Can We Ask Prophet Muhammad for Help?

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) himself told us in a very authentic hadith that is reported by `Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), “When you ask something, you ask in the name of Allah and when you seek help, you seek help of Allah. Know that if the people were to gather together to benefit you with anything it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you and that if they gathered together to harm you with something, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you.”

So the Sunnah is that we pray to Allah (Mighty and Exalted be He).

Tawassul means that in our duaa, we mention also the salat and salam (seek peace and blessings) for the Prophet Muhammad, or we show our love and our faith in Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

So in this way, our prayer becomes more acceptable to Allah, but we must always pray to Allah, not to any creature, including the Prophets and Messengers of Allah.

There is no authentic hadith which teaches that Muslims should pray with the words, “Ya Muhammad“, and the Companions of the Prophet also did not do that and we should follow the way of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions in our prayers.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the last and the final Messenger of Allah. He is the beloved of Allah (Habibullah).

We believe in him, honor him, respect him and love him, but we do not worship him or come to Allah through him.

Allah Almighty knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is the Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America

Is a Woman’s Voice Awrah?

 

Women’s Voice in Islam

While addressing the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who are the mothers of the faithful, Allah says, {O wives of the Prophet! You are not like other women. If you are reverent, then be not overly soft in speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease be moved to desire, and speak in an honorable way.} (Al-Azhab 33:33)

One may safely infer from the above verse that women’s voice is not an awrah or that men cannot hear it.  Otherwise, Allah would have ordered the Prophet’s wives not to speak to men at all.

Interaction between men and women

Instead, Allah orders them to observe proper etiquettes and abide by the Islamic manners of interaction between males and females and thus avoid tones or style that may arouse lustful thoughts in men, especially who are sick at heart.  

Hence no wonder we learn from the sources that during the Prophet’s time men and women used to interact everywhere and converse. They were present even in the mosques, often asking questions. They would go as far asking the Prophet questions regarding spousal intimacy in the presence of his companions.

Let’s not forget the story of a woman standing up questioning Umar during his sermon on the minbar when the latter proposed a radical reform policy on mahr (dowry). Umar was forced to retract his position, after hearing her explanation!

Furthermore, the Prophet’s wife Aishah used to lecture to men and women. Hundreds of males and females have transmitted hadith from her. We have testimonials of companions and successors praising Aishah as one of the best speakers after the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Thanks to the legacy of Aishah, Islamic history has witnessed thousands of women scholars of hadith and jurisprudence, many of them teaching females as well as males. Even the great imams such as Ash-Shafi`i, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Hajar, and others had learned from eminent women teachers.

So, there is no basis either scripture or jurisprudence – for the view that women’ voice is awrah in Islam.

Can women sing in Islam?

Now coming to the question of women singing, there are those who give a blanket ruling it is haram. This view also does not stand to scrutiny in the sources. We have reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present in a wedding ceremony where the girls were singing. On noticing the Prophet (PBUH), they added the following lines: “Among us is a Prophet who knows what happens tomorrow!” The Prophet immediately interjected and told them to cut out those words and continue singing as before.

If women were not allowed to sing in the presence of men, the Prophet (PBUH) would not have heard them; and he would have categorically forbidden them, and they would have stopped immediately. 

Therefore, if anyone still insists on the view that women cannot sing in the presence of men would amount to questioning the Prophet’s credentials as a trustworthy messenger. No Muslim can ever even think of entertaining such a thought!

Allah Almighty knows best.

Source: www.askthescholar.com

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

What Makes Sincere Forgiveness?

 

The Quran and Sunnah as Guidelines

First of all, any question about Islam, particularly a question on what Allah Almighty will do to His servants in the Hereafter, can be answered only in the light of the Book of Allah (i.e the Noble Quran), and the teachings of His Prophet Muhammad. Those two are the foundations of the edifice of Islam.

Secondly, we should recognize the fact that Islam is a comprehensive way of life meant for humanity. Thus, any specific injunction or teaching in Islam should be understood in the whole context of Islam, and not in isolation.

