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Showing posts from August, 2015

Tie Your Camel

Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that a person asked Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), “Should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul (trust in Allah for her protection) or should I leave her untied and have Tawakkul.” Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied, “Tie her and have Tawakkul.” (Hasan) [Jami At-Tirmidhi] Tawakkul means to put in one's best efforts to do what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) expects one to do and then leave the results to Allah's will. Tawakkul comes from conviction in qada wa qadar, one of the six pillars of eeman: What Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has written for me must come to pass.  Tawakkul in Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) includes tawakkul in His provision of rizq. 50,000 years before the creation of the universe, what provisions would come to me were written down in Lawh Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). Our test in this world is of the means we choose to earn these provisions. Do we adopt halal means and work seeking the pleasure of Allah (su

Omens

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Belief in a bad omen is polytheism (shirk)." [Tirmidhi] Many things are taken as good or bad omens all over the world. Superstitious people don't like to have black cats cross their paths, or walk underneath ladders, or are afraid of the number 13, and so forth and so on. Every culture has its own list of omens.  The problem with believing that something such as a stone, cat, or any other object, can change your fortune, means that you are ascribing to it powers that belong to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) alone. Giving Allah's attributes to other than Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is shirk in His attributes (shirk fee asma wa sifaat). Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists. Nothing happens except with His Knowledge and His Will. If some harm comes to you, it does not come because of the omen nor can it be avoided by avoiding the omen. Only asking Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for His protection can avert it.

Tawakkul or Fatalism

Umar Bin Khattaab (radi Allahu anhu) heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) saying, “If you trust Allah with the right kind of Tawakkul, He will provide you sustenance as He provides for the birds – they go out in the morning with empty stomachs and come back in the evening with full stomachs.” [Tirmidhi] A bird sitting in its nest, praising Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), will not have its stomach filled. It has to go out to seek food. It is only the bird that after glorifying Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) goes out and makes an effort to find food, that comes back full.   Belief in Allah's qada and qadar does not preclude action. Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) asked a group of people sitting around: “Who are you?” They replied: “We are resigned to the will of Allah and have placed our trust (made Tawakkul) in Him.” These people refused to bother with trying to earn a living using Tawakkul as an excuse. Umar (radi Allahu anhu) hit them and told them not to twist the con

Friday Bath

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “It is obligatory upon every adult to take a bath on Friday and to brush their teeth and use perfume if available.” [Bukhari] Cleanliness has been equated in Islam with half of Eeman (faith). To ensure this, we have to clean our bodies, clothes and prayer surroundings five times a day, i.e. before each prayer. The prayer then purifies us spiritually.  This Hadith sets the minimum thorough bathing limit at once a week. Every physically adult Muslim must labour to clean their hair, body, teeth and use (oil-based) perfume, if they have it, at least every Friday.

Death as a Hypocrite

Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever dies without having fought (in Jihad) or having thought of fighting, has died as a type of hypocrite.” [The Book of Leadership: Sahih Muslim] Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says, "Those who remained behind (did not join the Tabuk expedition) were delighted to sit inactive behind Allah's Rasul, and they hated to make Jihad with their goods and their persons in the cause of Allah. They said to each other ‘Do not go forth in the heat.’ Say to them: 'The fire of hell is much more severe in heat.' If only they could understand!" [Quran 9:81] Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) questions us, "Will you not fight against those people who have broken their oaths, conspired to expel the Rasul and were the first to attack you? Do you fear them? Nay, it is Allah Who is more deserving of your fear, if you are true believers." [Quran 9:113] Finally, Allah (subhana w

Lying to Yourself

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Mankind will not perish till they make excuses for their conduct to themselves.” [Mishkat] The worst kind of deception is self deception. There is very little hope for a person’s success in any sphere of his or her life, in relationships, in religion or in their careers, till they view themselves and their shortcomings realistically. Only then can they improve themselves. So stop blaming, complaining and procrastination. Successful people take full responsibility for their lives.

Like Scum

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "A time will come when the nations (of the world) will surround you from every side, just as diners gather around the main dish. Somebody asked, 'Oh Messenger of Allah, will it be on account of our scarcity at that time?' He said, 'No, but you will be scum, like the scum of flood water. Feebleness will be in your hearts, and fear will be removed from the hearts of your enemies, on account of your love for the world, and your abhorrence of death.'" [Ahmad, Abu Dawud] If you look at the state of Muslim lands today, this hadith appears to apply directly to us. The Muslim population of the world is huge, yet our lives or sensitivities do not count for much. It is other nations that are respected, revered or feared. This hadith tells us that being too in love with the things of this world and subsequently hating death, puts us in a position whereby our principles are compromised, and we no longer remain a force to be

