The rights of wives in Islam

The rights of women in general and wives are specificallystated clearly in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (peace beupon him), which makes it crystal clear that women’s rights in Islam are welldocumented and protected.

I was shocked, as many others were, when I heard the newsabout a man who cut off the fingers of his wife’s right hand just because shewanted to continue her studies. How can any sane man do this? This horrendousact isn’t the first and will not be the last act of cruelty toward women, whoare abused in different parts of the world all the time.

Many communities take steps to eradicate such inhumanepractices perpetrated by men who torture their wives, but until these menthemselves do not have self-consciousness, respect for women or are not God-fearing,these steps may be difficult to realize.


Islam has a strong foundation which is based on the beliefin the Creator, Who observes and judges all our acts.

Narrated by A’ishah and Anas, the Prophet Muhammad (peace beupon him) said, “Women are the twin halves of men.”(Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and-Darimi)

The relation between man and woman was designed in a waythat protects the rights of both, and life between them starts with a marriagecontract which is a contract willingly approved by both the parties. It entailsthe rights and obligation of each one of them toward the other.

Let’s throw some light on a few basic rights of a wife:

1. Financial rights

a) Dowry - This should be given and mentionedin the marriage contract, and it is for the woman and not for her father orguardian. Allah has emphasized this right by saying,“And give to the women (whom you marry) their Mahr (obligatory bridal-moneygiven by husband to his wife at the time of marriage) with a good heart; but ifthey of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, andenjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allah has made it lawful).” (Qur’an, 4:4)

b) Living expenses: The husband is responsible for thewelfare of the family. He should spend on his wife and his children. He shouldgive them a suitable, respectable and comfortable life. He should never dependon whatever his wife owns or earns. Even if his wife is wealthy he has no rightto take any money from her without her permission. Allah said, “Lodge them (the divorced women) where you dwell,according to your means, and do not harm them so as to straighten them (thatthey be obliged to leave your house).And if they are pregnant, then spend onthem till they lay down their burden. Then if they suck to the children foryou, give them their due payment , and let each of you accept the advice of theother in a just away. But, if you make difficulties for one another, then someother woman may give suck for him (the father of the child).” (Qur’an 65:6) This verse is fora woman who has been divorced, so any one can well imagine the right of a wifewho is still living with her husband.

2. Right of education(sincere advice): It is the responsibility of the husband to support hiswife to acquire the necessary Islamic knowledge that will help her to do herreligious duties in the correct way. Allah said, “Oyou who have believed! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire(Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern(and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive fromAllah, but do that which they are commanded.” (Qur’an, 66:6)

3. Respect them andseek kind companionship with them and look at the positive side of theircharacter. Allah said, “And do not makedifficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unlessthey commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if youdislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.” (Qur’an, 4:19)

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated; TheMessenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Bekind to women.” (Bukhari) Andhe also said, “The best of you is the best to hisfamily and I am the best among you to my family. “(Tirmidhi)” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)said, “The most perfect believers in faith are thebest in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives”. (Tirmidhi)

In another Hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “That he should feed her whenever he eats and clothe herwhenever he clothes himself, he should not hit her on the face, should not callher ugly, and should not boycott her except within the house.” (Ibn Majah)

4. He should fulfillher needs. A common misunderstanding among some men is that it is his rightto call his wife to bed whenever he wants (and it is his right), but he maydesert her for whatever time he wants to though it is not lawful. As Allahsaid, “Those who take an oath not to have sexualrelations with their wives must wait for four months, then if they return(change their idea in this period), verily,Allah is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful.” (Qur’an, 2:226)

Salman visited Abu Al - Darda and found Umm Darda (his wife)dressed in shabby clothes. He asked her why she was in such a state. Shereplied, “Your brother Abu Al-Darda is not interested in (the luxuries of) thisworld.” Salman told Abu Al-Darda, “Your Lord has a right on you, your soul hasa right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give therights of all those who have a right on you.”

And, when Abu Al-Darda told the Prophet Muhammad (peace beupon him) about the incident, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,“Salman has spoken the truth.”

5. A woman has theright to seek separation from her husband if he doesn’t give her the rightsthat Allah has ordained for her. This is known as Khul’a, which means that thewoman can divorce herself by returning her husband’s dowry or whateverarrangement and agreement they mutually agreed upon.


A classic example is to look at the household of the ProphetMuhammad (peace be upon him) and see in him the ideal husband. Many Muslimsclaim that they love him and they follow his Sunnah; but why don’t they see theway how he treated the women of his family?





- by  Dr. Yahya S Al-Bahith

How to Stay Productive In the Summer Heat!

In the sweltering heat of the summer months, it can become very difficult to stay productive during the day. The sun, humidity, and sweat seems to simply drain our energy and we feel lazy and lethargic – we just want to lie down with a cold lemonade and do nothing at all.

The good news is that you’re not alone. Research has shown the detrimental effect of heat on productivity; here are a couple of interesting studies:

1. Office workers who were exposed to temperatures of 75°F for keyboard tasks showed a reduction in their productivity of up to 40 or 50% compared to their peers at cooler temperatures for the same tasks and with the same clothing.

2. In another experiment, normally-clothed young people were asked to perform mental tasks. They were most comfortable at 80.5°F, however they exerted the least amount of effort and did the least work at this temperature. They performed the most work at 68°F.

So how exactly do we fight the lazy summer days and stay productive in the middle of the heat?

Here are some practical tips on how to take the heat:

1. Try to get the most demanding work done in the early hours of the day, ideally after Fajr until mid-morning (around 10am). It is especially to get your work done at these cooler, early hours if your work involves doing tasks outdoors.

2. Avoid going outside in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their highest point. You want to avoid getting a sun burn, sun stroke, or feeling extremely fatigued upon returning home. It is known from the seerah that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to delay Dhuhur prayer in the hot summer months to wait for the heat to calm down. On the authority of Abu Dhar, he said: “We were on a journey with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Mu’adhin (caller to Prayer) wanted to call the Adhan for the Zhuhr Prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Let it get cooler.’ He again wanted to call the Adhan, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, ‘Let it get cooler,’ until we saw the shadows of the hillocks become equal to their sizes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: ‘The severity of heat is dispersed from Hellfire, so when the temperature gets very hot, pray (the Dhuhr Prayer) when it becomes cooler.” (Al-Bukhari)

3. Drink lots and lots of water, and eat lots of summer fruit (melons, berries, etc). Carry a water bottle and cup with you to stay hydrated and mentally fresh throughout the day. Don’t forget to drink in sips rather than big gulps and also refresh yourself with plenty of summer fruits.

