Springboard from encouragement

1. By the Glorious Morning Light,

2. And by the Night when it is still,-

3. Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.

4. And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.

5. And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased.

AA guys,

I chose these verses from Surah Ad-Dhuha as an extension of Safi's post. I see these verses as a good source for refocusing oneself when things aren't immediately going one's way and hopefully a good source for encouraging one another. Hopefully, I wasn't way off of what Safi was getting at. Take care gentlemen.

imad

Encouragement

Assalamu alaikum guys,

Sorry my inactivity messed this rotation up.

Alhamdulillah I am finally half-way done with my first year of Med School.
There have been a lot of ups and downs (alot of the latter lately).

But Alhamdulillah things are things are still good.

Some awesome highlights of the past 5 months:
- Realizing that if I work hard I can not suck at Med School
- Ramadan being awesome
- Making some great friends
- Having Nabil randomly visit me
- Realizing I need to take action if I want to succeed
- Going to the Masjid
-... other fun stuff

And now for the translation of a great Surah (Surat-al-'Asr):

I begin with the name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Kind
By the Passing of Time
Mankind is at a loss
Except for those who believe and do good deeds and encourage each other to the truth and and encourage each other to patience.

Salam,
-Safi

Dhul Hijjah

Asalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Alhumdulilah, as most of your know, our brothers Shamim and Bilal are currently performing Hajj, and we should all make sincere dua that this act is accepted from them. However, we should also be mindful that the blessings of Dhul Hijjah are not limited to those that were able to make the pilgrimage.

Ibn 'Abbas said about the Aayah, "Remember Allaah during the well known days," that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

-[Al-Bukhari]

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days [meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah]." The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad in the way of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihad, except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allaah's sake] and returns with neither of them."

-[Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, At-Tirmidhi]

Hafsah reported, "There are five things that the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) never abandoned: fasting the day of 'Ashurah, fasting the [first] 10 [days of Dhul-Hijjah], fasting 3 days of every month and praying two rak'ah before the dawn prayer."

-[Ahmad and An-Nasa'i]

May Allah assist all of us in following the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon upon hom), increasing our good deeds and strengthening our Imaan.

-Ibraheem

Imad's post

'Umar b. al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu'adhdhin says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and one of you should make this response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; (and when the Mu'adhdhin) says: I testify that there is no god but Allah, one should respond: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and when he says: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, one should make a response: I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to prayer, one should make a response: There is no might and no power except with Allah.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to salvation, one should respond: There is no might and no power except with Allah, and when he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, then make a response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: There is no god but Allah, and he who makes a response from the heart: There is no god but Allah, he will enter Paradise. Translation from Sahih Muslim, Book 4.

Assalaamualaikum guys,
I hope all is well with you guys, InshaAllah. I'm hitting my final stretch of exams for the semester so it's go-time. Any duas to Allah asking that I adequately pass these exams would be much appreciated :) Take care,
imad

When the Adhan is called:

'Umar b. al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu'adhdhin says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and one of you should make this response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; (and when the Mu'adhdhin) says: I testify that there is no god but Allah, one should respond: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and when he says: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, one should make a response: I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to prayer, one should make a response: There is no might and no power except with Allah.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to salvation, one should respond: There is no might and no power except with Allah, and when he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, then make a response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: There is no god but Allah, and he who makes a response from the heart: There is no god but Allah, he will enter Paradise. Translation from Sahih Muslim, Book 4.

Assalaamualaikum guys,
I hope all is well with you guys, InshaAllah. I'm hitting my final stretch of exams for the semester so it's go-time. Any duas to Allah asking that I adequately pass these exams would be much appreciated :) Take care,
imad

Hajj

Salaams all,



With the Hajj season approaching, and with at least one fellow-blogger (Shamim) going on Hajj this year, I thought I'd post a hadith about the importance of completing this pillar of Islam:



Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) addressed us and said: O people, Allah has made Hajj obligatory for you; so perform Hajj. Thereupon a person said: Messenger of Allah, (is it to be performed) every year? He (the Holy Prophet) kept quiet, and he repeated (these words) thrice, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If I were to say "Yes," it would become obligatory (for you to perform it every year) and you would not be able to do it. Then he said: Leave me with what I have left to you, for those who were before you were desroyed because of excessive questioning, and their opposition to their apostles. So when I command you to do anything, do it as much as it lies in your power and when I forbid you to do anything, then abandon it.

