Christmas in Islam

Christmas
One of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world, Christmas - the annual festival commemorating the 'assumed' birth of Îsa Alayhis Salâm - is the most awaited and triumphant day of the Christian calendar. Christmas has become more synonymous to great economic activity than to it's religious aspects and rituals. This is quite evident from our pre-Christmas economic boom and commercial flurry. In Western Countries, the bane of Muslim association and companionship with Christians and other Mushrikîn has subsequently resulted in a great degree of social and religious integration. The impact of this integration is quite evident in our South-African Muslim communities where Muslims have fused their Islamic culture with that of the kuffâr. Not only have they absorbed the influence of the kuffâr, but they have become overwhelmingly pre-disposed to it, resulting in the virtual abandonment of their very own pristine and pure culture. Now, unable to differentiate between what belongs to them and what belongs to the others, they are left baffled at a crossroads - unable to differentiate between right and wrong. As a result, they are totally drawn into a downright alien and un-Islamic culture grossly unaware of it.

Christmas as the word implies is a purely Christian festival in total contrast to Islamic culture and norm. Nonetheless, many unwary or rather ignorant Muslims support this festival in some form or the other - either actively or passively. Supporting the cause of kufr in whatever way is a heinous crime and a direct onslaught upon Islam and everything it stands for. Similarly, participation in any form of Christmas-related activities is a stepping stone to kufr - hence, vehemently prohibited. Let us now examine the various anti-Islamic customs with regards to Christmas.

Christmas Cards
No doubt Islam teaches us courtesy unto Muslims and non-Muslims alike, but this does not mean that our courtesy should stretch beyond the legal boundaries of Shariah. Many assert that since the non-Muslims send cards to us on occasions of Eid, we, on grounds of courtesy are compelled to acknowledge this by sending cards to them on their festive days. However, this assertion is misfounded and totally against the spirit of Islam. We are not compelled to be subservient to the "courteous " gesture of others. Islam as a code of life has undoubtedly shown us the correct etiquette and manners for every occasion. It teaches us every facet of moral behaviour in regard to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. How then can we "borrow" the anti-Islamic c haracteristic of our enemies? Repeatedly the Qur'ân and Ahadith exhort us to refrain form emulating the habits and customs of the Kuffâr - the Jews and Christians in particular. How dare we tread the footsteps of our arch-rivals in something that is totally abhorred by Islam? A hadith sternly cautions us against emulating non-Islamic groups. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam warns: "Whomsoever emulates a nation is of them." From this we deduce that emulating (tashabbuh) the kuffâr is harâm (totally prohibited) in regards to religious and social habits which are confined to them only.

Another evil which is quite common nowadays is the custom of decorating shops, offices, etc., with flashing lights, Christmas posters, trees and many other forms of decorations. Drawn into this tide of evil, many Muslim shopkeepers tend to decorate their shops in the same way as their kuffâr counterparts do, little realizing the adverse impact this has on their Iman and Deen. All forms of such decorations, whether this is done to enhance the pre-Christmas sales or merely as a formality - are not permissible. Besides it being tantamount to tashabbuh (emulation of the kuffâr), it is a sheer waste of hard-earned money. The squandering of wealth is judged by Islam as a detestable sin indeed. The Qur'ân sums up the extravagant in the following stringent statement: "Verily, the extravagant are the brothers of the Shaytân." Another verse commands: "Do not waste. Verily Allah does not like those who waste." Hence, all forms of Christmas decorations are totally harâm regardless of the intention. The same rules apply to the actual sale of such decoration because the prohibition of anything renders it's sale prohibited as well.

Little realizing the unfavourable religious consequences, many parents purchase lucky-dips, fireworks, Christmas crackers etc. simply to delight their children. We are all aware of the un-Islamic customs the purchase of lucky-dips entail. Everything about it is un-Islamic. Besides the factor of emulation of the kuffâr which in itself is prohibited, the sale of the lucky-dip is also incorrect. The fact that the contents of the box are mysterious, nullifies the sale transaction. Subsequently, the sale of the item and the item itself both fall against the in junctions and spirit of Islam. Similarly, the sale of lucky-dips, fireworks etc. is not permitted and the income derived therefrom will be classified as a harâm earning. Another factor which further exacerbates this evil is the sheer wastage of hard-earned money which could have been put to better use.


With a few months to go before Christmas, preparations to adorn the main streets of the city centres will soon be underway. Probably, because many Muslims are unaware of the sin involved, they tend to converge on these streets at night simply to view the dazzling display of lights. There are many evils attached to this. The fact that such displays stem from purely Christian customs, it's prohibition is further enhanced. Many Muslims are probably under the false notion that since they are not actively involved in it, mere viewing will do no harm. The following Hadith will serve as an eye-opener to them. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam is reported to have declared: "Whomsoever increases the crowd of a nation is of them." Instead of taking your child to view the Christmas decorations, take him to places of better interest and to places which would benefit him in the future. The article in no way means that the Muslim tradesmen should close their doors during this period and not take advantage of such a boom. If would be foolish on the writer to even imply this. One is at liberty to utilise this period to his pecuniary advantage but within the bounds of shariah. However, other activities which stem from purely Christian customs are totally prohibited.

(Excerpt from the An Nasihah - The Advice No. 47)
Published by Madrasah Arabia Islamia - Azaadville - South Africa

Related post: New Years in Islam/ Shariah

Salams
This is to be my last post before I depart for Saudi on the 24th Dec. inshallah. I will keep the comments feature enabled but please note that after the 24th any new comments wont be approved until my return some four weeks later.

Please make dua that I am able to utilise this invitation that Allah has given for me to perform Hajj and that my Hajj and Umrahs are accepted. Inshallah I will remember you all in my duas especially those who have established/ maintain blogs online for the benefit of Muslims and to be of service to Islam. Those who have support these islamic blogs through promoting/ commenting and encouragement will also not be forgotten!

I ask for everyone to forgive me if I have wronged or hurt you in anyway whatsoever.

Jazakallah, duas requested please.
Wasalam
Brother in Islam Ahmed

Sutra in Salah

Salams
I was listening to a talk by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq on the Sutra in Salah and thought I would share the extract below taken from www.sunnipath.com.
May Allah give us the ability to act upon below, Ameen.


In the name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful

It is related that the Prophet (pbuh) said ‘If the one passing in front of the one praying knew what was against him, his waiting forty would be better for him than passing in front of him’ [Bukhari] Abu al-Nadr, one of the sub narrators, said ‘I don’t know whether he said forty days, or months or years’. In a version narrated by al-Bazzar the hadith reads ‘forty autumns’.

The offence being as serious as it is, the scholars defined what constitutes passing in front of somebody praying. If the one praying is in an open space or a large mosque, the scholars differed concerning what is considered passing in front, both opinions being deemed strong and follow-able. One opinion is that it is passing by his place of prostration, such that if one where to pass in front of him but beyond his immediate place of prostration there would be no sin upon one. The other opinion, which is ibn Abidins preference, is that one would be considered passing in front if one is within the field of vision of the one praying if his eyes were fixed on his place of prostration.

If the one praying is in a room or a small mosque then one will be sinful for passing in front regardless of how far in front of him one is. Ibn Abidin defines a small mosque as being forty cubits.

However, is the one passing in front always to blame?

The possible scenarios that may occur are four,

1. The one passing has an alternative to passing in front and the one praying did not pray in a place where he is in people’s way.
-In this case the sin is only on the one passing.

2. The one passing has no alternative to passing and the one praying was in a place where he would be in people’s way.
-The sin in this case is solely on the one praying.

3. The one passing has an alternative to passing in front and the one praying was in a place where he would get in people’s way.
-The sin is on both of them.

4. Neither does the one passing have an alternative nor is the one praying in people’s way. -The sin is on neither of them.

In all of these cases the one passing in front would be free from sin if the one praying were to keep a sutra in front of him. A sutra is an object of about a cubit in height that one places in front of one as one prays.

One last scenario that is relevant to mention is that if someone prays near the entrance of the mosque or without filling in the gaps in the row in front, one can walk in front of him to fill in the gaps. [Radd al-Muhtar, 1:427, Dar Li Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi]

Looking now to the question at hand, if the mosque is considered a large mosque then there is no problem at all as there is no harm in walking in front of somebody by a few metres in a small mosque. If it is not a large mosque then there still is no sin on the men as they are walking to fill in the rows which they can not do with out walking in front of the women.

And Allah knows best.
Sohail Hanif.

The Fierce Lion & Clever Mr. Rabbit

The Fierce Lion & Clever Mr. Rabbit

Shaykh Jalaaluddeen Rumi rahmatullahi alayh [604-670AH/1207-1273AD] relates an interesting episode in his epic book Mathnawi...

Once upon a time, many animals were living peacefully in jungle when a fierce lion arrived and started devouring the animals freely. All the animals became agitated and afraid. At a hastily convened meeting, it was decided to approach King Lion and request if they be permitted to send an animal everyday for Sire’s meal: saving lion the trouble of hunting and, allowing all other animals to graze in peace. King Lion agreed.

Daily, lots would be drawn and, whichever unfortunate animals name was drawn would proceed to King Lion’s den, whilst the others lived peacefully.

Now, one day, Mr. Rabbit’s name was drawn...clever Mr. Rabbit definitely did not wish to end up as that tyrant lions dinner...and, so he schemed a very, very clever plan.

Mr. Rabbit waited and waited...Until the lion became very, very hungry and annoyed. By this time, all in the jungle could hear King Lion’s angry roaring...Grr! Grr! Grr! and became concerned. Quickly, the other animals arrived to pressure Mr. Rabbit into fulfilling their pledge.

