WHY DO WE SEND BLESSINGS ON PROPHET MUHAMMAD PEACE BE UPON HIM IN EVERY PRAYER?

A QUESTION FROM A BLOG READER AND MY HUMBLE ATTEMPT AT ANSWERING IT (PLEASE ADD OR CORRECT IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO ADD)

Question: No other prophet has asked for -duaa 4 his n his family although he is already supposed 2 b next 2 Allah in rootbaa-in every namaz we have 2 pray 4 him –y?

My humble answer:

This is, as I understand it:

We as Believers are commanded by Allah Subhanawataala to send salawaat to Prophet Muhammad and his Aal (relatives and people) in every prayer and as many times a day as possible. He (PBUH) has reaffirmed this commandment by saying that we should send salaawaat to him and his Aal (family) as many times as possible.

WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?

In one word, the commandment comes from the Quran. It is given directly and indirectly:

Direct:

Allah Subhanawataala says in the Quran:

Surah Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #56)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

English translation:

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.

And in French:

Certes, Allah est Ses Anges prient sur le Prophète; ò vous qui croyez priez sur lui et adresses [lui] vos salutations.

Indirect: Allah Subhnaawataala COMMANDS us in the Quran numerous times, to obey Him (subhanawataala) and His Rasool (pbuh) starting with Surah Al Imran and many other surah, some are quoted below:

Surah Al-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #32)

32            قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ

Say: “obey Allah and His Messenger.: But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith.

Surah Al -Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #50)

وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

“‘(I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me.  (i.e.Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him)

Surah Al-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #132)

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

And obey Allah and the Messenger. that ye may obtain mercy.

Thus the irrevocable message of Allah for the Believers is:

Obey me and obey the Rasool (peace be upon Him)

And then the promise of Jannah with obedience to Allah and His Rasool (PBUH):

Surah an-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #13)

تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

Those are limits set by Allah. those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the supreme achievement.

And then the punishment fro disobedience of Allah and His Rasool (pbuh):

Surah an-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #14)

وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits will be admitted to a Fire, to abide therein: And they shall have a humiliating punishment.

And then a reminder that he who obeys the Messenger obeys Allah!

(  سورة النساء  , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #80)

مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds).

And then a warning :

Surah Muhammad, Chapter #47, Verse #33):

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ

O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey the apostle, and make not vain your deeds!

In Summary:

We have to remember the reason Allah Subhanawataala created us was to worship him; He made the process pleasant by placing us in a beautiful dunya and providing us with beauty around us.

He prescribed the format for worship through a series of messengers, the last one being Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him, who then instructed us how to pray by showing us physically how to pray. He taught us what to say in prayer and the Durood or the blessings to him and his family and his followers are part of the prayer both obligatory and extra.

He (pbuh) was sent as a mercy to mankind

So the equation goes as such for the Believer:

We believe in One God and we believe Muhammad PBUH to be his last Rasool (pbuh), we believe in the Quran to be the authentic word of God revealed to mankind via Prophet Muhammad pbuh.

We are commanded in the Quran (the direct words of God) to worship him, and to obey Him (God Almighty) and to obey his Rasool (Prophet Muhammad pbuh).

If one disobeys the Punishment is outlined, if one obeys Allah Subhanawataala the benefits and rewards are outlined (see the ayahs quoted above).

Thus when Prophet Muhammad shows us how to pray we obey him and pray the way he has shown us how to pray, We do not devise other ways, neither adding nor subtracting.

The only thing that stands between acceptance of and carrying out obedience to Allah and His Rasool (Pbuh) is a strong arrogant Nafs, strengthened by the whisperings of the shaytaan who has vowed to prove that the children of Adam are stupid and disobedient.

The Rasool (peace be upon him) follows and obeys Allah Subhanawataala in everything.

Thus he is given to us as a human role model who demonstrates to us that no matter what your weaknesses, or strengths, with your daily ups and downs, family and professional life, you can still obey Allah Subhanawataala and live a full and rewarding life.

If we are Believers, then the commandments of Allah Subhanawataala are the law of our lives, and we must struggle to live by them no matter what the circumstances.

Allah knows best!

If you have additional information or references please feel free to add in the comments, thank you!

FEAR & FAITH: PART TWO: WHOM DO YOU FEAR?

FEAR comes in many guises. There are small fears and large fears.

Let us look at the “small” fears……….

