Backbiting – mere words – but they are words that bring upon the one who utters them shame and ignominy and that consign him to the Fire. Such a person has given in to his vain desires and succumbed to his destructive tendencies.
Backbiting is one of those Islamic topics that often gets sidelined. Appearing as one of the frequent tarbīyyah topics in common circles and gatherings, the issue may be forgotten or ignored. This is severely problematic, as backbiting is one of the most devastating sins a person can ever commit, and not keeping ourselves reminded about it can lead to grave consequences.
Instant gratification. That’s what one finds when one indulges in some deeply heart-warming gossip.
I’m sure many of us have been in a similar situation. While the fairer sex is famous for gossip and back-biting, I have come across many men, who can just as easily bad-mouth a person behind their back — and thoroughly enjoy it. I always thought it was good revenge for those who wronged me, until an ugly head called conscience showed itself.
After a long conversation of apparent ‘revenge’ on my offenders, a bad feeling crept up inside me. A guilt I couldn’t explain, and a feeling of remorse that I couldn’t quite place my finger on. There came a time when I questioned the very idea of back-biting — simply because it made me feel sick inside.
Life is governed by karma, what goes around comes around. That thought began creaking my grey matter (which, my better half affectionately calls idle) into action. Did that mean life itself would avenge my offenders in its own way and at its own sweet time, and that I had no need to stoop to their level behind their backs? I wondered.
Some things that are haram in this life, however, won’t be found in Jannah. One of them is backbiting.
In Surat an-Naba, Allah [swt] says,
“There they shall neither hear ill speech nor any falsehood.” 78:35
Here, Allah clearly states that one thing that’s forbidden to us now will always be forbidden, even in Jannah, is backbiting (along with other forms of evil speech).
Imam Nawawi said:
"Be aware that it is incumbent upon every competent Muslim to guard his tongue against all kinds of talking except when it is evident that talking will be a means of beneficence. When talking and being quite are both equal as a prudent measure, then the Sunnah is to abstain from talking. Because often even lawful talking may lead to unlawful or distasteful matters. This is common practice."
Usually "back biting" is the equivalent of "back stabbing." That is, you smile at someone and pretend to be friendly, but when they're away you'll tell their secrets and say terrible things about them.
Islam, the religion founded by Prophet Mohammed, means submission to the will of God. It is a religion of self-surrender, acceptance of the revelations and following the commands of God. Islam establishes a universal brotherhood of man. Islam teaches that "No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. God will not be affectionate to that man who is not affectionate to God's creatures. He is the most favored of God from whom the greatest good comes to His creatures."
In Islam, abuse, anger, avarice, back-biting, blood-shedding, bribery, dishonesty, drinking, envy, flattery, greed, hypocrisy, lying, miserliness, pride, suicide, violence, wickedness, warfare, etc., are deprecated and virtues such as brotherhood, charity, cleanliness, chastity, forgiveness, friendship, gratitude, humility, justice, kindness, love, mercy, moderation, modesty, purity of heart, righteousness, truth and trust are enjoined. (9)
The Qur'an states: (10) Those who abstain from vanities and the indulgence of their passions, give alms, offer prayers, and tend well their trusts and their covenants, they shall be the heirs of eternal happiness.
Backbiting & Slander - an Islamic perspective
And why did you not, when you heard it, say? "It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to God, this is a most serious slander" (Quran 24:16)
A commentary on one of the most destructive of major sins
Islam is a religion of peace, love and compassion. Lies, suspicion, back biting, slander and gossip are totally alien to Islam. In fact they are considered amongst the most destructive of major sins. This is so because these sins sow enmity and discord among the Muslim Ummah and lead to its destruction. They cause hostilities between people of the same household, and between neighbors, friends and relatives.
Islam demands that our relationship with mankind should be one of sincerity and responsibility. It should be one where we have respect for the honor, reputation and privacy of others. Islam teaches us that we are not only held accountable for our own attitudes and actions but also for anything else over which we have control or influence over, in our society or the world around us.
Verses: Let's see what the Quran states about backbiting and slander - This is the Book, in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God. (2:2)
God has forbidden the believers from backbiting
O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear God, verily, God is the one who accepts repentance, Most Merciful. (49: 12)
When we reflect deeply over this assimilation it should be enough to keep us away from backbiting!
Do not treat the issue of Backbiting & Slander with indifference because it is a great sin
Behold, you received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things which you had no knowledge; and you thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of God (24: 15)
Many of us back bite and gossip without thinking. We think it is minor matter, however God reminds us to be careful and even though we think we are doing something little it is in fact very big in the sight of Allah(.God)!
God teaches us to speak out against Slander and try to put a stop to it
Allah swt said:
And why did you not, when you heard it, say? "It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to God, this is a most serious slander" (24:16)
Many people are so busy spreading the slander they hear that they do not even stop to think if it is true or not.
Shaitan (Satan) wants us to use our tongue to create conflict and hatred
Say to My servants that they should only say those things that are best, for Satan does sow dissensions among them, for Satan is to man an avowed enemy. (17:53)
Are we falling into Shaitan's (Satan's) trap? We can all analyze ourselves.
Hadiths: Let's see what Prophet Muhammad said about Backbiting in the hadiths. God states in the Quran - You have indeed in the Messenger of God an excellent pattern of conduct. (33:21)
The definition of Backbiting & Slander
Prophet Muhammad said :"Do you know what backbiting is?" They said, "God and His Messenger know best." He then said, "It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike." Someone asked him, "But what if what I say is true?" The Messenger of God said, "If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him." (Muslim)
We should guard our tongue from sins and use our limbs in acts of obedience
Prophet Muhammad said : "Who protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The definition of the best muslim
"I asked the Messenger of God : Who is the best Muslim? The Messenger of God replied, "He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and hands." (Muslim)
Deriding people in their presence by making negative facial expressions or by hand gestures while they are unaware is also a form of backbiting.
We need to beware of the slipping of our tongues
"When man wakes up in the morning each day, all parts of the body warn the tongue saying, ‘Fear God as regards us for we are at your mercy; if you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we become crooked.’" (At-Tirmidhee)
Backbiting and slander .
Backbiting and slander is so widespread that it has become the topic of people’s meetings and an avenue for expressing their anger, misgivings and jealousy. Those who indulge in backbiting are oblivious of the fact that they are only harming themselves. This is because of the fact that on the Day of Resurrection both the wrongdoer and the wronged will stand before God, Who is the Just Judge, God will then give this wronged person from the good deeds of the person who wronged him in accordance with his wrong by backbiting.
Some situations allow us to inform others of what someone has done. It is allowed for us to inform the authorities when someone does injustice to us or others. It is allowed for us to inform someone who can help a perpetrator from committing further vice. It is also permissible for us to tell whoever seeks our advice on a person for business dealings or marriage. In this case it is not allowed for us to hide what we know about the person so that the enquirer will not be deceived. All these types of speaking about others are lawful.
Islam teaches us that if people are being ridiculed or backbited in our presence, we should defend their honor. If we neglect this, we shall deprive ourselves of ever needed help and mercy from God - If a man's Muslim brother is slandered in his presence, and he is capable of defending him and does so, God will defend him in this world and in the next. But if he fails to defend him, God will destroy him in this world and the next. What will we do the next time we are tempted to backbite or hear slander in our presence? Right now the choice is ours!
We ask God the Most High, the All Powerful, to teach us that which will benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May God grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
let’s not forget to ask Allah to forgive us for any comments we may have made knowingly or unknowingly. Because now that we know that speaking bad is not a characteristic of the people in Paradise, we know that it’s not a characteristic we want to come close to having.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Sunday, 25 October 2009
“Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
One of the things necessary for the salik in all his worships, especially in the salat, which is at the head of all worships and has a position of comprehensiveness [jami'iyat] , is submissiveness [khushu]. It is, in fact, a complete submission [khudu'] mixed with love or fear. It is the result of comprehending the Greatness, Power and Majesty of Beauty and Glory. The detail of this generality is that the hearts of the people of suluk are different according to their disposition and nature:
Some of the hearts are amorous and of the manifestations of Beauty [jamal] and, driven by their nature, they are attracted to the Beauty of the Beloved. When, in the suluk, they comprehend the shadow of the Beautiful, or witness the origin of the Beauty, the Greatness hidden in the secret of the Beauty effaces them, and they go into rapture, for in every beauty there is a hidden glory, and in every glory there is a covered beauty. There is probably an allusion to this point in his saying when the guardian of the gnostics and of the saliks, Amirul Mu'minin (the commander of the faithful), may Allah bless him and all his offspring, says: "Glory to the One whose compassion is vast for His friends despite His severe revenge, and whose revenge is severe for His enemies despite His vast compassion," [27]
Thus, the Majesty, Greatness and Power of Beauty envelop them and they fall into a state of submission [khushu] before the Beauty of the Beloved. This state, at the beginning, causes agitation to the heart and engenders anxiety. Then, after submission [tamkin], it changes to a state of familiarity, and the agitation and anxiety, caused by the Greatness and Power, turn into familiarity and peace, and there happens a state of tranquillity, as was the state of the heart of khalilur-Rahman (Allah's Friend = Ibrahim) (AS).
Some other hearts are fearing and they are of the manifestations of Glory [jalal]. They are in continual understanding of the Greatness, Grandeur and Glory. Their submission is of fright, and the Subjugative and Majestic Names are manifested to their hearts, as was the state of the prophet Yahya (may Allah's peace be upon him and our Prophet and his progeny). So, submission is sometimes mixed with love, and sometimes with fear and fright, though in every love there is fear, and in every fear there is love.
The degrees of submission are according to the degrees of understanding the Greatness, Majesty and Beauty. Now as we, in our case, are deprived of the light of visions, we have but to indulge in acquiring submission by means of knowledge and faith [iman]. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Successful, indeed, are the believers who are submissive in their salats," [28] Submission in the salat is regarded as a sign of faith [iman]. So, whoever is not submissive in his salat, will, according to Allah's saying, be excluded from the faithful [ahl-i iman]. Our salats which are not accompanied with submission are caused by a deficiency of faith or by lacking it. A belief [i'tiqad] and knowledge are other than faith, our knowledge of Allah, His Names and Attributes and of other divine Knowledge [ma'arij], is other than faith. Satan, according to the testimony of Allah, has information about the Beginning and the Resurrection, yet, he is a disbeliever. He said: "You have created me of fire, while You created him of dust," [29] So, he believes in Allah and in His being the Creator; and he says: "Respite me until the day they are resurrected", [30] So, he believes in the Day of Resurrection, too. He knows about the Books, the Messengers and the angels. Nevertheless, Allah addresses him as a disbeliever, excluding him from the group of the believers [mu'minin].
Thus, the people of knowledge are distinct from those of faith. Not every man of knowledge is a man of faith. Therefore, after acquiring knowledge, one has to join the believers, and to convey the Greatness, Majesty, Brightness and Beauty of Allah, the Most Exalted and High, to his heart, so that it may become submissive, since mere knowledge does not result in submission. You can realize it in yourself: although you do believe in the Beginning and the Resurrection and in Allah's Majesty and Glory, your heart is not submissive. As to Allah's saying: "Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive when remembering Allah and what has come down of the truth," [31] it may be that it is the formal faith the very belief in what the Prophet (SA) has brought - which is intended here, for the true faith is accompanied by a degree of submission; or the submission in the noble ayah may refer to a submission at its complete degree, as sometimes they apply the word, 'alim (erudite) to the one whose knowledge has reached the limit of faith. In the noble ayah: " ...verily only the erudite among Allah's servants fear Him, " [32] the reference may be to them. In the terms of the Book and the Sunnah, knowledge, faith and Islam refer to different degrees, the explanation of which is out of the scope of these papers.
Generally speaking, the salik on the way to the Hereafter -specially if with the mi'raj (ascending) step of the salat -will have to make his heart submissive by the light of knowledge and faith, so as to strengthen, as much as he can, this divine gift and the beneficent gleam, in his heart, trying to keep this state during the whole length of the salat. This state of consolidation and stability, though a bit difficult at the beginning for people like us, it becomes quite possible by practice and by exercising the heart.
My dear: Acquiring perfection and the provision for the Hereafter requires demand and seriousness, and the greater the demand, the more it deserves being serious about it. Certainly, with such a state of weakness, laxity and carelessness, one cannot ascend to the divine proximity and to be in a place neighbouring the Lord of Might. one has to manly set forth in order to reach what one wants. Since you do believe in the Hereafter, and find no way of comparability between that world and this -whether regarding their happiness and perfection, or their sufferings and calamities, as that world is eternal, with no death and perishing, where the happy live in comfort and dignity and in everlasting bliss, a comfort which has no like in this world, a divine glory and sovereignty, the like of which cannot be found in this life, and a bliss which never occurs in anybody's imagination, and similarly regarding the sufferings of that world, its pains, torments and evils can have no match in this world -you should know that the way to happiness runs through obeying Allah, the Lord of Might. None of the acts of worship and obedience can be on the same footing as that of the salat, which is a comprehensive [jami] divine mixture [ma'jun] undertaking the happiness of humanity. If it is accepted, all other acts (of worship) will be accepted. So, you are to exert utmost seriousness in obtaining it, never to feel tired in the quest, and to bear whatever hardship there may be, though there will be none. Actually if you continued it for a while and got cordially familiar with it, you would get, in this very world, so much pleasure out of your talk with Allah -a pleasure which cannot be compared with anyone of this world's pleasures. this will be quite obvious if we study the states of the people supplicating to Allah.