4. Reduce the usage of air-conditioning devices in your life. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but the constant use of A/C in every part of our life (car, home, office, masjid) makes us less adaptable and tolerant of the summer heat. Moreover, it is quite unhealthy for our bodies to adjust from boiling heat outside to freezing air conditioning indoors, within a matter of seconds! I’ve recently tried to minimize my use of air-conditioning and to be honest, it doesn’t feel too bad and I feel healthier in fact.

Here are some tips to reduce A/C in your life (also, you’ll reduce your electric bill!):

• Do wudhu with cold water; wash your hands and face with cold water; take a cold shower.

• Cool your room 1 or 2 hours before you sleep, then turn off the A/C when you hit the bed, and turn on the fan instead. (Yeah, you might sweat but trust me, waking up for Fajr will be so easy!)

• Open your car windows when you drive

• Open your office windows and have a fan to ventilate the room

May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) ease the heat of the summer months for us and protect us from the more intense heat of Hellfire. Ameen.

Sins

If sins had an odour, Would people be able to sit with you...... .

Something to ponder on.....

Know Your Time : Time Tracking Experiment

Umar Bin Al-Khattab, may Allah (glorified and exalted be He) be pleased with him said “Take yourself to account before you’re taken to account”.
As Muslims who believe that we’ll be judged for every minute we spent on this earth, it is sometimes quite useful to track how we spend our time in order to accurately measure how well we’re living our lives according to the purpose we’ve been created for.
About two years ago, I ran a time tracking experiment on myself for a few days to help me measure exactly how I spend my time in different activities. The results of this experiment were astonishing! It made me realize how much I was wasting my time and helped me take drastic measures to improve my productivity.
Here’s how you can run your own time tracking experiment with a few, free simple tools.
THE EXPERIMENT
As with every successful experiment, you need the right measuring tools and apparatus to accurately measure the data and draw the most useful conclusions. This can be challenging if you’re trying to record what you do every minute of your day, since you’ll either forget to record what you do, OR be biased in your recording to show that you were productive when in reality you weren’t.
To overcome this problem, you need to divide your time tracking experiment into two parts:

1. Recording the time spent online/on a computer

Since the majority of our time these days is spent on the computer and online, you can start by recording what you do on them. Thankfully, there’s a great application for that!
RescueTime (Free)
One of the best time tracking tools online today is RescueTime; a web-based time recording and analytical tool that sits quietly in the background of your computer and measures which application, website or document you’re currently actively using.
At the end of each week, RescueTime will send you beautiful (or scary) result graphs showing exactly what percentage of your time online/on the computer is spent on “Productive Tasks” (e.g. Word document, online research, presentations..etc) vs. “Unproductive Tasks” (e.g. social media, personal e-mails, etc). (Note: you can choose which applications/documents RescueTime should classify as “productive” vs. “unproductive”).
Another great feature of RescueTime is that if you’re away from your computer for more than 5 to 10 minutes, it will ask you to write down where you went and what you did, again giving you visibility of how you spend your time during your breaks away from your computer. (E.g. in one day, I realized I spent 5 hours at meetings!)

2. Recording the time spent offline/off a computer

Now that you have an accurate recording of your time spent online or on the computer (and even during short breaks between your working day), it’s time to measure how you spend your time offline, especially when you’re away from your laptop for long stretches, or at home.
To record your time offline, I highly recommend the techniques used by accountants and auditors who need to record their time for billing purposes where they simply record what they are doing every 20m. There are a couple of ways to do this accurately:

1. You could keep a buzzer next to you and set the timer for 20 minutes or 1 hour. Every time the buzzer goes off, you record exactly what you’re doing on a piece of paper.
2. You can ask a friend, spouse, child, or someone else who’s close to you to simply record what you’re doing every 20 minutes.

That’s it! At the end of the week, you’ll have a pretty accurate picture of how you spend your time.
Finally, a word of caution: recording your time is a painful and tedious experiment and it can be very tempting to skip some steps, or record how you think you spent your time at the end of your day, but that will defeat the purpose! You need to be as objective as possible and avoid relying on your memory to remember what you did at certain times.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE RESULTS?
Once you have an accurate measure of your time (both online/offline), you need to compare the results with the results you’d like to achieve as a Productive Muslim – a person who achieves success both in this life and in the Hereafter. If the results of your experiment show that you’re wasting a lot of your time, then you know you have to do something about it as the results won’t improve by themselves.
Here are 3 practical things you can do to improve your time management:

1. Limit time-wasting activities: If you find that you spend a big chunk of your time on social media, TV or aimlessly surfing the Internet, try to limit these activities by allocating specific times for them during the day.
2. Compress your work time into large work chunks: If you find that you work in bursts of 10-20 minutes throughout the day, try to compress all your work time into large chunks of at least 45 to 90 minutes. This will allow you to work more productively and achieve greater results.
3. Manage your time actively: Instead of managing your time reactively and fire-fighting your way through your days, try your best to actively manage your time by planning each day the night before, using our ProductiveMuslim Taskinator and completing at least 3 to 5 of the Most Important Tasks (M.I.Ts) early in the morning. Moreover, such active management of time would help you avoid the common pitfall of “heedlessness” from Allah’s commands and allows you to truly develop a balanced lifestyle that doesn’t forget the akhira and works hard in this dunya.

Once you’ve adopted some of the above changes and you feel that your time management has improved, re-run the time tracking experiment again and let the results speak for themselves.

Thank You Allah

When I See Others working Hard, Learning & Practicing Islam, Teaching Others to Improve their lives; I Feel Ashamed, What I have done till Yet!!, Nothing Big/Better infront of their Achievements!! 

 BuT

 When I look on Some Tiny Acts of me, Oh I Feel so Contented Alhumdulillah :) When I give a glass of Water to some1, When I Pick Rappers from the floor, When I Giv Comfort to Som1 and don't ask for reward from Others. ♥

Do you Also feel same feelings whenever you do Good?

 These are the instant Ajar a Reward From ALLAH ^_^ Thank You Allah

Practical Tips for the Night Prayer (Part 2)

Did you enjoy Part 1 of this article? We hope so, here we look at more tips for performing Qiyaam-al-Layl.

4. Sleeping According to the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger

(a) Sleep early: Sleeping early is a healthy habit and it was the practice of Allah’s Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon Him) to sleep directly after performing the Isha prayer.

