It’s 9 am and we, my 3 girls and I are walking in the crisp morning air to Azaadville’s free clinic. My 5 yr old (the hypochondriac) says it hurts when she pees so I’m guessing a UTI (urinary tract infection). When she told me this, I immediately began to recount how much (or how little) water I’d given her to drink recently. Maybe I should’ve given her more; we don’t drink soft drinks so that couldn’t be the guilty party. Whatever the case, I couldn’t think of a home remedy for this so here we are.
As I enter the bldg, there’s a great big sign on the door of the clinic, “We are closed due to bad weather.” Yet, the door is cracked open just a tad so I decide the sign must have been left on the door since last Wednesday, when the weather was a bit nippier than most days. The idea of things closing for this weather reminds me of Maryland and the precausionary “snow days,” when schools shut down behind the “threat” of a snowstorm approaching.
Upon entering, yep I was right, they’re open and FULL of sick folk. LHWLQIB (la hawla wa la quwatta illah Billah)! We are going to be here all day. As the comedian Kat Williams said: I got s*** to DO later (sorry for this brief digression). There are no signs instructing one on how the clinic protocol works; no sign in sheet at the counter. So I approach the counter and wait…and wait…and—Oh here she is. “My daughter is feeling pain when”—I’m cut off. “What is her name?” Etc…
Kayso, the receptionist hands me the file she has just filled with my daughter’s information and says nothing more. I ask, “So how does this work, will her name be called…?” “Have a seat and fdlfkjdfkjlal…” This is what I heard from her. Mind you that here in South Africa, English is not the primary language of the majority. And I don’t want to trouble this busy woman anymore with my obviously silly questions. So we sit. There are 2 seats open in the second row and we squeeze ourselves into them. Waiting indefinitely, I begin to absorb my surroundings. There are posters about HIV councelling, HIV prevention and a Condoman Condom dispenser on the wall near the entrance. The few other posters are scattered about with examples of a balanced meal for diabetics (sponsored by Equal Sugar Substitute) and illustrations explaining how to wash your hands properly in order to prevent the spread of disease (brought to you by Dettol). Right now I just wish my girls were wearing a nikab like me because the child next to us is coughing something awful in our direction and a face mask would at least put me a bit more at ease. Just then I spot the poster explaining the symptoms of Tuberculosis…great.
Okay the lady in the front row just got up and moved to a chair in the hallway. I didn’t hear anyone call out a name. Hmmmm. Everyone in the front row of chairs has just stood up and shifted one seat to the right. Ohhhhh, I get it. It’s a seat rotation line. Wow, who would’ve thunk it? I’m a bit slow on the uptake sometimes but as I realise what the game is, I stand to shift but my girls are oblivious. So their delay causes an enthusiastic sicky to jump from behind my row and take my spot. Alright, no problem, I know how to handle this. I won’t make a scene or even get annoyed. Its all good. I put my 2yr old off my lap. On your marks! The row rotation goes left from my row. I don’t move. People begin to go around me like I’m just retarded, excuse me, mentally challenged. Get set! I stare at a poster on birth control (too late for that, I’m already the old lady who lives in a shoe). Five minutes pass. The row continues to shift until “Sicky the line cutter” is in the first seat before the hallway. The hallway seat opens up—GO! I leap from the right and plop my behind in the hallway chair with a loud “clunk.” I have left my girls sitting in the second row still trying to figure out what to do. I motion to them to come. They didn’t need me to tell them twice, the 2yr old is back on my lap and Mr. Ambitious Sicky is stuck on stupid.
It has been at least 2 hours now and we still are sitting in these seats; what the flagnog? There is no apparent order to this system. A nurse emerges and asks which of my children is sick I tell her the 5yr old and she turns to the coughing baby and mom 2 seats behind us and calls them into her examining room. Okay, she must only do babies. Keeping my sabr (patience) in check I dismiss this. But hold up! Now she’s calling in “auntie” who’s 4 seats behind me! I know I don’t speak the language so maybe they have some arrangement that I don’t understand. I look to the person in the front of the line and she’s not upset so I guess I should just sit on it, and sit and sit and sit.
The girls are now whiny, fussy and wiggly. It’s becoming unbearable. One is pulling my nikab down everytime she presses her head against my chin. The middle child is sulking because her older sister hasn’t left her any room to sit on the chair they are supposed to be sharing. And “Miss reason we are even here” is now hungry and is begging me for food as if she saw me pack a picnic basket or something. Are they KIDDING ME? I tell my kids that I’m going to beat them if they don’t chill. But I say it in Yoruba so that nobody but my kids understands me. I’m starting to feel like I need a time out and if I don’t get one soon others will suffer.
Finally, we are in the receiving seat. The door opens and the last patient exits. No one calls us in but the door is left open and the women sitting next to me is tapping the heck outta me to get me to go in. Alright already. C’mon girls. We go in. there’s a man (doctor, nurse, dunno) sitting at the desk writing what looks to be his memoirs by the depth of concentration he’s putting into it. He doesn’t acknowledge our presence. I sit my daughter in the patient seat in front of him. He still doesn’t budge. “Give him your papers sweety,” I tell her. She places her papers just as I knew she would, right on top of his writing. Good girl. Oh look, he can see us! No greetings, nothing. Just, “what’s hurting her?” I explain, suspected bladder infection, painful urination, blah blah blah. He tells me to go to the room next door to give a urine sample and after they’ve tested it, come back to him and give him the results. I reaffirm exactly what he said, go to the room next door, pointing in the direction. He confirms. Ooookaaay.
The nurse is no longer in the room. Her car keys are on her desk so she cant be far, right? The medicine closet is left wide open for any sticky fingers to pillage through. So we wait, again. We wait so long that eventually the tapping lady who was next after me has also entered the room and is now waiting. She abruptly leaves after several minutes and returns with a cup looking more like a cocktail glass rather than the urine sample cup that it obviously is, since she has already filled it. “Where did you get that,” I ask. She looks at me confused. Now I get why she was tapping me. She doesn’t speak English. I guess I’ll get no help from her.
Finally the nurse returns to the room. Again, there is no acknowledgment of our presence. Can we say void of bedside manners here??? She walks over to the lady holding the urine and dips a pee strip into her cup. See, I should’ve had a cup of pee to poke in her face too. Because I don’t, she’s ignoring us. The tapper leaves the room and the nurse glances our way. I explain that we’ve been sent to give a urine sample. She tells me to go to the toilet and bring the sample back to her. Where is the toilet? “Go down the hall and turn right and then turn left and then go straight and then go through the doors and turn left.” Off we go.
The hallway is narrow with people seated on both sides facing each other. We clumsily make our way through, leaving a minimal amount of casualties (smashed toes). Ahh the toilet! We have arrived. I was beginning to think she sent me on a wild goose chase, hoping I’d give up and leave. But wait, where are the urine sample cups? Ugggghhhh! “Stay here girls,” I say. I treck back to ask the cup question. I’m extremely annoyed now. I do nothing to try and hide this annoyance as I get to her door and it’s closed. I knock sharply. There is no answer. This is RIDICULOUS. I open the door. She shouts with her back to the door “Can I get some privacy!” “Can I get a cup to piss in,” I shout right back. She turns to me with a look of disgust, just as an older matronly nurse approaches the scene. She kindly explains that there is a bucket on the right, just before entering the toilets, where I can retrieve a cup. I should rinse it first and then collect the urine and bring it to her. THANK YOU. I have met someone who can give clear instructions.
Back at the toilets I see said bucket on the right. It’s filled with a clear liquid and about 8 of those cocktail glasses/urine collection cups. Eew, do I just stick my hand in this liquid and grab one? By this time, I’m less patient than I am squeamish. So I suck it up and dip my left hand into the bucket and grab. Rushing over to the sink to rinse the cup and my hand, I turn on the faucet and the water pressure is so high that water shoot 5 feet out of the sink. Good, maybe that crappy nurse will slip trip and fall in it. Ok, that wasn’t nice, I know. Astagfirallah (Allah forgive me). See, I really need that time out.
Urine has been collected, and we are walking back to the nurse. Seeing the cup of pee in my hand, the hallway sitters move their feet just a bit more out of my way. They surely don’t want to be the cause of my tripping and showering them with pee this morning. I stand guard outside her office while she finishes with a patient. She immediately approaches and dips the test strip in the urine and writes her “findings” as she calls it, on our papers. Now I’m to take the pee back to the toilet to dump it. I am trusted to rinse out the cup and replace it into the same bucket filled with clear liquid. I’m even more grossed out by the thought of how many people failed to clean out the urine before tossing the cup back into the bucket. Just how much disease IS floating in this bucket? I wash my hands with the vigor, and detail of a surgeon about to go into the operating room.