In general, to sum up our discussions in this chapter, we may say that, having comprehended the Greatness, the Beauty, and the Majesty of Allah, either by means of reasoning and proofs, or through the explanations of the prophets (AS), one must remind his heart of it, and then, by gradual remindings, cordial attention and continual remembering Allah's Greatness and Majesty, he has to bring about the state of submission in his heart, so as to attain to the required result. At any rate, the salik should not suffice himself with his present station, as any station which we may obtain does not worth a farthing in the market of the people of knowledge, nor it worths a grain of mustard in the bazar of "the people of heart". The salik must, in all situations, remember his own faults and deficiencies, so that he may find, through this, a way to his happiness. And praise be to All.
There are some of statements in Al Qur'an and Hadiths about Khushuu' or calmness in salah.
In Al Qur'an
"And stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind." [2:238]
"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their sholats with all solemnity and full submission." [23:1-2]
"And man is ever hasty" [17:11]
...............................What is Khushuu’?.....................By Dr. Mamdouh N. Mohamed.
Khushuu’ during Salaat is misunderstood by some people as crying and weeping. Rather, it is the presence of the heart during an act of ‘ibadah. When a person’s heart is fully occupied of what he says or hears, he is in a true state of khushuu’. The concept of Khushuu’ in Salaat is very essential.
1. It is a vital factor in making a person successful in this life and in later life.
“Indeed, the believers, who have khushuu’ in their Salaat, are the winners.”
قد أفلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون
2. It is a contributing factor for the acceptance of Salaat.
3. It is a way to gain more rewards from the Almighty Allah; the more the khushuu’ a person has, the more rewards he gets.
4. Without Khushuu’ the heart cannot easily be purified.
Ways to Gain Khushuu’
* Pre-Salaat
1. A Muslim should know his Lord very well. Knowing whom one worships makes a person a better worshipper. Having clear and authentic knowledge about Allah increases His love in our hearts. Consequently, faith also increases.
2. Avoiding major and minor sins is very helpful in gaining Khushuu’, as the heart becomes more receptive to the words of Allah during and after Salaat.
3. Reciting the Qur’an frequently and consistently softens the hearts and prepares it for Khushuu’. Hard hearts do not gain Khushuu’.
4. Minimize attachment to worldly matters. Gearing one’s intentions towards the Afterlife helps against the temptations of life.
5. Avoid excessive laughter and useless arguments as they harden the heart and lead to heedlessness.
6. Stop working as soon as you hear the Adhaan. When you listen attentively to the call of Salaat repeat after the muˆadh-dhin then offer the relevant supplication. This prepares you for a smooth transition from the business with worldly matters to the business with Salaat.
7. Performing wuduuˆ immediately after hearing the Azaan prepares you for the pending Salsat. Wuduuˆ also works as a buffer zone before engaging in Salaat.
8. Going to the mosque early for praying and continuing mention of Allah drives Satan away and help gain concentration.
9. The waiting time for the congregational Salaat helps create a buffer zone between the state of mind before Salaat and the state of during Salaat.
* During Salaat
1. The Iqaamah itself is a final signal to the mind to be well prepared for performing the actual Salaat. Remember what the messenger of Allah said to Bilal (ra) “Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
2. When you stand facing the Qiblah remember the following:
1. It might be the last Salaat in your life. There is no guarantee to live longer to catch the next Salaat.
2. You are standing between the hands of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. How can you be busy with something else?
3. The angel of death is chasing you.
3. Do not forget to make isti’azah. It wards off Satan’s whispers.
4. Keep your eyes focused on the place of sujuud. This helps you gain more concentration.
5. When reciting the Fatiha, try to recall the response of Allah to you after every ayah you say. (When you say: ”al-hamdu lillahi rab-bil ‘alamin) Allah responds: “My servant praised me.” etc. This feeling of speaking to Allah puts you in the right mood of khushuu’.
6. Beautifying the recitation of the Qur’an has a positive impact on the heart.
7. Recite the Qur’an slowly and reflect upon its meaning deeply.
8. It is recommended to change the suras that your recite from time to time to avoid the mechanic-like state of repetition.
9. Alternate between the various authentic sunan such as proclaiming a different opening supplication in every Salaat.
10. Undoubtedly, understanding Arabic helps you focus on the intended meaning.
11. Interact with the recited aayahs;
1. if you hear an ayah about Allah, glorify Him by saying “Subhaana Allah”;
2. If you hear an ayah about Hellfire, say “a’uuthu billaahi mina-n-naar”.
3. If you hear a command to make istighfaar, do it.
4. If you hear an ayah that requests tasbiih, make tasbiih.
12. These forms of interactions are very helpful in keeping you focused.
13. When you prostrate, remember that this position brings you closer to Allah. Seize the opportunity to make sincere du’aaˆ. Invest these moments in making sincere supplications.
* Post-Salaat
1. When you make tasliim, make istighfaar to Allah as you might have made during Salaat.
2. When you praise Allah, thank Him from the bottom of your heart that you have experienced the beauty of Salaat in your heart. Getting used to this habit prepares your for the next Salaat, as you will always be eager to focus in your prayer.
3. One perfection leads to another perfection. If some one perfects his Salaat once, he would be self-motivated to continue on the same level.
A salik is a person who engaged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from Arabic word sulook, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously.
A salik is also called murid when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (murshid) or a Sufi master
May Allah fill our hearts with khushuu’ - Aamiin.
Some of the hearts are amorous and of the manifestations of Beauty [jamal] and, driven by their nature, they are attracted to the Beauty of the Beloved. When, in the suluk, they comprehend the shadow of the Beautiful, or witness the origin of the Beauty, the Greatness hidden in the secret of the Beauty effaces them, and they go into rapture, for in every beauty there is a hidden glory, and in every glory there is a covered beauty. There is probably an allusion to this point in his saying when the guardian of the gnostics and of the saliks, Amirul Mu'minin (the commander of the faithful), may Allah bless him and all his offspring, says: "Glory to the One whose compassion is vast for His friends despite His severe revenge, and whose revenge is severe for His enemies despite His vast compassion," [27]
Thus, the Majesty, Greatness and Power of Beauty envelop them and they fall into a state of submission [khushu] before the Beauty of the Beloved. This state, at the beginning, causes agitation to the heart and engenders anxiety. Then, after submission [tamkin], it changes to a state of familiarity, and the agitation and anxiety, caused by the Greatness and Power, turn into familiarity and peace, and there happens a state of tranquillity, as was the state of the heart of khalilur-Rahman (Allah's Friend = Ibrahim) (AS).
Some other hearts are fearing and they are of the manifestations of Glory [jalal]. They are in continual understanding of the Greatness, Grandeur and Glory. Their submission is of fright, and the Subjugative and Majestic Names are manifested to their hearts, as was the state of the prophet Yahya (may Allah's peace be upon him and our Prophet and his progeny). So, submission is sometimes mixed with love, and sometimes with fear and fright, though in every love there is fear, and in every fear there is love.
The degrees of submission are according to the degrees of understanding the Greatness, Majesty and Beauty. Now as we, in our case, are deprived of the light of visions, we have but to indulge in acquiring submission by means of knowledge and faith [iman]. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Successful, indeed, are the believers who are submissive in their salats," [28] Submission in the salat is regarded as a sign of faith [iman]. So, whoever is not submissive in his salat, will, according to Allah's saying, be excluded from the faithful [ahl-i iman]. Our salats which are not accompanied with submission are caused by a deficiency of faith or by lacking it. A belief [i'tiqad] and knowledge are other than faith, our knowledge of Allah, His Names and Attributes and of other divine Knowledge [ma'arij], is other than faith. Satan, according to the testimony of Allah, has information about the Beginning and the Resurrection, yet, he is a disbeliever. He said: "You have created me of fire, while You created him of dust," [29] So, he believes in Allah and in His being the Creator; and he says: "Respite me until the day they are resurrected", [30] So, he believes in the Day of Resurrection, too. He knows about the Books, the Messengers and the angels. Nevertheless, Allah addresses him as a disbeliever, excluding him from the group of the believers [mu'minin].
Thus, the people of knowledge are distinct from those of faith. Not every man of knowledge is a man of faith. Therefore, after acquiring knowledge, one has to join the believers, and to convey the Greatness, Majesty, Brightness and Beauty of Allah, the Most Exalted and High, to his heart, so that it may become submissive, since mere knowledge does not result in submission. You can realize it in yourself: although you do believe in the Beginning and the Resurrection and in Allah's Majesty and Glory, your heart is not submissive. As to Allah's saying: "Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive when remembering Allah and what has come down of the truth," [31] it may be that it is the formal faith the very belief in what the Prophet (SA) has brought - which is intended here, for the true faith is accompanied by a degree of submission; or the submission in the noble ayah may refer to a submission at its complete degree, as sometimes they apply the word, 'alim (erudite) to the one whose knowledge has reached the limit of faith. In the noble ayah: " ...verily only the erudite among Allah's servants fear Him, " [32] the reference may be to them. In the terms of the Book and the Sunnah, knowledge, faith and Islam refer to different degrees, the explanation of which is out of the scope of these papers.
Generally speaking, the salik on the way to the Hereafter -specially if with the mi'raj (ascending) step of the salat -will have to make his heart submissive by the light of knowledge and faith, so as to strengthen, as much as he can, this divine gift and the beneficent gleam, in his heart, trying to keep this state during the whole length of the salat. This state of consolidation and stability, though a bit difficult at the beginning for people like us, it becomes quite possible by practice and by exercising the heart.
My dear: Acquiring perfection and the provision for the Hereafter requires demand and seriousness, and the greater the demand, the more it deserves being serious about it. Certainly, with such a state of weakness, laxity and carelessness, one cannot ascend to the divine proximity and to be in a place neighbouring the Lord of Might. one has to manly set forth in order to reach what one wants. Since you do believe in the Hereafter, and find no way of comparability between that world and this -whether regarding their happiness and perfection, or their sufferings and calamities, as that world is eternal, with no death and perishing, where the happy live in comfort and dignity and in everlasting bliss, a comfort which has no like in this world, a divine glory and sovereignty, the like of which cannot be found in this life, and a bliss which never occurs in anybody's imagination, and similarly regarding the sufferings of that world, its pains, torments and evils can have no match in this world -you should know that the way to happiness runs through obeying Allah, the Lord of Might. None of the acts of worship and obedience can be on the same footing as that of the salat, which is a comprehensive [jami] divine mixture [ma'jun] undertaking the happiness of humanity. If it is accepted, all other acts (of worship) will be accepted. So, you are to exert utmost seriousness in obtaining it, never to feel tired in the quest, and to bear whatever hardship there may be, though there will be none. Actually if you continued it for a while and got cordially familiar with it, you would get, in this very world, so much pleasure out of your talk with Allah -a pleasure which cannot be compared with anyone of this world's pleasures. this will be quite obvious if we study the states of the people supplicating to Allah.
In general, to sum up our discussions in this chapter, we may say that, having comprehended the Greatness, the Beauty, and the Majesty of Allah, either by means of reasoning and proofs, or through the explanations of the prophets (AS), one must remind his heart of it, and then, by gradual remindings, cordial attention and continual remembering Allah's Greatness and Majesty, he has to bring about the state of submission in his heart, so as to attain to the required result. At any rate, the salik should not suffice himself with his present station, as any station which we may obtain does not worth a farthing in the market of the people of knowledge, nor it worths a grain of mustard in the bazar of "the people of heart". The salik must, in all situations, remember his own faults and deficiencies, so that he may find, through this, a way to his happiness. And praise be to All.
There are some of statements in Al Qur'an and Hadiths about Khushuu' or calmness in salah.
In Al Qur'an
"And stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind." [2:238]
"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their sholats with all solemnity and full submission." [23:1-2]
"And man is ever hasty" [17:11]
...............................What is Khushuu’?.....................By Dr. Mamdouh N. Mohamed.
Khushuu’ during Salaat is misunderstood by some people as crying and weeping. Rather, it is the presence of the heart during an act of ‘ibadah. When a person’s heart is fully occupied of what he says or hears, he is in a true state of khushuu’. The concept of Khushuu’ in Salaat is very essential.
1. It is a vital factor in making a person successful in this life and in later life.
“Indeed, the believers, who have khushuu’ in their Salaat, are the winners.”
قد أفلح المؤمنون الذين هم في صلاتهم خاشعون
2. It is a contributing factor for the acceptance of Salaat.
3. It is a way to gain more rewards from the Almighty Allah; the more the khushuu’ a person has, the more rewards he gets.
4. Without Khushuu’ the heart cannot easily be purified.
Ways to Gain Khushuu’
* Pre-Salaat
1. A Muslim should know his Lord very well. Knowing whom one worships makes a person a better worshipper. Having clear and authentic knowledge about Allah increases His love in our hearts. Consequently, faith also increases.