For instance the Prophet has said:

“Anyone who said there is no god but Allah will enter Paradise.” (Tabarani narrated it from Abu Dharr in his Mu’jam al Kabir)

If we take this saying in isolation and understand it literally at the face value, the whole edifice of Islam would tumble down. Because, it would mean simply that it is unnecessary for us to do Salah, pay Zakah, fast during Ramadan, perform Hajj and do jihad in Allah Almighty’s way to enter Paradise. Rather we need just to say: “There is no god but Allah”!

There are several other ahadith of the Prophet that point to the conditions to be fulfilled along with a mere outward declaration: “There is no god but Allah”.

Besides,  while studying the manner in which the sayings of the Prophet are collected and recorded by the well-known hadith collectors, we understand that the same statement of the Prophet has been reported by several of his companions. Some giving a short narration, others with more details.

The Importance of Context

It is a well acknowledged norm in Hadith interpretation that the Sayings of the Prophet should be understood in context. Hence, where needed any particular saying should be supported and supplemented by other sayings, and most importantly by the Quran.

We should understand that the Quran and the Hadith complement each other. Therefore, to arrive at a correct understanding of a particular problem we need to consider other related verses and hadiths. One may note what the Quran says about the true believers:

{Only those are Believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah: Such are the sincere ones.} (Quran 49:15)

And Allah Almighty admonishes:

{Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom.} (Quran 2:85)

We should understand the saying of the Prophet in the whole context of the Quran. This, as well as the Prophet’s own Sunnah which in effect is a practical demonstration of the commandments of Allah in space and time.

Thus the above saying effectively means that anyone who says, “there is no god but Allah” will have necessarily understood its full implication and consequently will surrender his own will to the Will of Allah as expressed in the Quran and the Sunnah.

The Virtues of the Friday Prayer

Summarizing the virtues of the Friday Prayer, the Prophet is reported to have said the following:

“The five daily prayers, and from one Jumu’ah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin.” (Muslim)

“The five daily (prescribed) Salah, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” (Muslim)

Our scholars have very clearly explained the meaning of the above sayings of the Prophet as follows: The expiation of sins from one Friday to the next is subject to all the conditions mentioned above being met, namely, cleaning oneself, putting on perfume, wearing one’s best clothes, walking in a calm and dignified manner, not stepping over people, not offending others, doing optional prayers, listening attentively and quietly to the khutbah and above all bringing a sincere heart committed to follow the commandments of Allah as well as the Example of the Prophet.

Sincere Faith and Intentions

You have asked for an honest answer and any consideration other than clarifying the Islamic position on any question on the basis of the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s teachings as we have understood them as sincere Muslims.

About the intention of the person concerned to pray the coming Friday prayer. Because he is a Muslim; is that right? Surely we do not expect a Non-believer to have such an intention.

But from your question we presume that his intention is not that of a sincere Muslim; because he doesn’t pray five times a day and breaks Allah’s commandment to eschew drinking. And obviously, for a person who does not do the five daily prayers there cannot be a valid Friday Prayer. Because, you know Friday Prayer is meant for Muslims and anyone who doesn’t pray five times a day cannot be considered a Muslim.  

Beware of Hypocrisy

And remember what Allah Almighty warns us about hypocrites:

{And there are people who say, “We do believe in God and the Last Day,” the while they do not [really] believe. They would deceive God and those who believe – the while they deceive none but themselves, and perceive it not. In their hearts is disease, and so God lets their disease increase; and grievous suffering awaits them because of their persistent lying.} (Quran 2:8-10)

The above verses clearly show that there is a vast difference between what we outwardly proclaim and what we sincerely mean. The Prophet has also said:

“Allah does not look at your outward appearance and your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and deeds.” (Muslim)

Hence, Allah’s forgiveness and reward depends on our sincerity and faith as well as the right intention.