Finally, after much persuasion, Mr. Rabbit departed towards the dreaded bone ridden den...From afar, the lion growled loudly:

“Grr! Grr! Did I not tell you animals that you would not be able to fulfil your pledge! From now on, I shall start eating anybody and everybody at will again! Grr!”
Clever Mr. Rabbit kept his cool and with a brave heart pleaded...

“Sire, being king of the jungle, you are, of course at liberty to do as you wish but, do listen to my story first. Something absolutely terrible has happened today and, we animals are afraid that we shall not be able to fulfil our pledge, because another lion has appeared in the jungle...yes, and that cheat is devouring the animals sent for your meals!

This is precisely why I am late. I was coming with my brother to you...when this other lion appeared and mauled my brother. I managed to escape, but only just! Therefore, Sire, if you wish to eat comfortably daily, you will have to see the other lion off first!”

Infuriated, angry King of the Jungle growled:

“Grr! Grr! Show me to where he is Grr! Grr!”

Sensing his opportunity, Mr. Rabbit obliged:

“Yes, of course sire...but, may I request that you carry me on your shoulders...for I am very afraid of that other lion!”

So they both proceeded through jungle until they arrived at a cliff...this overlooked a shallow pond. When the lion observed his own reflection in the water below...Instantly Mr. Rabbit screamed out loudly...

“Look, Sire! There he is and he has my brother in his mouth! Quickly, Kill him!”

Immediately, the fierce lion jumped off the cliff unto [the other lion] below...No...onto his own reflection in the shallow water containing large rocks...and was killed instantly! Clever Mr. Rabbit returned merrily skipping through the jungle, to spend rest of his life narrating to the other animals of how he had single-handedly defeated this ferocious beast.

Moral
Observe the error of the lion: for whilst possessing courage he lacked Hikmat [Wisdom] and, this was precisely the cause of his ‘downfall’.
Reproduced from: 'Ashraf's Orchard'

Imam ibn Majah (r.a)

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Majah (r.a) - [209 - 273 A.H.]

Imam Ibn Majah was born in the city of Qazvin in the northern Persian province of Dailam. After gaining ahadith from the many great religious scholars of his city, he travelled to seek knowledge at the young age of 21. Imam Ibn Majah is said to have visited Basrah, Kufah, Baghdad, the Hijaz, Makkah, Syria and Egypt to hear and gather ahadith.

Amongst his teachers were Jabbara ibn al Mughlis, Ibrahim ibn al-Munzar, Hisham ibn Umar and more Abu Bakr ibn Shaibah.

His status
Ibn Khallikan writes that Imam ibn Majah held the position of an Imam in the subject of hadith.
Abu al-Ali Khalili says he was a great scholar of Qur’anic exegesis, ahadith and history.
Adh Dhahabi stated that he was a hafiz and warehouse of Prophetic knowledge.

Imam ibn Majah is known to have authored 3 books, popularly known Sunan ibn Majah, at-Tafsir and at-Tarikh.

Imam Ibn Majah departed from this world during the blessed month of Ramadan 273 A.H. in Qazvin, the city of his birth.

May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Ameen.
Source: Scholars of Hadith by Syed Bashir Ali

Related posts
Imam Bukhari (r.a)
Imam Muslim (r.a)
Imam Tirmizi (r.a)
Abu Dawud (r.a)
Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)

Ahmad ibn Shu'aib an-Nasa'i (r.a) - [215 - 303 A.H.]

Imam an-Nasa'i was born in the town of Nasa' in the Persian province of Khorasan. After gaining hadith from the teachers his own city, Imam an-Nasa'i travelled through Khorasan, Iraq, the Hijaz Syria and Egypt gaining ahadith. Egypt was where Imam an-Nasa'i settled and established his center for teaching and studies here.

Imam an-Nasa'i was said to have exhausted many of his days and nights in prayers, repeatedly performed Hajj and also joined the Muslim army to participate in battle. He was very particular of the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), had a hatred for deviation and avoided the circles of kings and nobles.

His status
Ibn Khallikan writes 'He was the Imam of hadith of his age.'
Daraqutni says 'He was more distinguished than all the muhaddithun of his time.'
He is well known for Sunan an-Nasa'i which is a collection of 5751 sound ahadith. In it he also describes the flaws of a hadith, exposes any disagreements on the title, names and kunyat of narrators and clarifies the variations between different versions of a hadith.

His teachers are many, the first being Muhaddith Qutaibah ibn Sa'id al Balkhi. Some others are Ishaq ibn Rahawaih, Muhammad ibn Nasr, Muhammad ibn Bishr and the famous Abu Dawud.

His students came from all over the Muslim world, and some of the more famous of them are Ali ibn Jafar at-Tahawi, Abul Qasim at-Tabrani, Muhammad ibn Mu'awiyah al Andalusi, Abu Jafar at-Tahani and also his own son.

Imam an-Nasa'i travelled to Damascus, Syria in 302 A.H. where he noticed people displaying some hostility towards Hazrat Ali (R.A). He therefore wrote a book to honor the character of Hazrat Ali (R.A) and started lecturing from it in a Masjid. He had only read a few lines when he was accused of being a Shi'i and was beaten badly by a crowd, such he received severe injuries to his body. In this state he requested some admirers to take him to Makkah, and it was after reaching Makkah Imam an-Nasa'i passed away.

May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Ameen.
Source: Scholars of Hadith by Syed Bashir Ali

Related posts
Imam Bukhari (r.a)
Imam Muslim (r.a)
Imam Tirmizi (r.a)
Abu Dawud (r.a)
Imam ibn Majah (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Human Kindness in Islam

Nasiruddin was the slave of a king, and very fond of hunting. One day he came across a very pretty baby deer and picked it up and rode away. The mother deer saw Nasiruddin take her baby and followed him anxiously. Nasiruddin, pleased with the baby dear, was thinking about presenting it to his children to play with. After a time, he chanced to look back and saw the mother deer following him, her expression full of grief. He noticed too that she did not seem to care about her own safety. Moved to pity, Nasiruddin set the baby deer free. The mother deer nuzzled and licked her baby fondly and the two deer leapt happily away into the forest. But many times the mother deer looked back at Nasiruddin, as if to express her thanks.

That night Nasiruddin dreamt that the revered Prophet (pbuh) was addressing him:
‘Nasiruddin, your name has been entered in the list of Allah, and you will one day have a kingdom. But remember that when you are king you will also have many responsibilities. Just as you have shown mercy to the deer today, you should be merciful to all Allah’s creatures. You should not forget your people by falling into a life of luxury.’

This dream came true and Nasiruddin did become king, Amir Nasiruddin Subaktagin, father of Sultan Muhammad.

The moral of the story is that if we wish Allah to be merciful to us, we must be eager to show mercy to all the living creatures of the earth.

When a flower blooms, its colour and scent first touch the garden near it, and then spread. In the same way, a Muslim’s acts of human kindness should first touch those nearest to him, his family and his neighbours.

Source: Muslim Manners by Iqbal Ahmad Azami

Shaikh Shah Jalal

SHAIKH SHAH JALAL
Shah Jalal is one of the most revered legendary Islamic heroes of Bangladesh and one of the key founding fathers of Islam in the country. He was a great saint and a great warrior. Along with his disciples, he made a unique contribution in liberating the people of Sylhet region.

His full full name is Sheikh-ul Mashaek Mokhdum Sheikh Shah Jalal Mozorrodh Bin Muhammed. His father was the contemporary of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Losing his parents early in his life he was brought up by his maternal uncle who was also a pious saint. After completing his education, his uncle gave him a handful of earth and told him to travel to a land, in Hindustan, where earth of the same colour can be found. There he should settle down and establish the religion of Islam.

In the course of his journey he met Khwaja Gharibnawaz Moinuddin Hasan Chisty and Shaikh Nizam ud din Auliya. After a while he reached Sylhet, Bengal where he found a Shaikh, Burhan ud din was being persecuted by Raja Gaur Govinda, the king of the Sylhet. Shaikh Shah Jalal and his travelling party of 300 plus auliyas joined the army which had been sent by the Sultan of Gaur against the King. Alhumdulillah, they were able to defeat the King despite two previous failed attempts.

After the conquest Shaikh Shah Jalal found a match for the earth his uncle had given him and he settled in Sylhet and remained there until his death. He and his disciples travelled as far as Mymensingh and Dhaka to preach the message of Islam.

Ibn Battutah who met Shaikh Shah Jalal in Sylhet says of him:
‘he was numbered among the principal saints, and was one of the most singular of men. He had done many noteworthy acts, and wrought many celebrated miracles. He used to remain standing (in prayer) all night. The inhabitants of these mountains received Islam from his hands, and it was for this reason that he stayed among them.
Ibn Battutah also narrates several miracles of the saint, and reports the date of his death as 1347.

May Allah swt accept the efforts of Shaikh Shah Jalal for the cause of Islam, Ameen.


Take a look A Good Death over on Islamic Poetry blog.
Wasalam

If I should Speak

Salams
I just wanted to write a quick post to tell you about a couple of novels I've had in my collection of books for some time now which I think might appeal to the you, but for sure to the younger generation of Muslims.

'If I should Speak' by Umm Zakiyyah
ISBN: 097076670X
description from Amazon
The author promises to revolutionize story telling in this powerful story about three college students, one Christian and the others Muslim, who find themselves unlikely roommates at a small, private American university. Tamika, the main character of this novel, is a sophomore in college who dreams of becoming a famous singer. After a fight with her roommate, she is forced to move out of her room and ends up living with two Muslims, one who is religious, while the other is becoming discontented with the religion. Tamika is immediately drawn to Durrah, the latter, who shares her love for singing. Durrah is emerging as a successful model and singer in her own right and enjoys a growing level of prominence in her career, which has earned her many admirers, Tamika being one. Captivated by Durrah's magnetic personality, breathtaking beauty, and powerful singing voice, Tamika has found both a friend and mentor in life. As the seeds of friendship are sown between them, the doors of fame are beginning to open for Tamika. But she is unprepared for the one obstacle that stands in her way to success...

