Trust Allah – Always Expect Goodness from Him

 

Look at Allah’s wisdom! Sometimes we see something negative in our own minds, but then afterwards we look back and we actually realize that it was a really positive outcome.

Even in negative times, Allah only does good things. Even the death of loved ones has goodness in it. And we have to see it in this way.

Hajar’s Trust in Allah’s Plan

Abraham and his wife Hajar and son Ismail travelled from Palestine to Makkah; it was a very long and difficult journey.

It’s a very similar to the journey that Abraham and Sarah had taken many years earlier when they were fleeing from Nimrod.

This is a key point. This sacrifice that Hajar has made for her husband is such a beautiful thing.

Hajar is a woman of faith. She has trust in Allah.

Now, why didn’t this happen earlier?

Because she had to have that time with the family in order to accept the oneness of Allah, to learn what this is all about and to accept it in her heart.

This will have been a time of spiritual building for her, where her faith is being built up. Because what is to come if she didn’t have this strong faith would have been too difficult for her to bear.

So, Allah has trained her for those years living in the family for what is to come afterwards.

-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.

The Story of Moses’ Foster Mother – Asiya

 

A great woman who raised a great man despite the difficulties and pressures she faced was Asiya. 

She is more often remembered as the wife of Pharaoh; however this great lady was also the foster mother of Prophet Moses.

Like Mary the mother of Jesus, God chose Asiya to care for a child who would grow up to be a prophet of God.

What qualities did Asiya have with which to support and influence Moses?

It was, once again, as we will discover her complete and total trust in God.  As the wife of the most powerful and arrogant man in all Egypt, Asiya was surrounded by luxury, wealth and beauty, yet she was able to recognize that without God, human beings were lost bereft and incomplete.

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Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Assiya, the wife of Pharaoh. (Al-Bukhari)

When Moses’ birth mother was compelled by circumstances to put her tiny new born baby in a basket and float him down the waters of the Nile, her heart was nearly broken beyond repair.

But God is the best of planners.

Asiya’s maidservant drew Moses from the river and presented the tiny bundle to Pharaoh’s wife. Asiya, in contrast to her arrogant, proud husband was a righteous, merciful woman.

God opened her heart and Asiya looked down up on the tiny baby and felt overcome by her love for him.  She asked her husband to accept him into the family.

The wife of Pharaoh said, a comfort for the eye, for me and for you; kill him not.  It may be that he may be of benefit to us, or we may adopt him as a son.” And they perceived not (the result of that).  (Quran 28: 9)

The Quran tells us very little about Asiya and even less about her relationship with her foster son Moses.  However, as a woman of faith, she must have had a profound influence on her foster son.

Moses was forthright and believed in speaking his mind and standing up for the weaker members of society.  Whenever he witnessed oppression or cruelty, he found it impossible to stop himself from intervening.

Today psychology tells us that this sense of justice, and the ability to empathize, is learned at a very early age.  They are skills that are often not able to be acquired in later life.

Asiya must have helped instill these qualities in her foster son.

As Moses grew up, he was considered a wise young man; in all respects regarded as Pharaoh’s son.  We do know from the words of the Quran however that Moses’ birth mother was his wet nurse.

Ibn Kathir believes that Moses’ birth mother lived in the palace while she was breast feeding him and that as he grew up she was allowed the privilege of visiting him. Her influence must also have played a part in shaping Moses’ character.

So did We restore him to his mother, that she might be delighted, and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the Promise of God is true.  But most of them know not. (Quran 28:13)

Moses was quite possibly a child that was loved by both his real mother and Asiya. There is little doubt that before he reached manhood, Moses knew about the Children of Israel and the political situation in Egypt.

A number of circumstances, the details of which can be found in the Quran,  forced Moses to flee Egypt.  From royal son to common criminal, how must Asiya have felt?

We can surmise that Asiya knew the danger inherent in allowing Moses to understand the differences between his life in the palace and his birth family’s life in an impoverished district.

Eventually Pharaoh discovered that his wife was secretly worshiping the God of Moses. He was incensed and raged with anger.

Pharaoh both threatened and cajoled his wife Asiya, but her heart now belonged to God Alone.

Pharaoh offered his wife a choice, to accept him as her God or to continue to worship the God of Moses and be tortured until death. Asiya chose torture and death and in her last painful moments she could be heard calling out to God.

O my Lord!  Build for me, a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong. (Quran 66:11)

As the primary caregiver and educator, the mother has many heavy responsibilities. The most important one is her responsibility to teach the children entrusted to her by God.