Oh it’s not over yet. We still have to go back to the original guy to show him our results. Of course, there are even more people in the clinic now and they all are looking at us like we are trying to cut them in line to see the doctor. I don’t care what they think. It’s been 3 hours now and as soon as his door opens and the patient walks out, I’m in there. Uncle in the chair next to the door will just have to deal with it. I can tell he’s edging his behind on his chair for maximum leverage in order to beat me into this office. Oh it’s like that, Uncle? No problem, let’s go. I’m beginning to hear the whistling theme of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, right before the gun battle. Did I just hear spurs? No, that’s someone’s keys. Focus, I tell myself. the door opens with a squeak. The patient hobbles out and just my luck, she blocks my entry. Uncle springs up and practically falls into the room. But the doctor tells him to step aside so he can read my results. Ha-Ha! I’m taking back all of the mean things I said about the doctor and also all of the mean things I thought but didn’t say (for the lack of descent synonyms for such profanity).
We’re outside the clinic now. My daughter is holding a plastic bottle of Paracetomal in one hand and liquid Multivitamins in the other. Apparently she has no bladder infection. Alhamdulillah. My “after the clinic” plans will need to be postponed because now the adhan for Zhur salah (midday prayer) is being called. We’re going home to pray and get food ready for the boys who will be coming home on lunch break from class after the salah. I’m too worn out for anymore public interaction anyway. Once I get the food prepared, I’m taking a nap; my well deserved time out.
Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts
Category:
family,
foreigners,
free clinics,
Islam,
Patience,
patients
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An elderly Arab lady was sitting alone at the trunk of a tree and Abdullah bin Mubarak also happened to pass that way. Seeing this lady in distress, he spoke to her. The discussion is recorded as follows:
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Asalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullah.
The lady: The word from a merciful Lord is peace [Ya Sin 36/58]. She meant that the reply of salaam is from Allah, Most High, Himself. She said further: Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide for them. [Araaf 7/186]. She meant that she had lost her way.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Where are you coming from?
The lady: Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Masjid al-Haraam (inviolable place of worship) to Masjid al-Aqsa (Far distant place of worship) [Israa 17/1].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: How long have you been in this place?
The lady: For three nights [Maryam 19/10].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: What arrangements are made for your food?
The lady: And who (Allah) feedeth me and watereth me [Shu'ara 26/79]. She meant that her food was provided to her by Allah.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Is there any water for wudhu?
The lady: And if ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and (make tayamum) rub your faces and hands (therewith). [Nisaa 4/43]. She meant that she made tayamum because there was no water.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Here is some food, partake of it.
The lady: Strictly observe the fast till nightfall [Baqarah 2/187]. She indicated that she was fasting.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: This is not the month of Ramadan.
The lady: And he who does good of his own accord (for him) lo! Allah is responsive, aware [Baqarah 2/158]. Meaning that she had observed an optional (nafl) fast.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: It is permitted to break the fast when on a journey.
The lady: And that ye fast is better for you, if you did but know. [Baqarah 2/184].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Speak in the manner that I speak.
The lady: He (man) uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready [Qaf 50/18]. She meant that since every word of a person is observed and recorded, she took precaution by speaking only in the words of the Quran.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Which clan do you belong to?
The lady: Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge, lo! The hearing and the sight and heart of each of these it will be asked [Israa 17/36]. She meant that he should not inquire about that which he had no knowledge.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Forgive me. I have certainly made a mistake.
The lady: Have no fear this day. May Allah forgive you [Yusuf 12/92].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Would you like to travel on my camel and meet your caravan?
The lady: And whatsoever good ye do, Allah knoweth it [Baqarah 2/197]. Meaning that if he if he did this good deed, Allah would recompense him for it.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Well, then you may mount it. Saying this he made the camel sit down on the ground.
The lady: Tell the believing men to lower their gaze. [Nur 24/30].
Ibn Mubarak understood, turned, and looked away. While she was mounting, the camel jerked, and her clothes got tangled in the saddle and she proclaimed: Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your hands have earned. [Shura 42/30]. In other words, she was calling Abdullah bin Mubarak’s attention towards this mishap.
Abdullah bin Mubarak understood and he tied the legs of the camel and he straightened the straps of the saddle. She praised him for his understanding by saying: And we made Sulayman to understand [Anbiya 21/79].
When the journey was about to begin, the lady recited the ayat, which are read when undertaking a journey, Glorified be He who hath subdued these unto us, and we were not capable (of subduing them). And lo, unto our Lord we are returning. [Zukhruf 43/13].
Abdullah bin Mubarak held the bridle of the camel. He began to hum the Huddi, a famous Arabic song for travelling, and he started walking quickly alongside the camel.
The lady: Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice [Luqman 31/19].
Abdullah bin Mubarak understood, so he began walking slower, and he lowered his voice.
The lady: Recite of the Quran that which is easy for you [Muzzamil 73/20]. She meant that instead of humming the Huddi, he should recite the Quran.
Abdullah bin Mubarak began reciting the Quran. The lady became very pleased and said: but none remember (accept advice) except men of understanding [Baqarah 2/269].
After reciting the Quran for a while, Abdullah bin Mubarak asked, O Aunt, have have you a husband (meaning is he alive)?
The lady: O you who believe, ask not of things, which if they were made known unto you, would trouble you [Ma'idah 5/101]. Meaning, he had most likely passed away.
At last, they caught up to the caravan.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Do you have any son or relative in this caravan that has connection with you?
The lady: Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world [Kahf 18/46]. She meant that her sons were with this caravan and they had provisions with them.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: What work are your sons doing for the caravan?
The lady: And landmarks, and by the star they find a way [Nahl 16/16]. She meant that her sons were guides for the caravan.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Can you tell me their names?
The lady: Allah chose Ibrahim as a friend [Nisaa 4/125]. And Allah spoke directly unto Musa [Nisaa 4/165]. O Yahya! Hold fast the Scripture [Maryam 19/12]. By reciting these ayat, the lady had informed him that her sons were named Yahya, Ibrahim, and Musa.
Abdullah bin Mubarak called out these names in the caravan and immediately three young people came walking quickly over to them.
The lady: (addressing her children) Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city. And let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof [Kahf 18/19]. In other words, she instructed them to feed bin Mubarak.
When the food was brought, she told Abdullah bin Mubarak: Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in the past days. [Haqqah 69/24], and with this ayah she recited another ayah to convey her gratefulness to him for his good conduct and courtesy. The ayah was: Is the reward of goodness anything other than goodness? [Rahman 55/60]. And their conversation ended on this ayah.
The lady’s son informed Abdullah bin Mubarak that his mother has been speaking in this manner, using only the ayat of the Quran in her speech, for the last 40 years.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Asalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullah.
The lady: The word from a merciful Lord is peace [Ya Sin 36/58]. She meant that the reply of salaam is from Allah, Most High, Himself. She said further: Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide for them. [Araaf 7/186]. She meant that she had lost her way.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Where are you coming from?
The lady: Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Masjid al-Haraam (inviolable place of worship) to Masjid al-Aqsa (Far distant place of worship) [Israa 17/1].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: How long have you been in this place?
The lady: For three nights [Maryam 19/10].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: What arrangements are made for your food?
The lady: And who (Allah) feedeth me and watereth me [Shu'ara 26/79]. She meant that her food was provided to her by Allah.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Is there any water for wudhu?
The lady: And if ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and (make tayamum) rub your faces and hands (therewith). [Nisaa 4/43]. She meant that she made tayamum because there was no water.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Here is some food, partake of it.
The lady: Strictly observe the fast till nightfall [Baqarah 2/187]. She indicated that she was fasting.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: This is not the month of Ramadan.
The lady: And he who does good of his own accord (for him) lo! Allah is responsive, aware [Baqarah 2/158]. Meaning that she had observed an optional (nafl) fast.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: It is permitted to break the fast when on a journey.
The lady: And that ye fast is better for you, if you did but know. [Baqarah 2/184].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Speak in the manner that I speak.
The lady: He (man) uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready [Qaf 50/18]. She meant that since every word of a person is observed and recorded, she took precaution by speaking only in the words of the Quran.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Which clan do you belong to?
The lady: Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge, lo! The hearing and the sight and heart of each of these it will be asked [Israa 17/36]. She meant that he should not inquire about that which he had no knowledge.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Forgive me. I have certainly made a mistake.
The lady: Have no fear this day. May Allah forgive you [Yusuf 12/92].
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Would you like to travel on my camel and meet your caravan?
The lady: And whatsoever good ye do, Allah knoweth it [Baqarah 2/197]. Meaning that if he if he did this good deed, Allah would recompense him for it.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Well, then you may mount it. Saying this he made the camel sit down on the ground.
The lady: Tell the believing men to lower their gaze. [Nur 24/30].
Ibn Mubarak understood, turned, and looked away. While she was mounting, the camel jerked, and her clothes got tangled in the saddle and she proclaimed: Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your hands have earned. [Shura 42/30]. In other words, she was calling Abdullah bin Mubarak’s attention towards this mishap.
