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And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me then (answer them), I am indeed near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he call on me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me so that they may be led aright. [Al-Baqarah 186] The word du’aa is the plural of da’wah and both come from da’aa which means to ask or to call. To call “to something” in this way is to encourage others to do it. The meaning of du’aa in Islam is: for the slave to call out to his Lord to care for him, have mercy on him and supply him with his needs and wants.  The reality of du’aa is to manifest one’s absolute poverty and powerlessness before Allah Most High and the affirmation that all power to bring about anything belongs exclusively to Allah Most High. It is a sign of true worship and it contains the meaning of praising and exalting Allah Most High and ascribing to Him the attributes of generosity and grace. Types of du’aa mentioned in the Qur’an 1. Worship. Asking for something which only Allah can grant is an act of worship which can only be directed to Allah Most High. To address it to other than Allah is shirk. And do not call besides Allah those who cannot benefit your and cannot harm you. Yunus:106 2. Seeking of Aid. Calling to one for aid can only be directed to Allah in issues where only He can respond. One can request aid from a present, living and capable individual and this is not shirk. However, to ask those incapable of helping (such as the deceased) or not present is to worship other than Allah Most High. Allah rejected the ability of anyone to help anyone else in disobedience to Him on Yaum Al-Qiyaamah in the following: Call your witnesses beside Allah if your are indeed truthful. Al-Baqarah:23 3. Asking for something. Allah said: Call to (ask) Me that I may respond to you. Ghaafir:60 4. Exalting of Allah and addressing one another. Allah said about the people of Paradise: Their call therein is “Exalted are You, O Allah!” and their greeting therein is “Salaam”. Yunus:10 5. Allah calling us. On the day when He calls you and you respond with His praise. Al-Israa:52 6. Calling to Allah in praise and supplication. Say: Call “Allah” or call “Ar-Rahman”... Al-Israa:110  Those whose du’aa is answered by Allah Allah and His Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) have mentioned various people/conditions under which Allah answers the du’aa of His slaves. Among them: 1. The one in desperate need.  2. The oppressed upon whom injustice is being inflicted  3. A parent who makes du’aa against their child  4. A just ruler  5. A righteous individual  6. The righteous son/daughter who prays for his parents  7. The fasting individual until they break their fast  8. Any Muslim who makes du’aa for another Muslim without their knowledge  9. Every Muslim as long as they are not asking for injustice or breaking of family ties.  10. The one making taubah (repentance) from sin  11. The traveller whose sustenance is from halaal  Prerequisites of du’aa When calling to your Lord, be sure to be aware of the following requirements for making du’aa: 1. Sincerity of directing all of your worship to Allah alone  2. Obedience to Allah by fulfilling all obligations upon you and avoiding all that forbidden.  3. Avoiding all harm consumption of food, clothing/jewelry and drink  4. Preceding the du’aa with a good deed  5. Purity (tahaara)  Some etiquette of du’aa Also, pay close attention to the following etiquettes (aadaab) of supplicating Allah Most High: 1. Take advantage of the blessed times which Allah and His Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) have told us about such as the day of Arafat, all of Ramadan (especially the last ten), Jumu’ah and the time of tahajjud (after sleeping and before fajr), etc. Allah said: And in the late night they seek forgiveness. Adh-Dhaariyaat:18 2. Take advantage of the special circumstances when du’aa especially encouraged such as when one is in prostration (sajdah), upon meeting the enemy army, when Allah send His mercy (e.g., rain) and between the adhaan and the iqaama. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “The closest a slave ever is to his Lord is when he is in prostration, so make much supplication.” Muslim & others 3. Face the qibla. Jaabir (radiallaahu ‘anhu) reports: “The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came to the place of standing at Arafat, faced the Qibla and continued making du’aa until the sun set.” Muslim 4. Lowering the voice and keeping it “in between” neither complete silence nor completely out loud. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ariy reported that: We were approaching with Allah’s Messenger (sas). When we came near Al-Madinah, he said “Allahu Akbar”. The people, too said “Allahu Akbar” and they raised their voices whereupon the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “O people, verily the one whom you are calling is not deaf and is not absent. Verily, the one whom you are calling is between the necks of your mounts.” Al-Bukhari & Muslim 5. Humility, fear (of Allah and His punishment) and desire (for His mercy and His reward) when making du’aa. Allah said: They used to race one another to good deeds and they would call to us in desire and in fear and they were humble before Us. Al-Anbiyaa:90 6. Be serious in what you ask for and certain of the ability and the promise of Allah to respond to your call. Do not put conditionals on what you ask for except for things like “if it is the best for me in this life and the hereafter in Your knowledge”, but not things like “if you wish”, etc. Allah does not respond to du’aa which is made “routinely” or frivolously without consciousness. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Call to Allah with certainty of being answered. And know that Allah does not respond to the du’aa from a heart which is forgetful or frivolous.” At-Tirmidhi 7. To be persistent, even insistent in du’aa and repeat it three times. Ibn Masood (radiallaahu ‘anhu) reported that: “When the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made du’aa, he used to make it three times and when he asked, he asked three times.” – Muslim 8. To begin du’aa with the mention of Allah and invoking His blessing on the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) before asking for things and to close one’s du’aa with praise of Allah. 9. To repent from one sin’s and to undo any injustices done to others (including returning property improperly taken or undoing any other kind of harm) before turning to Allah in du’aa.  When we respond to Allah’s call to worship Him alone and to obey Him by performing our obligations and avoiding all the forbidden, Allah responds to this by granting us our du’aa. There can be nothing greater in this world than to have a du’aa which is answered by Allah Most High. Any nation which possesses many people who have this will succeed in this world and in the next. Allah will place in power over them those who fear and obey him and grant them victory over their enemies. The du’aa of Muslims for each other is more powerful than Muslims only making du’aa for themselves.  And your Lord said: Call to me that I may respond to you. Verily, those who are too arrogant to worship me will enter Hell-fire humiliated. Ghaafir:60 Oh Allah have mercy upon the Muslims who are suffering from attacks and oppression and living in fear, ameen.

All praise be to Allah The Almighty, Who created and proportioned, Who destined and guided; and may prayers and peace be upon the Prophet of guidance, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and those who are guided by him.  Success is the goal of those who work hard; and, Allah The Almighty has made it contingent on purifying, disciplining and refining the soul, as He Says (what means): {He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself.} [Qur’an 87:14] {He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instills it [with corruption].} [Qur’an 91:9-10] Furthermore, Allah The Almighty sent His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), as a teacher and a mentor, as He Says (what means): {It is He Who Has Sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were before in clear error.} [Qur’an 62:2] Hence, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was careful to elevate and cleanse the souls of his Companions may Allah be pleased with them. And such is the practice of all those who seek to draw close to Allah The Almighty. The Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, and their followers, all reformed and purified their souls. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, endured much hardship in calling his people to Allah The Almighty. Every night, he used to stand before his Lord, bowing and prostrating, supplicating to Him and seeking His help, in full submission and humility to Him. And so, for an entire year, this practice became obligatory on all Muslims because of its great effect in reforming their hearts, motivating them and keeping them steadfast. Therefore, even today, though it is no longer mandatory, praying at night is indispensable. Thus, all Muslims, particularly those who seek religious knowledge and those who call others to Allah The Almighty, are required to prioritise the reform and discipline of their souls, maintain their relationship with Allah The Almighty and take care of their manners toward others. This should be the starting point for inviting other people toward the faith and rectifying them. Purification, beautification and striving Among the most important guidelines in reforming the soul, is to purify it from following its desires, which bring about countless diseases. Since the source of an illness can only be treated by countering its effects, the heart can be cured by acting in a way that contradicts one’s whims. Allah The Almighty concisely mentioned this, when He Said (what means), {But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.} [Qur’an 79:40-41] The other requisite to the rectification of the self, is to truly struggle for it, to be among those Allah The Almighty mentions, when He Says (what means): {And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.} [Qur’an 29:69] An important aspect of striving is to be resolute; so, when one forsakes a certain desire and Allah The Almighty tests him or her by facilitating its causes, he or she must be patient and determined. Otherwise, if the soul is irresolute, it will become accustomed to being that way and be prone to corruption. The third step in reforming the soul is to beautify it, by instructing it to do righteous deeds until it gets used to them and doing them becomes an inherent characteristic. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Knowledge and forbearance are obtained by training for, and perseverance in attaining, them. The one who earnestly seeks goodness will be granted it and the one who avoids evil, will be protected against it.” There is no doubt that one’s deeds have a correlation to the heart. Every quality that is in the heart is reflected on one’s body; equally, every deed that is performed by the limbs, influences the heart. This is only one aspect that showcases the wonderful link between the heart and the body. When the soul is purified from following its base desires and is beautified by its righteous deeds and virtues, a person is required to then shift his or her focus to the manner of his or her performance of religious duties and favorable acts, and refraining from prohibitions and disliked deeds. Thus, even when a person is doing what is permissible, it is essential to ensure having a pure intention, because laziness and negligence are part of human nature. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Every act of worship and obedience witnesses a primary surge followed by a state of slackness. A person who remains within the boundaries of my Sunnah, even at times of slackness, will prosper. Otherwise, he [or she] would be on the path towards ruin.” In his book, Madaarij As-Saalikeen, Ibn Al-Qayyim may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “It is inevitable that worshippers become dispassionate. Yet, even during such a phase, if a man adheres to what is right and remains steadfast without neglecting obligations or committing unlawful acts, he is expected to eventually return to a state that is perhaps even better than his former one.”   Degrees of apathy Based on the above, it is inevitable that everyone will experience a period of listlessness and apathy. However, it may be of either of these types: 1.    General: this impacts all acts of worship and instills an intense dislike toward them; it is the most dangerous kind and is a state of the hypocrites. 2.    Specific: this is characterised by a sense of lassitude regarding certain acts of obedience, along with undesirability, but not hatred; such is what many immoral Muslims are mired in.  3.    Physical: sometimes, there is a desire to perform good deeds, but there is a feeling of weariness and disinterest; and this is how many Muslims are. The danger here lies in the fact that one’s time passes by, and his or her life is wasted without having done anything beneficial. What is even more dangerous is if he or she deteriorates to a worse level and ends up being like the hypocrites in their neglect of obligations and other good deeds.  Hence, even the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to seek refuge with Allah The Almighty from weakness and laziness every morning and evening, and teach his Companions may Allah be pleased with them to do the same. Moreover, when the believers were slow in their response to the call for Jihad (fighting or struggling), Allah The Almighty reproached them for it and urged them to race each other and hasten in doing righteous deeds, and motivated them by describing the reward of such forerunners in faith.     Apathy and the caller to Islam   Listlessness is a disease that afflicts everyone, regardless of their degrees of faith. However, it is particularly alarming if it affects the callers to Allah The Almighty and those who seek knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to evade it by all means and immediately treat it if one does fall prey to it. Since prevention is better than cure, one should make a habit of being attentive so as to steer clear of any symptoms of apathy that may gradually lead to ruin. If that happens, the remedy and cure would be very difficult. The diseases of the heart are like a plant, easy to uproot in its early stages; however, if it grows and becomes firm in the earth, removing it requires strong men and tools. Moreover, an ill heart presents with simple symptoms, but, if left untreated, will choke a person in its grip and turn into a chronic and incurable problem. Therefore, as callers to Allah The Almighty, we are required to examine ourselves and ponder our condition. If there is any sign of apathy, we are immediately obliged to look for the cause and seek treatment.   Aspects of apathy Apathy manifests itself in many ways, some of which are as follows: * Sense of lethargy and disinterest in performing acts of obedience l Neglecting Thikr (remembrance of Allah The Almighty) and recitation of the Qur’an * Hardness of the heart, such that it is not moved by Qur’anic verses or sermons * Indifference toward committing acts of disobedience and letting that become a habit * Lack of responsibility and realisation of being entrusted with a great trust * Lack of eagerness in performing Da’wah (propagation to Islam) * Weakness of the bonds of brotherhood among those who should love each other for the sake of Allah The Almighty * An intense concern with this worldly life and indulging oneself in its pleasures at the expense of doing righteous deeds * Idle talk, increasingly engaging in disputes and self-praise * Creating problems * Bothering oneself with petty issues and neglecting serious and beneficial work that serves the Ummah * Weakness of faith and an indifference toward violations of the commands of Allah The Almighty * Wasting time * Exhibiting no readiness to handle responsibility and avoiding serious work, instead indulging in actions with no objectives * Demonstrating a chaotic demeanour in one’s work * Criticising every positive act * Postponing good deeds * Possessing excessive wishes Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

The believers’ relationship with their Lord is characterised both by fear and hope, such that the former deters them from sins and disobedience, whereas the latter drives them towards good deeds. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Hoping for the reward of Allah is one of the most supreme and honourable ranks of one who pursues the right path. Allah The Almighty praises those [who do that], when He Says (what means): {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.} [Qur’an 33:21] It was also narrated in a Hadith Qudsi, that Allah The Almighty Says: ‘O son of Adam, If you supplicate to Me, expecting My forgiveness, I will forgive you however great or many your sins may be.’ When a person has hope, it means that he or she is bound and attached to these names of his or her Lord: ‘The Benevolent, The Beneficent’. The more one knows Allah The Almighty, His names, attributes and the dominance of His mercy over His wrath, the more his or her hope increases [in Him]. Had it not been for hope, the servitude of the heart and organs [to Allah] would have ceased, and monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where the name of Allah is frequently mentioned, would have been demolished. If not for the spirit of hope, [our] limbs would not have performed acts of obedience, and neither would the ships of good deeds have sailed in the seas of will without its pleasant breeze.” Similarly, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “If a believer [truly] knew of the punishment of Allah, no one would expect His Paradise. Equally, were a disbeliever to know of the [actual] mercy of Allah, none would despair of His Paradise.” ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, remarked, “The most encouraging verse in the Qur’an is in the Chapter Az-Zumar (The Groups); Allah The Almighty Says (what means), {Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”} [Qur’an 39:53]” One of those who visited Maalik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy upon him, during the night in which he died, asked him, “O Abu ‘Abdullah, how do you find yourself?” He, may Allah have mercy upon him, answered, “I do not know what to say to you except that you will soon see [aspects] of the clemency of Allah that you have never expected.” Glory be to Allah The Almighty! If those who turn away from Him only know how He waits for their return and how Merciful He is to them, they will long for Him enormously. Indeed, if this is His will towards such people, how will He be to those who draw near to Him? ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarak approached Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy upon them both, on the night of [standing in] ‘Arafah, and found him kneeling [in prayer], as his eyes overflowed with tears; he asked, “Who is the worst person in this gathering [in the plains of ‘Arafah]?’ Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy upon him, replied: “Whoever thinks that Allah will not forgive their sins [i.e., of the people who are present].’” On a similar night, Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh, may Allah have mercy upon him, observed people’s glorification [of Allah The Almighty] and their crying, so he asked those around him: “If those people went to a man and requested one-sixth of a dirham from him, would he let them return empty-handed?” When they replied in the negative, he commented: “By Allah, pardoning is easier for Allah than [that].” Therefore, I implore Allah The Almighty, seeking His forgiveness, knowing fully that He absolves and forgives; even if people’s sins are great, they are minor in comparison to His mercy. Hence, a slave should have much hope in Him, especially when he or she is on the verge of death. Allah The Almighty Says, as narrated in a Hadith: “I am [to him or her] as My slave thinks of Me.” That is why, perhaps, when Waathilah ibn Al-Asqa’, may Allah be pleased with him, went to see Yazeed ibn al-Aswad, may Allah have mercy upon him, as he lay dying, he asked him, “What is your expectation about Allah?” The latter replied: “My sins have brought me to the brink of ruin, but I hope for the mercy of Allah.” So, Waathilah, may Allah be pleased with him, [happily] exclaimed “Allah is The Greatest”, and then said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, say: ‘Allah The Almighty Says: ‘I am as My slave thinks of Me, so let him think of Me what he wants’.’” For the same reason, when Sulaymaan At-Taymi, may Allah have mercy upon him, was dying, he instructed his son: “O Mu‘tamir, talk to me about exemptions [in Islam], so that I may meet Allah while having good expectations of Him.” Hope prompts one to do good deeds It is witnessed as a reality in life that many neglect good deeds and dare to commit evil and sins, claiming that they trust in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah The Almighty. Undoubtedly, this is a misunderstanding of the true meaning of hope. The words of Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, are applicable to such people mentioned above; he says: “There are people whose confidence in forgiveness diverts them from doing what is moral, so much so that they die with no virtues. They proclaim: ‘we have good expectation of Allah’. Surely, they are liars, for if they had hope [in Him], they would have done good [to support their claim].” Allah The Almighty is indeed the most Forgiving, Ever Merciful; however, I would like to draw your attention, dear reader, to the subtle meaning embedded in the verse (which means): {Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah - those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Qur’an 2:218]. Contemplate how this verse alludes to these people hoping for the mercy of Allah The Almighty alongside doing those great noble deeds. Dear Muslim, let us, then, do good and repent from our sins and evil which we have committed. Let us repeat the words of Mahmood al-Warraaq, may Allah have mercy upon him: “O Allah, I have much hope in Your forgiveness and You [alone] manage my affairs. I have concealed my secrets from my relatives and others; You are the only One to Whom I disclose them as I am confident that You will veil them. O Allah! Do not fail me on the Day of Resurrection when all hidden matters will be exposed. O Allah, do not reveal my secrets before people; Your protection will provide me with an argument [for my forgiveness], even though I have no basis for contention or a real excuse.” Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Muslims must fear Allah and take lessons from what Allah has told us in the Qur’an regarding the Prophets and Messengers of Allah and the previous nations. Allah said (which means): “Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur’an) is not a forged statement, but a confirmation of Allah’s existing books (the Torah, the Injeel, and other Scriptures of Allah), a detailed explanation of everything, and a guide and a mercy for the people who believe.” (Yusuf 12: 111) And among the stories that Allah has narrated to us in His Book is what happened in Allah’s month,(1) the sacred month of Muharram,(2) and that is the story of Prophet Moosa, and Pharaoh the tyrant of Egypt, in the Qur’an, Allah tells us this story, which means, “We recite to you some of the news of Moosa and Pharaoh in truth, for a people who believe (i.e. those who believe (ie those who believe in this Qur’an and in the Oneness of Allah). Verily, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, weakening (oppressing) a group (Bani Israa’eel) among them, killing their sons and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the mufsidoon (those who commit great sins and crimes, oppressors and tyrants). And We wished to do a favour for those who were weak (and oppressed) in the land, and to make them rulers and to make them the inheritors, and rulers and to make them the inheritors, and to establish them in the land, and We let Pharaoh and Haamaan (a minister of Pharaoh) and their hosts receive from them that which they feared.” (Al-Qasas 28:3-6) Pharaoh dominated the nation of Israa’eel and enslaved them, killing their newborn sons but letting their females live. The reason he committed this criminal act was the fear of the truth coming out from one of those newborn males. The nation of Israa’eel used to know, according to what came to them from Prophet Ibraheem, that someone from his lineage would destroy the king of Egypt. These glad tidings were famous among the nation of Israa’eel; and the news of it was made known to Pharaoh. Pharaoh ordered his soldiers to kill all newborn boys of the nation of Israa’eel; on order to secure himself from destruction. However, all of the precautions that he made were not enough to protect him from what Allah wanted, which was for this newborn boy to be raised in the house of Pharaoh. The will of Allah cannot be stopped by any precautions and His ability conquers anything. So Allah chose for the Prophet Moosa to be born safely, to be saved from being killed, and also to be raised in Pharaoh’s own home under the protection of Allah until he was an adult. Later Moosa accidentally killed a person from Pharaoh’s people. Moosa was afraid that he would be captured and be killed for this, so he fled to the land of Madyan and abided there for some time. He married there and then returned to Egypt. On the way back Allah talked to him (by wahy)(3) revelation and told him he was a prophet and the Messenger to Pharaoh. Allah told him many signs by which he will be known as the prophet of Allah and they would show that he was a true prophet. Moosa went to Pharaoh and showed him the signs of Allah but Pharaoh was arrogant and stubborn. Allah says (which means): “Has there come to you the story of Moosa? When his Lord called him in the Valley of Tuwaa. ‘Go to Pharaoh, verily he has transgressed all bounds (in crimes, sins, polytheism and disbelief). And say to hi, ‘Would you purify yourself (from the sin of disbelief and by becoming a believer). And that I guide you to your Lord, so you should fear him?’ Then (Moosa) showed him the great signs (miracles). But (Pharaoh) belied and disobeyed; then he turned his back, striving hard against (Allah). Then he gathered his people and cried aloud, saying, ‘I am you lord, most high.’’’(An-Naazi’aat 79: 15-24) Pharaoh claimed that the signs Moosa brought were only magic and that he had magic that would overtake the magic of Moosa. So Pharaoh gathered magicians from his kingdom and they presented their magic, and Moosa presented what he had from the signs, which Allah had given him. Allah said (which means):  “Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect. So they were defeated there and then, and were returned disgraced. And the sorcerers fell down prostrate. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (i.e. all that exists), the Lord of Moosa and Haaroon (Aaron).’” (Al-A’araf 7: 118-122) At that time Pharaoh decided to try a different plan - fear, force and retaliation. Allah told Moosa to get every believer out of Egypt and direct them to where Allah would tell him. Pharaoh gathered his army and forces, which were around one million soldiers according to the seerah, and he chased Moosa and his people, hoping to destroy them completely. Moosa ended up at the sea with Pharaoh and his army behind him. The believers were afraid because the sea was in front of them and the enemy was behind them. Allah says (which means):  “And when the two hosts saw each other, the people of Moosa, said, ‘We are sure to be overtaken. (Moosa) said, ‘Nay, verily! With me is my Lord and He will guide me!’” (Ash-Shu’araa 26: 61-62) Whoever is close to Allah, Allah will never let him down or leave him on his own. Allah ordered Moosa to strike the sea with his staff. Moosa did so and the sea opened up for them to cross: Allah says (which means): “And indeed We inspired Moosa (saying): ‘Travel by night with ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken (by Pharaoh) nor being afraid (of drowning).” (Taaha 20: 77) Moosa walked across the path that opened in the sea and the last of his people left the sea and every soldier of Pharaoh’s army was inside the path. At this time Allah ordered the sea to collapse upon them, drowning Pharaoh and his army. That was the victory of the truth over falsehood. The promise of Allah was true - He made the people of Moosa victorious over Pharaoh and his army. From this story we see how the truth is victorious, regardless of the size or seeming power of falsehood. Falsehood has its own limited time, but the truth is always victorious. This story should enrich the hearts of the believers and make them steadfast in the face of their enemies, regardless of size or seeming power of their enemies.  The believer should also benefit from this story by understanding that the people of falsehood claim that they are on the right path and are calling people to the truth. In fact, the opposite is true-they rely on lies and deception. Pharaoh said to his people, “I guide you only to the path of right policy!” (Ghaafir 40:29) But he was a liar. From this story we also see that whoever knows the truth and truly believes in it will not lose, regardless of what he or she endures of torment, torture or even death. An example is of the magicians. When they knew the truth, they believed in Allah and in the message of Moosa. Allah says (which means): “So the magicians fell down prostrate. They said, ‘We believe in the Lord of Haaroon and Moosa.’” (Taaha 20:70). Pharaoh threatened to crucify them, but they were strong in their belief and refused to return to disbelief after believing. Allah said (which means): “Pharaoh said, ‘Believe you in him (Moosa) before I give you permission? Verily! He is your chief who taught you magic. So surely I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees, and you shall; know which of us, (I, Pharaoh) or the Lord of Moosa (Allah) can give the severe and more lasting torment.’ They said, ‘We prefer you not over the clear signs that have come to us, and to Him (Allah) who created us. So decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree (regarding) this life of the world.’ ‘Verily! We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allah is better (as regards in comparison to your punishment).’ Verily! Whoever comes to his Lord as a mujrim (criminal, sinner, polytheist, disbeliever in the oneness of Allah and in His messengers) then surely, for him is Hell, therein he will neither die nor live.  But whoever comes to Him (Allah) as a believer (in the oneness of Allah) and has done righteous deeds, for such are the high ranks (in the Hereafter).” (Taaha 20:71-75)  We also derived from this story the lesson that falsehood, regardless of how big or the number of its adherents, will be defeated by the truth and the people of the truth are patient with whatever they are facing. This is an example of an arrogant tyrant with power, an army and a kingdom which he ruled, who pursued a few who had no munitions or other means (of defence), but Allah was with them and they had the force of Imaan in their hearts. Allah gave them His victory, His guidance, His help; and in a single moment the forces of falsehood were destroyed. Pharaoh’s forces were destroyed in the sea and as Allah said (which means):  “We fling (send down ) the truth against the falsehood, so it (truth) destroys it, and behold, it (falsehood) is vanished.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21: 18) We also learn that Allah tests the prophets and the believers, and the tests are sometimes very difficult, but in the end, victory is for the prophets and the believers. Allah is with the prophets and the believers in victory and guidance. Allah says (which means): “Truly, Allah is with those who fear him, keep their duty unto Him, and those who are Muhsinoon (doers of good, those who perform good deeds solely for the sake of Allah and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet).” (An-Nahl 16: 128) As Muslims, we should always fear Allah and consider these lessons and not follow the ways of those who were disobedient to Allah; but rather to obey the Prophet and follow his guidance as Allah told us, which means, “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” (Al-Ahzaab 33: 21) This great event - the victory Allah gave Moosa and the believers over Pharaoh and his army - occurred on the 10th of the sacred month of Muharram and the day is called Yaumul Aashoorah (the day of ‘Aashoorah). It is a day that has great merit. Prophet Moosa fasted on that day, and ordered the people to fast that day.  Ibn ‘Abbass reported that when the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) arrived in Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of Aashoorah. The Messenger of Allah asked them, “What is the significance of this day that you fast on?” They said, “It is the day of great significance when Allah delivered Moosa and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Moosa observed fast out of gratitude, and we also observe it.” Upon this, the Messenger of Allah said, “We have more right and we have a closer connection (awlaa) to Moosa than you have.” So Allah’s Messenger fasted (on the day of ‘Aashoorah ) and gave orders that it should be observed.(4) According to Muslim, the Prophet said of fasting on ‘Aashoorah that “It is an expiation (of sins) for the previous year.”(5) According to many authentic ahadith, fasting on ‘Aashoorah was obligatory, but later made voluntary when the obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan was revealed in the Qur’an.(6) The Prophet fasted on the day of ‘Aashoora and commanded that people should fast on that day. The sahaabah (his companions) said, “Messenger of Allah, it is a day which the Jews and Christians hold in high esteem.” Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, ‘“When the next year comes, inshaa ‘Allah, we would fast on the 9th (i.e. the ninth as well as the 10th in order to differ from the disbelievers).” But the Messenger of Allah died before the advent of the next year.(7) Therefore we should fast that day and one day before it (the 9th), following the Prophet’s Sunnah and looking for the reward from Allah.(8) We also benefit from the story of Moosa by learning that the Sunnah of the Prophets is to thank and praise Allah in times of peace and when they gain victory over their enemies. Moosa fasted on the 10th, the day on which Allah made his followers victorious over Pharaoh; and this is another sign that the truth will always defeat falsehood. The Prophet fasted on this day thanking Allah for the victory of the people of the truth over the people of falsehood. The victory in that time was for Moosa, but the Sunnah of the prophets is one. This is the jihaad against the disbelievers - to make the word of Allah the highest on earth. Victory always comes from Allah and victory is a ni’mah (bounty) from Allah for which we must thank Allah by being obedient to Him. Some people nowadays create bid’ah (innovation in the deen), and deviant slogans and hold demonstrations. Islam has forbidden this.  NOTES: 1 The Prophet said, “The most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah’s month, Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is praying during the night.” (Saheeh Muslim, Volume 2 page 569 no.2611 ) 2 The sacred months are four: Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. See Qur’an, At-Tawbah 9: 36-37. Waging war, killing and plunder are prohibited during these months. It is prohibited to intentionally violate the sanctity of one of the months and then make up for it, as the pre-Islamic Arabs used to do in order to give themselves a military edge. However, if you are attacked during one of these months, it is permitted, as mentioned in the ayah 2:194 to attack them as you were attacked.  3. by revelation 4 Saheeh Muslim, Volume 2 page 551 no. 2520 5 Saheeh Muslim 6 Saheeh Muslim, Volume 2 page 548 no. 2499 7 Saheeh Muslim, Volume 2 page 552 no. 2528 8 We may only single out this day as a day of fasting and not a day of celebration. Abu Moosa reported that the people of Khaybar (most of them were Jews) observed fast on the day of ‘Aashoorah and they treated it as “Eid and gave their women ornaments and beautiful dresses to wear. The Messenger of Allah said, “You (only) fast on this day.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The men of learning (scholars) are the successors of the prophets. Knowledge is what is indicated by the book of Almighty Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. And in this concern ‘Aa’isha (may Allah be merciful to her) said, when she was asked about the character (khuluqahu) of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, that “His character was the Qur’an”. (Akhlaaq sing. khuluq: has several meanings: ethics, morals, inborn quality, manners, natural disposition and shall be used here synonymously.) This word from ‘Aa’isha tells us that the natural disposition of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was following the teachings of the Qur’an manifested in his following the orders and refraining from the interdictions. It is now worthy of the scholars, preachers, teachers and students to take good care of the Book of Allah, and to search into it and to assimilate the good ethical teachings which Allah loves from it. Almighty Allah says: “Verily this Qur’an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable)” [Bani Israeel, Aayah 9] In another verse the Qur’an says: “Nun. By the Pen, And by the (record) Which (men) write. Thou art not, By the grace of thy Lord, Mad or possessed. Nay verily for thee is a reward unfailing. And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.” [Al-Qalam, Ayaat 1-4] The one who would like to attain this great standard of character should approach the book of Allah and pay attention to it when reciting and studying it; while referring all the questions and doubts to the learned people for reliable answers and guidance to the correct books and references on the explanations of the Qur’an. Attention should also be given to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam because it also explains the Qur’an and leads to the understanding of it. Almighty Allah said to His Messenger,. sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “Say thou: ‘This is my Way; I do invite unto God on evidence clear as seeing with one’s eyes, I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah! And never will I join gods with Allah.’” [Yusuf, Aayah 108] The abiding by the Book of Allah is part of the character of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and part of the character of all the scholars and the men of learning who are endowed with knowledge and insight, knowledge and faith, knowledge and piety. However people with knowledge but with no faith or any piety have no share of the high standard of character. From this we know that who ever calls for something with ignorance is not on the path of the Prophet Muhammad’s (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) standard of character and conduct and not on the path of the people of learning. Rather, he is a criminal with great sin because Almighty Allah considers that whoever says something that Allah did not say is beyond blasphemy and above polytheism. Chaos and disorder would result from this. Allah says: “Say: The things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: Shameful deeds whether open or secret, sins and trespasses against truth or reason, assigning of partners to Allah for which he hath given no authority, and saying things about God of which he has no knowledge”. [Al-’Araaf, Aayah 33] Hence, whoever says things about Allah without knowledge and permits what is forbidden and forbids what is permissible, deters from the right thing and calls for the false. So it is the duty of the scholars and men of learning and their students to be cautious about saying things about Allah without knowledge and pay attention to stating the legitimate proofs according to the “Sharia” so that they can be knowledgeable about what they presume, call for or deter from and not venture to say false things about Allah without any knowledge. Those who are knowledgeable about Allah are the ones who fear Allah the most and never trespass His limits. Allah says: “Those truly fear God, Among His servants, Who have knowledge”. [Faatir, Aayah 28] The knowledgeable people who fear Allah are those people who know His religion, and know the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Those people are headed by the Prophets and Messengers of Allah because they are the best example. It befits the men of learning, although they are found in a latter time like the time we are living in, to follow the foot steps of the pious people in their fear of Allah and make it their task to revere His orders and His prohibitions The fear of Allah implies stopping at the limits stated by Him and following the path of His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Any overdoing it would be unnecessary and impermissible. The knowledgeable person is the one who does not trespass the limits of prohibition and permission, and in the doing (following) and in abstention. And besides all that be very cautious not to say any thing about Allah without knowledge, or do contrary to what he learned. Almighty Allah mentioned some good characteristics of some of His pious worshippers as a reminder to us. Allah says: “There is, in their stories instruction for men endued with understanding.” [Yusuf, Aayah 111)  In other verses Allah says: “Not all of them are alike: Of the people of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right), they recite the verses of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in Allah and the Last Day. And they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong, and they hasten in emulation in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous.” [Aali ‘Imraan, Aayaat 113-114]  These good characteristics, which were adopted by the best of the People of the Book and by those guided by Allah from among their scholars, include deep faith in and total submission to Him. And that they would not sell the sign of Allah for a cheap price and would not show ingratitude and deny the truth and conceal it as did their men of learning who went astray, when they concealed the story of Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and they concealed a lot of truths for the sake of worldly and immediate gain.  But the people of knowledge and faith, from the ancient and the latter times, would state the truth and declare it as Allah said: “Is then one who doth know that that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the truth, like one who is blind? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.” [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayah 19]  And in another verse: “Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding That receive admonition.” [Az-Zumar, Aayah 19] By this Allah explained that it is the people with understanding who really think and work their insight and those are the people with healthy minds. Allah described them as: “Those who fulfil the covenant of God and fail not in their plighted word. Those who join together those things which God hath commanded to be joined hold their Lord in awe, and fear the terrible reckoning.” [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayaat 20-21] They join together the things which Allah has commanded to be joined and by straightness in following Allah’s orders and showing loyalty to Him and the following of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Hence, their faith is followed by work and practice shown in kindness to one’s parents and communication with relatives. And the fear of Allah is such as to help them in the obedience of Allah and to deter them from committing disobedience. Then Allah mentioned the two characteristics that are the sixth and the seventh and said: “Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord, And they establish regular prayers.” [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayah 22] They persevere on the obedience of Allah and they persevere in their abstention from the interdictions made by Allah. Allah also mentioned the eighth and the ninth characteristics and said: “Spend out of (the gifts) We have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly, and turn off evil with good”. [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayah 22] The meaning here is that they spend to get the forgiveness and redemption of Allah. They spend openly as they do in Zakat in secret either seen or not seen by people; seeking the grace of Allah.  “And turn off evil with good” This indicates total patience, their resilience, their endurance and their subduing of their wrath: “For such there is the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home”. [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayah 22] Allah explained that this “Eternal Home” as: “Gardens of perpetual bliss: They shall enter there as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring”. [Ar-Ra’ad, Aayah 23] To reward them for their good past deeds, Allah includes them together with their fathers, their offspring and their spouses in His giving. Henceforth, to be straight in carrying out of the orders of Allah and fulfilling the duties; to call for the good and deter from bad; and to stand firm with the right and be resilient on it; and to turn off evil by doing good – all these are ways for the servant of Allah to be useful and good and also for his fathers, his spouses and their offspring and their reunion will be in the home of hospitality and generosity in which the angels are visiting and welcoming them. One of the great gifts of Allah to his servant is making him to be the reason for the guidance of his father, his mother, his spouse and his offspring, and so forth. Also it is one of the great gifts of Allah is making a woman to be the reason for the guidance of her husband, her father, her mother and her children. It is learned from this holy verse that the admission into Heaven of fathers, husbands and their offspring together with their relatives is not because of this kinship and relationship but because of their correctness and their endeavor in the obedience of Allah. This verse is also similar to the verse which says: “It is not your wealth Nor your sons that will Bring you nearer to us In degree; but only those who believe and work righteousness - these are the ones for whom there is a multiplied reward for their deeds while secure they (reside) in the dwellings on high.” [As-Saba, Aayah 37] Likewise the people of knowledge, faith and righteousness should follow this way of high conduct and high standard of personality so that they find the happy ending and reward. But it is very essential that the learner of knowledge should know that resilience is very important and that good deeds and abundant good does not happen simply by wishful thinking and hopeless expectations, but there should be work and patience.

