Thursday, December 17, 2009

Worried about Future?

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite:
“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr "
(O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

Friday, December 11, 2009

Exaltation and facial brightness in Zikr

Exaltation and facial brightness of the gathering for the Zikr of Allah
Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said,
"Almighty Allah will, on the Day of Resurrection, resurrect certain groups of people in such a state that their faces will be radiant with light, they will be sitting on pulpits of pearls and others will envy their lot. They will neither be from among the Prophets nor from among the martyrs."
Somebody asked the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to let him have more details about these people, so that he may be able to recognize them.
Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied,
"They will be the people who belong to different families and different places, but assemble at one place for the love of Almighty ALLAH and are engaged in His zikr."

It is said in another hadith,
"In paradise there will be pillars of emerald supporting balconied houses made of rubies and with open doors on all the four sides. These willshine like brilliant stars, and will be occupied by those people who love each other for the sake of Allah, and who assemble at a place and meet each other only for His pleasure."

Nowadays, the religious devotees are criticized and ridiculed by everybody. The people may reproach them today as much as they like, but the reality will dawn on them in the Hereafter, when they will realize how these humble persons have been able to earn high fortunes and occupy such grand pulpits and such flats, whereas thosewho criticized and ridiculed them had earned nothing but misery and despair:
"Soon the dust-cloud will clear away, and it will be seen whether you are ridinga horse or an ass."
How blessed. in the eyes of Almighty Allah, are the khanqahs (places where zikr is practised), which are the targets of abuse from all quarters. can best be judged fromthis hadith in their favour. It is mentioned in one hadith that the houses where zikr is practised shine unto the dwellers of the Heaven, as do the stars shine unto the inhabitants of the Earth. According to another hadith, sakeenah (a very special blessing) descends on the gathering engaged in zikr, the angels surround them, the divine mercy covers them, and Almighty Allah mentions them on His Throne.

Hadhrat Abu Razeen (Radhiyallaho anho) a Sahabi, narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said.!"Shall I tell you something that will strengthen yourImaan and earn you the blessings of Allah, the Great, in both the worlds?It is the gatherings of those who do zikr of Almighty Allah; you should make it a point to take part in them, and when you are alone, do as much zikr as you can."

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) has explained that the houses in which zikr is done appear to be as bright and shining as are the stars to the dwellers of theEarth. These houses are so bright because of their light of zikr, they shine like the stars.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

What is Hell (Jahannam)?

1.Hell is so deep that if a stone were to be thrown into it, it would travel for 70 years to reaching at the bottom.
2.The breadth of each of the four walls around Hell is equivalent to a distance covered by a walking journey of 40 years.
3.Hell has 7 gates.
4.Hell had been lit for one thousand years until its flames became red. Again it has heated for another thousand years till its color became white. Still again it was burnt for further thousand years and its white color flames turned pitch black.
5.Even the fiercest fire of this world is 70 fold cooler than the fire of Hell.
6.The lightest punishment in Hell would be the wearing of "Fiery shoes which would cause one's brain to boil.
7.Hell in infested with venomous snakes and scorpions of the size of donkeys and if they were to bite a person then he or she will suffer pain for 40 years.
8.For food, the dweller of Hell would be given Zaqqum which is a prickly tree, so bitter, that even if a single molecule of it were to spill onto this earth it would make all the foodstuff of the world bitter and unpalatable.
9.For drinking, the denizen of Hell would be provided with hot, boiling pus mixed with blood, matter, urine and tears etc. of the dwellers of Hell. If a bucket of this foul liquid were to be splashed over this earth, the entire world would be upset and disrupted by its most foul stink.
10.Boiling water would be poured over Jahannami's head and this will cause their internal organs to melt and leak out through their feet.
11.The inmates of Hell would be lashed with heavy clubs of iron. If one such club was to be placed upon this earth, the combined strength of all the human beings, as well as all the Jinn, would fail to lift it; and if a mountain is struck with one of these clubs it would cause the whole mountain to disintegrate.
12. The dwellers of Hell would be burnt daily for 70 thousand times। Every time, after the skin and flesh is burnt; they would be restored to life so that they can continuously taste this punishment.
13. A drunkard will be given blood, pus, sweat, filth etc. to drink in Hell.
14. All the haughty people will be gathered in the Hereafter and driven towards Hell but their bodies would be reduced to the size of ants and they will be given to consume the excretions of the dwellers of Hell.
15. Some sinners would be made to climb "SAUD" which is a mountain of fire in Hell, and then dropped from its peak and climb and dropped from its peak and climb and dropped from its peak and this process would continue forever and ever.
16. The dwellers of Hell would be pound in chains which would be greater in length than the distance between the sky and the earth.
17. The clothes of sinners in Hell would be highly inflammable.
18. Beside physical torture, the dwellers of Hell would also be subjected to mental harassment through the taunting by the guardian of Hell who will remind them of their misdeed on earth and remarks "Now taste the fires" etc.
19. The sinners and disbelievers would be humiliate to such an extent that besides their revolting ugliness and pitch black faces, their upper lips would be touching their foreheads and the lower lip dangling around the navel.
20. The dwellers of Hell would weep so much and shed so much of tears and blood that furrows would be formed on their cheeks.
21. The tongues of Hell-inmates would be so long and protruding from there mouths that others would trample and step on them.
22. Shayateen will also rebuke the denizens of Hell. (you will see the jinn and other foul looking creatures you have never seen before burning and shouting right next to you)
23. All the human senses will experience pain and foulness. You will hear horrific and disturbing sounds you have never heard before that would indeed shake you and scare you, and you will see foul and horrific things you have never seen before, as well as taste the foulest things you couldn’t possibly imagine eating... and of course feel pain like no human could possibly ever imagine, forever.
24. The dwellers of Hell would display their rage and fury on those who led them astray.
25. The inhabitants of Hell would appeal to the guardians of Jahannam to intercede on their behalf in the court of Allah but their pleas would reject. They would make direct supplication to Allah but their prayers would not be granted.
26. They will then abide forever in Hell, continuously lamenting and braying like a***s (jungle animals)
May ALLAH swt give all of us hidayat and show us d path of JANNAH & save us from torture in HELL,and save us from fire of HELL...ameen

Friday, November 27, 2009

What to say when slaughtering the udhiyah?