My own personal opinion is that Mashallah this book is a great read for all, especially those who want to attend University. I got so stuck into this book that I found it hard to put down.
In fact I even brought the sequel 'A Voice' by Umm Zakiyyah (ISBN: 0970766726). Both books are rather like an islamic lecture but with a fictional story context attached to it, making them very interesting to read. I brought both mine from Amazon though I think they may be more easily available in shops now. Waterstones might be able to order them for you if you give them the ISBN.

Onto a more recent book I read during Ramadan 'Hazrat Shaykhul Hadith and I...' a translation of the original written by Maulana Yusuf Motala. In this book we are given glimpses into the life of Maualana Zakariyya (r.a) and subhanallah its amazing to read of such pious personalities and the sacrifices and concern they had for the religion of Islam. Moreso amazing is that such personalities were dwelling upon Allahs earth just a few years ago. Anyway given I still havent been able to read Aap Beeti I found this a brilliant substitute.

I'd like to hear suggestions or recommendations of books that the readers of this blog might have, through the comments link. It goes without saying Qur'an should be at the top of each Muslims list, and we should devote time daily to at least recite a portion of it.
Anyhow its been a year since this blog started, read the first post Salams, ignore the first paragraph though please!
Off topic, the comments function is now moderated, so those comments I deem unfit to publish wont be accepted. Inshallah, this will make this site a more friendlier site.
Remember me in your duas.
Wasalam

Instant messaging with the opposite sex

INSTANT MESSAGING WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX

Question:
I'm in high school and I am trying my best to avoid temptations of this western world. Like many high schoolers, I too go on msn and my question was that are we allowed to talk to the opposite sex through msn? Could you expand on the guidelines when talking to the opposite sex.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate.

In our days and time, the traditional face-to-face interaction between men and women is no longer the only method of interaction. The Shari`ah rulings that apply to gender interaction, such as lowering the gaze, covering one's nakedness and avoiding khalwa with the opposite sex are not a concern for people whose interaction takes place on the internet.

However, as situations change, new rulings apply to accommodate them. MSN, or instant messaging is one of these new situations, and although this didn't exist in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, this does not give people a license to behave however they wish.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said, "The adultery of the tongue is speech." And the ruling of intermixing in the Shafi'I school is, as stated in the Reliance of the Traveller (r32.6): It is offensive for a male to speak without need to a young woman who is not a member of his unmarriageable kin (mahram).

Now, although instant messaging is not direct speech with the tongue, it is nevertheless a clear form of expression and interaction. As you know, this type of interaction is so quick and easy that long-distance relationships and marriages have even been formed through it.

My advice to you is that you MSN with the opposite sex only when it is necessary. An example of this would be when working with someone on aproject for school, or trying to ask a scholar of the opposite sex a fiqh question. You may also find that it is necessary to send a kind e-mail to someone that you feel you may have wronged or offended.

Although it may seem impossible to convey real emotion through the net, it is, as you know, very possible. With the aid of smiley faces, exclamation marks and popular expressions, the other side can get the wrong idea, so be cautious in how you use them.

Having said this, don't think that you have to be cold to the opposite sex, for Muslims that hold contempt for one another does not make for a unified ummah. You should always be cordial and make other Muslims feel comfortable, but still set limits so you don't leave any room for fitna, attraction, or long and unnecessary chats.

Finally, have a good intention and in sha Allah, Allah will help to steer you clear of the impermissible. Take a look at the answers in the SunniPath QA to help you learn more about gender interaction.

And Allah alone knows best.
by Shazia Ahmad (Source: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=7940&CATE=3600)


Also see my post on A Bad Death over at poem blog.

The Snake Catcher

THE SNAKE CATCHER
Jalaluddin Rumi (rahmatullahi alaiyh)
There was once snake catcher who once went to the mountains. Due to the winter cold and heavy snow, many very big snakes lay motionless, as if they were dead.

The snake-catcher picked up one of these seemingly lifeless snakes and took it to Baghdad, with the purpose of using it for a show. Showing it off, he made big claims as to how he had brilliantly captured the snake.

However, when the sun began to shine and its warmth cloaked the snake, the coldness in its body disappeared. The signs of life were soon apparent and when the snake began to move, the snake-catcher and all those around, fled.

Our Nafs is like that snake. With Tazkyia (purification), Mushaqqat (effort), our nafs (self) becomes frozen. It appears to be dead. But give it a little heat from the fire of sin and it will bite again. A little exposure to some past sins and the nafs swings back to life.

We should not think that we have killed our nafs and thus become unmindful. Yes, with some mujahadah (striving), suhbat (company) of the Sheikh, tilawat (recitation) of the Qur'an, Dikrullah, following Deen and Shariah and in building up that contact and love for Allah Ta'ala and Rasulullah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), the nafs can be frozen. However, a little taste of sin revives the evil nafs.
source: www.everymuslim.com

Salams
Just a quick note to say that blogging on my part might not be so regular over the next couple of months, for the reason being that I've set myself some goals with regards to deen that I would really like to meet. Please make dua I am able to accomplish them. The other major reason is that I will be going to perform Hajj this year inshallah and as its my first Hajj I have lots to learn before I depart. I already have a few books/ guides which I need to get through.
Take alook at The Ultimate Computer Virus post on poem blog.
Remember me in your duas please.
Wasalam

I want to Learn Arabic

Question:
I want to learn Arabic. How would you recommend that I proceed? What Arabic literature would you recommend for beginners?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
As-Salamu Alaykum,

There are a few things that one should do when trying to learn the Arabic language:
1. Understand that this is the language of revelation. Thus, it's study should be taken very seriously. The signs of this understanding are the following: 1. A checked intention; meaning, constantly observe your inner state. I've seen a lot of Western students show off their latest understanding of tamyiz, hal and 'alam. Beware of this quality because the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, said about this type of person, "The Fire! The Fire."

2. Have a lot of patience. Ibn Malik, Allah have mercy upon him, the great scholar of grammar, began his famous book Alfiya (a thousand line poem on grammar) with the line, "Kalamun Lafdhun Mufidun Kastaqim."
"Kastaqim." Means to be firm and upright. He opened his blessed poem with that line to say to the student, "Istaqim upon the learning of this language." In other words Arabic, if you really want to grasp its secrets,is not hard, but takes time. The Ulema used to say, "The entrance to Arabic is hard and it's exit is easy." Thus, don't try and over-do things. Once aman had studied for 19 years. He said, "I've failed to become a scholar. What have I learned?" Finally, he decided to leave being a student of knowledge and went back to his village. He sat on a stone well and noticed the rope that held the bucket had warn its way through the stone well. Suddenly he realized something and said to himself, "Seeking knowledge is like this rope. It takes time, but with patience and focus, a rope can rub through stone."

3. A lot of supplication: Allah says, "He (Allah) taught men expression."Thus, you must beg Allah to give you this language. Remember that learning this language is a means of improving your servitude to Allah. Thus, implore Allah to give it to you.

4. Learning Arabic has a few components:
i, Grammar (Nahw), Rhetoric (Balagha) and Morphology (Sarf) (these are the internal organs of the language), however, know, may Allah have mercy on you, that learning these sciences will give you a technical understanding of the language. Especially if you learn from the classical texts (mutun) in the beginning. Thus, most teachers advise students to start with more basic books, which are current in content, and then later move on to the mutun.

ii, Speaking, writing and expression: This is usually the last thing to come. But, once one has it, they should praise Allah in abundance because they are expressing themselves in the language of the Qur'an, the language of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and the language of Ahl al-Janna.

I would advise our brother to began and communicate with others as often as possible. Although you'll make mistakes, and we all do, keep trying. Once, I was sitting with a group of Malaysian students from Al-Azhar. The were very strong in the Arabic and I noticed that they only spoke Arabic. I asked one of them, "Mashallah, what is going on with you brothers?" He told me, "We love to make mistakes in Arabic more than speaking our own language correctly." Thus, you must practice, practice, practice. What you fail to use, will fail you when you need it.

As per your study I would do the following:
1. Leave the classical books until you can understand them and read them with a teacher. The best books I've found for learning how to talk are, believe it or not, children's books. Their language is always great and there are a lot of conversations which will serve as a great assistant for you in the future.

2. Use a common text book that teaches Arabic such as Kitabul Asassi, the University of Medina series and many others.

3. Try to study in a center in an Arab country. It is very important to remember that a language is a culture. Thus, while living in the culture you will learn the expression of the language in its natural state.

4. Work hard

Finally, I would try and memorize some Qur'an and Hadith. Both, and the Qur'an more so, are a means of giving you eloquence (fasaha).

Allah knows best
Suhaib Webb
source: Sunnipath.com

How did you do?

Life provides us with many challenges - sometimes they come as a surprise and at other times we know they're coming and we get the chance to prepare for them. Ramadan belongs to the second group. We have the whole year to prepare ourselves and thirty days to prove ourselves and then, we have the final chance to evaluate ourselves.

So before we can evaluate ourselves we need to know what we should have done. Perhaps you would like to ask yourself a few simple questions and then you can get an idea about whether or not you have grown in any way throughout this blessed time.

· Do you feel closer to Allah?
· Do you feel less nervous and stressed?
· Do you feel the desire to do good deeds and enrich yourself spiritually?
· Do you feel more mercy for people generally?
· Have you healed any estranged relations with family members and friends?
· Do you feel that your life now has a clear aim and you feel the ability to meet the challenges?

