Refresh Your Imaan

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "He who does not thank people is unthankful to Allah." [Abu Dawud] Although Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is the ultimate Bestower of all the good we receive, yet He commands us to thank the immediate source of the good too, the person or people through whom Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) sent the good to us. The people to whom we are most obliged during our lives, are our parents. Regarding them Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says, "... show thanks to Me, and to your parents..." [Al-Quran 31:14] One of the early Muslims said: "Ingratitude for a kindness is one of the enormities (major sins). Gratitude consists of reciprocating it or supplicating for the person." So, saying 'Thank you' is not enough. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in His mercy has guided us to an appropriate course of action to show gratitude. We should be genuinely grateful and if we are able to return the favour we should do so. Otherwise, or

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Verily Allah says: O son of Adam, free yourself for my worship, I will (in turn) fill your chest with satisfaction and remove your poverty, and if you don't, I will fill your hands with distraction and will not remove your poverty." [Ahmad, Ibn Majah] The explanation of this in Fayd ul Qadeer is: "Free yourself of your interests in order to worship Me and do not busy yourself in earning that which exceeds your needs and the needs of those under your care."  In other words, when a person has earned enough to fulfill his needs, the needs of those he is responsible for and whatever else is necessary, he should not busy himself in acquiring beyond that, but should busy himself in obedience to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala), otherwise he will be establishing his worldly life but destroying his Hereafter. Fayd al Qadeer, by al Manaawee, is a scholarly piece of work explaining al-Jaami as-Saghir by al-Haafidh as-Suyuti.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The two feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters) concerning his life - how he spent it; about his youth - how he took care of it; about his wealth - how he earned it; and where he spent it; and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge he acquired." [Tirmidhi] So there is no escape from being questioned about:  1. Your life - how you spent it. Was it in righteousness and piety or in sin and transgression?  2. Your youth - how you spent it. Was it in acts of obedience or acts of disobedience to Allah?  3. Your wealth - how you acquired it. Was it from that which is halaal or from that which is haraam? 4. Your wealth - how you spent it. Did you give others their rights in it - your relatives, the needy, the orphans, the mujahideen... or did you squander it on yourself alone? 5. Your knowledge - how you acted upon it. How much of your knowledge

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Verily the inhabitants of the Fire cry, so much that if ships were sailed into their tears, they would float, and verily they cry blood (instead of tears)." [Ibn Maajah, Kitaab az-Zuhd] You should aid yourself through fear. Live with the fear of ending up in Hell and never coming out of it. Live with the fear of everlasting hunger and continuous thirst, with the fear of crying blood continually, so much so that if a ship were to be sent into it, it would float. When you are truly afraid of this, only then will you take the necessary steps to stay out of this danger that you have been warned about.  In addition to changing your beliefs and lifestyle, also make the supplication of Yusuf (alaihis salaam): "Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous." [Al-Quran 12:101] Don't just sit around while the sweetness of Faith is missing.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "The first of those who shall enter Paradise are the people who do acts of kindnesses." [Tibrani] This story comes to us through the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) that there was once a prostitute in the tribe of the Bani Israil. She passed by a dog going around a well about to die of thirst. So she took off her shoe and, tying it to her head wrap, lowered it into the well to get some water for the dog. Because of this one act of kindness, Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) forgave her her sins. This shows us not only Allah’s love for humans and how He loves to forgive us, but also His love for all His creatures. Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told us that we are rewarded for every act of kindness we do to any creature. Every time a bird eats from your fruit tree you are rewarded by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for that too. In today's society though, it seems that kindness is reserved for animals

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Fever comes from the vehement raging of Hell, so cool it with water.” [Sahih Bukhari]  The treatment of fever described here is a method conveyed to us by Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) himself. This is what doctors suggest today; that the patient should be cooled and the body temperature lowered by cold compress, i.e., placing cloth dipped in cold water on the body.  When we study the history of science we see that Ibn-Sina was the first to recommend the use of waterbeds and Al-Razi cold water application for patients with typhoid fever. The same theory was later developed as Little's tubes, ice bags and cold sponging, now in use. Abu Ali Hussain ibn Abd Allah ibn Sina (known as Avicenna), born in 980 A.H., was one of the greatest scientists of all times. His most famous book was a medical work “Al-Qanun” (The Canon). It contained about a million words and formed half the medical curriculum of European universities until