It is the mother who first teaches her children how to know and love God.  The best way to instruct children is by example because from the moment they can interact with their surroundings they are learning.

As mothers, both Mary and Asiya taught the boys in their care to have complete trust in the One most worthy of Trust – God.

Source: Islam Religion.

About Aisha Stacey

Aisha Stacey is the mother of three adult children. She embraced Islam in 2002 and spent the next five years in Doha, Qatar studying Islam and working at the Fanar Cultural Centre. In 2006 Aisha returned to university for a second time and completed at Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Writing. Aisha is also a published writer in both internet and print media and in 2009 -10 she was the Queensland editor at a national Australian Islamic newspaper ~ Crescent Times.

Is It Halal to Clock In Before Work Opens?

 

You must adhere to the terms of your employment contract, and claim pay only for the hours and conditions your employer has clearly defined. If the company considers work hours to begin only when the store opens, and you officially clock in, you cannot clock in before you officially arrive at the store.

However, if your employer explicitly allows your paid time to start when you arrive—even if the store is still closed—then it is permissible to clock in at that time, as they are knowingly compensating you for waiting and being available.

You should have a respectful conversation with your manager or HR. Inform them that you arrive on time but lose 15–20 minutes because the store is not yet open. Ask if your schedule can be adjusted or if they can approve paid waiting time from your arrival.

This approach safeguards your income, ensures it remains halal, and advocates for your rights in a respectful manner. May Allah grant you clarity, fairness, and Barakah in your work.

• Almighty Allah knows best.

Source: 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

Were All Prophets Direct Blood Descendants of Abraham?

 

Why Did God Send Prophets?

To begin with, Allah, the Most Gracious, sent down prophets to mankind from time to time in order to serve as warners and guardians to the people.

Each messenger had a unique message of calling to the worship of Allah alone and averting the worship of false deities.

This tradition of sending prophets to their people arose after the innovation of ascribing partners with Allah.

Then Allah chose an anointed servant – a prophet among the people – in order to warn them of the evil consequences of their actions.

They called them to monotheism, which is the worship of the One true God.

And this is the purpose of our creation – to worship Allah.

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allah (Alone) and avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities etc. do not worship Taaghoot besides Allah). Quran 16:36

Abraham: An Honored Prophet

Indeed Allah honored Ibrahim (Abraham) with prophethood and made it a successive tradition among his progeny.

He made him distinctive among the prophets and chose him above all mankind and jinn that existed during his time.

Indeed, Abraham was one prophet whose sons were prophets as well; he was the father of Ishmael and Isaac.

From the lineage of Ishmael arose the messenger – Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Isaac had a son, Jacob, who was a prophet. Among the sons of Jacob was Joseph, who was, as well, an apostle of God.

And a prophetic generation continued in that ancestral order.

So this may be the basis of your point with regards to all prophets being blood descendants of Abraham

However, we don’t find in the Qur’an, the sunnah, or in books of Islamic history any statement saying that all prophets were descendants of Abraham.

Prophet Lot, A Descendant of Noah, Not Abraham

Prophet Lot, for example, lived during the time of Prophet Abraham, but in a different land.

They both were sent on different missions to different people.

But how did we come to know this?

When Allah sent the angels to Abraham to give him glad tidings of a son, they equally mentioned that they have been sent to punish a people who had transgressed.

These were the people of Lot, according to the story found in Quran 15:51-70.

And the most likely genealogical tree of Lot took its root from Noah, who was also a messenger who came before Ibrahim.

So this tells us that not all prophets were blood descendants of Ibrahim.

However, all of mankind are descendants of Adam and many prophets were from the genealogy of Ibrahim.

God Sent Prophets Based On Need

So Allah sent prophets to people based on their location, their traditional practice, language, and so on.

Each prophet had a mission, an objective, and a set of people to reach out to.

For instance, Prophet Moses’ (Musa) mission was to debunk Pharaoh’s call to divinity and guide the children of Israel away from idolatry.

Aaron (Haroon), his brother, on the other hand, was just a supporter of the mission of Musa.

The majority of the prophets were sent to the children of Israel, owing to their transgression and willingness to oppose Allah’s injunctions.

It’s only Allah’s Apostle, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) who has been sent to all of mankind and jinn.

Say [O Muhammad]: ‘O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.’ Quran 7:158

The universality of his message is sufficient as a proof for all of mankind.

The message of Islam has reached every nook and cranny of the world.

Regarding Buddha

As to your question on Buddha, the majority of the scholars do not ascribe prophethood to him, nor did Allah ordain him on a mission for tawhid.