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Professor Shahul Hameed

Professor Shahul Hameed is an Islamic consultant. He also held the position of the President of the Kerala Islamic Mission, Calicut, India. He is the author of three books on Islam published in the Malayalam language. His books are on comparative religion, the status of women, and science and human values.

What Does it Mean to Be a Convert?

 

Coming to Islam is something really special. It is a big step. A new phase of life is starting. It means a lot of change and challenges. But converting to Islam also means to find peace, tranquility, love. It means to finally arrive, to have found what you were looking for since a long time. However, converting to Islam is not the end of this process. Coming to Islam is not the final goal of your search.

A Life Long Journey

The process of conversion is only the beginning. It is the starting point of a life long journey. A journey to our wonderful Creator. A journey trying to follow in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (may Allah shower peace and blessings upon him). It is a journey on the path of lovers of Allah. And we become one of these lovers.

Convert Not Revert

Because of this process, Anse Tamara Gray from rabata.org always stresses the importance of using the word convert and not revert. The word conversion has attached to it the meaning of an on-going process of improvement. While the word revert if translated in Arabic would actually mean murtad, a person who left Islam.

In addition, in English, the word reversion does not have the meaning of an on-going process of becoming a better person attached to it. It only means returning something to a previous state. This shows the extreme importance of seeing conversion as a process that is a life long journey towards becoming a better person.

One Step at a Time

Knowing that conversion is a process is a big blessing and relief. We know that a process takes time. Being part of a process means to move continuously towards one’s goal but to take one step at a time.

However, it also means to have patience. We have to be patient. And we will not be able to implement everything right at the beginning. We should have patience with our self and with our progress. When you learn something new, try to master it first. Try to implement it in your daily life first before moving on to the next step.

Set Yourself Realistic Goals

Becoming a convert means to keep moving. Don’t try to implement everything at once. It might overwhelm you and cause you to take steps backwards rather than moving forward to becoming closer to Allah.

A sister that recently converted to Islam told me that she put little goals for herself. For example, she wanted to start always covering her head within a time period of three months. Or she wanted to change her wardrobe to be more pleasing to Allah within a certain time frame. This way, she said, it was easier for her to adopt to all the changes in her new life as a Muslim.

So, try to make a schedule for your own personal development as a new Muslim. Share your schedule with your fellow Muslim sister or brother to get support to achieve your goal.

Be Confident, Be Proud

One very important aspect of being a new convert is to build your confidence. Showing your Muslim identity needs confidence. Praying needs confidence. Expressing your love and relationship with Allah needs confidence. Covering your head needs confidence. Doing different than the majority of people needs a lot of confidence.

You can be proud to be Muslim. Allah chose you to be His servant and slave. He chose you to be the follower of His most beloved, our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah shower peace and blessings on him).

To boost your confidence try reading about the earlier Muslims. Read the story of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them).

Read about the great achievements of Islamic civilizations. Did you know that the first person to try to fly was a Muslim? Many innovations from the medical field, astronomy or mathematics were made by Muslims. Choosing Islam, you have become a member of a great civilization. You can be proud of it.

Share the Peace

Share your story how you came to Islam. Share the peace you found in Islam. Talk to people about how Islam changed your life. This can also help you to boost your confidence in being Muslim. Show the best side of your new and old self.

Convert stories often help other Muslims to connect again to Islam and their Creator. You are the fresh breeze. You can help people to create a deeper relationship with Allah by telling your story. This is a wonderful gift Allah gave to the new brother or sister in Islam. May Allah guide through you.

And Allah is the One who gives guidance.

- aboutislam.net

About Claudia Azizah

Claudia Azizah is originally from Germany and mother of two children and writer. She served as Assistant Professor at the International Islamic University in Malaysia until August 2019. She is co-founder of the Ulu-Ilir-Institute in Indonesia. She regularly writes for the German Islamic newspaper. She is interested in Islamic spirituality, art and Southeast Asia. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram: #clazahsei

Entering Paradise in Chains: Ibn `Ata’illah Explains

 

In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa’illah As-Sakandari says:

“He knew that people will mostly not come voluntarily to Him, so He mandated obedience, and thus led them to Him in the chains of obligation. The Lord wonders about people, driven into heaven through chains.”