It is a Friday in little town USA. I am going to invite you to imagine yourself in this scenario and, evaluate where you stand in each of the scenarios. This exercise is to evaluate our own self on the scale of who do we fear, and how do we modulate our behavior based on that fear.

In some cases we are not even aware of whom we fear and this fear and its result is reflected in our actions.

It is Friday………………..
A.    I wake up in the morning, I slept late and thus I wake up very close to end of Fajr, and I realize I will be late for work if I pray Fajr, so I bypass it saying to myself that Allah is Ghafoor rur Raheem, and dress and go to work.

What have I done?

I have violated a right of Allah because of my fear of my boss or my fear of losing my job and my sustenance……..in this one act of fear of someone other than Allah I have relegated my boss in dunya as a small God that takes precedence over God Almighty my Creator and Sustainer.

By fearing the loss of my job and sustenance, and violating the rights of Allah Subhanawataala I have denied what we are assured in the Quran and what I as a Muslim repeat 17 times each day while reciting Surah Fatiha: which is:

Aooudobillahi minish shaytaan nir rajeem, Bismillah hir rahman nir Raheem.
Alhamdollilllahi Rabil Alameen

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful (1)
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.

Thus I have lied 17 times a day because my actions do not match what my lips say. Saying one thing and doing another. Such people have a name in the Quran and their abode is well described, in the bottom of the deepest level of THE FIRE.
In Summary:
One act of omission led to two violations of the rights of Allah and one forbidden act of lying. i.e.
1.    Not praying fajr
2.     Relegating power over my sustenance to my boss and,
3.    While in other salahs……saying one thing and doing another i.e. lying to Allah Subhanawataala.

B. Next I then go to work and being a conscientious Muslim, I take time off to pray Jooma, which is mandatory.
In Surah Jumma Allah Subhanawataala says:
062.009 YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew!

I reach the masjid and I find myself wearing clothes that outline or incompletely cover my awrah, e.g. western pants with a tucked in shirt which in both men and women are inadequate dress for prayer.

HADITH Book 47, Number 47.2.9:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Salama ibn Safwan ibn Salama az-Zuraqi that Zayd ibn Talha ibn Rukana, who attributed it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Every Deen has an innate character. The character of Islam is modesty.’ “

Why do I dress like this for Jooma?

Here my fear is……………….. that I might look out of place or strange when I leave the masjid, and therefore I succumb to that fear and compromise the rights of Allah, in appearing before Him inadequately or inappropriately dressed despite having the means to do so.

I have made someone or something other than Allah my small god whom I fear and thus wish to please more than my wish to please my Creator and Sustainer.

C. Next the adhaan is called and at the same time I see a sister I haven’t seen in a while so I get up and go up to her give her my salaam and ask about her family.

What did Rasool Allah salal lahi alayhe wasalaam do when the adhan was called?

In a hadith related from the Ummahaat e Momineen and I paraphrase: “When Rasool Allah peace be upon him would be with us and the adhaan would be called his facial expression would change, he would become a stranger and would fall silent as if he was far away and not with us anymore”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 585: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

Allah’s Apostle said, “Whenever you hear the Adhan, say what the Mu’adhdhin is saying”.

In the Quran Allah Subhanawataala says and I paraphrase “obey me and obey the Rasool”  (ayah) and at another place “follow the Rasool”

008.046 And obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For Allah is with those who patiently persevere

Thus when I get up at Adhaan and talk to this sister, what is the little fear in my heart? Perhaps I do not want to be excluded from her social circle, or I want to be popular, or some other altruistic reason…………..all of which pale before my disobedience of the Sunnah, and my ignoring the footsteps of RasoolAllah peace and blessing be on him.
Even though Allah Subhanawataala has put me in a place, time and people where following Rasool Allah (peace be upon him) sunnah has been made easy for me.

Of course I am either oblivious of what I am doing which means I am in Ghafala, (I am ignorant of the steps of the Rasool peace be upon him) or I am deliberately disobedient or my fear of losing my place in dunya has propelled me to ignore the sunnah of the adhaan.