I could understand “do not drink the water.” Or even “no swimming - polluted water.” But “do not touch the water”!? Something about that sign, and the reality it pointed to seemed deeply, irrevocably wrong. The fact that it was the nearest campground to Disneyland somehow made the whole situation even creepier. The memory of that toxic waste dump campground remained with me for years. I gradually realised that the place was not just the perfect anti-campground, but also an image of anti-paradise: a place where the flowing water is too filthy to be used to purify ourselves before prayer, and where the natural plants and creatures are poisoned and dying. The Qur’an tells us that the Paradise promised to believers is a garden with rivers flowing beneath. It is filled with fruits and flowers and growing things, offering nectar better than the finest earthly wine, and beauties and pleasures beyond earthly imagination. While we can never create such a perfect paradise on earth, Muslim architects, land-use planners and artists have sometimes used this image as a model for their efforts to preserve and celebrate the natural beauty of creation. Why not? The Qur’an tells us that all of nature is a sign of Allah, reflecting some of His mercy and magnificence. Indeed, all of nature, in the Islamic view, is in a state of continuous worship. Trees and grasses, fish and animals, are all bending in a sweet, invisible breeze that wafts their worship back toward their Creator. Human beings can learn from this process and seek harmony with it by joining creation in worship of the Lord of all worlds and creation. Or else, they can obstinately rebel, imagining themselves cut off and self-sufficient, and persist in transgressing the bounds that Allah has set for them until the inevitable payment comes due. In contrast to the prevailing view of nature in the West as a savage, fallen chaos that must be tamed by conquest, Islam insists that nature is respected and invites humans to learn from it and join it in harmonious coexistence. The polluted-campground experience awakened me to the fact that something is very wrong with the way of life that produced such a place, and that Islam holds the keys to understanding the root causes and solutions of our current environmental dilemma. It convinced me that we Muslims should be putting Islamic environmental activism at the very top of our social and personal agenda. Our planet is in a state of environmental crisis, and as Muslims we are the custodians of Allah’s last revelation, a revelation that gives humanity the knowledge and inspiration it needs to live in peace and harmony - in this life and the next. The Qur’anic solution to the problem of environment is, in a word, holistic and comprehensive. Living a truly Islamic life requires avoiding the evils of extravagance and the insanity of materialism, and that we attain harmony with our surroundings and have compassion for other creatures. It all begins, however, with the right orientation towards life: complete submission to Allah, The One Creator of all, and that this submission should be marked by pious awe, loving gratitude, inner peace, the struggle to do good, and the constant awareness that Allah is greater than any aspect of His creation. The Qur’anic orientation provides the key to restoring the lost balance between humans, nature, and The One who created both (i.e .Allah) Materialists and atheists say that nothing is sacred, which implies that there are no limits to what humans can do to gratify their material desires. Materialist culture, as my wise humanities professor once said, has two distinguishing characteristics: A tremendous drive to achieve more and more control over the natural world, and an equally energetic drive to re-make and perfect human society. Humans as trustees and keepers of the Earth Islam teaches that we are the successors and trustees of Allah on this beautiful earth, not prisoners in a flawed world that needs to be radically re-made. As successors, our task is to preserve and appreciate the beauty and goodness we find, in grateful submission to its Creator. All of our planet’s scientists are needed for a more obvious and simple task: Taking care of the planet Allah has given us, and taking care of our fellow human beings. This means finding ways to live, and live well, while expending far less physical energy, and making far less obtrusive changes to our physical environment, than is customary today. It means finding ways to redistribute the planet’s wealth more equitably, in the environment of zero economic growth or even negative growth that will surely be upon us in just a few short years, when oil production peaks and starts to decline. “Allah loves not the wasters” So, too, is the Islamic injunction: “Waste not!” Both the Qur’an and Sunnah make it absolutely clear that avoiding waste and prodigality is a matter of the highest importance. For example, Allah says (what means) : “Do not be extravagant, for Allah does not love the wasteful” [Qur’an, 96:141]. And He Says (what means): “But waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters” [Qur’an, 7:31]. And (what means): “Squander not in the manner of a spendthrift. For wasters are the brothers of the Satan, and the Satan is to his Lord ungrateful” [Qur’an, 17:26-27]. Here we see that the root of wasting is ingratitude: those who respond to the marvelous beauty and bounty of Allah with gratitude and amazement are happy with a little, while the ungrateful one is never satisfied no matter how much he has, so he abandons himself to an ever-increasing cycle of consumption and waste. If humanity is to survive, it will have to move from the spiritual state of ingratitude to gratitude and give up its wasteful ways, as the Qur’an urges. Conserving food and water Along with this Qur’anic teaching, the Sunnah (prophetic tradition) provides us with the best example of living in a state of gratitude and avoiding waste. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)  was famous for his attention to conserving and avoiding waste. He was careful not to waste a crumb of food, licking the last morsel from the utensils so that nothing would go to waste. He urged believers to avoid using more water than necessary when performing an act of worship like ablution. If we must be careful not to waste a drop of water in our ablutions, how much more necessary must it be to avoid waste in less-important activities. Unfortunately the dominant way of life among well-off people everywhere, especially in the West, is marked by unbelievable waste and extravagance. We eat more than what is good for us, buy things we do not really need, throw away things that either still work or could be repaired, buy over-sized large vehicles and drive short distances instead of walking or bicycling, build larger houses than we need and heat and cool them far beyond minimal comfort standards, waste huge amounts of water maintaining herbicide-sprinkled lawns and golf courses, and so on. In perhaps the single most absurd display of extravagance in all history, we are, in the US, currently burning up fossil fuels at a rate that will ensure that our economy, our environment, or both will completely collapse in the near future. This lunatic way of life, whose seductive pleasures and comforts disguise its utter madness, its complete lack of sustainability, was not developed by Muslims.  To be true to our religion, we must change our ways, and make an effort to conserve, educate, and build alternative institutions to mitigate and help cope with the coming economic and environmental meltdown, preserve and strengthen of our Islamic communities and institutions, and think about how they can be of service in the struggle to help humanity exercise responsible stewardship over our corner of creation. (This article was written by an American Muslim) Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

O people! Fear Allah the Almighty and know that Haj is one of the finest acts of worship and the greatest in reward. It was related that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “(The performance of) ‘Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward for Haj Mabroor (i.e. the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise. Whoever performs Haj to this House (i.e., the Ka’aba) and does not approach his wife (for sexual intercourse) nor commits sins (while performing Haj), will come out of it as sinless as a newly-born child.”  Haj is a physical devotion that every Muslim is required to physically fulfil, though a small part of it pertains to money - such as when one offers a sacrificial animal.  The Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, has clarified that in the event of a person being genuinely unable to perform Haj, then it is permissible by proxy. It was related in Sahih Al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, that: “A woman asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! My father is very old. There is the obligation of Haj upon him from Allah, but he is incapable of sitting on the back of a camel.’ Thereupon Allah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Perform Haj on his behalf.’” This happened on his Farewell Pilgrimage. In another narration, a woman came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and asked: “My mother had vowed to perform Haj but she died before performing it. May I perform Haj on her behalf?” The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam replied: “Perform Haj on her behalf. Had your mother been in debt, would you not have paid it off? Therefore pay (her debt to) Allah, as He has the most right to be paid.” If a person has the ability to perform Haj in person, he is not permitted to authorise another person to make Haj on his behalf. Many people loosely resort to Haj by proxy in the case of supererogatory Haj, even though they are well capable of performing it. By doing this they deprive themselves of the immense reward attained from the fatigue of worship and all that it contains of remembrance, supplication, submissiveness to Allah, redoubling of reward, useful meetings, etc. In one of the two narrations reported from Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy upon him, he forbade proxy in supererogatory Haj for those who are capable of performing it in person. Thus, a Muslim should not be careless concerning the matter of Haj; he should either perform supererogatory Haj in person if he wishes, or provide pilgrims with money in order to share with them the reward of Haj. O people! Haj is a type of worship which is performed by the servant as a means to please Allah and to attain reward in the Hereafter. A servant’s attention must not be diverted to attaining worldly gains during Haj. Unfortunately, many people who perform Haj on behalf of others do this solely for the sake of money, which is prohibited since worldly considerations should not spoil acts of worship.  Allah the Almighty says that which means: “Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments – We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the fire. And lost is what they did therein [i.e., during worldly life], and worthless is what they used to do.” (Hud: 15-16). He also says that which means: “And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. And among the people is he who says: ‘Our Lord! Give us in this world,’ and he will have in the Hereafter no share.” (Al Baqarah: 200).  Allah will reject any worship that is not done purely for His sake. The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, prevented seeking worldly gains in places of worship when he said: “If you see a man indulging in a (financial) transaction in the mosque, say to him: ‘May Allah not render your trade profitable.’” If this strict attitude is taken against those who utilise places of worship for worldly gains, what about those who turn the worship itself into a means of attaining worldly gains? Indeed it is not rare for us to find those requested to make Haj on behalf of others bargain and ask for extra money, which is turning worship into a craft or profession.  For this reason the Hanbali jurists maintained that it is invalid to hire a man to perform Haj on behalf of another. Shaykh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah declared that whoever makes Haj only to attain hire will have no reward in the Hereafter. However, if proxy is made for a religious purpose, such as benefiting others with the reward of Haj or aiming to increase acts of obedience through supplication and remembrance of Allah during the rituals of Haj, then Haj by proxy will be valid and acceptable in this case. Those who charge proxy in Haj should devote their intention to seeking the pleasure of Allah, aiming to exercise the rituals related to Allah’s House, remembering Him and supplicating to Him, in addition to the fulfilment of the needs of their fellow Muslims who authorised them to make Haj on their behalf. They should not divert their attention to gaining worldly benefits; for if this becomes their sole interest, they will not be permitted to charge proxy in Haj. If one entertains a sound intention for proxy in Haj, all the money he gets from the authorising person will be his, unless the latter demands refunding the remaining amount after covering the costs of the Haj. The deputy should intend to perform Haj and ‘Umrah on behalf of the authorising person, unless the former allows him to perform ‘Umrah for his own benefit. A person deputised to make Haj on behalf of another person cannot deputise a third party, unless he obtains the consent of the person who commissioned him to make Haj on his behalf. All the reward of acts related to rituals of Haj goes to the authorising person, but the redoubling of reward through offering supererogatory prayers and Tawaf, as well as extra types of worship that exceeds the rituals goes to the authorised person. The representative in Haj should exert the best of his efforts to accomplish the verbal and practical acts related to the rituals, since this is a trust that he should fulfil duly. When pronouncing Talbiyah, he should say: ‘labbayka ‘an fulan’ (i.e., ‘O Allah I respond to Your call on behalf of so and so’.) If he forgets the name of the person he is performing Haj or ‘Umrah for, he may intend it with his heart, saying: ‘labbaika ‘amman anabani fi hathihil-‘Umrah, or fi hathal-Haj’ (i.e. ‘I respond to Your call on behalf of one who authorised me to make this ‘Umrah or this Haj.’) O servants of Allah! Fear Allah and do not pay much attention to worldly gains; and don’t turn worship into a means of attaining material gains!

