Refresh Your Imaan

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “If a person bathes on Friday, cleans himself thoroughly, combs his hair, uses perfume if available, goes to the Masjid taking care not to step over anyone in the congregation, offers the prescribed portion of the Friday prayer and also listens silently to the Imam’s sermon, then whatever sins he committed since the previous Friday will be forgiven.” [Bukhari] A Muslim wrote a letter to the editor of the Jamaat newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Masjid every Friday. “I've gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I must have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time . . . and the Imams are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the dismay of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I...

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Two eyes will not be touched by Hellfire: An eye that cries from the fear of Allah, and an eye that spent the night in a guard post in the path of Allah (Jihad).” [Tirmidhi] This hadith shows the significance of being on the alert for the protection of Muslims. When there is an Islamic state in which Allah's laws are supreme, not subordinate to man-made laws, then Jihad is Fard Kifayah (an obligation on the community and not on every single Muslim). This is because if Muslims give up Jihad altogether, the aspirations of the Kuffar to take over Muslim lands are emboldened. This is what has happened since the destruction of the Khilafah. Moreover, the justice of Islam is for all humankind. Others may not be left to suffer under oppressive man-made systems while guidance from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is present.   The four Fuqaha (jurists), the Ulema (scholars), the Mufassireen (scholars of tafseer), and the Muhaditheen ...

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Teach! Make things easy! And do not make things complicated! He repeated this three times and then he added: And if you get angry, keep quiet!” [Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, Al-Matalib Al-Aliyah; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal] Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) came with the most important of teachings. He was sent by none other than the Supreme Most Being, the Creator of all that exists. Therefore, it stands to reason that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) must have chosen Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) because he would be the best teacher for this all important message. Considering this, let’s see what we can learn from this hadith regarding the qualities of excellent teachers: 1a. Make things easy for the students. A teacher should not try to complicate matters. In order to teach effectively, the teacher must know his/her material very well. For this adequate preparation is necessary.  1b. In order to communicate effectively, it is ess...

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Anyone who makes an innovation or shelters those who make innovations, on him is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.” [Abu Dawud] Allah and the angels curse those who innovate in the Deen of Allah. An innovation is something done while considering it to be praiseworthy and rewardable by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), but which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) did not command us to do so in the Quran or Sunnah.  Examples of innovations are: celebrating the Prophet’s birthday (Eid Milad-un-Nabi), gathering people to recite Quran for the deceased forty days after his/her death (Chehlum), holding annual functions for the deceased (Barsi), Koondae, re-enacting the tragedy of Karbala, taking processions out for Muharram, distributing food at the graves of pious people, putting cloth (Chadars) on the graves of pious people, etc.  Innovating in matters of religion is equivalent to making the Deen (Islam) up based on one’s whims ...