Abdullah bin Mubarak understood and he tied the legs of the camel and he straightened the straps of the saddle. She praised him for his understanding by saying: And we made Sulayman to understand [Anbiya 21/79].
When the journey was about to begin, the lady recited the ayat, which are read when undertaking a journey, Glorified be He who hath subdued these unto us, and we were not capable (of subduing them). And lo, unto our Lord we are returning. [Zukhruf 43/13].
Abdullah bin Mubarak held the bridle of the camel. He began to hum the Huddi, a famous Arabic song for travelling, and he started walking quickly alongside the camel.
The lady: Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice [Luqman 31/19].
Abdullah bin Mubarak understood, so he began walking slower, and he lowered his voice.
The lady: Recite of the Quran that which is easy for you [Muzzamil 73/20]. She meant that instead of humming the Huddi, he should recite the Quran.
Abdullah bin Mubarak began reciting the Quran. The lady became very pleased and said: but none remember (accept advice) except men of understanding [Baqarah 2/269].
After reciting the Quran for a while, Abdullah bin Mubarak asked, O Aunt, have have you a husband (meaning is he alive)?
The lady: O you who believe, ask not of things, which if they were made known unto you, would trouble you [Ma'idah 5/101]. Meaning, he had most likely passed away.
At last, they caught up to the caravan.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Do you have any son or relative in this caravan that has connection with you?
The lady: Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world [Kahf 18/46]. She meant that her sons were with this caravan and they had provisions with them.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: What work are your sons doing for the caravan?
The lady: And landmarks, and by the star they find a way [Nahl 16/16]. She meant that her sons were guides for the caravan.
Abdullah bin Mubarak: Can you tell me their names?
The lady: Allah chose Ibrahim as a friend [Nisaa 4/125]. And Allah spoke directly unto Musa [Nisaa 4/165]. O Yahya! Hold fast the Scripture [Maryam 19/12]. By reciting these ayat, the lady had informed him that her sons were named Yahya, Ibrahim, and Musa.
Abdullah bin Mubarak called out these names in the caravan and immediately three young people came walking quickly over to them.
The lady: (addressing her children) Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city. And let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof [Kahf 18/19]. In other words, she instructed them to feed bin Mubarak.
When the food was brought, she told Abdullah bin Mubarak: Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in the past days. [Haqqah 69/24], and with this ayah she recited another ayah to convey her gratefulness to him for his good conduct and courtesy. The ayah was: Is the reward of goodness anything other than goodness? [Rahman 55/60]. And their conversation ended on this ayah.
The lady’s son informed Abdullah bin Mubarak that his mother has been speaking in this manner, using only the ayat of the Quran in her speech, for the last 40 years.
Category:
Islam,
love of Allah,
Quran,
words of Allah
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There are times when I feel numb to all that is good in my life and I'm like an exposed nerve to all else. May Allah protect me from being ungrateful of His countless blessings.
Category:
Allah,
Belssings,
Islam,
Life,
Ungratfulness
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Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the 10 nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413]
Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.
This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct ones faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataaif, p.8]
Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah]." The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad in the way of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihad, except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allaah's sake] and returns with neither of them." [This is related by the group except Muslim and an-Nasa'i]
Fasting Day of Arafat
Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Fasting on the day of 'Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of 'Ashurah is an expiation for the year preceding it." [This is related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]
By JIMAS
Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.
This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct ones faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataaif, p.8]
Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah]." The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad in the way of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihad, except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allaah's sake] and returns with neither of them." [This is related by the group except Muslim and an-Nasa'i]
Fasting Day of Arafat
Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Fasting on the day of 'Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of 'Ashurah is an expiation for the year preceding it." [This is related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]
By JIMAS
Category:
Allah,
Allah's mercy,
Blessings,
Dhul Hijjah,
Islam,
Muslim,
Worship
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My 7 yr old son is a Hifzh School student (Qur'an Memorization). He has long surpassed my level of memorization, Masha'Allah. He sometimes likes to rub this fact in my face as to insinuate that he is more knowledgeable.
Son: Mommy, I'm memorizing Surah Ar-Rahman.
Me: Masha'Allah this is great.
Son: I've got the first 20 ayat (verses) memorised already.
Me: Good for you! Keep up the good work.
Son: Uh huh, I bet I know more of this surah than you do.
Me: (O here we go again) Hmm, I dunno. I've been reading it enough to have quite a bit of it imprinted on the brain.
Son: Oh yeah? (In a disbelieving smirk) How many ayat do you know?
Me: Well, off hand I know the first 3 ayat plus 31 others, so that's 34 ayat altogether.
Son: (Snorting in disbelief) Ha! 34 ayat? I don't believe you. Go ahead n recite um.
Me: Ok:
(A udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajeem. Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem)
Ar Rahmaaaan
Alamal qur'an
Khalaqal insaaaan...
I also know: Fabi ayyi alaaaa i rabikuma tukathibaaaan
Son: But that's only 4 ayat. You only know 4 ayat!!!! I knew it! I know more than you!
Me: Well actually that last ayat is repeated 31 times throughout the surah so that makes 34 ayat that I know.
Son: (pausing to ponder this and then flatly says)...You cheated.
Son: Mommy, I'm memorizing Surah Ar-Rahman.
Me: Masha'Allah this is great.
Son: I've got the first 20 ayat (verses) memorised already.
Me: Good for you! Keep up the good work.
Son: Uh huh, I bet I know more of this surah than you do.
Me: (O here we go again) Hmm, I dunno. I've been reading it enough to have quite a bit of it imprinted on the brain.
Son: Oh yeah? (In a disbelieving smirk) How many ayat do you know?
Me: Well, off hand I know the first 3 ayat plus 31 others, so that's 34 ayat altogether.
Son: (Snorting in disbelief) Ha! 34 ayat? I don't believe you. Go ahead n recite um.
Me: Ok:
(A udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajeem. Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem)
Ar Rahmaaaan
Alamal qur'an
Khalaqal insaaaan...
I also know: Fabi ayyi alaaaa i rabikuma tukathibaaaan
Son: But that's only 4 ayat. You only know 4 ayat!!!! I knew it! I know more than you!
Me: Well actually that last ayat is repeated 31 times throughout the surah so that makes 34 ayat that I know.
Son: (pausing to ponder this and then flatly says)...You cheated.
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I've overlooked your shortcomings and you've forgiven my faults. I've learned to appreciate your cryptic complements and ignore your direct criticisms. Just as you've grown to accept my constant need for affection and avoid me during my monthly bouts of psychosis. I'm grateful that we can still smile when we see each other (even if it's forced). Thank you for never once telling me my butt looks big or mentioning how i look as if i've lost a fight with a wild animal when i wake in the morning. Thank you for kissing me even when my breath is on hum. Thanks for keeping the car full of gas and leaving money in the secret compartment that you thought I didn't know about. Thanks for knowing that you're imperfect and not expecting perfection from me. Thanks for being the kind of Daddy that the kids are excited to see each day. Thanks for being the kind of Husband that I'm excited to see each day. Ya Habibi, you awaken my heart and inspire my deen.
We've both made adjustments and compromises in order to build this life together. And allthough we love and respect each other, I'm humbled to know that we couldn't have made it one single day without the help of Allah. We put Allah first in our lives and that is what unites us, saves us, guides us and preserves us. I love you Habibi. I love you fisabilillah.
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In order to fully appreciate this little medley you must read it to the tune of Frere Jacques: "Brazen Burqa, Brazen Burqa, all around, over town, some-body call PoPo, what's un-der there we don't know, take it off, i need a croissant. Brazen Burqa, Brazen Burqa, your face don't show, so you must go, do like all the rest of us, flaunt what God has given us, like a Ho, like a Ho.
This is my silly way of laughing at things that anger me. I'm ranting about my distaste for the new law past in France to ban Muslim Women from walking the streets dressed like ME.
This is my silly way of laughing at things that anger me. I'm ranting about my distaste for the new law past in France to ban Muslim Women from walking the streets dressed like ME.
When Allah takes something away from us, we can rest assured that He will replace it with something better. He asks from us only to respond to our grief and disappointment with trust and patience. How can the loss of a loved one, a child, be replaceable with better? Maybe that child would've been painfully ill; or perhaps he would've been a burden on his parents' deen, etc etc etc. Believe me, I've been in a position to speculate the answers to this on more than one occasion. And one can subject himself to this type of quandary until it drives him or her insane. That's where the trust that Allahu Alim (Allah knows best) should take over and put an end to the "what if" syndrome. Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom has taken a person or situation from us and He, alone knows what replacement is better.