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "I have been favoured above the prophets in six things: I have been endowed with consummate succinctness of speech, made triumphant through dread, war booty has been made lawful for me, the whole earth has been made a purified place of worship for me, I have been sent to all created beings, and the succession of prophets has been completed in me." [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah] Some unique favours to Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) and his Ummah have been brought to our attention in the above mentioned hadith. One of these is that Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was sent with a timeless message; a religion that would not be superseded by any other. Therefore, the religion brought by Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) will apply equally to any generation till the end of this world. In addition, Islam came for all created beings, not only humans. This is another uniqueness of the message sent to Muhammad (sal Allahu al

Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “On no other day does the Satan feel so belittled, humiliated, and angry as he does on the Day ofArafah.” The reason for this is the mercy of Allah that descends this day and the forgiveness that He grants to people for major sins, except the day of the battle of Badr, which witnessed a far greater mercy of Allah descending upon people, which caused great sadness to Satan. There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. On this day Allah descends to the nearest heaven in a manner that suits His Majesty, and He is proud of His slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, “Look at My servants. They have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek My mercy, even though they have not seen My chastisement. Far more people are freed from the Hellfire on the Day of Arafah than on any other day.” (Abu Ya’la, Ibn Khzayma, al-Bazzar and Ibn Hibban)

Ali (radi Allahu anhu) said, "I have memorized from the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) that no one is considered an orphan after puberty and no one may remain silent until nightfall." [Abu Dawud] This hadith attests to the offensiveness of anyone who keeps silent all day until night, when there is no need. Imam Bukhari (rahimahu Allah) relates that Abu Bakr Siddiq (radi Allahu anhu) said to a woman on Hajj who had resolved to keep silent, "Speak, for this is not permissible but is a practice of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance." Rather, one should occupy the tongue with Quran, dhikr, or other acts of obedience performed with the tongue. [Reliance of the Traveler]

Narrated Muawiya (radi Allahu anhu): I heard the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) saying, "A group of people amongst my followers will remain obedient to Allah's orders and they will not be harmed by anyone who will not help them or who will oppose them, till Allah's Order (the Last Day) comes upon them while they are still on the right path." [Sahih Bukhari] These are really good tidings for us, that no matter what the enemies of Islam try, they will never be able to annihilate Islam. There will always, till the Day of Judgment, be Muslims who are rightly guided and rightly guiding. Congratulations to such people, for Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) promises that nobody will be able to harm them. Regarding the qualities of these people who are fully obedient to Allah's shariah, Yahya ibn Mu'adh (rahimu Allah) said: "Congratulations to those who leave the world before it deserts them; to those who build their graves before they enter them; and to thos

“Whenever the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) finished his meal he would say, ‘All praise is for Allah who fed us, gave us drink, and made us believers.’” [Abu Dawud] Some brothers had the opportunity to visit a sick brother in a hospital in East York, Canada. This brother had an infection in his stomach which caused it to explode.  As a result, the doctors had to remove half of his stomach through an operation. For seven days, he was unable to eat or drink anything. Nutrients were being provided to him by specialized means.  During their visit the brothers told him to be patient and pray to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for a quick recovery. The sick brother made a very important statement. He said, "Now I understand that if Allah doesn't want, we cannot eat even one grain of rice." Being able to eat and drink is a great blessing of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). How costly and difficult it is to digest a single meal without a stomach! We should thank Allah (subhana wa ta