Ramadan is a time of spiritual renewal and strength. It is well-known that the spirit controls so many aspects of the self, including the body. So if you really want to do something in your life and your desire is sincere and determined, your body will simply follow.

There are three possible conclusions to the fast of this Ramadan. Either you:
· had a wonderful successful Ramadan, (congratulations and may Allah accept all your good deeds),
· had a reasonably good Ramadan but there were times you got angry or did bad deeds (hmmm, now is a good time to do more good deeds to cover those slip-ups),
· or it was a disaster, meaning you missed Fajr Prayer most of the time, over-ate and over-slept, were grumpy and moody and couldn't wait till it was over (needs heavy re-thinking about yourself and what you do)!
But as long as there is life, there is hope to change, be better, and improve your relation with Allah Most High.

Most of the time people fail to perform well in Ramadan because they don't really understand what it is all about. Allah Most High has enjoined fasting on all people throughout time through their respective prophets (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them all). It is an act of worship that draws the person closer to Allah and helps to purify the heart and mind and teach him to focus on life and what is important and what is not. Fasting softens the heart and makes the person feel more compassion and generosity toward the poor and needy. All these things will take place if the servant of Allah does this act for His sake, seeking to be close to Him, and receive the reward of fasting.

However, if someone fasts only because it is a habit to do so and a part of one's culture and family practice, then obviously the effects of fasting will not be felt in the same way. The essence of acts are found in the intentions behind them. You are the best one to know the answer to this question. Why did you fast in Ramadan? Was your intention solely to obtain the pleasure and mercy of Allah Most High? If your intention was anything other than this, and the outcome of fasting was not that of spiritual renewal and closeness to Allah, then you have to know that your intention did not hit the target.

On a brighter note, be sure that Allah Most High is the Most Merciful and He loves to forgive! So if you have, for any reason, fallen short this Ramadan, turn to Him and seek His forgiveness and ask for guidance to better yourself and then start to prepare for next Ramadan.....
sent by email by Zaheer Mahomed

Eid Mubarak!

EID MUBARAK - May you have a blessed day!

Abu Dawud (r.a)

Sulaiman ibn al-Ash'ath (Abu Dawud) (r.a) - [202 - 275 A.H.]

Abu Dawud was born in Sijistan. Little is known about his early life, but that he travelled to many regions and cities to hear and collect ahadith from many different scholars. Abu Dawud is also a distinguished Faqih as well as a Muhaddith. His knowledge of hadith is confirmed by the fact that he had amassed 500,000 ahadith, 5,400 of which he selected for Sunan Abu Dawud. Hakim at-Tirmidhi was of the opinion that Abu Dawud was without doubt the chief muhaddith of his time.

His teachers are estimated to number more than 300. This includes ibn Hanbal, ibn Mu'in, ibn Harab, Abd al-Wahid Tayalasi and ibn Ibrahim, who were also teachers of Imams Bukhari and Muslim.

The number of students in Abu Dawud's classes would sometimes be in the thousands, Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i being amongst them. Some other distinguished muhaddithun students of his were: Abu Bakr ibn Imam, Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad Lu'lu'wi, Abu Bakr Muhammad and Abu Sa'id Ahmad ibn Muhammad.

Abu Dawud used to say that for one to recognise the purpose of life and to practise religion properly, out of his sunan, 4 hadith would suffice:

1. The reward of deeds depends only intentions
2. Among you no one will be a true Muslim unless he wishes for his brother or his neighbour exactly that which he wishes for himself
3. The exquisiteness of ones Islam is that he avoids things that do not concern him and leaves what is not valuable to him
4. The lawful and unlawful are made clear, but there are in between them doubtful things which are not known to most of the people. One who keeps himself away from the doubtful things, protects his deen and honour, and he who indulges in doubtful acts commits unlawful deeds.

In the year 275A.H. in Basrah Abu Dawud departed from this world at the age of 73, and was buried next to Sufyan ath-Thawri. May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen.
Source: Scholars of Hadith

Related posts
Imam Bukhari (r.a)
Imam Muslim (r.a)
Imam Tirmizi (r.a)
Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)
Imam ibn Majah (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Laylatul Qadr

LAYLATUL QADR 

THE ORIGIN 

Regarding this night, in a Hadith reported by Anas (R.A.) in Durrul Manthoor, Rasulullah (pbuh) is reported to have said: 

“Laylatul Qadr was granted to this Ummah (of mine) and not to any other Ummah before this.” 

 As regards the reason for the granting of Laylatul Qadr, various views are held. According to some Ahãdith, one reason is given thus: Rasulullah (pbuh) used to ponder over the longer lives of peoples of the past ages and when comparing them with much shorter lives of this Ummah, he became greatly saddened, because if his Ummah wished to compete with the people before them, then because of their shorter lives, it would be impossible for them to either emulate or surpass the previous Ummahs in the doing righteous deeds. Therefore, Allah in His Infinite Mercy granted them this night of great blessings. 

This means that, if any fortunate person of this Ummah during his life-time spends ten such nights in worship of his Maker, he would have gained the reward of (Ibãdah) worship for eight hundred and thirty three years and even more. 

 Another report states that Rasulullah (pbuh) once related to the Sahãbah the story of a very righteous man from among the Bani Isra’il, who spent one thousand months in Jihãd. On hearing this the Sahãbah enviously felt that they could not attain the same reward, whereupon Allah granted them this Night (of power). 

 There are other reports too, explaining the origin of the night of power. But no matter which of these are accepted, the important fact remains that Allah has granted us this night as a great favour and how fortunate are those who have never missed worship in this night. 

THE DUÃ TO BE MADE ON THE NIGHT OF QADR 

It is reported from Ãyesha (R.A.): “I said ; O Rasulullah (pbuh), when I find myself in Laylatul Qadr, what shall I say?” Rasulullah (pbuh) replied; Say: “O Allah, You are the One who grants pardon for sins, You love to forgive, thus forgive me.” 

WHAT TO DO ON THIS NIGHT 

On such occasions, our pious predecessors had three standard practices. 

1. Zikr 

2. Tilãwat (recitation) of the Qur’ãn 

3. Nafl Salãh 

[Malfoozãt Page 513. Ifãzãtul-Yaumiyah] 

 Muslims must ask for their various permissible needs and also remember the Muslim Ummah. We request each reader to remember Islãmic Tarbiyah Academy too on this night. 

Rasulullah (pbuh) said: “Whosoever was deprived of this night was indeed deprived of good in totality. None is deprived of its blessings except a totally wretched souls.” [Ibn Mãjah] 

Source: Attarbiyyah Magazine 

Recommended reads: When is Laylatul Qadr 

Night of Power Tafsir of Surah 97- Al Qadr

Imam Tirmizi (r.a)

IMAM TIRMIZI (R.A) 209 A.H. - 279 A.H.

Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) was born during the reign of the Abbasid Khalifa Mamoon al Rasheed. The Abbasid Caliphate, despite its brilliant contributions to Islaam, brought along with it many thorny problems. Greek Philosophy had a free flow into the Islamic world. This was fully sanctioned by the government until eventually it declared the Mu'tazila school of thought as the state religion. Anyone who opposed the Mu'tazila school of thought would be opposing the state. With the influence of Greek philosophy infiltrating within the people, many Muslims began attempting to reconcile between reason and revelation. As a result they deviated themselves and misled many innocent weak Muslims away from Allah and His Rasul [sallallahu alyhi wasallam]. Many scholars of Islaam had come to the fore in order to defend the Shariah. Forgeries and interpolations in Hadith by rulers who wished to fulfil their personal motives was common. In the first century Umar bin Abdul Aziz(R.A.) initiated a movement for the compilation of the Mubarak Hadeeth of Nabi [sallallahu alayhi wasallam] as there was a fear of it being lost. Eventually this gigantic task was undertaken by six towering scholars of Islaam. One of them was ........ Imaam Abu Isa Muhammed ibn Isa Tirmizi (R.A.)

Having grown up in an environment of learning, together with possessing many great qualities naturally drove Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) to dedicate his life totally towards the field of Hadith. He obtained his basic knowledge at home and later travelled to far off lands in search of this great science. He studied Hadith under great personalities such as Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), Imaam Muslim (R.A.) and Imaam Abu Dawood (R.A.). In some narrations Imaam Bukhari and Imaam Muslim (R.A.) are his students as well. Once Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) mentioned to him "I have benefited more from you than you have benefitted from me." Moosa ibn Alaq (R.A.) once said : "When Imaam Bukhari passed away, he left no one in Khurasaan who compared with Abu Isa Tirmizi (R.A.) in Ilm, memory, piety and abstinence." According to Abdullah ibn Muhammed Al-Ansaari (R.A.), Imaam Tirmizi's Al-Jami is more beneficial than the works of Bukhari and Muslim (R.A.) since their compilations can only be understood by a very deep sighted scholar whereas Al Jami can be understood by both the scholar and the lay man. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) said that he compiled this book and presented it to the learned of Hejaaz, Iraaq and Khuraasaan and they were pleased with it. Who ever has this book in his home, it is as though he has the Prophet [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] speaking to him there.

His remarkable memory:
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had an exceptionally remarkable memory. If he heard something once he never forgot it. Once on his way to Makkah, Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.) met a Muhadith from whom he had previously copied two chapters of hadith. Thinking that he had the notes with him he asked the Muhadith if he would allow him to read out these two chapters so that he may correct any errors. After realizing that he did not have those notes with him he took a blank piece of paper and read out the entire two parts from memory. When the Muhadith realized what he was doing he rebuked Imam Tirmizi (R.A.) saying: "Have you no shame, Why are you wasting my time." Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) assured him that he had committed all the ahadith to memory. The Muhadith was not convinced, even though he recited all the Ahadith from memory. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) requested him to recite to him some other Ahadith. The Muhaddith recited 40 ahadith which Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) repeated without making a single error, thus showing his remarkable power of committing Ahadith to memory.