A couple ayat of Qur'an that help me remember Allah's Wisdom when I need to find patience:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (Qur'an 2:216)
"For indeed with hardship will be ease (relief). Indeed with hardship will be ease." (Qur'an 94:5-6)
Allah has taken many things away from me that I'd felt contented with as well as entitled to keep. But with the understanding of an awaiting compensation (either here or in the Hereafter), those losses are much easier to emotionally relinquish.
*I've added a link to a blog written by Suhaib Webb. He has put what I've attempted to say in a much more eloquent way. Had i read his blog first i probably wouldn't have said anything and just re-posted his instead. Allahu Alim. http://www.suhaibwebb.com/blog/personaldvlpt/closed-doors-and-the-illusions-that-blind-us/
A couple ayat of Qur'an that help me remember Allah's Wisdom when I need to find patience:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (Qur'an 2:216)
"For indeed with hardship will be ease (relief). Indeed with hardship will be ease." (Qur'an 94:5-6)
Allah has taken many things away from me that I'd felt contented with as well as entitled to keep. But with the understanding of an awaiting compensation (either here or in the Hereafter), those losses are much easier to emotionally relinquish.
*I've added a link to a blog written by Suhaib Webb. He has put what I've attempted to say in a much more eloquent way. Had i read his blog first i probably wouldn't have said anything and just re-posted his instead. Allahu Alim. http://www.suhaibwebb.com/blog/personaldvlpt/closed-doors-and-the-illusions-that-blind-us/
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This question came up in conversation with a friend today and I thought it'd be helpful to others who may not know the answer. So....here it is:
Is it permissible to use birth control because one is afraid to have children due to the corruption of society?
Is it permissible to use birth control so that a person has a child every five years, because he sees the corruption in society and would not be able to raise a lot of children close in age in this overwhelmingly corrupt society?
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied:
So long as this is the intention, then it is not permissible to do this, because it reflects a lack of trust in Allaah with regard to the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said “Marry the one who is loving and fertile…”
But if the birth control has to do with the condition of the woman – because she cannot cope with repeated pregnancies – this may be permissible, but it is better not to do it.
Question: Do you mean that it is more important to pay attention to the woman’s condition than to the corrupt nature of society?
Answer: Of course, because there is no certainty that one’s children will be corrupt; they may be righteous people who will bring benefits to society. And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen
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Linguistically, the Arabic word "jihad" means struggling or striving. In this sense a student struggles and strives to pass a class; an employee strives to fulfill his job requirements; a politician strives to live up to his promises once elected to office and so on. The term strive or struggle may be used for Muslims as well non-Muslims; for example, Allah (The Lord) says in the Qur'an:
"We have enjoined on people kindness to parents; but if they strive (jahadaka) to make you ascribe partners with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not..." 29:8, also see 31:15.
In the above two verses of the Qur'an, it is non-Muslim parents who strive (jahada) to convert their Muslim child back to their religion.
In the West, "jihad" is generally translated as "holy war", a usage the media has popularized. This could be a reflection of the Christian use of the term "Holy War" to refer to the Crusades of a thousand years ago. However, the Arabic words for "war" are "harb" or "qital", which are found in the Qur'an and Hadith. For Muslims the term jihad is applied to all forms of striving and has developed some special meanings over time.
Examples of Jihad:
1. Recognizing the Creator and loving Him most
2. Resisting pressure of peers and society
3. Staying on the straight path steadfastly
4. Striving for righteous deeds
5. Having courage and steadfastness to convey the message of Islam
6. Defending Islam and the community
7. Helping allied people who may not be Muslim
8. Removing treacherous people from power
9. Gaining freedom to inform, educate and convey the message of Islam in an open and free environment
10. Freeing people from tyranny
"We have enjoined on people kindness to parents; but if they strive (jahadaka) to make you ascribe partners with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not..." 29:8, also see 31:15.
In the above two verses of the Qur'an, it is non-Muslim parents who strive (jahada) to convert their Muslim child back to their religion.
In the West, "jihad" is generally translated as "holy war", a usage the media has popularized. This could be a reflection of the Christian use of the term "Holy War" to refer to the Crusades of a thousand years ago. However, the Arabic words for "war" are "harb" or "qital", which are found in the Qur'an and Hadith. For Muslims the term jihad is applied to all forms of striving and has developed some special meanings over time.
Examples of Jihad:
1. Recognizing the Creator and loving Him most
2. Resisting pressure of peers and society
3. Staying on the straight path steadfastly
4. Striving for righteous deeds
5. Having courage and steadfastness to convey the message of Islam
6. Defending Islam and the community
7. Helping allied people who may not be Muslim
8. Removing treacherous people from power
9. Gaining freedom to inform, educate and convey the message of Islam in an open and free environment
10. Freeing people from tyranny
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I4YrgGHCXE
I may be late, but I just discovered this series. I like it so far. I can see many discrepancies when it comes to the show and Islam. But I see what the show is aiming for so I won't nit pick about it.
Sometime last year I read an article about the oppression of Muslim women because of the “restrictive” clothing we are supposedly forced by men to wear. The writer went on and on about how my clothes, are a nuisance to wear and are unpractical. She complained that it is like a form of torture to dress as I do. Torture? I would like to take a stroll through her closet and bring to light all of the torture mechanisms she is unknowingly harboring.
I’d like to address the subject of wardrobe malfunctions. This is something that all women could relate to. Across the board, women of all cultures and religious dress have experienced certain non-practicalities of their outfits. And as women we adjust the fit to fit us.
I spent the first 21 years of my life without Islam. And during those years I dressed however the trends dictated. Sometimes I dressed completely opposite the trends just because, well that’s my nature. I wore short mini-skirts that gravely hindered my range of movements. I was always afraid of dropping something because I couldn’t bend over without exposing my rear. I figured that I'd either had to train myself to grip items much tighter or remember to squat down to retrieve fallen items. Eventually I realized I should just not wear the skirt.
In Junior High, tight tight jeans were popular. So I sported my oxygen restrictive jeans until I could no longer remember my name (not to mention the massive wedgies occurring). I had ta let um go. Oh, and I mustn’t forget that always reliable little black dress. It was a favorite of mine. I grew up in the days of always wearing stocking with a dress. Whoever invented stockings must have really hated women. Why else are we expected to wear something so fragile on our legs and feet? These are the things we use most while in motion. I would last no longer than 2 hours in a day without a huge run in my stockings, thus completely ruining the look.
I wore my hair big in the 80’s and straight in the 90’s. Big hair was somewhat difficult and time consuming for some of my girlfriends to achieve (my hair is of a more cooperative texture). We used to spend at least an hour with curling irons, back combing, hair sprays, jells, mousse, singed ears from the irons and a bit of cussing when that happened. We did all of this only to find that when the first gust of wind hit us from behind our big hair styles would be emancipated from the products that had united them in bondage. Now, the straight do’s were just as tedious to maintain. The natural enemy of my straight hair was humidity. If it were too humid, my straight locks would frizz. If it were raining, my hair would get wet and curl. UUgggghhhhh! This is when I started wearing hats.
Then, there was always the breaking-in of the new high heel shoes. Firstly the shoe was shaped completely wrong for human feet. I never knew anyone whose feet grew to a pin-point at the toe like I found in these shoes. But nonetheless, I was led to believe that these shoes would make me feel pretty. Well, for the first few days, they made my feet feel like they’d been mauled by pitbulls!
Let's talk about skin problems for a moment. For we all know that the look isn't complete without flawless pores. I’m still scarred by the mornings I would wake up only to discover the gigantic volcano of a pimple on my chin. Nothing says confidence like having someone stare, as if in a trance, into the “third eye” on your chin for an entire conversation. How do you hide that?
Everything changed the day I became a Muslim. Or did it? Well, Allah (God) instructed us, men and women to cover our bodies. Men have certain areas that they must keep covered and women have also. So now, out goes the little black dress and in comes the abayas and head scarves. An abaya is basically a loose fitting, long sleeved dress that comes down to the ankles. The main purpose is for a woman to cover her body in a way that doesn’t reveal her figure. This is so liberating. Who cares what I’m wearing because I’m just going to slip into my abaya and roll out. I personally like my abaya to reach a bit longer than my ankles only because with carrying babies and such, a dress can have a tendency to ride up a bit and I don’t want to play peek-a-boo with my legs. But there is a snag in this picture. Try climbing a flight of stairs with both arms full of groceries and a dress that is tripping you up each step. This makes for an ugly uphill battle (literally). It’s not the most graceful show you’ll witness.
Next is the headscarf. Muslim women also are required by Allah (not man) to cover the hair. Well this is great! No more waking up early to style my do before I go out. I'll save that for this evening before my husband comes home. But for now, I can just throw on my scarf and call it a day. And this is just what I do but…let’s talk about when the wind changes and becomes my enemy. I know other Muslim women have had this happen to them also. Picture it: I’m walking through the grocery store parking lot. Yeah, I think I look pretty smart in my black abaya and groovy purple silk scarf. All of a sudden a gust of wind smacks me in the back of the head and SWOOSH! My groovyness has now flown over my eyes while the entire back of my head is now blowing in the wind!
