Saturday, June 28, 2008

Attention Sisters!


Hijab: A commandment of the Quran and Sunna


In the first part of this article, I have argued that part of our commitment to Allah SWT is to trust that He knows what is best for us and that what He has commanded is what is right. I said that if we find ourselves disliking the way that He has set for us, our challenge is not to ignore or to try to change His command, but rather it is to seek for ourselves the wisdom in the command and to surrender to His will. If we don't like what He has commanded, we should try to change ourselves not Him. We should try to find reasons why His command is right and will be beneficial for us, and we should try to motivate ourselves through this to obey the command.
In the second part of the article, I have established why the Quran and Sunna are where we look to find what Allah SWT has commanded. Neither one can be taken alone but they both go together.
So, what do the Quran and Sunna say about hijab? There are two ayat of the Quran that deal with hijab. These are Surah an-Nur ayah 31 and Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59. Let's look at what these ayat say, and how the Prophet (sAas) has explained them.
Surah an-Nur ayah 31 says:
Wa qul li al-mu'minat yaghdudna min absarihinna wa yahfazna furujahunna wa laa yubdina zenatahunna illa maa zahara min haa wal-yadribna bi khumurihinna ala juyubihinna; wa laa yubdina zenatahunna illa li bu'ulatihinna aw aba'ihinna aw aba'i bu'ulatihinna aw abna'ihinna aw abna'i bu'ulatihinna aw ikhwanihinna aw bani ikhwanihinna aw bani akhawatihinna aw nisa'ihinna aw maa malakat aymanu hunna aw at-tabi'ina ghayri ulu'l-irbat min ar-rijal aw at-tifl alladhina lam yazharu ala awrat an-nisa wa laa yadribna bi arjulihinna li yu'lama maa yukhfina min zenatahinna. Wa tubu ilaAllahi jami'an, ayyuha al-mu'minun la'allakum tuflihun
And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful
Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 says:
Ya ayyuha an-Nabiyy qul li azwajika wa banatika wa nisa al-mu'minin yudnina alayhinna min jalabib hinna; dhalika adna an yu'rafna fa laa yu'dhayn. Wa kana Allahu Ghafur Rahim
O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outergarments (jilbabs) close around themselves; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.
Together, these two ayat lay out seven commandments for Muslim sisters:
- "to lower their gazes"
- "to guard their private parts"
- "not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it"
- "to extend their headcoverings to cover their bosoms"
- "not to display their beauty except to their husbands or their fathers..."
- "not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide"
- "to draw their outergarments close around themselves"
It can be seen that three of these commandments relate to behavior. These are:
- lowering the gaze
- guarding the private parts
- not striking the feet on the ground so as to give knowledge of what is hidden
Lowering the gaze means not looking at what is forbidden to be seen of others. Guarding the private parts means that only the husband is allowed to see or touch them. Not giving knowledge of what is hidden means not posturing or strutting around so as to jangle hidden jewelry or make men think about hidden body parts. All of these are part of what Allah SWT has commanded in regard to hijab.
The other four commandments relate to dress, and can really be expressed as three rules:
- not displaying the beauty beyond "what is apparent of it" except to the people listed in 24:31
- extending the headcovering to cover the bosom
- drawing the outergarment close around
What exactly is the meaning of each of these rules? For this, we need to look to the Sunna, because the Sunna shows us how the Prophet (sAas) explained the Quran.
The Prophet (sAas) explained to Asma bint Abu Bakr (rAa) that the phrase "what is apparent of it" refers to the face and hands. This is narrated by Aisha Umm al-Muminin (rAa), Qatada (rAa), and Asma bint Umais (rAa). This has been confirmed as the explanation of the phrase by the following scholars:
Sahaba: Aisha Umm al-Muminin (rAa), ibn Abbas (rAa), Anas ibn Malik (rAa), and Miswar ibn Makhrama (rAa)
Tabi'un: Ata (rAa), Qatada (rAa), Sa'id ibn Jubayr (rAa), Mujahid (rAa), al-Hasan (rAa), and al-Dahhak (rAa)
Commentators on the Quran: Imam Tabari, Imam Zamakhshari, Imam Razi, and Imam Qurtubi
In fact, the majority of scholars have agreed that the phrase "what is apparent of it" refers to the face and hands. For further information, please see Opinions of Scholars in Favor of Displaying the Face and Hands.
Therefore, the first rule can really be phrased as "do not display the beauty except for the face and hands around non-mahram men". This is the basic rule of hijab. You must recognize it. This is where it comes from. It is nothing other than the Prophet's (sAas) explanation of the Quran.
The second rule is to extend the headcovering (khimar) to cover the bosom. The commentators on the Quran have explained exactly what this command entails:
Imam Abu Abdullah Qurtubi: "Women in those days used to cover their heads with the khimar, throwing its ends upon their backs. This left the neck and the upper part of the chest bare, along with the ears, in the manner of the Christians. Then Allah commanded them to cover those parts with the khimar."
Imam Abu'l-Fida ibn Kathir: "'Extend their khimars to cover their bosoms' means that they should wear the khimar in such a way that they cover their chests so that they will be different from the women of the jahiliyyah who did not do that but would pass in front of men with their chests uncovered and with their necks, forelocks, and earrings uncovered."
From this we can see that the jahili women wore their khimars kaffiyah-style, with the ends tossed over their backs. This covered most of the hair, but left the forelock (front of the hair), the ears, the neck, and the upper chest uncovered. Then when the commandment, "Extend their khimars to cover their bosoms," was revealed, the women secured their khimars around the circles of their faces, fastened them at the chin, and let the ends drape down toward their bosoms. This would cover the forelock, the ears, the neck, and the upper chest, just as Imam Qurtubi and Imam ibn Kathir have indicated. And the end result is clearly a headscarf.
So what we have is that all of the body except the face and hands is commanded to be covered around non-mahram men (by the clause "not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it"), and the covering of the hair, ears, neck, and upper chest is specifically to be accomplished by the khimar (headscarf).
These are the two rules indicated by Surah an-Nur ayah 31, and once we understand how the Prophet (sAas) explained the meaning of the ayah, we can see that it clearly and explicitly sets out the dress of the Muslim sister around non-mahram men: a headscarf and conservative clothing that together cover everything but the face and the hands.
There is also the commandment in Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 to wear a jilbab (outergarment). According to the majority of the scholars, this commandment applies when a sister is outdoors or in open public places (like the market or the masjid). The jilbab is thus the modest Islamic coat that goes over our modest Islamic clothes whenever we would wear a coat.
To learn more about the jilbab, please read my article Evidences for Jilbab. This sets out dalils from the Quran and Sunna, and the opinions of the scholars regarding the jilbab. To summarize the information in that document, the jilbab is any garment that meets the following conditions:
- it is an outergarment, an extra layer, something worn over the clothes
- it is thick and opaque and loosely cut so that it conceals what is underneath it
- if it is worn with a khimar and with socks and shoes, it should cover from the shoulders to the ankles; if it is worn without these, it must cover everything but the face and hands, like a cloak
Again, the jilbab is to be worn outdoors and in open public places. The purpose of wearing the jilbab is to assert our Islamic identity and to provide protection from harassment for us. It is part of our hijab for these locations.