D. Next the iqamaah is called and I am not sure where I should stand; I want to stand near the exit so that I can scoot out when the prayer finishes, as I have to go to lunch with a friend or have to go back to work, and in this flurry of indecision I miss my opportunity of making dua:

Book 2, Number 0521:  Hadith Narrated Anas ibn Malik: Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him said:
“The supplication made between the adhan and the iqamah is not rejected”

Thus here my fear of displeasing my boss, my friend take precedence over my desire to be in the best possible position for salah, which is directly behind the imam for brothers and the last line directly behind the imam for women if there is no separation between men and women. In addition I have lost the moment of dua……

E. During the salaah, I am uplifted to the presence of Allah Subhanawataala and I am overtaken with His words and I forget dunya. As soon as salaah finishes I begin the masnoon supplications and Dhikr of Rasool Allah saw in an attempt to follow his path.
People around me begin to talk and my attention is distracted and my intentions to do the Dhikr after salah evaporates, and with this act the angels of mercy that surround my musallah, get up and leave.

F. Abandoning my resolve to do even the briefest of Dhikr i.e. the tasbeeh Fatima (RA) I get up to do my Sunnah.  As I begin to pray I forget to place a sutrah in front of me. Partly because I am in a hurry, and fear being late for my next appointment………….again my fear of not pleasing dunya and its people supercedes my desire to please Allah SWT.

G. I start my Sunnah efficiently and with concentration. However my sisters who are in a hurry to go home, to work, or to shop or run errands pass in front of me, the hems of their dresses brushing against my head in sajdah, and I am reminded of three hadith that pertain to the sunnah prayer:

Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him instructed us as follows and I paraphrase:
1. “Place a sutrah in front of you for sunnah and nafil salah”
2. “Fight to keep a person from passing in front of you if you are praying Sunnah or nafil salah.
3. “If a person would know how detrimental it is to pass in front of a person performing salaah, they would never do it!

I have once again allowed my fears of dunya, i.e. my fear of being late for a dunya appointment interfere with my focus when I stand in front of my Lord.

To be continued……………………..

This is just the beginning of the blessed day of Jooma…………..

Whom do you fear?

AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN…….WHERE DO YOU STAND?

GUEST KHUTBAH

By Dr. Kaukab Siddique

Women’s Central Role in the Islamic Struggle.

March 27, 2009: Dr. Kaukab Siddique gave the juma’s khutba and led prayers at a local mosque in Maryland, USA.
The masjid was packed but for wider distribution, the main points are given below:
Text: {After Muhammad, pbuh, received the revelation} “Then he went to Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her) the daughter of Khuwailid, r.a. and said ‘cover me up! Cover me up.’ They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, ‘I fear that something may happen to me.’ Khadija replied, ‘Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You do not cut blood ties, you help the poor and the destitute, you are generous to guests and you assist those struck by calamities’ ….” [Hadith, Sahih of Bukhari, The book of Revelation.]

*      The family system is under attack in America. The churches are in full retreat and in many cases support corruption. The school system is secular and lacks values.
*      Fornication is glorified in America. Pre-teen pregnancy has become old news. Adultery is commonplace. Homosexuality is being supported as legitimate all the way from the White House to the New York Times. Only Islam can save America.
*      Just as racism has affected Muslim communities in America, the degradation of women is slowly but surely eroding respect for women.
*      We must bring women and children into the mainstream of Islamic life if we want to survive as Muslims.
*       Look at the key examples in the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
*       When he received revelation, Khadija, r.a.,(May Allah be pleased with her) his wife, supported him and advised him. He accepted the advice. [Sahih Bukhari.]
*       When he was persecuted and attacked by the Makkans, Khadija’s [r.a](May Allah be pleased with her) wealth funded his striving.
*       The first martyr of Islam was a woman, Sumayya, r.a. [See Sirat Rasul Allah by ibn Ishaq.] In Islam martyrs have the highest ranking, second only to the messengers of Allah.
*       In Madina, young ‘Ayesha, 14 years old, was on the blessed battlefield of Badr. [Sahih Muslim]. She became a leader and a great faqih and teacher of Hadith.
*       At Uhud, when the Prophet, pbuh, was injured, his  daughter, Fatima Zahra, r.a., became his physician.
*       Again at Uhud, when the Muslims were losing after being outflanked by Khalid [then not a Muslim], Umm Ammara, r.a. (May Allah be pleased with her) shielded the Prophet, pbuh, with her own body.

That is the LOVE of the Prophet, pbuh. [Hubb-e-nabi] which is essential to our faith. [See Ibn Sa'ad's Tabqat for Umm Ammara, r.a.]

*      Today, Palestinian women are sending out their children to defy the yahood. Iraqi women are fighting for Islam along with their men. Afghan women have told their sons and husbands [Taliban] not to come home if they do not stand up to the NATO occupation forces.
* If our sisters in America are not active as equals in the masjid, we have no future. Islamic merit is based on TAQWA, not gender.