Several years into my Islamic journey I decided to wear a veil. Some women do and some don’t. It doesn’t make me more Muslim than anyone else. There are some who feel it’s a must and others who don’t. I have my personal reasons for the decision and I’m very satisfied. But that’s not to say that the veil is free from “wardrobe malfunctioning.” The good thing is that wind can no longer blow off my scarf. The veil (nikab) holds down the fort nicely. But here’s the thing: the level of where I tie my nikab behind my head makes a big difference. So if I dare wear my hair in a bun too high on my head, the nikab cannot be placed right and then it’s gonna be a bad nikab day. That means constantly tugging at the edges that keep creeping up to my eyes. So ponytail placement accuracy is a must for gratifying nikab days.
As you can see, no woman’s wardrobe is free of all kinks. But to assume that just because Muslim women use more material for their clothes that they are oppressed is ridiculous. I had a woman ask me, “Why do your men make you dress like that?” This was an honest question. She wasn’t trying to be rude. This was just how she misunderstood Islam. So I inquired, upon seeing her low cut blouse showing ample cleavage and her tight pants that revealed a beautiful figure, did her man make her wear this so he can show the world how beautiful his woman is. She told me that she dresses however she pleases. I then told her that Muslim women dress however Allah pleases and that Allah is pleased with how I’m dressed now.
My dear fellow Muslims, is it just me or do you too suffer from this issue? We all know that in Islam one must cut one’s nails within every forty days (the hadith is in Sahih Muslim). I’ve always been one to keep my fingernails short to where only a thin line of white is visible at the tips. And with my toenails, I cut them to their minimal length as well. But sometimes I get a bit carried away with the toenails clippers and cut too far below what I like to call the comfort line.
So now I’m walking around with my toes curled back in my shows because each step I take causes the tips of my toes to sorely, hit against my shoes. This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t winter and I could wear open-toe shoes in the rain without getting my feet wet. A nice pair of sandals would also do just fine while I wait for the grow-back process to be completed. As you can see the weight of this part of the dilemma changes seasonally.
Now the issue I’d like to take up with my fellow sisters and brothers in Islam is this: As Salat (the prayer). There are several positions one takes during the salat. The first position, standing (qiyam) is A-OK. The second position, bowing (rukoo’) is fine too. I’m still able to have focus (khushoo') on the Mercy and Blessings of Allah. But then when I go into prostration (sajdah), my toes are required to be pointing downward onto the floor. This added pressure on my overly clipped tippy toes is too much. I don’t want to change the position of my feet by laying them flat on the floor with the bottoms up. So instead I tense my legs so that my toes barely touch the floor, therefore not ruining anyone else’s salah by crying out in pain.
This is the plight of my over zealous toenail cutting. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. Will I ever learn to change my clipping ways?
So now I’m walking around with my toes curled back in my shows because each step I take causes the tips of my toes to sorely, hit against my shoes. This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t winter and I could wear open-toe shoes in the rain without getting my feet wet. A nice pair of sandals would also do just fine while I wait for the grow-back process to be completed. As you can see the weight of this part of the dilemma changes seasonally.
Now the issue I’d like to take up with my fellow sisters and brothers in Islam is this: As Salat (the prayer). There are several positions one takes during the salat. The first position, standing (qiyam) is A-OK. The second position, bowing (rukoo’) is fine too. I’m still able to have focus (khushoo') on the Mercy and Blessings of Allah. But then when I go into prostration (sajdah), my toes are required to be pointing downward onto the floor. This added pressure on my overly clipped tippy toes is too much. I don’t want to change the position of my feet by laying them flat on the floor with the bottoms up. So instead I tense my legs so that my toes barely touch the floor, therefore not ruining anyone else’s salah by crying out in pain.
This is the plight of my over zealous toenail cutting. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. Will I ever learn to change my clipping ways?
I wanted to write about it myself. But I couldn't have put it as nicely as this.
By Dr. Kamal Al-Masri
The incident of changing the qiblah (the direction faced in Prayer), whose memory we celebrate these days, according to the most plausible opinions, is one of the distinctive incidents which distinguish the Muslim community and purify it from any impurities. In this way, it resembles the Night Journey (Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj), `Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s detachment and the fighting which followed it during the inviolable months, the battle of Uhud and the incidents of Hudaybiyah. All of those events belong to the same context of purifying and refining the Muslim community.
Imam Al-Bukhari reported from the narration of Al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that, “Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Prayer while facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months. But he (peace and blessings be upon him) wished that he would face the Ka`bah. When Allah commanded him to face the Ka`bah, the first Prayer he performed facing the new qiblah was an `Asr (Afternoon) Prayer, which he prayed in congregation. Then, a man from those who performed this Prayer with him left and passed by some people praying in the mosque, who were bowing at that moment. So, he said, ‘I swear by Allah that I have performed Prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while facing the House,’ (the Ka`bah) whereupon they turned and faced the Ka`bah without interrupting their Prayer.” Al-Bara’ added, “Before we changed our direction toward the Ka`bah in Prayers, some Muslims had died or had been killed and we did not know what to say about them (regarding their Prayers.) Allah then revealed,
[But it was not Allah’s purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
Furthermore, Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported from the narration of `Abdullah bin `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “While the people were offering Fajr (Dawn) Prayer at Quba’ (near Madinah), someone came to them and said, ‘It has been revealed to Allah’s Messenger tonight, and he has been ordered to pray facing the Ka`bah. So turn your faces to the Ka`bah.’ Those people were facing Sham (Jerusalem), so they turned their faces toward the Ka`bah (at Makkah).”
So as not to repeat the same talk that we are used to hear these days about the changing of the qiblah and all its related incidents, such as the confusion and sedition which the Jews tried to raise, I will not take up any suchlike matters. But I will rather halt at three stops, each of which is connected with the idea of change and the ability of the Islamic nation to turn itself toward the direction which its Lord, the Almighty, has intended and its Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has wished.
The First Stop
The Almighty Allah has willed for the nation of Islam to be the appointed nation on earth which bears the trust and witnesses for or against mankind, as He says:
[Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and that the Messenger may be a witness against you.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
The Almighty Allah has willed for this nation to be distinguished by an Islamic divine sense. Being directed toward Allah’s First House is an honor for Muslims and an inheritance of His grace. In addition, changing the Muslim’s qiblah toward the Sacred House (the Ka`bah), built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma`il (Ishmael) (peace and blessings be upon them) who invoked Allah to confer security, provision, blessing, and protection on it, fits perfectly within the context of the Muslims inheriting the religion of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) and his covenant with his Lord, the Almighty. This change is also the course by which the nation of testimony is privileged; through which it becomes connected with its roots, history, and creed; and given leadership for which it has been created. Thus, this nation is privileged as regards its roots and bases, its aims and objectives, its banner and direction.
This distinctiveness was what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sought and invoked Allah for, as Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated, “The first (matter) to be abrogated in the Qur’an was the qiblah. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) immigrated to Madinah, whose inhabitants were mostly Jews, Allah, the Exalted and Ever-Majestic, commanded him to direct himself (in Prayer) toward Jerusalem, whereupon the Jews rejoiced. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) faced Jerusalem for a year and some months, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) liked the qiblah of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him), so he used to invoke Allah and look at the heaven. Thereupon, Allah revealed:
[We have seen the turning of your face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad)… and wheresoever you may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when you pray).] (Al-Baqarah: 143-150)
Particularity and distinctiveness are necessary for the Muslim nation in perception, belief, qiblah, worship, and in everything.
The Second Stop
The incident of changing the qiblah was a test to determine how far the Muslim nation was able to submit to all the commands of its religion. It was also to specify how far this nation could believe, obey, and abide. The Almighty says:
[And We appointed the Qiblah which you formerly observed only that We might know him who follows the Messenger from him who turns on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
Allah swears by Himself that anyone who does not possess this obedience and that submission is not a believer. He says:
[But nay, by your Lord, they will not believe (in truth) until they make you judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of that which you decide, and submit with full submission.] (An-Nisaa’: 65)
The Muslim nation succeeded in this test, proving its ability to submit and transform itself, when the Companions submitted to the command of Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Neither did they argue nor did their faith sway inside their hearts. They rather, out of complete submission, changed the qiblah while praying and did not even wait until the next Prayer.