(b) Sleep in a state of taharah (purity): Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Purify these bodies and Allah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state of purity but an Angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, [the Angel] says, ‘O Allah! Forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of purity.” [Reported by at-Tabaranee. See Saheeh al-Jamee (3831)]

(c) Choose a suitable bed: An excessively luxurious or soft bed provokes laziness and makes one sleep more and become negligent. Aa’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the pillow of the Prophet (Peace and blessings upon Him) on which he slept at night was made of leather stuffed with palm fibers. [Abu Dawood and Musnad Ahmad. Saheeh al-Jamee (4714)]

(d) Cleaning the bed and lying on the right side: Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Peace and blessings upon Him) said: “When any one of you goes to bed, let him clear his bed by hitting it with his garment, for he does not know what may have come onto it. Then let him lie down on his right side…” [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]

(e) Reciting the adhkaar (supplications) mentioned in the sunnah before sleeping: There are a number of adhkaar prescribed in the sunnah before going to bed. Amongst them are reciting the last verses of Soorah al-Baqarah, reciting Soorah al-Falaq and Soorah al-Nas and Soorah Ikhlas and blowing in the palms and wiping as much of the body possible, starting from the head, face and then the front of the body doing it three times. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) came to him and asked him for a servant, he (Peace and blessings upon Him) said to her and Ali: “Shall I not teach you something that will be better for you than a servant? When you go to bed, say ’SubhanAllah’ thirty-three times, ’Al-hamdulillah’ thirty-three times, and ’Allahu Akbar’ thirty-four times. This is better for you than a servant.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

5. Avoiding too much food and drink

Too much food or drink is one of the main obstacles that make one lazy and negligent of Qiyaam al-Layl. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings upon Him) said: “Man fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few mouthfuls to give him the strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Majah. Saheeh al-Jamee (5674)]

6. Striving against oneself

Striving against oneself to get up and pray and suppressing one’s desires bring about Allah’s help and His Pleasure for the slave.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings upon Him) said: “The Mujahid (one who strives in way of Allah) is the one who strives against his own self for the sake of Allah.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhee. See al-Saheehah (549)]

He (Peace and blessings be upon Him) also said: “When a man from my Ummah gets up to pray at night, striving against his own self to get up and purify himself, there are knots on him. When he washes his hands in wudhu, one knot is undone. When he washes his face, another knot is undone. When he wipes his head another knot is undone. When he washes his feet, another knot is undone. Then Allah says to those who are veiled (in the Unseen): Look at this slave of Mine, he is striving against his own self and asking of Me. Whatever My slave asks of Me shall be his.” [Musnad Ahmad. See Saheeh al-Targheeb (627)]

7. Rebuking one’s self for not praying

Qiyaam al-Layl is a great blessing from Allah, the Exalted, and He has placed in it numerous spiritual benefits and rewards for the believer. Therefore, one should rebuke one’s self, if he misses this great opportunity of achieving rewards and Pleasure of Allah.

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimahullah) said: “If the slave is responsible and accountable for everything, even his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as Allah say, “…Verily, hearing, sight, and the heart of each of you will be questioned by Allah, [Soorah al-Isra (17): 36], then he should check on himself before he is brought to account.”

Taken from the book – ‘The Night Prayers’ by Muhammad Nasir ud-Deen al-Albanee (rahimahullah)

About the Author

This article was shared by Al Huda Institute Canada, a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political organization currently working to promote authentic Islamic knowledge. The institute began its educational program in 2001, and is now providing structured courses for people from all walks of life.

Practical Tips for the Night Prayer

Practical Tips for the Night Prayer (Part 1)

by Al Huda Institute on March 4, 2012

by Al Huda Institute12 Comments and 12 Reactions

Posted on Sunday, March 4, 2012 in Islam & Productivity, Topics

Numerous ahadeeth and Qur’anic verses mention the excellence of Qiyaam al-Layl and the merit of those who perform it regularly. The craziness of life often have us trudging through our daily routine and forgetting about this fruitful prayer, here are a few reminders of its importance and a number of practical tips to help you get in the habit of Qiyaam al-Layl.

He (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) said: “You should pray Qiyaam al-Layl, for it is the habit of the righteous people who came before you, and it will bring you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin, and expel disease from the body.” [At-Tirmidhee and Musnad Ahmad]

It is also narrated Mu’adh Ibn Jabal (May Allah be Pleased with Him): The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) said to him: “May I show you the gates of goodness? (they are), (a) Fasting is a screen from Hell, (b) As-Sadaqah extinguishes the sins, as water extinguishes fire, (c) Standing in salaat (prayer) by a slave of Allah during the last third part of a night.”

Then the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) recited the verse: “Their (believer’s) sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope; and they spend out of what We have bestowed on them.” [Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhee]

Practical Tips for Praying Qiyaam al-Layl

1. Ikhlas (Sincerity)

This is the key to Allah’s Help and blessings. The help of Allah is needed to accomplish and achieve success in all our affairs. And Allah helps those who are sincere in their hearts. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings upon him) said: “If you are truthful with Allah, then Allah will deliver to you what you wish for.” [An-Nasa’ee, al-Hakim and Saheeh al-Jamee]

Therefore, one should have a sincere intention to pray Qiyaam al-Layl; seek the Pleasure of Allah Alone and avoid the desire of praise or fame. Allah says: “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone.” [Quran 98: 5]

2. Knowing the Virtues of Qiyaam al-Layl

Knowing the virtues and rewards of performing worship produces willingness and desire to perform the worship. We have previously mentioned numerous virtues of regularly praying Qiyaam al-Layl, here we mention the excellence of praying Qiyaam al-Layl particularly in the great month of Ramadan.

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah’s Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon Him) encouraged the people, without making it an absolute command, to perform Qiyaam during Ramadan. He (Peace and blessings be upon Him) used to say: “Whoever stands (in Qiyaam) in Ramadan out of faith and expectation (of Allah’s reward), all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Saheeh Muslim]

3. Taking a Nap in the Day Time

Taking a nap before or after Dhuhr salah will dismiss stress and thus enable one to get up in the night and stand in front of his Lord. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon Him) said: “Take a nap, for the Shayateen do not take naps.” [Reported by at-Tabaranee. Al-Saheehah 2647]

In essence, purify your intentions, clear your mind and rest your body in preparation for this fruitful salah.

Look out for part 2 of this article for more practical tips on how to achieve Qiyam al-Layl.

Do you pray Qiyam al-Layl regularly? If so, inspire us with some of your tips that help you remain consistent, share with us how this prayer has impacted your life.

About the Author

This article was shared by Al Huda Institute Canada, a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political organization currently working to promote authentic Islamic knowledge. The institute began its educational program in 2001, and is now providing structured courses for people from all walks of life.

