Tuesday 10 February 2009

Month of Safar

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
1) MuHarram
(2) Safar._*-----------we are here now
(3) Raby` al-awal
(4) Raby` al-THaany
(5) Jumaada al-awal
(6) Jumaada al-THaany
(7) Rajab
(8) SHa`baan
(9) RamaDHaan
(10) SHawwal
(11) Thul Qa`dah
(12) Thul Hijjah

"Say. We believe in God and that which was revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to the Prophets from their Lord: we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit. (The Holy Quran).
The month of Safar is one of the twelve Hijri months, and it is the month which comes after Muharram. Some say that it is so named because of the emptying of Makkah when they traveled during this month.Safar, meaning travel in Arabic.
Is there any thing special in month of Safar?
Allah commands Muslims to refer to people of knowledge to get themselves well-acquainted with the teachings of Islam as well as all aspects of life.
All the months are created by Allah the Almighty and they belong to Him. Muslims should not be superstitious or be pessimistic about any month, day, or time. There is nothing in the sources of Shari`ah that prohibit getting married in the month of Safar, Muharram or any other month of the year.
We supplicate Allah to bless us to follow the right Sunnah. Know that a Muslim must safeguard his faith and keep it away from myths and superstitions. Allah says (interpretation of meaning):

{Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allâh has ordained for us. He is our Maulâ (Lord, Helper and Protector)." And in Allâh let the believers put their trust.}[9: 51]

He also says (interpretation of meaning):

{… And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. …}[65: 3]

The month of Safar is like all other months. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) condemned what is said about this month. Abu Hurairah (Radiya Allahu Anhu) reported from the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) that he said:

"No 'Adwa (i.e. no contagious disease is conveyed to others without Allah's permission); nor (any evil omen in the month of) Safar; nor Hama." A bedouin said, "O Allah's Apostle! What about the camels which, when on the sand (desert) look like deers, but when a mangy camel mixes with them they all get infected with mange?" On that Allah's Apostle said, "Then who conveyed the (mange) disease to the first (mangy) camel?"

It is narrated from Ibn Masoud that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:

"No 'Adwa nor Safar, Allah created every soul and wrote its life, livelihood and trials." [At-Tirmithi]

The above Ahadith clearly prove that the month of Safar does not have any special characteristics.

Know that performing special prayers in this month to safeguard oneself from evil or abstaining from marrying or from any other happy occasion is nothing but myths.

A Muslim should give up such fairy tales and should follow the Qur'an, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and the way of the Sahabah (Prophet's companions) and their followers.
To believe in GOD also provide us mental happiness. I observed that people attached with their religion seems to be more happy than others as religion makes our life purposeful. The way you think also effects your happiness level. Positive thinking always produces hope and satisfaction which enhance happiness in us.
Significant events during the Month of Safar

* The Start of the Hijra from Makkah to Madinah was in Safar in the 13th Year of Prophethood
* The Prophet (S)] went on the military campaign of al-Abwaa’, also known as Waddaan. This was the first military campaign in which he took part himself. It happened in Safar, twelve months after the Hijrah. The banner, which was white, was carried by Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He appointed Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah in charge of Madeenah (in his absence), and he went out with the Muhaajireen only, to intercept a caravan of Quraysh, but there was no fighting.
* The Prophet (S) Conquered Khaybar in Safar in the Year 7 Hijri
* In the same month of Safar, in 4 AH, there was the battle of Bi’r Ma’oonah (the well of Ma’oonah
* Towards the End of Safar of 11th Year Hijri the Prophet (S) Ordered the last military army - Start of Usamah's Army
* Beginning of the Prophet's fatal disease


Allah knows best.

Friday 6 February 2009

Treating Sins too Lightly...


...........Risks involved in treating sins too lightly...
You should know, may Allah (Azzawajal) have mercy upon you and me, that Allah (Azzawajal), glorified be He, has made repentance obligatory saying: "O you that have believed, turn to your Lord in a goodly way." (Al-Tahrim:8), and has granted us time to repent until the Scribes register the sin in our names. The prophet has said: "The Scribe on the left hand delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah's forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn't, they write is down as a single sin." That is the first respite.
The second respite, even if it is registered, is until the appearance of death before our eyes. (If a man repents sincerely before that hour, it is taken off the records then).
But the problem with most people, is that they estimate not the Majesty of the Lord as they should. They disobey Him in multiple ways - day and night. To make things worse, there are some that are misled by the notion of what they call "minor sins", so that you will see them treating certain sins as inconsequential saying, for instance: "Of what harm will be a look (at that woman), or of what consequence a hand-shake with her?" In consequence, they stare freely at pictures of women in the magazines, or those appearing in the television. Some of them, when told about the sin in it, go a step further and inquire amusingly: "O.K. What's the magnitude of the sin involved? Is it a major one or minor?"
Compare this attitude with that of the Companions of the Prophet , on whom be peace, as recorded by Bukhari in his Sahih: 1. Said Anas, may Allah be pleased with him (to one of the followers): "You imagine certain sins to be more insignificant than a straw. But, at the time of the Prophet we used to count them among those that can destroy a man." 2. Ibn Mas'ud says: "A believer treats a sin as if it is a mountain over his head that may fall on him any moment. Whereas a regular violator looks at them as a fly that perked on his nose and he waived it away with his hand."
Will these people then learn something from the above, and from the hadith of the Prophet who said: "Beware of the minor sins. For the example of the minor sins is like that of a group of travelers who broke their journey in a valley. Then one of them brought in a straw. Another came up with another (and a third with one more) until with their collection they were able to gather enough t o cook their food. Remember! If a man is held for questioning (on the day of Judgment)for his minor sins, surely they will destroy him." In another version he is reported to have said: "Beware of minor sins. For they add on until they destroy the man."
The scholars say therefore that when minor sins are committed without any remorse, without the fear of Allah, and accompanied by contempt then they there is all the fear they will be counted as major sins. Hence the saying: "There isn't a minor with persistence, and there isn't a major with repentance." Hence we say to him who commits minor sins: 'Do not look at the sins if they are small or big. Look at Him in whose defiance you are committing them.'
It is hoped that these words about taking sins lightly will benefit those who are true in their faith, are not seduced by their delinquencies, nor are of those that insist upon their wrongs. These words will in fact benefit those who believe in the following words of Allah: "Tell My slaves: that I am very Forgiving, very Kind," (Al-Hijr: 49), and those who believe in: "But My chastisement is a severe chastisement indeed." (Al-Hijr: 50)