The door of worship is fasting.

Great is the one who saved himself from the slavery of his ego.

For what we are fasting? It is worshipping, servanthood,
the best means to save people from the slavery of their ego.
All the prophets used to fast and taught their nation to fast.
Allah's reward for fasting is endless, because it turns you

from a servant to your ego into a servant of Allah. So don't say:

I am great. Allah alone is Great, and He gives greatness to
the one who escapes from his ego. But we open and close
our eyes only to serve our ego.
People of the 21st century are servants to their ego,
and shaitan is their first teacher...
.................
The door of worship is fasting, and it means war against the ego,
that always wants to do as it likes. Every morning I am eating
sahur and I am asking for support for the fasting.
If Allah gives support, with one bite I may fast 40 days...
O Allah, let us be under the Tajalli of Lutf/mercy,
Divine grants, favours, not of azab/Divine anger."

1- Fasting was not introduced by Islam and the Quran states that the religious ruling of fasting was observed by the nation that preceded Islam.

“O you who believe ! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you” (2/183).

Other religions still follow this religious observance until today, but there is a difference between fasting in Islam and fasting in other religions since fasting in Islam is prescribed during a certain month in the lunar year, namely the month of Ramadan.

Fasting beings at dawn and ends at sunset, and between dawn and sunset one must refrain from eating ,drinking and the desires of the body. This means that the Muslim works during the hours that he is fasting and that is why some people imagine that fasting restricts the Muslim's ability to perform his work well.

2- Fasting is not to be blamed on this account for fasting has the undeniable effect of charging people with spiritual energy thus enabling them to work more energetically than when they were not fasting .The Battle of Badr was fought and won by the Muslims while they were fasting in the month of Ramadan.

........What every Muslim should know about Fasting!......

What Every Muslim must know About Fasting !Fasting in Ramadan is fard (obligatory) for every Muslim who is mature and sane, because Allah (SWT) commands;

“So every one of you who is present during that month (Ramadan) should spend it in fasting.” (2:185).

It is not allowed for the woman who has just had a baby and is impure from that nor the woman during her monthly period to fast until they become clean from that and then they are obliged to make up the fasts they missed.

Aisha (R.A) said, “During the period we have been ordered to make up the fasting but not the prayer.”

The duty of fasting is not compulsory for those who are not mature. Ibn Abbas narrated, “Whoever becomes old and is not able to fast in Ramadan should donate for every day missed one mudd (which is 544 grams) of grain.” Ibn Umar said “If I become too weak to fast I feed (someone) one mudd for every day missed.” Anas narrated that he became weak one year before he died so he gave away one mudd every day.

If someone is not able to fast because he is sick and it can lead him to more sickness from which he cannot not recover, at that time he is allowed to miss his fast because that is a hardship.

“He has chosen you and has not laid upon you in the deen any hardship.” (22:78)

When he has recovered he is obliged to make up for those days missed

“And if any of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp (he should) in compensation either fast or feed the poor, or offer sacr-ifice.” (2:196)

“But if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is ransom the feeding of one that is indigent.” (2:184)

Whoever begins fasting and then becomes sick is allowed to break his fast. And whoever is travelling, and is travelling over the equivalent of 80 km, it is up to him to fast or not.

It was narrated by Aisha(R.A) that Hamza ibn Amr al-Asslami(R.A) said,

“O Rasulullah ! Is there any fast for the traveller?”

Muhammad (Pbuh) replied. “If you like fast and if you like do not fast.”

Thus, it does not matter if fasting is difficult or otherwise during travelling, but it is much better for the one who does not find it difficult to fast;

“But who so does good of his own accord it is better for him; and that you fast is better for you if you did but know.”(2:184).

It is better for whoever finds it difficult to fast whilst travelling to miss his fast because Jabir bin Abdullah(R.A) said,

“Rasulullah saw a man he had been put in the shade and saw a crowd of people around him (in the course of a journey). He said, Fasting while on a journey is not part of righteousness”.

It is allowed for the woman who is pregnant or the one who is breast-feeding to miss their own fast and they are obliged to make it up later. They can do this if they fear for themselves, their children or even if they have no such fear whatsoever.

The evidence for this is that both Sahih Muslim and Bukhari narrated that Anas bin Malik al-ka’bi(R.A) said that Muhammad (Pbuh) said,

“Allah (SWT) relieved the traveller from fasting and part of the prayer, and the pregnant woman and the suckling woman from fasting.”

This hadith did not mention any restriction about permitting missing the fast but he mentioned a general rule for pregnant and suckling women only because they are in that condition. They are obliged to make up the fasts they have missed as it becomes like a loan on their necks which they should pay back.

It is not allowed to fast in Ramadan except by making an intention, because Muhammad (Pbuh) said that all actions are judged by intention. The intention is obligatory for every day, because fasting each day is a daily worship which begins with the start of fajr (dawn) and ends with maghrib (sunset). It is not allowed to fast in Ramadan or any other obligatory fast by making the intention during the day of that fast, but it should be a premeditated intention from that night. When one makes the intention, it should be specified that one wants to fast specifically for Ramadan though this is not necessary to spell it out because it is sufficient to intend it in your heart.“And eat and drink until you see the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears.”
(2:187) It is forbidden while fasting to eat or to drink or to allow any water to enter the body via the mouth, nose or ear.

Permitted to you on the night of the fast is the approach to your wives.”
(2:187)The above is an indication that it is not allowed during the day. If he did intercourse with penetration and ejaculated or not his fast is broken, if he did intercourse outside without penetrating and he ejaculated his fast is finished, and if he approached his wife without penetrating and without ejaculating his fast would continue. Umar said, “I kissed while I was
fasting, I then said, O Rasulullah! I have done a big deed; I kissed while I was fasting. He said, “What do think if you reins your mouth with water while you are fasting?” I said to him, “There is no harm in it.” Thus he made analogy between kissing and rinsing the water in the mouth for wudu. But if the water arrives in the body then it will break the fast, so approaching one’s wife
without entering her and without ejaculating is similar and will not break the fast.

If anyone vomits deliberately then his fast is broken because it is narrated by Abu Hurairah(R.A) that Muhammad (Pbuh) said, “Whoever vomits deliberately has to make up for fast. And whoever vomits naturally does not have to make it up.” The scholars understood from this hadith that whoever vomits intentionally should make up one day but whoever did so involuntarily should continue his fast so long as he did not swallow back any of the vomit.

* If anyone eats intentionally, forgetting it is a day of Ramadan, he need not make up his day nor need he pay atonement

(Kaffara). (This is the opinion of the Hanbali and Shafi schools. For the Maliki and Hanafi schools, whoever eats intentionally during Ramadan should make up the fast and pay kaffara). Abu Hurairah narrated that Muhammad (Pbuh) said, “Whoever forgets and eats during the month of Ramadan, he does neither need to make up his fast nor is he required to pay kaffarah (atonement).”

* (This is the opinion of the Hanbali and Shafi’i schools.) Whoever eats intentionally during Ramadan should make up the fast and pay kaffara). Bukhari also recorded “Whoever forgets any fast and eats or drinks should continue his fast because

Allah is the one who feeds him.” If a fasting man eats or did intercourse and thinks the dawn has not risen or he thinks the sunset is upon him when it was not, his fasting would not be counted and he would have to make it up.

* Narrated by Hisham ibn Urwah from Fatimah from Asma, “We broke our fast in Rasulullah’s time on a cloudy day and we discovered that sun had not set, so Rasulullah ordered the people to make up the day.”

* (Hisham said it must be done. Whoever breaks his fast during Ramadan without any excuse, but not the one who made intercourse, he is obliged to make up the fast because he Rasulullah (SAW) said in the previous hadith, “whoever vomits intentionally should make up his fast,” and the other hadith spoke of the loan of Allah being paid.)

* And whoever breaks his fast by intercourse without any excuse he is obliged to make up his fast and pay kaffarah (atonement) because Rasulullah (Pbuh) ordered the one who made intercourse with his wife during Ramadan to make up his fast and to pay kaffarah and because Abu Hurairah(R.A) narrated, A man came to Rasulullah (Pbuh) and said, “I am undone!” He asked him, “What has happened to you?” He said, “I did intercourse with my wife in Ramadan (while I was fasting).” He said, “Can you set a slave free?” He said, “No.” He again asked, “Can you fast for two consecutive months?” He said, “No.” He asked, “Can you provide food for sixty poor people?” He said, “No.” He said, “sit down.” Then a huge basket containing dates was brought to Rasulullah (Pbuh). He said to him, give it as sadaqah (alms).” He said, “O Rasulullah! There is no poorer family than mine between the two lava plains of (Madina). Rasulullah (Pbuh) laughed so that his canine teeth became visible, and said, “give it to your family to eat.” And that is the kaffarah which should be paid by any who intentionally breaks his fast.