Prophets mentioned in Quran

Those Messengers! We preferred some often to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour); and to 'Īsā (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), We gave clear proofs and evidences, and supported him with Rûh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Verses of Allâh had come to them, but they differed - some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allâh had willed, they would not have fought against one another, but Allâh does what He likes.
Quran 2.253
Surah Baqarah

Today's Beautiful Hadith is about Allah

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Remember Allah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of difficulty."
 [Tirmidhi]

Dont miss Fajr prayer

How many times have you woken up for Fajr, rubbed your eyes and went in to your childrens room seen them sleeping and decided to try and wake them up with little success and then thought to yourself let them sleep. Even though the child is over the age of 10. Look at how the great Imaam of Sunnah used to do this.


Concerning the Imaam, the Shaykh - 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz (rahima-hullaah), his son Ahmad narrates:


"The Shaykh used to call his children via the internal phone to wake them up for Salaat al-Fajr. And when he called them, he would recite the (authentic and recommended) supplication:

 ((al-Hamdu Lillaahil-lathee Ahyaanaa ba'da maa Amaatanaa wa ilayhin-nushoor))

 (All praise is for Allaah who gave us life having taken it from us and unto Him is the resurrection)


 ...since they were overcome by sleep, he would ask them to repeat this supplication until he felt sure they had woken up!"

 al-Imaam Ibn Baaz - duroos wa mawaaqif wa 'ibar - Page 71


May Allah help us all to get up daily at Fajr and pray the Salah with complete concentration and lead a life which pleases him
Aamin

6th Rabbana

6th Rabbana

"Rabbana Wa La Tahmil Alayna Israan Kama Hamaltahu Ala Al-Ladhina Min Qablina."
Quran 2.286
Surah Baqarah

Translation

Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us

5th Rabbana

‎5th Rabbana

Rabbana La Tu uakhidhna In Nasina Aw Akhta na
Quran 2.286

Translation
Our Lord do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake

4th Rabbana

‎4th Rabbana

Rabbana Afrigh Alayna Sabraan Wa Thabbit Aqdamana Wa Ansurna Ala Al-Qawmi Al-Kafirin
Quran 2.250
Surah Baqarah
...
Translation
"Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, and make our steps firm and assist us against the unbelieving people."

Rabbana 3

"Rabbana atina fi ad dunya hasanatan wa fi al akhirati hasanatan wa Qina Adhaba an nar."

Translation

Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the Fire.
...
Quran 2.201
Surah Baqarah

Rabbana

"Rabbana Taqabbal minna innaka anta as-sami ul alim"

Our Lord! Accept from us. Surely thou are the Hearing the Knowing.

Quran 2.127
Surah Baqarah

5 Steps To Develop The Habit Of Miswak

When was the last time you used a miswak? Was it a couple of weeks ago? Months, or even a couple of years ago?

It’s strange that few Muslims use a miswak these days, especially since it is an established sunnah and moreover there are so many products marketed as being derived from “miswak”. I’ve seen miswak toothpaste, miswak candy, and miswak chewing gum. I’ve seen lots of stores selling miswak. But it is rare that I actually see a Muslim with a miswak in his or her mouth.

This is a shame since Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) was very keen on using them himself and encouraged his companions to do the same.

Were it not for overburdening my Ummah, I would command them to use Siwak (miswak) at every prayer. (Muslim)

Now just in case you don’t know what a miswak is (sometimes called siwak), let me explain.

It is a small stick used to brush the teeth, it most commonly comes from the roots of the Salvadora Persica plant (also known as the mustard tree). It is called Arak in Arabic and Peelu in Urdu.

t makes an excellent toothbrush as its fibers become abrasive and bristly when moistened and chewed, similar to modern day toothbrushes. Recent studies have shown that using miswak promotes good oral hygiene. Using miswak may even bring some digestive benefits.

For Muslims, this only multiplies the benefit of using them. You’ll get the reward for following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), and you’ll get the health benefits as well.

But here’s the dilemma: it’s not so easy to make a habit of using miswak.

I’m guilty of this also. I buy a miswak, use it for a week or so, then gradually cease over the next several days. Soon my miswak joins my socks and keys on the list of missing items.

Therefore, I’ve come up with a few methods to help make using miswak a habit. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of missing out on all the rewards of brushing with miswak. If you’re tired of it also, let’s go through this list and see what we can do insha’Allah.

1. Use it for Thirty Days

You’ve probably heard it before, but I’ll say it again: It’s been said that anything you do for 30 days straight becomes a habit. If that’s the case, this should be your first step in making the use of miswak a habit.

Starting today, commit to brushing your teeth with miswak every morning and evening and/or before certain prayers for 30 days straight. Perhaps you can keep your miswak stick right next to your toothbrush.

After thirty days, it will become a habit, insha’Allah, and will be routine.

2. Take it With You

A miswak is just a stick. It really isn’t anything big or bulky. It’s smaller than the average highlighter in fact. A good way to make it a habit is to just bring it with you everywhere you go.

Stick it in your pocket or your purse. When you eat something outside the home, just whip out your miswak and give it a quick scrub.

Pretty soon, insha’Allah your miswak will become as essential as your car keys or cell phone.

And speaking of cell phones…

3. Digital Reminders

I love digital reminders. In fact, I’ve used them to memorize several du’as. Chances are you’re probably surrounded by gadgets with screens. You probably have a cell phone. Maybe even a tablet. And if you’re reading this article, you most certainly have access to at least one computer. Post digital reminders to use your miswak on all of your gadgets by setting pop-up alerts or setting an image with the reminder as your background!

Now every time you answer your phone, or go on your computer, you’ll see the same reminder: “BRUSH TEETH WITH MISWAK.”

4. Keep More Than One

This is a no-brainer. Like I mentioned in the beginning, I have a habit of losing my miswak or forgetting to bring it with me when I go out.

And an easy way to solve this problem is to have several miswak sticks in every place you’re likely to frequent:

• One in your coat or jacket pocket.
• One in your car.
• One in your office.
• One in your bathroom.

Just make sure you don’t keep your miswak where other people are keeping theirs. That might lead to some very awkward situations.

5. Use Flavored Miswak

Miswak has a unique taste, but it’s not bad. However, if you’re not too keen about the taste there are flavored miswak available.

Grab yourself some miswak sticks in mint or strawberry or lemon. Now you really have no excuse not to use one.

It should be noted that you should not use a flavored miswak while fasting though it’s fine to use a regular one.

There are too many benefits to using miswak for you to miss out on this opportunity, both spiritual and worldly. Even if there were no health benefits, the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) used them and that’s good enough for me. If that’s a good enough reason for you also, let’s try to make this wonderful Sunnah a part of our daily lives, insha’Allah.

