ALL PRAISE TO ALLAH (SUB)
MAY PEACE & BLESSINGS BE UPON THE HOLY PROPHET (PEACE BE UPON HIM)
ASSALAMU-ALAIKUM
Dear brothers & sisters in Islam
Many of us keep talking about making an effort for a worldly cause like earning money, position, fame, etc. or in the cause of the hereafter like praying fajr, giving money in charity (apart from the obligatory zakaah), reading Islamic literature, etc . In this post, I would like to cite two real-time examples from the Quran about what it means to 'make an effort'. The intention is to realize the difference between what we think effort is & what it actually means!
First, is an incident from the life of Prophet Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him). The history of Prophet Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) has been described in several parts of the Quran and it is divided into two parts - the first part involves Firoun (Pharaoh) and the next his people, Bani Israel (the Children Of Israel). Anyways, the first real-time example occurs during the end of the first part. In spite of Firoun having seen the miracles of Moosa (PBUH)'s Lord (Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)) several times, he didn't believe and finally Moosa (PBUH) was inspired to free Bani Israel out of Firoun's slavery. When Moosa (PBUH) reached the shores of the Red Sea along with Bani Israel, they started asking him, what's next? Because, in front of them was the Red sea and the army of Firoun were fast approaching them from behind. But still Moosa (PBUH) didn't loose hope and he was firm expecting help from Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). So at that moment, one of the impossible (for man) events in the history of mankind occured as has been described in the following verse.
26:63 Then We inspired Moosa (Moses) (saying): "Strike the sea with your stick." And it parted, and each separate part (of that sea water) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain.
So, when Moosa (PBUH) and Bani Israel crossed the Red Sea, the mountains of water were still until Firoun and all of his army were inside the sea bed. And then Allah commanded the water to go back to its natural state and the rest is history. What effort did Moosa (PBUH) make here? We will come back to it later!
Second is an incident from the life of Maryam (mother of Isa/Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him)). When the angel (Gabriel) came to her to give her the good news of a righteous son, she became pregnant and she started living away from the people as she didn't have a husband and you know what would people say if a woman becomes pregnant without getting married. It becomes impossible to stop their tongues from spreading falsehood. The below verses refer to what she had to undergo probably a few weeks or days just before she gave birth to Prophet Isa (PBUH).
19:23 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"
19:24 Then (the babe Iesa (Jesus) or Jibrael (Gabriel)) cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under you;
19:25 "And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you."
So, we see that she had to eat from the date-palm and drink from the stream flowing under her. What effort did Maryam (mother of Isa (PBUH)) make?
Well, in the first case we know that if we strike a sea, a river or a pond with a stick, hardly a mug of water would come out and the result would be a small portion of it would wet our clothes while the remaining would go back from where it came. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) could have split the sea without any effort from Moosa (PBUH). But then, he wanted Moosa (PBUH) to 'make a little effort' so that HE can bless it. Its very obvious that the sea did not split by the striking of Moosa (PBUH) but it was Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) who split it!
Similarly, can you imagine a pregnant woman living all by herself in today's life. Its just next to impossible! Because she needs someone to take care of her needs and it becomes difficult for her even to move. This being the case, if you could read CH 19 V 25, she was asked to 'shake the trunk of the date-palm'. Leave alone a pregnant woman, even if five to ten well-built men try to shake a palm-tree, they can't do so even by a millimetre as we all know that it is very strong. This being the case, why was she asked to do so. Never mind whatever effort she puts in, the dates are going to fall. The reason is, here too Allah expected her to 'make a little effort'!
So, my dear brothers & sisters, I would like to request one & all to try your level best and be on the straight path. As we see from the above incidents, if only we make a little effort in learning how to perform salaah correctly in the Prophet's way, how to read the Quran in Arabic with the proper rules, etc. there's no doubt that Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) will definitely bless the effort. I would like to close with the following verse from the Holy Quran.
3:139 So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.
Finally, I would like to thank Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) first and also the brother who inspired me to 'MAKE THIS EFFORT'. May Allah reward him abundantly in both worlds, Ameen.
If any of the above is correct, its from ALLAH.
If any of the above is wrong, its from me.
And ALLAH knows best!