This means that Allah the Almighty, Glory be His, knew that people would mostly not come voluntarily to Him to perform obedience of their own will. So He mandated obedience compulsorily, by threatening them with punishment if they do not.

Hence, He led them to Him in the chains of obligation and intimidation, gradually leading them to what guides them to eternal pleasure and elevates them to high levels.

In other words, according to Ibn `Ataa’illah, Allah the Almighty knew that most people could not see what is good for them and what may make them happy because of their psychological desires and instinctive needs.

He also knew that if He were to leave them to be controlled by their reason and the incentives of their natural disposition (i.e. fitrah) which are inherent in their human entities, they would be overcome by their whims and lustful desires.

In the same vein, they would turn away from contemplating over what is dictated by sound reason and what is ordained by beneficial knowledge.

Therefore, out of the Mercy and Kindness of the Almighty Lord, He helps them to the path of guidance and happiness through orders and ordainments and leads them towards what is beneficial for them through commitment and obligation.

This is similar to the father who disciplines a child and obliges him to unpleasant difficult tasks that are to his disliking, and only when he grows up does he discover their value. He discovers that only when his own immature mental faculties failed to realize what was good for his own self his father turned his words of guidance and pieces of advice into orders and obligations.

This is also similar to the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah in which the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Allah wonders about people who will enter Paradise in chains.” (Al-Bukhari)

This hadith refers to the prisoners of Badr from among the polytheists who were captured and then, when they had the chance to know Islam and interact with Muslims, reverted to Islam.

As they did not know anything about the goodness and blessing that were awaiting them through staying for a while amidst the Muslims and under the protection of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him); a matter which eventually led them to embrace Islam and become faithful believers in Allah the Almighty and His blessed Messenger.

Remarkably, one should realize that the said chains of obligation are not restricted only to the compulsory rulings that are mandated by Allah the Almighty upon His servants. Rather, these chains of obligation may be represented in trials and calamities that may drive those who are afflicted with them to an end of happiness and welfare which they would have never reached or gained access to except through the scourges of such calamities.

Indeed, the Battle of Badr to which Muslims were brought step by step is a typical example of these chains of obligation which are mentioned in the above hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Eventually, the end result of these chains was nothing but a unique victory which led to many other great victories in the battles that followed. In these battles, Muslims gained spoils many times as much as the spoils they had desired to seize from the caravan which they set out in the first place to intercept and which managed to evade capture as is indicated in the books on earlier Muslim history. In this connection, Allah the Almighty says in the Ever-Glorious Qur’an what may mean,

{Yet, behold! God had promised you [believers], then that one of the two hosts that you had come upon would fall to you. And you wished that the unarmed one, the trade caravan, would be yours. Yet God intended to establish the religion of truth [in the land] – in accordance with His words – and to cut off the very last remnant of the disbelievers.} (Al-Anfal 8:7)

Accordingly, as true Muslims, we have to obey Allah the Almighty and carry out all His obligations and ordinances out of certainty that only through this we will pursue our interests and find our happiness. We have to realize that all we are ordered to do and/or forbidden from is meant only to guarantee our happiness and welfare in this present life as well as the Hereafter.

Then, Ibn `Ataa’illah gave emphasis to this through the following word of wisdom which reads,

He has obligated you to serve Him but in doing so He has only obligated you to enter His Paradise.

This means that Almighty Allah apparently obliged you to serve Him, and in reality is only obliging you to enter His heaven, for He made deeds cause for entry to heaven. What is meant here and in the aforementioned word of wisdom is stating that Allah is Rich beyond His creation: their obedience does not benefit Him, and their disobedience does not harm Him. All orders and mandates in reality bring benefit to them, and He is the Most Wealthy, the Most Gracious.