About the author

Abu Ibrahim Ismail is a Muslim speaker, writer, and da’ee. He has studied Islam in West Africa and the Caribbean. He founded the website IslamicLearningMaterials.com where he teaches and preaches about Islamic principles. He tweets about Islam and Muslims @IslamicLearning.

Rabbana

Rabbana wa aj alna muslimayni laka wa min dhurriyatina umatan muslimatan laka wa arina manasikana wa tub alayna inaka anta at tawwabu ar Rahim.
Quran 2.128

Our Lord and make us both submissive to Thee and raise from our offspring a nation submitting to Thee and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us(mercifully), surely Thou art the Oft-Returning(to mercy), the Merciful.

7 Powerful Tips to Avoid Anger

A man came to the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and asked him (Peace and blessings be upon him) for advice. He (Peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Do not become angry.” The man repeated his request for advice, and each time, the Prophet replied with this one phrase that sums up all good attitudes and behavior: “Do not become angry.” (Bukhari)

While you may not be able to avoid people’s anger and aggressive attitudes, you can surely deal with such situations in a wise and productive manner.

Anger can be like a fire. And you can’t possibly combat fire by another spark of fire, or pouring fuel onto it – this would result in a massive fire that would swallow everybody, including yourself. Whereas pouring water onto fire will curb it, if not end it entirely. Having a calm, tolerant temper can combat anger like water extinguishes fire.

Reacting calmly and tolerantly to an angry situation might first seem passive – but who cares! If you want to just add fuel to the fire, the situation will probably spiral out of control and end up in a fight of unpredictable magnitude.

I agree that being a calm, tolerant person does require a lot of self-discipline, which is normally “difficult”.

Here are some time-tested tips for averting anger:

1. You have to understand that anger is not a matter of power or ability.

“The strong man is not the one who can wrestle, but it is the one who can control himself when he is angry.” (Bukhari)

2. Regard anger as an infection

Keep due distance from those ill-tempered people, regardless of the extent of their anger and the reason behind it. Don’t react in a manner that will signal hatred. Doing so will probably just exacerbate the anger and exasperate the situation.

3. Feel free to delay your reaction

It won’t bruise your dignity nor tarnish your image. You can end your presence in this situation. Whether physically or if it’s a phone conversation, or a virtual presence with chatting, and react later when you’re mentally ready to deal positively with the situation.

4. Keep the interest of the Muslim community in mind.

”Do not be angry with each other and do not envy each other and do not turn away from each other, and be slaves of Allah, brothers. It is not halal for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights.” (Imam Malik’s Muwatta)

5. React with a calming statement.

For example, “I understand how you feel, I know you must be angry, etc. Try and avert the angered person from thoughts that continue to anger them.

6. A few kind words can have a surprising effect.

Reverting the whole situation into a pleasant tone will help lessen tensions. On the other hand, harsh words trigger retaliation. Watch your words because they can set the tone for an entire situation.

7. Don’t become that person.

If you hate the attitude of the person who’s angry, know that reacting in a harsh manner will render you pretty much similar to him/her, so you’d better be careful.

Be strong and make your calm manner contain the situation. Be wise. Self-control is cornerstone to curbing people’s anger.

Remember that our beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never took revenge over a personal matter.

It is narrated that “The Prophet never took revenge for his own sake, but if the laws of Allah were violated, he would take revenge for the sake of Allah.”

Remain wise and apply the virtue of patience, which is your key tool to avert aggressive and anger attitudes.

Remember, the relationships and attitudes you cultivate within your life will impact your productivity.

So remain positive and avoid negativity!

About the author

Maha Youssuf is the Founder and Managing Director of The Muslim Tribune.

Wine

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Every intoxicant is khamr (wine) and every intoxicant is forbidden. If anyone drinks wine, Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he repeats it a fourth time, it is binding on Allah that He will give him tinat al-khabal to drink.

He was asked: What is tinat al-khabal, Apostle of Allah? He replied: Discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell. If anyone serves it to a minor who does not distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful, it is binding on Allah that He will give him to drink the discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell.

Love and Intimacy for Muslims

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu


Love and Intimacy for Muslims
                   by Umm Reem
                 Source: MuslimMatters.org


One day a sister dropped by to pick up something and saw me dressed up with make-up and jewelry, so she assumed I was going somewhere. When I told her I wasnt, the reason I dressed up surprised her.

I told her, “Because it is about time for my husband to return from work.”

She said, “You still get ready for your husband?”

“Yes, what do you mean “still”?!” I asked.

She said, “I used to do that in the beginning of the marriage and then I don’t it anymore.”



Unfortunately this is a common scenario among many Muslim married sisters. In fact, one of the most common complaints husbands have against their wives is that the wives dont beautify themselves at home.


I have personally observed many Muslim sisters stop taking care of themselves once they get married. Some married sisters only dress up when they go out and while others dont even bother with that. For some, abaya and hijab become a perfect “cover up” for outside the house and shalwar-kameez  become the perfect lounge-wear for inside the house!



Reasons Why Sisters Dont Dress Up:
I cannot generalize the reasons why sisters stop taking interest in taking care of themselves at home, but I want to highlight 2 main points:
Once married to a practicing brother, sisters assume their knight in shining armor won’t be interested in their looks but, rather, in their imaan. They believe their beauty lies in their “piety.”
Husbands dont express their desire in seeing their wives dressed up. Or, when their wives dress up, they dont bother to compliment them, which confuses the wife into thinking, “He does not care.”
Beauty and Piety are Two Separate Characteristics:

Let’s remember, piety may add to a person’s inner beauty which may reflect through physical appearance; however, they both are independent characteristics.


There is no prohibition in looking good; in fact, to physically beautify oneself to please one’s husband and keep him happy is not only a praiseworthy act but also a means to earn reward from Allah azza wa jall.

When the Prophet sallallahu alihi wasalam was asked which woman was best, he replied, “The one who pleases (her husband) when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command….” (Nasai)


Hence, sisters, please on a daily basis before your husband returns home:
Take a shower.
Change your clothes.
Wash your face with cleanser/scrub.
Put light make up on. Please dont use the excuse, “I dont know how to.”
Wear some jewelry.
Show some creativity with your hair. Remember frizzy hair can be taken care of with gel, mousse, hair spray, hair straightener etc.

Moreover, try to get a facial done once in a while. If you cant afford to, there are millions of products available at very reasonable prices for home facials/deep cleaning.



Dear sisters,

Abaya should not be used to cover up weight gain, and neither should the hijab keep frizzy/unkempt hair covered. I understand that shalwar-kameez are the most comfortable clothing but it needs to be changed before your husband get back home.



