Best Day for Nikah in Islam

There seems to be no specific hadith stating that conducting the marriage (nikah) ceremony on Fridays or after `Asr prayers is Sunnah or more rewarding. As such, it is perfectly acceptable to hold the marriage on any given time of any given day of the week – without dislike.

However, many classical scholars and jurists state that given the fact Friday is the most blessed day of the week and much significance is attached to it, it is preferable and recommended to conduct the marriage ceremony on this day.

Mulla Ali al-`Qari (Allah have mercy on him) – whilst commentating on the hadith “Announce the marriage, conduct it in the Mosques, and beat the duff over it” (At-Tirmidhi) – states:

[The directive to] “Conduct it in the Mosques” is because it leads to more publicity for the marriage, or to attain the blessings of the location. It is recommended to try and attain the blessings of the time also, so that the illumination and happiness is doubled. Imam Ibn al-Humam said, ‘It is recommended to conduct the marriage in a Mosque because it is a form of worship, and on a Friday because it gives hope for more attendance or there is hope for more reward.’” (Mirqat al-Mafatih 6/217)

Another Hanafi jurist Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his Al-Durr al-Mukhtar, “It is recommended to conduct the marriage on a Friday.” The commentator Imam Tahtawi provides the reason saying, “Because it is the most blessed day of the week.”  (Hashiyat al-Tahtawi `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 2/5)

The Hanbali jurist Imam Ibn Qudamah states, “It is recommended to hold the marriage contract on a Friday.” (Al-Mughni 7/64)

As such, the recommendation to conduct the marriage on a Friday is based on the general blessedness of the day, and thus it is hoped that a marriage conducted on a blessed day will also be blessed. However, it is not specifically established as a Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Accordingly, one may aim to conduct the marriage on other blessed times as well such as the day of `Eid, the night preceding the day of Jumu`ah, during Ramadan, the day of `Arafah, and so-on-and-so-forth.

In regards to conducting marriage after `Asr prayers on Friday, this again is not established as a Sunnah. However, since the time between `Asr and Maghrib prayers is a blessed time – especially on Fridays – some scholars consider it to be a good time to conduct it.

Others say it is better after Jumu`ah prayers since more people are likely to attend the ceremony, which will help in the desired publicity as well as be a means of obtaining their supplications (du`aa’).

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Muhammad Ibn Adam Al-Kawthari

Director and researcher at the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence (Darul Iftaa, www.daruliftaa.com), Member of the Al-Qalam Shari`ah Scholars Panel, and advisor on Islamic Banking

Women in Mosque: Any Special Dress Code?

 

Are women obliged to wear certain uniform other than the regular Hijab when performing prayers or visiting mosque?

In fact, there is no evidence in the Prophet’s Sunnah to indicate any difference between women’s normal Islamic dress code and what they should wear during prayers or when going to mosques.

Hijab On, No Perfume

– Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

May Allah have mercy on the early immigrant women. When the verse {…they should draw their veils over their bosoms} (An-Nur 31) was revealed, they tore their outer garments and made veils from them.

She also said: The believing women used to attend the Fajr prayer with Allah’s Apostle covered with their veiling sheets, and after finishing the prayer they would return to their homes.

The only restriction emphasized in this context is the prohibition of wearing noticeable perfume when going to mosque.

– Zainab, the wife of Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, reported:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: When any one of you comes to mosque, she should not apply perfume.

– Abu Hurayrah also narrated that the Prophet said:

“Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from visiting Allah’s mosques; when they come to mosque, they should be free of fragrance“

– It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah also that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Any woman who has been perfumed with incense should not attend the `Isha’ [prayer] with us.”

– One Day Abu Hurayrah passed by a woman whose perfume spread that he smelt it; her clothes were also fluttering in the air.

He said: O servant of the Almighty, are you coming from the mosque?

She replied: Yes.

He said: You used perfume for it?

She replied: Yes.