It is recommended to have suhur (a pre-dawn meal) for the fast. It was narrated by Anas(R.A) that Rasulullah (SAW) said,“Make suhur. One suhur is reward (barakah).”

And it is recommended for the one who is fasting to break his fast with dates or if he does not find this then by water.

For His Mercy He specially chooseth whom He pleaseth; for Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded." - Surah 3:74.

Allah can favor whomever He wants, and it's not anyone's place to ask "why".

In fact, it's the Sunnah of Allah to select things to be the best of their kind: from His creation He favored mankind, from mankind, He selected the Prophets, and from the Prophets He chose the Nabi From all the days, He chose Friday, from amongst the months He chose Rajab, Shaban, Ramadhan, from the Angels, Jibreel , from the cities, Madinah and Makkah etc,.

......As for dying in certain times and places:

Ibn Umar(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "Whoever has the means to die in Madinah, let him die there for I shall intercede on behalf of everyone who dies there." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

Rasulullah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “The Muslim who passes away on the night or during the day of Friday, Allah Ta’ala saves him from the punishment of the grave . ” (Tirmidhi)

Hadhrat bin Malik (Radiahallahu Anhu) would say: "Indeed, in the month of Ramadhan, torment of the grave is lifted from the dead." [Baihaqi].

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
"O Allah! make my fasts, the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my
standing up in salaah/prayer, of those who stand up in salaah
(obediently), awaken me in it, from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive
me, my sins, O Allah! the Sustainer of the worlds, O the One who forgives
the sinners. Forgive me.
O Allah! Make me and my children of those who maintain salaah and
accept my duaa(supplication). O Allah! , forgive me, my parents and all
the believers on the Day of Reckoning."

Journey of the Soul

"The Death from which ye flee will truly overtake you: then will ye be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that ye did!"

Quran (3:185) :....Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.
Coupled with the question of what happens after we die, is the question: Why are we here? For if there is indeed no greater purpose to life (that is, greater than simply living life itself), the question of what happens after death becomes academic, if not pointless. It is only if one first accepts that our intelligent design, our creation, necessitates an intelligence and designer behind it, a Creator who will judge us for what we do, that life on earth carries any significant meaning.

“Then did you think that We created you in vain and that to Us you would not be returned? Therefore exalted be God, the Sovereign, the Truth; no deity is there save Him, Lord of the Supreme Throne.” (Quran 23:115-116)

“Gabriel came to me and said,
‘O Muhammad, live as you wish, for you shall eventually die.
Love whom you desire, for you shall eventually depart.
Do what you please, for you shall pay.
Know that the night-prayer is the honor of a believer, and his pride is being independant on others.

If there is only one thing certain about life, it is that it ends. This truism instinctively raises a question which preoccupies most people at least once in their life: What lies beyond death?
At the physiological level, the journey that the deceased takes is plain for all to witness. If left alone to natural causes, the heart will stop beating, the lungs will stop breathing, and the body’s cells will be starved of blood and oxygen. The termination of blood flow to the outer extremities will soon turn them pale. With the oxygen cut off, cells will respire anaerobically for a time, producing the lactic acid which causes rigor mortis – the stiffening of the corpse’s muscles. Then, as the cells begin to decompose, the stiffness wanes, the tongue protrudes, the temperature drops, the skin discolors, the flesh rots, and the parasites have their feast - until all that is left is dried-out tooth and bone.
As for the journey of the soul after death, then this is not something that can be witnessed, nor can it be gauged through scientific enquiry. Even in a living body, the conscious, or soul, of a person cannot be subjected to empirical experimentation. It is simply beyond human control. In this regard, the concept of a Hereafter - a life beyond death, resurrection, and a Day of Reckoning; not to mention the existence of a Divine, Omnipotent Creator, His angels, destiny, and so on - comes under the subject of belief in the unseen. The only way in which man can come to know anything of the unseen world is through divine revelation.
Wherever you are, death will find you out, even if you are towers built up strong and high. (4:78)

Hadith of the prophet (saw):

"When the believer is about to depart from this world and go forward
into the Next World, angels with faces as bright as the sun descend
from the heavens and sit around him in throngs stretching as far as
the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head
and says, "Good soul, come out to forgiveness and pleasure from
Allah!" Then his soul emerges like a drop of water flows from a
water-skin and the angel takes hold of it. When he has grasped it,
the other angels do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling
of an eye. They take it and place it in a perfumed shroud and
fragrance issues from it like the sweetest scent of musk found on the
face of the earth.'

"Then they bear it upwards and whenever they take it past a company
of angels, they ask, 'Who is this good soul?' and the angels with the
soul reply, 'So-and-so the son of so-and-so,' using the best names by
which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to the
lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It is
opened for him and angels who are near Allah from each of the heavens
accompany him to the subsequent heaven until he reaches to the heaven
where Allah the Great is. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says,
'Register the book of My slave in 'Illiyun and take him back to
earth. I created them from it and I return them to it and I will
bring them forth from it again.'

"His soul is then returned to his body and two angels come to him.
They make him sit up and say to him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies,
'My Lord is Allah.' They ask him, 'What is your religion?' He
replies, 'My religion is Islam.' They ask him, 'Who is this man who
was sent among you?' He replies, 'The Messenger of Allah.' They ask
him, 'How did you come to know these things?.' He replies, 'I read
the Book of Allah, believed it, and declared it to be true.' Then a
Voice from on high declares, 'My slave has spoken the truth, so
spread out carpets from the Garden for him and open a gate of the
Garden for him!'

"Then some of its fragrance and perfume comes to him, his grave is
expanded for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with beautiful
garments and a fragrant scent comes to him and says, 'Rejoice in what
delights you for this is the day which you were promised.' He asks,
'Who are you? Yours is a face which presages good.' He replies, 'I
am your good actions.' Then he says, 'O Lord, let the Last Hour come
soon so that I may rejoin my family and my property!'

"When an unbeliever is about to depart from this world and go forward
into the Next World, angels with black faces descend from the heavens
carrying rough hair-cloth and sit around him in throngs stretching as
far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his
head and says, 'Foul soul, come out to the wrath and anger of Allah!'
Then his soul divides up in his body and it is dragged out like a
skewer is pulled out of wet wool. Then the angel takes hold of it.
When he has grasped it, the other angels do not leave it in his hand
even for the twinkling of an eye. They take it and wrap it in the
rough haircloth and a stench comes out of it like the worst stench of
a corpse on the face of the earth.'

"Then they take it up and whenever they take it past a company of
angels, they ask, 'Who is this foul soul?' and the angels with the
soul reply, 'So-and-so the son of so-and-so,' using the worst names
by which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to
the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It does
not get opened.'

"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
then recited, 'The gates of heaven will not be opened to them nor
will they enter the Garden until the camel passes through the eye of
the needle.' (7:40) Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic, will say,
'Register his book in Sijjin in the lowest earth.' Then his soul is
flung down. The Prophet then recited, 'Whoever associates anything
with Allah, it is as though he has fallen from heaven and the birds
snatch him away or the wind sweeps him headlong into a place far
away.' (22:31)

"Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and say to
him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know!'
Then a voice calls from on high, 'My slave has lied, so spread out
carpets from the Fire for him and open a gate of the Fire for him!'
then a hot blast from it comes to him, his grave is made so narrow
for him that his ribs are pressed together, and a man with a hideous
face and clothing and a foul odour comes to him and says, 'Grieve on
account of what has brought you disgrace for this is the day which
you were promised.' He asks, 'Who are you? Yours is a face which
presages evil.' He replies, 'I am your bad actions.' Then he says, 'O
Lord, do not let the Last Hour come!'"

This life in the grave or Interspace is the next part of our
journey. An 'interspace' is something that separates two things:
heaven and earth, this world and the Next World or the period between
death and resurrection. The bliss or punishment of the Interpsace is
not the same as that of the Herafter, but rather something that
happens between the two worlds.

