LIFE : AN AMUSEMENT AND PLAY

ASSALAMUALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHI WA BARAKATAHU!!

Hello dear readers!! How have you been?? It has been a long time since I wrote something on our blog so apologies for that and lets begin. Bismillah! :)

Our life is the biggest blessing of ALLAH SUBHAANAHU WA TAA'LA. We spend our lives to educate ourselves so as to have a respectable position in public, a good standard of living, luxurious goods and so on.

 BUT what exactly is this life?? What is its actual value??  Why do we spend all our precious time running after the world??

ALLAH SUBAHAANAHU WA TAA'LA says in the Holy Qur'an :

And this worldly life is nothing but a diversion and play. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew. (Surah Al - Ankaboot, Ayah No. 64)

For understanding this let us see the terms " lahwa / diversion " and "la'eb / play or sports".

LAHWA means any such thing that keeps one busy and distracts from the real purpose. 

LA'EB means to engage in something for recreation for a short time and that is bound to end.

So that is just like a circus, where people spend days for its preparation, setting up of the tent, stage, dresses, animals, have rehearsals etc. and after the show is over (which people enjoy for a few hours) they wind up everything as if nothing was even there. Similarly ALLAH SUBHAANAHU WA TAA'LA says here, that the reality of this life is just like a play - today it is; tomorrow it is gone. Those who are charmed by the short-lived triumphs of this life and are able to collect some means of enjoyment and pleasure and of glory and grandeur by losing their conscience and faith, are only engaged in a pastime forgetting their main purpose for which they are here i.e to prepare for the aakhirah (Hereafter) which is eternal and there is no end. What use will this worldy glitter be for them in the Hereafter? Shall it help them in anyways?? 

Only if people know the real purpose of this life which is to prepare for the aakhirah (hereafter) then they would spend it preparing for it - the eternal life and not waste it in amusement and merry making; rather would do something productive and good work for the hereafter so that they don't enter the next phase of eternity empty handed. Although this life is of no value, it is still very precious as it is the only means for preparing for Aakhirah.

ALLAH TAA'LA says else where in the Qur'an :

[This] worldly life is only amusement and diversion. And if you believe and fear Allah , He will give you your rewards and not ask you for your properties. (Surah Muhammed , Ayah No. 36)

That means a believer lives his life according to Allah, fulfilling His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions, as He will recompense us for our deeds and not for our worldly success.

                        

LESSONS FROM THE AYAH:

• It is very important for us to understand this as then only shall we be able to utilize our duniya for works conducive to better results for aakhirah.

• Keeping an view on our actions and asking ourselves before doing anything :          

            " Will it help me earn Allah's pleasure?"

            "Will it help me enter into jannah for eternity?"
            "Is this going to help me in Aakhirah?"

• Being conscious of ALLAH at each step, before each action i.e., have taqwa (God fearing)

• Making Aakhirah our aim and paradise our destination.

It's never late Alhumdulillah. We can still repent and reform our ways from today itself and make the best of our remaining life. Work towards earning His pleasure and be jannah driven.

May Allah Taa'la bless us with the taufeeq to use our time in a better way and earn His pleasure and Jannah where life never ends. Ameen !!

Assalamualaikum! Have a great day :)

JazakiaAllah hu khairan for reading. Make sure you Rate, Share and Follow us. If you have similar views please do comment

FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO PRACTICE ISLAM IN YOUR COUNTRY? TWO SOLUTIONS

Assalamualaikum WarahmatuAllahi Wabarakatuhu!

Today I would like to share with you two solutions that Allah subhanAllah wa taála has given us if we find it difficult to practice Islam, or follow the ehkamaat ordained by Allah upon us. 

The first Solution is given in Surah Al Ankaboot Verse: 56 (O My Servants who have believed! Surely, My Earth is spacious to migrate if Needed, therefore worship Me and  ME Alone!) This verse was revealed when the Muslims in Makkah were facing a hard time to practice Islam and faced a lot of oppositions from the Kuffar e Makkah so some travelled to Habasha and later even Rasool Sallalaahu alaihi wasallam also had migrated to Madinah because of the severe threats and oppositions he had faced. 

This ayat shows us our first clear solution. Migrate or move from your country to protect your deen. For verily if you even find fitna in the place where you live and find it hard for yourself to practice your religion, then move and migrate for the sake of Allah. Wouldn't we migrate  if we faced oppression in our countries to save our lives if there were terrorist attacks going on or if there was a drought or bad economy? Then why not migrate to save your deen? 

