Sunday, July 31, 2011

Friday, July 29, 2011

The Month Of Quran is Arrived


BISMILLAH
A summary of a khutbah by Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - on the Holy Month of Ramadaan:
"Oh people! The Month of Allah, The High has come with blessings, mercy and forgiveness.
To Allah, this month is the best month.
Its days are the best days.
Its nights the best of all nights.
Its hours the best of all hours.
And this is the month which you have been invited to be the guests of Allah and you have become the graced ones by Allah.
Your souls in it [month of Ramadan] are glorification [of Allah].
Your sleep in it, is worship. 
Your deeds in it, are accepted. 
Your prayers in it, are answered. 
So ask your Lord with truthful intentions and pure hearts that He would grant you success in fasting and reading His book. For the unfortunate is the one who forbids Allah's forgiveness in this great month. With your hunger and thirst remember the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment.
Give to your poor and needy.
Respect the elder. Have mercy on the younger.
Be nice and keep in touch with your relatives.
Protect your tongues.
Cast down from what is not Halal for your sights to see and what is not halal for your ears to hear.
Be compassionate and caring for the orphans of other people, so that your orphans would be taken care of and receive compassion.
Repent from your sins.
Raise your hands towards Him in dua during the hours of prayers, those hours are the best hours and Allah-azza wa jall- looks at His servants with mercy; answers them if they ask for help; answers their call if they call upon Him; answers their dua if they ask Him.
Oh people! Your souls are hostages by your deeds. So let yourselves free by asking Allah's forgiveness.
Your backs are heavy with loads, so make it light by prolonging your sajdas. And know that Allah-jalla zikruh- has vowed to His Dignity that He would not punish those who pray and those who make Sajda. And He would not worry them with Fire on the day which people rise to the Lord of the Universe.
Oh people! Whoever feeds a fasting believer during this month, to Allah, it is as if he has freed a slave. And his past sins are forgiven.
Then he, peace be upon him and his family, continued:
".....whoever does one 'fareedha'(a religious deed) during this month it is as if he has accomplished doing 70 good deeds in other months.
Whoever increases sending blessings on me, Allah will make his rewards heavy on the day which people's rewards are light.
Whoever recites one ayah of Qur'an, will receive the reward of finishing the whole Qur'an in other months.
Oh people! The doors of Heaven in this month are open, so ask your lord not to close it on you. The doors of Hell are closed, so ask your Lord not to open it for you. The devils are in chains, so ask your Lord that they do not rule you.

--
"And when My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed close: I listen to the prayer of every praying person when he calls on Me: So let them also, listen to My Call, and believe in Me, so that they may walk straight." Al-Quran Surah Baqarah Ayah 186 (2:186)

"Whoever is desirous of meeting his Lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as a partner." Al-Quran Surah Kahf Ayah 110 (18:110)





Wednesday, July 27, 2011

For Indeed, With Hardship Will Be Ease

For Indeed, With Hardship Will Be Ease
By Khadeejah Islam


It was 9 A.M. – forty minutes before the commencement of a course on Life Sciences – when I entered a mundane room of an off-white coloured walls. The room consisted of a few rows of seats, a large whiteboard, and a projector placed on the teacher’s wooden table. At that hour, the classroom was empty. In spite of being an ordinary room, it was the most beautiful place on earth for me. Enveloped in silence, it was peaceful – something which was required to escape from all the pressures of home, study, work and life itself. I was not doing anything extraordinary by sitting there looking at the distant buildings, but perhaps being free from the thoughts of deadlines and exams was sufficient for me. However, this moment was short-lived. As time passed by, students filled in the classroom and soon, the teacher entered as well. The room was noisy in no time and the class commenced, bringing me back to reality.



Towards the end of the class, one of my classmates suggested that the teacher postpone an exam, which was scheduled on 31st of March, Thursday, and schedule it on 3rd of April, Sunday. I was not in favour of that idea. How can I when an exam on Economics which was already scheduled on Sunday? In fact, this exam was supposed to be on Thursday, but just to prevent a time-clash and to accommodate the exam on Life Sciences, I was the one to convince my Economics course instructor to postpone the exam and schedule it on Sunday. I tried hard to prevent a time-clash between the two exams, but perhaps a time-clash was decreed – something which could not be overturned except by the Will of Allah.
Sadly, the majority of the class and the teacher herself agreed to the postponement of the exam on Life Sciences. That was a sharp blow to me. Reeling from a load of community service projects, extra-curricular activities, assignments and exams, I wondered if I could survive a sudden change in the exam schedule. Will I be able to hand over the assignments and projects within the allotted time? Will I be able to pass the exams? I was not giving up, but I was not moving forward either as I could not see light at the end of the tunnel. At this juncture, the only thing which kept me going was this verse: Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” [1].