In death, the body remains in the ground while the soul is in the
interspace or Barzakh between the two worlds. However, the two are
still connected and so the bliss or punishment happens to both of
them. When Allah desires bliss or punishment for the soul, He
connects it to the body. This is dependent on the will of Allah and
dependent on a person's own actions. The soul is diffused in more
than one place at the same time. The proof of this is that the
prophet (saw) saw Musa (as) on the night of the Night Journey
standing in prayer in his grave and he also saw him in the sixth and
seventh heavens.

During this life in the grave part of our journey the souls are
divided into two groups: one group is punished and the other group is
in bliss. Usually when we think of the 'grave', it is a word that
inspires fear. We are pained, but not aware of the delight it can
contain. Indeed, the bliss of the Grave is better than any delight
that this world can offer.

The liberated souls of those who are in bliss visit each other and
discuss what happened in the world they have left and the people of
that world. Allah says, "Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they
are with those whom Allah has blessed, the prophets, the sincere, the
martyrs and the righteous. Very excellent companions they are!"
(4:69)


As the hadiths narrate, if the soul was a believing one, a door onto
the fire is opened and the soul is shown it's place in the Fire had
they disobeyed Allah. Then that door is locked and another door onto
the Garden is opened and they are shown their place there. This door
will remain open until the Day of Rising. Some of the sweetness and
fragrance of the Garden reaches them and their grave is made
spacious. The believer sleeps in peace just as if they were in one
of the meadows of the Garden. Their narrow grave expands and
stretches for the soul as far as the eye can see.


This spaciousness, light and greenery in which the believer remains
from the time of his death until the Day of Rising is not the same as
we know in our world. If a living person were to open a grave, they
would not find any expanse, light or greenness there. They would not
find an open door through which they could see the Garden. They do
not see bliss or torment. It is only the dead person who is aware of
these things and sees them. Allah, through His wisdom, has the power
to veil this from the living. The proof that this is so is shown by
the fact that there are other creatures like the Jinn who live with
us on the earth. They converse in raised voices among us but we do
not see or hear them. There were angels who fought with the
believers (at Badr) and struck down the unbelievers and shouted at
them, but the Muslims did not see or hear them. Jibril (A.S)came to the
prophet (saw) in the midst of the people and they did not see or hear
them.

If however the soul was a disbelieving one, a door to the Garden is
opened for the unbeliever and they are told to look at what their
place would have been in the Garden had they obeyed Allah. Then it
is locked and another door is opened and they are told to look at
their place in the fire. It stays open and the blast of hot air from
it continues to reach them until the Day of Rising. The earth
presses in on them and they are crushed to the point that their ribs
split apart.

If a righteous person were to be buried in a fiery furnace, their
portion of bliss would still reach their soul and body and Allah
would make the fire cool and peaceful for them. For the wrongdoer,
the cool air becomes fire and hot wind. The elements and the matter
of the universe obey their Lord, Originator and Creator. None of them
are able to do anything except what He wills and everything obeys His
will in humble submission to His decree.

This part of our journey in our graves is still mostly unknown
territory. Outwardly the grave is stillness and quiet while inwardly
it contains secrets and terrors which an ordinary person cannot
percieve. It is a strange fact that animals are able to hear the
punishment in the grave while human beings as a general rule cannot.
The prophet (saw) said, "They are punished and the animals hear it."

Various forms of punishment rain down on a person in the grave
according to the type of wrong actions they committed. There are
hadiths of the prophet (saw) about the Night Journey which contain
descriptions of the many types of punishment he saw in the interspace
between the two worlds.

There are those who are driven like cattle and forced to eat herbage
more bitter than aloes and the bitter fruit of Zaqqum and driven on
to the hot stones of Jahannam because they did not purify their
property by paying Zakat.

There are those who have to eat foul putrid meat because they
fornicated. Some of them have bellies as big as houses and whenever
one of them gets up, they are knocked down and say, "O Allah, do not
let the Hour come!" They are in the path of the people of Pharaoh who
come and trample them while they can do nothing but scream. These are
people who devoured usury.

Some of them are screaming with their mouths gaping open while they
devour hot coals which come out of their anuses. These are people
who consumed the property of orphans.

Some of them cut pieces from their own sides and eat their own
flesh. They are the slanderers and those about whom the prophet
(saw) said, "We saw people cutting flesh from their sides and eating
it. It was said, "As you used to consume the flesh of your brother!"
I asked, "Who are they?" and I was told, "Those of your community who
slandered." Some of them have brass nails with which they scratch
their faces and chests. They are those who were backbiters and
maligned peoples honour.

Part of the hadith of the Night Journey is as follows: "Some people
were cracking open their heads with a stone. Every time they did
this, their heads were restored to what they were like in the first
place. This went on and on without stopping. I said, "Jibril, who
are they?" Jibril replied, "They are the people who turned away from
the prayer."

All of this shows that the Punishment of the Grave is true beyond any
doubt.

"Race to forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden whose breadth is
like the breadth of the Heaven and the Earth" (57:21)

The intelligent are those who protect themselves against the evil of
this punishment before it is too late. They know with certainty that
sooner or later this day will come and maybe without any warning.
When it does, they will leave behind everything and move to another
world. Only there will they feel regret, but regret then will not
do them any good. In that place, only good actions will be of any
use. They alone will be useful currency on that Critical day. Only
with them will a person be able to purchase a magnificent mansion in
the Garden with all the luxuries and blessings it contains, an
everlasting mansion, not one which will disappear as things do in
this world. The intelligent person is the one who acts for this world
as if they were going to live forever and acts for the Next World as
if they were going to die tomorrow.

The Grave is an embrace from which neither believer or unbeliever can
escape. Our souls stay in the Barzakh and visit the grave regularly
for rewards or punishments. Afterwards, our journey continues and
the believer is relieved of its pressure while the unebliever remains
in punishment.

Conversely, deliberately missing prayers is an enormity, an action that is punishable by divine punishment in the Hereafter.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The agreement that is between us and them is the prayer: whoever leaves it has disbelieved."
In another hadith, it is narrated on the authority of Abu Zubair that he heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah saying, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) observing this,' "Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat." [Muslim]
Salat is a pillar of our faith, and there is no such thing as doing too much to ensure that this pillar stands.
HADITH BY RASUL S.A.W: ONE WHO MISS THE PRAYERS WILL RECEIVE 15 PUNISHMENT FROM ALLAH SWT. 6 PUNISHMENT IN THIS LIFE TIME, 3 WHILE DYING, 3 IN THE GRAVE AND 3 ON THE DAY OF THE JUDGEMENT

6 PUNISHMENTS IN HIS LIFE TIME:

1. ALLAHU TA'ALA TAKES AWAY BLESSING FROM HIS AGE ( MAKES HIS LIFE MISFORTUNE)

2. ALLAH DOES NOT ACCEPT HIS DUAS/ CALAACAL

3. ALLAH SWT ERASES THE FEATURES OF GOOD PEOPLE FROM HIS FACE

4. HE WILL BE DETESTED BY ALL CREATURES ON EARTH

5. ALLAH DOE NOT AWARD HIM FOR ANY GOOD DEEDS HE/SHE DOES ( NO THAWAB)

6. FINALLY HE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED THE DUA'S OF GOOD PEOPLE

THE 3 PUSNISHMENT WHILE DYING:

1. HE DiES HUMILIATED

2. HE DiES HUNGRY

3.HE DiES THIRSTY, EVEN IF HE DRINKS THE WATERS OF ALL THE SEAS HE WILL STILL BE THIRSTY

THE 3 PUNISHMENTS IN THE GRAVE:

1. ALAHU TA'ALA TIGHTENS HIS GRAVE UNTIL HIS CHEST RIBS CROSS EACH OTHERS

2. ALLAH PORS ON HIM FIRE WITH EMBERS

3. ALLAH SETS ON HIM A SNAKE CALLED "THE BRAVE". "THE BOLD" WHICH HITS HIM FROM MORNING UNTILL AFTERNOON FOR LEAVING FAJR PRAYER, FROM THE AFTERNOON UNTILL ASR FOR LEAVING DHUHR PRAYER AND SO ON. WITH EACH STRIKE HE SINKS 70 YARDS UNDER THE GROUND

THE 3 PUNISHMENT ON THE DAY OF THE JUDGEMENT

1. ALLAH SENDS WHO WILL ACOMPANY HIM TO HELL PULLING HIM ON THE FACE

2. ALLAH GIVES HIM AN ANGARY LOOK THAT MAKES THE FLESH OF HIS FACE FALL DOWN

3. ALLAH JUDGES HIM STRICTLY AND ORDERS HIM TO BE THROWN IN HELL FIRE

* THOSE WHO DO NOT SAY THEIR PRAYERS OF

FAJAR: THE GLOW OF THEIR FACES IS TAKEN AWAY.