History tells us that Siddhartha Gautama was his real name. He was said to be a prince and a monastic saint.

Gautama renounced his royal life and spent many years in meditation.

He sought a way for people to become liberated from their problems and attain lasting happiness.

As a result of his intense compassion for others and his deep understanding, he was able to overcome his shortcomings, limitations, and problems.

This was what led to a realization of his potential, and thus he became the Buddha.

On the contrary, Hamid Abdul Qadir in his book: “Buddha the Great: His life and Philosophy” postulates that Buddha was Dhu’l Kifl mentioned in the Qur’an.

However, the majority of the scholars identify Dhu’l Kifl with Ezekiel from the Hebrew scriptures.

This is to the best of our knowledge at this time.

Allah knows best and He is the Only One who is able to dispose of affairs.

- aboutislam.net

About DhunNurayn ElShabazz

DhunNurayn is a passionate writer and aspiring author. He writes on deencentric matters with the objective of enlightening others about Islam.

What is the Significance of 5 Daily Prayers Postures?

 

There are two parts to your question: your desire to improve your prayer, feel what the Sahaba felt and close the missing link as you mentioned, and thinking that knowing the answers to the questions you proposed is what will help you accomplish that purpose. 

So, it’s important to discuss both parts in order to correct a seeming misconception there.

Submission and Peace

Since we just celebrated Eid, I’m reminded with the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty ordered Ibrahim to slaughter his son.

Imagine if Ibrahim started asking Allah, “But what’s the wisdom behind slaughtering my son? Okay, I’ll do it, I don’t mean anything, but if I know the wisdom, I’ll be able to follow this command more happily and slaughter my son in good conscience”.

Ibrahim (peace be upon him) could have said so, and these questions “make sense”. But he didn’t.

He submitted to the instruction of Allah out of complete trust in Him.

What happened as a result?

• Allah saved him and his son from this test.
• Allah ransomed his son with a great sacrifice, “A ram which had grazed in Paradise for forty years” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
• Allah not only protected his son, but He gifted him with yet another son!
• Allah made him a role model for all believers until the end of time.

And Allah said something very powerful and beautiful; He said:

“peace upon Ibrahim”. (Qur’an 37: 109)

We all seek and desire peace. The Creator showed us that peace from Him –the Ultimate Source of Peace- showered Ibrahim internally and externally when his heart was in true submission to Allah.

We needed to mention this to correct the idea that we will get peace in prayer if we know the exact wisdom behind the number of raka’as…etc. This isn’t correct; we get peace when our hearts, minds, and bodies submit lovingly and humbly to Allah. This is the feeling we need to capture, and this is the missing link.

Brief answers

Having said that, we can discuss some wisdom regarding the questions you proposed. But this isn’t to say that the Prophet told us that these are the exact answers. Even though the Prophet spoke at length about almost everything, but matters of worship are Divinely instructed and should be practiced as they are instructed.

• In any case, you asked, “why do we recite the Quran in prayer?”

I want to ask you, if we don’t do so, then what do we do, do we just speak in prayer? So it becomes a monologue? We just talk talk talk… And is it a loving relationship if we just talk and don’t listen?

Of course not.

So, in prayer, we do both. We listen to the words of Allah. We recite His words because there are no better, more powerful, more wise, more soothing words than the Words of Allah. So we recite His words that remind us of our purpose and our destination. Then, we speak to Him. We are encouraged to speak to Allah and ask for all we want in sujood and before tasleem.

So, first we listen to the Master, and then we speak to Him and ask of Him. It’s a communication that involves listening and speaking.

• You asked, “why sajdah?”

In sajdah (prostration) as we put our forehead on the ground, we are in the most submissive state to Allah Almighty. We humble our ego and put our highest point (our forehead) at the lowest point in the ground. In this state of submission, the slave is the nearest to His Creator. As the Prophet said:

“A slave becomes nearest to his Lord when he is in prostration. So increase supplications while prostrating.” [Muslim]

And some of the scholars say about the wisdom in repeating sujood twice is that sujood is the peak of submission, and that after the worshipper has fulfilled the command of His Master by standing up in prayer, then bowing down, then prostrating, then sitting down from prostration the first time, he/she goes back again in prostration out of gratitude and humbleness before the Master for allowing them to complete the rites of worship and for empowering them against their ego and Shaitan by completing their servitude to Him. Other scholars mentioned how prostration twice reminds us that we came from the earth, and we will go back to it again. And other scholars say that it is an affirmation of our humble servitude to Allah that we prostrate to Him twice.