The Third Stop
In the pre-Islamic era, the Arabs used to exalt the Sacred House regarding it as the emblem of their glory. As Islam wants to make hearts free from anything besides Allah and rid them of every aspect of fanaticism to anything besides Allah’s course, which is free from any historical, racial, or even earthly connection, it took them away from directing toward the Sacred House. Instead, He ordained for them to direct toward Al-Aqsa Mosque for a considerable period of time, to rid their souls from all the impurities of the pre-Islamic era and from anything they clung to during it. The first qiblah was also ordained to distinguish between those who truly and sincerely follow the Messenger with complete obedience, content, and submission and those who turn on their heels out of pride for any of the aspects of pre-Islamic fanaticism, be they racial, tribal, terrestrial, or historical, even if these feelings are deeply hidden within souls and hearts.
Then, when souls reached the degree of complete sincerity and purification, the Almighty Allah directed them to a special qiblah different from that of the other heavenly religions, so as to be free from the superstitions and deviations of these religions. This was what urged “the foolish” among them to object and be skeptical, so Allah refuted their claims and revealed their ignorance saying,
[The foolish of the people will say: What has turned them from the Qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He will unto a straight path.] (Al-Baqarah: 142)
Almighty Allah describes this ability of purifying the soul as being “hard” in His saying
[In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
However, it is not at all hard for those guided by Allah, for with guidance, there is no hardship or difficulty for the soul to take off any garment other than the garment of Islam, shake off pre-Islamic impurities, worship Allah sincerely, and direct itself toward any direction He decrees for it.
Allah willed for the Muslim’s soul to rid itself of all impurities and connections with the pre-Islamic times and to abandon every slogan it adopted during it. Thus, He firstly directed it toward a qiblah different from that of the Arabs so that it would be completely disconnected with the pre-Islamic era, then He favored it with a qiblah different from that of the other heavenly religions, so that it would be purified from distortion and falsehood.
That was how the Islamic nation handled the incident of changing the qiblah. Our dealing with the same incident should also be based upon the same idea of change. That is, we should abandon anything that hinders us from abiding by the teachings of our religion; we should not be prevented by any kind of bond from being just as Allah wants us to be; we should possess firm belief, obedience, and submission regarding all that which our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commands us to do. Furthermore, we should place all these matters high above our race, country, family, lineage, and all people. Islam should solely occupy the highest level in our sense, high above everyone and every entity.
The moment we reach this, we will be back to being the nation of distinctiveness, particularity, leadership, and bearing witness over mankind.
The incident of changing the qiblah had indeed great impacts on the life of the Muslim nation, from its inside as well as in its relations with others. In the same way, this incident should have its impact on our souls and our relationships with others.
[In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
It was not indeed an incident of changing the qiblah only, but rather an incident of transforming the soul.
Imam Al-Bukhari reported from the narration of Al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that, “Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Prayer while facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months. But he (peace and blessings be upon him) wished that he would face the Ka`bah. When Allah commanded him to face the Ka`bah, the first Prayer he performed facing the new qiblah was an `Asr (Afternoon) Prayer, which he prayed in congregation. Then, a man from those who performed this Prayer with him left and passed by some people praying in the mosque, who were bowing at that moment. So, he said, ‘I swear by Allah that I have performed Prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while facing the House,’ (the Ka`bah) whereupon they turned and faced the Ka`bah without interrupting their Prayer.” Al-Bara’ added, “Before we changed our direction toward the Ka`bah in Prayers, some Muslims had died or had been killed and we did not know what to say about them (regarding their Prayers.) Allah then revealed,
[But it was not Allah’s purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is full of pity, Merciful toward mankind.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
Furthermore, Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported from the narration of `Abdullah bin `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “While the people were offering Fajr (Dawn) Prayer at Quba’ (near Madinah), someone came to them and said, ‘It has been revealed to Allah’s Messenger tonight, and he has been ordered to pray facing the Ka`bah. So turn your faces to the Ka`bah.’ Those people were facing Sham (Jerusalem), so they turned their faces toward the Ka`bah (at Makkah).”
So as not to repeat the same talk that we are used to hear these days about the changing of the qiblah and all its related incidents, such as the confusion and sedition which the Jews tried to raise, I will not take up any suchlike matters. But I will rather halt at three stops, each of which is connected with the idea of change and the ability of the Islamic nation to turn itself toward the direction which its Lord, the Almighty, has intended and its Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has wished.
The First Stop
The Almighty Allah has willed for the nation of Islam to be the appointed nation on earth which bears the trust and witnesses for or against mankind, as He says:
[Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and that the Messenger may be a witness against you.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
The Almighty Allah has willed for this nation to be distinguished by an Islamic divine sense. Being directed toward Allah’s First House is an honor for Muslims and an inheritance of His grace. In addition, changing the Muslim’s qiblah toward the Sacred House (the Ka`bah), built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma`il (Ishmael) (peace and blessings be upon them) who invoked Allah to confer security, provision, blessing, and protection on it, fits perfectly within the context of the Muslims inheriting the religion of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) and his covenant with his Lord, the Almighty. This change is also the course by which the nation of testimony is privileged; through which it becomes connected with its roots, history, and creed; and given leadership for which it has been created. Thus, this nation is privileged as regards its roots and bases, its aims and objectives, its banner and direction.
This distinctiveness was what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sought and invoked Allah for, as Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated, “The first (matter) to be abrogated in the Qur’an was the qiblah. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) immigrated to Madinah, whose inhabitants were mostly Jews, Allah, the Exalted and Ever-Majestic, commanded him to direct himself (in Prayer) toward Jerusalem, whereupon the Jews rejoiced. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) faced Jerusalem for a year and some months, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) liked the qiblah of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him), so he used to invoke Allah and look at the heaven. Thereupon, Allah revealed:
[We have seen the turning of your face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad)… and wheresoever you may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when you pray).] (Al-Baqarah: 143-150)
Particularity and distinctiveness are necessary for the Muslim nation in perception, belief, qiblah, worship, and in everything.
The Second Stop
The incident of changing the qiblah was a test to determine how far the Muslim nation was able to submit to all the commands of its religion. It was also to specify how far this nation could believe, obey, and abide. The Almighty says:
[And We appointed the Qiblah which you formerly observed only that We might know him who follows the Messenger from him who turns on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
Allah swears by Himself that anyone who does not possess this obedience and that submission is not a believer. He says:
[But nay, by your Lord, they will not believe (in truth) until they make you judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of that which you decide, and submit with full submission.] (An-Nisaa’: 65)
The Muslim nation succeeded in this test, proving its ability to submit and transform itself, when the Companions submitted to the command of Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Neither did they argue nor did their faith sway inside their hearts. They rather, out of complete submission, changed the qiblah while praying and did not even wait until the next Prayer.
The Third Stop
In the pre-Islamic era, the Arabs used to exalt the Sacred House regarding it as the emblem of their glory. As Islam wants to make hearts free from anything besides Allah and rid them of every aspect of fanaticism to anything besides Allah’s course, which is free from any historical, racial, or even earthly connection, it took them away from directing toward the Sacred House. Instead, He ordained for them to direct toward Al-Aqsa Mosque for a considerable period of time, to rid their souls from all the impurities of the pre-Islamic era and from anything they clung to during it. The first qiblah was also ordained to distinguish between those who truly and sincerely follow the Messenger with complete obedience, content, and submission and those who turn on their heels out of pride for any of the aspects of pre-Islamic fanaticism, be they racial, tribal, terrestrial, or historical, even if these feelings are deeply hidden within souls and hearts.
Then, when souls reached the degree of complete sincerity and purification, the Almighty Allah directed them to a special qiblah different from that of the other heavenly religions, so as to be free from the superstitions and deviations of these religions. This was what urged “the foolish” among them to object and be skeptical, so Allah refuted their claims and revealed their ignorance saying,
[The foolish of the people will say: What has turned them from the Qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He will unto a straight path.] (Al-Baqarah: 142)
Almighty Allah describes this ability of purifying the soul as being “hard” in His saying
[In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
However, it is not at all hard for those guided by Allah, for with guidance, there is no hardship or difficulty for the soul to take off any garment other than the garment of Islam, shake off pre-Islamic impurities, worship Allah sincerely, and direct itself toward any direction He decrees for it.
Allah willed for the Muslim’s soul to rid itself of all impurities and connections with the pre-Islamic times and to abandon every slogan it adopted during it. Thus, He firstly directed it toward a qiblah different from that of the Arabs so that it would be completely disconnected with the pre-Islamic era, then He favored it with a qiblah different from that of the other heavenly religions, so that it would be purified from distortion and falsehood.
That was how the Islamic nation handled the incident of changing the qiblah. Our dealing with the same incident should also be based upon the same idea of change. That is, we should abandon anything that hinders us from abiding by the teachings of our religion; we should not be prevented by any kind of bond from being just as Allah wants us to be; we should possess firm belief, obedience, and submission regarding all that which our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commands us to do. Furthermore, we should place all these matters high above our race, country, family, lineage, and all people. Islam should solely occupy the highest level in our sense, high above everyone and every entity.
The moment we reach this, we will be back to being the nation of distinctiveness, particularity, leadership, and bearing witness over mankind.