DHUHR: THE BLESSING OF THEIR INCOME IS TAKEN AWAY

ASAR: THE STRENGH OF THEIR BODY IS TAKEN AWAY

MAGRIB: THEY ARE NOT BENEFACTED BY THEIR CHILDREN

ISHA: THE PEACE OF THEIR SLEEP IS TAKEN AWAY

THE HOLLY QURAN "SAY YOUR PRAYERS BEFORE PRAYERS FOR YOU ARE SAID"

* BROTHERS AND SISTER,FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU MADE SUJUD TO ALLAH SUBHAN WATA'ALA, HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO PRAY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH, MAY ALLAH ACCEPT IT FROM YOU

Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) is reported to have said, "A person neglecting his Salaah (even though he makes it up later) shall remain in Jahannam for a period of one huqb. A Huqb is equal to eighty years of three hundred and sixty days each, and a day in Akhirah shall equal one thousand years of this world." Huqb literally means a very long time; in most Ahadith it is explained as being eighty years as given above.

(When the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) ascended to the heavens on the night of Al Me'raj, which is mentioned in the first verse of Surah Bani Israel, he ascended each of the seven heavens and upon ascending each, he met with the Prophets (alaiyhimus-salam) before him. They all expressed their faith in his prophethood. When he finally reached Allah, He prescribed fifty daily prayers for the believers. Musa (alaiyhis-salam) said to the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), "Your followers will not be able to perform so many prayers, you must go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce the number." The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) discussed this matter with Jibreel (alaiyhis-salam) who said, "Yes, if you desire," and ascended with him to the Highest Heaven to speak to Allah again, Who, then, reduced the prayers to ten. Again, Musa (alaiyhis-salam) advised for Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) to go back and ask Allah for another reduction. So the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) again begged his Lord for another remission. Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, then reduced the daily prayers to five. And when the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) went back to Musa (alaiyhis-salam) for the third time, he insisted him to go back to Allah and ask for further reduction, but this time the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) refused and said, "I feel ashamed now for repeatedly asking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His will." When the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) went further, a Caller was heard saying, "I have imposed My ordinance and have alleviated the burden of My servants." (Ar-Raheeq-al-Makhtum, p.148) Thus was the salah made obligatory upon every Muslim believer, male and female.)

Salah is a means of communicating with the All-Mighty to thank and glorify Him, to cry to Him, to ask of Him. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), whenever a calamity occurred, always turned to his Lord in prayer. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said that Satan says, "Woe unto me! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell." A companion once said to the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam), "Inform me about an act which would entitle me to Paradise and remove me away from Hellfire." The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, "You have asked a matter (which appears to be difficult), but it is very easy for those whom Allah has made it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish prayer, pay zakah.....Should I not direct you to the highest level of the matter to the pillar on which (it rests) and its top?" The companion eagerly replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam)!" He (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, "The uppermost level of the matter is Al-Islam. Its pillar is prayer and its top is Jihad..." Another companion inquired of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) which act was most dearest to Allah. He (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) replied, "Salah, at its fixed time." In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, "Salah is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah."


Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi is responsible for the Hadith in which Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) is reported to have said, "The name of a person who neglects even a single obligatory Salaah intentionally is written on the gate of Jahannam, which he must enter.”

Ibn Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that once Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) said, “Ask Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) to cause not anyone of us to be an unfortunate penniless.” He then said: “Do you know who is an unfortunate penniless?” At the request of the Sahabah he explained to them, saying, “An unfortunate penniless is he who neglects his Salaah. In Islam there is nothing for him.” In another Hadith it is said, “Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) will not care a bit for the person who has been neglecting Salaah intentionally and for him shall be an awful punishment.

From the above narrations, we can conclude that salah is the most important act of a Muslim next to Iman (faith).

.......REWARDS..............
Abu Zarr (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that once our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) came out of his house. It was autumn and the leaves were falling from the trees. He caught hold of a branch of a tree and its leaves began to drop in large number. At this he remarked, "O Abu Zarr! When a Muslim offers his Salaah to please Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) his sins fall away from him just as these leaves are falling off this tree."

In autumn, usually, the leaves of the trees fall in large number, so much so that on some trees not a single leaf is left behind. The same is the effect of Salaah performed with sincerity and devotion. All the sins of the person offering Salaah are wiped off. It should, however, be remembered that according to scholars of Islamic law, only the smaller sins are forgiven by the performance of Salaah and such other practices. The major sins are not forgiven without repentance. We should, therefore, in addition to saying Salaah, be Particular about repenting and asking for Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala)'s forgiveness. Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) may, however, pardon, by His bountiful Grace, even the major sins of any person, because of his Salaah

..............Salaah Washes Away Sins.............

Abu Hurairah (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that once Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) asked his Sahabah, "Do you believe that dirt can remain on a person bathing five times a day in a stream running in front of his door?" "No," replied the Sahabah, "no dirt can remain on his body." Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) remarked: "So, exactly similar is the effect of salaah offered five times a day. With the Grace of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) it washes away all the sins."

Jabir (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) saying: "The likeness of five times daily salaah is of a deep stream running in front of the door of a person who bathes therein five times a day."

Running water is generally free from dirt, and the deeper it runs the cleaner and purer it is. A bath in such water surely removes dirt from the body and makes it clean. Salaah offered with due regard for its essentials similarly cleanses the soul of all sins. There are several Ahadith of the same meaning, though with slight variations in expression, narrated by different Sahabah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) .

Abu Saeed Khudree (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) saying: "Each of the five Salaah covers up the sins committed since the salaah preceding it. To explain, let us take the case of a person working in a factory. His job is such that his body gets covered with dust. But there are five streams of running water in between the factory and his house and, on his return from the job, he takes a bath in each stream. The effect of five times daily salaah is quite similar. Any sins of omission and commission between two Salaah are forgiven on account of asking for Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) forgiveness and repentance in each salaah."

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) through such examples aims at impressing that salaah has the wonderful power of removing the sins. If we fail to avail of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) Rahmah, surely we ourselves are the losers.

When one rejects salah, it is like rejecting Allah, the Lord and Creator and, choosing Satan as a protector and friend. The Qur'an says,

"Whoever forsakes Allah and takes Satan as a friend, has of a surety suffered a manifest loss." (An-Nisaa 4:119)

"O Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you as he seduced your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame; for he and his tribe see you from a position where you cannot see them; We made the devils friends (only) to those without Faith." (Al-A'raaf 7:27)

Salah distinguishes a believer, a Muslim, from a non-believer, a kafir. It is the light of a mu'min. It is a mark of Islam and is the first thing one will be questioned about on the Day of Judgement. Only through the salah can one show true devotion and love for Allah. It is the key to paradise. It scares away the devil so long as one is regular in his salah. When a person stands in salah, the gates of Paradise are let open and all the veils between him and his Lord are lifted. A devotee of prayer is closest to Allah and the fire of hell will not touch the parts of the body, which touched the ground while performing prostration if he is thrown into Hell for some major sin. Allah says in His beautiful Kalaam,

"Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord, establish regular prayers, spend out of that which we have bestowed for their sustenance secretly and openly and turn off evil with good; for such there is the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home. Gardens of bliss, they shall enter there, as wellas the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their children and the angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation): Peace be unto you for that you persevered in patience. Now how excellent is the Final Home. But those who break the covenant of Allah after having plighted their world thereto and cut asunder those things which Allah commanded to be joined and work mischief in the land, on them is the Curse; for them is the (most) terrible Home." (Ar-Ra'd 13:22-25)

To err is human. We are likely to commit innumerable acts displeasing Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and deserve thereby His wrath and punishment. But look how merciful our dear Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) is! He has most graciously shown us the way to earn His mercy and forgiveness. It is a great pity if we do not avail of this great favor. Our Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) is always eager to show us His mercy on very small matters. It is said in a Hadith that if a person goes to bed with the intention of getting up for Tahajjud and ,by chance, does not wake up, he receives the full reward for Tahajjud, although he has been enjoying his sleep at the time of Tahajjud. How boundless is the grace of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and what a tremendous loss and deprivation if we do not receive blessings from such a Giver.