Husbands: Pay Attention & Don’t be Stingy with Words:

A wife desires attention from her husband. If she feels her husband appreciates her dressing up and taking care of herself, it will encourage her to take care of herself. Hence, husbands please:Pay attention to your wife on a daily basis
Show interest in her looks, clothes and her overall appearance
Encourage her by buying her clothes you would like her to wear
When she is dressed up, make sure you praise her.
When she is not, remind her gently

Eat with Right Hand

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“No one among you should eat with his left hand, or drink with it, for the Shaytaan eats with his left hand and drinks with it.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 2020).

"Ya Allah"

When 'Adam (A.S)' Ate The Forbidden Fruit, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Forgave Him And Erased His Sin.

When 'Abraham (Ibrahim A.S)' Was Thrown into The Fire, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH"  Saved Him And Made The Fire Cool.

When Ordered To Sacrifice His Son, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH"  Replaced His Son With A Mountain Goat.

When 'Hagar (Hajeera)' Had Nothing To Feed Her Baby, She Cried,“ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Burst Forth For Her The Spring Of Zamzam.

When 'Joseph (Yusuf A.S)' Was Thrown into The Well, He Cried “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Reassured Him Of His Help And Victory.

When 'Jacob (Yaqob A.S)' Became Blind At The Grief Of His Missing Son, He Cried,“ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Restored His Sight And Returned To Him His Son.

When 'Moses (Mosa A.S)' Fled His Land in Fear,  He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Gave Him Safety in The Farmer’s House.

When 'Pharaoh’s' Army Closed in On Them,  He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Parted The Sea For Them And Drowned Their Enemy.

When 'Jacob (Yaqoob A.S)' Was Stricken With Distress,  He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH"  Restored For Him His Health And Wealth.

When 'Jonah (Yunoos A.S)' Lay At The Bottom Of The Sea, He Cried,“ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Ordered The Whale To Bring Him To Shore.

When 'David (Jalooth A.S)' Met Goliath, He Cried,“ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Gave Him Victory And Goliath Was Slain.

When They Tried To Crucify Jesus (Isa A.S), He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Raised Him Up And Saved Him From Crucifixion.

When 'Muhammad’s Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam' Followers Were Tortured, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Opened For Them The Way To Madinah.

When He Was Nearly Captured in The Cave, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH'S" Spider Spun A Web And Concealed Him.

When His Army Was Outnumbered At Badr, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Sent Down Angels To Rout His Foe.

When His Companions Were Massacred At Mauna, He Cried, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Avenged Their Deaths And Destroyed The Oppressors.

When A Ship is Tossed By A Storm, They Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Brings Them Safely To Land.

When Trapped in A Dark Hole, They Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Enlightens Them With An Opening.

When The Rope Becomes Too Tight, They Cry, “ YA ALAH ”
So "ALLAH" Breaks it And Brings Them Relief.

When They Plead For "ALLAH'S" Help And Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
So "ALLAH" Responds, “Indeed My Help is Near!”

When Matters Are Beyond You, Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
And He (ALLAH) Will Aid You And Assist You.

When All Hope is Lost, Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
And He (ALLAH) Will Bring You Ease After Hardship.

When You Have Nothing Left, Cry,“ YA ALLAH ”
And He (ALLAH) Will Provide For You From Where You Could Never imagine.

When You Have No One Else To Turn To, Cry, “ YA ALLAH ”
And You Will Find Him in Front Of You,
 
ALLAH- HU - AKBAR

First 10 days of Dhul Hijjah

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja)." Then some companions of the Prophet said, "Not even Jihad?" He replied, "Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's sake) and does not return with any of those things." (Bukhari)

Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are:

1. Fasting. It is Sunnah to fast on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged us to do good deeds during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds.
2. Takbeer. It is Sunnah to say Takbeer ("Allahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaha ill-Allah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaan Allah") during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, may He be exalted. Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.
3. Doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allah, praying (salaat), reading Qur’an, remembering Allah, making supplication (du’aa’), giving charity, honoring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.
4. Sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allah.
5. Sincere repentance. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah loves.

There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good works, before death strikes, before one can regret one’s negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to a place where no prayers will be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before you are trapped with your deeds in the grave.

Three times

Narrated Anas:Whenever the Prophet ( Peace Be Upon Him ) spoke a sentence (said a thing), he used to repeat it thrice so that the people could understand it properly from him and whenever he asked permission to enter, (he knocked the door) thrice with greeting. ( Bukhari)
Share your thoughts with us here

O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them; that is better for you, in order that you may remember.
And if you find no one therein, still enter not until permission has been given. And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.  [Surah An-Nur: 27-28]

Hell

"On the Day when We will say to Hell,"Are you filled?" It will say,"Are there any more (to come)?"
Quran 50.30
May Allah save us from Hell

Mother

" Mother "
A Man Once Asked The Prophet Sallalahu Alaihe Wassalam To Whom He Should Show The Most Kindness.
The Prophet Replied :
" Your Mother,
Next Your Mother,
Next Your Mother,
And Then Your Father."
(Sunan of Abu-Dawood)

“ Heaven Lies Beneath The Feet Of Your Mother ”


What is The Big Deal About Mothers Anyway ?

Well Let’s See…
She Carried You in Her Womb For Nine Months.
Then She Gave You Birth Which is The Most Painful Thing Ever!
She Stayed Up For You All Night.
She Looked After You When You Were Sick.
She Loved You Endlessly.
She Nurtured You.
When The World Turned its Back On You,
She Was The Only Person There To Support You.
You Have To Do Nothing To Gain Her Love And Affection Because Her Love And Affection is Always There No Matter What.
Free Of Cost !
She Scolds You Because She Loves You And Wants The Best For You.
She is Always Trying To Protect You And That’s Why She Doesn’t Want You To Be Out Late At Night.
That’s Why She Doesn’t Want You To Hang Out With Certain Types Of People.
 If You Think About it,
 it All Makes Sense.
You Say She Doesn’t Understand.
Well Then...
MAKE HER UNDERSTAND !
Talk To Her And Make Her Feel Loved As Well.
After All She Has Done For You,
 She Deserves it !
One Thing You Can Always Be Sure Of is That Your Mother Will Be The Best Friend You Will Ever Have.
 She Will Be Honest And Sincere.
 She Will Not Expect Anything From You in Return For The Friendship
Just Your Love And Your Smiles.
When You Think You Have Grown Up,
You Think You Know The inside Outs Of Life,
You Really Don't !
That is Why Your Mother Wants To Know What is Happening in Your Life.
She Doesn’t Mean To intrude.
 Rather She Wants To Be A Part Of Your Life...
Again.
To Be Your Guide,
To Be Your Mentor.
Instead Of Telling Her Off,
include Her in Your Life,
and trust me you will learn a lot from her !
You Will Come To Realize That You Have A Lot in Common With Your Mother.
From There You Can Start A Beautiful Relationship That Will Last A Lifetime And Beyond Insha’Allah !
Each Of Us Should Appreciate What We Have in Our Mothers.
They Are Our Teachers And Our Role Models.
 Every day with them is an opportunity to grow as a person. Every day away from them is a missed opportunity.