Jazakallah Khairan

Giving Thanks

Salaams all,

Sorry for not posting earlier, I was out of town visiting my sister in
Pittsburgh. Anyways, I'm on thanksgiving break right now, back home
in Bmore. Second year is flying by and boards are coming up soon so
my studying is about to go through the roof. Inshallah I'll get
through them just fine.

Since it is thanksgiving, I thought I'd find a few verses on giving
thanks to Allah:

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and
reject not Faith. (Quran 2:152)

And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are
grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show
ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed." (Quran 14:7)

Wasalaams,
Zain

Crucial Verse

assalamu alaykum guys, insha'Allah everyone is doing well. Alhamdulillah, i'm doing alright. I just wanted to share one verse in Surat-al-Baqara, it's so relevant to our lives that whenever we are down or something unfortunate happens to us, we should remember this verse. In the translation of its meaning, part of the verse (number 216) is:

"but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not."

talk with you brothers soon, i miss you all
wa assalamu alaykum, bilal

Hajj

"And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e., denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the `Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).'' (3:97)



Assalamu Alaikum. I know it is not Hajj season yet, but I wanted to include this Ayat because inshallah I intend to perform the Hajj this year with my mother. Inshallah I'll be leaving on Dec. 4th and coming back on the 24th. I encourage everyone to try to do this while we're still young as it's an obligation.

Please make dua for me that I can perform my Hajj successfully and that it is accepted by Allah (swt). Also please forgive me if I have wronged anyone. I apologize sincerely for any wrongdoing. Jazakallah Khairan.

The Affair of the Believer is Amazing.

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh, brothers,

InshaAllah all is well with everyone. Things are nice as normal on my end, alhamdulillah, Maryam is still growing, doing new things everyday :), and I have no complaints, alhamdulillah. Also, inshaAllah, I will be in the North Jersey area (near NYC) on the week of Dec. 1 - 9, so inshaAllah, for those of you in that vicinity, we can meet up.

Anyways, I have always found the following hadeeth to be extremely beautiful, mashaAllah, it shows us just how our deen has prepared us to face whatever comes our way in life.

Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: "The affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him,, he is patient and it is also good for him." [Saheeh Muslim, Book 042, Number 7138]

wassalaam,
Ahmad

Yusuf's post

Book 005, Number 2248:

Abu Huraira reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying):" I fear Allah" ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given: and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears.

Gerald's post

حدثنا عبد الله بن يوسف قال: حدثنا الليث، عن سعيد، هو المقبري، عن شريك
بن عبد الله بن أبي نمر: أنه سمع أنس بن مالك يقول:

بينما نحن جلوس مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في المسجد، دخل رجل على جمل،
فأناخه في المسجد ثم عقله، ثم قال لهم: أيكم محمد؟ والنبي صلى الله عليه
وسلم متكىء بين ظهرانيهم، فقلنا: هذا الرجل الأبيض المتكىء. فقال له
الرجل: ابن عبد المطلب؟ فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: (قد أجبتك).
فقال الرجل للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إني سائلك فمشدد عليك في المسألة،
فلا تجد علي في نفسك. فقال: (سل عما بدا لك). فقال: أسألك بربك ورب من
قبلك، آلله أرسلك إلى الناس كلهم؟ فقال: (اللهم نعم). قال: أنشدك بالله،
آلله أمرك أن نصلي الصلوات الخمس في اليوم والليلة؟ قال: (اللهم نعم).
قال أنشدك بالله، آلله أمرك أن نصوم هذا الشهر من السنة؟ قال: (اللهم
نعم). قال: أنشدك بالله، آلله أمرك أن تأخذ هذه الصدقة من أغنيائنا
فتقسمها على فقرائنا؟ فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: (اللهم نعم). فقال
الرجل: آمنت بما جئت به، وأنا رسول من ورائي من قومي، وأنا ضمام بن
ثعلبة، أخو بني سعد بن بكر.

Volume 1, Book 3, Number 63:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
While we were sitting with the Prophet in the mosque, a man came
riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied
its foreleg and then said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time
the Prophet was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his
arm. We replied, "This white man reclining on his arm." The an then
addressed him, "O Son of 'Abdul Muttalib."
The Prophet said, "I am here to answer your questions." The man said
to the Prophet, "I want to ask you something and will be hard in
questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet said, "Ask whatever you
want." The man said, "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those
who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the
mankind?" The Prophet replied, "By Allah, yes." The man further said,
"I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a
day and night (24 hours).? He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man
further said, "I ask you by Allah! Has Allah ordered you to observe
fasts during this month of the year (i.e. Ramadan)?" He replied, "By
Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah
ordered you to take Zakat (obligatory charity) from our rich people
and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet replied, "By
Allah, yes." Thereupon that man said, "I have believed in all that
with which you have been sent, and I have been sent by my people as a
messenger, and I am Dimam bin Tha'laba from the brothers of Bani Sa'd
bin Bakr."