And from experience, truly the most wonderful, most peaceful most pleasing experience is in the humble sujood to Allah and speaking to Him in this state.

• You asked: “Why do we say “sami’ Allahu  li man hamdia”?”

Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said:

“When the Imam says: (Sami Allahu liman hamidah) ‘Allah listens to those who praise Him. Then (all of you) say: (Rabbana wa lakal-hamd) ‘O our Lord! And to You is the praise for whoever’s saying concurs with the saying of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven.” [Jami at-Tirmidhi]

In short, why we pray the way we pray? Because Allah instructed us to do so, and we submit to Him. If it was in any other form, some people would have still questioned why it was in that form not the other. If it wasn’t the prescribed units of prayer, you would have also asked “why one prayer instead of units? Why do we just speak not listen to Allah…etc.” If we open room for questioning the prescribed acts of worship, we will not reach the satisfaction we want. Just like the people who kept asking Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) about the shape and color of the cow (Quran 2: 67- 74) until their hearts hardened, instead of softening.

So, to achieve peace, one needs to submit his/her will to the Will of Allah, do what He instructed and ask Him for peace. It is in this state of submission that Allah will envelop and shower the person in His peace.

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.

Is Making False Claims Against Husband Allowed in Islam?

 

You have the right to get your rights through the legal channels available to you. However, at no time you are allowed to make false allegations or claims against your husband.

Your lawyer is acting immorally by making you do it. As a Muslim woman, you must never make allegations that you know are false. If you do that, then you are equally guilty before Allah, in which case, there is no difference between you and your husband.

You may do well to remember the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Be truthful always; truthfulness leads to virtue and virtue leads to paradise. Shun lying (in all forms), for lying leads to sins, and sins leads the way to hellfire. A person continues to lie until his or her name is entered as a liar in the Register of Allah.” (Muslim)

I pray to Allah to include us among those who seek to remain steadfast in truthfulness and virtue.  

Almighty Allah 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

Seeing the Face of Allah

 

Prophet Muhammad said:

“You shall see your Lord just as you see this full moon”

The comparison is to the people looking at the moon and the people looking at Allah. No one will be fighting, no one will be arguing to see it… everyone will be able to see Allah.

The greatest blessing in Paradise is not things inside it, rather something more. Allah says:

{Those who do good they shall get Al-Husna (Paradise) and more}

What could possibly more than Paradise?

Prophet Muhammad explained this verse:

“when the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, Allah will ask them:

“O My servants, are you happy?”

They will say: “Yes, oh Allah we are”

Allah will say: “O my servants, is there anything more that you want?”

They will say: “What could we want more than this o Allah? Have you not caused us to enter Paradise, what more could we want?”

The Prophet said:

“Then Allah will lift the veil an they will look at His face and they will not be given anything better and more noble than the looking at His face. And this is the thing that is more than Paradise”

Allah said:

{You’re only spending your money to see see the Face of Allah}

You’re being good to relative in order to see the face of Allah. Allah says:

{They’re being patient in order to see Allah}

And the Quran tells us that when we see the face of Allah, our faces will become bright and shining:

{On that Day, faces will be shining bright because they will be looking at their Lord}

And this shows us that looking at the face of Allah is the greatest blessing given to us. And that face has been described as Dhul-Jalal Wal-Ikram. His Face of magnificence, honor and nobility, why?

Because anybody who sees that face has been honored beyond anyone else.

We will not see the face of Allah in this world. Moses asked to see but Allah said “you don’t have the power”, that is something only in the next life.

In the Night of Journey, Jibreel said to the Prophet:

“Now you have to go on on your own, I’m not allowed beyond this point”

The Prophet went higher than any created being has ever been. Then when he came back down, Abu Dhar asked him:

“O messenger of Allah, did you see your Lord?”

The Prophet replied:

“There was light everywhere, how could I see Him?”

What is this light?

The Prophet clarified in another hadith:

“Allah has taken a covering and His cover is light”

The hijab covers the beauty… and Allah’s hijab is itself a beauty and what is covered is beyond imagination, is beyond what the mind can comprehend.

“Allah’s hijab is light, if He were to lift that hijab, the rays of light that come from Allah’s face would destroy everything that it sees”

the beauty, the radiance of Allah is so powerful that the creation can’t bear to see it. So when the creation can’t bear to see it, out of mercy for the creation, Allah has veiled Himself from us in this world. And what is His veil? His veil is itself a light. So when the Prophet went up in the Night Journey, he saw the veil of Allah.

- aboutislam.net