Praise be to Allaah.  

The Sunnah for one who wants to slaughter the udhiyah is to say when slaughtering it: 

Bismillaah, wa Allaahu akbar, Allaahumma haadha minka wa laka, haadha ‘anni (or if it is being offered on behalf of someone else, haadha ‘an [fulaan]), Allaahumma taqabbal min [fulaan] wa aali [fulaan]. 

(In the name of Allaah, Allaah is most great. O Allaah, this is from You and to You. This is on my behalf (or if it is being offered on behalf of someone else, This is on behalf of [So and so]). O Allaah, accept (this sacrifice) from [So and so] and the family of [So and so]) – here he should mention his name instead of [fulaan] or [So and so]. 

What is obligatory here is to say Bismillaah; the rest is mustahabb but is not obligatory. 

Al-Bukhaari (5565) and Muslim (1966) narrated that Anas said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sacrificed two horned rams that were white speckled with black. He slaughtered them with his own hand, said Bismillaah and Allaahu akbar, and put his foot on their necks. 

Muslim (1967) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that a horned ram be brought to him so that he could sacrifice it. He said, “O ‘Aa’ishah, give me the knife.” Then he said, “Sharpen it on a stone.” So she did that, then he took it and took the ram, and he lay it down and prepared to slaughter it. He said, “In the name of Allaah, O Allaah accept (this sacrifice) from Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the ummah of Muhammad,” then he sacrificed it. 

Al-Tirmidhi (1521) narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the day of al-Adha at the prayer place. When he had finished his khutbah he came down from his minbar and a ram was brought which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) slaughtered with his own hand. He said, “In the name of Allaah, Allaah is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and on behalf of those of my ummah who have not offered a sacrifice.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

 In some reports the words “O Allaah, this is from You and to You” are added. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1138, 1152.

 Allaahumma minka (O Allaah, from You) means this sacrifice is a gift and provision that has reached me from You. Laka (to You) means, it is sincerely for You alone.

 See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/492.


From Islam Q&A

Description of Eid prayer

Praise be to Allaah.  

The Eid prayer is one where the imam attends and leads the people in praying two rak’ahs. ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The prayer of al-Fitr is two rak’ahs and the prayer of al-Adha is two rak’ahs, complete and not shortened, on the tongue of your Prophet, and the one who fabricates lies is doomed.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1420 and Ibn Khuzaymah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i. 

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to come out on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place, and the first thing he would do was to offer the prayer. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 956 

In the first rak’ah he should say Takbeerat al-ihraam (say “Allaahu akbar” to start the prayer), after which he should say six or seven more takbeers, because of the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), “The takbeer of al-Fitr and al-Adha is seven takbeers in the first rak’ah and five takbeers in the second, apart from the takbeer of rukoo’.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 639. 

Then he should recite al-Faatihah, and recite Soorat Qaf in the first rak’ah. In the second rak’ah he should stand up saying takbeer, and when he has stood up completely he should say takbeer five times, and recite Soorat al-Faatihah then Soorat al-Qamr. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite these two soorahs during the two Eids. Or if he wishes he can recite Soorat al-A’la in the first rak’ah and Soorat al-Ghaashiyah in the second, because it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite al-A’la and al-Ghaashiyah in the Eid prayer. 

The imam should revive the Sunnah be reciting these soorahs so that the Muslims will become familiar with the Sunnah. 

After the prayer, the imam should address the people. Part of the khutbah should be addressed specifically to the women, telling them of the things that they should do and warning them against the things that they should avoid, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. 

See Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 398; Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 8/300-316). 

The prayer comes before the khutbah 

One of the rulings of Eid is that the prayer comes before the khutbah, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah who said, The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out on the day of al-Fitr and started with the prayer before the khutbah. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 958; Muslim, 885. 

Another indication that the khutbah comes after the prayer is the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to come out to the prayer place on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha, and the first thing he would start with was the prayer, then he would go and stand facing the people, while the people were sitting in their rows, and he would preach to them and advise them and command them.  If he wanted to send out a military expedition he would do so and if he wanted to tell the people to do something he would do so, then he would leave. 

Abu Sa’eed said: The people continued to do that until I went out with Marwaan – who was the governor of Madeenah – on Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr, and when we came to the prayer-place, there was a minbar that had been built by Katheer ibn al-Salt. When Marwaan wanted to ascend it before he prayed, I grabbed his garment and he pushed me away and climbed up and delivered the khutbah before the prayer. I said, “You have changed it by Allaah.”

 He said, “O Abu Sa’eed, what you knew has gone.”

 I said, “What I know, by Allaah, is better than what I do not know.”

 He said, “The people will not sit and listen to us after the prayer, so we did it before the prayer.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 956.


Islam Q&A