Another incident has been recorded by Hakeemul Ummat (R.A.) in his Al-Misk-us-Zaki, depicting the profound memory of Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.). He writes:"Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had lost his sight towards the latter portion of his life. Once whilst on a journey, at a certain point he bowed his head. When asked as to why he did this, he replied: "Is there not a tree here whose branches hang over in such a manner that it harms those who are passing by." They answered in the negative. He was quite shocked when he heard this as he distinctly remembered there being a tree and was worried as to whether his memory was failing him or not. He stopped the caravan immediately and asked his companions to enquire from the locals whether a tree had existed there or not. "If it is established that no tree existed then I will stop narrating the Hadith of Nabi [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] due to my weak memory." On inquiry it was shown to them that a tree had previously existed over there but due to it being a hindrance to travelers it was removed."

Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had a large number of students from all over the world. The most famous amongst them were Haysam ibn Kulaib (R.A.), Abul Abbaas (R.A.) and Muhammed ibn Ahmed (R.A.) Shah Abdul Aziz (R.A.) describes Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) in the following words: "His memory was unique and his piety and fear of Allah Ta'la was of a very high caliber. He would cry so much out of the fear of Allah, that towards the end of his life he lost his sight."

According to Ibn Taimiya (R.A.) and Shah Waliullah (R.A.), Imaam Timizi (R.A.) was an independent Jurist (Mujtahid). Hazrat Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (R.A.) is of the opinion that he was a Shafi.

In the year 279 A.H. in a village called Bawag at the ripe age of 70 , Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) left this temporary abode for the ever lasting life of the hereafter. May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor. Aameen. The enormity of his sacrifices and the extent to which he served Deen can never be fully comprehended.

Many books of hadith were compiled before Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) decided to compile His Al-Jami. Dawood Tayalisi (R.A.) and Ahmed ibn Hambal (R.A.) had compiled books consisting of both authentic and weak Ahadith. Later Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) compiled his Sahih Bukhari and omitted all weak narrations from it. His main objective was to derive masail / laws from the relevant Ahadith. Later Muslim (R.A.) compiled his book concentrating mainly on the Isnaad (different chain of narrators). Hazrat Imaam Nasai's aim was to mention the discrepancies of the hadith whilst Abu Dawood (R.A.) prepared such a book which became the basis for the Fuqaha. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had combined the styles of Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasai (R.A.) by mentioning the discrepancies regarding the narrators and also making his compilation a basis for the Jurists.
Extract from Life and works of Imam Tirmizi (RA) from Central-Mosque.com

Read Shamaa-il Tirmidhi online

Related Posts:
Imam Bukhari (r.a)
Imam Muslim (r.a)
Abu Dawud (r.a)
Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)
Imam ibn Majah (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Effects of worship in Ramadhan

EFFECTS OF WORSHIP IN RAMADHAN
Experience has shown that effects of ibaadat (worship) in the blessed month of Ramadhan remain upon the remainder of the year. Whomsoever practises any virtue informally therein, ease of performing A’amale Salihah overtakes them thereafter.

Similarly, whoever prevents them self from sinning therein, for the remaining eleven months abstentation will become easy. In reality, prevention from sins in Ramadhan is not too difficult because, it is established that the Shayateen are imprisoned. Consequently, less sinning occurs generally because of removal of this stimulant.

However, sins do not totally disappear because the other orchestrator: one’s nafs (self) is present. Even in this month it will instigate sins but, yes, its schemes will lesson because only one stimulant is now active.

Therefore, the impositions of this one month should be accepted. All parts (of one’s body) should be saved from sin.
Source: Ashrafs Blessings of Ramadhan

Prescription for Spiritual Ills

PRESCRIPTION FOR SPIRITUAL ILLS
Hazrat Shibli (r.a.) went to a Hakim (Indigenous doctor) and asked if he could cure a patient who commits sins regularly.

Nearby a saintly person was sitting and collecting the straws and was murmuring: "Those who adore You (Allah) collect straws."
He called Hazrat Shibli (r.a.) and gave him the prescription.

"Take the flowers of shyness, the fruits of contentment, root of submissiveness, young shoots of grief, leaves from the tree of truth, the bark of civility and the seeds of politeness. Start grinding them in the grinder of devotion. Add daily the tears of shame. Put this mixture into the pan of your heart and bake it in the oven of fondness. When ready strain it in the strainer of the purity of the heart, mix the sugar of sweet words, cook it on the high flame of love. When the mixture is ready cool it with the air of fear of Allah. Then use it."

source: 20 Lessons for Muslim Women by Maulana Aashiq Elahi
related posts:
Strengthening Ones Iman
Renunciation

Check out Ramadhan Poem post as well.
Duas requested please.
Wasalam

24 Hour Ramadhan Programme

Twenty-four Hour Programme for Ramadhan
Hereunder we suggest a 24- hour programme for the month of Ramadhân. It is an example of spending our time correctly. The programme starts from Maghrib till Maghrib the following day.

• Read: "O You who are Great in Bounties, forgive me", as many times as possible before Iftâr.
  


• Make du’â 5 to 10 minutes before Iftâr. The du’â of a fasting person is readily accepted at this time.
  


• Make Iftâr quickly. Thereafter perform Maghrib (for men with Jamât and for women at home).
  


• After Maghrib perform 6 to 20 Rakâts Awwâbîn Namâz.
  


• Read Surah Tabarak after Maghrib. The benefit of it is that it will save us from the punishment of the grave.
  


• Read Surah Waqiyah. The virtue of it is that it will save one from poverty.
  


• Have supper quickly. Our suggestion is that due to the long days, have a rest for 15 - 20 minutes before Esha, so that one may be fresh for Tarawîh and Esha salâh.
  


• Prepare for Esha before the Esha Azân and proceed for Esha and Tarawîh Salât. Return home immediately after Tarawîh or after any Deeni programme in the Masjid. Do not waste time talking and discussing political and business issues.
  


• On returning home, read Surah Sajdah. Thereafter spend a few minutes with the family and try to sleep as early as possible allowing one to arise, 45-60 minutes before Sehri, for Tahajjud salâh.
  


• Read Tasbeeh-e-Fatimi before sleeping.
  


• Perform at least 4,8, or 12 rakâts Tahajjud salâh, thereafter read the first kalima 100 times and then make du’â before partaking of Suhoor.
  


• Immediately after Sehri proceed to the Masjid for Fajr Salâh. After Fajr recite the Qurân till Ishrâq time.
  


• Perform 2 or 4 Rakâts Ishrâq. The benefit is that your daily work will become easy and you will attain the reward of an accepted Haj. After Ishrâq rest before going to work. People who are self employed should take advantage of this rest and also give their employees this opportunity.
  


• At work or at one's business, one should keep one's tongue moist with Zikr eg. Kalimah Tayyibah, Istighfâr and Durood Shareef. Those who are bay't to a Sheikh should complete their prescribed Zikr.
  


• Try to be early for Zohar Namâz so that one could read the Qurân immediately after one has read the 4 Sunnat-e-Muakkadah before the Jamât Namâz. If possible try to read Qurân after Zohar Namâz as well, depending on how long one's lunch break is.
  


• After completing Asar Namâz, read Durood Shareef at least 100 times and Istighfâr 100 times.
  


• Thereafter spend the balance of the time reciting Qurân till Iftâr time, not forgetting the du’â before Iftâr.
  
  Published by Villa Liza Madrassah, Benoni

Ramadan Fever!

RAMADAN FEVER!
The heat is on! Once a year a dramatic change occurs in the Muslim community. Once a year Icky baby and the Sams becomes Iqbal and Sameera. Off come the baggy jeans, the Nike 180's and the Raiders cap. On come the yellow Shalwar Kameez (clothes most Pakistanis wear), the brylcreamed hairstyle which glues on that terribly uncool Towpee(cap) and in comes the miswak in the top pocket, making you look like something like "Karachi cops".

It's during this HOLY month of Ramadan that we ditch the daytime raves and the frequent visit to the library (and we don't mean for the reference section) and begin to act it out. Icky baby becomes temporarily religious.

It's a sort of spooky feeling. The Mosques are full and you feel good. Good cos' you've done your bit for the year. One by one you scratch the days from your Ramadan timetable that your dad brought back from the Mosque-and then-thank crunchie it's Eid.

Eid Mubarak!

The Mosques again becomes museums for the old and for those deprived "ACHA BACHA"- a good baby. The crease-free shalwar kameez comes off and comes the baggy jeans, whilst the libraries reopen for "business as usual". Just 11 more months of "freedom" to go before the smelly breath season come back with vengeance.

Year after year it goes on, almost as a ritual. You know it's rough. Yet Allah(swt) is Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem as we are told by our parents (who probably also have gone through this). And anyway religion is for the old men in the mosques- with smelly breaths, and beards that sweep the floor everytime they walk from one end of the mosque to the other.

Religion is for those "fundies"(fundamentalists) at school/college, the "weirdoes" who only talk to the opposite sex about the benefits of the Khilafah ruling system or the fallacies of Western ideology such as Capitalism and Marxist Philosophy.(i.e.try saying that in one breath!).

The game
So you go around playing this game. It's like an endless spiral. You think you're a rebel or tough-yet you're just one of the pack- a zombie, conforming to master-plan, when you turn 40s you grow your beard and take your seat in front row of the mosque, invest in a miswak, pack your bags for Hajj, and then everything is gonna be safe!- well no! It doesn't quite work like that. The million dollar question is will you ever turn 40? Game Over.