“And with God are the keys of the unseen, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.” (Quran 6:59).

They impress on thee as a favour that They have embraced Islam. Say, "Count not your Islam as a favour upon me: Nay, Allah has conferred a favour upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if ye be true and sincere. (Surat Al Hujarat: aya 17).

Subhan Allah! A problem i think many of us do: sometimes it seems like we think we've done so much just by being Muslim. It's like we think that Allah should be grateful that we've sloppily prayed, instead of us being grateful that we have been shown the way!)

....Imam Ahmad,(R.A), narrated that Abu-d-Darda’, radiallahu `anh, once said:

“If only you knew what you will certainly see upon your death, you would never again eat a single bite out of a craving appetite, and you would never again drink an extra sip of water for the pleasure of unquenchable and insatiable thirst. Hence, you will remain outdoor in perpetuity, bewildered and awaiting the unexpected, and you will never again seek comfort in a shelter or seek a shade.

You will wander aimlessly and climb the hilltops of every mountain, you will look up towards the heavens and beseech your Lord for mercy, and you will beat on your chest and cry endlessly, and you will wish that you were a little vegetable – a plant which is protected to grow, and then plucked to be eaten by a hungry person passing along.”

A Grave World
We will now take a brief look at the journey of the soul after death. This is truly an amazing story, all the more so because it is true and one which we all must take. The sheer depth of knowledge we have concerning this journey, its precision and detail, is a manifest sign that Muhammad was truly God’s Last Messenger to humanity. The revelation he received and then communicated to us from His Lord is as unambiguous in its description of the afterlife as it comprehensive. Our glimpse into this knowledge will begin with a brief exploration of the journey of the believing soul from the moment of death to its final resting place in Paradise.

When a believer is about to depart this world, angels with white faces come down from the heavens and say:

“O peaceful soul, come out to forgiveness from God and His pleasure.” (Hakim and others)

The believer will look forward to meeting his Creator, as the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, explained:

“…when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of God’s pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what lies ahead of him. He therefore loves meeting God, and God loves meeting him.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The soul peacefully passes out of the body like a drop of water which emerges from a water-skin, and the angels take hold of it:

The angels gently extract it, saying:

“…Do not fear and do not grieve, but receive good tidings of the Paradise which you were promised. We were your allies in this worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter, and you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish], as a hospitality from the Forgiving and Merciful.” (Quran 41:30-32)

Once extracted from the body, the angels wrap the soul in a shroud smelling of musk and ascend up to the heavens. As the Gates of Heaven open for the soul, the angels greet it:

“A good soul has come from the earth, may God bless you and the body you used to dwell in.”

…introducing it with the best names it was called with in this life. God commands his “book” to be recorded, and the soul is returned back to earth.

The soul then remains in a place of limbo in its grave, called the Barzakh, awaiting the Day of Judgment. Two fearsome, dread-inspiring angels called Munkar and Nakeer visit the soul to ask it about its religion, God, and prophet. The believing soul sits upright in its grave as God grants it the strength to answer the angels with full faith and certainty.[1]

Munkar and Nakeer: “What is your religion?”

Believing soul: “Islam.”

Munkar and Nakeer: “Who is your Lord?”

Believing soul: “Allah.”

Munkar and Nakeer: “Who is your Prophet?” (or “What do you say about this man?”)

Believing soul: “Muhammad.”

Munkar and Nakeer: “How did you come to know these things?”

Believing soul: “I read the Book of Allah (i.e. the Quran) and I believed.”

Then, when the soul passes the test, a voice from the heavens will call out:

“My slave has spoken the truth, supply him with furnishings from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a gate for him to Paradise.”

The believer’s grave is made roomy and spacious and filled with light. He is shown what would have been his abode in Hell - had he been a wicked sinner - before a portal is opened for him every morning and evening showing him his actual home in Paradise. Excited and full of joyful anticipation, the believer will keep asking: ‘When will the Hour (of Resurrection) come?! When will the Hour come?!’ until he is told to calm down
“That Day, a man shall flee from his brother; from his mother and his father; from his wife and his children. For on that Day, every man will have enough to make him indifferent to others.” (Quran 80:34-37).

"Give good news to those who believe and work righteousness that they will have gardens with flowing streams. When provided with provisions of fruits therein, they will say, "This is what was given to us in the past." They will be given similar provisions, and they will have pure spouses therein. They abide therein forever." 2:25

"Do not think that those who are killed in the cause of God are dead; they are alive at their Lord, being provided for." 3:169

"Do NOT say about those who are killed in the cause of God, "They are dead." For they are alive, but you do not perceive." 2:154

"O you who believe, you shall respond to God and the messenger when he invites to what keeps you alive." 8:24

"Those who emigrate in the cause of God, then get killed or die, God will surely provide for them a good provision." 22:58

"They do not taste death, beyond the first death, and God spares them the retribution of Hell." 44:56

"He was told, "Enter Paradise." He said, "I wish my people (on earth) know; that my Lord has forgiven me and honored me." 36:26-27

The first to publicly accept Islam. Khadija(R.A)

KHADIJA bint Khuwaylid(R.A)
The first to publicly accept Islam.
"She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; (Who said this ?)
Greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in the Garden.(Who said this)

Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, came from a noble family. Her father Khuwaylid had been one of the most honored leaders of their tribe until he was killed in battle. Her husband had also died, leaving her a very wealthy woman.
According to a number of sources, Khadija(R.A) was born in 565 A.D. and died one year before the Hijra (migration of the Holy Prophet and his followers from Mecca to Medina) in 623 A.D. at the age of 58, but some historians say that she lived to be 65. Khadija's(R.A) mother, who died around 575 A.D., was Fatima daughter of Za'ida ibn al-Asam of Banu `Amir ibn Luayy ibn Ghalib, also a distant relative of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Khadija's father, who died around 585 A.D., belonged to the Abd al-`Uzza clan of the tribe of Quraysh and, like many other Qurayshis, was a merchant, a successful businessman whose vast wealth and business talents were inherited by Khadija(R.A) and whom the latter succeeded in faring with the family's vast wealth. It is said that when Quraysh's trade caravans gathered to embark upon their lengthy and arduous journey either to Syria during the summer or to Yemen during the winter, Khadija's(R.A) caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of Quraysh put together.
Although the society in which Khadija was born was a terribly male chauvinistic one, Khadija earned two titles: Ameerat-Quraysh, Princess of Quraysh, and al-Tahira, the Pure One, due to her impeccable personality and virtuous character, not to mention her honorable descent. She used to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and even provide for the marriage of those of her kin who could not otherwise have had means to marry.