DU’A

*     O Allah! Help the Muslims of America to seek unity based on the Qur’an and the authentic Hadith.
*     O Allah! Help America’s Muslims to become part of ONE Ummah and to reject “American Islam” and “Pakistani Islam” and “Egyptian Islam” etc.
*     O Allah help us to identify and reject those who are cooperating with kuffar, munafiqueen and tawagheet.

HIS CHEST WAS OPENED AND………………..

He was screaming and while sobbing related what had happened. She could not make head or tail of it. When he quietened some, still intermittently sobbing softly with awe and fear, the tale unfolded………..

They were shepherding, it was broad daylight and the sheep were grazing quietly and then this ………….man? being? came and split open his foster brother’s chest, took out his heart and washed it, and put it back in his chest and his foster brother’s chest closed as if no harm had come to it.

She held her sobbing son to her……….and thought to herself of her foster child and peace came upon her: ………so that was the explanation of this wondrous orphan child.

His presence had brought such barakah and blessings to their home and their sheep. The milk, she could not understand the milk…….. it flowed as if it would never end. She had known then that he was someone blessed, and now she was sure of it.

Bibi Haleema disentangled herself from her sobbing son, and went in search of her foster child………

Who was this blessed child and who had come to him and opened his chest?

Excerpted from Martin Lings biography of the Prophet (PBUH) titled “Muhammad” (peace and blessings be upon him)

Photo courtesy of:http://www.flickr.com/photos/29630435@N04/3300344115/

A Dua to protect against the Fitna of Dajjal‏

اَللَّهُـمَّ إِنيِّ أَعوُذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذاَبِ جَهَنَّمَ،وَمِنْ عَذاَبِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْـنَةِ الْمَحْياَ وَالْمَماَتِ وَمِنْ فِتْـنَةِ الْمَسيِحِ الدَّجاَّلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam, wa min ‘adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min fitnatil-masihid-Dajjal.  Allahumma ‘inni ‘a’udhu bika minal ma’thami wal maghrami.

O Allah! I seek Your protection from the torture of hell, and I seek Your protection from the torture of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the mischief of life and death, and I seek Your protection from the mischief of Dajjal pretending as Messiah.  O Allah! I seek refuge in You from sin and from debt.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 2:102, Muslim 1:412, 588]

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) used to read in every salah before ending the salah

ON FORGIVENESS……..

This is the authors response (Asma Bint Shameem) to Brother’s question on forgiveness to a wrong done to him see comment in post: How to mend two broken hearts

First of all, brother, I am sorry that you had to go through all this. May Allaah make it easy for you and reward you fully for all your suffering. Ameen.

Allah tells us that we will be tested. In fact, the very purpose and wisdom behind this life is that it is a test and trial. Allaah tests us with different things; some of us with poverty and some with riches, some with sickness and some with health, some with loss of a loved one, or other deep pain; But, He also makes it clear to us what is expected from us when we undergo these trials and what our reward will be if we are successful.

He says: “Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who, when misfortune strikes them, say: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him is our return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord and it is those who are rightly guided.” [al-Baqarah: 155]

The Prophet (peace be upon him)said: “No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his sins by it.” [Bukhaari,Muslim]
And:

“When Allah desires good for someone, He tries him with hardships.” [Bukhaari]

All of these afflictions, if endured patiently by the believer, are a means of attaining Allah’s forgiveness as well as His reward.

If you can find it in your heart to forgive that person, it would be of great benefit to you. However, it is not obligatory on you to forgive a person if that person has wronged you.

Islaam has given you rights and no one should behave in an oppressive or unjust manner with anyone under any circumstance. And Allaah has given the Muslim permission, if aggression is committed against him, to settle the score, but He also encourages him to forgive. Allaah says:

“The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof; but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allaah. Verily, He likes not the Zaalimoon (oppressors).And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way (of blame) against them.The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress men and rebel in the earth without justification; for such there will be a painful torment. And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things recommended by Allaah” [al-Shoora 42:40-43]

So in the end, forgiveness is encouraged.

Brother, our dear beloved Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) was humiliated, called all sorts of derogatory names, thrown out of his beloved hometown, yet when he conquered Makkah, he forgave them. When they pelted him with stones till he bled and almost passed out at Taif, he forgave them and said, “O Allah, guide these people, because they did not know what they were doing.”

And remember the incidence of Sayyidah A’isha. Some hypocrites of Madinah accused her of something horrible and tried to put dirt on her noble character. Imagine, on the Mother of the Believers!