Summary
According to the Quran and Sunna, hijab consists of modest behavior in lowering the gaze, guarding the private parts, and avoiding showing off, and of modest dress. The modest dress includes a headscarf and must cover all of the body except the face and the hands. Outdoors and in open public places, a long coat (jilbab) should be worn in addition to the modest dress commanded by Surah an-Nur ayah 31. Each of these obligations is clearly set out in the Quran and has been explained by the Prophet (sAas).

(taken from Al-Muhajabah's Islamic Pages - "Why Should I Wear Hijab")

Nationalism...

(taken from Heba Youssef)

An Erroneous Concept
For most of this century, the Muslim world continues to hobble along a treacherous path that has been constructed for them by others. The destination for this course is one that they have led us to believe is beneficial and worthy of striving for. The fuel for this journey is extracted from the false concepts that Imperialist implanted in the Muslim World.

Origins of Nationalism
One of these poisonous concepts that stigmatises the Prophet's (saws) Ummah is Nationalism. It is a dangerous concept that has become the emotional basis for the state of the Ummah today and one, which visibly fortifies the division among those who profess to believe in the same ideology. Furthermore, the Muslims identify themselves as Turkish, Arab, African and Pakistani. If this is not enough, Muslims are further sub-divided within each country or continent. For example, in Pakistan people are classed as Punjabis, Sindhis, Balauchis and Pathans. This fragmentation continues to gain momentum amongst the Muslims.
The Muslim Ummah was never confronted with such a dilemma in the past during Islamic rule. They never suffered from disunity, widespread oppression, stagnation in science and technology and certainly not from the internal conflicts that we have witnessed this century like the Iran-Iraq war. So what has gone wrong with the Muslims this century? Why are there so many feuds between them and why are they seen to be fighting each other? What has caused their weakness and how will they ever recover from the present stagnation?
There are many factors that contributed to the present state of affairs, but some of the main ones are the abandonment of the Arabic language as the language of understanding Islam correctly and performing Ijtihad, the absorption of foreign cultures and thus the abandonment of Islamic beliefs, the gradual loss of central authority over some of the provinces, and the rise of Nationalism since the 19th Century.
Nationalism did not arise in the Muslim world naturally, nor did it come about in response to any hardships faced by the people, nor due to the frustration they felt when Europe started to dominate the world after the industrial revolution. Rather, nationalism was implanted in the minds of the Muslims through a well thought out scheme by the European powers, after their failure to destroy the Islamic State by force.

Nationalism Defined
The concept of nationalism is very large and cannot be understood without studying the way humans identify and relate to each other in society. This study will enable a differentiation to be made between various forms of grouping and nationalism. Human beings can identify or group together on the basis of:
• Love of a particular land or a country - patriotism
• Tribe, lineage or race - nationalism
• Religion - mere spiritual rituals
• Faith or Aqeedah - creed
Patriotism arises when people come together due to the love of a country. It is a form of unity that comes about when that particular country is under external threat e.g. military conflicts with other nations. The effect of this bond results in people of different backgrounds setting their differences aside to form a common front in support of the government. The concept of patriotism is often confused with nationalism. The inherent weakness of patriotism, as a basis of uniting people, is that it unites people temporarily and only then if an external threat is looming in the horizon. Hence, patriotism has no role to play during peacetime, and it cannot, therefore, be a basis of a permanent unity.
Nationalism is a bond between people that is based upon family, clan or tribal ties. Nationalism arises among people when the predominant thought they carry is that of achieving domination. It starts from the family, where one member asserts his authority to achieve leadership in the affair of the family. Once this is achieved, the individual extends his leadership to the wider family. In this way, the families would also try to achieve leadership in the community they reside in. The next stage is that of tribes competing with each other, all trying to dominate others in order to enjoy the privileges and the prestige that comes with this authority. This breeds arrogance and ignorance along with extreme pride.
Nationalism cannot unite the people because it is based on quest for leadership. This quest for leadership creates a power struggle between the people and this leads to conflicts among various strata of society. Another drawback of nationalism is that it gives a rise to racism. This is expected if people are allowed to compete with each other on the basis of their race. Some whites, for example, may see themselves as superior to the blacks, or vice-versa, leading to polarisation of the races and a divided society.
The spiritual bond among non-Muslims is a grouping of people based on their 'religious belief' which is not a comprehensive belief covering every aspect of life. An example of a spiritual bond is when people identify with each other on the basis of being a Christian, a Hindu or a Jew. Islam is not classed among these as it is a Deen rather than a religion. The term Deen comprehensively takes on the meaning as "A complete way of life". This spiritual bond does not unite people on issues other than matters of belief and worships, hence it is limited and cannot be the basis of any complete unity.

The Complete Lasting Bond
In Islam, love and hate is only for the sake of Allah (swt). Our Emaan (faith) and Taqwa form this basis. Allah says:
"The believers, men and women, are Awliya' (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin (on the people) good, and forbid evil, they perform Prayers and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have his Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise". [Qur'an 9:71]
From this verse we can note that Islam is not merely a ritual belief but rather one also encompassing the actions and deeds reflected upon by faith.
So the final way in which people can group together is on the basis of Aqeedah or faith. It is Islam that provides the set of rules, regulations, and instructions according to which man lives and which he refers to in order to solve his problems. This bond only takes into account the Aqeedah and nothing but that belief. Colour, race and gender are irrelevant. This is the type of bond found within Islam.
Therefore bonding through the Aqeedah and Emaan is a permanent bond because it arises from a conviction pertaining to the meaning of life. The creed is never influenced by colour, race, language, love of a land or local issues. Hence, it is the true basis for permanent unity. Islam calls for this type of unity.
Islam came and eradicated nationalism. The nationalistic structure of the pagan Arabian society, which existed for centuries, was diminished by its arrival. Islam invited people to believe in one God, Allah (swt), and to follow His commands. For Allah (swt) says,
"And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer and to practise Zakat; and this is the deen right and straight." [Qur'an 98: 5]
It asked for loyalty to the deen of Allah (swt) rather than to the tribes. Ties between the Muslims were therefore based upon the Aqeedah of Islam. All Muslims were treated exactly the same, irrespective of their family background, and anyone who declared the Shahada "La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah" became part of the Muslim Ummah.