When Ibrahim (‘alaihis salaam) completed the structure of the Ka’aba, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) commanded him to call the people to Haj. Ibrahim (‘alaihis salaam) pleaded, “O Allah! How shall my voice reach all of those people?” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) told him that his duty was only to give the call and it was up to Allah to make it reach the people. Ibrahim (‘alaihis salaam) then climbed Mount Arafat and called out in his loudest voice, “O People! Verily Allah has prescribed upon you Haj, so perform Haj.” Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) revealed in the Qur’an: “And proclaim the Haj among mankind. They will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways.” (Surah Al-Hajj, Ayat 28). To this very day millions upon millions of Muslims continue to answer the call of Prophet Ibrahim (‘alaihis salaam).  ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas narrates, “When Islam entered my heart, I went to the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and said, ‘Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.’ The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) spread his hand, but I withdrew mine. He said, ‘What is wrong ‘Amr?’ I said, ‘I want to make a condition.’ ‘And what is that?’ he said. I said, ‘That Allah will forgive me.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Did you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it, and that Hijrah wipes out what came before it and that Haj wipes out what came before it!” (Sahih Muslim).  Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) made it compulsory upon every able Muslim male and female to perform it, at least once in a lifetime. Allah revealed: “Haj thereto is a duty mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the journey, but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures” (Surah Ali-Imran, Ayat 97). Performance of the Haj washes away all sins. Abu Hurairah narrates: I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) say, “Whoever performs Haj and does not commit any Rafath (obscenity) or Fusooq (transgression), he returns (free from sin) as the day his mother bore him” (Sahih Bukhari).  Haj is one of the greatest deeds one can accomplish in his or her lifetime.  Abu Hurairah narrates: The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was asked, “What deed is the best?” He said, “Iman in Allah and His Messenger.” “Then what?” “Jihad in the sake of Allah.” “Then what?” “Haj Mabroor, a Haj accepted by Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala).” Abu Sha’thaa’ said, “I contemplated the good deeds that a person does. I found that salaat as well as fasting are a jihad of the body. And that sadaqa is a jihad of someone’s wealth. But Haj is a jihad of both body and wealth.”  Haj is the greatest jihad.  Aishah (radiallahu ‘anha) asked the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), “We find that jihad is the best deed, shouldn’t we (women) do jihad?” The Prophet replied, “Rather the best jihad is a Haj Mabroor!” Aishah later said, “I’ll never cease performing Haj after I heard that from Rasul Allah” (Agreed Upon).  The dua of the one in Haj shall be accepted.  The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “The soldier in the path of Allah and the one who performs Haj and the one who performs ‘Umrah, all are the delegation of Allah! He called them and they answered. And they asked Him, and He shall grant them (what they ask for)!” (Authentic, narrated by Ibn Majah and Ibn Hibban).  In the Islamic history books it was narrated that on the day of Arafat, a man from Turkmenistan stood on the plains of Arafat in Haj. To his left all he could see was Muslims crying and praying to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). To his right all he could see was Muslims crying and praying to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Because of his native tongue, he could not imitate the lengthy prayers of the others. At this realisation everything blurred in front of him. His face reddened, his eyes poured tears as he raised his hands, “O Allah! Grant me everything that they are asking for! Grant me everything that they are asking for!” And Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) accepted his dua.  There is not a single day that the sun has come up on more beloved to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) than the Day of Arafat.  The Prophet (sallallaah ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more of His slaves from Fire than the Day of Arafat, and He verily draws near, then boasts of them before the angles, saying: ‘What do they seek?’” (Sahih Muslim). And in another hadith: “Verily Allah boasts of the people of Arafat before the people of Heaven (angels) saying: ‘Look to my servants who have come to Me dishevelled and dusty.’” Abdullah ibn Al-Mubaarak narrates: I went to Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah as the day of Arafat was setting. He sat on his knees, his hands raised to the Heavens, and tears moistened his cheeks and beard. He turned and looked at me, so I asked him, “Amongst the people who have gathered here for Haj, who is in the worst state?” Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah said, “He who thinks that Allah will not forgive him.”  Aishah (radiallahu ‘anha) would see the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) standing in prayer at night so much so that his feet would crack. She would ask him, “Why do you do this when Allah has forgiven all your sins, the past and anything you may do in the future?” And he would reply, “Shouldn’t I be a thankful slave?” With this example of the Prophet (sallallaah ‘alaihi wa sallam), what should our attitude be when we hear of Paradise and forgiveness of sin for those who perform Haj? Does it mean that after Haj we fall back into all the disobedience that we went to Haj with? Does it mean that we are promised Jannah no matter what sin we do after Haj? Many people think this to be the case and it is a very dangerous presumption. You will find in many of the Hadith regarding the virtue of Haj the term Haj Mabroor. Do you know what Mabroor means? It means an accepted Haj. A Mabroor Haj is one in which Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) is not disobeyed during or after. Others have said that a Haj Mabroor is one that is accepted, and the sign of it’s acceptance is that a person will go back in a better state than when he came, and that he will discontinue the sins that were between him and Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala).  When Ibn Umar was on his deathbed and his son reminded him of all the good deeds that he did with the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and the companions, he told him, “Quiet! Don’t you know whom Allah accepts from? Verily Allah only accepts from the God-Fearing (Al-Muttaqoon).” When Ali ibn Al-Husayn (radiallahu ‘anhuma) wore his Ihram towels and sat upright on his camel in preparation for the journey to Makkah, his face changed colour, his skin shivered and he cried, unable to say the Talbiyyah, Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk. Someone asked him, “What’s wrong?” And he replied, “I’m afraid that when I say it, it shall be replied, ‘Laa Labbayka wa Laa Sa’dayk’ (May you never have come and may you not have happiness).”  With that spirit, let us march forward in the search of the Mercy of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and His forgiveness, to the first house of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) on earth, to Haj.  The Prophet (sallallaah ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “And there is no reward for an accepted Haj...except Jannah!”

Praise be to Allah Who has created time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him. This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Each of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which people may draw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing through which Allah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He, Almighty, Wills. The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allah Almighty says (what means): “And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).” [Qur’an 15:99] The commentators said: “’The ‘certainty’ means death.”  Among the special seasons of worship are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these 10 days.” The people (the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) asked: “O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the path of Allah?” He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Not even Jihad in the path of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing (lost both his property and life).” [Al-Bukhari] This text and others indicate that these 10 days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last 10 days of Ramadan. But the last 10 nights of Ramadan are better, because they include the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. [See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412] The virtues of these 10 days: The virtues are based on many things: 1.    Allah Swears an oath by 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allah says (what means): “By the dawn and by the 10 nights (i.e. the first 10 days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah)…” [Qur’an 89: 1-2] Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn Az-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations, may Allah have mercy upon them, said that this refers to the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “This is the correct opinion.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413] 2.    The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, encouraged people to do righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place - for the pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah. 3.    The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh (“SubhaanAllah”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”) and Takbeer (“Allahu Akbar”) during this time. ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these 10 days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“Laa ilaaha illAllah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.” [Ahmad] 4.    These 10 days include the Day of ‘Arafah, on which Allah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include the Day of Sacrifice, the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Haj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.  Shall you offer a sacrifice? The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must stop cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his skin, from the beginning of the 10 days until after he has offered his sacrifice, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “When you see the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice.” According to another report he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “He should not remove (literally, touch) anything from his hair or skin.” [Muslim] The Prophet’s, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, instruction here makes one thing obligatory and his prohibition makes another Haraam (prohibited), according to the soundest opinion, because these commands and prohibitions are unconditional and unavoidable.  However, if a person does any of these things deliberately, he must seek Allah’s forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation; his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some hair, nails, etc. because it is harming him, such as having a broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, can do so, and there is nothing wrong with that. The state of Ihraam is so important that it is permitted to cut one’s hair if leaving it will cause harm. There is nothing wrong with men or women washing their heads during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, only forbade cutting the hair, not washing it. The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer a sacrifice from cutting his hair, etc., is so that he may resemble those in Ihraam in some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that he may draw closer to Allah by offering the sacrifice. So he leaves his hair and nails alone until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allah will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And Allah knows best. If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides later, during the 10 days, to offer a sacrifice, then he must refrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makes this decision. Some women may delegate their brothers or sons to make the sacrifice on their behalf, then cut their hair during these 10 days. This is not correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, whether or not he (or she) delegates someone else to carry out the actual deed. The prohibition does not apply to the person delegated, only to the person who is making the sacrifice, as is indicated in the narration. The person who is sacrificing on behalf of someone else, for whatever reason, does not have to adhere to this prohibition.  This prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering the sacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is offering a sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to sacrifice “on behalf of the family of Muhammad,” but there are no reports that say he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, forbade them to cut their hair or nails at that time. If a person was planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to go and perform Hajj, he should not cut his hair or nails if he wants to enter ihraam, because the Sunnah is only to cut hair and nails when necessary. But if he is performing Tamattu’ [whereby he performs ‘Umrah, comes out of ihraam and enters ihraam anew for Haj], he should trim his hair at the end of his ‘Umrah because this is part of the ritual. Types of worship and deeds to be performed during the 10 days: One must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the Muslim’s duty to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His slaves, Allah has given us many ways in which to perform righteous deeds and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord. Among the righteous deeds which the Muslim should strive to perform during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are: 1.    The performance of Haj and ‘Umrah, which are the best of deeds that may be done. And what indicates their superiority are a number of narrations, one of which is the saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “Performance of ‘Umrah is an expiation of the sins committed between it and the previous ‘Umrah, and the reward of the Hajj which is accepted by Allaah, Most High, is nothing but Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] 2.    Fasting: It is recommended to fast on the nine days and especially on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. There is no doubt that the act of fasting is one of the best deeds, and it is from what Allah, Most High, has chosen for himself, as in the Sacred Hadith: “Fasting is for Me (Allah), and it is I who give reward for it. Verily, someone gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake...” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah] Also, from Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “No servant (of Allah, Most High) fasts one day in the way of Allah, except that Allah, the Most High, removes his face from the fire because of it (the distance of traveling) seventy years.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah will be credited with Allah by forgiving one’s sins of the previous year and the following year.” [Muslim] 3.    Uttering the mention of Allah: It is recommended to utter Takbeer (“Allaahu Akbar”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”), Tahleel (“La ilaaha illallaah”) and Tasbeeh (“Subhaanallaah”) during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah in the Mosque, at home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to mention Allah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, Most High. He The Most High, says (what means): “...And mention the name of Allah on known [i.e., specific] days...” [Qur’an 22: 28] 4.    Performing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allah, praying, reading Qur’an, supplicating, giving charity, honouring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship. 5.  Offering sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these 10 days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal. It is the Sunnah of our father Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention - from when Allah The Most High, redeemed his son by the great sacrifice (of an animal in his place). The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, slaughtered (sacrificed) two horned rams, black and white in colour, and he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, slaughtered them with his own hands, mentioned the name of Allah (saying Bismillaah), said Takbeer (Allaahu-Akbar), and placed his foot on their sides (while slaughtering them). [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] 6.    Sincerely repenting. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, and to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah loves. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Verily Allah has a sense of ‘Ghayrah’ (honor, prestige and anger over violation), and Allah’s sense of Ghayrah is provoked when a person does that which Allah has made prohibited.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] 7.    It is incumbent for the Muslim (who is not making Haj) to make every effort to perform the ‘Eid Prayer wherever it is performed, and to be present for the Khutbah (sermon) and benefit.  