He said: I heard my beloved Abu Al-Qasim (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) say:

The prayer of a woman who uses perfume for this mosque is not accepted until she returns and takes a bath like the Janabah bath.

However, this restriction is not limited to mosques. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Any woman puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance then she is an adulteress.‘”

Summary

There is no special cloth for women visiting mosques or during prayers other than the dress code stipulated by the Shariah. Noticeable perfume, however, needs to be avoided by women when visiting mosques.

- aboutislam.net

How Does Prayer Make the Best Change?

 

In life, generally, we’re very good at asking for things, but not so good at saying thank you when we get what we want.

The same is true in our dealings with Allah.

Not having given Him a thought, we turn to Allah as soon as we want something. Maybe an exam is drawing close or there is a bill to be paid or we are going for a job interview. It is then that we pray with all our hearts, offering anything to please Allah.

We tell Him that we’ll give up smoking or that we will never look at certain sites on the internet again if only we can get what we are asking for.

When we do get what we want our thanks is brief and we soon go back to what we promised to stop doing.

Allah Does Not Need Our Prayer

The problem is that most of the time, most of us look at Allah as some kind of Santa Claus who will give us gifts when we ask for them. Being childlike and trusting in prayer is one thing, but often our attitudes are not childlike, but childish.

Surely we all know that Allah Almighty is the creator “of the heavens and the earth and everything in between.” He doesn’t need our prayers or our praise and He certainly doesn’t need us to give up sweets in return for good health or a new job!

So what is prayer for? Why do we do it?

Let us just remind ourselves about some basics. If Allah didn’t need us at all, the only reason for His creating us must be something to do with it being for our own benefit, not His.

Just as the angels find their complete happiness in worshiping Him night and day (even though He is in no need of their worship or their praise), so we find our complete happiness in doing His will. That’s right, we are the ones who benefit from doing Allah’s will, not Him.

Allah is in Control

In asking us to pray five times a day, then, Allah is blessing us. We are the ones who benefit from prayer, not Allah. And outside the prayer times, Allah already knows what we want to say to Him, even before we say it. So the prayers we make must be to our benefit, if they are not to His.

Prayer does make a difference. It is not that in praying we get to change Allah’s mind. If that were the case, it would imply that Allah was not certain in His decisions and that would show some sort of lack. Since He is infinite in all His perfections, He lacks nothing.

Praying, then, changes us. In asking Him, in begging Him, we become more trusting and we truly become what Muslims are meant to be: those who submit to Allah in all things.

Prayer helps us to realize that we are not in control of things, but Allah is in control. When our foreheads are touching the ground in prayer, we realize the important fact that we are nothing without Him and that all our efforts are as nought without His help.

Connect & Submit

We should never forget the important truth that the aim of all of our prayers is to connect with our Creator. Some of these prayers may be the formal prayers (Salah) required of us as Muslims. Others may be the informal prayers we make at different times. But the purpose of them all is to make a connection.

A Muslim is one who “submits” to Allah. In our modern world, submitting to anyone or to anything is not very “politically correct.”

The world teaches us to be in control. Being Muslim teaches us to let go and to submit. The extraordinary truth is that when we do submit, far from diminishing us in any way, we become more fully the people we are meant to be.

Submitting to Allah gives us a peace in our lives that cannot be found in any other way. Prayer is the thing that keeps us close to Allah and helps us to carry on despite all the things life can throw at us.

Apart from the proved physical benefits of adopting the gestures Muslims use to pray, such as bowing, prostrating and placing our foreheads on the ground, prayer teaches us what life is really about.

If we take our prayer seriously, we can’t fool anyone. Most of the time we are quite good, aren’t we, at fooling those around us to believe what we want them to believe?

Sometimes we can even fool ourselves and believe our own propaganda! But Allah is not to be fooled. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. He is “closer to us than our own jugular vein” and “He knows every leaf that falls from every tree.”