The Prohibition of Nationalism
Nationalism is a concept alien to Islam because it calls for unity based on family and tribalistic ties, whereas Islam binds people together on the Aqeedah and Emaan. That is, belief in Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saws).
Therefore grouping together on tribalistic lines is clearly forbidden. It is narrated by Abu Dawud that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "He is not one of us who calls for 'asabiyyah, (nationalism) or who fights for 'asabiyyah or who dies for 'asabiyyah." And in another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saws) referring to nationalism, racism, and patriotism said "Leave it, it is rotten". [Muslim and Bukhari]
There are many examples in the Seerah where:
The messenger of Allah (saws) had rebuked those who upheld nationalism. On one occasion a party of Jews conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing the Aus and Khazraj within Islam. A youth from amongst them was sent to incite remembrance of the battle of Bu'ath where the Aus had been victorious over the Khazraj, and he recited poetry to bring about division between them. As a result there was a call to arms. When the news reached the Messenger of Allah (saws), He (saws) said, "O Muslims, remember Allah, remember Allah. Will you act as pagans while I am present with you after Allah has guided you to Islam, and honoured you thereby and made a clean break with paganism; delivered you thereby from disbelief; made you friends thereby?" When they heard this they wept, and embraced each other. This incident clearly highlights how the messenger of Allah (saws) rebuked any forms of tribalism and nationalism. Allah (swt) then revealed the verses,
"O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast together all of you to the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favours on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace you became brothers; and you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you that you may be guided." [Qur'an 3: 102-103]
The incidents above demonstrate that tribal ties have no place in Islam. Muslims are commanded to stick together and not to disassociate themselves from each other just because they comes from different tribes or backgrounds.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) also said, "The Muslims are like a body, if one part of the body hurts, rest of the body will also suffer" [Muslim] meaning that the Muslims, whether they are of Chinese, African, or Arabian or European origin, are one Ummah and they cannot be separated from each other. Furthermore, Allah (swt) says: "The faithful are but brothers..." [Qur'an 49: 10] . No nationalistic ties should ever break their unity. That is the beauty of Islam.
Now the speech of Allah (swt) addressed to the Messenger (saws) is also a speech to his Ummah, unless specific evidence comes to restrict this. In this case, there is no such restriction, so it becomes obligatory for the Muslims to rule according to Islamic teachings. And ruling according to Islam leaves no room for nationalistic constitutions whatsoever because what is applied (and what forms the criteria for judgement) is the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of the Messenger (saws). Allah (swt) says,
"It is not for a believer (male or female) that when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter that they should have any choice in the matter." [Qur'an 33: 36]
Hence since Islam has prohibited nationalism, it becomes a duty of every Muslim, in the present situation, to work towards tearing down the nationalistic boundaries that are artificially created in Muslim lands, and to remove any obstacles which allow its propagation. And those who still uphold nationalism, remember what Allah (swt) says,
"Those who oppose Allah's order have to be warned that a calamity may strike them or a painful doom may fall upon them." [Qur'an 24: 63]
I ask Allah (swt) to guide us all and make our hearts pure...

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Sujood Ruling





Question: Noble Shaykh, I notice some people, whilst in the sujood (position) they lift one of their feet, or (even) both. So what is the ruling regarding this action?


Response: It is not permissible for the one in sujood to lift any of the (required) seven (body) parts (from the ground), because the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:



«I have been commanded to make sujood upon seven parts (of the body): upon the length of the nose to the forehead, and he pointed with his hand to his nose, upon the palms of the hand, upon the knees and upon the tips of the toes»
So if anyone lifts one foot or both of them, or (lifts) his hand or both of them, or (lifts) his nose or his forehead of both of them, then certainly his sujood is nullified and not counted, and if his sujood is nullified, then indeed his (entire) salaah is nullified.


Shaykh Ibn 'UthaymeenLiqaa. al-Baab al-Maftooh, Volume 25, Page 22...Published: 7 October 2005

Sunday, June 22, 2008

The Disease Of Al-Ghaflah


Bismillaahi walhamdulillaahi was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alaa rasoolilaah wa 'alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, 'amma ba'd:

The disease of al-ghaflah – to be in a state of neglecting your duty to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is a disease that many, many people, unfortunately, of the Ummatul-Islaam have fallen into. It is to be in a state of forgetting the Day that you will be questioned by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). The Day He will ask you for the big and the small, the good and the wrong, the halaal and the haraam, the correct and the mistake – everything will be asked of you by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala).

