Sunday 5 September 2010

The Muslim Woman 'Unveiled'

THE MUSLIM WOMAN 'UNVEILED'

You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I'm dressed,
You know me not for whats inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,
My body's not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mould,
I'm an individual, I'm no mans slave,
Its Allah's pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,
'O ye women, wrap close your cloak,
so you won't be bothered by ignorant folk.'
Man does not tell me to dress this way,
Its a law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I'm truly NOT,
For liberation is what I've got,
It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,
I can climb mountains, or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam, to you and me.

Ramadhaan 27.08.10

My people have been blessed with 5 special favours in Ramadhaan:

1. The breath of a fasting person is better than the fragrance of musk.
2. The angels pray for them.
3. Paradise is prepared for them.
4. The mischievious devils are chained.
5. The fasting people are forgiven. [Ahmed]

"All deeds of the son of Adam are increased in value from 10-700 times except for fasting, since it is for me alone, I shall reward my servant as I please." [Muslim]
- Allah's Mercy & generosity- Reap the rewards!

"The month of patience and reward for true patience is Jannah.
Month of sympathy with ones fellow men.
Whoever feeds a fasting person to break the fast @ iftaar, for him be forgivesness of his sins and emancipation from the hell-fire and reward is equal to fasting person without diminishing that persons reward." (Salman al-Farsi)

And four things you should endeavour to perform in great number, two of which are pleasing to your Lord and the other two shall be those you cannot do without.
1) Recite kalimah and seek forgiveness.
2) To ask for Jannah and seek refuge from Jahannam.

"Qur'an and fast will intercede: O lord! I stopped him from eating, drink and sexual activity throughout the day, Qu'ran will say 'O mighty Lord! I stopped him from the rest and sleep at nite so intercede for him ." [Muslim]

" Five prayers, from one Friday to the next and from one Ramadaan to the next are and atonement for a mans sins as long as he avoids the major sins." [ Muslim]

"Ar-Raiyan is a gate in paradise and those that observe (saum)fast will enter through it on the Day of Ressurection."

May the days be prolonged in this month,
May the nights witness our standings,
May you feel the ecstacy of Jannah,
and may this be our plea till the end of time.

Saturday 4 September 2010

Hadith #1: Actions are by intentions

Narrated by 'Umar (ra):

Update

We are currently reviewing Imam An-Nawawis arba'in (40 hadiths). Ref: The Compendium of knowledge and Wisdom by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, translated by Abdassamad Clarke.
As the hadith states:

'Whoever memorises 40 narrations for my nation in matters of its religion, Allah will raise him up as a scholar and I shall be an intercessor and a witness for him on the Day of Rising.'

Our halaqa notes will follow inshallah.

Dua of Dawud & Muhammad (saws)

'Allahumma innee as aluka Hubbaka, wa Hubba man yu Hibbuka, wa 'amalalladhi yu balli ghunee Hubbaka'.

"O Allah, I ask You for Your love and the love of those who love You and the action which will make me attain Your love."

[Tirmidhi 3490]

Thursday 11 February 2010

Estranged Sister

" It is not proper for a muslim to keep away from his brother (in Islam) for more than three days so much so that when they meet they move away from eachother. the better of them is the one who is the first to salute the other.

Bukhari and Muslim

What you can do in 10minutes…

Here is a list of 10 things that would not take more then 10 minutes of our time. And if we knew what good these actions bring for our happiness in this life and the next, we would spend our life in dedication to these deeds:

10. Pray 2 Rakahs (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 rakahs of Duha and (3) That I do my witr before sleeping." - Bukhari and Muslim

9. Pray for Rasul Allah - 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 good deeds (hasanaat) every day? Let him do tasbeeh (Subhan Allah!) 100 times, it will be written for him 1000 hasanat 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 - invited for 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. - A sound hadith narrated by Bukhari in al adab al mufrad

5. Make Dua' often during times of ease
Rasul Allah - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Whoever it pleases that Allah answers his supplications during times of calamity and hardship, let him increase his supplication amidst the times of ease." - narrated by Tirmidhi and Al Hakim who classified it as authentic.
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.