He must know the wisdom behind the legislation of this ‘Eid (celebration). It is a day of thankfulness and performing deeds of righteousness. So, he must not make it a day of wildness, pride and vanity. He should not make it a time of disobedience and increase in forbidden things such as music, singing, uncontrolled amusement and the like - those things which could cause the cancellation of the good deeds done in these 10 days (of Dhul-Hijjah). There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good deeds, before death strikes, before one regrets his negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to life but only when prayers will never be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before one is trapped with his deeds in the grave. (Taken from Al Jumu’ah magazine) Article source: hrrp://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Allah prescribed Haj once in a lifetime upon the Muslims who have the means and are physically able to perform it. There are three types of Haj: Haj at-Tamatt’u, Haj al-Qiran and Haj al-Ifrad. In this article, we will explain the procedure for Haj at-Tamatt’u as it is the most recommended one. In this type, one is to perform ‘Umrah and Haj in the same year with a sacrifice slaughtered in Mina. These are the steps for Haj at-Tamatt’u: Ihram: Ihram is the intention of the person willing to perform all rites of ‘Umrah, Haj or both when he arrives at the Meeqat. Each direction coming into Makkah has its own Meeqat. It is recommended that the one who intends to perform Haj makes Ghusl (a complete bath with the intention to purify one’s self), perfumes his body, but not in his garments, and puts on a two-piece garment with no headgear. The garments should be of seamless cloth. One piece to cover the upper part of the body, and the second to cover the lower part. For a woman the Ihram is her normal dress except that she should not use perfumes at all and her dress should cover the whole body decently, leaving the hands and the face uncovered. The pilgrim should say the intention according to the type of Haj. For Haj at-Tamatt’u one should say: “Labbayka Allahumma bi ’Umrah” which means “O Allah I answered Your call to perform ‘Umrah”. It is recommended to repeat the well known supplication of Haj, called the Talbiyah, as frequently as possible from the time of Ihram till the time of the first stoning of Jamrat Al-Aqabah in Mina. Men are recommended to utter the Talbiyah aloud while women are to say it quietly. The Talbiyah is: “Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk. Labbayka La Shareeka Laka Labbayk. Inna-alhamda Wan-n’imata Laka Wal Mulk. La Shareeka Lak.” (Here I am at Your service. O my Lord, here I am. Here I am. No partner do You have. Here I am. Truly, the praise and the provisions are Yours, and so is the dominion. No partner do You have.” Performing ‘Umrah Tawaf: When a Muslim arrives in Makkah, he should perform Tawaf around the Ka’abah, as a gesture of greeting Al-Masjid Al-Haram. This is done by circling the Ka’abah seven times in the counterclockwise direction, starting from the Black Stone with Takbeer, keeping the Ka’abah to one’s left. Then the pilgrim goes to Maqam Ibrahim (Ibrahim’s Station), and performs two rak’ah behind it, near to it if possible, but away from the path of the people making Tawaf. In all cases one should be facing the Ka’abah when praying behind Maqam Ibrahim. Sa’i: The next rite is to make Sa’i between Safa and Marwah. The pilgrim starts Sa’i by ascending the Safa. While facing the Ka’abah he praises Allah, raises his hands and recites the Takbeer “Allah-u Akbar” three times, then makes supplication to Allah. Then the pilgrim descends from the Safa and heads towards the Marwah. One should increase the pace between the clearly marked green signposts, but should walk at normal pace before and after them. When the pilgrim reaches the Marwah, he should ascend it, praise Allah and do as he did at the Safa. This is considered one round and so is the other from the Marwah to the Safa. A total of seven rounds are required to perform the Sa’i. After Sa’i, the Muslim ends his ‘Umrah rites by shaving his head or trimming his hair short all over the head (women should cut a fingertip’s length from their hair). At this stage, the prohibitions pertaining to the state of Ihram are lifted and one can resume his normal life. Although it is recommended to recite the supplications that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to say during the performance of these rites, there are no required formulas or supplications for Tawaf or for Sa’i. It is up to the worshipper to praise Allah or to supplicate Him with any acceptable supplication or to recite portions of the Qur’an. It must be noted that ‘Umrah can be performed by itself as described above at any time of the year. Performing Haj Going to Mina: A pilgrim performing Haj at-Tamatt’u should make the intention for Ihram, from the place where he is staying, on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the Tarweyah Day, and leave for Mina in the morning. In Mina, the pilgrims pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha of the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah and Fajr of the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah. Dhuhr, Asr and Isha are each shortened to two rak’ah only,  but are not combined. The pilgrim remains in Mina until sunrise of the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah and leaves for ‘Arafat. Departure to ‘Arafat: On the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of ‘Arafat, the pilgrims stay in ‘Arafat  until sunset. The pilgrims pray Dhuhr and Asr at ‘Arafat, shortened and combined during the time of Dhuhr to save the rest of the day for glorifying Allah and supplication asking forgiveness. A pilgrim should make sure that he is within the boundaries of ‘Arafat, not necessarily standing on the mountain of ‘Arafat. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “I stood here on this rocky hill and all ‘Arafat is a standing place.” (Muslim). One should keep reciting the Talbiyah, glorifying Allah the Greatest and repeating supplication. It is also reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to say the following supplication: “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the One without a partner. The dominion and praise are His and He is powerful over everything.” Anas ibn Malik was asked once how he and his friends used to spend their time while walking from Mina to ‘Arafat in the company of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Anas said: “Some of us used to cry out Talbiyah, others used to glorify Allah the Greatest and the rest used to repeat prayers. Each one of us was free to worship Allah in the way he likes without prejudice or renunciation of his right.” (Bukhari) In the vast square plain of ‘Arafat, tears are shed, sins are washed and faults are redressed for those who ask Allah for forgiveness and offer sincere repentance for their wrongdoings in the past. Happy is the person who receives the Mercy and Pleasure of Allah on this day. Departure from ‘Arafat: Soon after sunset on the Day of ‘Arafat, the pilgrims leave for Muzdalifah quietly and reverently in compliance with the advice of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) who said when he noticed people walking without calmness: “O people! Be quiet, hastening is not a sign of righteousness.” (Bukhari) In order to follow the example of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) it is preferable to keep reciting the Talbiyah, glorifying Allah the Greatest and mentioning the names of Allah until the time of stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah (a stone pillar in Mina). In Muzdalifah, the pilgrim perform Maghrib and Isha prayers combined, shortening the Isha prayer to two Rak’ah. Pilgrims stay overnight in Muzdalifah to perform Fajr prayers and wait until the brightness of the morning is widespread before they leave for Mina passing through the sacred Mash’ar valley. Women and weak individuals are allowed to proceed to Mina at any time after midnight to avoid the crowd. Stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah: When the pilgrims arrive at Mina, they go to Jamrat Al-Aqabah where they stone it with seven pebbles glorifying Allah “Allah-u Akbar” at each throw and calling on Him to accept their Haj. The time of stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah is after sunrise. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) threw the pebbles late in the morning and permitted weak people to stone after leaving Muzdalifah after midnight. The size of the pebbles should not be more than that of a bean as described by the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) who warned against exaggeration. The pebbles can be picked up on the way to Mina from Muzdalifah or in Mina. Slaughter of Sacrifice: After stoning Jamrat Al-Aqabah, the pilgrim goes to slaughter his sacrifice either personally or through the appointment of someone else to do it on his behalf. A pilgrim should slaughter either a sheep, or share a cow or a camel with six others. Shaving the head or trimming the hair: The final rite on the 10th day after offering his sacrifice is to shave one’s head or to cut short all of the hair. Shaving the head is, however, preferable for it was reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) prayed three times for those who shave their heads, when he said: “May Allah’s Mercy be upon those who shaved their heads.” For women, the length of hair to be cut is that of a fingertip. The stoning of Jamrat Al-Aqabah and the shaving of head or trimming of hair symbolises the end of the first phase of the state of Ihram and the lifting of its restrictions except for sexual intercourse with one’s spouse. Stoning of Jamrat Al-Aqabah, slaughtering the sacrifice and shaving the head or cutting part of the hair are preferred to be in this order, as it is the order that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) did them. However, if they are done in any other order, there is no harm in that. Tawaf Al-Ifadhah: Tawaf Al-Ifadhah is a fundamental rite of Haj. The pilgrim makes Tawaf Al-Ifadhah by visiting Al-Masjid Al-Haram and circling the Ka’abah seven times and praying two Rak’ah behind Maqam Ibrahim. Then the pilgrim should make Sa’i between the Safa  and the Marwah. After Tawaf Al-Ifadhah the state of Ihram is completely ended and all restrictions are lifted including intercourse with one’s spouse. Tawaf al-Ifadhah can be delayed until the days spent at Mina are over. Return to Mina: The pilgrim should return to Mina and spend there the days of Tashreeq (ie the 11th, 12th and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah). During each day, and after Dhuhr prayer, the pilgrim stones the three stone pillars called “Jamarat”: the small, the medium and Jamrat Al-Aqabah, saying “Allah-u Akbar” with each throw of the seven pebbles stoned at each pillar. These pebbles are picked up in Mina. A pilgrim may leave Mina for Makkah on the 13th or on the 12th if he wishes, there is no blame on him if he chooses the latter, but he has to leave before sunset. Farewell Tawaf: Farewell Tawaf is the final rite of Haj. It is to make another Tawaf around the Ka’abah. Ibn Abbas said: “The people were ordered to perform the Tawaf around the Ka’abah as the last thing before leaving Makkah, except the menstruating women who were excused.” (Bukhari) Those are the rites of Haj. They should be performed in the way prescribed by the Qur’an and Sunnah with no addition or subtraction. But they should also be performed with consciousness and not just as mere mechanical gestures. For “Whoever holds in honour the rites of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart.” (Qur’an, Surat al-Haj, ayah 32)

Calling ourselves to account is what frees the soul from being captive to its desires and lusts; it frees it from the darkness of misguidance and maintains it upon the Straight Path. Allah encourages the Muslims to do this by saying (what means): “O you who have believed! Fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow…” [Qur’an 59: 18] ‘Umar, radiallaahu ‘anhu, said: “Call yourself to account when you are in bliss before the reckoning of that severe Day, for whoever calls himself to account when he is in bliss will win the pleasure of Allah and achieve happiness, and whoever allows his life and desires to occupy all his attention and cause him to be negligent will be a regretful loser.”  While he was the caliph, ‘Umar would call himself to account. Anas, radiallaahu ‘anhu,  narrated: “One day I was walking in the company of ‘Umar, then he entered a garden by himself; I overheard him from behind a fence of the garden saying to himself: ‘O son of Al-Khattaab! I swear by Allah that either you maintain yourself upon piety, or Allah will punish you.’”  Maalik bin Deenaar said: “Allah will be merciful with the slave who asks himself: ‘Didn’t you do such and such?’ and reproaches himself for doing so, then forces himself to adhere to the commandments of Allah and leads himself to righteousness.” Maymoon bin Mahraan said: “A pious believer holds himself to account more severely than a stingy man does with his business partner.” Our Salaf would admonish themselves and hold themselves to account, while we on the other hand, who are far worthier of such reproach, are utterly heedless of this, despite us committing actions that are destructive and despite our being afflicted with diseases of the heart and soul that require major reformation. We must ask ourselves do we fear Allah as He should be feared? Do we cry out of fear of Him as our Salaf would do? Are we moved when we hear verses of the Qur’an being recited? Do our hearts shiver and tremble from fear when Allah is mentioned and therefore rush to obey and please Him? Allah Says (what means): “Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance [i.e., mention] of Allah…” [Qur’an 39: 23] Once Imaam Al-Maroozi  said to Imaam Ahmad : “How is your morning?” He  replied: “My morning is that of one whose Lord is commanding him to fulfil his obligations, whose Messenger is demanding him to apply his Sunnah, who has two angels requesting him to reform his actions, whose lower self is leading him to give in to his desires, who has Satan beautifying sin and immorality for him, who has the angel of death awaiting the command to take his soul, and whose family is asking for provision.”  How many times do we hear the mention of the Hellfire without it moving us? Does it not contain all forms of punishments or terror, the mention of which would crack a mountain, if it were to hear it, out of fear of Allah? A Muslim should rebuke himself for not being moved or affected when hearing verses that address the Hereafter, punishment in Hellfire, and the general mention of Allah and His might. Undoubtedly, we are busied by this worldly life and our sins are too many, and therefore we must exert far greater effort in holding ourselves to account. The following are some matters that one needs to pay closer attention to and hold himself to account regarding: Sincerity: Our Salaf would prefer hiding their good deeds from others, as this helps a person maintain his sincerity of intention. Conversely, people nowadays like to show off and love others praising them for performing good deeds that they witness them doing; this is certainly something that requires self-rebuke in order to straighten our hearts and souls. A person nowadays rejoices when praised, whereas he may be committing so many sins that had others known about it, they would have rebuked him rather than praise him. Our Salaf would hate being praised and would sometimes even be enraged by it. Once a man praised Imaam Ahmad saying: “May Allah reward you for what you have done in service of Islam.” He replied: “Me? Who am I? What am I?” He lowered and humbled himself before Allah. Compare this reaction to ours! They would reject any praise whereas we listen to it with joy and request more. Wealth: If one of us receives any wealth, he rejoices and his heart becomes attached to it. Conversely, our Salaf would re-distribute any wealth they received in every good field in all directions. People in our time are extremely busy in trade, business and commerce, endeavouring to collect ever more wealth. Their hearts have therefore hardened so much that the following saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam,  applies to them; Abu Hurairah  reported that the Prophet said: “May he be miserable: the slave of the Deenaar and Dirham (gold and silver currency).” [Al-Bukhari] Many people have indeed become enslaved to their wealth. The Companions would only work to get what sufficed them and their families for their daily requirements and shunned collecting and accumulating ever greater amounts of worldly wealth. As a matter of fact, ‘Umar had a friend from the Companions who would work his job one day while ‘Umar  would sit with the Prophet in order learn from him; then they would alternate so that ‘Umar  would work while the other companion  would learn. After each day, each would teach the other what he had learnt from the Prophet on that day. Submitting to the truth: In general, we do not submit to the truth easily, and it may be that some of us refuse to submit at all. We may realise our faults yet refuse arrogantly to rectify ourselves; someone may advise us about a certain matter, but we would defend ourselves while knowing that the advisor is speaking the truth. Some of the people of knowledge nowadays argue and refuse to adhere to a text presented by another person simply because they have not heard it from those under whom they studied. The Salaf on the other hand, would adhere and submit to the truth as soon as it was presented to them. Along the same lines, many people nowadays are fearless enough to rush into passing judgment and giving rulings on certain issues when they neither possess the knowledge to do so nor have any evidence to substantiate their statements. This is a dispraised form of courage, because the same people would not dare address any other topic, such as a worldly topic like medicine which requires specialised and informed opinion; they would in this case readily admit that the topic is a specialised one that requires a specialist to address it, and yet they dare to talk about matters of the religion without the slightest problem, as if religion is of less importance than scientific knowledge. Naafi’, radiallaahu ‘anhu, said: “Once a man came to Ibn ‘Umar, radiallaahu ‘anhu, and asked him a question. Ibn ‘Umar lowered his head and began thinking about it. He took so long that the man thought that he had not heard the question, so he said: ‘May Allah have mercy upon you! Did you not hear my question?’ Ibn ‘Umar  replied: ‘Indeed I did, but you people act as if Allah will not question us about what you ask and how we respond. Give me time to think about your question, and if I have an answer I will let you know. Otherwise, I will tell you that I do not have knowledge about the matter.’” Note the difference between this companion  who was one of the scholars of his generation, and some people nowadays. Not glorifying the Words of Allah: Many people these days memorise the Qur’an, which is a praiseworthy matter that would delight the heart of any Muslim, but the problem is that the effect of this has not materialised in their behaviour. Ibn Mas’ood, radiallaahu ‘anhu, said describing those who memorise the Qur’an: “The one who memorises the Qur’an should be distinct in his qualities. He should be awake when people are asleep; he should be heedful when people are heedless; he should be fasting when people are eating; he should be crying when people are laughing, and he should be submissive when people are playful.” This is another issue regarding which we must hold ourselves to account. Being hard-hearted: A widespread disease is that of being hard-hearted, lazy and lethargic towards performing acts of worship. Many people put off the idea of performing acts of worship and therefore delay them to a later time, and this is from the whispers of Satan, so that we would end up not performing them at all. Contrary to this were the Salaf who would rush to perform acts of worship and utilise every opportunity they ever got in this regard. They would prolong their acts of worship and perform them with a humility and submissiveness that we cannot even begin to comprehend. Nowadays, if the person leading the congregational prayer dares to recite a long chapter from the Qur’an during it, the people would not be able to tolerate it and would protest. This is a reflection of how corroded our hearts have become as a result of excessive eating, laughing, drinking, indulging in this worldly life and its pleasures, and sinning. Not calling ourselves to account: Due to the excessive amount of mixing and socialising amongst the people, we fail to find the time to sit in seclusion and hold ourselves to account for what we have said or done. This is a great loss indeed. Let us compare this to an example of our righteous Salaf: Ibraaheem At-Taymi  said: “I imagined myself in Paradise eating from its fruits, drinking from its rivers and enjoying its ladies. Then I imagined myself in the Hellfire eating from its bitter thorny fruits, drinking from its boiling pus and suffering at its chains. Then I asked myself: ‘What is your wish?’ The response was: ‘I wish to be returned to the worldly life so that I could perform more acts of virtue.’ Then I addressed myself saying: ‘You are where you wish to be, so rush in performing the acts you wished to perform.’”  