We begin by warning myself and yourselves not to be from those who are in a state of ghaflah. Allaah says:

"Draws near for mankind their reckoning, while they turn away in heedlessness. Comes not unto them an admonition (a chapter of the Qur'aan) from their Lord as a recent revelation but they listen to it while they play, With their hearts occupied (with evil things).." [Al-Anbiyaa' (21) 1-3]

Many of the Muslim Ummah, they listen to the Qur'aan and their eyes will never shed tears, not once, living their whole life listening to the word of Allaah and not once in their life will they shed a tear from the fear of Allaah. Muslims will live their whole life listening to the ahadeeth and the Sunnah of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and their hearts will never be moved: "their hearts occupied.." with other things.

But the actual danger is not that the heart is pre-occupied but the danger is that there are people who know that they are committing mistakes: eating ribaa' , not praying, they know they are disobeying Allaah but then they look around themselves and they see that they have cars, they have wealth, a career, an education, a job, wife, children and he says all of this is ni'mah (a favour) therefore Allaah is pleased with me but actually it is a test and trial from Allaah.

The Ulamaa from the Salaf and the Khalaf have said: To be tested by being given from Allaah's goodness is a harder test for you than for Allaah to remove some of your goodness. Because when you have wealth, when you have goodness all around you, you are blinded, you are blinded, you do not actually see that you are committing sins because you think that Allaah is actually pleased with you for giving you money, for giving you wealth, for giving you a job, in essence this is a greater trial than for Allaah to take it from you.

Read the words of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam):
"If you see that Allaah is giving a person everything that he wishes whilst you see that that same person is committing a ma'siyah (disobedient act) know that Allaah is gradually going to bring him to punishment." 2

Allaah is letting the rope go a little, until Allaah cuts it and then Allaah seizes it. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says explaining this Sunnah:
"So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows." [Al-An'aam (6):44]

And the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said as reported by Abu Musaa al-Ash'aree (radiyallaahu anhu):
"Verily Allaah, will give an oppressor time to keep committing more oppression until Allaah seizes him and when Allaah seizes him, he never lets him go" Then the Messenger recited: "Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful, and severe" [Hud (11):102] [Agreed Upon]

He lets them go until they are in the middle of their enjoyment and then He brings them to punishment. And listen to the Words Of Allaah where He describes the people of ghaflah, what are their characteristics, what are their attitudes, what type of people are they?

"And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the (ghaafiloon) heedless ones." [Al-A'raf (7):179]

And you may ask how can a human being be less than an animal? Have you not heard Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) where He said:
"See you not that to Allaah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allaah does what He wills." [Al-Hajj (22):18]

So Allaah is telling you the sun, the moon, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many of mankind are better than those who do not submit to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Those who are deserving of punishment, and whoever Allaah humiliates none shall give him honour. Verily! Allaah does what He wills. And you may ask yourself: eyes that do not see? A heart that does not see?

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind." [Al-Hajj (22):46]

The eyes can see but the actual sight that it should be seeing is not understood by the heart – because the heart is not comprehending the blessing that Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has given us. The heart is not understanding at-Tawheed, laa ilaaha illaa Allaah, Muhammadur-Rasoolul-Laah. It is not the eyes that grow blind:
"..but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind…"

We ask ourselves: Why are we people who are in a state or condition where we are looking at the Islaamic law or the orders of Allaah and His Messenger as something light – it is not something important – it is not of much concern?

During the last week I met a muslim brother and as I was sitting with him speaking for an hour or so I came to notice that he was wearing a gold ring. Seeing that I am with him alone and in a polite manner I say: "yaa akhee, do you know my brother that the messenger has forbidden that a man should wear gold, maybe you may not have heard this?"
He says: "No, I know, I know this." And I sat there astonished. You know yet you do not obey?

YOU KNOW YET YOU DO NOT OBEY??

Taking lightly the orders of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) my brothers, Taking lightly the orders of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) my sisters. Yet at the same time if your boss ordered you to do something which is not in your job description - something which you do not have to do – you would follow and obey your boss. Even in many cases if it was to disobey a standard rule you wouldn't do it - you would obey your boss. Yet when Allaah orders and forbids and the Messenger orders and forbids you, then you do not obey them:

"O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), and fear Allaah. Verily! Allaah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [Al-Hujuraat (49):1]

O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam),
nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered
fruitless while you perceive not." [Al-Hujuraat (49):2]

Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr (radiyallaahu anhu) said, "After that,`Umar's voice was so low that the Messenger of Allaah had to ask him to repeat what he said so that he could understand what he was saying to him.''