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Salam

Assalamu Alaikom brothers,

 

I miss you guys, no joke. Hope all of you are well and have peace of hearts. So, I attended a lecture by Brother Ibrahim Najem on the Purification of the Heart. He related Ibn Qayym's 10 advices on how to purify the heart:

 

1.     Praying Salah with concentration and dedication

2.     Reading the Quarn, seeking to understand and practice it. (also reflect on the Quran)

3.     Constant Dikhr (remembrance of Allah)

4.     Dua

5.     Remembering Death

6.     Seeking righteous company

7.     Learning Islamic Knowledge

8.     Giving Dawah

9.     Being Patient and Steadfast

10.  Being strong willed / staying away from temptations and whims.

 

May Allah grant us all righteous hearts. Ameen. Talk to you all soon, iA.  Be safe and take care of yourselves.

 

Peace,

 

Nabil

 

 

Nurain's Post

Assalamalaikum,

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for." (Bukhari 1:1:1)

Prepare for The Afterlife

I am currently listening to the audio lecture set by Sheikh Anwar al-awlaki titled "The Hereafter," so I thought it would be a good to remind ourselves to not delay doing good deeds and to stay focused on building for our afterlife which is eternal rather than the worldly life which is temporary.

"O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you, and he says: `My Rubb! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e., return to the worldly life), then I should give Sadaqah (i.e., Zakat) of my wealth, and be among the righteous' And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.'' (63:9-11)

May Allah consider us among the righteous and help us to stay focused on doing good and preparing for our afterlife...

-Usman

Fasting 6 days in Shawwal

I know that I am jumping ahead in the order a little bit, but it is already the 10th of Shawwal, and I want to share this hadith while we still have plenty of time to benefit from it.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari related that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he had fasted the year through.

Sahih Muslim (1163)


Your brother,

Ibraheem

On Dreams

Abu Qatada reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying : The good vision are from Allah and the evil dreams are from the satan. If one sees a dream which one does not like, one should spit on one's left side and seek the refuge of Allah from the satan; it will not do one any harm, and one should not disclose it to anyone and if one sees a good vision one should feel pleased but should not disclose it to anyone but whom one loves. (Muslim)

I chose a hadith on this topic b/c some dreams I have just leave a bad feeling inside, so I guess I find comfort in learning how to deal with them. Plus, I wasn't exactly sure when to and when not to share them.

Salaams brothers,
imad

The Qur'an is our guide

Assalamu alaikum everyone!

I hope we all benefited from this past Ramadan, the month of Qur'an!

Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said;
"The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it." (Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 545)

Alhamdulillah, as some of you guys may know, I had the blessing of learning tajweed (proper quranic recitation) and memorization of the Qur'an for a few months earlier this year.

The experience opened my eyes to how easy the qur'an is to learn with a little effort!

I feel it is incumbent upon me to both continue to learn AND teach what I learned.

If you think about it, we are reciting qur'an at least 17 times a day...do we know what we are reciting? Do we know if we are reciting it properly?

Allah (SWT) told us that our guide manual for living this life is the Qu'ran (read the first two ayahs of surah baqarah)...by not making a simple effort to understand it, we are in effect ignoring our guide for success!

-----------So here's the deal:

A few people have asked me to teach them Qur'an, my schedule is pretty variable,  so instead...
I came up with this Awsome idea , using  cutting-edge internet technology, to teach the essentials of Quranic recitation in just 10 minutes a week!

I am only letting a few people know about it so they can give me feedback.

If you think it is worth my time and your time then send me and e-mail by this Friday.

If you are already learning qur'an with a teacher, then no problem. :)

May Allah continue to bless us in our work, and May Allah accept our fasts and prayers!

Salam,
-Safi

Azim's Post

The deed which can draw you near to Paradise and take you away from Hell

Assalamu Alaikum Brothers,

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub Ansari that once during
the journey of the Holy Prophet (may peace of Allah be upon him) a
bedouin appeared before him and caught hold of the nosestring of his
she-camel and then said, Messenger of Allah (or Muhammad), inform me
about that which takes me near to Paradise and draws me away from the
Fire (of Hell). He (the narrator) said: The Prophet (may peace be upon
him) stopped for a while and cast a glance upon his companions and
then said: He was afforded a good opportunity (or he had been guided
well). He (the Holy Prophet) addressing the bedouin said: (Repeat)
whatever you have uttered. He (the bedouin) repeated that. Upon this
the Apostle (may peace be upon him) remarked: The deed which can draw
you near to Paradise and take you away from Hell is, that you worship
Allah and associate none with Him, and you establish prayer and pay
Zakat, and do good to your kin. After having uttered these words, the
Holy Prophet asked the bedouin to release the nosestring of his she-
camel.