Allah Almighty says in His Ever-Glorious Qur’an what may mean,

{…For it is God alone Who is the Self-Sufficient. And it is you who are the poor.} (Muhammad 47:38)

and,

{O mankind! It is you who are the poor, utterly in need of God. And it is God alone Who is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.} (Fatir 35:15)

Finally and to sum up, the above two words of wisdom by Ibn `Ataa’illah As-Sakandari mean that Allah the Almighty knew that most of His slaves are not self-motivated in seeking Him; so, He obligated for them obedience to Him. He pushed them towards Him with the chains of obligation. And that He, Glory be His, has obligated them to serve Him but in doing so He has only obligated them to go to His everlasting Heaven.

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Ali Al-Halawani

Dr. Ali Al-Halawani is Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Translation Studies. He is an author, translator, and writer based in Canada. To date, Al-Halawani authored over 400 original articles on Islam and Muslims, most of which can be accessed on www.aboutislam.net and other famous websites. He has recently started to self-publish his articles and new books, which are available on Amazon and Kindle. You can reach him at alihalawani72@hotmail.com.

Will I Love Jannah? Is it Worth the Struggle?

 

“Other people are happy and have peace”

Who told you?

We’re only judging by the external here. We ‘think’ some people have easy and pleasant lives judging by their appearances, but we don’t know what struggles they may be having behind closed doors. You don’t know what kind of internal/emotional/mental struggle they might be going through.

There are many studies that show how people put on an image of happy life, whereas they go through internal pain and struggle.

So, don’t judge a book by its cover while you don’t know what’s hidden from you.

Allah is Just. We are all being tested.

Allah [swt] says:

“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed — and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving –“[Quran 67: 2].

This means that life is a test for ALL human beings.

If you’re sitting in an exam and you’re doing the right thing and answering your exam, while other students are having fun and enjoying themselves but they’re not answering their exam, does this means they’re the successful ones?

Does this mean we should be leaving the exam and follow the ones who’re wasting time and failing their tests?

Do you think by not answering the exam, they’ll actually be successful?

Sooner or later, the exam papers will be taken (death will come) and everyone will be judged and held accountable for their actions and whether they actualized their purpose in life or not.

“O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver.” (Quran 35: 5)

Why does Islam have many rules?

We’ve answered this question thoroughly in this two-part series; please have a look here below.

If God Loves Us, Why So Many Rules in Islam?

If God Loves Us, Why So Many Rules in Islam? (Part 2)

“You won’t get the maximum enjoyment in Jannah”

Who told you that?

This statement is absolutely false. Jannah is nothing but maximum unlimited enjoyment!

Whatever you desire, you’re going to get and even more with no limits!

Allah said that repeatedly in the Quran.

Like here:

“Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward the righteous” (Quran 16: 31)

And here:

“For them therein is whatever they wish, [while] abiding eternally. It is ever upon your Lord a promise [worthy to be] requested.” (Quran 25: 16)

And here:

“Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.” They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.” (Qur’an 50: 34-35)

There is no sadness or sorrow or resentment or limitedness in Jannah AT ALL!

“And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other.” (Quran  15: 47)

“And We will have removed whatever is within their breasts of resentment, [while] flowing beneath them are rivers. And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth.” And they will be called, “This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.” (Quran 7: 43)

“And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative – He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind].” (Qur’an 35: 34-35)

“What if Allah said go to Hell?”

But how can you have such negative expectation of Allah The Most Merciful, the incomparably Merciful?

Allah has 100 portions of mercy because of just one there is/has been mercy on earth from the beginning of time until the end of time? Imagine all the mercy that the earth has ever witnessed from the beginning of time and until the end of time is just one portion of the mercy of Allah, and 99 double that amount is still reserved with Him for the Day of Judgment. [Related by Muslim]

No one will even remotely be as merciful as Allah. Jesus (peace be upon him) is a limited human being. Allah taught him what he teaches people. But Allah is The Only Unique Source of All Mercy. No one can ever come near to Allah’s Mercy.