Suppose you die. Just suppose you snuff it before you turn 40? What then? It could severely damage that master-plan of yours. Alright, the chances may look slim yet the stakes are high. Nobody knows when he or she is going to die. Just suppose you're locked up in a room and there's no way out. Just suppose there's a time bomb-ticket away in this room. Now if this bomb has "6 days" on it you would probably turn "fundy" and spend all six days reading namaz(salah).
Just suppose the bomb had a "?" on it? What then? That's exactly how life is!!! A ticking-bomb with a "?" on it, you never know when it's gonna blow-up. Whereever you are, death will find you. Even if you are in tower built up strong and high!" (Translation of the meaning of the Qu'ran)

30 days or a lifetime? And anyway, even if you do go along with this "dodgy" game, don't you think your Creator will know your intention? Many people have sussed out Islam as a blind faith or and emotional/spiritual/spooky belief which leaves you a contemplating rationally about the meanings of life. Where did you come from? Why are we here? Or the question that puts a dampner on all raves, " what's going to happen to us when we die?"

Islam asks us to answer these vital questions and come to a conclusion, the correct one. Islam doesn't rely on the dodgy culture we are brought up with either from our parents or from the Molvi-Saab(imam). Islam is far from being a "religion" as it is often coined in the media. Islam is a complete system of life- with solutions to all our problems be it for Muslims or non-Muslims.

Check out Islam for yourself and free yourself from this shallow zombie-like culture. Before your credits run out!

Word out!
Remember there is no Life or Dignity without Islam. "O you who believe answer the call of Allah(swt) and His Messenger to that which gives you Life." (8:24)

Rememberance of the people is the disease, and rememberance of Allaah is the cure. Yet how strange is it that we hasten to the disease and not the cure?

Source: Ramadan Fever from Haq Islam.org

Salams
An old email message I thought I'd share with you all.
Comments have been disabled for Ramadan and I have linked the Audio stream to Channel Islam to autoplay on the site, please have a listen, they got some brill programs on it, Mashallah.
Check out:
A suggested timetable for Ramadan by Mujahidah
Preparation for Ramadhan by Simplyislam
Please remember me in your duas in this blessed month.
Wasalam

Sit with the learned

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that Luqman al-Hakim made his will and counselled his son, saying, "My son! Sit with the learned men and keep close to them. Allah gives life to the hearts with the light of wisdom as Allah gives life to the dead earth with the abundant rain of the sky." [Maliks Muwatta, Book 59, Number 59.1.1]

I read this hadith earlier today and jut thought I would share it with you. Subhanallah, look at the beautiful advice of Luqman (a.s) wherein he gives encouragement for us to keep the company of and remain close to learned people.

May Allah give me, and you the ability to act upon this hadith, and may He fill our hearts with life from the light of wisdom, especially so in the blessed month of Ramadan.
Ameen
Wasalam

Imam Muslim (r.a)

IMAM MUSLIM (R.A)

NAME AND BIRTH:
His name was Abul-Hussain Muslim-bin-Habaj al Nishapuri. He was born in a distinguished family of Arab Muslims in Khorasan which. was a famous town of Russia. Imaam Muslim was born in 817 A.D. corresponding to the Islamic year 204 A.H. His forefathers occupied prominent positions during the time of the four Caliphs. He travelled to many places with the object of learning Hadith, and after completing his studies in the various centres of learning, he settled at Nishapur. He spend the rest of his life teaching Hadith.

EDUCATION:
Imaam Muslim started his studies at the very early age of fourteen years. In the year 218 A.H. the atmosphere in Nishapur, his birthplace, was of a religious and knowledge type. Nishapur had great personalities in this period such as lmaam Rahiwe and lmaam Zohri. After travelling widely in search of Hadith, he settled in Nishapur as mentioned above. Imaam Muslim was much impressed by the vast knowledge of Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), in the field of Hadith and the deep insight he possessed on this subject. He therefore attached himself to Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) up to the end of his life. Imaam Muslim was also an admirer of another great teacher of Hadith, Muhammed bin Yahya al Dhuli. He attended his lectures regularly. He visited Baghdad several times and had the opportunity of delivering lessons there. His last visit to Baghdad was two years before his death.

IMAAM MUSLIM'S TEACHERS:
Imaam Muslim (R.A.) apart from attending the lessons of Imaam Bukhari regularly, also attended the lectures of lmaam Ahmad bin Hambal, Abdullah al Qarri, Qutaiba bin Said, Abdullah bin Maslama and other great Muhadith.

IMAAM MUSLIM'S STUDENTS:
Imaam Muslim (R.A.'s) most noted students are Hatim Razi, Ahrnad bin Salmah, Abu Isa Tinnizi, Abubaker bin Khuzaima and other great scholars.

CHARACTER AND KNOWLEDGE:
Imaam Muslim R.A. adhered strictly to the path of righteousness. He was in fact a great saint of a very high calibre. His excellent character can be well judged from the simple fact that he never ever indulged in backbiting, a very common human failing. He had a remarkable memory. Ishaq bin Rahwi said of Imaam Muslim; " I wonder what this person is going to be?" This was said in his youth. Ishaq Kausar once addressed lmaam Muslim (R.A.) and said; "Your presence in the Muslim community will always keep it in the good. " Abu Saimah who was a colleague of lmaam Muslim was so attached to him that while lmaam Sahib was busy compiling the Sahih Muslim, he remained in lmaam Sahib's company for fifteen years. He never told a lie nor did he ever use vulgar words.

MASLAK:
Sheikh Abdul Latief says Imaam Tirmidhi and Imaam Muslim were followers of the Shafee school of thought, although they were both Mujtahids. Moulana Abdur-Rashid says that Imaam Muslim was a Maliki. The fact is what was said by Sheikh Tahir Jazari that Imaam Muslim is not a Maliki nor a Hanifi nor a Shafi, but his compilation of the sahih Muslim shows that he was more inclined towards the Shafee 000school of thought.

SAHIH MUSLIM:
Allamah Nabawi (R.A.) says that the Ummat have accepted the Bukhari Shareef and Muslim Shareef as the Kitabs, which follow the Quraan, in authenicity although the Bukhari is regarded as holding a higher position than the Sahih Muslim for specific reasons, the sequence applied in the Muslim is much better than that of Bukhari. It is known as Al-Jamah as Sahih because it contains the eight different subjects on Hadis.

AL-JAMAH AS SAHIH MUSLIM:
Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) concentrated his efforts on compilation of authentic hadith as well as deduction of Laws from Hadith. This is the most difficult part to understand in the Bukhari. How he deduced Laws from the Hadis, Imam Muslim concentrated his efforts only on compilation of authentic Hadith.
source: inter-islam.org

Read Sahih Muslim online

Salams
Apologies for the delay in posting, things have been busy here with the various duroos and programs being held, Alhumdulillah, this is a taste of things to come for Ramadan. Please take a look at my new Poetry blog where I will be posting all poetry up in the future. Also see Preparing for Ramadan posted on Breatheislam blog.

Duas requested.
Wasalam

Related Posts:
Imam Bukhari (r.a)
Imam Tirmizi (r.a)
Abu Dawud (r.a)
Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)
Imam ibn Majah (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Abdullah ibn Mubarak

ABDULLAH IBN MUBARAK 118-181 A.H
by Sh. Zakariyya Khan

Throughout the history of Islam there have been renowned personalities who have dedicated their life to the preservation of Islam against the tide of disbelief and deviation. In the early period of Islam, the preservation of the Hadith (traditions) was an indispensable element, which needed to be preserved in order to safeguard the deen (religion). Thus, Abdullah Ibn Mubarak was one of these personalities who ensured that Islam was presented to us today in the same form it had been 1400 years ago.

Abdullah Ibn Mubarak was born in 118 hegira / 726 CE, in the town of Marwa. In his childhood he studied elementary subjects, such as writing and arithmetic, which were considered as essential. Thereafter, his life took an unusual turn, thus, he became occupied in the pleasures of the world. He lived a luxurious life of jest and play, until one night, when he received a wake up call from Allah Ta’lah. As a routine custom one-day he invited his friends for a party in his orchard, here, they played and joked until they were overpowered by sleep. However, unlike before, in his sleep he saw a bird perched on the tree reciting a verse in which Allah Ta’lah sends an admonition to his servants:

Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by the reminder of Allah, and that, which has been revealed of the truth. (Quran 57:16)

The message carried by this majestic verse was so profound that it led Abdullah Ibn Mubarak to discard the comforts of this temporary world in order to search for eternal bliss. He instigated his thoughts into actions by, firstly, breaking the musical instrument he had in his hand and this was his first step in Zuhad (asceticism).

Abdullah Ibn Mubarak was now on a new path in search of sacred knowledge, especially Hadith (traditions). He travelled the entire Islamic world in order to preserve Hadith, until Abu Usama declared that ‘I have not seen a person searching for Hadith throughout the corners of the world like Ibn Mubarak’. Consequently, he became the undisputed authority in the science transmitting Hadith (traditions). He attained such a lofty rank that the critics of this science unanimously agreed on the fact that he was of a sound nature and a possessor of an extraordinary memory. To achieve such acceptance is unparalleled in the history of Islam; however, this status was necessary for a person who was to be the torch barer of the Hadith. The renowned scholar of critical analysis of transmitters, Yahya Bin Maeen, has wonderfully illustrated his noble traits:

He (Ibn Mubarak) was intelligent, cautious (in narrating Hadith), trustworthy and a true scholar of Hadith. It is sufficient to know (his status) that many narrated from him, thus he is one of the narrators of Imam Bukhari and the rigorous conditions applied by Imam Bukhari in the verification and sound nature of a narrator is all well known, therefore there is no reason to expound on it.