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever wants to know what Allah has prepared for him, should look to what he has prepared for Allah." [Abu Nu'aym, al-Hilyah. Silsilah as-Saheehah] What a beautiful, simple formula to calculate one's future with! Match yourself against the Quran and the Sunnah to know who you are, and look what you have set aside for Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to know what Allah the Almighty and Majestic has prepared for you. It is imperative that a person take his soul to account and treat his deficiencies. Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said, "Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account, weigh your deeds before they are weighed." Hasan al Basri (rahimahu Allah) said about the ayah, "No. I do swear by the criticizing self..." [Surah Qiyamah: 2], "A believer will always be critical of himself in his food, his drink and his speech. A sinner will not criticize himself." He also said "A believer

Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu) reported Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) as saying: "Of the dinar (money) that you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as charity given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spend on your family." [Sahih Muslim] Narrated Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu): Allah's Apostle (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "The best alms is that which you give when you are rich, and you should support your dependants first." [Sahih Bukhari] Therefore, one must not neglect those who are closest to one. Providing for the basic needs of the family are an obligation on the husband/father, for which he is rewarded. But to spend a little extra for their comfort or happiness is also a source of reward. In addition, there are many people in a person's extended family whose condition the relatives know best about. If they don't take care of

Abu Sa'id (radi Allahu anhu) reports that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Every Muslim should have a ghusl on Friday and wear his best clothing, and if he has perfume, he should use it." [Sahih Bukhari] Ibn Salam reports that he heard the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) say, while he was upon the pulpit on Friday: "It would do no [harm] to anyone if he were to buy two gowns for Friday other than his work clothes." [Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah] It is highly recommended for anyone - man or woman, an elderly or young person, a traveler or a resident - who desires to attend salatul Jumu'ah or any gathering of people, to cleanse and to wear their best attire. One should perform ghusl, put on one's finest clothing, apply perfume, and brush one's teeth.  Abu Hurairah reports that one Friday the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "O gathering of Muslims, Allah has made this day an 'id for you, so make ghusl and use the misw

Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) reported: "Jibreel came to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, Khadeejah is coming to you carrying a tray of food and drink. When she comes to you, convey to her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise in which there is neither noise nor confusion." [Sahih Bukhari] Allah's love for Khadeejah (radi Allahu anha) was so great that He sent Jibreel (alaihis salaam) to her with His salaams. Jibreel (alaihis salaam) also offered his own salaams. Then he informed her of her palace in Jannah as Allah's appreciation for her.  What made her so honourable? Khadeejah As-Siddiqah (the true believer) believed in the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) without hesitation. She was the first to believe in him, she consoled him and supported him in every way. Her Lord gave her the good news, during her lifetime, of a palace in Paradise for her in which t

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There will be no hatred or resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify Allah, morning and evening.” [Sahih Bukhari] This hadith explains the state of the people in Jannah. Remorse felt due to rifts in personal relationships will be non-existent in Paradise. There will be no enmity between people, nor any ill-feelings: “And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world)…” [Quran 7:43] People will never hear any evil or hurting comments or speech in Paradise. They will only hear pleasant words and words of peace. The hearts of the people of Jannah will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds righteous. There will be no offensive, upsetting or provocative talk there, for Paradise is free of all things worthless. If we were to discuss all the causes of anguish in this life, we would surely find their absence and opposite t

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says, ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call on Me, I shall forgive you of what you have done, and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky, and then you were to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you were to meet Me after death, not worshipping anything besides Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth.’” [Tirmidhi] Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) loves it when people ask Him to forgive their sins. He is overjoyed with their repentance, since He hates to punish anybody. At the slightest excuse He washes people’s sins away. The only condition is that the human being must truly regret in his/her heart that they did what they did. The sinner should be ashamed of their misdeeds, and discontinue committing such sin

The Prophet of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Beware of the earth, for it is your root and basis, and there is nothing which a person does on it, that it will not report, whether it is good or bad." (Mujam at-Tabarani) About Ali (radi Allahu anhu) it is related that when he distributed the money of the Bait ul-Mal (public treasury) among the needy and thus emptied it, he would perform two rakahs of prayer in the Bait ul-Mal and say: "You will have to bear witness that I filled you with justice and emptied you with justice." The fact is that although Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) directly knows whatever a man does, yet in the Hereafter when He will establish His Court, He will punish every culprit only after fulfilling all the demands of justice. Any case which is brought before His Court against a criminal will be proved with such perfect evidence that no room will be left to doubt his being a criminal. The first and foremost evidence against a person i

Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that a caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it: “Indeed may you be healthy and never be sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow feeble again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” [Sahih Muslim] One cause of pain and suffering in this life is disease. But it is non-existent in Jannah. Nobody will feel any sickness or pain in Jannah. Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said about the people of Paradise: “They will never fall ill, blow their noses or spit.” [Sahih Bukhari] In other words, there is nothing that is the slightest bit unpleasant in Jannah. We get used to having to blow our noses, but we do not need to do even this in Paradise. The pleasure and enjoyment therein is untainted by anything that is not a cause of happiness itself. Furthermore, no one will die in Paradise. All shall live eternally, enjoying the pleasures therein. 

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) asked: “Shall I not guide you to the most excellent sadaqah? It is to provide for your daughter when she is sent back to you and has no one but you to provide for her.” [Tirmidhi] This is a beautiful hadith regarding the value of honourably caring and providing for your divorced daughter. Only someone who has gone through the pain of having a daughter be divorced, or who is herself a divorcee, can truly appreciate Allah's words  regarding this provision as the most excellent sadaqah. The last thing a woman wants is to become dependent again on aging parents. This hadith lessens her guilt and provides incentive to parents to respectfully and lovingly take care of her, without complaining or treating her as a burden.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his, and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer: For if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (Allah), thus there is good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (enduring it patiently), there is good for him in it.” [Muslim] A Muslim is thus truly blessed, regardless of the circumstances of his/her life. A non-Muslim considers himself fortunate only if he is healthy, wealthy, happy and more. But a Muslim is lucky all the time. This is because he/she is accruing reward for Jannah whether they are healthy or terminally ill, prosperous or needy, relaxing in palaces or rotting in jails. This is indeed a unique favour of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to his pious servants. 

On the authority of Anas (radi Allahu anhu) who said: “My paternal uncle Anas bin al Nadir was absent from the battle of Badr, and he said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I was absent from the first battle in which you fought the polytheists but if Allah provides me with a second opportunity to participate in a battle with the polytheists, then Allah will witness my actions!’ And when the Day of Uhud arrived and the Muslims retreated, he said: ‘O Allah, I ask you to forgive my brothers for their actions and I excuse myself from the actions of the polytheists!’ Then he rushed forward and met Sad bin Muadh (radi Allahu anhu) and said: ‘O Sad bin Muadh, by Allah I smell its (Jannat's) scent from below Uhud!’ Sad (radi Allahu anhu) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I could not do what he did.’ Anas (radi Allahu anhu) said: ‘We found him with some eighty wounds either from swords, spears or arrows. We found him murdered and mutilated by the polytheists. No one recognised him except his sister, and

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "The most hated person to Allah is the Muslim who seeks the ways of the days of ignorance and he who seeks to shed the blood of a person without justification." [Tabarani] "Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) ignorance? And who is better in judgement than Allah for a people who have firm faith." [Surah Al-Maida, ayat 50] In the commentary of the above verse Ibn Katheer states: "Allah criticizes those who ignore Allah's commandments... (and) refer instead to opinions, desires and customs that people themselves invented, all of which have no basis in Allah's religion. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts. The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote Al-Yasiq, for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "There is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator." [Ahmed and Haakim] If a father and son sleep in one place, and the son wants to pray fajr but his father sleeps, does anyone suggest that the son needs to take permission from his father to pray the obligatory prayer? Suppose that the father forbids his son from performing the prayer, should the son obey his father? The answer is clear according to the above mentioned hadith, as well as the following one: "Obedience is in what is right." [Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim] Therefore, it is clear that no permission is required for anyone from anyone when an act is fard ayn (individual obligation), just as no permission is required from the father, the husband or the ruler for the obligatory fajr prayer.