[Sahih Muslim]

InshAllah, you all had a joyous Eid.

Allah hafiz,
Azim

Eid Mubarak!

Salaams and Eid Mubarak! I know Eid-ul-Fitr wasn't on the same day
for everyone this year, and don't worry, I'm not even going to touch
on that controversy. Instead, I think I'll just post a verse from the
Quran that I hope we can all reflect on and enjoy:

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out
for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with
gratitude Allah's favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your
hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were
on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth
Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided." (3:103)

Key words/phrases: "all together", "be not divided", "love", and most
importantly "remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you".
Yeah...thats my commentary. So I'm in the middle of exams right
now...hence the bad commentary...but wanted to wish everyone a happy
Eid!

easy-reap rewards

Abu Huraryrah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said, "Allah will write one hundred Hasanat (rewards) for whoever says "Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer" (There is no God but Allah alone, He has no partner. To Allah is possession of everything, and to Him all praise is, He is Capable of all things) ten times in the morning and forgive him one hundred misdeeds. He will have the reward of freeing a slave and will be protected from Satan throughout the day unto dusk. Whoever says in the evening will have the same reward (narrated in Ahmad 8/704 with a Hasan (good) chain of transmission).

A similar hadith about the same statement: Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer

Whoever recites this in the morning, will have the reward of freeing a slave from the Children of Ismail. Ten Hasanaat (rewards) will be written for him, and he will be forgiven ten misdeeds, raised up ten degrees , and be protected from Satan until evening. Whoever says in the evening will have the same reward until morning. (narrated in Abu Dawud, Ahmed and Ibn Majah with a Sahih (sound) chain of transmission).

Here's the Arabic:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٍ

Assalamu alaykum guys,
have the awesomest Eid ever,
Bilal

last days and nights upon us

Assalamu Alaikum. Inshallah everyone's Ramadan is going well. May Allah give us the strength to finish out the month strongly. Below is an ayah I came across while reading the Quran. It is said the last third of the month is being saved from the Hellfire. May all of us be included in this blessing: Ameen. Following the ayah is a beautiful dua to be recited during Salatul Tahajjud. As this is the last time I may be corresponding to you brothers before Eid, an early Eid Mubarak. Enjoy.

039.053 YUSUFALI: Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 221: Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Prophet got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer, he used to say: Allahumma lakal-hamd. Anta qaiyimus-samawati wal-ard wa manfihinna. Walakal-hamd, Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna.Walakal-hamd, anta nurus-samawati wal-ard. Walakalhamd, anta-l-haq wawa'duka-l-haq, wa liqa'uka Haq, wa qualuka Haq, wal-jannatu Hanwan-naru Haq wannabiyuna Haq. Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu'alaihiwasallam, Haq, was-sa'atu Haq. Allahumma aslamtu Laka wabika amantu,wa 'Alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khasamtu, wa ilaikahakamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama'alantu, anta-l-muqaddim wa anta-l-mu akh-khir, la ilaha illa anta (orla ilaha ghairuka). (O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth And all the praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth; And all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth And Paradise is true And Hell is true And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad is true, And the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah ! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, And with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) And I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous And future sins; And whatever I concealed or revealed And You are the One who make (some people) forward And (some) backward. There is none to be worshipped but you . Sufyan said that'Abdul Karim Abu Umaiya added to the above, 'Wala haula Wala quwatailla billah' (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).

-Shamim

Qiyaam al Layl

Assalamualaikum brothers,

InshaAllah you are all doing well.  Alhamdulillah, my family and I are doing alright.  Tomorrow is my last day on my psychiatry rotation.  On Monday, I start neurology inshaAllah.  I hope the following ahadeeth on Qiyaam al-Layl (the voluntary night prayer between Isha and Fajr) are helpful to you all.