One of the slanderers turned out to be a man called Mistah. He was the cousin of Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr used to give financial help to this person. After he slandered his daughter, Abu Bakr vowed not to help him any more. But Allah reminded Abu Bakr and through him all the Believers,

“Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want and those who migrated in the path of Allah. Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? Indeed Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Nur 24:22)

When Abu Bakr heard these ayaat, he came out of his home and said, “Yes, indeed, I want Allah’s forgiveness.” And he not only continued to help him but he even gave him more.

Subhaan Allaah!

Now, I know you will say that these were examples of very noble, pious people and we don’t have their Taqwa and Imaan. Yes, but Allaah has told us to look at their lives and follow their footsteps. These people are our role models and examples to follow in case we are afflicted with things similar to what they experienced. And that is what they teach us.

Another thing I want to remind you brother, is that no matter how bad a situation may seem, it is not befitting for a Muslim to lose hope in Allaah’s Mercy and Forgiveness.

“…..and never give up hope of Allâh’s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allâh’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” (Yusuf:87)

You say that you want your life to end. But brother, suicide is not the answer to anything. In fact, it is one of the most grievous of major sins, and it only increases the punishment of the one who does it. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Whoever throws himself down from a high mountain and kills himself will be throwing himself down from a mountain in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. Whoever takes poison and kills himself will be taking poison in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. Whoever kills himself with a weapon (literally, iron) will be holding it in his hand and stabbing himself in the stomach in the Fire of Hell for all eternity. (Bukhaari)
So don’t let the Shaytaan put these thoughts in your head. I know that it must be difficult. But be patient, make lots of istighfar, and ask Allaah to make it easy for you. Whenever sadness or disturbing thoughts come to your mind say, say this dua and Allaah will give you better than this lady, someone you care for and she cares for you.

SUPPLICATION: “Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raji’oon, Allaahumma ujurni fi museebati w’ukhluf li khayran minha”.

(O Allaah, reward me in this calamity and compensate me with something better than it.)

Umm Salamah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: ‘There is no Muslim who suffers a calamity and says what Allaah has commanded: “Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raji’oon, Allaahumma ujurni fi museebati w’ukhluf li khayran minha,” but Allaah will compensate him with something better.’ When Abu Salamah died, I said, ‘Who among the Muslims could be better than Abu Salamah….?’ Then I said [this du'aa'] and Allaah compensated me with the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam). He sent Haatib ibn Abi Balta’ah on his behalf to ask for my hand in marriage, but I said, ‘I have a daughter, and I am a jealous woman.’ He said, ‘As for your daughter, we will pray to Allaah to make her independent, and I will pray to Allaah to take away your jealousy.’” (Muslim).

And remember that whatever Allaah does is for our good. Either it will expiate our previous sins or it will be a means of raising our status with Allah and gaining rewards if we are patient.

I ask Allaah to make it easy for you and make you patient and reward you for the oppression you suffered. Ameen.

end response from author

Brother: we pray that you find your connection with Allah SWT and that your salaat and Dhikr bring you comfort and sakina.

May Allah SWT protect and guide you.

What The Prophet did in Sajdah

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

excerpted from www.Soundvision.com

“I happened to pray one night with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet started reciting al-Baqarah chapter of the Quran and I thought he would stop after 100 verses.

But when he went beyond it I thought that he may want to recite the whole chapter in one Rakah.

When he finished al-Baqarah I thought he would do Ruku but then he immediately started reciting al-Imran and when he finished he started reciting an-Nisa.

The Prophet was reciting very slowly with enough pauses and would do Tasbih (praising God) and Dua (supplication) according to the subject being discussed in the relevant Ayah.

After that the Prophet did Ruku (bowomg). In Ruku he stayed as long as he did when he was in Qiyam (standing in prayer). After Ruku he stood up for almost same time and then he performed Sajdah (prostration) and stayed there as long as he recited Quran while doing Qiyam”. (Hudaifa, may God be pleased with him, narrated this hadith as in Sahih al Muslim, Nasai)

Of course, not all the Prayers of the Prophet were this long. In public he would pray for a shorter period of time and ask other imams to do the same. The Prophet use to make dua in Sajdah not just tasbeeh as we do in obligatory prayers. He used to cry in Sajdah. He would spend an extended amount of his time in Sajdah whenever he was praying on his own. Many times, however, Muslims would join him when they found him praying alone.