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
In Ruku & Sujood
ALL PRAISE TO ALLAH (SUB)
MAY PEACE & BLESSINGS BE UPON THE HOLY PROPHET (PEACE BE UPON HIM)
ASSALAMU-ALAIKUM
Dear brothers & sisters in Islam
A couple of months ago, as I was discussing about Salaah with my friends, one of them pointed out that all these years he had been reciting the invocations in Ruku and Sujood wrongly. When asked, he said that he had been reciting as follows:
SUBHAANA RABBIL-'ADHEEM in ruku and
SUBHAANA RABBIL-A'ALAA in sujood
Yes, this is what many of us are (or have been) reciting but then I quickly realized what he was about to say because even I was reciting the above, until I corrected myself once I landed in the Kingdom, ALHAMDULILLAH.
Well, in that case, what are the correct invocations?
The correct invocations are as follows:
"سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ"
Subhaana Rabbiyal-'Adheem
meaning 'Glory to my Lord the Exalted' (three times in Arabic)
"سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى"
Subhaana Rabbiyal-A 'laa
meaning 'Glory is to my Lord, the Most High' (three times in Arabic)
Do you see any difference? Yes, there is!
The second word is 'RABBIYAL' and not 'RABBIL' as we are (or have been) reciting.
I would sincerely request those brothers/sisters who have been reciting it wrongly all these years to concentrate in their Salaah, correct it at the earliest and make it perfect INSHA ALLAH as Allah (SUB) says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 18 V 30
Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner.
18:30 எவர்கள் இறைநம்பிக்கை கொண்டு நற்செயல் புரிகின்றார்களோ அத்தகைய அழகிய செயல் புரிவோரின் கூலியை நிச்சயமாக நாம் வீணாக்குவதில்லை.
And those brothers/sisters who have already been reciting it correctly, I would sincerely request them to pass on the message for the benefit of others and you can indirectly earn rewards.
Finally I would like to thank the brother who inspired me to pass this message. May Allah reward him abundantly in both worlds, Ameen.
If any of the above is correct, its from ALLAH.
If any of the above is wrong, its from me.
And ALLAH knows best!
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path.
MAY PEACE & BLESSINGS BE UPON THE HOLY PROPHET (PEACE BE UPON HIM)
ASSALAMU-ALAIKUM
Dear brothers & sisters in Islam
A couple of months ago, as I was discussing about Salaah with my friends, one of them pointed out that all these years he had been reciting the invocations in Ruku and Sujood wrongly. When asked, he said that he had been reciting as follows:
SUBHAANA RABBIL-'ADHEEM in ruku and
SUBHAANA RABBIL-A'ALAA in sujood
Yes, this is what many of us are (or have been) reciting but then I quickly realized what he was about to say because even I was reciting the above, until I corrected myself once I landed in the Kingdom, ALHAMDULILLAH.
Well, in that case, what are the correct invocations?
The correct invocations are as follows:
"سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ"
Subhaana Rabbiyal-'Adheem
meaning 'Glory to my Lord the Exalted' (three times in Arabic)
"سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى"
Subhaana Rabbiyal-A 'laa
meaning 'Glory is to my Lord, the Most High' (three times in Arabic)
Do you see any difference? Yes, there is!
The second word is 'RABBIYAL' and not 'RABBIL' as we are (or have been) reciting.
I would sincerely request those brothers/sisters who have been reciting it wrongly all these years to concentrate in their Salaah, correct it at the earliest and make it perfect INSHA ALLAH as Allah (SUB) says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 18 V 30
Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner.
18:30 எவர்கள் இறைநம்பிக்கை கொண்டு நற்செயல் புரிகின்றார்களோ அத்தகைய அழகிய செயல் புரிவோரின் கூலியை நிச்சயமாக நாம் வீணாக்குவதில்லை.
And those brothers/sisters who have already been reciting it correctly, I would sincerely request them to pass on the message for the benefit of others and you can indirectly earn rewards.
Finally I would like to thank the brother who inspired me to pass this message. May Allah reward him abundantly in both worlds, Ameen.
If any of the above is correct, its from ALLAH.
If any of the above is wrong, its from me.
And ALLAH knows best!
