THE QURAN ON FASTING

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).

(Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know." (2:183-84)

"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not fast must be made up) from other days.

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him" (2: 185).

"It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of the fasts. They are garments for you and you are the same for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you and forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your fast till the nightfall.

And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in Itikaf in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allah, so approach them not. Thus does Allah make clear His signs to mankind that they may become Al Muttaqun (the pious)" (2:187).

"Verily! We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night of Al-Qadr.

And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is?
The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months
Therein descend the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) by Allah's Permission with all Decrees,
Peace! until the appearance of dawn (97:1-5)

Namaaz

Phir Aaj "HAQ" Kay Liye Jaan Fida Karay Koi, Wafa Bhe Jhoom Uthay Yun Wafa Karay Koi.... Namaz 1400 Saalon Se Intezar Mai Hay, Hussain Ki Tarhan Mujhko Ada Karay Koi

Thoughts on Surah Fatiha

As I was contemplating on the beauty of Sura Fatiha, it struck me how powerful the essential dua’a in the sura is:

“Guide us to the straight path”

We’re asking Allah (swt) to guide us to the path of righteousness. But which path is that? Thus Allah (swt) answers in the following verse:

“The path of those upon whom You (Allah) have bestowed Your blessings.”

So it’s a path characterized not by ideals or principles, but by the people who embody those very ideals and principles.

It’s not the path of the Quran. It’s not the path of the Hadith. It’s not the path of detailed Fiqh or correct Aqeedah. It’s not the path of dry texts and lifeless manuscripts.

It’s the path of living, breathing individuals. It’s the path traversed by our noble elders, who are able to pass along the experiences and life-long lessons of this journey. It’s the path of beacons of light who we are blessed to sit with and learn from. It’s the path of following the good examples and shunning the bad ones.

It’s the path of interacting with society, not the path of isolating oneself.

It’s the path of sitting at the feet of a teacher, not the path of Do-It-Yourself.

It’s the path of discovering and emulating these vibrant gems of society, not the path of mechanically memorizing drab data from bloodless books.

It’s the path of debasing oneself before another (for the purpose of learning), not the path of anointing oneself over another (for the purpose of teaching).

It’s the path navigated by our spiritual forefathers.

Let us all embark on our journey down this path.

Ae Allah

Is se Phele ke Yeh Duniya Muje Ruswa Kar de, Tu Mere Jism Meri Rooh Ko Acha Kar de

Ye Halat Apni jo Main Ne Kud Banai Hai Magar, Jaisa Tu Chahta Hai Waisa Kar de

Mere Har Faislay Main Teri Raza Ho Shamil, Jo Tera Hukum ho Wo Mera Irada Kar de =)

Ameen

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Ki مُحَمَّدٌ Se Wafa Tu Ne, To Hum Tere Hain
Yeh Jahan Cheez Hai Kiya Lo-o-Qalam Tere Hain

Muslims are taught that prophets are humans who have been selected by God for a special purpose. They are given miracles to assist them in their message but these miracles are not performed through their own power, but through the power of God. The prophets of God have no divine powers of their own, nor even the power to decide who will go to heaven or to hell. They are merely there to convey the message entrusted to them by God to the best of their ability.



In a similar manner, Muhammad (pbuh) was assisted by God with a number of miracles and entrusted to convey His message to mankind. Muhammad (pbuh) himself, however, was just a regular human being. He could not issue passes to heaven. He could not condemn people to hell. He could not change what was in people's hearts. He could only convey the message and hope that they would believe.



Muhammad (pbuh) lived like any other man or woman of his people. He dressed like they dressed. He ate the same food they ate. He lived in the same manner and in the same sort of houses they did. It would be impossible for someone who did not know him to pick him out of a crowd.



Muhammad (pbuh) taught his followers through example. If he commanded his followers to do something, he would be the first to abide by this command. He never broke his word, he was by far the most charitable man among his people. He was the most God-fearing and the least attached to this life.