Aisha (radi Allahu anha) related that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) would enter the house with a pleasing disposition and a smile on his lips. [Uswa-i-Hasna] Again, the advice is for spouses to be cheerful, pleasant and light-hearted so that the home is a sanctuary from the problems of the world and not the very place that one wants to flee (Allah Forbid). Ibn Masud (radi Allahu anhu) said, "Mix with the people on the condition that your religion is not injured, and joke with your family." [Sahih Bukhari] 

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "From the instant of conceiving up to the delivery and nursing of the baby, the woman gets the same reward as the one who has been appointed to guard the boundaries of Islam and remains steadfast for Jihad. If she dies during this period, she gets the reward of a martyr." [Kanz] This hadith is another great incentive for a woman to do by her child that which is in the best interest of the mother and child anyway. So immense is Allah's love for us and His Mercy that He not only pointed out the best practices for us, but also promised enormous amounts of reward, should we do what is best for ourselves. Should a woman die while pregnant or because of the delivery she will be counted among the Shuhada. Nothing goes waste with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala)! Besides the mother's exclusive opportunity to be rewarded for such acts, she enjoys vast authority and status in addition to her spousal rights. In her role of motherhood she

Narrated Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu): "There is no Muslim, whose two daughters reach the age (of adulthood), and he is good to them as a companion, and they do not cause him to enter Paradise." [Sahih Bukhari] It is to be noted that Muslim women enjoy special privileges not only as mothers and wives but also as daughters. They are a cause of blessing in a way unique to them. Daughters and sons, each has their own virtues, and daughters are not to be under-estimated in the blessings that they bring to their parents.

A Sahabah (radi Allahu anhu) said, "O Prophet of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) I have a wife. When I meet her she says, 'Welcome my chief and the chief of my household.' When she finds me in a sad mood she says, 'Why worry about this world when the provision for your afterlife is being earned (anyway)?'" Upon hearing this, the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Inform that lady that she is among the workers of Allah, and she earns half the rewards of Jihad." [Kanz] This is the great reward for just verbally honouring one’s husband. We should try to greet our spouses with cheer and encouragement.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "When a woman spends (in the Path of Allah) from her husband's wealth, not wasting it (but spends reasonably and within permissible limits) she will have her reward for what she gave and her husband will have his for what he earned. The same applies to the storekeeper. The reward of any of these persons does not diminish the rewards of the others." [Sahih Bukhari] In the life of this world, the title or ownership of wealth is outwardly assigned to human beings, through apparent means such as earnings or inheritance, due to the necessity of organising the affairs of an orderly society. However, all human beings are on an equal footing in terms of real ownership of possessions, in view of the fact that it is not man but Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) Who is the Absolute Owner. The husband, the wife, and even an employee who arranges for the charity payment to be made, are all rewarded due to their respective roles in facilitating

Addressing Salamah (radi Allahu anha), the nurse of his son Ibraheem, the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Does it not please any one of you that if she conceives by her husband and he is satisfied with her, that she receives the reward of fasting and vigil (remaining alert as a Mujahid protecting the borders of the Islamic state or Muslim army) for Allah's sake. And none of the dwellers of Heaven or Earth know about the coolness of eyes (a unique repose) she will receive for the labor pains she suffered. When she delivers, not a mouthful of milk flows from her and not an instance does the child suck, but that she receives for every suck and mouthful, the reward of a good deed. If she is kept awake by her child during the night, she receives the reward of freeing seventy slaves for the sake of Allah." The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) then said: "O Salamah do you know which women are being referred to? Those who, despite being pious and enjoying