When Muhammad (peace be upon him) was still a young man, she entrusted him with some of her wealth, asking him to trade with it in Syria on her behalf. He was already well known for his honesty, truthfulness and trustworthiness. He returned from Syria after having made a large profit for Khadijah(R.A). After hearing his account of the journey, she decided that he would make the best of the husbands, even though many of the most important nobles of the Quraish had already proposed to her and had been refused, and in due course she proposed to him. After the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, had given the proposed marriage his blessing, Muhammad(peace be upon him) and Khadijah(R.A) were married. At the time of the marriage, the Prophet was twenty-five years old, while Khadijah(R.A) was forty years old.
After his marriage, Muhammad (pbuh) moved from his uncle's house to live with his wife in her house which stood at the smiths' market, an alley branching out of metropolitan Mecca's long main bazaar, behind the mas`a, the place where the pilgrims perform the seven circles during the hajj or `umra. In that house Fatima (R.A) was born and the revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) many times. This house, as well as the one in which the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) was born (which stood approximately 50 meters northwards), were both demolished by the ignorant and fanatical Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia(1413 A.H./1993 A.D.) and turned into public bathrooms. The grave sites of many family members and companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) were all demolished by the same people in 1343 A.H./1924 A.D. against the wish and despite the denunciation of the adherents of all other Muslim sects and schools of thought world-wide.
For the next fifteen years they lived happily together, and Khadijah(R.A) bore several children. Their first child, a son whom they named Qasim, died when he was only two years old. Two more sons, called Tayyib and Tahir, were also born, but they too died in their infancy. However, Muhammad and Khadijah(R.A) also had four daughters who survived: Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum and Fatima.Zainab, their oldest, was born before the prophetic mission and was married to Abul-`As ibn al-Rabee`. She had accepted Islam before her husband, and she participated in the migration from Mecca to Medina. She died early in 8 A.H. and was buried in Jannatul Baqee` where her grave can still be seen defying the passage of time. Ruqayya and Ummu Kulthoom married two of Abu Lahab's sons. Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet's uncles, stubbornly and openly rejected his nephew's preaching; therefore, he was condemned in the Mecci Chapter 111 of the Holy Qur'an, a chapter named after him. Having come to know about such a condemnation, he became furious and said to his sons, "There shall be no kinship between you and me unless you part with these daughters of Muhammad," whereupon they divorced them instantly. Ruqayya married the third caliph `Uthman ibn `Affan(R.A) and migrated with him to Ethiopia in 615 A.D., five years after the inception of the prophetic mission, accompanied by no more than nine others. That was the first of two such migrations. After coming back home, she died in Medina in 2 A.H. and was buried at Jannatul Baqee`. `Uthman(R.A) then married her sister Ummu Kulthoom in Rabi` al-Awwal of the next (third) Hijri year. Ummu Kulthoom lived with her husband for about six years before dying in 9 A.H., leaving no children.
No one except Allah of course, knows more about a man than his wife, both his good and his bad qualities, his strengths and his weaknesses. The more Khadijah(R.A) came to know about her husband, the more she loved and respected him. Everyone in Makka called him 'al-Amin', which means 'the trustworthy one', and she, more than anyone else, knew how fitting this name was. It became Muhammad's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) custom each year to spend the month of Ramadan in seclusion and reflection in a cave on the mountain of Hira, which is on the outskirts of Makka. Khadijah(R.A) would always make sure that he was provided with food and drink during his retreat. Towards the end of one Ramadan, when he was forty and Khadijah(R.A) fifty-five, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) suddenly appeared at their house in the middle of the night, trembling with fear and saying, "Cover me up, cover me up!" Khadijah(R.A) was very alarmed to see him in such a state. Quickly she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and, when he had calmed down, she asked him to describe exactly what had happened. He told her how a being whom he had never seen before - in fact it was the angel Jibril - had suddenly appeared to him while he was asleep and had said, "Read!" "But I cannot read," he had replied, for he was unlettered and could neither read or write. "Read!" the angel had repeated, clasping Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) close to his chest. "I cannot read," he had repeated. "Read!" the angel had repeated, firmly embracing him yet again. "What shall I read?" he had asked in desperation, and the angel had replied: Read, in the Name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot, Read, and your Lord is the Most Gracious, Who taught with the pen, taught man what he did not know. (Quran 96:1-5) Although Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fully realize it at the time, this was the beginning of the revelation of the Qur'an; but in that first encounter with the angel Jibril (A.S.), Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was very frightened, for he did not know who the angel Jibril(A.S.) was or what was happening. He woke up and ran out of the cave only to find Jibril (A.S.)still in front of him, and whenever he turned away from him, there Jibril(A.S.) was in front of him yet again, filling the horizon with his mighty yet beautiful form. "Oh Muhammad," said Jibril eventually, "you are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril," and with these words he disappeared from Muhammad's(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sight. After the angel had disappeared Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had clambered down the mountain as fast as he could run, not knowing if he was going mad and imagining things, or if he had been possessed by one of the jinn. As she listened to Muhammad's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) words, Khadijah(R.A.) did not share any of these fears. She realized that something tremendous and awe-inspiring had happened to her husband, and she was certain, knowing him as she did, that he was neither mad nor possessed. "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." When Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a little more relaxed, Khadijah(R.A) took him to see her cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal, for he was a man of knowledge, and she was sure that he would be able to explain the meaning of what had just happened to her beloved husband. Waraqa had studied the books of both the Jews and the Christians very closely and he had learned a great deal from many of their wisest people. He knew that the coming of another Prophet had been foretold by both Moses and Jesus, peace be on them, anhe knew many of the signs that would confirm the identity of this Prophet when he appeared. After listening closely to his story, Waraqa, who was both old and blind, exclaimed, "This is the same being who brought the revelations of Allah to Moses. I wish I was young and could be alive whyour people will drive you out." "Will they drive me out?" asked Muhammad. "Yes," replied Waraqa. "No one has come with what you have been given without being treated with enmity; and if I were to live until the day when you are turned out, then I would support you with all my might. Let me just feel your back." So, saying, Waraqa felt between the Prophet's shoulder-blades and found what he was feeling for: a small round, slightly raised irregularity in the skin, about the size of a pigeon's egg. This was yet another of the many signs that Waraqa already knew would indicate the identity of the next Prophet after Jesus, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). "This is the Seal of the Prophethood!" he exclaimed. "Now I am certain that you are indeed the Prophet whose coming was foretold in the Torah that was revealed to Moses(A.S) and in the Injil that was revealed to Jesus, (pbut) You are indeed the Messenger of Allah, and the being who appeared to you on the mountain was indeed the angel Jibril(A.S) !" Khadijah(R.A) as both overjoyed and awed to find that her understanding of what had happened on the mountain had been confirmed. Not long after this incident, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was commanded in a subsequent revelation from Allah, through the angel Jibril(A.S), to call people to worship Allah only, and it was at this point that Khadijah did not hesitate in expressing in public what she had now known for certain in secret for some time: " I bear witness that there is no god except Allah," she said, "and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." In the years that followed, difficult years in which the leaders of the Quraish did everything in their power to stop the Prophet spreading his message, Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was a constant source of help and comfort to Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the difficulties which he had to face. All her wealth was spent in the way of Allah, helping to spread the message of her husband, helping to free slaves who had embraced Islam, and helping to feed and shelter the community of Muslims that slowly but surely began to grow in numbers and strength. The Quraish were infuriated by the Prophet's success and did everything in their power to discourage both him and his followers, often inflicting awful tortures on them, but without success. The situation became so bad that the Prophet told some of his followers to go to Abyssinia, where their ruler, the Negus, who was a sincere Christian gave them shelter and protection. Eventually there came a time when, as Waraqa had foretold, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his followers -along with all the members of his tribe, the Banu Hashim were driven out of the city of Mecca and forced to camp out in a small ravine in the mountains nearby. This happened long after Waraqa had died, and about seven years after that extraordinary night of power in which Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had received the first revelation of Quran through the angel Jibril(A.S). There, while their homes lay empty in Mecca, the Muslims were exposed to the bitterly cold nights of winter and the fiery hot days of summer, with very little food and shelter. No one would buy and sell with the Muslims, or allow their sons and daughters to marry any of them. Fortunately those who secretly sympathized with the Muslims would send what food they could to them whenever the chance arose, sometimes by loading provisions onto a camel or a horse and then sending it off at a gallop in the direction of the camp, hoping that the animal would not stop or get lost before it reached its intended destination. For three years the small Muslim community lived a life of hardship and deprivation, but although they suffered from hunger and thirst, and from exposure to heat and cold, this was a time in which the hearts of the first Muslims were both purified and also filled with the light of knowledge and wisdom. The Muslims knew that they were following the truth, and so nothing else mattered. They did not care what the Quraish did to them or said about them. Allah and His Messenger were enough for them! It was during this period that the Muslims who had sought shelter in Abyssinia returned, only to find the situation even worse than when they had left it. Not long after, many of them returned to Abyssinia, their numbers swelled by those whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had told to accompany them. Finally the boycott was lifted and the Muslims were allowed to re enter the city; but the three years of hardship had taken their toll. First of all the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, who was by then more than eighty years old, died; and then a few months later, during the month of Ramadan, Khadijah(R.A) also died, at the age of sixty-five, may Allah be pleased with her. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mourned her deeply. They had shared twenty-five years of marriage together and she had given birth to five of his children. Only one of the Prophet's future wives, Maria the Copt, would give him another child, Ibrahim, and he, like Qasim, was destined to die when he was still very young, at the age of eighteen months. Khadijah had been the first to publicly accept Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as the Messenger of Allah, and she had never stopped doing all she could to help him. Love and mercy had grown between them, increasing in quality and depth as the years passed by, and not even death could take this love away. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never stopped loving Khadijah(R.A), and although he married several more wives in later years and loved them all, it is clear that Khadijah(R.A) always had a special place in his heart. Indeed whenever 'Aisha(R.A), his third wife, heard the Prophet speak of Khadijah(R.A), or saw him sending food to Khadijah's(R.A) old friends and relatives, she could not help feeling jealous of her, because of the love that the Prophet still had for her. Once Aisha(R.A) asked him if Khadijah(R.A) had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand." It had been related by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that on one occasion, when Khadijah(R.A) was still alive, Jibril(A.S.) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Khadijah is just coming with a bowl of soup (or food or drink) for you. When she comes to you, give her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in the Garden, where there will be neither any noise nor any tiredness." After the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, and his first wife, Khadijah(R.A), had both died in the same year, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his small community of believers endured a time of great hardship and persecution at the hands of the Quraish. Indeed the Prophet who was now fifty years old, name this year 'the Year of Sorrow.' In private his dearest wife was no longer present to share his life; and in public the insults that he received from the Quraish multiplied, now that he had no longer had the protection of his dead uncle. Even when he journeyed to Ta'if, a small city up in the mountains outside Mecca, to call its people to worship Allah, he was rejected and stoned by them. It has been related by Aisha that on his way back to Mecca, Jibril appeared to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "Allah, may He be exalted and glorified, has heard what the people have said to you and how they have responded to your invitation, and he has sent the angel in charge of the mountains so that you can tell him what you want him to with them." Then the angel in charge of the mountains called out to him and greeted him and said, "O Muhammad, Allah has listened to what your people have said to you. I am the angel in charge of the mountains, and your Lord has sent me so that you can order me to do whatever you want. If you wish, I can bring the mountain of the outskirts of Mecca together so that they are crushed between them." But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, "Rather I hope that Allah will make their descendants a people who will worship Allah alone, without ascribing any partners to him." It was a while after this that tfollowing Surah was revealed: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate By the morning hours, and by the night when it is stillest, Your Lord has not forsake you nor does He hate you, And truly what comes after will be better for you than what has come before, And truly your Lord will give to you so that you will be content. Did he not find you an orphan and protect you? Did he not find you wandering and guide you? Did he not find you destitute and enrich you? So do not oppress the orphan, And do not drive the beggar away, And speak about the blessings of Your Lord. (Quran 93:1-11) And so it happened. After three years of constant struggle,It was only natural for Khadija to receive her share of the harassment meted to him by none other than those who, not long ago, used to call him al-Sadiq, al-Amin. Khadija did not hesitate to embrace Islam at all, knowing that her husband could not have put forth any false claim. Yahya ibn `Afeef is quoted saying that he once came, during the period of jahiliyya (before the advent of Islam), to Mecca to be hosted by al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, one of the Prophet's uncles mentioned above. "When the sun started rising," says he, "I saw a man who came out of a place not far from us, faced the Ka`ba and started performing his prayers. He hardly started before being joined by a young boy who stood on his right side, then by a woman who stood behind them. When he bowed down, the young boy and the woman bowed, and when he stood up straight, they, too, did likewise. When he prostrated, they, too, prostrated." Then he expressed his amazement at that, saying to al-Abbas: "This is quite strange, O Abbas!" "Is it, really?" retorted al-Abbas. "Do you know who he is?" al-Abbas asked his guest who answered in the negative. "He is Muhammad ibn Abdullah, my nephew. Do you know who the young boy is?" asked he again. "No, indeed," answered the guest. "He is Ali son of Abu Talib. Do you know who the woman is?" The answer came again in the negative, to which al-Abbas said, "She is Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid, my nephew's wife." This incident is included in the books of both Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmithi, each detailing it in his own Sahih. And she bore patiently in the face of persecution to which her revered husband and his small band of believers were exposed at the hands of the polytheists and aristocrats of Quraysh, sacrificing her vast wealth to promote Islam, seeking Allah's Pleasure. a relative of his, called Khawla, went to him and pointed out that his house was sadly neglected and that his daughters needed a mother to look after them. "But who can take the place of Khadijah(R.A)?" he asked. "Aisha(R.A), the daughter of Abu Bakr(R.A), the dearest of people to you," she answered. Abu Bakr(R.A) (may Allah be pleased with him) had been the first man to accept Islam and he was the Prophet's closest companion. Like Khadijah(R.A), he had done all that he could do to help the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and had spent all his wealth in the way of Allah. However, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was now fifty-three years old, Aisha(R.A) as only a little girl of seven. She was hardly in a position to look after either the Prophet's household or children. "She is very young." Replied the Prophet. Khawla had a solution for everything. She suggested that he marry at the same time a lady called Sawda(R.A), the widow of Al-Sakran ibn 'Amr.
She was the first wife of the Prophet (pbuh) and the , and to accept his call to Islam. She was Khadija bint Khuwaylid(R.A).
her death on the eleventh of Ramadan in the tenth year of the Prophet hood - at the age of sixty-four. The Prophet (pbuh) would think of Khadija(R.A) often. Open up any book written on the life of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) , and you will not fail to find Khadija bint Khuwaylid(R.A.) mentioned and evidences pertaining to her excellence.