2. Avoiding major and minor sins is very helpful in gaining Khushuu’, as the heart becomes more receptive to the words of Allah during and after Salaat.
3. Reciting the Qur’an frequently and consistently softens the hearts and prepares it for Khushuu’. Hard hearts do not gain Khushuu’.
4. Minimize attachment to worldly matters. Gearing one’s intentions towards the Afterlife helps against the temptations of life.
5. Avoid excessive laughter and useless arguments as they harden the heart and lead to heedlessness.
6. Stop working as soon as you hear the Adhaan. When you listen attentively to the call of Salaat repeat after the muˆadh-dhin then offer the relevant supplication. This prepares you for a smooth transition from the business with worldly matters to the business with Salaat.
7. Performing wuduuˆ immediately after hearing the Azaan prepares you for the pending Salsat. Wuduuˆ also works as a buffer zone before engaging in Salaat.
8. Going to the mosque early for praying and continuing mention of Allah drives Satan away and help gain concentration.
9. The waiting time for the congregational Salaat helps create a buffer zone between the state of mind before Salaat and the state of during Salaat.
* During Salaat
1. The Iqaamah itself is a final signal to the mind to be well prepared for performing the actual Salaat. Remember what the messenger of Allah said to Bilal (ra) “Let us enjoy the comfort of the Salaat.”
2. When you stand facing the Qiblah remember the following:
1. It might be the last Salaat in your life. There is no guarantee to live longer to catch the next Salaat.
2. You are standing between the hands of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. How can you be busy with something else?
3. The angel of death is chasing you.
3. Do not forget to make isti’azah. It wards off Satan’s whispers.
4. Keep your eyes focused on the place of sujuud. This helps you gain more concentration.
5. When reciting the Fatiha, try to recall the response of Allah to you after every ayah you say. (When you say: ”al-hamdu lillahi rab-bil ‘alamin) Allah responds: “My servant praised me.” etc. This feeling of speaking to Allah puts you in the right mood of khushuu’.
6. Beautifying the recitation of the Qur’an has a positive impact on the heart.
7. Recite the Qur’an slowly and reflect upon its meaning deeply.
8. It is recommended to change the suras that your recite from time to time to avoid the mechanic-like state of repetition.
9. Alternate between the various authentic sunan such as proclaiming a different opening supplication in every Salaat.
10. Undoubtedly, understanding Arabic helps you focus on the intended meaning.
11. Interact with the recited aayahs;
1. if you hear an ayah about Allah, glorify Him by saying “Subhaana Allah”;
2. If you hear an ayah about Hellfire, say “a’uuthu billaahi mina-n-naar”.
3. If you hear a command to make istighfaar, do it.
4. If you hear an ayah that requests tasbiih, make tasbiih.
12. These forms of interactions are very helpful in keeping you focused.
13. When you prostrate, remember that this position brings you closer to Allah. Seize the opportunity to make sincere du’aaˆ. Invest these moments in making sincere supplications.
* Post-Salaat
1. When you make tasliim, make istighfaar to Allah as you might have made during Salaat.
2. When you praise Allah, thank Him from the bottom of your heart that you have experienced the beauty of Salaat in your heart. Getting used to this habit prepares your for the next Salaat, as you will always be eager to focus in your prayer.
3. One perfection leads to another perfection. If some one perfects his Salaat once, he would be self-motivated to continue on the same level.
A salik is a person who engaged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from Arabic word sulook, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously.
A salik is also called murid when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (murshid) or a Sufi master
May Allah fill our hearts with khushuu’ - Aamiin.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Doing it just right -five-time prayers
........................After the profession of faith................
After the profession of faith the next most important religious duty for a Muslim is that of prayer.
Once this is done, performing the ritual Prayer called Salah five times a day becomes obligatory. Each Prayer must be performed at its specified time everyday.
Whilst the Qur'an mentions only three daily prayers, Muslim tradition calls for five: at dawn; at noon; in mid-afternoon; after sunset; just before going to bed at night.
It goes without saying that Prayer is the pillar of Islam, the pinnacle of good deeds, and the peak of obedience.
`Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the time for a prescribed Salah comes, and a Muslim performs wudu' (ablution) properly (and then offers his Salah) with humility and bowing (to Allah), it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this is applicable to all times." (Reported by Muslim.)
Salah is a pillar of Islam. Doing it just right in accordance with Sunnah is the responsibility of every Muslim. Unfortunately, we go about performing the cardinal dictates of Salah in a carefree manner following our whims, hardly caring to see that those dictates have to be carried out in the manner they were passed on to us by the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam).
This is why most of our Salah offerings remain deprived of the gleams and blessings of Sunnah, although, following these dictates just right hardly takes any more time or labour. What is needed is a touch of concern. If we give a little time and some attention, learn the correct method and make a habit of it, then the time that we spend in making our Salah today would remain the same yet the Salah thus performed would have the advantage of having been made in accordance with Sunnah and its rewards and merits and its gleams and blessings would be much more then what you experienced earlier.
The revered Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, took great care while performing each single unit of the act of Salah, and while doing so, they continued learning about the Sunnah of the Prophet from each other.
Hence, presenting a comprehensive account of Salah problems and rulings is not the objective here, instead, the immediate concern is to relate a few important points which would help synchronize the form of Salah with the demands of Sunnah. Another aim is to sound a note of warning against mistakes and shortcomings that seem to have gained a lot of currency these days.Acting in accordance with the brief words of advice given here will, Inshallah, help make our Salah fall in line with Sunnah, at least in it’s outward appearance when a Muslim could humbly submit before his Lord.
Lord, here I am, bearing similarly to Your beloved, through in form only, yet hoping---- You shall make it real.
And what get to do is by the help and support of Allah, in Him I place my trust and towards Him I turn passionately.
Having cleansed yourself by Wudu, you may proceed to perform Salah.( Wudu is a ritual cleansing). Before you begin your Salah, however, you must make sure that you have a clean body, a clean place to pray, and that you are wearing clothing free of impurities. The minimum clothing required during Salah is:
A. For males: Any clothing that covers from the naval to the knees. It is preferable to cover the shoulders.
B. For females: Any clothing that covers all of the body (including the head) except the face, hands, and according to Imam Abu-Hanifah the toes and a portion of the front of the feet.
There are seven conditions for a salaat to be corrected.
1-Niyyat (intention)
2-Tahrima (To say Allah Akbar)
3-Qiyam (Standing)
4-Qiraat (Recitation of Quran by mouth gently)
5-Ruku (To bow)
6-Sajda (Prostration)
7-Qa'da-i- Akhira (Last sitting).
TAHRIMA means to say Allah Akbar when beginning salaat,and is fard.No other word to replace it is acceptable. If the takbir is said too long, like AAllah (with AA instead of one A) in the beginning or Akbaar (with aa instead of one a) at the end, salaat will not be accepted. If 'Takbir' is said before the imam does, salaat will not have started.
QIYAM means to stand.
QIRAT: Means to read (recite) by mouth gently.
RUKU: After the sura you bend for the ruku saying takbir
SAJDAH (prostration)
QA'DA-I-AKHIRA:
Means last sitting in the last rak'at, it is fard to sit as long as it takes to say the Athiyyat,
and then complete the prayer by looking over your right shoulder (where the angel who records your good deeds is) and saying the Salaam
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
and then looking over your left shoulder (where the angel who records your wrongful deeds is) and saying the same.
1. Salat (contact or link prayers) is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct contact or link between the worshipper and God with no earthly intermediaries.
2.The five-time prayers become obligatory from the moment a person embraces Islam. This is an extremely important tenet of Islam and has been enjoined with great emphasis in the Holy Quran. It is a form of worship which establishes the link between man and his Creator and Benefactor, GOD. Through 'Salat' a person communes with his Lord, the Creator and the Sustainer of the Universe.
3. Just as performing 'Salat' is obligatory, learning to perform it in the prescribed way is also obligatory so that one should know what he/she is saying to his/her Lord, and enjoy the full blessings and benefits of praying. In the performance of Salat , reciting the Ftiha (Sura 1 of the Quran) have to be said in Arabic.
Missed Prayers
The schedule of Muslim prayer is one that is generous and flexible. There are five prayers to be performed, during various periods of time throughout the day. The time needed to perform the prayer is minimal. Yet many of us miss prayers during the day -- sometimes for unavoidable reasons, sometimes due to negligence.
Of course one should try to pray within the specified times. There is wisdom in the Islamic prayer schedule, setting times throughout the day to "take a break" to remember God's blessings and to seek His guidance.
If a prayer is missed, it is common practice among Muslims that it is to be made up as soon as it is remembered or as soon as one is able to do so. This is known as Qadaa'. For example, if one misses the noon prayer because of a work meeting that could not be interrupted, one should pray as soon as the meeting is over. If the next prayer time has already come, one should first perform the prayer that was missed, and immediately after it the “on time” prayer.
It is incorrect to simply throw up one’s hands and say, “Oh, it was missed and there is nothing to do about it.” There are times when prayer is missed for unavoidable reasons. It is indeed a sin if one misses prayers regularly without a valid reason (i.e. constantly oversleeping the pre-dawn prayer). However, the door to repentance is open and the first step is to make up the missed prayer as soon as possible. One should repent any delay that was due to negligence or forgetfulness, and commit to developing the habit of performing the prayers within their timeframe.
"Prayer should be performed on time. If for some unavoidable reasons one is unable to pray on time, then Qadaa’ can be done, but it should be done as soon as possible. One does not have to wait for the time of another prayer. However, one should avoid the prohibited times of prayers. These are: when the sun is rising, when it is at its highest point in the middle of the day and when it is setting.
Similarly, if one is unable to wake up for Fajr prayer on time, one should do it as soon as one wakes up.
If it is the time of sunrise or shuruq then one should wait a few minutes until the sun is risen and then one should make the Qadaa’ of Fajr prayer. One must make the Qadaa’ of missed prayers. The prayers remain due and one is responsible to perform them until they are performed."
Prayer, obligatory and spontaneous, is an immense spiritual treasure to be tapped. It inspires peace, purity and tranquility and instills companionship with God. It amazingly reduces the hustle and bustle of life to tame proportions. By their spacing to five times a day, including its beginning, prayers tend to maintain a therapeutic level and practically leave no room for mischievous thought or deed.
Prayer is a Muslim's Mairaj, or communication with Allah. Prayer purifies and cleans your mind five times a day, and serves to bring peace to your life. Prayer is a man's way of thanking Allah, and reminds him that Allah is watching over his life, giving him the courage to face even the toughest of times.
May Allah Almighty make it beneficial for all of us and give us the taufiq it. AminBy the grace of Allah, there are a large number of books, big and small, dealing with the precepts of Salah
Say Your Prayers before Prayers are said for You.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Salah (prayer) is not valid without Wudu' or Tayammum(dry Ablution)
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim
..................Is Your Wudu Valid ?........
Water is an amazing creation; it is unique in many ways and life cannot exist without it. It has some extraordinary properties. One cannot help but conclude that it was specifically created in order for life to exist.
“Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then we parted them? And we have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Qur'an 21:30)
Water is the usual medium used to cleanse oneself. Water has different types (e.g. Rain water, sea water, melted ice water, etc) and each can be in different states (used, pure, impure, etc)
Before praying Muslims go through a routine washing ritual, cleansing themselves in preparation for prayer. The ritual washing, called Wudu, can be done in any clean place where there is water. There are special rules to allow for situations when water is not available (e.g. in a desert). Before starting Wudu you 'make your intention'.
Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment. According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep their bodies and clothing clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.
Cleanliness (Taharah) is an important precondition of Islamic worship. Wudu is an essential part of Cleanliness. Salah (prayer) is not valid without Wudu' or Tayammum(dry Ablution). Islam encourages cleanliness. To ensure this is preformed, it is mandatory that your body and clothing be clean before performing your salaat. Your prayer will not be valid unless your body and clothing are clean. Clothing must be considered tahir and removed of all impurities. Impurities include blood, urine, and excrement
This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:
"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]
Wudu according to the four maddhab is a description of the principles of wudu according to the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh): Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i. The issues discussed are how to perform wudu and when wudu is considered invalid.
............Hanafi
.......... Maliki
......... Shafii
........hanbali
The conditions for a correct Wudhu are mentioned as below.
1. The water should be clean.
2. The water should be pure (unmixed).
3. The water must be Mubah, i.e. it should not be usurped. Wudhu with usurped water is not correct.
4. The container of the water used for Wudhu should not be made of gold or silver.
5. The container or vessel which contains the water should be Mubah, unusurped.
6. Parts of the body on which Wudhu is performed should be Pak, at the time of washing and wiping.
7. The seventh condition is that the person doing Wudhu should have sufficient time at his disposal for Wudhu and prayer.
8. Wudhu should be performed in the prescribed sequence.
9. The acts of Wudhu should be done one after the other, without time gap in between.
10. A person doing Wudhu should wash his hands and face and wipe his head and feet himself.
11. There should be no constraint for using water.
12. There should be no impediment in the way of water reaching the parts of Wudhu.
Steps of Wudu are [2]:
1. Make the intention to perform wudu in the heart.
2. Shape the right hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash the water on the top of the head and wipe down ONCE with the right hand, washing the parts of the face only between the middle finger and thumb (when stretched out). It isn't necessary to wash the mustache and beard unless you can see the skin. Then, it is obligatory to wash the visible skin. It is obligatory to wash from the area where the hair normally grows to the chin. You must also wipe the topmost part of the neck (across the jaw).
