, the above mentioned Hadith has a broken chain of narrators in two places, and therefore it is weak. Allamah Ibnul Arabi (543H), in his commentary of Sunan -At-Tirmidhi, titled 'Arizatul-Ahwazi', Vol 3, Pg No. 216 adds: '....further, in it Hajjaj Ibn Artaat is not reliable.'
However, it is established that the Prophet (pbuh) did visit the Baqi graveyard once, as Allah had commanded him and he prayed for Ahle-Baqi (the people of Baqi), but the exact night of this event is not known, as there is no clear proof in this regard. The prophet had done this by the commandment of Allah (swt), therefore the Prophet was an exception to this act.
Aisha (R.A.) says that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Gabriel came to me and said; Your Rabb commands you to go to the graveyard of Baqi and seek forgiveness for them". (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2256)
It is permissible for men to visit graveyard whenever they wish and pray for the dead, however it is not permissible to fix a specific day or night for the purpose and consider it to be of a special virtue unless we find any proof for doing so from the Qur'an or the authentic Ahadith.
Allamah Ibnul Arabi writes: "There is no reliable Hadith regarding the 15th of Sha'ban. Although certain commentators insist that the verse from Surah Dukhan, chapter 44, verse 4: 'In that (night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom', refer to 15th of Sha'ban, but this is not true, as Allah did not reveal the Qur'an in Sha'ban. The Qur'an was revealed in Ramadan, as mentioned in Surah Baqarah, chapter 2, verse 185, and this can only be statement of a person who transgresses the book of Allah (swt) and is careless of his word". (Arizatul Ahwazi, Vol. 3, Page No. 217)
According to Hadith of Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Hadith No. 1885: ".. Most evil affairs are their innovations, and every innovation is an error..."
So Muslims should beware of and steer clear of all innovation and bid'ah.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
area91.in
In today’s heterogeneous computing environments and with the emergence of web services and service-oriented architecture, interoperability has become a critical business and IT need. Numerous individuals and organizations are working to solve the real-world interoperability challenges through innovative products, community engagements and support for technology standards. area91 is an effort by some of the key proponents of interoperability in India and Microsoft’s Developer & Platform Evangelism team to share thoughts and news, and provide a platform of interaction among all interop focused technology professionals and students in the country.
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