Hence, he was a firm pillar in the establishment of Hadith, so whenever there was a narration he would take extreme measures to ensure the authenticity of Hadith before he would narrate it. This is why his legendary statement still resonates today in the hearts and minds of the scholars of Hadith that ‘Isnad (the chain of narration) is a part of Deen (religion), if there was no Isnad, then everyone would say what they desired’. Thus, everyone, including the king knew his extreme precaution. Thus, the Abbasi King Haroon Al-Rashid once retorted to an atheist that was brought on trial, who had claimed to have fabricated over one thousand Hadith, none of which were established;

‘What is your rank in compression to Ishaq Al-Farazi and Ibn Mubarak? O Enemy of Allah! They will separate them through a sieve, letter for letter (from the collection of Hadith)’.

Not only did Ibn Mubarak gain proficiency in Hadith, but also in Fiqh (jurisprudence) he was a master in his field. The fact that he studied under the greatest living jurists of his time, including men like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik and Sufyan Thawri, shows that he had developed an appreciation of this science.

He was also praised for being a prolific writer in his time; Imam Dhahabi states that his books include Kitab Al-Arbaeen, Kitab Tareek, Kitab Jihad and Kitab Zuhad wa Raqaiq. Unfortunately all of his written works are not published today.

One of his greatest assets was his Zuhad (asceticism) and the desire for the hereafter. Even though, he had an annual yearly income in excess of one thousand Dinars. All of which he spent in the path of Allah. This is exemplified in his excursions to Makkah for Hajj, while on the journey he would lavishly spend on his associates and fellow travellers despite the fact that he was continuously fasting.

Finally, in the year 181 hegira / 797 CE, during the month of Ramadan Ibn Mubarak departed the world while striving hard in the path of Allah. The endeavours he took during his life are numerous and cannot be covered here. However, a glimpse into the life of this great Imam testifies how taking precaution in the narration and narrators preserved the Hadith from being marred with taint. We are therefore indebted to the service rendered by our pious predecessors who fulfilled their rights upon us and especially Ibn Mubarak.
Source: LUISOC

Women in Islam - Poem

WOMEN IN ISLAM
How do women fit into islam? What is their fate?
This has been the subject of many a debate
for the believing men and women, is a great reward'
this is from surah al azaab, the words of our Lord
it can be seen from reading the holy Quran
that a woman has some privilege over a man

Praying is exempted during menstruation
here islam gives women consideration
a woman after marriage becomes a wife
for nine long months she carries new life
during childbirth she is exempted to fast
islam is against the burying of girls in the past

They can pray at the mosque or even at home
they may marry or divorce , its their choice, their own
after marriage she can retain her old maiden name
and is rewarded for treating all her offspring the same
once they are married they should live pious lives
and the best men are those who are best to their wives

Islam shows equality my sisters and brothers
don't forget paradise lies at the feet of your mothers
women in the UK had property rights from 1938
this right was given by islam, 14 centuries to date
in the UK, women could vote from 1918
this was stated 1400 years ago in islam our deen

Women can work and lead a happily married life
but shouldn't neglect her role as mother and wife
a woman for her child's upbringing, deserves her credit
islam also gives a woman the right to inherit
a woman's status in islam, we should never neglect
in islam they are favoured and deserve their respect.
Source: Islamic Kids

Imam Bukhari (r.a)

Who is not aware of Hadhrat Imam Bukhari (R.A) and his kitaab ‘Saheehul- Bukhari’?
However in this present day, the majority of Muslims use his kitaab to refer to whenever in need of a supporting reference for their actions or deeds without the knowledge of the life of the great author.

The famous and respected Muhaddith, Imam Bukhari’s (R.A) genealogy is as follows: Mohammed Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mugheera Ibn Bardizbah.
His father Ismail was a well-known and famous Muhaddith in his time and had been blessed with the chance of being in the company of Imam Malik, Hammad Ibn Zaid and also Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (R.A.).

Imam Bukhari (R.A) was born on the blessed day of Friday 13 Shawwaal 194 (A.H). He had lost the use of his eyes in the early stages of his childhood. However, due to the pious and lengthy prayers of his mother his eyesight was returned miraculously. The news had reached his mother through a dream in which Hadhrat Ibrahim (A.S) had appeared and said, "Due to your bountiful and sacred prayers Allah Ta’alaa has returned the eyesight of your son."
The dream was proven to be true in the morning.

Ismail the father of Imam Bukhari (R.A) had died in Imam Bukhari’s childhood, leaving him in the care of his mother where he was nourished with love and care. At the age of sixteen after having memorized the compiled books of Imam Waki and Abdullah Ibn Mubarak, he performed Haj with his elder brother and mother. After the completion of Haj Imam Bukhari remained in Makkah for a further two years and upon reaching the age of eighteen headed for Medinah, and spent his nights next to the grave of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam compiling the books of ‘Qadhaayas-Sahaabah Wat-Taabi’een’ and ‘Taareekhul-Kabeer’ with the moonlight as a means of lighting.

Imam Bukhari (R.A) traveled a great deal in order to expand his knowledge. He made two trips to Syria and Egypt and stayed six years in Arabia. He also happened to return to Kufa, Baghdad and Basra four times and at times remained there for a period of five years. Also at Haj season he used to return to Makkah.

Imam Bukhari ( R.A) first started listening and learning ahaadeeth in 205 A.H., and after profiting from the Ulamaa of his town he started his travels in 210 A.H. There are a great number of teachers from whom Imam Bukhari (R.A) actually gained his much respected knowledge. It has been known to be said by Imam Bukhari (R..A) himself that, "I have written ahaadeeth from 1080 different people all of whom were scholars." However, he profited most from Ishaq Ibn Rahway and Ali Ibn Madeeni (R.A). Imam Bukhari (R.A) has narrated ahaadeeth from Ulamaa of five different categories. He has also narrated ahaadeeth from his students believing in the fact that no person shall be titled a scholar of ahaadeeth until he has narrated from his elders, youngsters and contemporaries.

Imam Bukhari (R.A) also had a vast amount of students. It has been stated that approximately 9 000 people were privileged to sit in his lessons where he taught his Kitab ‘Sahih-Ul-Bukhari’. There were travelers amongst these from all corners of the world in order to join these pious sittings and to be honoured with a glimpse of the knowledge that he held and which never failed to astonish anybody.

Memory
Imam Bukhari’s (R.A) memory was considered to be inhuman, for as soon as the praying of a hadith would finish Imam Bukhari (R.A) would repeat it orally. It has been known that in his childhood he had memorized 2 000 ahaadeeth.

There is one spectacular incident which took place in Baghdad when Imam Bukhari (R.A) took up temporary residence there. The people having heard of his many accomplishments, and the attributes which were issued to him, decided to test him so as to make him prove himself to them. In order to do that they chose one hundred different ahaadeeth and changing the testimonials and the text of the ahaadeeth they were then recited by ten people to Imam Bukhari (R.A).
There was a crowd of gathered people from within and outside the city to witness the outcome of such a test. When the ahaadeeth were recited Imam Bukhari (R.A) replied to all in one manner, "Not to my knowledge." However, after the completion of all the ahaadeeth Imam Bukhari (R.A) repeated each text and testimonial which had been changed followed by the correct text and testimonial, such was the memory of Imam Bukhari (R.A).

Abstinence
His abstinence was also an attribute which was incomparable and undauntless. He had been left a considerable amount of wealth by his father however, due to his generosity he spent it all in the path of Allah so that at the end he had been left with no money forcing him to spend his day on one or two almonds.

He never took advantage from the generosity of any king or ruler, although many occasions arose. Once he fell ill and when his urine was tested, the results showed that he had not consumed curry for a long time. Upon questioning he said, "I have not consumed curry for the last forty years.

The Governor of Bukhara made a special request for Imam Bukhari (R.A) to make daily visits to his home in order to teach his children. Imam Bukhari (R.A) declined stating that, "I give greater respect to knowledge rather than to people, for it is they who are in need of the knowledge and it is they who should seek it."

Upon hearing this the Governor was further annoyed by Imam Bukhari’s (R.A) answer and made a second request that Imam Bukhari (R.A) make a special arrangement to teach his children alone without anyone else being present which was also refused by Imam Bukhari (R.A). The Governor was infuriated by the second refusal and ordered Imam Bukhari (R.A) out of Bukhara. The people of Samarqand hearing of this quickly issued an invitation to Imam Bukhari (R.A) to come to their town. However, there was also a difference of opinion within the people of Samarqand which forced Imam Bukhari (R.A) to turn towards Khartang.

It was here that he spent the month of Ramadaan and in the month of Shawwaal headed towards Samarqand, where death found him whilst he was traveling. Imam Bukhari died in the month of Shawwaal 256 A.H., at the age of 62.
(To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.)

Writings
There are a number of books compiled by Imam Bukhari (R.A) however, Bukhari Shareef has gained great esteem and a high status in the learning and praying of ahaadeeth.
A specific date has not been known as to when he had started the writing of Bukhari Shareef, however, we do know that after he had finished he had shown the manuscript to his teachers Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (R.A) for approval who died in 241 A.H, along with Ibnul-Madeeni who died in 234 A.H, and lastly Ibn Maeen who passed away in 233 A.H. It has also been recorded that it took the noble writer a period of 16 years to gather the ahaadeeth and to write Bukhari Shareef which sets the date back to 217 A.H, as the year in which he started the compilation; Imam Bukhari (R.A) being merely 23 years of age.