3. Shape the left hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash this water onto your right forearm and wash your right forearm ONCE (covering the right forearm in water, leaving no spot dry). Wipe from the elbow to the fingers, and not from the fingers to the elbow.
4. Repeat this process except with the left forearm.
5. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe your hair from the middle to up to the forehead using your right hand; three fingers ONLY. If you are balding, you would wash your hair as if it were growing when you had a full head of hair. It is NOT allowed to wipe the hair using an obstacle (such as wiping a hat or a turban instead of the hair/skin). It is not obligatory to wipe the actual skin on the head.
6. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe the top of your right foot with your right hand. You only must wipe with a swiping motion once and it is recommended to use three fingers. It is NOT allowed to wipe the feet using an obstacle (such as wiping the shoes or socks instead of the skin).
7. Do the same thing, except using your left hand and wiping your left foot.
This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:
"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]
Wudu is considered invalid ('broken') when certain conditions prevail. These conditions differ in the various fiqh.
Hanafi
* Passing wind or fluid from any part of the body.
* Deep sleep in a reclining position; sleeping in a sitting, kneeling or standing position does not break the wudu.
* Loss of senses.
* Vomiting.
* Spitting saliva consisting mainly of blood.
* Laughing very loudly during prayer
* To lose blood to a point where it begins to run.
Hanbali
* Going to the bathroom or passing wind.
* Deep sleep.
* Emission of semen.
* Vomiting.
* Emission of blood or pus.
* Eating the meat of an animal not slaughtered in the name of Allah.
* Coming in contact with the saliva of a dog or unclean animals (except cats).
Maliki
* Defecation, urination or passing wind.
* Deep sleep.
* Loss of ones senses.
* Emission of semen.
* Having doubts regarding whether one's wudu is valid.
Shafii
From Reliance of the Traveler, e7.0 - e7.6:
* Anything that exits from the private parts.
* Loss of intellect through sleep, etc (except for sleep while continuously and firmly seated on the ground).
* Touching the private parts with bare hands.
* Touching the skin of someone of the opposite sex when they are not each other's unmarriable kin
Allah says in the Qur'an :
"Surely Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness" (2:22).
Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities, and only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the clothing should be perfectly clean from any impurities. For that reason, Muslim bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the toilet.
The prerequisite for offering prayers is to be in the state of purity. This is achieved by making wudu(ablution). If one does not make wudu then the prayer is invalid.
How to Perform Wudu
Before we begin to say As-Salah, we must make ourselves ready for it. We must make sure that our body, clothes an the place of As-Salah are clean. Cleansing parts of the body for the purpose of As-Salah is called Wudu.
Allah (SWA) says in the Qur’an: “Oh you who believe, when you prepare for As-Salah, wash your faces and your hand to the elbows; rub your heads and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are unclean, purify yourself”. (Suratul Ma idah 5:6).
This verse clearly points out the compulsory aspects of wudu. These are
1. Washing face
2 .Washing hands up to elbows
3. Wiping head with wet palms
4. Washing feet up to ankles
There are also the Sunnah (Practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
Wudu is a must for performing As-Salah, We cannot offer As-Salah without making Wudu. The steps to take for Wudu are:
1. First make Niyyah (Intension) saying Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (In the name of Allah the most Merciful, the most Kind); then wash both hands up to the wrists three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers.
2. Next, put a handful of water into the month and rince it thoroughly three times
3. After this sniff water into the nostrils three times to clean them and then wash the tip of the nose.
4. Wash the face three times from right ear to left and from forehead to throat.
5. Wash the right arm and then left arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times.
6. Then move the wet palms of both hands over head, starting from the top of the forehead to the back of the head.
7. Then pass the wet tips of index fingers into the grooves and holes of both ears and also pass the wet thumbs behind the ears.
8. Next pass the backs of wet hands over the nape.
9. Finally, wash both feet to the ankles starting from the right foot making sure the water has reached between the toes and all other parts of the feet.
If you made a complete Wudu before putting on your socks, it is not necessary to take them off every time you repeat your wudu. It is enough to wipe the upper part of the socks with wet fingers. Leather socks are preferred for this, but any durable, untorn think socks can serve the purpose. This type of wiping is valid for twenty four hours only (three days in case of journey).
At the end of all of the steps, recite:
Meaning: “I testify that there is no god but Allah and He is one and has no partner and I also testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”
You should repeat your Wudu after:
1. Natural discharges, (e.g. urine, stool, wind and the like)
2. Flow of blood or pus from any part of the body
3.. Full mouth vomiting
4.. Falling asleep
Tayammum (Dry Ablution)
Islam is a very practical way of life. It has not laid down any impossible duties for us. For instance, if you cannot make Wudu for any of the following reasons:
1. Water is not available at all
2. Enough water is not available (e.g. available water is enough for drinking only)
3. Use of water is harmful (e.g. in sickness)
You are allowed to make tayammum and offer your salah. What you are required is:
1. Make niyah by saying bismisllah irrahmaaniraheem and place both your hands lightly on earth, sand , stone or any other object having dust on it.
2. Blow the dust of the hands and wipe your face with the hands once in the sameway as you do in wudu
3. Repeat as in (1) and wipe the right arm from wrist to the elbow with thelfet hand left arm with the right hand.
........Wudu while wounded...........
What should a person do if one of the areas normally washed during wudu'is wounded?
If a person is wounded in one of the areas of wudu' and is not able to cover the wound with a bandage, he should perform wudu' except for the wounded body part, for which he should then perform ablution with sand (tayammum).1 (Note that this means one performs normal tayammum, not actually placing the sand on the wound itself.)
Purification Before Salaat :
Allah's Messenger SAW said, The key to Paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is cleanliness (Ablution). Tirmidhi, Transmitted Ahmad, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah
A desert Arab came to Allah's Apostle SAW and asked him about ablution. He demonstrated (washing each part of his body) thrice, and then said: That is (the method) of the ablution. And he who does more than this has done wrong, transgressed the limit and has oppressed (himself). [Tirmidhi #417, Transmitted by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and AbuDawud transmitted something to the same effect.]
Allah (SWT) said, "O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (fore-arms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles…" (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)
The Prophet (SAW) said, "Allah does not accept prayer without purification ..." (Sahih - Muslim and others)
Hadith - Bukhari 1:161, Narrated Humran
(The slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan(R.A) asking for a tumbler of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. Then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Apostle SAW said 'If anyone Performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.' " After performing the ablution 'Uthman said, "I am going to tell you a Hadith which I would not have told you, had I not been compelled by a certain Holy Verse (the sub narrator 'Urwa said: This verse is: 'Verily, those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we have sent down...)' (2:159). I heard the Prophet SAW saying, 'If a man performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.'
..................Is Your Wudu Valid ?........
Water is an amazing creation; it is unique in many ways and life cannot exist without it. It has some extraordinary properties. One cannot help but conclude that it was specifically created in order for life to exist.
“Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then we parted them? And we have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Qur'an 21:30)
Water is the usual medium used to cleanse oneself. Water has different types (e.g. Rain water, sea water, melted ice water, etc) and each can be in different states (used, pure, impure, etc)
Before praying Muslims go through a routine washing ritual, cleansing themselves in preparation for prayer. The ritual washing, called Wudu, can be done in any clean place where there is water. There are special rules to allow for situations when water is not available (e.g. in a desert). Before starting Wudu you 'make your intention'.
Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment. According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep their bodies and clothing clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.
Cleanliness (Taharah) is an important precondition of Islamic worship. Wudu is an essential part of Cleanliness. Salah (prayer) is not valid without Wudu' or Tayammum(dry Ablution). Islam encourages cleanliness. To ensure this is preformed, it is mandatory that your body and clothing be clean before performing your salaat. Your prayer will not be valid unless your body and clothing are clean. Clothing must be considered tahir and removed of all impurities. Impurities include blood, urine, and excrement
This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:
"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]
Wudu according to the four maddhab is a description of the principles of wudu according to the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh): Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i. The issues discussed are how to perform wudu and when wudu is considered invalid.
............Hanafi
.......... Maliki
......... Shafii
........hanbali
The conditions for a correct Wudhu are mentioned as below.
1. The water should be clean.
2. The water should be pure (unmixed).
3. The water must be Mubah, i.e. it should not be usurped. Wudhu with usurped water is not correct.
4. The container of the water used for Wudhu should not be made of gold or silver.
5. The container or vessel which contains the water should be Mubah, unusurped.
6. Parts of the body on which Wudhu is performed should be Pak, at the time of washing and wiping.
7. The seventh condition is that the person doing Wudhu should have sufficient time at his disposal for Wudhu and prayer.
8. Wudhu should be performed in the prescribed sequence.
9. The acts of Wudhu should be done one after the other, without time gap in between.
10. A person doing Wudhu should wash his hands and face and wipe his head and feet himself.
11. There should be no constraint for using water.
12. There should be no impediment in the way of water reaching the parts of Wudhu.
Steps of Wudu are [2]:
1. Make the intention to perform wudu in the heart.
2. Shape the right hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash the water on the top of the head and wipe down ONCE with the right hand, washing the parts of the face only between the middle finger and thumb (when stretched out). It isn't necessary to wash the mustache and beard unless you can see the skin. Then, it is obligatory to wash the visible skin. It is obligatory to wash from the area where the hair normally grows to the chin. You must also wipe the topmost part of the neck (across the jaw).
3. Shape the left hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash this water onto your right forearm and wash your right forearm ONCE (covering the right forearm in water, leaving no spot dry). Wipe from the elbow to the fingers, and not from the fingers to the elbow.
4. Repeat this process except with the left forearm.
5. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe your hair from the middle to up to the forehead using your right hand; three fingers ONLY. If you are balding, you would wash your hair as if it were growing when you had a full head of hair. It is NOT allowed to wipe the hair using an obstacle (such as wiping a hat or a turban instead of the hair/skin). It is not obligatory to wipe the actual skin on the head.
6. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe the top of your right foot with your right hand. You only must wipe with a swiping motion once and it is recommended to use three fingers. It is NOT allowed to wipe the feet using an obstacle (such as wiping the shoes or socks instead of the skin).
7. Do the same thing, except using your left hand and wiping your left foot.
This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:
"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]
Wudu is considered invalid ('broken') when certain conditions prevail. These conditions differ in the various fiqh.
Hanafi
* Passing wind or fluid from any part of the body.
* Deep sleep in a reclining position; sleeping in a sitting, kneeling or standing position does not break the wudu.
* Loss of senses.
* Vomiting.
* Spitting saliva consisting mainly of blood.
* Laughing very loudly during prayer
* To lose blood to a point where it begins to run.
Hanbali
* Going to the bathroom or passing wind.
* Deep sleep.
* Emission of semen.
* Vomiting.
* Emission of blood or pus.
* Eating the meat of an animal not slaughtered in the name of Allah.
* Coming in contact with the saliva of a dog or unclean animals (except cats).
Maliki
* Defecation, urination or passing wind.
* Deep sleep.
* Loss of ones senses.
* Emission of semen.
* Having doubts regarding whether one's wudu is valid.
Shafii
From Reliance of the Traveler, e7.0 - e7.6:
* Anything that exits from the private parts.
* Loss of intellect through sleep, etc (except for sleep while continuously and firmly seated on the ground).
* Touching the private parts with bare hands.
* Touching the skin of someone of the opposite sex when they are not each other's unmarriable kin
Allah says in the Qur'an :
"Surely Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness" (2:22).
Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities, and only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the clothing should be perfectly clean from any impurities. For that reason, Muslim bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the toilet.
The prerequisite for offering prayers is to be in the state of purity. This is achieved by making wudu(ablution). If one does not make wudu then the prayer is invalid.
How to Perform Wudu
Before we begin to say As-Salah, we must make ourselves ready for it. We must make sure that our body, clothes an the place of As-Salah are clean. Cleansing parts of the body for the purpose of As-Salah is called Wudu.
Allah (SWA) says in the Qur’an: “Oh you who believe, when you prepare for As-Salah, wash your faces and your hand to the elbows; rub your heads and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are unclean, purify yourself”. (Suratul Ma idah 5:6).
This verse clearly points out the compulsory aspects of wudu. These are
1. Washing face
2 .Washing hands up to elbows
3. Wiping head with wet palms
4. Washing feet up to ankles
There are also the Sunnah (Practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
Wudu is a must for performing As-Salah, We cannot offer As-Salah without making Wudu. The steps to take for Wudu are:
1. First make Niyyah (Intension) saying Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (In the name of Allah the most Merciful, the most Kind); then wash both hands up to the wrists three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers.
2. Next, put a handful of water into the month and rince it thoroughly three times
3. After this sniff water into the nostrils three times to clean them and then wash the tip of the nose.
4. Wash the face three times from right ear to left and from forehead to throat.
5. Wash the right arm and then left arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times.
6. Then move the wet palms of both hands over head, starting from the top of the forehead to the back of the head.
7. Then pass the wet tips of index fingers into the grooves and holes of both ears and also pass the wet thumbs behind the ears.