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "You should pray Qiyaam al-Layl, for it is the habit of the righteous people who came before you, and it will bring you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin, and expel disease from the body." [At-Tirmidhee and Musnad Ahmad]

Abu Hurayrah (radhi allahu anhu) reported that Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "The best of prayer after those prescribed ( i.e. obligatory prayer) is that in the depth of night." [Saheeh Muslims] 

Abu Hurayrah (radhi allahu anhu) reported: "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) encouraged the people, without making it an absolute command, to perform Qiyaam during Ramadan . He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used to say: "Whoever stands (in Qiyaam) in Ramadan out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), all his previous sins will be forgiven." [Saheeh Muslim]

InshaAllah, we can try hard to make the most of these last 10 nights of Ramadan and please keep my family and me in your duas.

Take care,

Sameer

The Last 10 nights are upon us...

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,

MashaAllah, the last 10 nights of Ramadhan are finally upon us. May Allah grant us tawfeeq and strength to be able to maximize our worship in these nights. Aameen. Everything is going well from my end... baby Maryam is growing fast, mashaAllah, and is already 6 and 1/2 weeks old. Please keep her, and all of us, in your duas.

The following hadeeth describes the practice of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) on the last 10 nights of Ramadhan:

'Aa'ishah, radhiallaahu 'anha, reported: "When the last ten days of Ramadhaan came, the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would stay up all night, wake his family and gird his loins". [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]. In the book of Imaam Muslim the narration read: "He strove hard and girded his loins". Imaam Ibn Hajar, rahimahullaah, said: "His staying all night was in worship and acts of obedience, and the reason he woke his family was for them to pray the optional night prayers, and girding his loins referred to him abstaining from sleeping with his wives".

Also, I wanted to share some very nice advice on how to take advantage of the last 10 nights from Sh. Muhammad AlShareef, copy and pasted below:

The last ten nights of Ramadan are upon us. And soon after this
you the journey for Hajj will begin for Muslims around the world.

If you make the same dua, each day, for the last ten nights of
Ramadan, it's guaranteed that you would have made that dua during
Laylatul-Qadr. (A night worth 1000 months of reward in the sight
of Allah).


********************************

So, prepare your dua from now!
********************************

Step 1: Ask yourself, "If Allah said to me, I'll give you
anything you wish, just ask!" What would you ask for? Make a
list. (Try to fill 2 pages worth of dua, from the goodness of
this life and the next.

Step 2: Pick about 6 of those things

Step 3: Make dua for those 6 things consistently every night for
the last ten nights of Ramadan.

Of course, make as much dua as you want, but make sure these 6
things are consistent.

With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level!
- Muhammad Alshareef

Salam from Nabil

Assalamu Alaikom brothers,

Hope all is well with you, all. So, I just finished up my first day of classes. Alhamdullilah, the day was good, and I met some nice people. Anyhow, I pray I and all of us continue benefiting from this month and Allah takes away my laziness and gives me the strength to increase my ibadah. Ameen. Guys, feel free to share a small snapshot of what's new with you,

Here are a couple of hadiths:

Muslim reported that the Prophet (S) said: "How wonderful the situation of a believer is: Everything is good for him, and this is only true for a believer. For if he encounters good, he is grateful to Allah and that is good for him; and if he is afflicted with hardship, he is patient and that is good for him."

Ahmad + Tirmidhi reported that the Prophet (S) said: "Whoever does not thank people (for their favours) has not thanked Allah (properly), Mighthy and Glorious is He."

Here is the most updated rotation schedule:

Nabil-->Gerald-->Sam-->Sameer-->Shamim-->Ibraheem-->Bilal-->Zain-->Azim-->Safi-->Imad-->Usman-->Nurain-->Yusuf-->Nabil-->REPEAT

Alrighty, bros, take care of yourselves, and please keep me and my fam in your prayers and inshallah, I'll do the same.

Peace,

Nabil

From Yusuf: Gates of Paradise

Assalamualaikum guys. InshaAllah Ramadan is going well for everyone.
Here is a hadith I found inspirational:

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 121:

'Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever gives two kinds (of things or
property) in charity for Allah's Cause, will be called from the gates
of Paradise and will be addressed, 'O slaves of Allah! Here is
prosperity.' So, whoever was amongst the people who used to offer
their prayers, will be called from the gate of the prayer; and whoever
was amongst the people who used to participate in Jihad, will be
called from the gate of Jihad; and whoever was amongst those who used
to observe fasts, will be called from the gate of Ar-Raiyan; whoever
was amongst those who used to give in charity, will be called from the
gate of charity." Abu Bakr said, "Let my parents be sacrificed for
you, O Allah's Apostle! No distress or need will befall him who will
be called from those gates. Will there be any one who will be called
from all these gates?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, and I hope you will
be one of them."