Aisha, may God be pleased with her, mentions that: the Prophet one night stood up for Salah and he stayed in it for so long that I thought the Prophet had passed away or died. When I felt that way I stood up shook his toe and I felt the movement then I laid down again and I heard the Prophet saying in Sajdah “I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praises as You praise Yourself.” (Transliteration: Audhu bi ridaka min sakhatika, wa bi muafatika min uqubatika wa bika minka, la uhsiy thana’an alayka, anta kama athnayta ala nafsika).

When he stood up from the Sajdah he asked Aisha, “do you think God’s Prophet has betrayed you?” Aisha responded “No Preophet of God, because of the long Sajdah I thought you had died.” (hadith from Baihaqi but Dua wording from Muwatta Imam Malik)

One of the Prophet’s companion, Abdullah ibn Zubayr, would pray with such concentration that when he was in Sajdah the sparrows would come flying and sit on his back. In a separate narration, Abdullah ibn Abbas, another companion, said if you want to see how the Prophet of God used to pray, you should copy how Abdullah ibn Zubayr used to pray.

And consider these two Hadiths from the Sahih Muslim:

Ma’dan b. Talha reported: I met Thauban, the freed slave of God’s Messenger, and asked him to tell me about an act for which, if I do it, God will admit me to Paradise, or I asked about the act which was loved most by God. He gave no reply. I again asked and he gave no reply. I asked him for the third time, and he said: I asked God’s Messenger about that and he said: Make frequent prostrations before God, for you will not make one prostration without raising you a degree because of it, and removing a sin from you, because of it. Ma’dan said that then he met Abu al-Darda’ and when he asked him, he received a reply similar to that given by Thauban.

In the second Hadith, Rabi’a b. Ka’b said: I was with God’s Messenger one night and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (the Prophet) said: Or anything else besides it. I said: That is all (what I require). He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.

Sajdah is truly a humbling experience. We can beg for God’s forgiveness and cry by thinking about our misdeeds, as well as seek refuge in God from the Hellfire. We are in one of the most submissive physical positions when in Sajdah. It is one of the best occasions to ask God for forgiveness, guidance, and all that we want. It is one of the best positions in which to talk to God. Seeking God’s pleasure and forgiveness need to be given top priority in the nights of tahajjud.

WHY DO WE EAT WITH OUR HANDS?

I am at a Muslim Wedding Reception in South Africa. The diamonds in the room would put Tiffanys of New York to shame. The dresses range from western styles (the bride) to the abayas and hijab, worn beautifully and elegantly.
Dinner is served. There is a large dish of Biryani which turns out to be one of the most delicious Biryani I have ever eaten. I look around for a fork or a spoon and there is none in sight. Surely it could not have been overlooked in this elaborately planned and elegantly executed wedding reception? Nevertheless, as I wait for someone to bring the missing utensils, it does not happen.
In a few moments one of the women at my table who has been introduced to me as an elected official in the Parliament, elegantly shod and in her south sea pearls and diamonds, serves the Biryani in her plate and begins to eat with her hands……………
I watch with fascination at the beauty and simplicity of eating with ones hands. Here in the muslim heart of South Africa, the Sunnah of the Prophet has survived the diamond rush, the apartheid and the invasion of the western fashions.

Returning to the question as to why do we eat with our hands?
Here is what I understand from what I have read in different sources:
Rasool Allah (PBUH) ate with his hands. Why he did do so, we know some reasons now and some will be discovered later as we become more advanced in science and sociology:
Advantages and Etiquette of eating with your hands:
1. If you have washed your hands before you eat you know that the utensil that goes in your mouth is clean.
2. Using three fingers to make a bite (sunnah) limits the amount of food in your mouth at the same time being aesthetically pleasing to the other diners and you end up eating less, and more slowly. These are all good things for the body.
3. He (PBUH) sat in a manner while eating that allowed less food to go into the stomach and give a feeling of fullness early in the food intake, thus preventing overeating
4. Recent research shows that when food touches the hands with the intention of eating, certain signals from the brain release digestive hormones that prepare the body to anticipate, receive, absorb and use the incoming food as needed.
5. He (PBUH) ate with his right hand (He said: the left hand feeds the shaytan)
6. He ate from what was in front of him, from the edge of the plate, not from the middle.
7. He (PBUH) passed the drink or dates to his right and to the eldest first; unless they were sitting on his left then he took permission of the child on his right to pass it to the elder first.