Islamic sms of the day

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar(may Allah be pleased with him)
Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah will not look at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit.''
Bukhari 7.674

And Allah makes the Ayat proofs evidences verses lessons signs revelations etc plain to you and Allah is All Knowing All Wise
Quran 24.18

Yeh kya murtiya hai jinke ird gird tumlog lage baithe ho, kahne lage humne apne baap dada ko inhi ki ibadat karte huwe paaya hai
Quran 21.52-53

Nabi sallallahu alaihi wa sallam ne farmaya aadmi ke liye yahi burai kafi hai ke woh apne musalmaan bhai ko haqeer jane.
Tirmizi

Islamic sms for the day

Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested
Quran 29.2
Surah Ankaboot

Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: The names dearest to Allah are Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman
Muslim 5315

Woh log jo kehte hai agar us se baaz na aaye toh woh log jinho ne kufr kiya unhe zarur dardnaak azaab hoga.
Quran 5.73
Surah Al-Maeda

Aye nabi agar mere bande mere bareme puche toh aap unhe bata de mai unke Qarib hoon joh woh mujh se dua karte hai mai unki dua sunta hoon
Quran

Dont Let a Day pass

1 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Completing your Salat 5 times a day!
2 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Reading the Quran with meaning!
3 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Learning something new about Islam!
4 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Making Tawbaa!
5 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Thanking Allaah Subhanahuwa Ta'ala!
6 ➲ Don't let a day pass without Giving anything for Charity even simply a Smile :)
May Allah increase our Knowledge, Tawqa and Imaan, In sha Allah Ameen

Hadith (Spending on Family)

Narrated Abu Mas'ud(May Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "If a man spends on his family (with the intention of having a reward from Allah) sincerely for Allah's sake then it is a (kind of) alms-giving in reward for him. 

Bukhari 1.52

Today's Beautiful Hadith is about Lust

Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that Allah says: "A lustful look is like a poisoned arrow of Satan; whoever refrains from it out of fear from Me, I will replace it with belief whose sweetness he will find in his heart.


(Tabarani)

Sadaqah(Charity)

Narrated Asma:Allah's Apostle said, "Give (in charity) and do not give reluctantly lest Allah should give you in a limited amount; and do not withhold your money lest Allah should withhold it from you." (Bukhari)

The Necessity of Taqwa and Avoiding Riba

O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and give up what remains from Riba, if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly. (2:278-279)
Tafsir (Ibn Kathir)
The Necessity of Taqwa and Avoiding Riba
Allah commands His believing servants to fear Him and warns them against what would bring them closer to His anger and drive them away from His pleasure. Allah said,

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah) meaning, fear Him and remember that He is watching all that you do.

(And give up what remains of Riba) meaning, abandon the Riba that people still owe you upon hearing this warning,

(if you indeed have been believers) believing in the trade that He allowed you and the prohibition of Riba.

Zayd bin Aslam said that this Ayah was revealed about Bani `Amr bin `Umayr, a sub-tribe of Thaqif, and Bani Al-Mughirah, from the tribe of Bani Makhzum, between whom were outstanding transactions of Riba leftover from time of Jahiliyyah. When Islam came and both tribes became Muslims, Thaqif required Bani Al-Mughirah to pay the Riba of that transaction, but Bani Al-Mughirah said, "We do not pay Riba in Islam.'' `Attab bin Usayd, the Prophet's deputy on Makkah, wrote to the Messenger of Allah about this matter. This Ayah was then revealed and the Messenger of Allah conveyed it to `Attab,

(O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger.)

They said, "We repent to Allah and abandon whatever is left of our Riba'', and they all abandoned it This Ayah serves as a stern threat to those who continue to deal in Riba after Allah revealed this warning.

Riba Constitutes War Against Allah and His Messenger

Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn `Abbas said that,

(then take a notice of war) means, "Be sure of a war from Allah and His Messenger.'' He also said, "On the Day of Resurrection, those who eat Riba will be told, `take up arms for war.''' He then recited,

(And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger.)

Allah then said,

(But if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly) by taking the Riba,

(And you shall not be dealt with unjustly) meaning, your original capital will not diminish. Rather, you will receive only what you lent without increase or decrease.

How to know if your Ramadan has been accepted

By Tawfique Chowdhury
May Allah the great accept from us and you! You have fasted and prayed and wept and begged Allah the Great and now is your time to rejoice as His mercy and forgiveness envelopes the Universe. May Allah shower you and your family with His choicest rewards and please you on the Day you meet Him just as you are pleased today.
A lot of people ask the question: How do I know if Allah has accepted my Ramadan? How do I know that my deeds were not rejected, but accepted and written in my scale of good deeds? And you too must ask this question, since Ali radiallahu anhu said: “Do not be so concerned about the number of deeds as the acceptance of it.
Do you not remember what Allah the great said?
Verily Allah only accepts from the pious. [AlMa'idah: 27]

The answer to that, is simply: That your relationship with Allah after Ramadan is better than your relationship with Him before Ramadan. That you feel and act closer to Allah in Shawwal than you did in Shabaan. This strengthening of your relationship with Allah, is a feeling of the heart as well as from the action of the limbs.

The feeling of the heart, is that you see Allah’s signs in creation, and feel His authority and mercy and blessings in your life and thus draw nearer to Him by constant remembrance of Him. Ibnul Qayyim rahimahullah said: “The more that you witness the magnificence of His Lordship and the meagerness of our servitude to Him, and the more you learn about Allah and His greatness and about your soul and its meagerness, it will become manifestly clear to you that that which you have put forward from your offerings is not the least bit suitable for the Lord of Truth, even if you were to offer the deeds of all of Mankind and Jinn together. As a result, you would be full of fear how your measly offerings would ever be acceptable to Him. However, it is out of His honour and nobleness and graciousness that He accepts it. On top of that, He even rewards you for it, by His grace, nobleness and honour!” [Madarij As-Salikeen (2/439)] Glory be to Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful!