THE REWARD OF ONE WHO DOES NOT OBSERVE FAST BECAUSE OF A RELIGIOUS DUTY

Assalaamualaikum guys:

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey. Some of us had been observing the fast and some of us had not been fasting. We got down at a place on a hot day. Most of us had the cloth for shelter. There were also those amongst us who sheltered (themselves against the rays of the) sun with the help of their hands. The observers of the fast fell down (on account of weakness). Those who had not observed it got up and pitched tents and watered the mounts. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The breakers of the fast have taken away the reward today.

A few points I got from this are:
1) The practicality of Islam;
2) Yet another example of how a big part of Islam is looking out for and helping our fellow Muslims.

Take care gentlemen,
imad

From Nurain

Salam Brothers!

I hope you are all fairing well and that Ramadan is treating you well also!

a Hadith on Ramadan -

Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: Allah the Majestic and
Exalted said: "Every deed of man will receive ten to 700 times reward,
except Siyam (fasting), for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I
like). There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts: one when he
breaks the fast and the other when he will meet his Lord" (Muslim).

And one of my favorite Hadith -

Abdullah b. Harith reported: "I have not seen any man smiling more
than the Prophet (pbuh). (Tirmidhi)

Anas reported: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was the best in manners.
I had an adopted brother named Abu Umair, who had a sick sparrow named
Nughair. The messenger of Allah (S) would be playful with him and ask
'How is your sparrow Nughair?'" (Bukhari)

Importance of Suhoor

Excerpt from: http://www.lutonmuslims.co.uk/ram_iftaar_suhoor.htm

Salmaan (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: Blessings are found in three things, the Group (Al-Jama'ah), Ath-thareed (a type of food) and As-Suhoor (the Pre-dawn meal)." [At-Tabaraanee, Abu Na'eem]

Abu Hurairah (RA) said that Rasoolillah (SAW) said: "Verily Allah placed Barakah (blessing) in the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and in perfect measurement (weighing)."[Ash-Shairazee]

'Abdullah Ibn Haarith said that one of the Sahabah (companion) said: 'I entered the house of the Messenger (SAW) whilst he was taking the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal), and he (SAW) said: "Indeed it (the Suhoor) is blessing that Allah has given to you so do not leave it out." [An-Nasaaee and Ahmad]

The reality that there are great blessings in the Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal) is very apparent because there is in it:
(a) the following of the Sunnah,
(b) it makes the fast easier upon the person who is fasting,
(c) it increases the desire in the person to want to continue to fast because of the ease upon the fasting person and
(d) there is also in it the principle of being different from the People of the Book because they are prohibited from taking the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal).
For this reason the Messenger of Allah (SAW) called it the blessed meal.
Allah (SWT) and the Angels send Salaah upon the people who take the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal)

The greatest blessing of the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) may be that Allah (SWT) engulfs those who partake in it with His Forgiveness, showers His Mercy on them, while His angels ask of Him to forgive and pardon them.

Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree said that the Messenger (SAW) said: "Eating the Suhoor is blessed. Do not neglect it even if you take a gulp of water, because Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon those who partake in the pre-dawn meal." [Ahmad].

It is very important that the Muslim does not allow this great blessing from his Merciful Lord to escape him. What is the best thing the Muslim can eat for Suhoor
The Messenger (SAW) said: "The best Suhoor for the believer is dates." [Abu Dawood, Al-Baihaqee and Ibn Hibbaan]


It is recommended to delay the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) till just before dawn. Zaid ibn Thaabit said: "We ate the Suhoor with the Messenger (SAW), then we got up to offer the Salaah (prayer - in this case the Fajr prayer). I asked "What was the time between the Adhaan (call to prayer) and the Suhoor?" He said: "(The time it would take) to recite fifty verses." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]


The Ruling for SuhoorThe Messenger of Allah (SAW) commanded that whoever wants to fast must take the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). He (SAW) said: "Whoever wishes to fast, then let him eat something for Suhoor." [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ahmad and others]

And he (SAW) also said: "Take the Suhoor because in the Suhoor is Barakah (blessings)."[Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Then he (SAW) also prohibited the Muslims from neglecting it. He (SAW) said: "What differentiates our fast from the fast of the People of the Book is the Suhoor meal." [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ahmad]

...I think we skipped Zain and Imad...Then Nabil again...