Prostrate & Make a Difference

No matter how we portray ourselves in this world, there is nothing very dignified about prostrating on the ground. And yet, in that very act of prostration we become most truly ourselves. There is no need for pretending or for putting on masks.

Setting aside the wrong actions that we do in life, in prayer we can be fully ourselves and rest secure that what we are is acceptable to Allah. There is no hiding from Him or hiding from who we are. Allah made us. We are His creatures and we find our complete happiness in doing His will.

This is why prayer makes a difference. This is why it is essential to take time out from our busy lives, as Muslims are required to do, and to focus on Allah alone from time to time.

Our lives are indeed very busy, but so often we fill them with busy-ness and worry and fret over this or that, when all we need to do is to relax and trust in Him. In that way, our prayer will put all our actions into their proper context.

When the prayer is finished we can go back to our daily life, Insha’Allah, renewed and refreshed, knowing that by holding firm to the rope of Allah we can tackle anything.

- aboutislam.net

About Idris Tawfiq

Idris Tawfiq was a British writer, public speaker and consultant.He became a Muslim around 15 years ago.For many years, he was head of religious education in different schools in the United Kingdom.Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest.He passed away in peace in the UK in February 2016 after a period of illness.May Allah (SWT) have mercy on him, and accept his good deeds. Ameen.

What Does Love for the Sake of Allah Mean?

 

Love is part of the essence of Allah Himself. When one’s heart is filled with love for the Divine, he or she will naturally love whatever or whoever Allah loves. Love for the sake of Allah means loving everything that reflects divine qualities. The example of this is to love people who stand for justice because Allah is the most Just; to love your families because Allah loves for families to be together.  - aboutislam.net

Sinai – The Land of Miracles Where God Spoke to Moses

In the remote desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula lies a land of immense historical and spiritual significance to the world’s three great monotheistic religions.

The Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions all have deep ties to the landscape and monuments of this region.

Mount Sinai is venerated by the three faiths for its relevance to the story of the Exodus when Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt and to one of the greatest miracles known in human history: the parting of the Red Sea.

A map showing the route of the Exodus.

A Conversation with God

Southern Sinai’s Gabal Musa (“Mountain of Moses”) is spiritually and historically significant for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Mount Musa, Southern Sinai, Egypt.

In the fourth century C.E., Coptic Christians came to the mountain and founded a small church at the spot where it was believed God spoke to Moses in the form of the burning bush.

The Quran tells us this story in chapter Ta-Ha.

Later on, the site evolved into St. Catherine’s Monastery, revered by many as one of the most sacred places on Earth.

The place where the children of Israel waited for Musa for 40 days.

The monastery has survived many groups of desert marauders over the past 1,500 years.

Muslims left it intact even during the Crusades because it honors one of Islam’s most important prophets.

- aboutislam.net

4 Ways to Increase Your Love For Allah

 

If one were to describe the main focus of the Islamic religion, it is the personal relationship between the believer and God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

The objective of the Islamic creed is to keep this relationship as pure as possible, wherein the position of the Creator as the only possible and reasonable entity worthy of any type of worship is acknowledged and confirmed in both the intentions and in deeds.

The believer recognizes the oneness and uniqueness of the Creator as being independent and perfect.

Also, the believer recognizes his own position as part of the creation, being dependent and imperfect.

He tries to strengthen his relationship with the Creator by worshiping Him alone, by asking for His guidance and His forgiveness and by seeking His acceptance and contentment.

Love and Fear

The strength of this relationship is based on two factors: love and fear.

It is the love one has for the Creator that makes one want to obey the obligations such as praying or fasting. It is the love for the Creator that will make one want to be close to everything this Creator is associated with or each act which will bring him closer to the content of God.

At the same time, it is the fear of the discontent of the Creator that will keep one far away from what is forbidden or whatever act that would cause His disapproval.

In order to have the best possible relationship with God, one must have both love and fear and both emotions should be in a just balance with the other.