Before Imam Bukhari (R.A) had started to collect ahaadeeth there had actually been quite a few published books of ahaadeeth in which Imam Bukhari (R.A) found ahaadeeth of both weak and strong testimonials, which gave him the idea to compile such a kitaab containing ahaadeeth of only strong testimonials. Ishaaq Ibn Rahway (R.A) agreed to this idea which strengthened Imam Bukhari’s (R.A) decision.

Imam Bukhari (R.A) states, "There was once a time during one of our sessions when my teacher Ishaaq Ibn Rahway remarked it would be appreciated if someone could collect ahaadeeth which held strong and reliable testimonials and write them in the form of a kitaab." This inspired Imam Bukhari (R.A) which was later strengthened by a dream in which Imam Bukhari (R.A) was positioned in front of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam with a fan in one hand to aid him in ridding the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam of all flies which would rest upon him. Upon waking, Imam Bukhari (R.A) visited several interpreters for an appropriate interpretation. They all answered that it meant he would in future cleanse the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam of all lies spoken by the people through narrating misunderstood ahaadeeth. This gave Imam Bukhari (R.A) great comfort and strength once he started the writing of his kitab Al-Jame-ul-Sahih. The complete name of the kitaab is ‘Al-Jame-ul-Sahih-al-Musnad-min-ahaadeethe-Rasulillah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam-wa-sunanihi-wa-Ayyaamihi,’ which means a collected version of ahaadeeth in the form of a kitaab which relates to us the sayings, actions and the life of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

Imam Bukhari (R.A) had taken great care in writing the ahaadeeth and choosing those which met the standards and conditions which he set to find ahaadeeth with only strong testimonials which included only reliable and trustworthy testifiers. He spent 16 years in writing the kitaab, altering it a total of three times. Allaamah Ayni (R.A.) reports of Ibn Tahir’s remark that Imam Bukhari had written Sahih-ul-Bukhari in his hometown Bukhara. Ibn Bujair however, relates that he had started his compiling in Makkah, and some have reported of seeing him in Basra. There is still another differing remark made by others who comment on seeing him in Madinah to write his kitaab. However, we find Imam Bukhari (R.A) relating himself that he wrote Sahih-ul-Bukhari in Masjid-e-Haraam.

Before he actually placed a hadith in his compilation he used to perform ghusl and prayed to Allah through two rakah nafl prayers asking for guidance. Imam Bukhari ( R.A) worked such that only after being completely satisfied with the hadith in question did he give it a place in his kitaab. Due to this great care which was taken, the people were heard to say that the ahaadeeth which Imam Bukhari (R.A) has narrated have been so carefully phrased and with such precision that it is felt Imam Bukhari (R.A) had heard the ahaadeeth directly through the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

Abu Zaid Marwazi reports that I was once asleep in between the ‘Black stone’ and ‘Maqaam-e-Ibrahim’ when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam appeared in my dream he stated, "O Abu Zaid! For how long shall you teach Imam Shafi’s (R.A) kitaab ? When shall you start the teaching of my kitaab ?"

I questioned, "O Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam! Which kitaab is yours?" He replied, "Mohammed Ibn Ismail’s Al-Jame-ul-Sahih."

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (R.A) reports that Imam Bukhari (R.A) has kept it of utmost importance to only narrate ahaadeeth of a strong testimonial which can be proven by the name of the kitaab. However, along with this Imam Bukhari (R.A) also made an effort to explain all points which are difficult to understand, which is the reason why he has given a plentiful host of meanings for one sentence which may include a word that is in reality difficult to understand. Imam Bukhari (R.A) has included within his kitaab the art of narrating ahaadeeth which have been divided into eight different chapters. These chapters contain subjects which have been sub-titled and are famous for the ingenious way in which they have been phrased.

Imam Bukhari (R.A) has imposed conditions which all narrators and testifiers must meet before the hadith can be selected. One condition requires that all testifiers must have a strong memory.

There are also restrictions made upon this condition :

1. All the Muhadditheen who possess great knowledge of ahaadeeth must agree upon the testifiers’ in question ability to learn and memorize, along with his reporting techniques.

2. The testimonial must be complete without any missing testifiers.

3. If there are two different narrators of a hadith related to them by a Sahaabi then the hadith shall be given a high stage in rank. However, if only one narrator can be found and the testimonial proves to be a strong one then this shall be accepted without any doubts.
Allaamah Nawawi (R.A) relates that all scholars in Islam have agreed that Sahih-ul-Bukhari has earnestly gained the reward of being the most authentic after the Holy Qur’an.
Sahih-ul-Bukhari consists of 7 275 ahaadeeth including those ahaadeeth which have been repeated. However, should the repeated ahaadeeth be excluded then the total number of ahaadeeth will be 4,000.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar counted the ahaadeeth and concluded that there was 7 397 where the ahaadeeth have been passed down from the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam directly and with the narrations of Sahabah or Tabi’een etc.; procuring a total of 9 407 ahaadeeth in all. Although after excluding the repetitions he found 2 353 narrations of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and 160 sayings of the respected Sahabah totaling to 2 513 narrations in all.

Bukhari Shareef has been set apart from other compilations, gaining a distinctive honour due to the following reasons :

1. Whilst Imam Bukhari (R.A) was engaged in the writing of Bukhari Shareef, if the need arose to stop work for a period of time, then he would continue his work only after writing ‘Bismillah’ which is the reason why ‘ Bismillah’ has been found to be written in between in many places.

2. At the end of all chapters Imam Bukhari (R.A) has concluded by use of a word within the sentence so as to give one a point to ponder upon and hopefully so that one becomes more aware of the primary objective of life. e.g. after the first chapter he has included a word which brings one to think of their short life in this world and of their death. His intention is that one reads Kitaabe-Bukhari with death in mind.

3. Imam Bukhari (R.A) has paid great attention towards the beginning and ending his kitaab with an appropriate hadith. For the first hadith narrated within the kitaab is based upon intention which gives one the opportunity to be sincere with himself as to what he intends to gain from studying the words of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam which have been narrated throughout the kitaab. Also the last chapter which Imam Bukhari (R.A) has chosen to end his kitaab with is ‘Kitaab-ul-Tauheed’ which gives one a whole host of words which may be said in order to praise the oneness of Allah; for it is this which is believed to be the sole aid for all humans when they shall find themselves in the unbearable position of being reckoned for their sins on the Day of Judgment.

Hadhrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (R.A) has summed up the above in these words," Imam Bukhari (R.A) has commenced his kitaab with the hadeeth ‘ Innamal Aamaal....’ and concluded it with ‘Kalimataan.

Source: Inter-islam.org

Read Sahih Bukhari online

Related Posts:
Imam Muslim (r.a)
Imam Tirmizi (r.a)
Abu Dawud (r.a)
Imam an-Nasa'i (r.a)
Imam ibn Majah (r.a)
Abdullah ibn Mubarak (r.a)

Teen Crush Poem

This poem refers to the haram relationships that young Muslims may be ensnared into by the shaytaan.

TEEN CRUSH
by Ahmed

O young Muslim
I hear your story, so grim

You have given your heart
To a teen crush, soon to depart

The time will soon come for it to end
Tears, remorse and regret it will send

Deep emotions of anger and hurt
As you feel like a piece of dirt

But why do you fail to see
Allah has given you this opportunity

To turn away from this detested sin
Repent, and start a new beginnin’

From lewd behaviour become shy
Seeking forgiveness from Allah, do cry

Remove from your heart the lust dirty
And instead put love of Allah in your breast plenty

For this is the path to success
Jannah, the Muslims eternal address!!

Miswaak

Ibn Umar (R) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
'Make a regular practice of the Miswaak, for verily, it is healthy for the mouth and it is a Pleasure for the Creator (i.e. Allah is pleased with the Muslim who uses the Miswaak)'. [Bukhari]

taken from MiracleBrush.com

Fatimah tuz Zahrã (R.A.)

FATIMAH TUZ ZAHRAH (r.a) - DUAGHTER OF MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
Fatimah (R.A.) was youngest in age of all her sisters but highest in grades. She was dearest to her father of all his daughters. He once said, “Fatimah is like soul and heart to me.” once, he said, “Fatimah will be the leader of the women in Paradise.” he further said, “What troubles Fatimah troubles me as well.”

It was the sixth year of Prophethood and Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had launched his preaching mission but his own clan were impeding in his way. The people of the Quraysh were trying every trick to trouble him. One day while he was performing Salãh in the Haram, on the instigation of the pagans of Makkak, Aqabah ibn Moeet brought the entrails of a camel and placed it on his neck whilst he was prostrating. Someone told Fatimah (R.A.) who was then just six years old. She came running and removed the stuff and cursed the non-believers. She, at such an early age beheld the tribulations and torments Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was being subject to.

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) awarded her the title of ‘lady of Paradise’.

It has been reported that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once said, “On the Day of Resurrection a voice will be heard saying ‘ lower you heads, Fatimah bint Muhammad is being escorted along,’ then Fatimah will cross the pathway to Paradise in a flash leading seventy thousand Hoors (heavenly women).”

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) confided only to Fatimah (R.A.) during his last days that he would die of his illness. She wept to hear that but Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) whispered to her that she would follow him which brought delight on her face and she smiled.
Rasulullah’s (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) beloved wives pressed her much to disclose that secret, but she didn’t. She revealed it, however after his demise.
source: Attarbiyah Magazine

The Ant

THE ANT
One morning I sat nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.

At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continuedon its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of Allah's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also share human failings.

After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole? Of course it couldn't. so the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.

The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden. Isn't life like that!

We worry about our family, we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with us...............

sent by email from Zaheer Mahomed