Assalamu Alaikum everyone. I thought these were two short, but interesting hadiths that we should all try to remember this month:

The strongest tie of imaan is having loyalty for the sake of Allah, disassociating from others for the sake of Allah, love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah. [al Hakim, al Tabrani]

The intelligent one is he who has subdued his lower self and who has worked for what comes after death, and the stupid one is he who has put his lower self in pursuance of its desires and who has vain hopes about Allah. [Tirmidhi]

InshaAllah, you have all been having a great Ramadan.

Seeking Allah's Help

Assalamu alaikum bros,

2 Ayahs have really stuck out for me this past week of Ramadan

[[2:45]]
And Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,
واستعينوا بالصبر والصلاة وإنها لكبيرة إلا على الخاشعين
WastaAAeenoo bissabriwassalati wa-innaha lakabeeratunilla AAala alkhashiAAeen
matches 2 translation(s). Pickthal, Muhsin Khan

[[2:153]]
O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).
يا أيها الذين آمنوا استعينوا بالصبر والصلاة إن الله مع الصابرين
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanooistaAAeenoo bissabri wassalatiinna Allaha maAAa assabireen
matches 1 translation(s). Muhsin Khan


We all go through our difficult time in life, the best way to get through them is with Allah's help.

How do we seek Allah's help?

Through Patience and Prayer.

- Make an extra effort to do the congregational prayers in a masjid.
- Pray the qiyam al Layl (night prayers) especially during Ramadan, in congregation and by yourself

Yeah it can be hard...but even Allah recognized that it is a big thing..so be patient! The more you do it, the easier it will insha Allah become. And when its starts becoming easy, it is a sign that you are attaining khushoo', awareness of Allah.

Just remember, Allah is on the side of those who are patient!

---
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one of my favorite hadiths

assalamu alaykum guys, hope u r all doing awesome insha'Allah, alhamdulillah im doing well, u guys need to make a trip to visit me down here in florida :) Anyways, heres a cool hadith:

Aisha (ra) reported that Rasoolullah (SAW) said, "Whoever seeks Allah's Pleasure at the expense of man's displeasure, will win Allah's Pleasure and Allah will cause men to be pleased with him. And whoever seeks to please men at the expense of Allah's Displeasure, will win the Displeasure of Allah and Allah will cause men to be displeased with him" (narrated by Ibn Hibban).

Alright guys, mash'Allah this daily hadith thing is sooo cool. Talk to you all soon, insh'Allah.
Bilal

Salaams and Ramadan Mubarak

As-salaamu-alaikum and Ramadan Mubarak to everyone! It's been a while
since I've seen everyone, but Inshallah this blog will keep us a
little closer. I'm not really sure where I fall in the rotation, but
I figured today was as good a day as any other to post something.

The Prophet said: He who gives food for a fasting person to break his
fast, he will receive the same reward as him, except that nothing will
be reduced from the fasting persons reward." [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn
Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh].

Lets try to use this hadith during the days of Ramadan to host friends
and family for iftar, so that we can gain the love of Allah (swt), as
well as get to know our community better. Take care.

Zain

Rotation Schedule

Nabil-->Gerald-->Sam-->Sameer-->Shamim-->Ibraheem-->Bilal-->Zain-->Azim-->Safi-->Imad-->Usman-->Nurain-->Yusuf-->Nabil-->REPEAT

I thought it would be helpful to have the schedule posted here as a reference.

Istikhara

Alhumdullah, Ramadan is an excellent time for eliminating our common mistakes and becoming more steadfast in our praiseworthy habits. From among the most praiseworthy of habits is that of seeking Allah’s guidance in all of our affairs. To that end, I figured that I would post the Hadith of Jabir bin 'Abdullah which is collected by Imaam Bukhari in his Saheeh:

The Prophet (SallAllaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surahs of the Quran. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer):

'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as'alaka min fadlika al-'azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta'lam anna hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati amri (or fi'ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.'
(O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter--(or said: If it is better for my present and later needs)--Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter--(or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs)--Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it).
The Prophet added that then the person should name (mention) his need.

I am sure that this is not new to any of you. However, I make Du’a that Allah make us all firm in implementing this knowledge and returning to him for guidance in all of our affairs….Ameen

Your Brother,
Ibraheem

Blessings of fasting

Assalamu Alaikum. Inshallah Ramadan is treating everyone well. Here is my ahadith for the day.

The messenger of Allah (saws) reported in a hadith al-Qudsi that Allah (SWT) said:
"All acts done by the sons of Adam are meant for him, except fasting. It is exclusively meant for Me, and I (alone) will reward him for it"
(Bukhari and Muslim)

I think Ibraheem is next if we're following the cycle.