8. Next pass the backs of wet hands over the nape.
9. Finally, wash both feet to the ankles starting from the right foot making sure the water has reached between the toes and all other parts of the feet.
If you made a complete Wudu before putting on your socks, it is not necessary to take them off every time you repeat your wudu. It is enough to wipe the upper part of the socks with wet fingers. Leather socks are preferred for this, but any durable, untorn think socks can serve the purpose. This type of wiping is valid for twenty four hours only (three days in case of journey).
At the end of all of the steps, recite:
Meaning: “I testify that there is no god but Allah and He is one and has no partner and I also testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”
You should repeat your Wudu after:
1. Natural discharges, (e.g. urine, stool, wind and the like)
2. Flow of blood or pus from any part of the body
3.. Full mouth vomiting
4.. Falling asleep
Tayammum (Dry Ablution)
Islam is a very practical way of life. It has not laid down any impossible duties for us. For instance, if you cannot make Wudu for any of the following reasons:
1. Water is not available at all
2. Enough water is not available (e.g. available water is enough for drinking only)
3. Use of water is harmful (e.g. in sickness)
You are allowed to make tayammum and offer your salah. What you are required is:
1. Make niyah by saying bismisllah irrahmaaniraheem and place both your hands lightly on earth, sand , stone or any other object having dust on it.
2. Blow the dust of the hands and wipe your face with the hands once in the sameway as you do in wudu
3. Repeat as in (1) and wipe the right arm from wrist to the elbow with thelfet hand left arm with the right hand.
........Wudu while wounded...........
What should a person do if one of the areas normally washed during wudu'is wounded?
If a person is wounded in one of the areas of wudu' and is not able to cover the wound with a bandage, he should perform wudu' except for the wounded body part, for which he should then perform ablution with sand (tayammum).1 (Note that this means one performs normal tayammum, not actually placing the sand on the wound itself.)
Purification Before Salaat :
Allah's Messenger SAW said, The key to Paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is cleanliness (Ablution). Tirmidhi, Transmitted Ahmad, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah
A desert Arab came to Allah's Apostle SAW and asked him about ablution. He demonstrated (washing each part of his body) thrice, and then said: That is (the method) of the ablution. And he who does more than this has done wrong, transgressed the limit and has oppressed (himself). [Tirmidhi #417, Transmitted by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and AbuDawud transmitted something to the same effect.]
Allah (SWT) said, "O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (fore-arms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles…" (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)
The Prophet (SAW) said, "Allah does not accept prayer without purification ..." (Sahih - Muslim and others)
Hadith - Bukhari 1:161, Narrated Humran
(The slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan(R.A) asking for a tumbler of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. Then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Apostle SAW said 'If anyone Performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.' " After performing the ablution 'Uthman said, "I am going to tell you a Hadith which I would not have told you, had I not been compelled by a certain Holy Verse (the sub narrator 'Urwa said: This verse is: 'Verily, those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we have sent down...)' (2:159). I heard the Prophet SAW saying, 'If a man performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.'
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Allah the Most Merciful
Asalaamu alaikam
In all Islamic texts, from the Quran to ahadith to various narrations, Allah swt's Mercy and Compassion on mankind is highly stated. There are just as many though, that state is Wrath and Punishment on wrongdoers.
Many people use either His wrath or compassion/mercy in particular to help them strive in attaining paradise (while being aware of the conflicting).
I wanted to go one step further or find out whether we as humans know from prophets/imams/holy books if Allah swt's wrath and mercy are comparible in magnitude, or is one stronger than the other? Does Allah swt have the same amount of compassion for us as He has wrath (if we deserve either)?
My thoughts so far are that His mercy may be greater, since we state His mercy before reading every surah and in every prayer. Also, there are multiple verses stating His Mercy, eg
'And ordain for us good in this world, as well as in the next; we have turned to Thee with repentance.' Allah replied, 'I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for those who act righteously and pay the Zakaat and those who believe in Our Signs' 7:157
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book which is with Him on His throne, "My mercy has overcome My anger.""
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts, and He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down one part on the earth, and because of that, one single part. His creatures are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoof away from its baby animal, so that she would not trample on it."
Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "When Allah created the heavens and the earth, he created one hundred mercies, each one can cover what is between the earth and the heaven. He allocated to the earth only one, with which the mother is compassionate with her child; the beast and the bird are compassionate with their babies. When the Day of Judgment comes, Allah will complete His mercy."
Allah (S.W.T.) has told us that from His names are "Arrahman Arrahim" the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. He also told us in His Book about Himself, so He said in surat Al-An’am, (verse 54), what can be translated as, "…Your Lord has written mercy for Himself…"
He (S.W.T.) also said about His mercy in surat Al-‘Araf, (verse 156), what can be translated as, "…And My mercy embraces all things…"
These verses and many ahadith that talk about the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.), its extent, and its greatness, constitute an important aspect about the divine reality in the mind of the Muslim. It is a beautiful and reassuring concept that manifests itself in the merciful relationship between Allah (S.W.T.) and His servants.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested in all of His creatures in this universe. This is especially in the lives of human beings; it is of a magnitude that we can not confine or measure, but we can point to some of mercies, so that we can be remind, and reflect on many others aspects of Allah’s immense mercy.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifested itself in man at the point of His creation, and in making man better than many other creatures. Allah (S.W.T.) says when He talks about man in surat Al-Isra’, (verse 70), what can be translated as, "…And We have preferred them (human being) above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment."
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in His subjecting what is in this universe for man’s use. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Jathiyah, (verse 13), what can be translated as, "And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favor and kindness from Him."
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in what Allah (S.W.T.) in stilled in man. Byway of abilities to acquire knowledge and science and gave him the mind that can lead him to different sciences.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself for man. When Allah (S.W.T.) made man the khalifah on earth, He did not leave him without guidance, but rather He sent many messengers to guide him to the straight path, especially the comprehensive and complete Islamic legislation, that would keep him away from hardship and misery.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in His overlooking the sins of the sinner when he unknowingly commits the sin then repents. Allah’s mercy is even beyond that; Allah (S.W.T.) changes the sins of the sinner, after his sincere repentance followed by righteous deeds, to good deeds (hasanat). Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Furqan, (verse 70), what can be translated as, "…Those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds…" All this is to prevent the sinners from feeling hopeless of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.).
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested when Allah (S.W.T.) counts the sin of the sinner as one sin. The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested further when Allah (S.W.T.) rewards the righteous doer on his good deed ten times what his good deed is worth and Allah (S.W.T.) multiplies his reward even more than ten times to whom He wants from His servants. Imam Buhkari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If someone intends to do a good deed and he dose not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed; and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times. And If someone intends to do a bad deed and he dose not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intends to do a bad deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him one bad deed." Also, Allah (S.W.T.) erases the sin with the good deed. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Huod, (verse 114), what can be translated as, "…Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds…"
Also, the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is the reason that Allah (S.W.T.) sends His believers to Paradise on the Day of Judgment. The prophet (S.A.W.) said: "None of you will enter Paradise with his deeds", They said: "Not even you, oh messenger of Allah?!", He said: "Not even me unless Allah bestows His mercy upon me."
The prophet (S.A.W.) illustrates to us the greatness of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) with His servants in many ahadith:
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that, "Some sabi (war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the prophet (S.A.W.) and behold, a woman amongst them, her chest was full of milk, and she found her baby boy amongst the captives, she took him over her chest and nursed him. The prophet said to his companions, "Do you think that this lady would throw her baby boy in the fire?" They replied, "No, if she has the power not to throw him in the fire." The prophet said, "Allah is more merciful to His servants than this lady to her son."
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "If a disbeliever knows of all the mercy which is in the hand of Allah, he would not lose hope of entering Paradise…"
The prophet (S.A.W.) made utmost effort to clarify the reality of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) with His servants so that Muslims will be merciful among one another and be merciful with others, and know that this mercy is the way to gain the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.). Imam Abu Dawud, At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "The merciful people will have mercy bestowed upon them by Allah (S.W.T.). Be merciful with those on earth, so He who in the heaven (Allah) will have mercy on you." Imam Bukhari, Muslim and At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Allah will not have mercy on the one who does not have mercy on people."
The prophet (S.A.W.) clarified to us that snatching mercy from the heart of a person is evidence of his unkindness. Imam Abu Dawud and At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Allah does not snatch mercy except from the unkind person"
The prophet (S.A.W.) taught us that mercy is not to be with man only but it is to be extended to include animals that Allah (S.W.T.) subjected to man to eat, so we should be kind to the animal when we slaughter it, and we should not torture it. Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "…And if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters."
The prophet (S.A.W.) mentioned to us that Allah (S.W.T.) forgave a sinning man, and a fornicating woman for their mercy and kindness with a thirsty dog, so they gave it water to drink. Imam Bukhari and Muslim report both stories.
Imam Abu Dawud and Ahmad reported that while the companions were once travelling with the prophet (S.A.W.), they noticed a bird that had two chicks, so they took away the two chicks, then the bird came and started to flap its wings. When the prophet (S.A.W.) came back, he asked: "Who has deprived this (bird) of its chicks? Return its chicks to it." Afterwards the prophet (S.A.W.) saw an ant colony had been burnt by some of his companions, he said: "Who has burnt this?" They replied, we did. Then he said: "No one has the right to torture with fire except the One who created the fire."
May we all bear in mind the graces bestowed on us by Allah (swt), the innumerable opportunities He provides us for repenting, to become closer to him, to show our love towards those He loves – send Salaam to Allah’s Messenger (saw).
Let us be conscious of Allah (swt)'s Mercy AND His Wrath.
Allah's Messenger (saw) said: “Allah the Most High says: 'O son of Adam! As long as you supplicate to Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you what you have done. O son of Adam! If your sins were to reach the lofty regions of the sky, then you ask Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you were to come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth, but you met Me not associating anything with Me I would bring you the like of it of forgiveness.” [Bukhari, 8/319]
From most of the literature I've read on this subject or prayers that mention Allah's mercy and wrath, it seems that the evidence points to the fact that Allah's mercy definitely exceeds his Wrath
And we ask that Allah the Most Merciful, bestow His favors and mercy on us in this life and the next. Ameen.
In all Islamic texts, from the Quran to ahadith to various narrations, Allah swt's Mercy and Compassion on mankind is highly stated. There are just as many though, that state is Wrath and Punishment on wrongdoers.
Many people use either His wrath or compassion/mercy in particular to help them strive in attaining paradise (while being aware of the conflicting).
I wanted to go one step further or find out whether we as humans know from prophets/imams/holy books if Allah swt's wrath and mercy are comparible in magnitude, or is one stronger than the other? Does Allah swt have the same amount of compassion for us as He has wrath (if we deserve either)?
My thoughts so far are that His mercy may be greater, since we state His mercy before reading every surah and in every prayer. Also, there are multiple verses stating His Mercy, eg
'And ordain for us good in this world, as well as in the next; we have turned to Thee with repentance.' Allah replied, 'I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for those who act righteously and pay the Zakaat and those who believe in Our Signs' 7:157
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book which is with Him on His throne, "My mercy has overcome My anger.""
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts, and He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down one part on the earth, and because of that, one single part. His creatures are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoof away from its baby animal, so that she would not trample on it."
Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "When Allah created the heavens and the earth, he created one hundred mercies, each one can cover what is between the earth and the heaven. He allocated to the earth only one, with which the mother is compassionate with her child; the beast and the bird are compassionate with their babies. When the Day of Judgment comes, Allah will complete His mercy."
Allah (S.W.T.) has told us that from His names are "Arrahman Arrahim" the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. He also told us in His Book about Himself, so He said in surat Al-An’am, (verse 54), what can be translated as, "…Your Lord has written mercy for Himself…"
He (S.W.T.) also said about His mercy in surat Al-‘Araf, (verse 156), what can be translated as, "…And My mercy embraces all things…"
These verses and many ahadith that talk about the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.), its extent, and its greatness, constitute an important aspect about the divine reality in the mind of the Muslim. It is a beautiful and reassuring concept that manifests itself in the merciful relationship between Allah (S.W.T.) and His servants.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested in all of His creatures in this universe. This is especially in the lives of human beings; it is of a magnitude that we can not confine or measure, but we can point to some of mercies, so that we can be remind, and reflect on many others aspects of Allah’s immense mercy.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifested itself in man at the point of His creation, and in making man better than many other creatures. Allah (S.W.T.) says when He talks about man in surat Al-Isra’, (verse 70), what can be translated as, "…And We have preferred them (human being) above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment."
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in His subjecting what is in this universe for man’s use. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Jathiyah, (verse 13), what can be translated as, "And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favor and kindness from Him."
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in what Allah (S.W.T.) in stilled in man. Byway of abilities to acquire knowledge and science and gave him the mind that can lead him to different sciences.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself for man. When Allah (S.W.T.) made man the khalifah on earth, He did not leave him without guidance, but rather He sent many messengers to guide him to the straight path, especially the comprehensive and complete Islamic legislation, that would keep him away from hardship and misery.