Allah says:

“What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.” (Quran 4: 147)

And He says:

“Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” (Quran 4: 40)

So, never have negative assumptions of Allah.

Allah shows incomparable mercy. Just actualize your purpose of creation and don’t harm yourself or others.

“Loss in this world and the next if I don’t enjoy myself”

The actual double loss is for those who didn’t know or connect with Allah. This life is temporary and it will end abruptly at any second. Having piles of worldly enjoyment never really bring deep happiness to people, and many studies prove that. The more you have from this life, the more you’ll feel deprived and that you still need more. It never quenches people’s thirst.

This is why people get addicted on drugs, alcohol, plastic surgeries, even sex… anything to give them pleasure, and the more they get, the more they lose satisfaction and need a more ‘high’ that they can’t find. Then life will end while they’re chasing desires that didn’t truly fulfill them and they lose this life and the next.

Ultimate loss is for those disconnected from Allah, those who are not truly faithful. They’re the ones who will neither feel deeply truthfully happy here, nor will they have any share in the afterlife. THAT is the true loss.

“Say, “Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.” (Quran 39: 15)

“And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.” (Quran 22: 11)

Read the above verse again. May Allah not make us among those who have this true double loss!

Advice

Know that free time at your age especially is the devil’s playground. So, occupy yourself with the right activities. Know your purpose of life. Know more about Allah so you won’t have wrong/false information and expectations about Him.

Find good companions and start studying your religion even if online in trustworthy resources. There are many resources; you can email us again if you need recommendations. But occupy yourself with what’s useful, and seek the help of Allah, and do not weaken.

“So rely upon Allah; indeed, you are upon the clear truth.” (Quran 27: 79)

“So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path.” (Quran 43: 43)

Dealing with hardships the very best way

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony

Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

This Chapter of Quran Will Comfort Your Heart

 

When we have times of sorrow, we feel very down often. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had many times of sorrow in his life, we’re going to focus on one time of sorrow here.

 Ibn Abbas said that when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there was a delay in the next revelation coming for a number of days, (it’s not actually clear the exact number of days); and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) felt devastated.

The Quraysh were goading him; they were laughing at him; they were saying “Muhammad’s Lord has left him”…

A Chapter of Comfort

But when this was said, chapter Ad-Doha was revealed, it was revealed as a comfort and it’s a direct address to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Imagine at this time, when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is losing hope, Allah speaks exactly to him through this chapter of the Quran. He addresses Himself as “your Lord”.

This is personal language, this is something very special between Allah and His Prophet. It emphasizes two things: Allah has not left you, and Allah is not displeased with you.

 And it’s a response to the needs and the anguish that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is going through.

 Two things we need: Allah and then others need us, and guidance; like with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he needed Allah and other people needed him, it’s the same with us as well.

Allah gives us comfort as well through this chapter of Quran that when we have times of difficulty, Allah might even send ease, not just through looking into this chapter of Quran, but also by sending people to us so that we have the ability and the opportunity to help other people. Other people are being fulfilled by us and we are being fulfilled by our Lord.

- aboutislam.net

About Ustadha Ameena Blake

From Sheffield, UK; Ustadha Ameena Blake embraced Islam in 1992. Her academic qualifications include undergraduate in English Studies, Post Graduate in teaching, MSc in Leadership and Management and MA in Islamic Studies.Ameena has been active since 1994 having studied under various shuyukh and academics including Dr Jamal Badawi, Sh Abdul Aziz Atiq (Yemen), Sh Faisal Manjoo, Dr Atullah Siddiqui and others. Roles have included Vice President of MAB, Assistant Secretary General of the MCB and Head teacher of a girl’s Islamic school. She is founding director of the EHUK women’s refuge project and is a lecturer at Markfield Institute of Higher Education. She also sits on Mosque boards and is an Islamic advisor on Halal Guide.Ustadha Ameena lectures about Islam nationally and internationally and has appeared at conferences, fundraisers and events across the globe.Her topics include tazkiyah, women in the Quran, dawah and Seerah and others. She delivers regular live interactive lectures on Facebook and has appeared on channels including Channel 4, Sky TV, The Islam channel, BBC radio, Iqraa TV and others.

