رَبِّ ابْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتاً فِى الْجَنَّةِ
'My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Jannaah'
(At-Tahreem 66:11)


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Steps to Knowledge


Steps to Knowledge.. 

 


Sufyân b. ‘Uyainah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The first step in knowledge is to listen, then to be quiet & attentive, then to preserve it, then to put it into practice & then to spread it.

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ` Vol.3 p283.  

Which of the favours of Thy Lord do you deny? (3)

by Imâm Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
(Reminder 3)

 A man of knowledge said:

“The blessing of Allâh to us in keeping the luxuries of this world away from us is greater than the blessing of that which he has given us, because Allaah did not like His Prophet to have the luxuries of this world. So I prefer to live in the manner which Allâh preferred for His Prophet than to live a life which He disliked for him.”

  Taken from “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat ash-Shâkireen”

O Seeker of Good, Where are you?

Some thought-provoking & heartfelt words on Ramadhan
 by Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullaah

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‘… Where are those who fast & where are those who pray by night? Where are those who obey their Lord & where are those who work righteousness? Where are those who are foremost & where are the humble ones? Where are those who remember (their Lord) & where are those devoted to Him? Where are the truthful & where are the patient? Where are the charity-givers? Where are those who enjoin good, who save the troubled ones & who forbid the wrong? Where are those who heed contemplation & who listen to good advice & life-lessons? By Allaah, they have indeed gone with the Salihin (righteous), returned with the Mu’minin (believers), settled with the Anbiya’ (Prophets) & taken residence with the Siddiqin (truthful ones). But us, we remain behind with the ignorant, have settled with the wrong-doers & have taken the heedless as our guides…

Monday, July 23, 2012

What B-R-E-A-K-S your FAST?


Sheikh Ibn Fawzaan (Hafidhahullaah)

It is obligatory for the Muslim to know of all that invalidates the fast so as to be aware of them. They include:

1) Sexual intercourse: Whenever the fasting person has sexual intercourse, his fast is invalidated. Subsequently, he is required to make up the fast for that day in which he had sexual intercourse in addition to paying a penalty (kaffaarah) which is to free a slave. If he is unable to find a slave or funds that are equal to that, then he is required to fast consecutively for two months. If he is unable to fast for two months, due to an Islaamically acceptable reason, he is to feed 60 poor people half a saa' each from the food common in that land.

2) Excretion of semen as a result of kissing, touching with desire, masturbation or persistently looking at that which arouses the desire. In this case, the fast is invalidated & he is required to make up for that day without paying a penalty (kaffaarah), since paying a penalty is specific to having had sexual intercourse.

3) Intentionally eating & drinking, due to that which Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) says:

وَكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواْ الصِّيَامَ إِلَى الَّليْلِ

{...and eat & drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall},
(Al-Baqarah 2:187)

Breaking Fast: To eat Dinner first or Pray Maghrib?

Sheikh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy upon him)



Question: Is it from the sunnah when breaking the fast to eat some dates & drink water then pray maghrib  & afterwards eat & drink whatever he wishes?

 Answer: “Yes, (it is from the sunnah), because this is what empowers (one with) a type of advantage. He rushes to break the fast with what Allaah has made easy from dates & water, then goes to pray maghrib along with the congregation so that he does not miss it, then returns & eats whatever he wishes to eat & like this.

The Best Act of Worship: Humility

Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar.

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عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: " يَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَفْضَلِ الْعِبَادَةِ: التَّوَاضُعِ "

Aisha (Radi Allaahu anhaa) said: 

" People are paying no attention to the BEST act of worship: Humility."

Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah (13/360) Ibn Hajr graded this Athar as being Saheeh.


Benefits for this subject:

At-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Allaah tests His believing servants with humility to see how they obey Him and follow His commands." [ Saheeh Bukhari Ibn Battal ]

Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa'dee (May Allaah rest him in Jannah) said, "Humility and Humbleness are among the foundations of the religion and its core whereas, pride contradicts Islaam.”

The origin of humility is found in the verse: (سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا) (We hear and obey) [Al-Baqarah 285]. 

20 Special Characteristics of Ramadhan

                  Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar.


  1. Its name: Ramadhan, The Month of Ramadhan, The Month of Patience, The Month of Siyaam.
  2. Look for the Hilaal: Moon
  3. The doors of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are locked.
  4. The Shayateen are locked up.
  5. During every night Allaah frees someone from Hell.
  6. During Ramadhan a servant’s provisions are increased.

Which of the favours of Thy Lord do you deny? (2)

by Imâm Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
(Reminder 2)

 

Layth ibn Abî Burdah said:

When Allâh gathers people on the Day of Judgement, He will remind them of His blessings. One of His slaves will say: “Remind me of something,” & Allâh will say:
  “Remember when you faced such-and-such adversity, & you prayed to Me, so I relieved you of it. Remember when you were travelling in such and-such a place, & you asked Me to give you a travelling companion, & I did so... Remember when you asked for the hand of so-and-so the daughter of so-and-so, & others also asked for her hand, so I gave her to you to marry & kept the others away.” His slave will be...

Perfect my intention so that I can worship Allaah

It is of Shirk to perform a (righteous) deed for worldly reasons

 
Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) said:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لاَ يُبْخَسُونَ

"Whosoever desires the life of the world & its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein & they will have no diminution therein."
(Hud 11:15)

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلاَّ النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُواْ فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; & vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do.
(Hud 11:16)

Depending Upon Astronomical Calculations