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

Why Is Prophet Moses Mentioned So Often in the Quran?

 

The Gems in the Quran

The Quran is a source of guidance for all humanity on how to live a perfect and Divinely-guided life.

One of the ways to deliver this guidance to us is through giving examples of real people who lived in the past and detailing their life stories from which we can take heed and plan for the future.

It is because of this that we will read always in the Quran such a hint after each story, that we should take admonition and learn a lesson. Almighty Allah says what means:

{In their histories there is certainly a lesson for men of understanding. It is not a narrative which could be forged, but a verification of what is before it and a distinct explanation of all things and a guide and a mercy to a people who believe.} (Yusuf 12:111)

In each story mentioned in the Quran, there are loads of lessons, some of which we can discover now and some of them we are yet to discover. The more we live, the more we will be able to discover.

On top of that, each story is unique, and therefore, it is there to deliver that unique lesson.

Every time we read a story, we can see that something new clicks in our minds as if it is the first time we are reading it. This is, without doubt, something very special about the Quran due to its being a Divine book.

Stories & Lessons Learned

Of all the stories of previous nations and prophets, the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel have a number of experiences.

These very rich experiences can benefit people on various levels: on the leadership level, on the individual level, and on the community level.

The story of Prophet Moses does not only relate to him as a person; it relates to a whole nation whom God saved from tyranny and humiliation.

The story tells us many incidents on how they were saved, how one individual like Moses could stand against a big tyrant like Pharaoh, and how such a regime tried to tarnish the image of Moses, who was symbolically the only voice of objection in the country.

The story also tells us how Moses won the magicians to his side when they realized the truth, how Moses led the Children of Israel through the sea to the safe abode, how Pharaoh and his guard tried to tarnish the image of such a small believing community and forge lies against them, and how Allah took care of the Children of Israel in the barren desert and disgraced their enemy by drowning in the sea.

Out of Egypt

The story also tells us about the later disobedience of the Children of Israel. 

It mentions their ungratefulness when they asked Moses for the food of Egypt.

They refused to enter the Holy Land and fight beside their Prophet.

And they asked Moses to make them an idol to worship, and they worshiped the calf after he went to receive revelation from his Lord.

It also tells us the story of the cow, which the Children of Israel were commanded to slaughter and strike a murder victim with its tail to discover the killer, and how they argued with Moses about its color and qualities until things became difficult for them.

Similarities Between Moses & Muhammad

The similarity between Prophet Moses and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them both) is another important reason that necessitates such focus on the story of Moses.

Of all previous prophets, no prophet other than Moses and Muhammad led their people and fulfilled their roles as prophets and state leaders who govern a community and lead a society.

They succeeded on both earthly and heavenly levels. This does not mean that other prophets did not lead their people in this life; rather, we are speaking specifically about establishing a state and liberating people from tyranny.

In the life of Moses, Pharaoh represented the tyranny while in the life of Prophet Muhammad, the leaders of the Quraish tribe represented tyranny with their persecution to slaves and weak people.

Both Moses and Muhammad led their people to deliverance and managed to establish a government. In such a similarity, there are many lessons, all of which can only be perceived by detailing the story of Moses in the Quran.

The Story of the Cow

On top of that, the life experience of Prophet Moses with his people is so rich that we can benefit people on various levels.

Let’s take the story of the cow as an example.

It teaches the community as well as the individuals to avoid meaningless arguments and disputes.

It also teaches that when people start to argue for the sake of argument, Almighty Allah can make things very difficult for them.

Imagine if the Children of Israel obeyed the command of Allah and slaughtered a cow from the very beginning without further inquiring about its specifications. It would have been much easier for them as any cow would have been suitable.

However, rigidness in asking and arguing led to strictness in the specifications of the cow, and, therefore, the lesson remains that we should not argue just for the sake of argument and our questions should always be for the sake of getting beneficial information.

The lessons in the story of Moses are beyond counting, but one thing remains: that none of them is repetitive. Rather, they all work to form a perfect and complete picture that can be seen only by reading the whole Quran.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Saad

Ahmed Saad is the founding director of Ihsan Institute of Arabic & Islamic Studies-UK. An international speaker and dynamic scholar. (http://www.ihsaninstitute.co.uk )

Can Divorcees or Widows Remarry in Islam?

 

Islam clearly allows divorced and widowed women to remarry, and strongly prohibits any individual—be it a guardian or former spouse—from preventing them.

Islam and the Structure of Family Life

Islam has organized relationships among individuals so as to create a virtuous society. In fact, family constitutes the key pillar of society.