The Benefit of Conveying Religious Knowledge

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "God, His angels and all those in the Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their ant-hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge." [Tirmidhi] The Sahabah, in their study groups, would tell their students regarding each and every ayah that they taught: "This ayah is better than the world and all that it contains." The most beneficial knowledge is that which saves one from an eternity of suffering and brings one to an eternity of joy. Thus, the knowledge of greatest value is revelation from Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), for only that has the power to bring us to eternal joy in a world of perfection (Jannah). This knowledge is what we should be most concerned about conveying.  When we convey beneficial knowledge to others we cause all the angels and all other creatures in the heavens and on earth, including all the fish, birds, ants, etc, to send blessings on us. The P

Sharing Domestic Work

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Helping wives (in their domestic work) earns (men) the reward of charity." [Kanz-ul-Amaal] The Prophet's example teaches us to care for women by sharing their domestic chores. Narrated Al-Aswad (radi Allahu anhu): "I asked Aisha (radi Allahu anha), 'What did the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) do at home?' She said, 'He used to work for his family and when he heard the call for the prayer, he would go out.'" [Sahih Bukhari]  Instead of the wife or husband complaining about housework, each should know that it earns reward/hasanaat for them. Therefore, there is no harm in doing whatever one has to. We should try to keep the reward in mind to cheerfully get on with our married lives.

Give a Smile Instead of Chocolate

Ibn Jaz said: “I have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam).” (Hasan) [Chapters on Al-Manaqib: Jami At-Tirmidhi] What do you gain when you smile? When you smile, the actual movement triggers the brain’s pleasure points. Smiling causes endorphins, which are known as the body’s natural painkillers, to be released. Not surprisingly, endorphins are also released when laughing, exercising, eating chocolate, getting massaged, meditating, to just about anything that leaves a smile on your face. A smile makes a person feel as good as eating 2000 bars of chocolate.  Research shows that after being shown pictures of smiling people, the brain and heart activity of participants is equal to that when given 2,000 chocolate bars. So the next time you think of giving someone chocolate, give a smile instead – it will do 2,000 times better. Research has also shown that women who showed an intense happiness in their smiles indicated a happier future. W

Leaves from an Autumn Tree

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "No Muslim is afflicted with any harm but for that Allah will cause his sins to be shed as the leaves of a tree fall down." [Sahih Bukhari]  According to Islamic faith, Allah in His wisdom prescribed suffering for essential purposes. For the unjust, suffering is a punishment. This is a fact that has long been proved in scriptures when the fate of the people of Lut, the Pharaoh and his army, the people of Nuh, etc, is told.  As for those who believe, even if they are sinners, suffering carries a different message. It could be a test through which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) wants to elevate His pious servants to higher ranks in the hereafter. It could be a means to wash away the believer's sins and bring him or her back to his or her earlier purity.  In this context, Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials." [Sahih Bukhari] This is the reason

Good News for the Blind

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Allah said, 'If I deprive my slave of his two beloved things (his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them.'" [Sahih Bukhari]  There was once a man who had spent his whole life in piety. He came on the Day of Judgement with a mountain of good deeds, confident of his having earned his way to Jannah. The angels asked him whether he wanted to go Jannah by Allah's mercy or by virtue of his good deeds. Since he had spent his whole life doing good, he felt confident and said that he would like go to Jannah by virtue of his deeds. So the angels put his mountain of good deeds on one side of the scale and on the other side put his two eyes. The weight of his two eyes sent all his good deeds flying into the air.  The immense blessings that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has bestowed upon us in the form of our eyes, ears, tongue, nose and sense of touch is something we take for grant

Lifting of Knowledge

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars remains alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray.” [Sahih Bukhari]  It is a sign of the nearness of the Day of Judgment that the world will be deprived of genuine religious scholars, and illiterate people will become leaders who will have neither the knowledge of the Quran nor that of the Hadith. Despite their ignorance of the Quran and Hadith, they will be called Mujtahid (jurist entitled to independent reasoning) and Imam (leader) and will mislead people with their legal opinions.  This hadith warns us against ignorant, self-styled Ulama and against entrusting religious leadersh

Nationalism in Islam

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “He is not one of us who calls for asabiyyah, (tribalism/nationalism) or who fights for asabiyyah, or who dies for asabiyyah.” [Abu Dawud] On one occasion during the time of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), a party of Jews conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing the Aus and Khazraj harmonious with each other within Islam. A youth from among them was sent to incite remembrance of the battle of Bu'ath, where the Aus had been victorious over the Khazraj. He recited poetry to stir their feelings, remind them of their past differences, and bring about division between them. As a result there was a call to arms. When the news reached the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) he said, "O Muslims, remember Allah, remember Allah. Will you act as pagans while I am present among you, after Allah has guided you to Islam, and honoured you thereby and made a clean break with paganism; de

Your Right to Privacy

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Were a man to look at you without permission and you threw a rock at him and knocked out his eye, you would not have committed any offense." Another hadith states: "Whoever peeps into a house without its people's leave, they may put out his eye." [Sahih Muslim] These are stern warnings against peeping and prying into the private life of others. Some do it as a practical joke, others as a pastime, some just to be intrusive and some perhaps without realizing the enormity of the offence. This hadith reminds us of each individual's and each family's right to privacy that cannot be violated.