Is It Compulsory to Shave Baby Hair in Islam?

 

Shaving the head of the baby is among the rites of aqeeqah. So a Muslim should never hesitate to do the shaving as well as all other Sunnah acts of aqeeqah, for they entail obedience of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

I congratulate both of you for this wonderful gift of Allah. You have every right to cherish it and give thanks to Him. I also pray that Allah grants your son sound faith and upbringing, and may he become a valuable asset to the community. Amen.

What is aqeeqah?

Aqeeqah is an important Islamic rite of initiation. It is a great sunnah of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). This custom existed among the pre-Islamic Arabs, albeit in a twisted and distorted form, as they had mingled it with pagan customs.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent by Allah to restore the pristine faith of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him). He thus restored `aqeeqah to its original status as a rite symbolizing the true tawheed (Oneness of Allah), purging it of all pagan associations and accretions.

What should be slaughtered for aqeeqah?

The aqeeqah process consists of the following rites: shaving the head of the child and donating its equivalent in weight in charity; sacrificing a goat or a lamb and offering the meat in charity as thanksgiving; and giving the child a good name.

Thus, you should never hesitate to shave the head. If you are afraid of doing it yourself, you should get a barber or some experienced elder who can do it for you. Just as it is important from a religious point of view, it is also good for better hair growth. So don’t skip it.

As for weighing the hair, it should also be done. An ordinary, sensitive kitchen scale is all that is necessary for this purpose. If you cannot find one, you may go by an educated guesswork. In this case, it is better that you err in terms of giving more, rather than giving less.

As for the meat, if you are giving a feast, you should make sure that you invite some poor people to partake of it. For the original purpose of aqeeqah is not to feed those who are rich and well-fed.

Rather it is intended to offer an avenue for feeding the poor and indigent. An alternate way is to pick out some poor families and offer part of the meat to them, in case you are unable to invite them for the feast.

Finally, the aqeeqah ritual is the first step towards initiating the child into the Islamic faith and practices.  Following this, you and your wife bear the added responsibility of nurturing sound faith, values, ethics, and morals in the child in your everyday living.

May Allah grant you the strength and knowledge to shoulder this heavy responsibility, amen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Why Can’t We Always Be Close to Allah?

 

“I perceive Your glimpses at times, but why not always?

Why do clouds keep coming to my mind’s sky and prevent me from finding You?”

Why can’t we always be close to Allah?

Try to recall that feeling to your mind. We experience it when we first get interested in learning and practicing Islam. But it doesn’t end there. Allah keeps sending life events our way that shake our hearts awake.

It might be a terrible accident, or an extremely painful loss. It might be finding your soul mate, or visiting the House of Allah for Hajj.

It’s not the momentary high you find once in a while during the Friday sermon that makes you cry with the congregation, and then forget all about it by the time you’re home and having lunch and criticizing your wife’s cooking.

How to Love Allah

I’m talking about the more permanent kind of feeling, the days on end of bliss. When you feel all day long that peace in your heart that seldom leaves you even in turbulent hours of the day when things go wrong.

When you feel like thanking Allah every so often. When watching a dog pick up some crumbs you threw away after lunch brings tears of gratitude to your eyes. And when you feel a slight ache in your heart that you’re semiconscious of all day.

It’s similar to what one feels when in love. Like you’d be flying up among the clouds if only you’d got wings. Like every little thing reminds you of the object of your love. Like how the awareness that he’s watching you brings a sweet smile to your lips.

It’s like falling in love. But it’s a thousand times better.

You just have to open any book of poetry. People throughout time, Muslim and non-Muslim, young and old, of every place and era, have attempted to put the feeling into words, and have succeeded to some extent. That’s what makes poetry so beautiful after all. The first two lines I quoted, for example, were by Rabindranath Tagore (translated by me).