Allah must have decreed this for me because I was capable of handling this. If He has confidence in us, why should we undermine our capacity and show disrespect to Allah’s decree? This verse has always been the remedy for stress. In fact, I was once assigned to talk on a very difficult topic for this very course on Life Sciences and, although I was not sure of my capability initially, I was able to pull it through, thinking about this verse all the while. Alhamdulillah!
Similarly, on that day, I was able to muster enough strength from this verse to attend the next class. Towards the end of this class, the teacher announced two assignments and the date of submission was set to Thursday. I was a bit relieved. Not only did I have ample time to complete the assignments, I also did not have any exams on Thursday to distract me. It was important for me to score outstandingly in the assignments if I wanted to pull up my already-low grades in this course. This was a good opportunity for me.
Thursday was just another hectic day at the university. Although I was able to hand over the assignments properly, the burden of sitting for two exams on Sunday was constantly running through my mind. Attending the class on Economics that day was only reminding me of the stressful weekend that lay ahead. Towards the end of the class, the teacher made an announcement: “The exam on Sunday has been cancelled.” After all the anguish, relief finally touched me. I just had one exam to give on Sunday. Now imagine what would have happened to me if the Life Sciences exam was on Thursday and not postponed to Sunday! I would have certainly struggled with two assignments and one exam. It was all for the best!
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” [2].

Many atheists argue that since bad things happen to people, Allah does not exist. In response, most of the Muslims take a scientific approach and discuss either the compatibility of the Qur’an with science, or the fallacy of the theory of evolution. However, I feel that these very trials are the proofs of Allah’s existence. He has revealed in the Qur’an that afflictions will befall mankind, and He has kept His promise. He has revealed that there will be ease after hardship, and He has kept His promise.

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” [3].

“For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.” [4].

May Allah enable us all to remain steadfast in the face of every adversity. Ameen.

The Excellence of Bringing Up Girls

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

The Excellence of Bringing Up Girls

The encouragement to seek children covers both sons and daughters, and along with this general encouragement Islam has given special merits to seeking and bringing up girls - contrary to the thinking of the people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) of the past and present, since the people of ignorance - wherever and whenever found - hated to have daughters and were grieved and angered by their births!

"And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision." [Noble Quran 16:58-59]

But the Messenger of Islam, Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), came elevating the status of this gift given by Allah, welcoming the daughters, and raising high the importance of their upbringing with words to delight the hearts of the believing fathers and bring joy to their souls:

"Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood - he and I will come (together) on the Day of Resurrection - and he interlaced his fingers (meaning in Paradise)." [Reported by Muslim]

So can there be any greater honor given to daughter!? And for those who wish to have them and bring them up properly!? And he said in another Hadith:

"Whoever has three daughters or sisters, or two daughters of two sisters, and lives along with them in a good manner, and has patience with them, and fears Allah with regard to them will enter Paradise." [Reported by Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi and others]

And in another Hadith:

"They will be a shield for him from the Fire." [Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah]

And along with the Messenger's honoring the daughters with his words, we find that he also gave us a living example in his own actions and behavior - for example,

"One day he led his Companions in Prayer whilst carrying Umamah bint Zaynab when he made Ruku' he would put her down, then when he stood, he would pick her up." [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

So the position of daughters in Islam is very clear and the encouragement that it gives for them, and also the hatred it has for those who hate them or are grieved at their births! We know from this that hatred in some souls toward something - if found - is not a true judgment upon that thing and this is explained in the Quran, as Allah says:

"...If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good." [Noble Quran 4:19]

So how many righteous women have brought happiness and well-being upon their families and their Ummah!? And how many corrupt young men have brought every form of misfortune and trial upon this Ummah!?

Therefore, it is upon the parents who have intellect to accept whatever Allah's gift is with full joy and happiness, whether the gift is male or a female. Since its being a male or being a female is due only to Allah's order alone - He, the One free from all imperfections - and Most High says:

"To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren who He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things." [Noble Quran 42:49-50]


Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team
ShareIslam.com


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