In the final analysis for me it is enough that I am eating with my hands with the intention to follow the Sunnah, (sometimes I forget and return to the western ways) others don’t have to if they don’t want to.
The finest aspect of this act is that if I eat with my hands because I am following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon him, it becomes an ibadah.
Thus every time I begin my meal with Bismillah, eat with my hands and finish with Shukr Alhamdollillah, the act of eating which is other wise a mundane act of necessity becomes an ibadah.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH did things for a reason, he lived his life the way he did for a reason, Allah Subhanawataala guided him to live in a certain manner and behave in a certain manner, (Allah Subhanawataala says in Surah AL Imran and I paraphrase it: He (PBUH) does what We (SWT) tell him to do, so follow him(PBUH) and obey him)
I feel sometimes I may not know all the reasons right now due to my limited intellect and my inability to research everything before doing it.
Thus for me it sort of boils down to two choices: I can follow the way of life that corporate advertisers have chosen for me based on the product they want to sell, or I can follow the way of life chosen by Allah for us.

It is Allah SWT’s promise in the Quran that whatever He (SWT) has chosen for us is for our good and whatever He SWT has forbidden is harmful for us as human beings.
I believe in His (SWT) promise. Do you?

Do you eat with your hands?

What sunnahs do you follow?

What do you think of people who eat with your hands?

WHAT ARE EXCESSES IN DEEN?; THE ROLE OF ‘HAWA’ AND THE CONCEPT OF TRINITY

(In reference to Jesus (AS) & Christianity)
Adapted from the tafseer by Farhat Hashmi (www.alhudapk.com)

SURAH AL MAIDAH: (Translation by Yusuf Ali)
005.076 
: Say: “Will ye worship, besides Allah, something which hath no power either to harm or benefit you? But Allah, – He it is that heareth and knoweth all things.” 


005.077 
: Say: “O people of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, – who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even way”.

Prohibition of Shirk: a rhetorical question: (i.e. How could we be so stupid as to worship something that is inert in its power)
In this ayah (5:76) Allah SWT gives Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) the examples of cultures that came before him and how they worshiped things, people and ideas that could neither benefit them not harm (punish) them, and i.e. they were inert in their power. The cultures before us gave these inert things the power of God thus committing shirk.

Excess in Religion (Stay in the middle)
He (SWT) follows with instructions to be neither excessive nor minimal in the practice of our deen.
What are the examples of excessive?
* Praying 24/7 & ignoring our daily responsibilities
* Fasting every day,
* Become a groupie to a religious personality
* Adoring a televangelist or a pious personality
* The most extreme being: Promoting Jesus (AS) a Prophet of Allah to the status of God, or His son (Astighfirullah)
* Ulemas (learned people of deen) given the status of Saints
* Reverence of the Quran to the extent of paralyzing action. E.g. “I can’t read it in case I make a mistake”
* Excessive taharah spending a lot of hours and water and time to perform simple taharah,
What are examples of minimizing?
* Disrespecting the elders, and the educated people in Deen because if they are given a lot of respect this might lead to excessive elevation of their status.
* Not extending the muslim greeting of salaam, as the other might get an inflated ego
* Not helping someone who is working for the sake of our Deen, incase he might think he is too good or I might elevate his status.
The Quran is a guide for everyone and for all times
The Quran is a guide for people of all levels and types of intellect and the Sunnah is a living example of how to implement the teachings of Allah in our life irrespective of level of education or intelligence. In the life of some of us there will be times when we neither understand nor agree with something said in the Quran. (Astighfirullah)
Allah SWT warns Prophet Muhammad by giving examples of the people in the past and commands muslims: “ nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by”:
What are vain desires (Hawa)? Hawa is defined as those desires of the ego that defy Allah’s commandment.

Who are the people who went wrong in times gone by?
Here the reference is about the Greeks (Unani). (As per Farhat Hashmi’s tafseer and Maulana Maudoodi’s tafseer):
When Christianity spread out of the land of Palestine into Egypt and Greece its teachings encountered civilizations with ancient cultures and philosophies. When Christianity was brought to these cultures, it was accepted in most of its tenets, but those things that either did not appeal to the intellectual elite or were in contradiction to their ancient philosophies were debated in the halls of the intelligentsia and a compromise was reached.
Putting their stamp on Christianity.
The elite intellectualized Christianity and stamped it with their own brand of philosophies. They presented this modified version to the masses as a religion encompassing their ancient traditions with Christianity as taught by Jesus (AS) the Prophet of Allah. Coming from the intellectual elite of Unaan (Greeks) it was accepted readily by the masses who were well entrenched in the ancient philosophies.
The evolution of the concept of Trinity:
This concept evolved from the quarters of the Greek (Unaani) intelligentsia in an attempt to marry the ancient philosophies and views on life with Christianity as preached by Christ(Jesus (AS) the prophet of Allah see earlier ayahs of Surah Al Maidah).