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) manifests itself in His overlooking the sins of the sinner when he unknowingly commits the sin then repents. Allah’s mercy is even beyond that; Allah (S.W.T.) changes the sins of the sinner, after his sincere repentance followed by righteous deeds, to good deeds (hasanat). Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Furqan, (verse 70), what can be translated as, "…Those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds…" All this is to prevent the sinners from feeling hopeless of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.).
The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested when Allah (S.W.T.) counts the sin of the sinner as one sin. The mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is manifested further when Allah (S.W.T.) rewards the righteous doer on his good deed ten times what his good deed is worth and Allah (S.W.T.) multiplies his reward even more than ten times to whom He wants from His servants. Imam Buhkari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If someone intends to do a good deed and he dose not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed; and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times. And If someone intends to do a bad deed and he dose not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intends to do a bad deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him one bad deed." Also, Allah (S.W.T.) erases the sin with the good deed. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Huod, (verse 114), what can be translated as, "…Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds…"
Also, the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) is the reason that Allah (S.W.T.) sends His believers to Paradise on the Day of Judgment. The prophet (S.A.W.) said: "None of you will enter Paradise with his deeds", They said: "Not even you, oh messenger of Allah?!", He said: "Not even me unless Allah bestows His mercy upon me."
The prophet (S.A.W.) illustrates to us the greatness of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) with His servants in many ahadith:
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that, "Some sabi (war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the prophet (S.A.W.) and behold, a woman amongst them, her chest was full of milk, and she found her baby boy amongst the captives, she took him over her chest and nursed him. The prophet said to his companions, "Do you think that this lady would throw her baby boy in the fire?" They replied, "No, if she has the power not to throw him in the fire." The prophet said, "Allah is more merciful to His servants than this lady to her son."
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "If a disbeliever knows of all the mercy which is in the hand of Allah, he would not lose hope of entering Paradise…"
The prophet (S.A.W.) made utmost effort to clarify the reality of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) with His servants so that Muslims will be merciful among one another and be merciful with others, and know that this mercy is the way to gain the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.). Imam Abu Dawud, At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "The merciful people will have mercy bestowed upon them by Allah (S.W.T.). Be merciful with those on earth, so He who in the heaven (Allah) will have mercy on you." Imam Bukhari, Muslim and At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Allah will not have mercy on the one who does not have mercy on people."
The prophet (S.A.W.) clarified to us that snatching mercy from the heart of a person is evidence of his unkindness. Imam Abu Dawud and At-Tirmithi reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Allah does not snatch mercy except from the unkind person"
The prophet (S.A.W.) taught us that mercy is not to be with man only but it is to be extended to include animals that Allah (S.W.T.) subjected to man to eat, so we should be kind to the animal when we slaughter it, and we should not torture it. Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "…And if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters."
The prophet (S.A.W.) mentioned to us that Allah (S.W.T.) forgave a sinning man, and a fornicating woman for their mercy and kindness with a thirsty dog, so they gave it water to drink. Imam Bukhari and Muslim report both stories.
Imam Abu Dawud and Ahmad reported that while the companions were once travelling with the prophet (S.A.W.), they noticed a bird that had two chicks, so they took away the two chicks, then the bird came and started to flap its wings. When the prophet (S.A.W.) came back, he asked: "Who has deprived this (bird) of its chicks? Return its chicks to it." Afterwards the prophet (S.A.W.) saw an ant colony had been burnt by some of his companions, he said: "Who has burnt this?" They replied, we did. Then he said: "No one has the right to torture with fire except the One who created the fire."
May we all bear in mind the graces bestowed on us by Allah (swt), the innumerable opportunities He provides us for repenting, to become closer to him, to show our love towards those He loves – send Salaam to Allah’s Messenger (saw).
Let us be conscious of Allah (swt)'s Mercy AND His Wrath.
Allah's Messenger (saw) said: “Allah the Most High says: 'O son of Adam! As long as you supplicate to Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you what you have done. O son of Adam! If your sins were to reach the lofty regions of the sky, then you ask Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you were to come to Me with enough sins to fill the earth, but you met Me not associating anything with Me I would bring you the like of it of forgiveness.” [Bukhari, 8/319]
From most of the literature I've read on this subject or prayers that mention Allah's mercy and wrath, it seems that the evidence points to the fact that Allah's mercy definitely exceeds his Wrath
And we ask that Allah the Most Merciful, bestow His favors and mercy on us in this life and the next. Ameen.
Friday, 16 October 2009
.Surah Ar-Rahman
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakata.....
Every Surah in the Quran is worth a detailed study but there is something about Surah Ar Rahman that seems so insightful in meaning and worth detailed study,
55:1-5-> Ar Rahman, Who is He? ‘alamal Qur’an, He taught the Qur’an, khalaqal insaan and He created mankind. This mercy is not just for the believers, but for everyone (insaan).
......................Surah Ar-Rahman.............
Surah 55 - Al Rahman THE MOST GRACIOUS
055.001 (God) Most Gracious!
055.002 It is He Who has taught the Qur'an.
055.003 He has created man:
055.004 He has taught him speech (and intelligence).
055.005 The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed;
055.006 And the herbs and the trees - both (alike) bow in adoration.
055.007 And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),
055.008 In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance.
055.009 So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.
055.010 It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures:
055.011 Therein is fruit and date-palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates);
055.012 Also corn, with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet-smelling plants.
055.013 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.014 He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery,
055.015 And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke:
055.016 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.017 (He is) Lord of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests:
055.018 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.019 He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together:
055.020 Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress:
055.021 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.022 Out of them come Pearls and Coral:
055.023 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.024 And His are the Ships sailing smoothly through the seas, lofty as mountains:
055.025 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.026 All that is on earth will perish:
055.027 But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.
055.028 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.029 Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
055.030 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.031 Soon shall We settle your affairs, O both ye worlds!
055.032 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.033 O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!
055.034 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.035 On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): no defence will ye have:
055.036 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.037 When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment:
055.038 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.039 On that Day no question will be asked of man or Jinn as to his sin.
055.040 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.041 (For) the sinners will be known by their marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.
055.042 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.043 This is the Hell which the Sinners deny:
055.044 In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round!
055.045 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.046 But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord, there will be two Gardens-
055.047 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.048 Containing all kinds (of trees and delights);-
055.049 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.050 In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);
055.051 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.052 In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two.
055.053 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.054 They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).
055.055 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.056 In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-
055.057 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.058 Like unto Rubies and coral.
055.059 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.060 Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good?
055.061 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.062 And besides these two, there are two other Gardens,-
055.063 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.064 Dark-green in colour (from plentiful watering).
055.065 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.066 In them (each) will be two Springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance:
055.067 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.068 In them will be Fruits, and dates and pomegranates:
055.069 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.070 In them will be fair (Companions), good, beautiful;-
055.071 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.072 Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;-
055.073 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.074 Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-
055.075 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.076 Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty.
055.077 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? 055.078 Blessed be the name of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.
I like this..........Yes, I believe Chapter 55 is worth a detailed study. Verse 29 is quite interesting.
055.029
YUSUFALI: Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
Surah Ar RAhman is a fascinating Surah because it has so much detail about the amazing creations of Allah and the perfection of which no man or Jinn can deny.
Every Surah in the Quran is worth a detailed study but there is something about Surah Ar Rahman that seems so insightful in meaning and worth detailed study,
55:1-5-> Ar Rahman, Who is He? ‘alamal Qur’an, He taught the Qur’an, khalaqal insaan and He created mankind. This mercy is not just for the believers, but for everyone (insaan).
......................Surah Ar-Rahman.............
Surah 55 - Al Rahman THE MOST GRACIOUS
055.001 (God) Most Gracious!
055.002 It is He Who has taught the Qur'an.
055.003 He has created man:
055.004 He has taught him speech (and intelligence).
055.005 The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed;
055.006 And the herbs and the trees - both (alike) bow in adoration.
055.007 And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),
055.008 In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance.
055.009 So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.
055.010 It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures:
055.011 Therein is fruit and date-palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates);
055.012 Also corn, with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet-smelling plants.
055.013 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.014 He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery,
055.015 And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke:
055.016 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.017 (He is) Lord of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests:
055.018 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.019 He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together:
055.020 Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress:
055.021 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.022 Out of them come Pearls and Coral:
055.023 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.024 And His are the Ships sailing smoothly through the seas, lofty as mountains:
055.025 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.026 All that is on earth will perish:
055.027 But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.
055.028 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.029 Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
055.030 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.031 Soon shall We settle your affairs, O both ye worlds!
055.032 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.033 O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!
055.034 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.035 On you will be sent (O ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): no defence will ye have:
055.036 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.037 When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment:
055.038 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.039 On that Day no question will be asked of man or Jinn as to his sin.
055.040 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.041 (For) the sinners will be known by their marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.
055.042 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.043 This is the Hell which the Sinners deny:
055.044 In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round!
055.045 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.046 But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord, there will be two Gardens-
055.047 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.048 Containing all kinds (of trees and delights);-
055.049 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.050 In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);
055.051 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.052 In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two.
055.053 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.054 They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).
055.055 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.056 In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-
055.057 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.058 Like unto Rubies and coral.
055.059 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.060 Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good?
055.061 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.062 And besides these two, there are two other Gardens,-
055.063 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.064 Dark-green in colour (from plentiful watering).
055.065 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.066 In them (each) will be two Springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance:
055.067 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.068 In them will be Fruits, and dates and pomegranates:
055.069 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
055.070 In them will be fair (Companions), good, beautiful;-
055.071 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.072 Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;-
055.073 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.074 Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-
055.075 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-
055.076 Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty.
055.077 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? 055.078 Blessed be the name of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.
I like this..........Yes, I believe Chapter 55 is worth a detailed study. Verse 29 is quite interesting.
055.029
YUSUFALI: Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
Surah Ar RAhman is a fascinating Surah because it has so much detail about the amazing creations of Allah and the perfection of which no man or Jinn can deny.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Al-Rahman-55
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakata.....
Surah Ar-Rahman
Al-Rahman is the glorious name of Allah which reflects His extraordinary compassion and mercy for His creatures; and Surah Al-Rahman is an expression of Allah's countless blessings and favors on us, which are spread over this entire universe; and are not confined merely to this world but also go far beyond these physical boundaries into the eternal life of the hereafter.
If we make a list of these blessings in order of superiority, beginning with the most important thing of our life..what would that be? For different individuals it could be a different thing according to what they value most in their lives. But have you ever wondered, what is the absolutely best gift of love and mercy which Allah has bestowed on Mankind? The answer to this question is right here in the opening verses of Surah Al-Rahman:
"The Most Compassionate (Allah). Has taught (you mankind) the Qur'an." (55:1,2)
The Quran is to our life what the heart is to the human being. If the heart stops working then the body dies even if all other things are in first class condition. Similarly if we are not on the true guidance of the Quran, nothing else is going to benefit us at all. Therefore Allah has reminded us here that we should stop taking this book for granted and open our eyes to the fact that this is the supreme knowledge, wisdom, and cure of hearts..coming directly from the Lord. What a great injustice it is if we keep ourselves deprived from this treasure.
Another thing that we take for granted is our own creation. We are so rushed into the endless chores of our existence that we seldom think of the fact that Allah has created us..planned our lives, gave us individual characteristics, talents, abilities, physical attributesand most important of all: the power of speech.
"Created man and taught him how to convey his feelings and thoughts". (55:3,4)
We all know that human beings hold a distinguished position in the universe because of their intelligence but have you ever considered that if Allah had not taught us the art to express our thoughts and feelings, our thinking abilities would have been useless. But look at how we are using this ability.chatting endlessly about inconsequential things, arguing on the same issues over and over again, back biting, telling lies, making false accusations, spreading rumors, making fun of others.so many sins; all through speech. And even those few people who refrain from these acts seldom think that true appreciation of this great blessing is to use it for the sake of Allah.
In fact being a truly faithful slave of Allah requires complete submission. The whole universe is following Allah's laws..Look at the sun and the moon how they are glorifying their Lord through their eternal submission, along with the stars and the vegetation spread across the earth:
.. Surah Ar-Rahman... There are soooooooo many ppl around us... who keeps comparing one self with others who are more gifted than themselves... I was one among such... but after reading its meaning.. it really touched my heart.... I hope this will help some of my bro or sis... too to understand the vast gifts of the Almighty Allah..... I wont b posting it all at a time... but gradually.... for now... only Revelation... plzzzzz read through it.... It will help u all... & also try to fwd this to ur relatives & frnds....
This Surah consists of 78 verses, 351 sentences, 1,636 letters and 3 Ruku's.
Name
This Surah is entitled Ar Rahman, the word with which it begins. This title, however, deeply relates to the subject matter of the Surah too, for in it, from the beginning to the end, the manifestations and fruits of Allah's attribute of mercy and grace have been mentioned.
Period of Revelation
The commentators generally hold the view that this is a Makki Surah, though according to some traditions which have been cited on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah, it was revealed at Madinah. But, firstly, there are also some other traditions from these very authorities, which contradict this view; secondly, its subject matter bears a closer resemblance with the Makki Surahs than with the Madani Surahs; rather it appears to belong to the very early Makkah period. However, there are several authentic traditions which testify that it had been revealed in Makkah itself many years before the hijra.
Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadarat Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah bless them both), to the effect: "I saw the Messenger of Allah offering his Prayers in the sacred precincts of the Ka'bah facing the corner in which the "Black Stone" is fixed. This relates to the time when the Divine Command, fasda bi-ma tumar ("So, proclaim publicly, O Prophet, what you are being commanded") had not yet been revealed. The polytheists at that time were hearing the words, Fa-biayyi alaa'i Rabbi kuma tukadhdhi ban, being recited by him in the Prayer." This shows than this Surah had been sent down even before Surah Al-Hijr.
Al-Bazzar, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Al-Mundhir, Daraqutni (in Al Afrad), Ibn Marduyah and Ibn Al Khatib (in At- Tarikh) have related, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Aliah be upon him) recited Surah Ar-Rahman himself, or heard it recited before him: then he said to the people: How is it that I am not hearing from you the kind of good answer that the jinn had given to their Lord? When the people asked what it was he replied: "As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi-ayyi alaa'i Rabbi-kuma tukadhdhiban, the jinn in response would repeat the words La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi-na nukadhdhib: 'We do not deny any of our Lord's blessings'."
A similar theme has been related by Tirmidhi, Hakim and Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah. Their tradition contains these words: "When the people kept silent on hearing the Surah Ar-Rahman, the Holy Prophet said, 'I recited this very Surah before the jinn in the night when they had gathered together to hear the Quran. They responded to it better than you have. As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi ayyi alaa'i Rabbikuma tukadhdhiban ("O jinn and men, which blessings of your Lord will you deny?") they would respond to it, saying: "O our Lord, do not deny any of your blessings Praise is for You alone"
This tradition indicates that on the occasion of the incident that bas been related in Surah Al Ahqaf (vv. 29- 32) of the jinn's hearing the Quran from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); he was reciting Surah Ar Rahman in the Prayer. This happened in the 10th year of the Prophethood when the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah on his way back from Ta'if. Although in some other traditions it has been reported that the Holy Prophet did not know then that the jinn were hearing him recite the Quran, but afterwards Allah had informed him of this, it is not unreasonable to suppose that just as Allah had informed him of the jinn's hearing the Quran so also Allah Himself might have told him as to what answer they were giving on hearing Surah Ar Rahman.
These traditions only indicate that Surah Ar Rahman had been revealed even before Surahs Al-Hijr and Al-Ahqaf. Besides, we come across another tradition which shows that it is one of those Surahs which were the earliest Revelations at Makkah. Ibn Ishaq has related this on the authority of Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair: The Companions one day said to one another: "The Quraish have never heard any one recite the Quran publicly to them, and who would read out the Divine Word aloud to them? Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud said that he would. The Companions expressed the apprehension that he might be subjected to a harsh treatment and said that it should better be done by a person of a powerful family, who would protect him if the Quraish tried to subject him to violence. Hadrat Abdullah said: 'Let me alone: my Protector is Allah.' So early next morning he went to the Ka'bah while the Quraish chiefs were sitting in their respective conferences. Hadrat Abdullah arrived at the Maqam (station of Abraham) and began to recite Surah Ar-Rahman raising his voice as he did so. The Quraish first tried for a while to understand what he was saying. Then, when they ealized that it was the Word that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was representing as the Word of God, they fell upon him and began to hit him in the face. But Hadrat Abdullah was not deterred: he continued to receive the slaps and to read the Quran as long as he could. At last, when he returned with a swollen face, the Companions said that they apprehended the same. He replied: 'God's enemies were never so light for me as they were today. If you say I'll recite the Quran to them again tomorrow.' They all said, 'No, you have done enough; you have made them listen to what they didn't want to hear.'" (Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 336).
This surah is a beautiful gift which ALLAH subhan-a-talah has given to us. It is the key to the peace of mind. This surah is the most peacefull thing in this world. I hope ALLAH subhan-a-talah grant us all the faith to recite t his surah. AMIEN
Surah Ar-Rahman
Al-Rahman is the glorious name of Allah which reflects His extraordinary compassion and mercy for His creatures; and Surah Al-Rahman is an expression of Allah's countless blessings and favors on us, which are spread over this entire universe; and are not confined merely to this world but also go far beyond these physical boundaries into the eternal life of the hereafter.
If we make a list of these blessings in order of superiority, beginning with the most important thing of our life..what would that be? For different individuals it could be a different thing according to what they value most in their lives. But have you ever wondered, what is the absolutely best gift of love and mercy which Allah has bestowed on Mankind? The answer to this question is right here in the opening verses of Surah Al-Rahman:
"The Most Compassionate (Allah). Has taught (you mankind) the Qur'an." (55:1,2)
The Quran is to our life what the heart is to the human being. If the heart stops working then the body dies even if all other things are in first class condition. Similarly if we are not on the true guidance of the Quran, nothing else is going to benefit us at all. Therefore Allah has reminded us here that we should stop taking this book for granted and open our eyes to the fact that this is the supreme knowledge, wisdom, and cure of hearts..coming directly from the Lord. What a great injustice it is if we keep ourselves deprived from this treasure.
Another thing that we take for granted is our own creation. We are so rushed into the endless chores of our existence that we seldom think of the fact that Allah has created us..planned our lives, gave us individual characteristics, talents, abilities, physical attributesand most important of all: the power of speech.
"Created man and taught him how to convey his feelings and thoughts". (55:3,4)
We all know that human beings hold a distinguished position in the universe because of their intelligence but have you ever considered that if Allah had not taught us the art to express our thoughts and feelings, our thinking abilities would have been useless. But look at how we are using this ability.chatting endlessly about inconsequential things, arguing on the same issues over and over again, back biting, telling lies, making false accusations, spreading rumors, making fun of others.so many sins; all through speech. And even those few people who refrain from these acts seldom think that true appreciation of this great blessing is to use it for the sake of Allah.
In fact being a truly faithful slave of Allah requires complete submission. The whole universe is following Allah's laws..Look at the sun and the moon how they are glorifying their Lord through their eternal submission, along with the stars and the vegetation spread across the earth:
.. Surah Ar-Rahman... There are soooooooo many ppl around us... who keeps comparing one self with others who are more gifted than themselves... I was one among such... but after reading its meaning.. it really touched my heart.... I hope this will help some of my bro or sis... too to understand the vast gifts of the Almighty Allah..... I wont b posting it all at a time... but gradually.... for now... only Revelation... plzzzzz read through it.... It will help u all... & also try to fwd this to ur relatives & frnds....
This Surah consists of 78 verses, 351 sentences, 1,636 letters and 3 Ruku's.
Name
This Surah is entitled Ar Rahman, the word with which it begins. This title, however, deeply relates to the subject matter of the Surah too, for in it, from the beginning to the end, the manifestations and fruits of Allah's attribute of mercy and grace have been mentioned.
Period of Revelation
The commentators generally hold the view that this is a Makki Surah, though according to some traditions which have been cited on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, Ikrimah and Qatadah, it was revealed at Madinah. But, firstly, there are also some other traditions from these very authorities, which contradict this view; secondly, its subject matter bears a closer resemblance with the Makki Surahs than with the Madani Surahs; rather it appears to belong to the very early Makkah period. However, there are several authentic traditions which testify that it had been revealed in Makkah itself many years before the hijra.
Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadarat Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah bless them both), to the effect: "I saw the Messenger of Allah offering his Prayers in the sacred precincts of the Ka'bah facing the corner in which the "Black Stone" is fixed. This relates to the time when the Divine Command, fasda bi-ma tumar ("So, proclaim publicly, O Prophet, what you are being commanded") had not yet been revealed. The polytheists at that time were hearing the words, Fa-biayyi alaa'i Rabbi kuma tukadhdhi ban, being recited by him in the Prayer." This shows than this Surah had been sent down even before Surah Al-Hijr.
Al-Bazzar, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Al-Mundhir, Daraqutni (in Al Afrad), Ibn Marduyah and Ibn Al Khatib (in At- Tarikh) have related, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar, that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Aliah be upon him) recited Surah Ar-Rahman himself, or heard it recited before him: then he said to the people: How is it that I am not hearing from you the kind of good answer that the jinn had given to their Lord? When the people asked what it was he replied: "As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi-ayyi alaa'i Rabbi-kuma tukadhdhiban, the jinn in response would repeat the words La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi-na nukadhdhib: 'We do not deny any of our Lord's blessings'."
A similar theme has been related by Tirmidhi, Hakim and Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar from Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah. Their tradition contains these words: "When the people kept silent on hearing the Surah Ar-Rahman, the Holy Prophet said, 'I recited this very Surah before the jinn in the night when they had gathered together to hear the Quran. They responded to it better than you have. As I recited the Divine Words, Fa bi ayyi alaa'i Rabbikuma tukadhdhiban ("O jinn and men, which blessings of your Lord will you deny?") they would respond to it, saying: "O our Lord, do not deny any of your blessings Praise is for You alone"
This tradition indicates that on the occasion of the incident that bas been related in Surah Al Ahqaf (vv. 29- 32) of the jinn's hearing the Quran from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); he was reciting Surah Ar Rahman in the Prayer. This happened in the 10th year of the Prophethood when the Holy Prophet had halted at Makkah on his way back from Ta'if. Although in some other traditions it has been reported that the Holy Prophet did not know then that the jinn were hearing him recite the Quran, but afterwards Allah had informed him of this, it is not unreasonable to suppose that just as Allah had informed him of the jinn's hearing the Quran so also Allah Himself might have told him as to what answer they were giving on hearing Surah Ar Rahman.
These traditions only indicate that Surah Ar Rahman had been revealed even before Surahs Al-Hijr and Al-Ahqaf. Besides, we come across another tradition which shows that it is one of those Surahs which were the earliest Revelations at Makkah. Ibn Ishaq has related this on the authority of Hadrat Urwah bin Zubair: The Companions one day said to one another: "The Quraish have never heard any one recite the Quran publicly to them, and who would read out the Divine Word aloud to them? Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud said that he would. The Companions expressed the apprehension that he might be subjected to a harsh treatment and said that it should better be done by a person of a powerful family, who would protect him if the Quraish tried to subject him to violence. Hadrat Abdullah said: 'Let me alone: my Protector is Allah.' So early next morning he went to the Ka'bah while the Quraish chiefs were sitting in their respective conferences. Hadrat Abdullah arrived at the Maqam (station of Abraham) and began to recite Surah Ar-Rahman raising his voice as he did so. The Quraish first tried for a while to understand what he was saying. Then, when they ealized that it was the Word that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was representing as the Word of God, they fell upon him and began to hit him in the face. But Hadrat Abdullah was not deterred: he continued to receive the slaps and to read the Quran as long as he could. At last, when he returned with a swollen face, the Companions said that they apprehended the same. He replied: 'God's enemies were never so light for me as they were today. If you say I'll recite the Quran to them again tomorrow.' They all said, 'No, you have done enough; you have made them listen to what they didn't want to hear.'" (Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 336).
This surah is a beautiful gift which ALLAH subhan-a-talah has given to us. It is the key to the peace of mind. This surah is the most peacefull thing in this world. I hope ALLAH subhan-a-talah grant us all the faith to recite t his surah. AMIEN
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Salah (Prayer) and The Ablution
“Live as you wish, safe, in the shade of the towering castles;
Whatever your desire is, whether it’s in the morning or in the evening.
But when the souls quiver in the shade of a rattling chest,at that moment you will know for certain, that all of this was nothing more than delusion.”
-Abu Latahiy.
If you make intense supplication
and the timing of the answer is delayed,
do not despair of it.
His reply to you is guaranteed;
but in the way He chooses,
not the way you choose,
and at the moment He desires,
not the moment you desire.
- Ibn Ata'illah Iskandari.
The Five Times Are Specified in the Quran
(1) The Dawn Contact Prayer is mentioned by name in 24:58. Before sunrise.
(2) The Noon Contact Prayer is specified in 17:78. When the sun declines.
(3) The Afternoon Contact Prayer is in 2:238. Midway between noon & sunset.
(4) The Sunset Contact Prayer is mentioned in 11:114. Immediately after sunset.
(5) The Night Contact Prayer is in 11:114, and is mentioned by name in 24:58.
Preparation for the Contact Prayer (The Ablution)
O you who believe, in preparation for the Contact Prayer, you shall
(1) wash your faces,
(2) wash your arms to the elbows,
(3) wipe your heads with wet hands, and
(4) wash your feet to the ankles. [Quran 5:6]
Like all other aspects of Submission, the Muslims have corrupted the ablution by adding unauthorized steps. Ironically, the innovations became vested with such authority that anyone who questions them finds himself accused of innovation!!
It is therefore crucial to uphold God's commands by strictly observing the ablution decreed in the Quran. Any additional steps represent another god besides God.
The Major Ablution
Following any sexual activity that results in a climax (orgasm/ejaculation), one must bath or take a shower (4:43).
The Dry Ablution (Tayammum)
If water is not available, one must touch clean dry soil, then wipe his hands and face. This suffices as a substitute for ablution (4:43, 5:6).
What Nullifies Ablution
Digestive excretions through the intestines, including gas, solids, or urine nullify ablution. Sleeping also nullifies ablution, since one becomes unaware. Thus one may observe a number of Contact Prayers with one ablution, provided he or she does not go to the bathroom, pass gas, or fall asleep.