The Aalim and worshipper, Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahullaah), says:
"…if the sahaabah were to have their voice louder than the voice of the rasool (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) their whole good deeds could be wiped out – what about when a person not just raises his voice but puts his intellect / opinions before the statements and actions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)?"

And this is why Allaah says:
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that
they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger,
he has indeed strayed in a plain error." [Al-Ahzaab (33):36]

So we ask again: Why are people taking the orders of Allaah and His messenger lightly? There is one main reason and that is that they have forgotten the purpose of creation. The Muslims have forgotten why they are here. Why they are allowed to walk on the face of the earth by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). Why they are allowed to breathe, go to work, go to school. And that is the true reason, the true calling of Islam - a single ayah from the Qur'aan where Allaah (subhaanahu
wa ta'aala) says:

"And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone)."
[Adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56]

This is your reason for being on this earth – it is not to fulfil your lusts or desires or to attain goals that are unislamic, it is to worship Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala). But do not think that this means that you do not need to go to school or work. Allaah has not sent this Qur'aan to make thing difficult for us. He says:

"TaaHaa. We have not sent down the Qur'aan unto you (O Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to cause you distress, But only as a Reminder to those who fear (Allaah)." [TaaHaa (20):1-2]

Allaah has not sent this Qur'aan to make things difficult for us. Islam does not prohibit any individual from attaining wealth and richness – you just have to answer two questions:

Where did you earn your money: Halaal or Haraam? and;

How did you spend it: Halaal or Haraam? – two simple questions.

Do not think that you have to become a hermit just praying to Allaah, reciting Qur'aan and just hope for the rizq to come to you! Rather your Ibaadah is to be a fully functioning person in a society - while worshipping Allaah.

We ask ourselves what is the cure to our heedlessness?

It is to firstly know the reason of your creation. Ask yourself, scrutinise yourself, analyse your life: Are you living for al-Ibaadah or for ad-Dunya?

Secondly, remove yourself from anyone who is bringing you to the state of alghaflah – eliminate them out of your life. You are someone who carries the passport of laa ilaaha illaah Allaah, Muhammadur-Rasoolul-laah - you cannot have stamped on it the visa of disobedience to Allaah (azza wa jall).

Thirdly, you must repent for what you have done of disobedience to Allaah – you can't just walk away from your disobedience and simply just start over by doing nothing – you have to make tawba, fulfilling the shurootut-tawba (the conditions of tawba).

And fourthly, a hadeeth which we will not become tired of relaying, and that is the advice of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal (radiyallaahu anhu) and in turn all of mankind and the jinn: to "fear Allaah wherever you may be" – whether in seclusion or public.

We ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) to protect us from being al-ghaafiloon and to make us from His sincere worshipping slaves – Aameen.

"DRAWS NEAR FOR MANKIND THEIR RECKONING, while they turn away in heedlessness…"
[Al-Anbiyaa' (21) 1-3]

wallaahu a'lam - wa sallallaahu 'alaa Muhammad wa aalihi wasahbihi wa salla


1] This article is, for the most part, a verbatim reproduction of a khutbah given by the brother Yahya Adel Ibraheem entitled: Al-Ghaflah.

2] Ahmad, Al-Bayhaqee – Al-Haafidh Al-Iraaqee says Hasan, Al-Albaanee says: isnaad Saheeh

www.calltoislam.com

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Good Luck, Raed :D

Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,



My Brother Raed is taking his exams for medical school today, Thursday June 12, 2008. I just wanted to say good luck. I ask Allah (swt) to help him through this difficult exam and to ease any hardship. Ameen. Please keep him in your duaas. Jazak Allahu Khairan.


_____

for your knowledge.....

Duas for Students

Dua Before Studying

“Allahumma infa’nii bimaa ‘allamtanii wa’allimnii maa yanfa’uunii. Allahumma inii as’aluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifzal mursaleen al-muqarrabeen. Allahumma ijal leesanee ‘aiman bi dhikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika. Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’u qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa na’mal wakeel.”

“Oh Allah! Make useful for me what you have taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me. Oh Allah! I ask you for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to you. Oh Allah! Make my tongue full of your remembrance and my heart with consciousness of you. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, and you are my availer and protector and best of aid.”