Some say that in times of prosperity and welfare, one’s fear should be stronger than one’s love as to prevent falling into pride and haughtiness. Also, in times of adversity and distress, one’s love should be stronger than one’s fear as to prevent falling into pessimism and hopelessness.

For those who are looking for advice to strengthen their love for the Creator, they will find two common answers on their path: read from the Quran and perform voluntary prayers. And even though this advice is correct, it can fall short or be too limited to really get the anticipated results. Why?

Reading the Quran

Some of our brothers and sisters turn to the Quran when in need of more inspiration of divine instructions. This is a good decision which we can only agree upon and which we can only stimulate.

However, the manner of approach with which someone reads the Quran can be different from person to person and greatly influence the impact.

In many cases, people attempt to read as much Quran as their schedule allows them. And they can refer to the lives of the companions, who used to read the entire Quran is just a matter of days. However, as with all relationships, it is the quality that matters, not the quantity.

If one is to read as much Quran as he can, however what is read does not lead to self-reflections or contemplation, he or she is missing the goal of the Quran.

Again, we should refer to the lives of the companions. When they would read from the Quran, they would not only read the verse (out loud) but would also directly put an effort to practice the guidance from this verse or verses.

When this is the mindset, the Quran is no longer a book which one can read like any other book, but it becomes the basis of one’s acts and deeds.

There is no way one can do this without understanding the meaning of the text. So for all of those for whom Arabic is not their primary language, they should learn to read and recite the Quran, not only in Arabic but also in their own language.

If a person is incapable to briefly explain what Chapter 103 stands for and how its teachings affects his daily life and choices, then something very important, even essential, is missing.

Extra Voluntary Prayer

Another way to increase the love one has for the Creator is to increase the amount of voluntary prayers one carries out on a daily or weekly basis.

Many acts can be performed ‘for the sake of Allah’ while they are not primarily focused on Islam, like feeding the poor or helping the needy.

Prayer is one of the acts where the intention of the act and the act itself become fully focused on God and His contentment. Our five daily prayers are the minimum required amount of prayers to be performed by all Muslims all around the world, but they do not limit the maximum number of prayers.

Again, one should make sure his intention with the voluntary prayer is also to grow in his love for the Creator. For those who do not speak Arabic, they should understand that this requires they are not only able to make ‘the sound’ of prayer but again, to fully understand what they say and why. This is the only way how the content of the prayer can lead to internal long lasting change.

Contemplate God’s Creation

Last but not least, one should gaze at the creation of God. One of the best ways to get to know more about the Creator is to look at the creation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to go into nature all by himself to contemplate and meditate even before the revelation came to him. God also clearly states in the Quran that in the creation:

… are signs for a people who give thought. (13:3)

In fact, the creation contains so many blessings, such as sunshine, shade and rain, that the Quran states:

… thus does He complete His favor upon you that you might submit to Him. (16:81)

If one wishes to draw closer to the Creator, he needs to draw closer to the creations. It is time to get out of the office buildings and into nature. Once you’ll walk in the forest, near the waterfalls, seeing all incredible birds, plants and animals, the love for the one who has created this all will grow and expand.

There are thousands of tips for those who wish to strengthen their love for the Creator. This article contains some tips which I consider to be relevant to each and all of us, regardless of any personal differences which we might have.

May Allah fill our hearts with love for Him and may Allah accept and answer this love with what is good for us.

- aboutislam.net

About Nourdeen Wildeman

Nourdeen Wildeman is born and raised in the Netherlands. He converted to Islam in 2007 and is active in the field of dawah and supporting New Muslims. He is board member for the Dutch 'National Platform for New Muslims', writer and public speaker at gatherings in his country and abroad.

How Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Spoke of Other Prophets

 

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was fully aware of the bond of faith and message that connects him with the blessed chain of Prophets.

In any relevant situation where any of the Prophets is recalled or referred to, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) affectionately highlights this bond by humbly and positively referring to other prophets as brothers in Prophethood.