Not forbidding evil: We may very often see evil being committed before our very eyes and yet remain silent and motionless, as if the boundaries and limits of Allah do not concern us in the least. We know for certain that what is being committed is forbidden, yet we do not even think about changing the evil, let alone preventing it from taking place. Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Al-‘Amri  said: “A sign of your heedlessness is to pass by a prohibition being committed and not attempt to stop it.”  One aspect of this topic is neglecting forbidding evil and enjoining good amongst our wives and children, as well as not teaching them what they need to know about their religion and failing to properly cultivate them, while Allah Says (what means): “O you who believe! Protect yourselves and you families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe…” [Qur’an 66: 6] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would walk to the house of Faatimah and ‘Ali, radiallaahu ‘anhum, and wake them up to pray the optional night prayer, not the obligatory one, as a way of teaching and training them. Note that this was after his daughter was married and living in her own house. Compare this to some modern-day fathers who neglect the children and wives who are living with them under the same roof. Do we ever stop to think how negligent we are in this regard? Do we ever blame and rebuke ourselves for not performing our duty in this matter the way it should be done? Being indifferent: This is a lethal attitude that is killing the Muslim community. A Muslim is commanded to play a positive role in his community and assist in matters of virtue by as much as he is able, and prevent evil by as much as he can. Many people stray away from the right path because they do not find anyone to assist them and rescue them from straying, as those around them act indifferently. One should not undermine any input he can give in this regard; let us look at the story of when Imaam Ahmad was imprisoned to see how effective a person can be if he takes the initiative and does not act indifferently. When Imaam Ahmad was imprisoned, a thief was with him in the same cell. The thief said to him: “O Ahmad! I persevere and tolerate the punishment I receive while I am upon falsehood and being punished for a sin. Would someone like you, who is suffering as a result of being upon the truth, not persevere and endure?” This thief played an important role in comforting and consoling Imaam Ahmad  and did not take a negative stance towards the issue. Undermining the grave effects of the temptation of women: Examples of this are undermining prohibited gazing, not adhering to the Hijaab (Islamic attire for women), women wearing perfume before leaving their homes, the spread of immoral films, intermixing between the two sexes, and other matters that have led to people committing sins and indulging in immorality. People nowadays mix with the opposite sex in universities, schools and workplaces, while Yoonus bin ‘Ubayd  said: “Never be in seclusion with a woman, even if you wish to teach her the Qur’an, and even if only you would be the one reciting.” Being ill-mannered: Many people possess three very evil qualities, namely: lying, cowardice and miserliness, and these are the worst three qualities a person can possess. There are also many other evil qualities that we must be mindful of and hold ourselves to account regarding, such as backbiting, badmouthing others and tale-bearing, while replacing them with praiseworthy qualities and morals.  The Salaf would rebuke themselves for every word they uttered, words which would be considered very normal to people nowadays: Maalik bin Dhayghan  said: “Rabaah bin Qays once came asking for my father after the ‘Asr prayer, but he happened to be sleeping, so we informed him of this, to which he remarked: ‘Who would sleep at this time of the day?’ Then he left. We sent a man after him to see if he wanted us to wake my father up for him, but this man did not return until it was time to pray Maghrib. When we asked him why he returned so late, he said: ‘I followed him to ask him, but found that he was headed to the graveyard while rebuking himself, saying: ‘What business is it of yours to ask this kind of question? Why do you ask what does not concern you? What is it to you when people go to sleep? People are free to sleep any time they desire, why did you indulge in what does not concern you?...’ Note how lightly such a question would be taken in our time, and how strongly he rebuked himself for asking it.   Severing ties with kinfolk: The most important of kinfolk are one’s parents, and yet we find many people dealing with them in an inappropriate manner or even severing ties with them altogether. As for those who do try to fulfil the needs of their parents, many of them do it begrudgingly, while expressing discontent or complaining that it is a burden upon them, while Allah commands us to not say even the least expression of discontent in this regard, saying (what means): “…Say not to them [so much as] ‘Uff, and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.” [Qur’an 17: 23] The mother of Huthayl bin Hafsah  said: “He would collect wood during the summer and peel off the outer layer of bark himself. Then, when winter would come, he would come to me whilst I was praying, light a brazier (in my room) and place the peeled wood in it, as this does not give harmful smoke. He would do so just so that I would be warm during prayer. He would do so even though we had a servant who could do the job. Whenever I thought of stopping him and commanding him to return to his family, I would remember why he was doing it, and thus I would allow him to continue.” Why was he doing this himself despite him having a servant who could have done it for him? It was nothing but a reflection of his full dutifulness towards his mother. This type of nobility is not limited to one’s parents; rather, one should be kind to all his relatives and even his fellow Muslims. Wasting time: The issue of wasting time is a very important one indeed. We must be careful about it and hold ourselves to account regarding it because we spend much of our time uselessly instead of spending it in acts of obedience to Allah, as it should be utilised. Allah Says (what means): “And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.” [Qur’an 25: 62]  Therefore, time was created so that we would fill it with acts of obedience to Allah, but many people do the exact opposite of this. The Salaf were very keen to make use of every second of their time. Al-Hasan said: “I have met some people who were stingier with their time than they were with their wealth.”  People nowadays waste their times in games, late nights, socialising, watching television and in vain talk. They may even go as far as doing so at the expense of their religious obligations, such as their daily prayers, and so on. Wasting wealth: Many men cave in under pressure from their wives and children and therefore spend extravagantly, but when they are asked to spend in charity, one would find that they are so stingy that if they were to pull out two ten Riyal bills to give in charity, one would invariably return to his pocket. However, if this same person were to go to a restaurant, he would have no problem in spending multiples of this.  Allah will ask us about our wealth because we were informed as such by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Abu Barzah  reported: The Messenger of Allah said: “Man’s feet will not move on the Day of Resurrection before he is asked about his life and how he consumed it, his knowledge and what did he do with it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and about his body and how he wore it out.” [At-Tirmithi] It is not to be understood here that there are no people who spend generously or that there are no people who do any of the abovementioned matters correctly. What was intended and meant is that we need to remember these matters and hold ourselves to account with respect to them, as there are many of us who are failing to do so. Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

In this article I would like to focus on women mentioned in the Qur’an. My intention is not to prove either the superiority or equality of men and women. I will simply try to highlight those women who are included in the Divine verses. The Qur’an is not a history book, rather a book to provide guidance. We can find stories in which women are mentioned either positively or negatively according to the role they played, and above all what is expected from a woman according to the Book. In the Muslim world millions of newborn girls are named after the noble ladies who are mentioned in the Qur’an. Mothers and wives of the Prophets are the ones who are best known to us. Some of these women are mentioned to illustrate certain qualities. In most cases they are examples of goodness; nevertheless the Prophets’ houses sometimes accommodated such women who were among the first to betray and disobey the Divine Message. Whenever the Qur’an states these women, it simply narrates the story without mentioning their names. The Book of Allah is not interested in actors, it is the action itself which counts. One could say that Maryam, mother of Jesus, is the only woman who was named in the Qur’an. The names of other women are given to us by commentators of the Qur’an. The stories below are as mentioned in the Qur’an. SARAH: A Dream Fulfilled The story of Ibrahim’s wife Sarah occurs several times in the Qur’an although she herself is mentioned only twice in Surah al-Dhariyat (51:24-32) and in Surah Hud (11:69-76). Angels in human form were going to Lut and his people; on the way they called on Ibrahim and his wife. He took them for human beings and offered them the customary hospitality. He was surprised when the guests did not eat, from which he found out they were Angels. Ibrahim was scared and wondered what was the reason for their visit. Sarah was amused at her husband’s worried face and laughed at him. The Angels turned to her and gave her the good news that she would have a son (Is’haq). She could not believe it and exclaimed: “Oh, woe to me! Shall I bear a child now that I am an old woman and this husband of mine is an old man? Verily that would be a strange thing indeed.” (11:72) The Angels told her that nothing was impossible for Allah. In the story Sarah is depicted to have the reaction of an ordinary woman who longed for a child. In spite of being the wife of a Prophet she reacted to the good news very naturally without pretence. ZULEKHA: Forbidden Love The story of Yusuf and the wife of the Egyptian noble man is indeed a story of forbidden love. It is about the life of an extraordinarily handsome man who was to become a Prophet. But Allah wanted him to pass the test of temptation. He got through it with such success that it became a lesson to Zulekha and her friends. The story is narrated in Surah Yusuf (12:21-34) in detail. After Yusuf was dropped in an empty well by his jealous brothers, he was found by some merchants who sold him to a wealthy Egyptian couple. His looks caused the wife, Zulekha, to be attracted to him. She tried to seduce him and he resisted her. He remembered Allah and the kindness of his master. When the noble man entered and saw Yusuf’s tunic torn from his back, he knew whom to blame. The story shows that the Egyptian society was very permissive, as when women of Zulekha’s society gossiped about the matter she invited them all. She put them into a situation where they themselves were unable to resist temptation. The story continues with Yusuf in prison for years. At the end Yusuf’s innocence and Zulekha’s love for him reformed her deeply. She confessed her guilt and Yusuf was released. Five women in a Prophet’s life In Surah al-Qasas (28:7-13) three women are mentioned in Musa’s story: Musa’s mother, his sister and the wife of Pharaoh, and in Surah Taha (20:38-40) his mother and sister are mentioned. The wife of Pharaoh as an example to believers appears in Surah al-Tahrim (66:11). For obvious reasons, Musa’s mother was scared for her son’s life; that the Pharaoh who was ruling at that time hated the Israelites and tried to exterminate them. Allah put in her mind to place Musa in a wooden box and let it float on the Nile. It was the will of  Allah that the child was rescued by the people of the Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s wife liked the child and asked Pharaoh to spare his life. That is how Musa’s life started as a future Prophet, in the palace of his enemy. The Qur’an says: “Musa’s mother felt empty-hearted...” She sent her daughter to ‘keep track of him.’ It was also Allah’s design that Musa should not suckle at any woman’s breast. Miriam, Musa’s sister, who had followed her brother to the palace, came in and suggested: “Shall I lead you to a family who will look after him for you? They will take good care of him.” (28:12). Musa thus was reunited with his mother when others had no knowledge of their relationship. After growing up Musa does not feel safe in Egypt, so he goes to Midian. He meets two young girls looking after their flock. They were waiting for others to finish giving water to their animals. The girls looked so helpless that Musa offered them assistance and watered their flock. They returned home and after a while one of them came back walking shyly and said to Musa: “My father invites you in order to reward you with some sort of payment since you have done the watering (our flocks) for us.” (28:25). Musa went with the girl to her house and told their father his story. The old man said: “Do not fear, you have escaped from an evil people.” (28:25). One of the girls suggested to their father to hire Musa as he was a hardworking and honest man. Musa was thus hired on condition that he would work for eight years and in return one of the girls would be married to him. After the completion of the agreed period, Musa married Safura. (Safura’s name is not mentioned in the Qur’an. It appears in other sources.) Musa then returns with his wife to Egypt. This story shows that Safura and her sister were hardworking girls and a great help to their old father. Allah wanted Musa not only to stay with them but also to marry one of these remarkable girls. Musa was attracted by the modesty and good manners of the girls. Musa’s loyalty and dedication complemented the family. BILQIS: A Wise Queen Bilqis, the Queen of Sheeba, is portrayed in the Qur’an (Surah al-Naml 27:20-44) as a wise and influential and above all a real leader. She ruled her people in a democratic way. She made every decision after consulting her counsellors. Prophet Soloman (Sulaiman) was told about her power, kingdom and magnificent throne. Yet she and her people were not believers in God and they worshipped the sun. Soloman sent a message to invite her to his kingdom and to the faith. The message was: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving! Do not act haughtily towards me and come to me committed to (live in) peace.” (27:30-31). She called her advisers and officers and told them about the message. The officers suggested a military action and said: “We possess strength and can be extremely violent, while command rests with you; so consider whatever you will command.” (27:33). Bilqis’s reply was very wise. She said that if Soloman was just a king we would satisfy him with gifts. But if he was a Prophet, as he claims, then we would have to deal with him with great caution. Soloman categorically refused her gifts and Bilqis realised that she had to go to his kingdom. They met, and she entered the faith. The story of the Qur’an ends here, but the traditions tell us that she married Soloman. The image of the Queen of Sheeba in the Qur’an is one of a woman whose talented personality and diplomacy do not let her underestimate reality, and a leader who is cautious and will not put her people in a helpless situation. MARYAM: The Virgin Mother Maryam is the only woman who has been mentioned by name in the Qur’an. Her mother’s story before her birth (Surah al-Imran - 3:35-37) and indeed her own story (Surah al-Imran - 3:37-50; Surah Maryam - 19:16-33) are among the most moving ones in the Qur’an. Maryam was very special and chosen child from the very beginning. Her mother was the wife of a person called Imran. She made a vow that her first born child would be devoted to God and His service. When Maryam was born her mother was disappointed and said to Allah: “O my Sustainer! Behold, I have given birth to a female.” (3:36) Allah said to her: “Allah had been fully aware of what she should give birth to, and that the male is not as the female.” (3:36) So Maryam was brought up under Allah’s care and protection. She grew up into one of the most important personality devoted to Allah. It was she who was chosen to be the mother of the Spirit from God. When she reached maturity an angel came to her to give her the following news: “I am only your God’s messenger sent to bestow a pure son to you.” She said: “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?” (19:20) He replied: “Thus your Lord has said: It is a simple matter for Me (Allah) to do. We will make him a sign for mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah). It is a matter which has been decreed.” (19:21) When she gave birth to her son she took him to her people. They rejected her till Jesus talked to them from the cradle: “I am a slave of Allah. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet.” (19:30) Maryam is not only the one whose name is mentioned in the Qur’an but also the only woman to whom Allah sent Angels. She was declared as a woman above all the women in the world. She is a symbol of innocence, purity, devotion and total submission. Traitors in the House Women who are mentioned in the Qur’an as examples of treachery and evil doings are only three: Nuh’s wife, Lut’s wife and the wife of Abu Lahab. Their stories are the opposite of the story of Pharaoh’s wife. Esia, Pharaoh’s wife, was a believer under an arrogant and unjust husband. His power did not influence her, nor could his tyranny cut her off from good actions. On the other hand, the wives of Nuh and Lut remained in darkness despite living with Allah’s Prophets. They could not see the light of faith and missed the right path. They betrayed their husbands and they shall be doomed: “For those who are bent on denying the truth God has propounded a parable in (the stories of) Nuh’s wife and Lut’s wife; they were wedded to two of our righteous servants and each one betrayed her husband, and neither of the two (husbands) will be of any avail to these two women when they are told (on the Day of Judgment): ‘Enter the fire with all those who enter it’.” (66:10) As far as Abu Lahab’s wife is concerned she would just match her devious husband. We know about her story in much more detail as she lived in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). In the Qur’an she has been described hammalat al-hatab or the carrier of the thorny wood. Whatever her title was she is one of the most troublesome person mentioned in the Qur’an. Other women of the time of the Prophet are not mentioned directly but they have been referred to in few places. They are: ‘Aisha (Surah al-Nur 24:11-26); Zaynab (Surah al-Ahzab 33:37-39); Hafsa (Surah al-Tahraim 66:1-5) all three wives of the Prophet; and Khawla bint Tha’laba whose prayer was answered by Allah (Surah al-Mujadila 58:1-5). Detailed stories of these women can be found in books of Hadith and Tafseer. These stories represent certain values and characteristics, which should be emulated and some bad which should be avoided. These characters whether men or women are there as a lesson to be learnt and examples to be followed or avoided. “And out of all the accounts relating to the apostles We convey unto thee that wherewith We make firm thy heart. For through these accounts comes the truth unto thee as well as admonition and a reminder unto all believers.” (11:120).