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) once sent somebody to collect zakat from a certain region. When the man returned he handed some of the zakat over and kept some for himself saying that he had received it as a gift from the people. Allah’s Apostle then ascended his pulpit and addressed everybody. In it he said: “I employ some men from among you for some job which Allah has placed in my charge, and then one of you comes to me and says, ‘This (amount) is for you and this is a gift given to me.’ Why doesn't he stay at the house of his father or the house of his mother and see whether he is given gifts. By Allah whoever takes anything unlawfully will bring it on the Day of Resurrection by carrying it over his neck.” [Bukhari] Giving or taking bribes is at the root of corruption. Islam clearly states that both the giver and the receiver of a bribe end up in Jahannum (Hell). But how is one to recognize that he or she is involved in this practice? In this hadith, Rasul Allah (sal

Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "O people, your wives have certain rights over you and you have certain rights over them. Treat them well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers." [Tirmidhi] Fair dealings and good behaviour is necessary towards everyone, but the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), mercy for all mankind, emphasized it especially towards women. A man is rewarded for every morsel of food that he puts into his wife's mouth. The best sadaqah is that which is spent on one's family and kindness to the wife is an aspect of faith. Aisha (radi Allahu anha) reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "Among the believers who show most perfect faith are those who have the best disposition, and are kindest to their families." [Tirmidhi] Aisha (radi Allahu anha), the Prophet's wife, is one of the most famous women in Islamic history. She was gifted with outstanding intelligence and memory, and is co

Narrated Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu): "I heard Allah's Apostle (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) saying, ‘Allah divided Mercy into one-hundred parts and kept ninety-nine parts of it with Him and sent down one part on earth. And because of that, its one single part, His creations are Merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it.’" [Sahih Bukhari] The other ninety-nine parts Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has reserved for the Day of Judgement. The one single part of Mercy which He sent down is the cause of all the love and care that is seen on earth by any and all creatures, since creatures first came into existence, until the end of their existence at the end of time. It is a part of this mercy that a mare carefully lifts her legs so she does not trample her foal and a cat does not scratch her kittens and that a mother loves her child.  It is estimated that there are 10-100 different species of organism

Aisha (radi Allahu anha) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Angels were created from light, Jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (in the Quran and Sunnah)." [Sahih Muslim] Belief in angels, according to what has been revealed concerning them in the Quran and Sunnah, is one of the pillars of eeman. The angles are the noble servants of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), they do as He commands and never disobey Him. They are beings created from light, neither male nor female. They do not have fathers, mothers, mates, or children. Their sustenance is the remembrance and glorification of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). They act without restriction in creation according to what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has permitted for them. Ten angels we are informed by name about are: 1) Jibreel: duty to dispense revelation to the Messengers of Allah. 2) Mikail: in charge of rain. 3) Israfil: in charge of blowing t

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “In the last days of this world there will appear some young foolish people who will use the best speech of all people (i.e. the Quran), but they will abandon Islam as an arrow going through the game. Their belief will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have practically no belief), so wherever you meet them, kill them, for he who kills them shall get a reward on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih Bukhari] This hadith is about the Khawarij. They used to recite the Quran so much that its recitation could be heard from a distance away from their camps. They prayed much and lived very simply but the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said about them that they would be the dogs of the inmates of Hell. This is because they would apply the ayaat of the Quran meant for the non-Muslims to the Muslims. They would interpret verses of the Quran out of context and they made the blood of the Muslims lawful for themselves and for boasting amo

In the year of Hajjatul-Wada, Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) paid a Sahabah a visit while he was suffering from an ailment that had brought him to the verge of death. He said, “O Allah's Apostle! My sickness has reduced me to the (bad) state that you see, and I am a rich man, but have no heirs except one daughter. Shall I give 2/3 of my property in charity?” The Prophet replied, “No.” The Sahabah said, “Then 1/2 of it?” The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Even 1/3 is too much, for, to leave your inheritors wealthy is better than to leave them in poverty, begging from people. And (know that) whatever you spend in Allah's Cause, you will get reward for it, even for the morsel of food which you put in your wife's mouth.” [Bukhari] From this hadith we learn that we may will away a maximum of a third of our wealth. The other two thirds must be distributed according to the rules of inheritance laid down by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Another thing we learn