The incident of changing the qiblah had indeed great impacts on the life of the Muslim nation, from its inside as well as in its relations with others. In the same way, this incident should have its impact on our souls and our relationships with others.
[In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided.] (Al-Baqarah: 143)
It was not indeed an incident of changing the qiblah only, but rather an incident of transforming the soul.
Category:
Change,
Faith,
Islam,
Prophet Muhammad,
Qiblah
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Anti-Americanism is a global phenomenon and is clearly getting stronger in the Muslim world. The fact that America doesn't just turn a blind eye but finances the persecution of the Palestinians is high on the list of reasons. And just referring back to the events of the past two decades we can see a growing pattern of American hostility towards the Muslim world. Sanctions (which cause innocent children to die), denial of ethnic cleansing practices (until the mass graves are unturned), and the closing and prosecution of Islamic Charities (preventing aid to go to needy Muslims in foreign countries) in the name of fighting terrorism are a few examples. People across the world today are suffering due to policies and practices of the American government and its allies. It appears the majority of these people are of the Muslim world.
America’s overzealous inclination for war has put many countries, even its allies in a position of unease. A 2003 poll showed that 53% of Europeans saw the US as a threat to world peace. And in 2005, the concern grew as many European countries wanted independence from the US in international affairs. 73% of France, 59% of Germany, 53% of Britain and 50% of Spain were in agreement that they’d like to distance themselves from the US concerning International affairs. All of these percentages rose from a previous poll taken in 2002.
The United States government insists there is no correct political system but American Democracy. America has used economic, diplomatic, and even military force to make this point. While spreading Democracy by the sword (or should I say, by the bomb), President Bush constantly talks of a world led by democracy, insinuating to us that his intention is for every nation in the world to be governed by this one system.
In the American form of democracy, the people vote and majority rules, no matter what the issue. Even if this new law goes against the moralistic values of some Americans, such as the issue of Abortion. In the Muslim world, ideally, Muslims have a divine governing system already in place. And if one puts an issue that has already been decided by Allah (God) up for a vote, it would be implying that the people know better than their Lord. In Islam this is unacceptable. The unfortunate situation of the Muslim world is that so many of these countries have lost the knowledge of the Shari'a and have been so corrupted that major Islamic re-education would need to be implemented before Shari'a could properly govern the society. This outlook in the eyes of some countries is much more inconvenient to the lifestyles of which they've become accustomed and the prospect of American Democracy appears to be much more appealing. So just looking at the Muslim world in regards to forcing American Democracy, the US sees opportunity for capitalistic gain in some of these countries. And with some who are trying to resist a complete US takeover, America is burdened with a problematic belief system infringing on their objectives. So what would be the best way to combat this? “Villainize” its people and belief system in the eyes of the world (media), weaken their economies (sanctions), and divide and conquer its people (emphasizing internal differences and the so-called war on terrorism).
America’s overzealous inclination for war has put many countries, even its allies in a position of unease. A 2003 poll showed that 53% of Europeans saw the US as a threat to world peace. And in 2005, the concern grew as many European countries wanted independence from the US in international affairs. 73% of France, 59% of Germany, 53% of Britain and 50% of Spain were in agreement that they’d like to distance themselves from the US concerning International affairs. All of these percentages rose from a previous poll taken in 2002.
The United States government insists there is no correct political system but American Democracy. America has used economic, diplomatic, and even military force to make this point. While spreading Democracy by the sword (or should I say, by the bomb), President Bush constantly talks of a world led by democracy, insinuating to us that his intention is for every nation in the world to be governed by this one system.
In the American form of democracy, the people vote and majority rules, no matter what the issue. Even if this new law goes against the moralistic values of some Americans, such as the issue of Abortion. In the Muslim world, ideally, Muslims have a divine governing system already in place. And if one puts an issue that has already been decided by Allah (God) up for a vote, it would be implying that the people know better than their Lord. In Islam this is unacceptable. The unfortunate situation of the Muslim world is that so many of these countries have lost the knowledge of the Shari'a and have been so corrupted that major Islamic re-education would need to be implemented before Shari'a could properly govern the society. This outlook in the eyes of some countries is much more inconvenient to the lifestyles of which they've become accustomed and the prospect of American Democracy appears to be much more appealing. So just looking at the Muslim world in regards to forcing American Democracy, the US sees opportunity for capitalistic gain in some of these countries. And with some who are trying to resist a complete US takeover, America is burdened with a problematic belief system infringing on their objectives. So what would be the best way to combat this? “Villainize” its people and belief system in the eyes of the world (media), weaken their economies (sanctions), and divide and conquer its people (emphasizing internal differences and the so-called war on terrorism).
Category:
Democracy,
governments,
Imperialism,
Islam,
Muslimah,
opinion,
Shari'a,
US foreign policy
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by Muhammad Alshareef
Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
Here is a list of 10 things that would not take more than 10 minutes of our time. And if we truly understood the happiness these actions bring in this life and the next, we would spend our life in dedication to these deeds:
10. Pray 2 rakaat (Salatul Duha) anytime after sunrise and before Dhuhr.
Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu said, "My khaleel, Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam advised me to do three things (1) That I fast 3 days of each month and (2) To pray 2 rakaat of Duha and (3) That I do my witr before sleeping" (Bukhari and Muslim).
9. Pray for RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever prays for me once, Allah blesses that person 10 times (because of that prayer)" (Muslim).
8. Repeat what the mu'adhdhin is saying.
Abdullah ibn Amr narrates: A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, the ones that call the people to prayer receive more reward than us." So Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Say what they say, then when you finish, pray for anything and you shall be given it" (Abu Dawood).
7. Say subhan Allah - How far Allah is from imperfection! –100 times.
Mus'ab ibn Sa'd said: My father told me that he was with Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when he remarked, "Does any one of you not have the ability to attain 1000 hasanaat (good deeds) every day? Let him do tasbeeh (Subhan Allah) 100 times and it will be written for him as 1000 hasanaat or 1000 sins will be wiped from his record" (Muslim).
6. Play with your children for the sake of Allah.
Jabir narrates: We were with Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam on our way to an invitation to a meal when we passed Al-Husayn playing in the alley with some Ansar children. Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam walked a little faster to go and play with him. He stuck out his hand to take him, but Al-Husayn ran here and there squealing gleefully until Allah's Messenger caught him. Then he sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam held his chin with one hand and his head with the other and kissed Al-Husayn and hugged him (Bukhari).
5. Make du’a often during times of ease.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever it pleases that Allah answer his supplications during times of calamity and hardship, let him increase his supplication amidst the times of ease" (Tirmidhi and Al Hakim).
Bonus: Say the Dhikr after Making Wudu. RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "If anyone of you, after perfecting his wudu, says, 'Ash hadu an laa ilaaha illAllah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasooluh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger), the eight gates of Jannah will open for him and he will be permitted to enter from whichever he wishes" (Muslim).
4. Pick up the phone to call your mother (or a close relative) and tell them that you love them. RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "The Wasil (One who fulfils the rights of his ties of kinship) is not the one who does good when family members do good (and bad when they are bad). The Wasil is the one who, when family members cut him off he does good to them" (Interpretation of a Bukhari).
3. Take a few minutes to stop and contemplate Allah's amazing creation, of your eyes, voice, and entire body.
Allah says in the Qur'an: And on the earth are signs for the certain (in faith) /And in yourselves, will you not see (and contemplate) (Az-Zariyat 51/20-21)?
2. Share a part of your lunch with someone.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Oh Abu Dharr! If you cook any soup, increase its water and then look to your neighbors and give them some of it" (Muslim).
And the number one deed you can do in less then 10 minutes...
1. Make du'a for your brother in his absence.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “If a person prays for his (or her) brother in their absence (without them knowing), an angel (hears the du'a) and replies, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same’”(Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi).
In fact, whenever the Sahaabah and Taabi'een wanted their du'a to be answered quickly, they would ask the same thing for their brother in order to get the angel to reply, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same.’ In sha Allah, let's all try at the very least to find one deed from this list and implement it in this coming week. After it has become habit, try another deed and so on. This is how we can all grow.
Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
Here is a list of 10 things that would not take more than 10 minutes of our time. And if we truly understood the happiness these actions bring in this life and the next, we would spend our life in dedication to these deeds:
10. Pray 2 rakaat (Salatul Duha) anytime after sunrise and before Dhuhr.
Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu said, "My khaleel, Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam advised me to do three things (1) That I fast 3 days of each month and (2) To pray 2 rakaat of Duha and (3) That I do my witr before sleeping" (Bukhari and Muslim).
9. Pray for RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever prays for me once, Allah blesses that person 10 times (because of that prayer)" (Muslim).
8. Repeat what the mu'adhdhin is saying.
Abdullah ibn Amr narrates: A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, the ones that call the people to prayer receive more reward than us." So Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Say what they say, then when you finish, pray for anything and you shall be given it" (Abu Dawood).