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tasbeeh
ASSALAMU-ALAIKUM
Dear brothers & sisters in Islam
It's a common sight in the Indian sub-continent to see elderly men and women (both young & old in Saudi Arabia) carrying rosaries (tasbeeh) to recite some divine words, no matter which faith (Islam, Hinduism & christianity) the individual belongs to!
But as Muslims, have we ever pondered if its an act encouraged by the Holy Prophet (PEACE BE UPON HIM)?
Well, its high time we reflect each & every act of ours in our daily lives with reference to the Quran & the Sunnah (meaning the Prophet's(PBUH) way).
Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 8 Verse 20
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad SAW) while you are hearing”.
Now coming to the point of using tasbeeh, the question arises as to “IS IT PERMISSIBLE OR NOT? ”
If you look at the website of Encyclopedia Britannica or Wikipedia for the term 'Rosary', you will be shocked to see that the roots of the term are linked to a
particular faith, namely 'Christianity' & not 'Islam'. Please visit the following links for more information.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509670/rosary (usage by Muslims is mentioned in the last line)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary (one link called 'Tasbeeh' given at the bottom of the page)
Well, now, let’s see what our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has to say about it:
Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:
Once Sa'd, with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you something which would be easier (or more excellent) for you than that. He said (it consisted of saying): "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created in Heaven; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created on Earth; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created between them; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He is creating; "Allah is most great" a similar number of times; "Praise (be to Allah)" a similar number of times; and "There is no god but Allah" a similar number of times; "There is no might and no power except in Allah" a similar number of times. (Abu Dawud, Book 8, Hadith 1495)
So, from the above hadith it's evident that the Holy Prophet (PBUH), who is our ROLE MODEL, has recommended something better for us.
Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 33 Verse 21
21. “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. ”
You can find some additional information by visiting the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=100285034878&topic=21395
So its better to count using your right hand as recommended by our 'ROLE MODEL' - The Holy Prophet (PBUH) rather than using the Tasbeeh, the usage of which has no base in the Quran & Sunnah.
If any of the above is correct as per Quran and Sunnah, it’s from ALLAH and His Messenger(PBUH).
If any of the above is wrong, its from me.
And ALLAH knows best.
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path.
Dear brothers & sisters in Islam
It's a common sight in the Indian sub-continent to see elderly men and women (both young & old in Saudi Arabia) carrying rosaries (tasbeeh) to recite some divine words, no matter which faith (Islam, Hinduism & christianity) the individual belongs to!
But as Muslims, have we ever pondered if its an act encouraged by the Holy Prophet (PEACE BE UPON HIM)?
Well, its high time we reflect each & every act of ours in our daily lives with reference to the Quran & the Sunnah (meaning the Prophet's(PBUH) way).
Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 8 Verse 20
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad SAW) while you are hearing”.
Now coming to the point of using tasbeeh, the question arises as to “IS IT PERMISSIBLE OR NOT? ”
If you look at the website of Encyclopedia Britannica or Wikipedia for the term 'Rosary', you will be shocked to see that the roots of the term are linked to a
particular faith, namely 'Christianity' & not 'Islam'. Please visit the following links for more information.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509670/rosary (usage by Muslims is mentioned in the last line)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary (one link called 'Tasbeeh' given at the bottom of the page)
Well, now, let’s see what our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has to say about it:
Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:
Once Sa'd, with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you something which would be easier (or more excellent) for you than that. He said (it consisted of saying): "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created in Heaven; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created on Earth; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created between them; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He is creating; "Allah is most great" a similar number of times; "Praise (be to Allah)" a similar number of times; and "There is no god but Allah" a similar number of times; "There is no might and no power except in Allah" a similar number of times. (Abu Dawud, Book 8, Hadith 1495)
So, from the above hadith it's evident that the Holy Prophet (PBUH), who is our ROLE MODEL, has recommended something better for us.
Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 33 Verse 21
21. “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. ”
You can find some additional information by visiting the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=100285034878&topic=21395
So its better to count using your right hand as recommended by our 'ROLE MODEL' - The Holy Prophet (PBUH) rather than using the Tasbeeh, the usage of which has no base in the Quran & Sunnah.
If any of the above is correct as per Quran and Sunnah, it’s from ALLAH and His Messenger(PBUH).
If any of the above is wrong, its from me.
And ALLAH knows best.
May ALLAH guide all of us on the right path.
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