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Yearning for Allah and meeting Him is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire for this world. (Hardness of Heart)

And this is Rumi’s way of expressing it:

That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty, He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more beautiful. (Goodreads)

Why Do We Keep Losing it?

How much do we really love Allah?

If we do love Allah, why don’t we feel this love in our hearts all the time? Why do we keep losing this incredible feeling?

It’s because the world is full of distractions – and it is full of distraction for this very reason.

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. (Quran 18:7)

Allah says about the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment:

… Who took their religion as distraction and amusement and whom the worldly life deluded.’ So today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day of theirs and for having rejected Our verses. (7:51)

We lose that incredible feeling when we get distracted by things – earning money, spending money, eating food, cooking food, selecting what to eat from a hundred different menus, games, relationships, clothes, shoes… all kinds of stuff.

And once we lose the feeling, we don’t remember what it felt like anymore, and don’t feel the urge to get it back either. We’d rather settle for less fulfilling pleasures. We’d rather opt for a temporary pacification of our desires than true, lasting peace of mind.

We’d rather stop being the moonlight and settle for being the pool of water that’s reflecting it, as Paulo Coelho says. “Tomorrow, the water will evaporate in the sun*”, as will our temporary pleasures.

The Key to Finding it

What’s the key to remaining connected to Allah? Allah gave it to us already – salah. The five daily obligatory sessions are to establish and maintain our direct connection with Allah, not just in these sessions, but throughout the day.

How do we establish prayer? By praying like the person who had the closest connection to Allah – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Pray as you have seen me praying. (Bukhari 6008)

What was his prayer like? Of course, it is necessary to follow the rules of doing the ritual correctly, such as praying within the specified times, praying the correct number of units, saying the supplications in the correct order, etc.

But those are just like the bricks with which you build the prayer. The actual essence of the prayer lies, not in the physical movements, but in the heart of the worshiper.

The Prophet described the prayer as the “coolness of my eyes”. That exactly describes the feeling you get when you’re at an imaan-high. And that’s what we want to achieve.

Many great people much more learned and experienced than us have written on this topic, on how to find khushu’ and imaan in salah. I share the following advice with you in my humble effort to add to it a personal element.

How to Achieve Khushu

The first thing that helps is bringing a sense of timelessness in your salah, to feel as if the rest of your time on earth is dedicated to praying this prayer only, and that nothing else comes after it.

The Prophet put it this way:

When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell. (Ibn Majah 4171)

This can seem incredibly difficult to achieve given our hectic lifestyles. And it might take a lot of willpower and mental energy. But even if you achieve one moment of it at a time, it’s worth all that effort. And it gets better insha’Allah.

Finding this sense of timelessness is made easy if you know what you’re saying in salah. So learn the basic Arabic you need to do that. Concentrate on the meanings of what you’re saying, trying to make it personal.

For example, when you say “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greater), think of the topmost worry in your mind right now, such as an assignment or your spouse’s illness, and assert in your heart that Allah is greater than all that.

Make Personal Dua

Another way of making the prayer personal is by adding in personal supplications in the steps of prayer where supplications are recommended, such as during sujood (prostration).

The purpose of supplication is not to inform Allah of your thoughts and feelings, because Allah already knows all about those. It is to express to Allah our love for Him, our helplessness and neediness, our submission to Him.

The quotes given above show us some of the more successful human attempts at expressing our feelings for our Creator. If you want to give full expression to your feelings, there’s an easier and more effective way. Memorize duas from the Quran. These duas are actually Allah teaching us how to speak to Him in the best way.

I’ll leave you with an example of the best form of expression of our feelings for Allah:

Say, ‘O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account.’ (Quran, 3:26-27)

* Manuscript Found in Accra

- aboutislam.net

About Tabassum

Tabassum is a freelance writer and online Alimiyyah student at Al-Salam Institute, UK.  ihsan.life