Marital Discord Pleases Shaytaan Most

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said that Shaytaan sits on his throne daily and dispatches his agents to work among human beings. One of the agents returns and says that I made a certain person commit a sin, another says I got so and so involved in this offence. Upon listening to all this, Shaytaan says that you have done nothing great. Eventually, one representative comes and says that I saw a husband and wife extremely devoted to each other. I sowed the seeds of enmity between them. On hearing this, Shaytaan becomes happy and embracing his agent says that you have indeed achieved something great. [Mishkat] The love between a husband and wife is the biggest blow to Shaytaan. From this it is apparent how meritorious this love is. The Islamic prescription for success in married life is based on taqwa, fear, love, and consciousness of Allah. Taqwa -- the basis for all aspects of Islamic life -- is especially relevant to the household. That is why Sura Nisa, which co

Most Highly Rewarded Act

A man came to Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) and asked, “Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward).” He replied, “I do not find such a deed.” Then Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) added, “Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?” The man said, “But who can do that?” [Bukhari] This hadith makes it clear that the most highly rewarded deed is fighting in the path of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). What could be equivalent to fighting in Jihad, is fasting and praying continuously, without breaking one’s fast until the mujahid (Muslim fighter) comes back from combat. This, both Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) and the inquirer knew, was not possible. There is a fabricated hadith used to mislead Muslims, that devalues combat in protecting the lives of Muslims and the Islamic state. The ‘hadith’ relates that Rasul Allah as he was returning from a Jihad

Treasure Your Capital

Amar bin Maymoon Al-Audi (radhi Allahu anhu) narrates that once Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) gave the following advice to a Sahaabi: “Treasure five things before five: Your youth before old-age; your health before illness; your wealth before poverty; your free time before becoming occupied, and your life before death." [Tirmidhi]  This wonderful hadith describes the four major assets of life: youth, health, wealth, and free time. Although life is counted as the fifth point, but by mentioning it last the implication is that the previous four factors make up the capital of one’s life. The word “treasure” at the start of this hadith is quite significant. A human being treasures things that are valuable. A Muslim in particular, is taught to value and appreciate the four major funds that make up a person’s capital for investment in the hereafter.

Have Book But Knowledge Is Lost

Imam Ahmed narrates that Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said regarding something: “That would happen when knowledge is lost.” One of the Sahabah asked, “O Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), how could knowledge be lost when we have studied the Quran, we are teaching it to our children and our children will teach it to theirs.” Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Woe to you! I thought you were one of the most learned men of Medinah. Can’t you see the Jews and Christians are not benefiting even though they have their scriptures (Torah and Injeel) right with them?” This hadith makes clear that if there is no application of the Quran, its recitation becomes useless. If we know what the Quran contains but don't apply it, we become like donkeys carrying books as our burdens, not benefitting from our loads. How did the Sahabah study the Quran? If we take the example of Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu), it took him 14 years to finish memorizing Sur

Empathy & Your Face

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “You cannot be a true Muslim until you are kind among yourselves…Kindness is not this that you sympathize with your companion, but kindness is this that you think all men deserving of it.” [Tibrani] In order for your advice to others to be effective they have to feel that you genuinely care about them. 90% of communication is non-verbal. If you want people to feel that you genuinely care about them then only saying so is not going to be sufficient, because they will read your true feelings from your non verbal communication. Human beings can make more than ten thousand facial expressions. At least three thousand of them have distinct meaning. [Blink]  Your face is a billboard for your feelings. In addition, the expressions you make influence what you feel. Notice that Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) discusses both aspects: That you show sympathy, and also that you feel sympathy because the expression and the feelings both work o

Imaan Is The Judging Criteria

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “A time will come when it will be said about a man how intelligent he is, and how cool he is, but there won’t be a single grain of eeman in his heart.” This is one of the minor signs of the Day of Judgement. Today we see that people in many walks of life are admired as being cool or brilliant; athletes, pop stars, actors, scientists, businessmen, entertainers, politicians, etc. Yet these are often people who exhibit no morality, conscience, character or taqwa. When the people that we look up to are devoid of the fear of Allah, undoubtedly our behaviour will model theirs. We should seek refuge with Allah from making people who have no eeman in their hearts our role models.