The second Solution is to do Utmost Struggle (Jihad) with your own nafs and soul. If you find it difficult to practice your religion and still can't move or migrate then strive in the cause of Allah and follow His commandments no matter how many oppositions you face. Can we compare our oppositions to the oppositions faced by Rasool Sallalahu alaihi wasallam and his beloved companions in Makkah where many early muslims in Islam were tortured brutally and killed just because they said Allah is One? We don't face half the oppositions they faced yet we have 10 excuses to present. 

We cannot makes excuses when it comes to following the commandments and rules set by Allah whether if it was a muslim country where following Islam is easy or a non-muslim country where praciticing Islam can be difficult. We can't say that we weren't able to wear Hijab, stop giving Riba or pray Salat because the people here call us oppressed and look at us with weird eyes and we would not get a job, no one would be our friend, no one would marry me. 
Sure it is hard for you and Allah Alone knows what you go through, but for that difficulty Allah has also shown you a way out to bring you out of that misery, then why not take His advice? Either migrate of Jihad un Nafs

This can be confirmed with another ayat in Surah An Nisa Verse 97. Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination! 98. Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way. 99. For these there is hope that Allah will forgive them, and Allah is Ever Oft Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.

Even the birds migrate when they face any difficulties
in survival

Ask yourself really before calling yourself Weak or oppressed. Do you have enough money to eat, travel, spend in your child's education, pay rents, have good friends circle? Were you arrested, threatened, tortured by the kuffar? If the first answer is yes and the second answer is no then you are not weak nor oppressed. 

These are such stern ayats that we take so easily as if we never read or heard them. But, subhanAllah, if you look at the bright side there are some inspirational people out there also who practice Islam and still follow the commandments set by Allah and they do it for the sake of Allah wherever they are and what they do is the real Jihad un Nafs. And they are our real inspirations. 

If we thought for one second that we need to please Allah alone, then how many deeds would we be doing differently? 

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

CHARACTERISTICS OF A MO'MIN (BELIEVER)

Assalamualaikum WarahmatuaAllahi Wabarakaatuhu!

Surah Al Muminoon is one of the best Surahs I have ever come across. What bewilders me is that there is definitely no end to Allah's words. As Allah says in the Surah Al Kahf 109. Say (O Muhammad  to mankind). "If the sea were ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be finished, even if we brought (another sea) like it for its aid."
And why do I say this? It is because one chapter after the other there keeps coming more reality and more truth than I could ever imagine. Its like there is no ending to the greatest speech of Allah subhanawaTa'la and this is only Surah number 23! subhanAllah!
Which is why I would like to enlighten you all with a little bit of what I know and would also like it to share it with you guys. 

I am only going to share few characters of a Momin (true believer) which I gathered from the few beginning verses of this Surah to make us realize and ponder upon our own souls that if we are really one of the real mo'mins or not.

 In sha Allah!

Characters of a Momin:

NOTE: please do read the Arabic text as it is the Kalaam of Allah so do not ignore. :)

1. A momin is the one who is humble and extremely submissive in their Salat. 

If you want to check your level of Imaan, simply just check your salat and see where your mind and attention is. Is it in the humility and submission towards Allah or is it directed towards the world? We as muslims need to improve our khushoo and khudu in our prayers. The highest level of perfection is to pray as if you are seeing Allah or if this is not possible then pray as if Allah is seeing you. 

2. A mo'min is the one who avoids vain useless talks.

 OMG! yes I know! We all are included in sooo much of useless pointless and futile talks whose purpose is nothing. A mo'min speaks and listens to only that which is beneficial to him and he avoids the company of such time wasting people. Whenever he speaks he speaks words of wisdom or he doesn't speak at all. So please sisters and brothers, stop talking or wasting time in useless vain talks especially over waste news & sports or over kaafir celebrities whose discussion doesn't benefit you. This has increased a lot over the years since Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, and free internet international calling system came into existence. 

3. A mo'min is the one who purifies his soul from all the evil 

like idolatry, disbelief, hypocrisy, backbiting, envy, jealousy, hatred. (Zakat here refers to the 'purity of the soul' as this surah was revealed in Makkah and the ehkaam of zakat wasn't revealed then)

He tries to purify his soul by increasing in good deeds, building a good character, having good manners, having a helpful nature and has a clean heart.   