7. Say subhan Allah - How far Allah is from imperfection! –100 times.
Mus'ab ibn Sa'd said: My father told me that he was with Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when he remarked, "Does any one of you not have the ability to attain 1000 hasanaat (good deeds) every day? Let him do tasbeeh (Subhan Allah) 100 times and it will be written for him as 1000 hasanaat or 1000 sins will be wiped from his record" (Muslim).
6. Play with your children for the sake of Allah.
Jabir narrates: We were with Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam on our way to an invitation to a meal when we passed Al-Husayn playing in the alley with some Ansar children. Allah's Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam walked a little faster to go and play with him. He stuck out his hand to take him, but Al-Husayn ran here and there squealing gleefully until Allah's Messenger caught him. Then he sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam held his chin with one hand and his head with the other and kissed Al-Husayn and hugged him (Bukhari).
5. Make du’a often during times of ease.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever it pleases that Allah answer his supplications during times of calamity and hardship, let him increase his supplication amidst the times of ease" (Tirmidhi and Al Hakim).
Bonus: Say the Dhikr after Making Wudu. RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "If anyone of you, after perfecting his wudu, says, 'Ash hadu an laa ilaaha illAllah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasooluh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger), the eight gates of Jannah will open for him and he will be permitted to enter from whichever he wishes" (Muslim).
4. Pick up the phone to call your mother (or a close relative) and tell them that you love them. RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "The Wasil (One who fulfils the rights of his ties of kinship) is not the one who does good when family members do good (and bad when they are bad). The Wasil is the one who, when family members cut him off he does good to them" (Interpretation of a Bukhari).
3. Take a few minutes to stop and contemplate Allah's amazing creation, of your eyes, voice, and entire body.
Allah says in the Qur'an: And on the earth are signs for the certain (in faith) /And in yourselves, will you not see (and contemplate) (Az-Zariyat 51/20-21)?
2. Share a part of your lunch with someone.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Oh Abu Dharr! If you cook any soup, increase its water and then look to your neighbors and give them some of it" (Muslim).
And the number one deed you can do in less then 10 minutes...
1. Make du'a for your brother in his absence.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “If a person prays for his (or her) brother in their absence (without them knowing), an angel (hears the du'a) and replies, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same’”(Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi).
In fact, whenever the Sahaabah and Taabi'een wanted their du'a to be answered quickly, they would ask the same thing for their brother in order to get the angel to reply, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same.’ In sha Allah, let's all try at the very least to find one deed from this list and implement it in this coming week. After it has become habit, try another deed and so on. This is how we can all grow.
Category:
Allah's mercy,
Du'a,
Islam,
Qur'an
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Our humble beginnings. Al Fatiha by 3 yr old AbdurRahman
Category:
Islam,
Kids,
Qur'an,
Recitation
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My Mother, My Best Friend
by Muhammad Alshareef
Aseer ibn Jaabir narrates: Whenever people would come from Yemen, Umar would ask them, "Is Uways Al-Qaranee amongst you?" until, one year, he met Uways. He said, "Are you Uways Al-Qaranee?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small' (Al Isra' 17/23-24).
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them" (Bukhari).
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…(Luqman 31/14)
by Muhammad Alshareef
Aseer ibn Jaabir narrates: Whenever people would come from Yemen, Umar would ask them, "Is Uways Al-Qaranee amongst you?" until, one year, he met Uways. He said, "Are you Uways Al-Qaranee?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small' (Al Isra' 17/23-24).
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them" (Bukhari).
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…(Luqman 31/14)
Category:
Allah,
appreciation,
Islam,
Kids,
Muslimah,
Parents,
Qur'an
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At the time of my Shahadah(declaring belief that there’s only One Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh is Allah’s final Prophet and Messenger) I knew La Ilaaha Ill Allah (There’s no God except Allah), I knew Al-Fatiha(The opening chapter of the Quran). I knew the pillars of Islam. I knew the articles of faith. I knew that once one takes his or her Shahadah the previous sins are forgiven and one starts new. I’m not too sure how much I believed that part only because I felt as though I’d done so much evil that I’d exceeded the “forgivable amount” of sins. I knew that I hated everything about my lifestyle and that living Islamically was completely opposite of my lifestyle. But what attracted me the most was that in Islam a woman is one to be respected. A wife is to be protected. A mother is to be honored. It gave women a dignity and class that I wanted, that I felt I deserved to have. I knew that I was tired of being a “liberal” or “modern” woman. I used to talk to my best friend about becoming Muslim. We both agreed that we wanted to make changes in our lives. I felt Islam was the answer. She didn’t agree. Her argument was that Islam takes away a woman’s freedom and respect. At the time I wasn’t equipped to properly argue this case. Islam DOES NOT disrespect women. INCORRECT MUSLIMS disrespect women. And that’s the case in all walks of life. To generalize like this is unfair and untrue. But what I did ask her was what freedoms she was referring to. Her answer was Islam makes you cover your body even when it’s hot. And if we became Muslim we couldn’t have boyfriends anymore. She said that if we became Muslim we couldn’t go dancing anymore. Basically we would cease having fun.
My only response, being that I knew little about Islam yet, was to ask, “Aren’t the results of those freedoms the reason we’re unhappy? Aren’t those very ‘freedoms’ the reason we’re talking about making life changes?” They were for me. Those very “freedoms” that she mentioned, dressing cute, going to clubs, partying and fornicating were the reasons I was unhappy. And the unhappier I was, the more damage I’d do in the pursuit of happiness. For me it was a downward spiral. As I continued to read any and every book on Islam, I came across a quote that seemed to make my point exactly:
This is from In The Shade Of The Qur’an, Sayyid Qutb
He’s talking about surah 79 An Nazi’aat (The Pluckers):
….There are two types of freedom. The first is the one achieved through scoring a victory over one’s desires and releasing oneself from the chains of caprice. When a man achieves such a victory he finds himself able to fulfill these desires and caprices in a controlled and balanced way, which emphasizes man’s freedom of choice. This type of freedom is the human type, the one which suits the honor Allah has bestowed on man. The other type is the animal freedom, represented in man’s defeat, his enslavement by his desires, and his loss of control over himself. This type of freedom is advocated only by those who have lost their humanity, so they try to cover their slavery with a dress of deceptive freedom……
Until choosing to live as a Muslim, that’s all I had been doing, covering my slavery with a dress of deceptive freedom.
My only response, being that I knew little about Islam yet, was to ask, “Aren’t the results of those freedoms the reason we’re unhappy? Aren’t those very ‘freedoms’ the reason we’re talking about making life changes?” They were for me. Those very “freedoms” that she mentioned, dressing cute, going to clubs, partying and fornicating were the reasons I was unhappy. And the unhappier I was, the more damage I’d do in the pursuit of happiness. For me it was a downward spiral. As I continued to read any and every book on Islam, I came across a quote that seemed to make my point exactly:
This is from In The Shade Of The Qur’an, Sayyid Qutb
He’s talking about surah 79 An Nazi’aat (The Pluckers):
….There are two types of freedom. The first is the one achieved through scoring a victory over one’s desires and releasing oneself from the chains of caprice. When a man achieves such a victory he finds himself able to fulfill these desires and caprices in a controlled and balanced way, which emphasizes man’s freedom of choice. This type of freedom is the human type, the one which suits the honor Allah has bestowed on man. The other type is the animal freedom, represented in man’s defeat, his enslavement by his desires, and his loss of control over himself. This type of freedom is advocated only by those who have lost their humanity, so they try to cover their slavery with a dress of deceptive freedom……
Until choosing to live as a Muslim, that’s all I had been doing, covering my slavery with a dress of deceptive freedom.
Category:
Freedom,
Islam,
Muslimah,
Shahadah
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I went to visit my baby last night in the NICU. She's now 4lbs and 6oz. Masha'Allah. This is a huge improvement. For those who don't know, her humble beginnings weighed in at 1lb and 5oz. Honestly, when she was born i didn't expect her to survive. I made constant du'a to Allah b4, during and after my emergency C-section to keep her alive, healthy and most importantly keep her a pious Amatullah. Yet i kept remembering that Allah knows best and whatever the outcome i had to be ready to accept it. I even had a difficult time getting attached to her because i know the pain of losing a baby and i was preparing myself for the worst. But since then she and I have both made progress and are bonding quite well. Allah is Most Merciful. She's out of the incubator now! She still has the airflow going in her nose (as you can see) and her bottle feedings are progressing but she still needs the tube feedings to supplement. Her due date was November 14th. I hope to post a picture of her AT HOME around then, insha Allah.
Please remember her in your prayers
Category:
Allah,
Allah's mercy,
C-section,
Islam,
Kids,
Muslimah,
Patience,
Pregnancy
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