-Shamim

Fwd: Assalamualaikum from Sameer

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sameer <sahmed12@gmail.com>
Date: Sep 17, 2007 12:02 AM
Subject: Assalamualaikum
To: jhumabrothers <jhumabrothers@googlegroups.com>

Assalamualaikum brothers,

InshaAllah, you are all doing well. Here is a hadith of the Prophet
(saws):

"God has no interest in any person's abstention from eating and
drinking, if that person does not give up lying and dishonest/indecent
actions" [narrated by Hadhrat Abu Hurrah in Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3,
#127].

Take care,
Sameer

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Assalamualaikum

Assalamualaikum Brothers,

InshaAllah you are all doing well. Here is my hadith for the day:

"God has no interest in any person's abstention from eating and drinking, if that person does not give up lying and dishonest/indecent actions" [narrated by Hadhrat Abu Hurrah in Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, #127]


May Allah (swt) enable us to benefit from Ramadan by increasing our Ibadah and improving our character.

Take care,
Sameer

Ibn al-Qayyim: "...is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?"

as-Salamu 'alaykum;

There is an interesting section of 'Zad al-Ma'ad' (2/33) where Ibn al-Qayyim talks about sawm al-wisal, which is that the Prophet would sometimes fast an entire 24-hour day without breaking his fast. When asked by the Companions why he had forbidden them from doing so while he himself would practice it, he replied: "I am not like anyone of you. During the night, my Lord provides me with food and drink."
 
 Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that there are two interpretations to what the Prophet meant when he said this. The first is that he is literally provided with food and drink, and the second is that he is being nourished spiritually by Allah. The stronger of the two interpretations is the second, because if the Prophet was being provided with actual food and drink, he would no longer be fasting at all, let alone continuously.
 
  He then proceeded with a beautiful exposition of how it is that the servant can be nourished by Allah without eating or drinking anything. Although Ibn al-Qayyim wrote this in regards to the Prophet's continuous fasting, it is something that can actually apply to any fasting person, such as ourselves:
 
 
 "...and those who have even the slightest bit of experience and longing know how little the body needs much physical nourishment when it is instead provided with the nourishment of the heart and soul, let alone when it comes to the one who is joyous, happy, and victorious because he has reached the One he has sought out, and whose eye is cooled by his Beloved, and feels blessed with His closeness, and is pleased with Him and the bounties and gifts of his Beloved.
 
 And His protection showers him at all times, and his Beloved is constantly tending to his affairs, being as Generous as can be with complete Love towards him - is this not the greatest nourishment for the one who loves his Lord? So, how would it be when love of the Beloved - than Whom nothing is more exalted, and nothing is greater in might, and nothing is greater in beauty, and nothing is more complete, and nothing is greater in kindness - when love of Him fills the heart, and love of him takes over all regions of his heart and limbs, and love of Him is as firmly established as can be?
 
 And this is his condition with the One he loves...
 
 So, is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?"

Rasheed sent this out to email (posting it here also)

Asalaamu Alaikum Brothers
Insha' Allah you brothers will have an excellent fast and your health and Iman will increase throughout the month.
Insha' Allah the following message will be accurate
Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3: Narrated 'Aisha: The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read.
The Prophet added, "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.

Post using email

Bukhari reported:

That the prophet (S) said, "Whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan with faith, seeking his reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven."

 

Subhanallah!! Things are going well, alhamdullilah. In terms of an udpate, family is doing well alhamdullilah. And, I'm still on the Maine project and looking forward to starting classes at the end of Sept, iA. Miss you guys, and hope all is well with you. Gerald, you are up next.

Peace,

Nabil

Automating this blog

Asalamu'alaikum Nabil,

Here is how we can automate this blog so that everything can be done just through email and it is easier for everyone. I would do these steps myself, but it seems only one person, that person being you, has setup authority.

The following link explains how to have blog posts automatically sent out in email
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41453&topic=8929. Basically we will need to create an email group with all of our emails and have the blog post sent to that email group.

If individuals choose to, each of us can also setup to make a post through email without having to log on to the blog as described here:
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41452&topic=8929.

Ramadhan Kareem

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,

May Allah allow us to draw nearer to him this Ramadhan. May He allow us to utilize this month to increase in iman and taqwa, and to feel the sweetness of ibadah for His sake alone. Aameen.

Ayah for the day:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُون

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you may attain God consciousness" - (Al-Quran 2:183)

Asalaamu Alaikum

Assalamu Alaikom

Assalamu Alaikom. Practice Post... May Allah increase our iman and taqwa through this blog. Ameen.