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs’ Qur’an summer courses for students will start on Sunday in a number of Qur’an centres affiliated to the ministry across the country. The aim of these courses is to utilise the summer vacation period and help students memorise the Holy Qur’an, improve their reading performance, increase their educational skills, and enhance their values and good morals. In a press statement, the ministry said it has registered a large number of students wishing to benefit from the well-prepared programmes. Registration for the courses ends on Thursday. The ministry confirmed that it provided all the means to ensure the success of these courses. The courses, which will last for a full month, will be held in 30 of the ministry’s Qur’an centres, which have been chosen for geographical distribution, population density and the ability to accommodate the largest number of students during the summer vacation. Loving and glorifying the Sunnah Do you truly love the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam? A fundamental of our religion, and a tenet of our faith, is to love him.  Allah Says what means: “Say [O Muhammad]: ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and Jihaad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.” [Qur’an 9: 24]  Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh said: “This verse is enough of an evidence to prove the obligation of loving the Prophet because Allah dispraised in it those whose wealth, family or children are dearer to them than the love of Allah and His Messenger  describing them as defiantly disobedient at its conclusion.” Love of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, branches from Allah’s love of him; our love of the Prophet is due to the fact that Allah loves him, and because Allah sent him to us as His Messenger, as well as the fact that Allah instructs us to make him dearer to our hearts than our own souls. He Almighty Says what means: “The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves…” [Qur’an 33: 6]  This means that the believer should love the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, more than he loves his own self.  This love entails full obedience, submission and acceptance; it also entails favouring the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, over oneself, one’s family and one’s wealth, and to surrender to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, the controlling direction that one has over himself. The influence that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, should have over us is greater than that which a master has over his slave, or a father has over his child. We should have no control over ourselves except in acting in accordance with the way he directed us to.  It is for every Muslim to prove his love for him, which can be determined according to the following narration of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “There are three qualities; whoever has them will taste the sweetness of faith: To love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else…” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]  One will never taste the sweetness of faith except after achieving this, as he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said in another narration: “I swear by the One in whose Hand my soul is! None of you will truly believe until I become dearer to him than his child, his father and all of mankind.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This love is not simply an emotion that is confined to the heart, but rather it has implications and effects. This love makes the slave achieve a rank that he would not otherwise achieve by means of his bodily deeds, as in the narration of Ibn Mas’ood, radhiallah ‘anhu, who said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! When will the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) come?’ He  replied: “What have you prepared for it?” The man said: ‘Only my love of Allah and His Messenger.’ The Messenger of Allah then said: “You will be with those whom you love.”” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] It is not as important to know when the Hour will occur as it is to prepare for its arrival, and this is the reason why the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, drew this to the attention of the man by asking him that question. Anas, radhiallah ‘anhu, said: “After being blessed by embracing Islam, we never rejoiced at anything as much as we did about this answer of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, to that man. I love Allah, His Messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and hope to be with them (in the Hereafter) even if I cannot perform the good deeds they did.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] The Companions had great love for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, to the extent that they would face arrows that were being fired in his direction to shield him. They would risk their lives for him and sacrifice everything for his rescue. ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, radhiallah ‘anhu, said: “There was no one dearer to me or more glorified than the Prophet; I could never look him directly in the eye due to the extent of my glorification, and if someone were to ask me to describe him, I would not be able to, as I never looked at him for long enough to be able to describe him.” [Muslim] When Abu Sufyaan, radhiallah ‘anhu, was still a disbeliever, he asked Zayd ibn Thaabit, radhiallah ‘anhu, who was taken as a hostage and being brought out by the people of Makkah to execute: “Do you not wish that Muhammad was in your place and that we killed him instead, while you could go to your family and be with them?” He replied: “I swear by Allah! I would rather be here facing this than have him even being pricked by a thorn.” Upon hearing this, Abu Sufyaan, radhiallah ‘anhu, said: “I never saw a people who love a man more than the Companions of Muhammad love him.” Such incidents greatly affected the disbelievers and caused many of them to embrace Islam. A man from the Ansaar came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and said: “You are dearer to me than myself, my child, my family and my wealth, and I feel as if I am dying when I do not see you.” Then he began to cry. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, asked: “Why are you crying?” The man replied: “I remembered that we will die and you will die, then you will take your place in Paradise with the other Messengers and Prophets, while we, if indeed we do enter Paradise, will be lower in rank than you, and thus we will not be able to see you in Paradise.” Note how much they loved him; they were worried about not seeing him, despite the fact that they may also be in Paradise. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, did not comment on his words until Allah revealed the following verses which mean: “And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. That is the bounty from Allah…” [Qur’an 4: 69-70] Thereupon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, summoned him and said: “Glad tidings to you!” [Al-Bayhaqi] Once, a female companion was waiting at the approach to Al-Madinah for the return of the Muslim army from the battle of Uhud. She was informed that her husband, brother and father were killed, but her only reply was: “What happened to the Prophet?” They told her that he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was fine and unharmed, but she insisted to seeing him so that she would be sure that he was truly safe. When she did see him, she remarked: “Any affliction, after seeing that you are safe, is minor.” Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

In the two previous articles, we have discussed some motivation boosters, the last of which we shall mention here: 1- Turning away from a dispiriting environment Shaykh Muhammad Ismaa‘eel Al-Muqaddim, may Allah preserve him, said: “Man is greatly influenced by his surroundings. If he lives in a frustrating environment where lethargy, slackness and meanness are encouraged, he must abandon that and move elsewhere where he would be highly motivated. Only when he leaves behind such conditions will he get rid of its influence and enjoy the opportunity to realise distinguished objectives.” This is particularly applicable for one who has just repented, as changing his or her surroundings will stimulate motivation, which he or she is in need of, more than other believers. Turning away from an environment of disobedience to that of worship is likely to help in overcoming what initially enticed him or her toward wicked companions and bad places. Hence, he or she will be able to start anew and, with strong willpower and firm determination, adopt a transformed lifestyle. It is a fact that a person is influenced by the wayward around him or her in the same manner that water is contaminated and changed by rotting meat that may be beside it. Therefore, a person must flee from an environment of weariness, laziness and callousness. 2- Keeping company with people known for their drive As mentioned above, there is unanimous agreement that people are influenced by those around them. Hence, a person should befriend the righteous and those who are competitive [in doing good], and avoid the company of the wicked and evil, for a person is surely known by his or her companions. He or she must spend time with those who encourage him or her to worship Allah The Almighty, not those who do the opposite. Moreover, it is undeniable that even looking at the righteous raises one’s morale, just as spending time with them and listening to their words of advice has a great effect. For example, upon seeing Wakee’ ibn Al-Jarraah, may Allah have mercy upon him, people used to say: “This is an angel!” Likewise, every time they encountered Muhammad ibn Seereen, may Allah have mercy upon him, they used to glorify Allah The Almighty because of the light [of piety] on his face. Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh, may Allah have mercy upon him, explains: “When a believer looks at another believer, it purifies the heart; however, when a person looks at a heretic innovator, it leads to [its] blindness. Indeed, the person who keeps company with one who introduces new traditions in religion is deprived of wisdom.” ‘Abdullaah ibn Al-Mubaarak, may Allah have mercy upon him, once remarked: “Every time I look at Al-Fudhayl, may Allah have mercy upon him, my sadness and hatred for myself are renewed [because of his excellence in faith]”; he then burst into tears. A person should befriend those who are highly motivated and benefit from their morals and characteristics, if he or she can not be like them him/herself. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8] If a person sincerely wants good company, he or she must stand up and take the initiative. He or she should not think that this is difficult because the One Whose help is sought is Allah The Omnipotent. A person must approach The One who has given to others that which he is seeking for himself, for He is his Lord, just as He is theirs. Allah The Almighty taught Al-Khidhr what was concealed from Moosa (Moses), and revealed to Sulaymaan (Solomon) what was unknown to Daawood (David), may Allah exalt the mention of them all. 3- Patience and perseverance These characteristics, along with conviction, certainly help a person attain an exalted degree of piety. Indeed, a person who tastes the sweetness of good health cares little about the bitterness of patience, when, in fact, the capacity for this in believers transforms them into religious leaders. As for one who sees the path as stretched, walks slowly because of his or her low motivation. Thus, a person should remain steadfast in clinging to the truth and to faith, after sensing its beauty and tasting its sweetness. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.} [Qur’an 3:200] 4- Solitude Seclusion helps a person contemplate and think; it purifies the heart from anything that might keep it away from the Lord. Abu Haamid Al-Ghazaali, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A man feels forlorn and at a loss with himself when he is devoid of virtues; he therefore intensifies socialising with others to get rid of that loneliness by their company.” Some scholars say that there should be times when a person isolates him/herself to supplicate to Allah, remember Him, pray, reflect, call him/herself to account, reform the heart and address private matters that require solitude. ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy upon him, used to say: “My father was the most persevering in his [self-imposed] seclusion.” He may Allah have mercy upon him further recounts: “No one saw my father except in the mosque, at a funeral or while visiting a sick person; and he hated wandering in markets.” Some virtuous personalities have been reported to have said: “Anyone who wants to influence the human existence and transform it, must spend some time in solitude, away from the clamor of everyday life and people’s problems. There must be a period of meditation, reflection and contemplating this vast universe and its innumerable characteristics.” There are many benefits in such seclusion, some of which are: protection from the evil of the tongue, fortification of the heart from hypocrisy, discovery of the delightfulness of obedience [to Allah The Almighty], safeguarding the sight and attaining peace in the heart, asceticism and contentment and ability to worship through contemplation and meditation. 5- Reading the biographies of those who are highly motivated Studying the life stories of great, sincere scholars and well-known righteous people is one of the best means of encouraging virtue in oneself, for it teaches the ability to endure hardship and difficulties for the sake of noble intents and sublime goals. Moreover, it encourages a person to follow in the footsteps of those who made great sacrifices and were highly motivated to rise to the highest of ranks. Al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, would say: “Stories of the righteous [are like] among the soldiers of Allah that He uses to strengthen the faith of those who seek to be close to Him.” When it was inquired if any authentic reference validated that theory, he replied: “That is supported by the verse where Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart.} [Qur’an 11:120]” Thus, learning everything about the righteous is the finest method of strengthening resolve, stimulating ambition, promoting enthusiasm, discovering talents, reforming a person’s morals and increasing motivation. Yet, we are not alluding to a mere narration of stories and tales, with neither understanding nor beneficial knowledge. Rather, we mean shedding light on good role models a Muslim can imitate in terms of morality and religion, as well as in words and deeds. Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “The path for a man who seeks perfection in pursuing knowledge is in reading beneficial books; let him read a lot and then he will discern the knowledge and high morale of those people, which will energise him and motivate him in his determination to be hard working.” Therefore, all people should pay attention to the biographies of the righteous predecessors, read their books and learn everything about them, because perusing their works will give us an insight into their personalities. In sum, these are some motivation boosters. We advise you to apply them with patience and we ask Allah The Almighty to make these of benefit to all of us. Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

In an article during the blessed month of Ramadan, we mentioned some motivation boosters. Following are some more: 1. Seeking perfection and rising above inadequacy The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  (may Allah exalt his mention) said: “Allah likes what is noble and dislikes what is petty”, meaning every act that is bad and inferior. The Qur’an urges us to strive for excellence, as that act differentiates between good and bad, those who are knowledgeable and those who are not, those who fight and those who abstain, and between pioneers and loiterers. In various verses, it favours those who are more esteemed in terms of perfection. For instance, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and  standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.} [Qur’an 39:9] {Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujaahidoon, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred the mujaahidoon through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujaahidoon over those who remain [behind] with a great reward.} [Qur’an 4:95] Likewise, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, urged his Ummah toward attaining perfection and rising above shortcomings. He said: “The strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer and in each one there is goodness. Be eager to [do] what is beneficial and seek the Help of Allah and never be weak.” Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The one who does not work hard will not be saved by his honourable lineage.” Thus, whoever desires to be highly motivated should aspire to perfection and overcome trivial matters. 2. Abandoning worldly pleasures In other words, despising life and being wary of its domination and control over the heart is significant. Once, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz sought the advice of Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon them, who wrote to him, saying, “The most important factor in becoming virtuous and guiding others to righteousness is forsaking worldly pleasures. This is achieved by conviction, which, in turn, is attained through contemplation that stems from being heedful. If you think carefully about life, you will find it unworthy of your selling yourself for its sake; and, you will discover that you merit being honoured by caring little about this world, for it is only a place of trials and is transitory.” Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: “A man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam, and asked him to offer him concise advice. He said, ‘Give up hope in [possessing] what others have and be cautious of greed, which is ongoing poverty. If you pray, do so as if it were your last prayer; and beware of doing what obliges you to offer apologies.’” Indeed, the one who renounces worldly pleasures will end up having a taste of the bliss of Paradise and the status of being close to Allah The Almighty. 3. Being concerned with one’s own affairs Occupying oneself with matters related to others, which have no effect on the individual, is a bad habit that wastes time. And, time is a person’s capital, so squandering it without doing anything useful for one’s life or religion is indeed unfavourable. Hence, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “It is of a man’s goodness in faith that he leaves what does not concern him.” 4. Refraining from wasting one’s time Again, time is life and the lucky person is the one who makes optimum use of it by capitalising on its every moment. Those with high motivation invest every second wisely; they are always keen on making the best use of their time, so much so that even personal tragedies do not prevent them from that. Ibn al-Katheer may Allah have mercy upon him, for example, wrote his great books, like Jaami’ Al-‘Usool and An-Nihaayah fi Ghareeb Al-Hadith, when he was physically impaired. As-Sarakhsi ,may Allah have mercy upon him, penned his famous treatise Al-Mabsoot, which consists of 15 volumes, while he was imprisoned. Also, Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon, him wrote Zaad Al-Ma‘aad while he was travelling and Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon, him wrote an explanation of Sahih Muslim while on board a ship. 5. Striving against vain desires There are people who exert great efforts for the sake of a whim or worthless desires. However, a highly motivated person expends much energy on behalf of his or her beliefs and propagation of Islam. The worshipper does not rest except in Paradise, which spans an area as wide as the heavens and the earth. The path is easy only for those who know [what they would like to be] their destination. Thus, strive against your own vain desires to win the greatest honour. It was also said that a man reaches perfection only when he gives precedence to his religion over his desires, and if he instead prioritises fulfilling his whims, he will be destroyed. That is why the strictly devout would train themselves to contradict their personal wants, even if they may be lawful, so as to habituate themselves to the concept of abandoning fancies altogether. Hence, whoever strives against his or her vain desires and demonstrates diligence in that will certainly reap what he or she sows; and, indeed acquiring virtues requires great efforts. 6. Refraining from hope in a long life and frequent remembrance of death The one who indulges in this becomes highly motivated and consequently, increases in good deeds. Maajidah al-Qurashiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon her, used to say, “The sunrise and sunset have put an end to my hopes; and I expect death in every single movement that I hear.” Of the careless in this regard, she remarked, “They have prolonged their hopes and thus wasted their time. If only they had thought of death and forgotten about these [fanciful] notions, they would have found work to be easier for them.” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, held ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and advised: “Be in life as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer, and count yourself among the people of the graves.” [Al-Bukhari] He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would also awake [for worship] after a third of the night had passed; he would then counsel: “O people! Remember Allah; remember [Him]. The blast [of the Horn that will convulse the creation] has [nearly] arrived; there will follow it a subsequent [one]. Death is imminent; death has come.” [Ahmad] Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdullah used to say, “Death has spoilt the fortune of the fortunate. Hence, seek prosperity that has no death.” In conclusion, bear in mind that the most intelligent people are those who remember death frequently and prepare themselves for it. Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Praise be to Allah Who has guided us to Islam. We can never be guided except with the help of Allah. Praise be to Allah Who has favoured the month of Ramadan over all other months and made it a great opportunity to attain rewards by committing good deeds. During Ramadan, the believers compete in doing acts of obedience and spending in the cause of Allah. During the blessed month, righteous deeds are doubled, mistakes are remitted, ranks of men are raised and supplications are answered by Allah. It is the month of benevolence and blessings. It is the month of mutual consolidation. During this month the provisions of Muslims increase, their faith becomes deeper and they compete in performing Taraweeh prayer, late optional night prayer, recitation of the Qur’an and giving charity to the needy among relatives, neighbours and poor people in general. This is in accordance to Allah’s saying which means: “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.” [Qur’an 3: 133] Allah also Says (what means):  “…And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.” [Qur’an 2: 195] The verses that encourage doing good in the cause of Allah are many. Therefore, we should continue the good deeds that we have initiated in Ramadan and extend them after its termination. You should know that the sign of the acceptance of a good deed by Allah is that you follow it with another good deed, and the sign of rejecting good deeds by Allah is that you follow it by committing sins. This should be well understood by those people who feel happy and relieved after the termination of Ramadan as they think that with the end of Ramadan they will be free to commit whatever sins they wish, and rebel against the commands of their Lord. Allah is the Greatest – with every fasting and breaking of Fast, with each instance of growing of trees and the blooming of fruits, whenever a crescent appears and then grows and becomes a full moon, whenever rain falls and pours forth – Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest! Praise be to Allah.  