However, when marriage ceases to exist due to divorce or death of spouse, individuals involved are free to go their way. The relief may even be in parting, for Allah, the Almighty, said:

“But if they disagree (and must part), God will provide abundance for all from His all-reaching bounty: for God is He that cares for all and is Wise.” (An-Nisa` 4:130)

Qur’anic Support for Remarriage

The Noble Quran has stated certain rights to the divorcee and the widow, and made it incumbent on individuals to preserve them so as to maintain chastity and righteousness.

Prohibition Against Preventing Marriage

One of these rights is not to prevent the afore women from marrying since Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited doing so where He said:

“When you divorce women, and they fulfil the term of their (`Iddah), do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands, if they mutually agree on equitable terms.” (Al-Baqarah 2:232)

Therefore, it isn`t permissible to prevent a woman from marrying the person that suits her.

Al-Mawardi, a Shafi`i scholar, stated: “Allah has prohibited the guardians of a woman to prevent her from marrying the man that she accepts as husband.” (Tafseer Al-Mawardi, 1:298)

This ruling is in the best interest of women.

Opposing Pre-Islamic Cultural Practices

Moreover, preventing women from marrying is among the despicable pre-Islamic practices which was exercised either out of zeal or to eat up a woman`s wealth to deprive her husband from taking it.

Therefore, the prohibition stated in the Noble Qur’an addresses the woman’s guardians, her former husband and all Muslims. He, the Almighty, said:

“O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may Take away part of the dower you have given them,-except where they have been guilty of open lewdness.” (An-Nisaa’ 4:19)

Abu Al-Su`ud said:

“This verse means that when divorce takes place, it isn’t permissible for the guardians or the husbands to prevent the woman from marrying. It is also an intimidation and a warning against committing such an act.” (Irshad Al-`Akil Al-Saleem, 1/229).

Prophetic Permission for Widows to Remarry

In principle, it is permissible for a divorcee or a widow to marry since Al-Miswar Ibn Makhrama narrated: “Subai`a Al-Aslamiyah gave birth to a child a few days after the death of her husband. She came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked permission to remarry, and the Prophet gave her permission, and she got married.” (Al-Bukhari)

Upholding Women’s Right to Marry

In conclusion, it is the right of a woman to marry, and it isn’t lawful for anyone to prevent her from that.

We advise all Muslims to fear Allah, the Almighty, and never be unjust to women in general and divorcees and widows in particular. This is in addition to granting them the rights which Allah has enjoined for them.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Source: www.aliftaa.jo

Is Kissing the Quran Bidah?

 

Kissing the Quran is not bidah. Imam An-Nawawi reported that whenever Ikrimah opened the Glorious Quran, he used to place it on his forehead and then kiss it, as a form of showing respect. Then he would say, “This is the speech of Allah, this is the Book of Allah.”

Based on this incident, the great scholar As-Suyuti maintained that it is good to kiss the Glorious Quran. This is also based on an analogy drawn with the black stone in the Kabah. Both are as a blessing from Allah.

Similarly, inasmuch as kissing our children denotes love and affection, kissing the Quran is a sign of our devotion and love for Allah Almighty.

Moreover, the late great Saudi scholar Sheikh Abdul-`Aziz Ibn Baz (may Allah bless his soul), adds:

I do not know of any evidence to indicate that kissing the Quran is prescribed in the Shariah,. But if a person does it, there is nothing wrong with that. It is narrated that Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl used to kiss the Quran, and he used to say, “This is the speech of my Lord.”

Anyway, there is nothing wrong with kissing the Quran. But it is not prescribed to do so. And there is nothing to indicate that it is prescribed in the Shariah.

Therefore, if a person kisses it as an act of veneration and respect if it falls from his/her hand or from a high place, there is nothing wrong with that.

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

Honey: Bacteria’s Worst Enemy

 

It may not look like it’s sitting in that cute bear bottle, but honey is a bacteria-killing powerhouse.

In Islam, chapter 16 of the Holy Qur’an is named “the Bees”. Some of the verses of this chapter say;

{And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men’s) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men. Verily, in this is a sign for those who give thought.} [Surat An-Nahl 16:68-69].

Bees and some related insects produce honey. They make it from the sugary secretions of plants called floral nectar, or other insects (aphid honeydew). This production process contains several steps; regurgitation, enzymatic activity, and water evaporation.

In fact, honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. It has about the same relative sweetness as granulated sugar. Moreover, it provides 64 calories in a serving of one tablespoon (15 ml) equivalent to 1272 kJ per 100 g.

This sweet food has attractive chemical properties for baking and a distinctive flavor when used as a sweetener. Most microorganisms don’t grow in honey, so sealed honey doesn’t spoil, even after thousands of years.

Check the video above to know more about the molecular secrets behind this marvelous capability which Allah have given to honey. - aboutislam.net