The concept of the world or worldview as contemplated by the intellectual elite in these civilizations particularly the Greek philosophers was based on three things:
1. Existence (Wujood)
2. Life (Hayat)
3. Knowledge (ilm)
Perhaps it was a challenge for those civilizations to accept the concept of One God and give up their philosophies and those aspects that attributed the world to be dominated by the above three philosophies.

Thus the concept of trinity evolved to absorb the above three philosophies into the religion of Allah brought to them by the followers of Jesus (AS) a Prophet of Allah,
Thus Existence was embedded into “the father”, Life was imbued into “the Son” and knowledge came from “the Holy ghost” This satisfied the elite intelligentsia who held a sway over the minds and education of the masses, as well as the people who had brought Christianity to these cultures.
There were sections of the Christian faith that did not appeal to or could not be explained in the light of the ancient philosophies. These sections were then modulated to suit the Greek philosophies and were thus accepted by the masses that looked up to the elite.
Why does Allah SWT give examples from the earlier times?
It is so that current generations may learn from the errors of the past generations and not repeat them. Here the example is in reference to the Nasara (Christians):
The examples given in the Quran regarding the behavior of the Bani Israel and the Nasara are not to demonize them or to elevate the Ummah of Rasool Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in any manner but to serve as examples of mistakes made by past civilizations and these examples are to serve as a warning for muslims not to repeat them.
What scenarios and ego types lead to mistakes?
Allah SWT also explains in the Quran what are the reasons that lead to these mistakes (Excessive reliance on the intellectual elite instead of following the Quran & and the sunnah).
We as muslims are not to look at the people of the past who made mistakes with glee or with a sense of superiority but with fear & humility and supplication to prevent us from going down the same path.
The guidance in these ayahs 5:76-77 which are flanked by ayahs with the story of Jesus AS) and Mary (AS) is to provide an illustration of what can happen to us if we follow our Hawa, and to prevent the repetition of the same mistakes by this new generation of the Ummah of RasoolAllah (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Lessons from these Ayahs:

1. Do not use other philosophies, or treatises of human thought to change the Quran. The Quran is for all times and for all people here and to come.

2. The Quran is the criteria and the validation for all the past events & Books

3. For Emaan we have to uphold the Quran as truth and believe in the entire Quran, not in bits and pieces that we like (i.e. what our intellectual ego (Hawa) likes), whether we agree with it intellectually or not.

4. As a muslim we believe that the Quran supercedes all human knowledge.

Human knowledge is finite and comes from research and research changes from day to day. Thus it varies with time and experience. Every one cannot understand everything all the time.

What to do if human knowledge collides with the knowledge in the Quran and the Shariah?
We as muslims believe the Quran & Shariah as the final truth.

Dua/supplicaiton: May Allah forgive my mistakes. If any good comes from this article it is from Him (SWT), and if there are any errors they are mine and I seek Istighfaar for them.
May Allah accept my effort to present the tafseer of these ayahs as I understood it from my review.
.

SLEEP IS LIKE DEATH…….

بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّـي وَضَعْـتُ جَنْـبي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُـه، فَإِن أَمْسَـكْتَ نَفْسـي فارْحَـمْها،

وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَـها فاحْفَظْـها بِمـا تَحْفَـظُ بِهِ عِبـادَكَ الصّـالِحـين

BEFORE SLEEPING

• Be in Tahaarah
• Renew your Tawbah
• Lie on your right side

and then read this supplication:

“Bismika Rabbee wada‘tu jambee wabika arfa‘uh, fa’in amsakta nafsee farhamhaa, wa’in arsaltahaa fahfadhhaa bimaa tahfadhu bihee ‘ibaadakas-saaliheen.”

“‘In Your name Ô Allaah, I lay my side and in Your name I raise it. If you keep my soul, give it (Your Loving) Mercy, and if You release it, care for it as You care for Your righteous servants.”

READ ONCE before sleeping (page 134)*
* Page references correspond to Hisnul-Muslim (Fortification of the Muslim through Remembrance and Supplication)

For the Quranic reference Why is sleep like death ? see the post with this title.