So we have the perfect role models, and it is only through reading about them, that we can truly love them and love to be like them, and understand why they are happy occupants of al-Jannah. And Jibreel, , came with the good news from Allah.
Gabriel said to Muhammad (pbuh): "O Muhammad! Khadija is bringing you a bowl of food; when she comes to you, tell her that her Lord greets her, and convey my greeting, too, to her." When he (pbuh) did so, she said: "Allah is the Peace, and He is the source of all peace, and upon Gabriel be peace." Khadija died of an attack of fever on the tenth or eleventh day of the month of Ramadan, ten years after the start of the Prophetic mission (in the year 619 A.D.), 24 years after her marriage with Muhammad (pbuh), and she was buried at Hajun in the outskirts of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) dug her grave and buried her... Funeral prayers (salat al janaza) had not yet been mandated in Islam. It is reported that by the time she died, her entire wealth had already been spent to promote Islam; she left not a single gold dinar nor a single silver dirham, nor anything more or less...


O soul that are at rest! Return to your Lord,
well-pleased (with Him),well-pleasing (Him),
so enter among My servants, and enter into My garden.
(Qur'an, 89:27-30)

Special 'Dua' in Ramadhan

..............In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Kind
Ramadan 2009

Expected first day of fasting
22nd/23rd August -

The Prophet (Peace be upon him), Attributes and Manners
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) combined both perfection of creation and perfection of manners.
This impression on people can be deduced by the bliss that overwhelmed their hearts and filled them with dignity. Men’s dignity, devotion and estimation of the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) were unique and matchless. No other man in the whole world has been so honoured and beloved. Those who knew him well, were fascinated and enchanted by him. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of saving a nail of his from hurt or injury. Being privileged by lots of prerogatives of perfection that no one else had been endowed with, his Companions found that he was peerless and so they loved him.

Beauty Of Creation
Describing the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), who passed by her tent on his journey of migration, Umm Ma‘bad Al-Khuza‘iyah said to her husband:
"He was innocently bright and had broad countenance. His manners were fine. Neither was his belly bulging out nor was his head deprived of hair. He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows. His hair glossy and black, inclined to curl, he wore long. His voice was extremely commanding. His head was large, well formed and set on a slender neck. His expression was pensive and contemplative, serene and sublime. The stranger was fascinated from the distance, but no sooner he became intimate with him than this fascination was changed into attachment and respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct. His speech was well set and free from the use of superfluous words, as if it were a rosary of beads. His stature was neither too high nor too small to look repulsive. He was a twig amongst the two, singularly bright and fresh. He was always surrounded by his Companions. Whenever he uttered something, the listeners would hear him with rapt attention and whenever he issued any command, they vied with each other in carrying it out. He was a master and a commander. His utterances were marked by truth and sincerity, free from all kinds of falsehoods and lies."
Fasting has its advantages from the point of view of health and hygiene. Islam wants a Muslim to be healthy, clean, alert, agile and energetic. "Fast to be healthy," had said the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). And physicians today acknowledge the many benefits of fasting that ensure health and the soundness of one's body and mind. Some of these positive points have a direct influence on psychology and physique of the fasting individual.

.....Fasting and Health.....
Fasting and HealthFasting has been found to be an effective treatment for psychological and emotional disorders. It helps a person to firm up his will, cultivate and refine his taste and manners, strengthen his conviction of doing good, avoid controversy, petulance and rashness, which all contribute towards a sane and healthy personality. Besides nurturing resistance and ability to face hardships and endurance, fasting reflects on outward physical appearance by cutting out gluttony and getting rid of excess fat. The benefits of fasting on health do not stop there but are instrumental in alleviating a number of physical diseases, including those of the digestive systems, such as chronic stomachache, inflammation of the colon, liver diseases, indigestion, and conditions such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, asthma, diphtheria and many other maladies.