In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)showed us how to pray to Allah S.W.T. through the examples of his many companions. Everyone deserves the chance to pray to God directly(if they want to), at the same time, and to know that God is listening. Sami'Allahu liman hamidah (God hears the praises sent to Him) Muslims would utter after the ruku' or the bowing part of the prayer.
Prayer is one of the biggest signs of God's Mercy. For it is through prayer that God cleanses our sins, at five points of time throughout our day. Just imagine waking up early for work, after a bad night - for whatever reason. The dawn prayer is our first appointment with God. He knows that we are in a rush for the day's work. The dawn prayer is only 2-cycle long. Each cycle comprises of an initial standing position, a 90-degree bowing position, standing again, and prostrating on the ground. Many Muslims like to say that prayer makes up for a lost exercise routine. I must admit, these days prayers are the only time I move up and down with my body. Still, the essence of the prayer lies in our soul.
It is a form of meditation. For those who are aware of God's existence and love, the prayer(salah) is a superior form of meditation. Instead of focusing on the self, one should lose oneself by focusing on the Almighty. That is why we shouldn't hurry to our place of prayer. The companions of the Prophet were very meticulous in cleaning themselves before prayer (a prerequisite called wudhu). This cleaning is not just a physical cleaning - it is the cleansing of our sins. When we rub water throughout our skin, we should feel hopeful that all our sins are falling off like the drops of water that falls off from our limbs during wudhu.
When we approach our prayer mat, we shouldn't rush into prayer. We should close our eyes to free our mind from previous thought processes, take a deep breath and realize Who we are reciting to.
1)Allahu Akbar, we raise our hands to the shoulder area to enter into prayer - a sacred state in which nobody should pass in front of us except due to necessity. We shouldn't talk to anyone or be spoken to.
2) We put our arms together on our chest area, or according to another opinion (Maliki jurist), simply leave our arms in a relaxed position on the side. This is when a recitation is required. The Prophet said, "Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, it is not valid" (Bukhari, #435) Al-Fatiha means the Opening.
3)After completing the Al-Fatiha, we should recite more Qur'an - even if it is only three verses long - but it is not obligatory. Then one bow down on a 90-degree angle while praising God, and then return to the previous position.
4) Next, one prostrates on the ground and this is the time when a believer is the closest to God, and should make supplications to Him. The sujood or prostration is something that should transport our mind to the day of Arising. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will appear in front of the gathering of people who are then instructed to prostrate. (Sahih Bukhari, vol 9 hadith 532B.)
Allah informed us, "The Day when the shin (of Allah) shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate themselves but the hypocrites shall not be able to do so. " (Al-Qalam,68:42)
In addition, the same hadith quoted above also informed us regarding Muslims whose deeds land them in the hellfire. "When Allah intends mercy on whomever He likes amongst the people of Hell, He will order the angels to take out of Hell those who worshipped none but Him Alone. The angels will take them out by recognizing them from the traces of prostrations. For Allah has forbidden the fire to eat away those traces....The Water of Life will be poured on them and they will grow......"
How Merciful is Allah. Prayer maybe hard for us, but in reality it is just an appointment with Our Creator who loves us. He wants to test our obedience to Him in this world, and show us our grades on Resurrection Day. Prayer is like one of those energy points that we try to collect while playing video games. We accumulate a lot of blunder, a lot of sins - and prayer erases all the minor sins. It keeps us grounded to the belief in God and make us steadfast in order to execute the command of God in our daily lives despite all the challenges.
There are only five appointments a day (no doctor or psychiatrist would be so generous!): 1) At dawn, 2) At noon -right after the sun reaches its apex and there is no shadow(or short one) on objects, 3) At midafternoon, when the shadows of objects at this time minus the shadow of objects at the previous prayer (noon) is equal to the height of the object, (too mathematical, which is why we now have the prayer calendar - just google online!) 4)After sunset, and 5) After twilight - ie. when real darkness of the night emerges.
May God accept our prayer. O God, make the prayer easy for us to perform so we may draw closer to You. Indeed You have created us for the sole purpose of worshipping You. Make us amongst your grateful ones, through our sincere and focused prayer
Allah (SWT) has said in the Noble Qur'an: "I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship Me." (Noble Qur'an 51:56)
It is clear from the above verse of Noble Qur'an that the purpose of our birth and of our life is no other than that of the worship of Allah (SWT). There are many acts of worship (Ibadah, Ibadat) in Islam, and Salah is one of the most important obligatory acts.
Salah (Salat, Namaz) is the ritual prayer practiced by Muslims in supplication to Allah (SWT). The term is commonly used to refer to the five daily prayers, which are compulsory upon all mature Muslims. Salah (Salat, Namaz) is considered the most important act of worship (Ibadah, Ibadat) in Islam and its importance is such that under very few circumstances it can be omitted.
Salah (Salat, Namaz) strengthens the foundations of our faith. It prepares a person to live the life of goodness and obedience to Allah (SWT), and it builds courage and determination. Every time we perform Salah, we renew our commitments to Allah (SWT) and we rid ourselves from worldly pressures five times a day.
According to a Hadith a companion of Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) came to him one day and asked him "What is the thing that Allah (SWT) loves most?" Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) replied "The thing that Allah (SWT) loves most is when his people pray Salah on time."
Salah (Salat, Namaz) is a practical sign of obedience to the commands of Allah (SWT). Its importance has been emphasized about 500 times in the Noble Qur'an.
Once Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) shook a dry branch of a tree so that all of the leaves of the branch fell off than the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said "The sins of those who pray Salah, drop off as the leaves of this branch fell off."
Before Salah, we make Wudu. Wudu (Ablution) is a unique way of cleansing certain parts of our body so we are clean before bowing down to the one who created us, who created the universe the one and only Allah (SWT).
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) once asked his companions "Tell me if there was a river at the door step of one of you in which you washed five times a day would any of your dirt remain?" When Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received the reply that none of it would remain he then said "That is like the five times Salah, with which Allah (SWT) wipes out sin.
The last thing that Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) emphasized at his deathbed was Salah. He also said the first thing we will have to answer about on the day of judgement is Salah.
While in Salah one communicates with Allah (SWT) and experiences his presence. That's why a Hadith says: Salah is the Meraj of a Momin (Namaz is called as Meraj-ul-Momineen).
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) also said "The key to Heaven is Salah. The key to Salah is Purification."
" Salah ( Namaz) is a pillar of Religion. If salah (Namaz) is accepted all other deeds are accepted. If Salah(Namaz) is rejected then all other Deeds are rejected." (Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh))
Importance of Salah in Islam: Sayings on Salah (Salat, Namaz)
Sayings on Salah (Salat, Namaz)Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said: "Almighty Allah (SWT) has set the light of my eyes in Salah (Salat, Namaz) and made it the most desirable thing for me, like the food for the hungry and the water for the thirsty. The hungry is contented after the meal and the thirsty is satisfied after drinking water. But my thirst for Salah (Salat, Namaz) is never quenched."
Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said: "Everything has a face and the face of your religion is Salah (Salat, Namaz); none of you should stain the face of his religion."
Commander of the Believers Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (pbuh) said: "Almighty Allah (SWT) has ordained the obligation of faith for purification from polytheism and the obligation of Salah (Salat, Namaz) for refraining from pride and arrogance."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (pbuh) said: "The superiority of Salah (Salat, Namaz) performed in the earliest moments over the one offered in the last moments of its specified time is the same as the superiority of the Hereafter over this world."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (pbuh) said: "It is quite possible that a person lives for fifty years and not even a single prayer of his is accepted. Is there anything harder and more painful than this? There are some people ... whose prayers ... will not be accepted ... because they belittle Salah (Salat, Namaz), while nothing but good is admitted to Almighty Allah (SWT). How can Almighty Allah (SWT) accept that which is considered to be of little worth?"
Imam Ali bin Moosa Al Ridha (pbuh) said: "When it is time for Salah (Salat, Namaz), perform your prayers; you never know what will happen afterwards ... Nothing is dearer to Almighty Allah than Salah (Salat, Namaz). Worldly affairs must not detract you from the prayer timings. Do not delay your prayers (from the prescribed timings) for no reason. Always perform your Salah (Salat, Namaz) on its best time."
Imam Ali bin Moosa Al Ridha (pbuh) said: "When you are praying, avoid being drowsy, slumberous, playing and hastening. Pray with solemnity, gravity and soberness. It is up to you to remain attentive, humble and submissive in Almighty Allah's presence. Stand in front of your Lord as a slave appears before his master. Keep your feet in order and your stature firm. Do not look here and there. Be as if you could see Him; for, if you do not see Him, He sees you."
Importance of Salah in Islam: Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and Salah (Salat, Namaz)
Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and SalahOne of the companions of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), by the name of Sa'd, was very poor and was regarded as one of the People of the Ledge. Sa'd used to offer all his Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers behind the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), who was greatly distressed by Sa'd's poverty. One day, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) promised him that if he got some money, he would give it to Sa'd. Time passed but no money came to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) who became even more distressed at Sa'd's situation. It was at this time that Jibril (Gabriel) descended, bringing with him two Dirhams.
Jibril (Gabriel) said to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), "Allah (SWT) has said: We are aware of your distress in connection with Sa'd's poverty. If you want him to emerge from this state, give him these two Dirhams and ask him to engage himself in business."
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) took the two Dirhams and set out of the house for the Dhuhr prayers when he found Sa'd waiting for him near one of the rooms of the mosque.
Turning to Sa'd, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) asked: "Could you engage yourself in business?"
"By Allah (SWT)! I have no capital with which I can do business," replied Sa'd.
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) handed him the two Dirhams and told him to start business with this capital.
Sa'd took the money and after offering the Dhuhr and Asr Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers set about to earn his livelihood.
Allah (SWT) blessed Sa'd in such a way that whatever he purchased for a Dirham, he would sell it for double the amount. Consequently, his financial state gradually improved. This continued till he eventually purchased a shop near the mosque and began conducting his business from there. As his business picked up, he began to become lax with respect to his acts of worship (Ibadah, Ibadat), even to the extent that when Hazrat Bilal ibn Rabah recited the Adhan he would not get ready for the prayers. Previously, he was ready well before Adhan was recited!
When the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) noticed Sa'd's lateness for Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers, he said to him: "Sa'd, this world has made you so busy that it has even weaned you away from your Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers."
Salah is the Meraj of a MominSa'd replied, "What can I do? If I leave my wealth unattended, it will go to waste and I will end up in loss. From one person, I have to collect the money for the goods sold, while from another I have to take possession of the goods purchased."
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was disturbed at Sa'd's involvement with his wealth and his negligence with respect to his acts of worship and Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayer. At that moment, Jibril (Gabriel) descended again and said: "Allah (SWT) has said: 'We possess knowledge of your distress. Which of the two states do you prefer for Sa'd?"
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) indicated that the previous state was beneficial for Sa'd. Jibril (Gabriel) agreed, "Yes, love for the world causes man to become heedless of the hereafter. Take back the two Dirhams, which you had given to him previously."
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) approached Sa'd and asked him if he could return the two Dirhams that he had given to him.
"If you desire, I shall even give you two hundred Dirhams," replied Sa'd.
"No, just give me the two Dirhams, which you had taken from me." said the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
Sa'd handed the money to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and within a short time, his financial situation turned a full circle and before long he found himself in his previous state.
Importance of Salah in Islam: Salah Timings (Prayer according to Islam, Salah Time)
Salah Timings
He remembered his grandmother's warning about praying Salah (Salat, Namaz) on time: "My son, you shouldn't leave Salah (Salat, Namaz) to this late time". His grandmother's age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, grandmother got up like an arrow and performed Salah (Salat, Namaz). He however could never win over his ego to get up and pray Salah (Salat, Namaz). Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes left before Salat ul Isha. He quickly made Wudu (Ablution) and performed Salat ul Maghrib. , he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed Salah (Salat, Namaz). His grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to make Sajda (prostrating) and stayed like that for a while.
He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.
His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping others. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was being cleared.
He pleaded his case; "I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah (SWT). I performed my Salah (Salat, Namaz). I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah (SWT) ordered us to do, I did. Whatever Allah (SWT) ordered us not to do, I did not."
He began to cry and think about how much he loved Allah (SWT). He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah (SWT) deserved and his only protector was Allah (SWT). He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam (Hell). His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn't be, "How could I go to Jahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah (SWT) to others". His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Noble Qur'an that he read, he was asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had gotten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said, "How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah (Salat, Namaz) performed five times cleanse someone of their sins"? He began yelling, "My prayers? My prayers? My prayers?"
prayers Salah ( Namaz )is called as Meraj-ul-MomineenThe two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Hell ( Jahannam). The flames of the fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in. He found himself in the air and falling towards the flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard. He wiped some dust off himself and asked him, "Who are you?" The old man replied, "I am your Salah (Salat, Namaz) prayers".
"Why are you so late? I was almost in the Fire! You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in". The old man smiled and shook his head, "You always performed me at the last minute, and did you forget?" At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from Sajda (prostrating). He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat ul Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudu (Ablution).
Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said .
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