And that you draw closer to Him through your actions. That you feel the need to turn to prayer so you resolve to pray at the earliest time, that your heart wants to come back to the mosque so you make every attempt to pray in congregration, to open the Quran even on the day of Eid or start memorizing - so you make every effort to read it frequently, that you desire and miss the taraweeh and so make the resolve to continue to pray tahajjud and that you miss the fasts, so you resolve to do the 6 days of Shawwal. Then you remember the hadeeth of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam:

“If the Prophet used to do any action, then he used to stick to it (i.e. make it a habit).” [Reported by Muslim]

Based on this, you resolve to make good habits out of the bootcamp that Ramadan provided so that good deeds become second nature to you.

Remember, if you want to get that special Ramadan feeling in your heart again, then take a path to gaining knowledge.

“Whoever Allah wants good for, then He gives him the fiqh of this religion.” [Reported by AlBukhari]

This is the surest sign that Allah accepted your Ramadan, that after it, you are more knowledgeable about Islam than you were before it. Islamic knowledge is now more accessible to you than ever before. So, make every effort to attend courses, read books and listen to lectures so that you draw closer to Allah every day. There is an AlKauthar course in your city, just around the corner, so make sure you attend it. Once you have gained that knowledge, then act upon it by calling to Allah through all those projects that are working on helping Allah deen. Mercy Mission has a project that you can get involved in or help you to launch your own.

Lastly, I hope to see you all soon in an event near you. Glory be to Allah that He has given us life until the end of this Ramadan, may Allah give us all the opportunity to see the next Ramadan and protect you and your families and all Muslims till then. Ameen.
Source: http://islam4parents.com

Recitation of Quran

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:The Prophet said, "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and has no smell." (Bukhari)

What's Next After Ramadhan

lHamdulillahi Wa kafaa, was-Salatu was-salamu `alaa `ibaadihi-lladheena Stafaa
We leave the blessed month of Ramadan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of the Qur'an, taqwa, patience, jihad, mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire…
Have we fulfilled the requirements of taqwa and graduated from the Ramadan school with the diploma of the god-fearing.
Have we fought our souls and desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by our customs and blind imitations?
Have we performed our actions in a way that fulfills the conditions for receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the Fire?
Many questions and numerous thoughts come to the heart of the sincere Muslim, who asks and answers with truthfulness.

What Have We Gained From Ramadan?

Ramadan is a school of iman and a 'stop to recharge one's spiritual batteries' - to acquire one's provision for the rest of the year...

For when will one take a lesson and change for better if not in the month of Ramadan?

The noble month is a true school of transformation in which we change our actions, habits and manners that are in variance with the Law of Allah 'azza Wa jall.

Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. Ar-Ra`d, 11

If you are from those who benefited from Ramadan, fulfilled the requirements of taqwa, truly fasted the month, prayed in it with truthfulness, and strove against you soul, then praise and thank Allah, and ask Him for steadfastness upon it until you meet your death.

Be not like one who has sewn a shirt and then destroyed it... Have you seen one who sewed a shirt or thawb, so when she looked at it, she liked it. Then she destroyed it pulling a thread by thread for no reason. What would people say about such a person?! Or have you seen one who earns a fortune trading throughout the day, then when the night comes, he throws away all that he earned, dirham by dirham. What would people say about such a person?!

This is the condition of one who returns to sinning and evildoing after Ramadan and leaves obedience and righteous actions. So after he was favored with the blessing of obedience and enjoyment of communicating with Allah he returned to the blaze of sins and evil actions. How evil are the people who know Allah only in Ramadan!

My dear ones,

Falling short in one's commitment to Islam after Ramadan is manifested in many ways, including:

1 – Men leaving the five prayers in congregation, after they filled mosques for Taraweeh prayers, thus going to the masjid for recommended prayers and leaving obligatory ones.

2 – Return to musical entertainment, forbidden films, women displaying their adornment beyond that which ordinarily appears thereof, free mixing etc.

This is not thankfulness for blessings and favors, nor is it the sign of acceptance of one's actions, rather this is opposition to favors and absence of thankfulness.

These are from signs of one's deeds not being accepted – and Allah's refuge is sought – for one who truly fasts rejoices on the occasion of `eid, praises his Lord for helping him complete the fast, and remains fearful that Allah may not accept his fasting, just as the Salaf would continue asking for acceptance of their actions in Ramadan for six months after it.

From signs that one's deeds are accepted is that he or she has improved in his or her obedience to Allah `azza Wa jall.

And remember when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]… Ibrahim, 7

Increase you in good, faith and righteous actions. So if the servant is truly thankful to his Lord, you will see him guided to more obedience and distanced from sinfulness. Thankfulness is leaving sins, as the early Muslims said.

And worship your Lord until there comes you to the certainty [I.e. Death]. Al-Hijr, 99

The Muslim must continuously be in the state of obedience of Allah, firm upon His Sharee`ah, steadfast upon His Deen, so that he or she is not of those who worship Allah only during one month or only in one place. Rather, the believer knows that the Lord of Ramadan is also the Lord of other months, and that He is the Lord of all times and places, so he is steadfast upon the Sharee`ah of Allah until he meets Him while He is pleased with him. Allah at`Ala said,

So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah]. Hud, 112

So take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness. Fussilat, 6

And the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi Wa sallam, said,Say 'I believe in Allah', then be steadfast. Muslim

-- If the fasting in Ramadan has ended, then there remains voluntary fasting, such as fasting six days in Shawwal, on Mondays and Thursdays, the three days in the middle of the month, the days of `Aashoora and `Arafat, and others.

-- If standing in prayer at night during Ramadan has ended, then there remains voluntary night prayer throughout the year.

They used to sleep but little of the night. Adh-Dhaariyaat, 17

-- If the charity in Ramadan and zakat ul-fitr have ended, then there is the obligatory Zakat, and also there are many other open doors to charity, voluntary actions and jihad.

-- Reading of the Qur'an and contemplating it is not only for Ramadan, rather it is for all times.

Righteous actions are for all times and all places, so strive – O my brother and sister – and beware of laziness. And remember that it is not allowed for us to leave the obligatory actions or delay them, such as the five daily prayers on time, in congregation etc.

And do not fall into forbidden actions, such as forbidden sayings, food and drinks, or by looking at or listening to what is forbidden.

Be steadfast and upright upon the Deen of Allah at all times, for you do not know when you'll meet the Angel of Death. Beware of him taking you while you are in a state of sin. “O Allah, Who turns the hearts, keep our hearts steadfast upon Your Deen.”

I ask Allah to accept from us and you our fasting, our prayers and other righteous actions, that our condition after Ramadan be a better one, that the state of our Ummah improves, that we are granted honour and that we truly turn to our Lord…Ameen

Source:http://missionislam.com