4. A mo'min is the one who guards his private parts 

(chastity)

This includes fornication, any kind of lustful gaze,  watching pornography or indecent movies, having illegal relationships in marriage or outside of marriage, homosexuality, masturbation, watching anything indecent and talking anything indecent. Allah has called such people as transgressors. 

5. A mo'min is the one who is responsible of their own amaanats and covenants

Such as a wife taking care of her husbands house, (which is her amanah), and a husband taking care of his house, taking care of your time, wealth, body, health, children, pacts between each other, keeping a promise and mostly taking care of your dunya and aakhirah. He is true to his trust and covenants. He never deceives anyone.

6. A mo'min is the one who GUARDS his prayers (this came twice in this Surah). 

And how will he guard it? By praying on time, in taharah, in congregation (only men), in a clean place, with proper sunnah, proper postures in sajdah and rukoo etc. This is how he will guard his prayer. in sha Allah!

Allah subhanAllah wa Ta'la says, that "These are heirs who will inherit paradise and live therein forever." [23:10/11] 

Meaning that whoever has these few attributes, he is the heir of Paradise. SubhanaAllah! 

Whats even better is when Allah began this Surah saying "Indeed Successful are those believers" [23:1] 

Which means that whoever followed these few admonitions from their Rabb is definitely successful or has already become successful. :D mashaAllah!
May Allah give us the tawfeeq and guidance to follow these few admonitions and make us the heir of Jannah! Ameen!

Stay tuned for more characters of a Mo'min in the remaining Surah. :) Coming soon in sha Allah

PLEASE NOTE:
The translation of the Arabic text is not given in this blog post. Those were just explanatory sentences and not the exact translation of the Arabic Content. 
Ask me anything related to this post here. JazakumuAllah hu khairan for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 
- Manal Mirza

AYAT AL KURSI - ITS BENEFITS

AYAT AL KURSI (Verse of The Footstool)

"Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory)." [Surah al-Baqarah 2: 255]

AYAT AL KURSI is named after the footstool of ALLAH TAA'LA. It is one ayah but has ten complete sentences. The reason why Ayat al-Kursi is the most excellent verse, is that this verse mentions the names of Allah Most High more than any other verse (i.e. this verse contains the most remembrance (dhikr) of Allah Most High). It glorifies Allah and is a beautiful proof  for tauhid (Oneness of ALLAH TAA'LA).

Indeed this ayah has many virtues and some of them are:

v    It is the greatest ayah of Qur’an:

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubayy bin Ka`b (Radhi Allahu anhu) said that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked him about the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah, and `Ubayy (Radhi Allahu anhu) answered, "Allah and His Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  know better.'' When the Prophet repeated his question several times, `Ubayy (Radhi Allahu anhu) said, "Ayat Al-Kursi.'' The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  commented,

«لِيَهْنِكَ الْعِلْمُ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، إِنَّ لَهَا لِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ، تُقَدِّسُ الْمَلِكَ عِنْدَ سَاقِ الْعَرْش»

(Congratulations for having knowledge, O Abu Al-Mundhir! By He in Whose Hand is my soul! This Ayah has a tongue and two lips with which she praises the King (Allah) next to the leg of the Throne.)

This Hadith was also collected by Muslim, but he did not include the part that starts with, "By He in Whose Hand...''

v    Ayat al Kursi also protects from shaitaan.

Imam Bukhari reported in his sahih that Abu Hurayrah’ (Radhi Allahu anhu) narrated:

“Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and started taking handfuls of foodstuff. I caught him and said, `By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).' He said, `Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.' I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  asked me, `What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah' I said, `O Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  said, `Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed that he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had told me that he would return. So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, `I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).' He said, `Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, `Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, `I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.' He said, `Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, `What are they' He replied, `Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  asked, `What did your prisoner do yesterday' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.' Allah's Messenger  (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)  asked, `What are they' I replied, `He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, `He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah' Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu anhu )said, `No.' He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, `It was Shaytan.'''

 An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah.

v    If recited after obligatory prayer nothing will prevent from entering jannah.