He never in his life accepted charity, but worked for a living. He never lied. It was not at all uncommon for him to spend months on end enduring severe hunger never seeing a single cooked meal. He taught his followers to be merciful to their children and respectful to their elders. He commanded them to never taste alcohol, gamble, engage in usury (interest), fornication, envy, deceit, or back-biting.



Muhammad (pbuh) taught that no human being needs any other human being to intercede for him with God. He showed them that God is within the reach of all his creation. He hears and sees all and answers His servant's prayers.



Muhammad (pbuh) further severely cautioned against promoting any of God's creation or groups thereof to higher levels of divine authority and closeness to God than others, or the excessive glorification of any human being. This includes the prophets of God themselves. He taught that the very best of God's servants are those who continuously seek out knowledge and that God sees all that they do.



Muhammad (pbuh) taught his followers to be industrious and to earn an honest living. He taught them that the best Muslims are those who are not overly obsessed with earthly wealth since excessive wealth usually leads to corruption.




However, he also taught that a wealthy person who is not blinded by his wealth is not condemned by God and may even be able to utilize his wealth in acts of worship not available to the poor. In other words, Muhammad (pbuh) taught moderation in all things.



There is much more that could be said about the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), however, probably one of the most general summaries made by Muhammad (pbuh) in this regard was:



"Righteousness is good conduct, and sin is that which weaves inside your chest and you hate for it to be revealed to mankind."

What Are The Pillars of Islam?

Islam is built upon five major pillars. A
Muslim is taught that anyone who dies observing these five basic pillars will
enter heaven. As mentioned, they are:



(1) To bear witness that there is no entity
worthy of worship except Allah(God) alone, and that Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger. This establishes obedience to God Almighty alone.



(2) To perform five prescribed prayers to God every day according to a specific prescribed method and at specific prescribed times. This continually reminds us to bear God in mind in all actions, either before or after any given prayer.



(3) To pay two and a half percent (2.5%) of ones wealth to charity every year if their savings exceed a certain minimum level which is considered above the poverty level. (This is the basic concept, the actual calculation is a little more complex).



(4) To fast the month of Ramadhan (from the Islamic Lunar calendar) every year from sun rise until sunset. This involves not eating, drinking, or having marital relations, from sun rise until sun set.



(5) To perform a pilgrimage to Makkah (in the Arabian Peninsula) once in a Muslim's lifetime if it is financially possible and their health permits. During this period, Muslims come from all over the world to join together for six days in a prescribed set of acts of worship. All Muslim men are mandated to wear the same garment which was designed to be very plain, simple, and cheap to obtain.



Mu'ad ibn Jabal said: I said to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him): Inform me about an act which would entitle me to enter into Paradise, and distance me from the Hell-Fire. He (the Prophet) said:



"You have asked me about a matter [which ostensibly appears to be] difficult but it is easy for those for whom Allah, the Exalted, has made it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him, establish prayer, pay the Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadhan and perform Hajj to the House (Ka'aba)." (Narrated by Ahmed, al-Tirmathy, and ibn Majah)

What is Islam ?

The literal meaning of Islam is peace;
surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of Allah and
surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of Allah. The message of Islam
was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400
years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus
preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of
safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of
the earlier scriptures.



The prime message of Islam is the Unity of Allah, that the Creator of the world
is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings
on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a
Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: Allah’s angels, previously revealed Books
of Allah, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day
of Judgement and indeed the Decree of Allah. A Muslim has five main duties to
perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of Allah and Muhammad (peace and
blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of
Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Makkah.



Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that Allah
has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek Allah’s
pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that Allah created
mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of Allah on a human level
mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship Allah and to
treat all Allah’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in
old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were
safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness
about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and
its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time.



In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are
lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with
the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and
politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of
individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived
from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and
practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in
the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in
actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human
changes.



Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any
individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to Allah through
sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with
the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and
courage.



At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in
more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in
the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the
earth.

 

"O humankind! Verily! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The Aware." The noble Qur'an, Al-Hujrat(49):13.