Dua After Studying

“Allahumma inni astaodeeka ma qara’tu wama hafaz-tu. Farudduhu ‘allaya inda hajati elahi. Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’-u qadeer wa anta hasbeeya wa na’mal wakeel”

“Oh Allah! I entrust you with what I have read and I have studied. Oh Allah! Bring it back to me when I am in need of it. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, you are my availer and protector and the best of aid.”

Dua While Studying Something Difficult

“Allahumma la sahla illama ja-‘altahu sahla anta taj ‘alu al hazana eza ma shi’ta sahal.”

“Oh Allah! Nothing is easy except what you have made easy. If you wish, you can make the difficult easy.”

Dua For Concentration

Salla-l-laahu alaa Muhammad wa aal-e Muhammad. Allahumma inni as’aluka yaa mudhakkira-l khayr wa faa’ilahu wa-l-aamimira bihi dhakir-ni maa ansaani-hi-shaytan.”

“Blessings of God be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O God, I ask you, the one who mentions goodness and actualizes it and commands it, remind me of that which the shaytan makes me forget.”

Recite This Dua Everyday For Victory And Prosperity

“Ya sayyedas-sada-te, ya mojeebad-da’vate, ya rafe’ad-darajate, ya vali-yal hasanate, ya ghaferal-khati’ate, ya mo’ti-yal mas’alate, ya qabi-lat-tavbate, ya same’al-asvate, ya ‘alemal-khafiyate, ya dafe’al bali yate.”

“O’ the chief of all chiefs! O’ the acceptor of prayers! O’ the elevator of ranks! O’ the master of virtues! O’ the forgiver of sins! O’ the granter of requests! O’ the excerptor of penance! O’ the hearer of all voices! O’ the one who knows all mysteries! O’ the remover of calamities!”

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Outlandish in SOCAL!!!!!


for more information, please check out the website: http://www.masyouth.net/voicesforchange/

Looking forward to many more wriiten pieces by my sister :D

Project 26 to open for Outlandish at Voices for Change

By FEDA MANASRAH, Guest Writer


RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Kicking off the summer, the Muslim American Society introduced talent competitions across the United States, giving today’s youth the opportunity to use their "Voices for Change."

Each regional winner will get the opportunity of a lifetime – to be the opening act for Denmark based musical sensation Outlandish, during their first American tour this summer.

Outlandish hopes for a better understanding of their music and appreciation for the message that it sends to their listeners.

The west coast regional competition between the five finalists took place at the MAS Youth Center in Rancho Cucamonga on May 17.

First up to perform in front of some tough spectators and sturdy judges Murad Mayreh, Kellie Huynh and Mustapha Eshanzada was Project 26, a Muslim indie band from Corona compromised of band mates Mudassir Ahmed and brothers Ali and Omair Qazi.

"Our songs are based on who we are and what our experiences have been," said Omair Qazi. "We write about anything ranging from politics and history to the Muslim American experience, in hopes that people are moved through our music to take action, whether it is for personal reform, or for a social cause."

Muna Beg and Samar Elaraby were invited to the final round based on their slam poetry. Beg’s performance was titled "I am Muslim" and Elarby’s called "In and Out, a Palestinian Without a Doubt." Both women let their words define who they are and what they represent. The passion and truth behind their lyrics hit you hard, like a big overhand from Mohammed Ali. In the words of the judges, "a more powerful delivery" and some "umph" would have made their performances "flawless." However with two more talented individuals and performances the competition was far from over.

Ashar Shah, the hip-hop artist known as Manifest One, and high school senior Sameer Patel who goes by the name SMP, each performed songs that were relatable for youth today and easy to understand.

Although both are amateur artists, they delivered songs as immensely strong as professionals.

Mayreh said that "they brought a profound new element to hip-hop with their lyrics and the engaging ways they kept the audience alive."

After a long deliberation among the judges and anticipation from the performers and the audience, the judges announced that a second performance by Project 26 would allow them to make a final decision between the competitors.

Project 26’s lyrical and instrumental talent shined through. Their message of God’s guidance in an individual’s life and the importance of the journey earned them the grand prize and they were named the official opening act for the concert at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim on June 21.

"All I can say is that we had put in a great effort for this audition and it finally paid off," Qazi said.

Monday, June 9, 2008

10 phrases that are full of benefit

1 - "Whoever says: 'Glorified is Allah, the Most Great, and praised is He' [Subhan Allah al-'Adhim wa bi-Hamdih] will have a date palm planted for him in Paradise."