It was narrated that Abu Umamah (Radhi Allahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever recites Ayat Al-Kursi immediately after each prescribed Prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.”
(Reported by An-Nasa’i and IbnHibban.)

v    In it the Most Great Name of Allah (ismuAllahi al-’atham) ﴿الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ﴾ is mentioned.

v    Ayat al-Kursi mentions six attributes (sifat) of Allah Most High, all six being mentioned in this single verse. The attributes mentioned are:

The Divine Oneness (Wahdaniyyah) of Allah Most High, His Life (Hayah), His Knowledge (?Ilm), His Kingdom (Mulk), His Divine Power (Qudrah) and His Will (Iradah)

Subhaan Allah there are many benefits of Ayat al Kursi and reciting it would take not more than a minute of ours. Most of us know it by heart and take it for granted but now let’s take the opportunity and be benefited by it.  As for those who haven’t learnt, it’s never too late to learn it now.  IN SHA ALLAH. Below is a video for easy memorization of Ayat Al Kursi (hope it helps)....

May ALLAH TAA'LA bless us with the taufiq to memorize, recite with ikhlas and accept from us .  Ameen

Take care and have a nice day…

 JazakiaAllah hu khairan for reading. Make sure you Rate, Share and Follow us. If you have similar views please do comment

EXCELLENCE OF SURAH Al-FATIHA

Dear readers,
Assalamualykum Wr Wb,
It's my first post ever , on the topic of "Quranic ayahs" I prefer the ayahs which are known as the opening of Qur'an, the best ayahs to introduce Qur'an .

                  

Why is Surah Fatiha obligatory on us? :
Reciting Surah Fatiha is obligatory for us indeed because its an hadith that Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa-sallam said: “Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Kitab (i.e., Al-Fatihah), it is defective” – he said so three times". [Narrated by Muslim] This means learning of Surah Al-Fatiha is of utmost importance!

I will explain these Quranic ayahs by hadith, because Qur'an was inspired on Mohammed Sallalahu alaihi Wasallam and he can explain it best. Which is why, authentic narrations (hadiths) will be taken many times in this post in order to understand the Qur'an better. in sha Allah!

Excellence of Surah Fatiha:-

Surah Al-Fatiha is the greatest and most virtuous Surah of the Noble Qur'an. It consists of the "Saba'a mathani" which are repeatedly recited and that's why it represents the Grand Noble Qur'an.

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, it is mentioned that Abu Hurayrah RadiaAllah anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah Sallalahu alaihi waSallam said,

«الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»
(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)

It is also called 'Al-Hamd and As-Salah', because the Prophet said that his Rabb said,

«قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُدِلله رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي»

(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded in the Musnad that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla said, "I was praying when the Prophet called me, so I did not answer him until I finished the prayer. I then went to him and he said, (What prevented you from coming) I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ! I was praying.' He said, (`Didn't Allah say),

[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ]

(O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he () calls you to that which gives you life) He then said,

[لَأُعَلِّمَنَّكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ]

(I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the Masjid.) He held my hand and when he was about to leave the Masjid, I said, `O Messenger of Allah! You said: I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an.'

He said, (Yes.)

[الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ](Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin)''

[نَعَمْ هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ]

(It is the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an that I was given.)''

Well there are many lines I can write on the excellence of Surah Al-Fatiha, but what I want to explain is how is our Amal should be towards such a blessing.
Although the whole book of Qur'an is a blessing in disguise for us , but this first Surah has its own excellence!
We read this Surah in a day almost 14 times but are we reading it with complete sense?
We read it so quickly that we don't realize the Haqq (rights) of  each of its word, each letter & proper articulation point!
When we read an ayah of the Qur'an we should keep in mind it's haqq. It's an amanah upon us!

Apart from that, I want to talk about the understanding of it. No matter what, it's not an easy Surah. We have to understand its every line when we are reading and realize what we are reading & what we are asking Allah 14 times in a day .

Then the next duty which comes on us is the 'Amal' (actions) that we have to bring into our lives. We make duwa in this Surah (ihdinas siratal mustaqeem) daily but we should also feel it while reciting it in front of Allah. When we understand and feel every single Kalima of Surah Al-Fatiha from our hearts, only then will Surah Al-Fatiha work as a 'shifaa' upon our HEARTS !!

For better understanding, follow the link which will give you a deep explanation of Surah Al-Fatiha by Abu Mussab Wajdi Akkari

                      SURAH FATIHA- One Way To Paradise

I pray that Allah subhanawataAllah give us all the tawfeeq for Amal (actions) on our Ilm! AMEEN

Most importantly the reason of writing here is - Reading, learning, writing & spreading the knowledge of Qur'an as a gift for the last ummah. We need to value this gift and fulfill responsibility !

JazakiaAllah hu khairan for reading. Make sure you Rate, Share and Follow us. If you have similar views please do comment .