He humbly and appreciatively mentioned the merits that other prophets were endowed with. Ibn Abbas narrates, for example that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Abraham.” (Al-Bukhari)

Far from being jealous, he proudly talks about his brother Suleiman (Solomon) as the owner of a tremendous kingdom, the likes of which no person has or ever will.  Abdullah ibn Amr narrated that the Prophet said “Suleiman asked Allah the Exalted for a kingdom that no one after him would have, and he (Suleiman) was given it.” (An-Nasa’i)

Abu Huraira narrated that Allah’s Messenger said,

“Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.“(Al-Bukhari)

Muhammad states that he loves and appreciates `Isa (Jesus), as another Hadith supports, as the messenger that was sent immediately before Muhammad. Furthermore, he commends `Isa because he was not touched by the Satan when he was born as everyone was. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said

“Satan touches every son of Adam on the moment he/she is born, except for Mary and her son.” (Muslim)

Do Not Compare Between Propphets

Abu Hurairah also narrated that one Muslim and one Jew started to argue and went into verbal fight and abuse. The Muslim swore, “By Him Who preferred Muhammad over all people!” The Jew swore, “By Him Who preferred Musa over all people!”

The Muslim then slapped the Jew on his face as he took what the Jew said as insult to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Jew went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about the incident. The Prophet said:

“Do not say I am better than Musa. All Mankind will faint on the Day of Judgment and I will be the first to recover to find that Moses at that time will be holding the side of (God’s) Throne.

I do not know if he would faint and recover before me, or if Allah will make an exception for him because he fainted on earth once“.  (Muslim)

In another narration of the same hadith, the Prophet was very angry; anger was manifest on his face features and he commanded not getting involved in such comparisons between Prophets.

Jonah Is My Brother

One day, Prophet Muhammad went to the city of Ta’if to invite its people to Islam. He was fiercely rejected, stoned even by the children.

He and his servant took shelter near a vineyard. The orchard worker offered them some grapes. The worker heard Muhammad saying uncommon phrases before he was about to eat. The Prophet asked the man where he was from. The man said “I am a Christian from “Nineveh” (north of Iraq).

The Prophet compassionately remembers his brother in Prophethood and said, “You are from the same city as Yunus (Jonah) the son of Matta?“

The man was puzzled by the fact that Muhammad would know Jonah and asked “How do you know him?”

The Prophet responded, “He is my brother, He is a Prophet, and I am also a Prophet.” (Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum)

When one person once talked to the Prophet and called him ‘the best of creation,’ he immediately and humbly corrected him saying “That is Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him)“.  (Muslim)

Mercy for All

Although Prophet Muhammad was honored by being the seal of the Prophets, he lived humbly recognizing other Prophets in appreciation and respect and love.  He said

“O people, Fear Allah and do not be tricked by Satan. I am Muhammad the son of `Abdullah. I am the servant of Allah and His Messenger.

I do not like that you raise me above the position that Allah the Exalted has given me“. (Ahmad)

Now more than ever, Muslims are required to recall and put into practice the humility achieved through this kind of bond.

Muslims should remember that they are meant to be a mercy to Mankind. They should welcome people from any religious and ethnic background.

When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, he remained respectful of Christianity and Judaism. Madinah welcomed a 60-member Christian delegation from the city of Najran. In a respectful and appropriate setting, both Muslims and Christians debated and discussed their beliefs. When the discussion was over, the Najran Christians made their way home peacefully.

This spirit of mercy and compassion embodied so strongly and consistently throughout the Prophet Muhammad’s life should be an example for not only Muslims, but our Islamic centers, our Imams, our MSAs, and every Islamic association.

We should note what Allah said in surat Al-Ma’idah:

{Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ. } (Al-Ma’idah 5:48)

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Talaat Pasha

Talaat Pasha has a doctorate in Arabic and linguistics. He chaired the department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Bahrain. He is now a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan, USA.