Generally speaking, fasting hastens the destruction of the decaying tissues of the body by means of hunger, and then builds new tissues through nutrition. This is why some scientists suggest that fasting should be regarded as an effective means of restoring youthfulness and longevity. However, Islam exempts from fasting sick and old people whose health is bound to deter.

But fasting should have its regulations too, and not simply the in orderly skipping meals, that is bound to harm health and stamina, rather than improving them. Here again Islam provides the answer, and in order to realize the benefits of fasting, it recommends the late midnight meals called 'Sahar' (before the formal start of a fast) and the breaking of the fast at the time prescribed. Of course, to ensure good health one should abstain from gluttony after breaking fast.
stated by Imam Ali (R.A):

"Son! May I instruct you four words after which you will no longer need medicine? Do not eat unless you are hungry. Stop eating while you are still hungry. Chew food deliberately. Before sleeping, go to toilet. You will not need medicine if you follow."

In the holy Quran, there is a Verse gathering the whole matter of medicine. It is: "...Eat and drink but do not be excessive." (7:31)

Kaab bin Ujra relates, "Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, "Come near to the mimbar". And we came near to the mimbar. When he ascended the First step of the mimbar he said "Aameen". When he ascended the second step of the mimbar he said, "Aameen". When he ascended the third step he said, "Aameen".
When he descended we said, "0 Rasul of Allah, we have heard from you today something which we never heard before". He said, When I ascended the first step) Jibra-eel A.S. appeared before me and said, "Woe to him who found the blessed month of Ramadhaan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness", Upon that I said, "Aameen". When I ascended the second step, he said "Woe to him before whom thy name is mentioned and then does not read Durood (salaat alan Nabi) on you". I replied "Aameen". When I ascended the third step he said, "Woe unto the person in whose presence both parents or one of them attain old age, and (through failure to serve them) is not allowed to enter Jannah" I said "Aameen"

Abu Hurayrah relates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, "My Ummah were given five things for Ramadhaan which were not given to anyone except them. For them, the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more sweeter to Allah than the fragrant smell of musk. On their behalf the fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting persons until they break their fast. Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in Jannah everyday and then says (to it), "The time is near when faithful servants shall cast aside the great trials of the world and come to you". In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadhaan. On the last night of Ramadhaan they are forgiven".

The Sahaabah R.A. thereupon enquired, "0 Messenger of Allah, is that last night Laylatul Qadr? Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) replied, "No. But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his service". Reported by Ahmad.

Salmaan (RA) reports, "On the last day of Sha-baan Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) addressed us and said, '0 people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made Fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the Taraaweeh by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a fardh, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraa-idh in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah ( paradise. It is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer's rizq is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (hell}, and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who Fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said, "0 messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk."
"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Jahan-nam."

"Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants (bonds-men) in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam."

"And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah Laa llaaha illallaah) and make much Istighfaar beg Allah's forgiveness with Astagirfirul-laah)." And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah, entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam." "And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink where after that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah.

Ubaadah bin Saamit (Radhiallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi Wasallam) said one day when Ramadhaan had drawn near; "The month of Ramadhan, the month of blessings has come to you, wherein Allah turns towards you and sends down to you His special Mercy, forgives your faults, accepts prayers, appreciates your competition for the greatest, good and boasts to the angels about you. So, show to Allah your righteousness; for verily, the most pitiable and unfortunate one is he who is deprived of Allah's Mercy in this month.

In this Hadith, we read about the spirit of competition among the believers, each one trying to do more good deeds than the other. In our own home, I am greatly pleased on seeing how even the womenfolk vie with each other, the one trying to recite more of the Qur'aan than the others, so that, in spite of domestic responsibilities, fifteen to twenty 'juz' (Parts) of the Qur'aan are read by each one daily. I mention this only out of a sense of gratitude to Allah, mentioning His favour, and not to boast of it. May Allah accept their deeds and ours, and increase us all in good deeds.

Verses of Qur'an
2:183:
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint

2:184. (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

Welcoming Ramadhan
Ramadhan is a very important part of every Muslim’s life. Ramadhan is the month of giving and mercy, and during this month Allah blesses the believers with forgiveness and great reward.

This is a time to stop and contemplate, to look inwards and out, it is a time to set our goals. We should ask ourselves what we want to achieve this month, - something we will carry into our futures..

Quran - Surah Al Bakarah Ayah 187
Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah. Approach not nigh there to. Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint.

QURAN - Surah AL-QADR Ayah 3
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

QURAN - Surah Al Bakarah Ayah 184
Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

QURAN - Surah Al Bakarah Ayah 185
Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur-an, as a guide to mankind, also Clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.

QURAN - Surah Al Ahzab Ayah 35
For Muslim men and women for believing men and women for devout men and women for true men and women for men and women who are patient and constant for men and women who humble themselves for men and women who give in charity for men and women who fast (and deny themselves) for men and women who guard their chastity and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.

Ramadhan is a very special time for worship, both collectively as well as individually. While study circles, congregational prayers and other activities are carried out collectively there are also many opportunities for individual worship.

Dhikr (or Zhikr) is the remembrance and glorification of Allah in order to become closer to Him. Dhikr is practiced around the globe by Muslims who glorify and praise Allah. Dhikr can be done either silently in your heart, or audibly with a group of people, asking for forgiveness or praising the greatness of Allah.

If we look at our everyday lives we all, in some way or another, participate in Dhikr. Whether it is through a conscious effort after salah, or just at times of distress or happiness – we all feel the need to remember Allah. Dhikr is a form of worship that carries much reward.
n 'Durr Manthur' it is reported from Aa'isha (Radhiallahu anha) that, when Ramadhan appeared, the colour of Rasulullah's face used to change. He then used to increase his "Salaat", become even more humble in his "Duaas" and exhibit even more fear of Allah. According to another report, he hardly ever lay down in bed until Ramadhan came to an end. Further, it is stated that the angels carrying the Throne are commanded in Ramadhan to leave aside everything else and recite "Aameen" to the "Duaas" of those who fast. Numerous are the Ahaadith stating that the fasting person's 'Du'aas' are answered. When Allah has so promised. and his truthful 'Nabi' (Sallallaaho alaihe wasallam) has informed us, there should be no doubt whatsoever about the truth of these reports. Yet it is strange that, in spite of this, we still find such people who apparently do not get what they pray for. They ask and do not receive; but this does not mean that their prayers have been rejected. One should at this point understand the significance of a 'Dua' being answered.

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:

“Allah, the Exalted and Glorious stated: I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit, and if he draws near Me by a cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two arms. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Hadith from Sahih Muslim & Bukhari)

Abu Saeed Khudri (Radhiallahu anh) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: "During each day and night of Ramadhan, Allah sets free a great number of souls from Hell. And for every Muslim, during each day and night, at least one prayer is certainly accepted."

COMMENTARY
Apart from this Hadith, there are many others stating that the 'Du'aa' of a fasting person is accepted (Mustajaab). In one Hadith, we read that the 'Du'aa'is accepted at the time of 'Iftaar', but we are generally so absorbed in eating that we neglect this opportunity. The well-known 'Duaa' at 'Iftaar' is: "O Allah for You have I fasted, in You do I believe, and on You do I rely, and now I break this fast with food coming from you."

Abdullah bin Amr (Radhiallahu anhu) used to make the following 'Duaa' at 'Iftaar': O Allah I beg You, through Your infinite Mercy, which surrounds all things, to forgive me.'

In some books we read that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to say: "O You who are Great in Bounties, forgive me."

Following is a compilation of Duas for Fasting (Ramadan)

- Dua for keeping a fast at the time of Sehar (Niyaat)

Wa bisawmi ghadinn nawaiytu min shahri ramadan

- Dua for breaking a fast at the time of Iftaar

Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu [wa 'alayka tawakkaltu] wa 'ala rizq-ika aftarthu

Many other prayers have been indicated for 'Iftaar', but no special 'Dua' is fixed. This time (at iftaar) is one when 'Duaa' is accepted; submit before Allah all your needs.

Supplication (dua) is not only the continuous outpouring of a person’s heart before their Lord, but it is also an expression of their sense of nearness to Allah. We acknowledge the might and power of Allah as well as the grace and blessings we are given. If we could conceive how much a person supplicates, what he supplicates for, and the way that he supplicates, then we could start to understand how much love they have for Allah in their soul.