['Sahih al-Jami''; # 5531]

2 - "Whoever is stricken with sadness, grief, sickness or hardship and says: 'Allah is my Lord, without any partners' [Allahu Rabbi, la sharika lah], then it will be removed from him."

['Sahih al-Jami''; # 6040]

3 - "Whoever ate something, then said: 'Praise be to Allah who has fed me this food and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part' [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi at'amani hadha wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins. And whoever wears a garment and says: 'Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me without any strength or power on my part' [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi kasani hadha at-thawb wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins."

['Sahih al-Jami''; # 6086]

4 - "Whoever enters the marketplace and says: 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah who has no partners, for Him is the Dominion, and for Him is all Praise, He brings life and He causes death, and He is Alive and does not die, in His Hand is all good, and He is able to do all things,' [La ilaha ill-Allah, Wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-Mulk, wa lahul-Hamd, yuhyiyy wa yumit, wa Huwa Hayyun la yamut, bi Yadihil-Khayr wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadir] then Allah will write one million good deeds for him, and will wipe away one million of his bad deeds, and will raise him one million levels and will build a home for him in Paradise."

['Sahih al-Jami''; # 6231]

5 - "Whoever controls his anger when he is able to act upon it, then Allah will call him to come in front of all of the Creation so that he would let him choose from the Hur al-'Ayn and marry from them whomever he pleases."

['Sahih al-Jami''; # 6518]

6 - "Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times [Allahumma inni as'aluk al-Jannah], then Paradise will say: "O Allah! Enter him into Paradise!" And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times [Allahumma najjini min an-Nar], the Fire will say: "O Allah! Protect him from the Fire!""

[Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and it is authentic]

7 - "Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allah writes for him - for every believing man and woman - a good deed."

[Reported by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad, and it is authentic]

8 - 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said: "Whoever reads 'al-Mulk' (chapter 67 of the Qur'an) every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we used to call it al-mani'ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah, it is a chapter which - whoever recites it every night - has done very well."

['Sahih at-Targhib wat-Tarhib'; # 1475]

9 - "Whoever asks Allah sincerely for martyrdom [Allahumma inni as'aluk ash-shahadah], Allah will cause him to reach the status of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed."

['Sahih al-Bukhari'; # 1909]

10 - "No one witnesses that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger - truthfully, from his heart - except that Allah makes the Fire of Hell forbidden to touch him."

[Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Bayhaqi]

Friday, June 6, 2008

Hadith 2 - Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith


Also on the authority of 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:

"While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly."

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly."

Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.""

[Muslim]

http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith02.htm

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The TRUE TREASURE (i went to steal from him, but he stole from me)

"A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik bin Dinar's house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see that there was nothing inside actually worth stealing. The owner of the home was inside at the time, he was busy performing prayer. Realizing that he was not alone, Maalik quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any sign of being shocked or afraid, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and then said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing that is worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave my home without taking away some benefit."

He stood up, went to another part of the room, and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, "Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought when you entered it."

Much humbled by Maalik's manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed."

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?"

Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now."

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik's house. He continued to pray until the morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good."

But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast the day?"

"Stay as long as you wish," said Maalik.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting throughout the duration of each day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life."

Maalik said, "Indeed, that is in the Hand of Allah."

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, He came across another burglar he knew. [His friend] said to him, "Have you found your treasure yet?"

He said, "My brother, what I found is Maalik bin Dinaar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door [of His Mercy and Forgiveness] until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved."
[al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

Source: The above is taken from the book "Stories of Repentance" from dar-us-salam publications


Subhan Allah, when i read this, it immediately touched my heart. Imagine turning to Allah(swt) in the most unexpected ways. That's the beauty of our love for him. Alhamdulillah.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Menses and Staying in the Mosque



It is prohibited for a menstruating woman to stay in a Mosque (even the 'Eed
praying area) in lieu of the Hadeeth of Umm 'Atiyya (RAA) when she heard the
Prophet (SAAW) saying: "The Unmarried young virgins and the mature girl who
stay often screened or the young unmarried virgins who often stay screened and
the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as
well as the religious gathering of the faithful believers..." He (SAAW) ended by
saying: "but the menstruating women should keep away from the Musalla
(praying place)."
Agreed upon Hadeeth. In Saheeh Al-Bukhari (Arabic- English), V. 1, P. 192, Hadeeth # 321.

- ('Natural Blood of Women' By Shayekh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Utheimeen)