Servants of Allah! Turn in repentance to your Lord and supplicate Him sincerely by offering your duty to Him. Be sincere in worship, supplication, in your fear of Allah and in your wish to attain His mercy. Rely on Allah in all your affairs. Seek His aid and protection, as He is the best supporter and disposer of affairs. He is the Saviour and the Answerer of whoever asks Him with sincerity. Allah Says what means: “And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [Qur’an 2: 186]  Let us then listen to Allah’s call and believe in His Messenger. Let this assemblage be a reminder of His assemblage of the Resurrection when all the creations be gathered naked and barefooted, as they were originally created. We will be gathered at one place. The believers will be received by the Angels with good tidings and congratulations for the salvation from torture. The Angels will say to the survivors on that day: “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised!” [Qur’an 41: 30]  Allah describes the state of the believers on that day saying: “[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright – Laughing, rejoicing at good news..” [Qur’an 80: 38-39]  As for the unbelievers on that day Allah describes them as such: “And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust. Blackness will cover them. Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.” [Qur’an 80: 40-42] Glorified be Allah, Who is worthy of all glorifications? Allah Says what means: “So exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.” [Qur’an 30: 17-18] O Allah! As you have sent to us Your Prophet Muhammad, make our houses well maintained and full of life (due to worship practised therein) and do not condemn us on account of our bad deeds and be merciful to us as You are the most Merciful of those who show mercy.  O Allah! As You are The Most Gracious of those who show graciousness, and the Greatest of all those who claim greatness, make for us a way out of each distress and grief.  O Allah! Grant blessings on Prophet Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the Prophet of mercy and the Messenger of guidance, as many times as the number of those who offered prayers on him right from his mission until the Day of Resurrection.  O Allah! Grant him intercession on our behalf and resurrect us in his group and under his banner and decree for us to drink from his font (the Hawd) so that we never feel thirsty thereafter.  O Allah! Grant us a joyful life, a bounteous provision and a righteous deed! O Allah! Grant mercy on this gathering and grant us protection from error after departing! Servants of Allah! Your actual joy of festivals should be through continuing to practice acts of obedience and good deeds, kindness to parents, maintaining the ties of kinship and kindness to relatives, the poor and orphans. Hasten in reconciliation among yourselves, since this occasion is the appropriate time for this purpose. Give measure and weight with full justice. Give preference to Allah’s judgment above your whims. None of us can be a true believer until his liking complies with the teachings of Allah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Know that: “Injustice will cause darkness on the Day of Resurrection.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “Whoever causes harm to others Allah will harm him, and whoever makes it difficult for people Allah will make it difficult for him.” [At-Tirmithi] Let us raise our children according to the precepts of Islam. Let us teach them to lead a frugal life and manage financial affairs well. Let us teach them how to spend their money properly. Let us help those who have attained puberty to marry, in accordance with the Prophet’s, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, saying: “O youth! Let those who can afford marriage among you marry! For marriage is apt to give stronger ability to restrain one’s gaze and protect one’s chastity.” O you youth who can afford marriage, let all of you hasten to marry. O you guardians of the girls, who are entrusted to you by Allah, hasten to marry them without imposing too many restrictions and complications with regard to dowers, by the coming festival they should be married to their suitable mates. Praise be to Allah, Who blesses us with repeated assemblies and festivals. He is the gatherer of mankind together against a Day about which there is no doubt, for Allah never fails in His promise.  Servants of Allah! Know that charity obliterates sin, extinguishes the wrath of the Lord and protects from evil destinies.  O Muslims! Beware of arrogance and its manifestations, since the arrogant people will be resurrected the size of atoms and people will tread them with their feet. O pious Muslim women! Preserve your adornment and do not disclose it nor apply perfume in the presence of any men other than your Mahram relatives [those who are not allowed to marry you] or your husbands. Allah Says what means: “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…” [Qur’an 33: 33] Lastly, do not forget to observe fasting for six days in the month of Shawwaal, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Whoever fasts (the month of) Ramadan then follows it with six days in Shawwal, will be considered as if he has observed Fasting during the whole year.” [Muslim]

Unquestionably, being highly motivated is one of the favours that Allah The Almighty bestows upon whomever He wills from His slaves. Being the Ever-Wise, He has created people in varying physical and mental capabilities. However, He has made strength of mind attainable through adopting certain actions and means. Here, we shall briefly enumerate some motivation boosters, hoping that Allah The Almighty will grant it to us: 1. Sincerity Forgetting the creation by taking into consideration only their Creator urges a person to do noble things because one realises that Allah The Almighty is indeed, of all things, Seeing. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “The righteous intention is like a booster shot for high motivation; when they fuse, one can attain his [or her] sublime objectives.” 2. Truthfulness The person who is honest in his or her determination and actions is a highly motivated person; this quality entitles him or her to enjoy happiness in both worlds. In determination, truthfulness denotes decisiveness without hesitation; and, in actions, it means exerting one’s utmost efforts to achieve a set target. While the first protects an individual from weakness of motivation and will, the second shields him or her from lethargy and slackness. 3. Knowledge The one who believes that knowledge and ignorance are equal or who is content with his or her status does not have any motivation. There can be no doubt that knowledge boosts a person’s drive, removing him or her from the disgrace of ignorance and blind imitation, and purifies his or her intention. Shaykh Mohammad Ismaa‘eel says in ‘Uluww Al-Himmah: “Knowledge makes one aware of the levels of deeds. Hence, he [or she] avoids excessive indulgence in enjoying permissible things, which detract him [or her] from worship, such as overeating or oversleeping, and observes a balance between, and moderation in, rights and duties, regarding which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), said: “Give each [thing or individual] its due right.” Furthermore, knowledge makes one aware of Satan’s plots and tactics of confusing him [or her] as a way to prevent him [or her] from doing acts that are greater in reward.” Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The degree of the person who pursues knowledge of the levels of deeds and noble acts, determines the extent of his [or her] knowledge of the increase and decrease in status and faith.” 4. Attentiveness This quality separates a man from the heedless, makes him avoid the deeds of the ignorant, protects him from slackness and boosts his motivation to the extent that he is restless until he comes to inhabit Paradise, whose width is equivalent to the heavens and earth. A person who wants to be ambitious must completely avoid the company of the reckless, which he or she would only come to regret. It was narrated that after the Battle of Badr, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, invited Thul-Jawshan Adh-Dhabaabi to Islam, and said: “Do you not want to be one of the early Muslims?” When the man replied in the negative, he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, asked: “What is the reason behind your refusal?” Thul-Jawshan answered: “I saw that your people disbelieved in you, expelled and fought you. If you managed to defeat them, I would believe in you and follow you; otherwise I would not.” Later, Thul-Jawshan regretted that he did not convert to Islam when the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, invited him. 5. Decisiveness Hesitation causes the slave of Allah The Almighty to miss out on many blessings, stunting him or her while others move on. Only a resolute person can attain his or her goal; therefore, do not be uncertain and worried, and destroy yourself with doubts, which only lead to further qualms. Instead, contemplate the verses where Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when you have resolved, then rely upon Allah.} [Qur’an 3:159] {And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.} [Qur’an 47:21] 6. Consciousness of the value and honour of the soul This does not mean that man should be arrogant or conceited; rather, he has to understand that as a human being, he is superior to all other creations of Allah The Almighty. Therefore, he should be keen on exalting himself and increasing his worth through righteous deeds, knowledge, persistence and research, and by culturally refining himself, enlightening his mind, and igniting ambition and nobility within his soul. Dear brother and sister; remember that Allah The Almighty made His angels prostrate to you and placed them at your service. How many of them are there in the heavens who never sleep yet do not attain any exalted degree? On the other hand, Allah The Almighty Himself praises those people who leave their beds to worship Him for a while, when He Says (what means): {Their sides forsake their beds.} [Qur’an 32:16] How many angels exist in the sky, who never taste food or drink, but they have no distinction? On the contrary, when a human being abstains from eating and drinking for a while, he or she is praised by Allah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who said: “The breath of the fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.” The angels pray for us and the bearers of the Throne ask Allah The Almighty to forgive us. Let us then, dear brother and sister, search our souls and bear its value in mind; we will then become highly motivated. 7. Supplication We chose to mention this factor at the end of the article because it is the widest and nearest gate to all types of blessings; the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The most miserly of people is the one who is mean with [offering] greetings; and the most incapable [of them] is the one who is unable of making supplication.” The Prophet also said: “There is nothing [of acts of worship] that is more honourable [in the sight of Allah] than invocation.” Therefore, we have to draw close to our Protector through the door of humility and submission. We must supplicate to Him, saying: “Ilaahi wa Sayyidi wa Mawlaay, anta aslahta as-saaliheen, wa-a‘layta himamahum, faj‘alna minhum, wa alhiqna bihim fee ‘illiyeen (O my Lord, Master and Protector, You have reformed the righteous and boosted their motivation; make us from them and make us join them in the most exalted of ranks).” Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Eid prayer is a strongly recommended and important act of worship in Islam and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, never neglected it. The Prophet is reported to have ordered men, women and children to proceed to the Eid prayer ground. Even menstruating women are encouraged to attend the Eid sermon but they should keep away from the prayer area. It is highly recommended to have ritual ablution (Ghusl) and to wear the most beautiful garments and the best perfumes one possesses. It (i.e., the Eid Prayer) consists of two Rak’ahs (unit of prayer). Ibn ‘Umar may Allah be pleased with him said: “The journey prayer consists of two Rak’ahs, the Adh-Haa prayer consists of two Rak’ahs, and the Fitr prayer consists of two Rak’ahs as well, and they are complete prayers not shortened according to what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said.” The first Rak’ah begins with the Takbeer [saying: Allaahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)] as the case is in all other prayers. Then Imaam (followed by the praying Muslims) recites seven Takbeeraat (plural of Takbeer). In the second Rak’ah there are five Takbeeraat other than the transmission Takbeer (i.e., the one recited when the Imam and the praying Muslims stand up to perform second Rak’ah). ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam,  used to recite Takbeer in (the prayers of Eid) Al-Fitr and Al-Adh-Haa, seven Takbeeraat in the first (Raka’ah) and five in the second one other than the two Takbeeraat that precede the Rukoo’ (bowing).” Imaam Al-Bahawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “This is the opinion of most of the well-versed scholars of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, and those who followed them that there are seven Takbeeraat in the first Rak’ah of the Eid prayer other than the first Takbeer (Takbeeratul Ihram), and five Takbeeraat in the second Rak’ah other than the transmission Takbeer and all before reciting (verses from the Glorious Qur’an). This was narrated from Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, and others.” When the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was done with the Takbeeraat, he used to recite the Faatihah (the first chapter) of the Holy Qur’an) then he recites “Qaaf, By the Glorious Qur’an,” [chapter 50] in the first Rak’ah and Al-Qamar [chapter 54] in the second one. Sometimes he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to recite Al-’Alaa Surah [chapter 87] in the first Rak’ah and Al-Ghashiyah Surah [chapter 88]  in the second one. The rest of the acts of the ‘Eed prayer are as those of any other prayer; nothing is different. It is of the Prophetic Sunnah that the Eed sermon should follow the Eid prayer.

Eids or festivals are moments of celebration common to all nations. The festivals of non-believing nations are associated with worldly matters such as the birth of a nation or its decline, the appointment or crowning of a ruler, his marriage, or the beginning of a season like spring, and so on. As for Muslims, their festivals (Eids) are associated with their religious rituals.  They have only two festivals or Eids:  Eid Al-Fitr (Celebration of the end of Ramadan) and Eid Al-Adha (festival of sacrifice). When the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, came to Madinah and found the people celebrating two days he said:  “What are these occasions”?  They said: “We used to celebrate them in Jaahiliyya (before the coming of Islam)”.  He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, then said : “Allah has replaced them for you with the two better days (i.e. Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha)”.  These two festivals which Allah prescribed to the Muslims are part of the rituals of Islam which should be commemorated and the purposes of which should be understood. Rules pertaining to Eid: 1.  It is forbidden to fast on the day of both Eids, as it is understood from the hadith narrated by Abee Sa’eed that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, forbade the fasting of the two Eids. 2.   It is recommended that both men and women observe Eid prayer in an open field as is clear in the hadith narrated by Um Atiya, may Allah be please with her, who said:  “We used to be ordered to come out on the day of Eid and even to bring the virgin girls from their houses and menstruating women so that they might stand behind the men and say takbir along with them and hope for the blessings of that day for purification from sins”.  Since menstruating women (who stay away from the musallah) as well as those who are virgin are commanded to observe Eid prayer, there is no doubt that the men, old and young are even strongly commanded to observe it. 3.  Eid prayer should be performed before the khutba of Eid as is confirmed in the hadith narrated by Ibn Amr, Abee Sa’eed, and Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them. 4.   It is recommended that the Imaam makes Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) during the prayer, seven times in the first Raka’at and five in the second.  This has been confirmed by the companions of the Salaf (our righteous predecessors). 5.   It is recommended that the Imaam recites in the first Raka’at Soorah Al-A’alaa (chapter 87) and Soorah Al-’Ghaashiah (chapter 88) in the second.  Other reports also show that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to recite Soorah  Qaaf (chapter 50) and Soorah Al-Qamar (chapter 54) as is confirmed in Sahih Muslim. 6.  There is no Sunnah prayer either before or after Eid prayer as Ibn Abbas, may Allah,  be pleased with him, narrated that whenever the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, went for Eid prayer, he used to pray two Raka’at (of Eid) but nothing before or after them. Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

The scope of worship in Islam is universal, in the literal sense. For the Qur’an tells us that each and every constituent of creation near or far, seen or unseen, animate or inanimate­­­­ - worships The True and Only God. “Indeed, every being in the heavens and the earth but comes to the All-Merciful as a worshipper.”  [Qur’an; 19: 93] It is only human beings, then, that are called upon to voluntarily join in the wonderful symphony of worshipful creation. Islam’s five pillars are the cornerstones upon which we build such an outstanding and worshipful life. But no such establishment of a dignified life of faith on earth, either personally or socially, can take place without one essential pillar that represents the intersection of our professed convictions and our practical lives. Zakaah is that pillar, for it is the primary instrument that Allah has placed at our disposal to spiritually and socially uplift every Muslim and the entirety of our community and thereby to assert a benevolent hand for the commonweal of humanity. Among Zakaah’s most blessed manifestations - and certainly its most widespread - is the obligatory annual giving of the Zakatul-Fitr charity, before the solemnising of Ramadan by Eid prayer. The overarching meaning of Zakaah The Arabic word ‘Zakaah’ means ‘purity,’ ‘cleansing,’ ‘wholesomeness,’ and ‘integrity’ (in both their physical and moral senses). It means, also, ‘growth’ or ‘increase.’ Understanding these linguistic meanings helps our proper appreciation of what Zakaah is as a financial, or fiduciary rite mandated by Allah. For, indeed, each of these senses finds its native expression in Zakaah’s correct function in our lives and in our local communities and societies. It is known also by the term Sadaqatul-Fitr, or the Sincere, or Righteous Charity of Fast Breaking, because it testifies to one’s sincerity to Allah and his or her righteousness in seeking to comply with Allah’s legislation, or Sanctioned Laws and legislations. Zakaah’s primary goal is not that of simple “charity.” Allah has instituted other mechanisms for this purpose. Rather, Zakaah is much farther seeing and reaching. Its objective is to secure the psycho-spiritual well-being of every single Muslim as an individual servant of Allah, and to safeguard the socio-moral welfare of the entire Muslim nation. The reason that the objectives of Zakaah are so profound and sweeping is that its principle is so universally sound and materially decisive. Zakaah is the incumbent giving of wealth, in all its material manifestations, from all those who have it (and this is its comprehensive aspect) to all those whose need gives them a right to a minimally dignifying sum from it - and this is its deeper significance. For it means that Allah has chosen to invest the wealth of some of us, for lawful increase, with others among us as a trust that must be conveyed to its rightful beneficiaries, if our own holdings are to remain pure and our societies are to have integrity. What is, indeed, so profound about this is that it underscores to humanity that all of its wealth, in fact, is disbursed to it on loan from Allah, who, as the Creator, is the sole Owner of life and all that the living possess. Allah has revealed this pillar of faith to every believing community in history. But He has expanded it into an inclusive, highly systematised institution enjoined upon all who would follow Islam. The sum of Zakatul-Fitr Originally, the stated amount of Zakatul-Fitr was a Saa’ of dates, or barley, or wheat. A Saa’ was a “goblet,” or drinking utensil, at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. There have been periodic inquiries by Muslim scholars (like the well-known investigation by Abu Yoosuf, the great Hanafi scholar) to determine updated weight-and-measure equivalents to that of the of Saa’ at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. There is some minimal discrepancy, or difference, in determining this weight based upon the conversion of quantities of varying items (dates and wheat, for example) into a unified measure. Thus a Saa’ is now estimated to be equal to anywhere from 2.176 to 2.25 kilograms, or just under 5 lbs. There is, however, an opinion in the Hanafi school of jurisprudence with regard to determining the correct amount of Zakatul-Fitr that specifies a half a Saa’ of harvested wheat grain or its flour, but one full Saa’ for items such as barley, dates, and raisins. However, this was based on the availability, or scarcity, of these items at the time this opinion emerged. Hence, the price of the staple items by which Zakatul-Fitr is determined must be reconsidered in contemporary circumstances to the advantage of the Zakat-Fitr recipients. The classical Maaliki, Shaafi’ee and Hanbali positions on the type of Zakatul-Fitr offering discusses payment only in terms of weights and measures of provisions, or foodstuffs. It is the Hanafi opinion, however, that holds sway in this matter, which states that Muslims may give the price of Zakatul-Fitr, originally determined for grains and dates, in contemporary currency equivalents. They argue this position on the basis of a higher good or more practicable benefit, saying that money enables the needy person to buy what he or she deems to be most desirable or necessary on the day of Eid. They point out that a person may, for example, not be in need of a provision of corn, or the like, but rather in want of clothing, or meat, etc. Who is liable for the Zakatul-Fitr payment As we have noted previously, every Muslim is liable for the payment of Zakatul-Fitr, provided food exists for one, and one’s dependents, for Eid eve and the following day. Knowing now what a Saa’ is, in terms of its contemporary weight equivalents, we can be more exact in defining who is liable to make the Zakatul-Fitr payment. Every Muslim, whether rich or poor, who possesses (or has stored on his behalf) grains, or similar foodstuffs - or the monetary means of achieving the like of this - sufficient for one’s sustenance, and that of one’s dependents for a full night and day, must give Zakatul-Fitr. This sum is due not per household, but per person. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Give Zakatul-Fitr on behalf of [all your] dependents” [Al-Bayhaqi], for he indicated that Zakatul-Fitr would purify the wealth of the rich and be the cause of Allah giving more to the poor than what they have given. Thus whoever meets the feeding requirements for his or her family must pay the Zakatul-Fitr payment for each and every household member. The Shaafi’ee and the Hanbali schools of jurisprudence state that a Muslim should give the Zakatul-Fitr payment on behalf of him - or herself and on behalf of every single person under his or her care - including one’s wife; children (even if they are older but still dependent, or ineligible to make the payment according to Zakatul-Fitr requirements); parents (if they are poor or dependent); and any others who are established dependents of the household (such as foster children, orphans, and the like). When is the   Payment Due Imaams Ash-Shaafi’ee and Ahmad  state that the Zakatul-Fitr payment becomes obligatory after sunset on  Eid’s eve, or the last day of fasting, because this is the end of Ramadan. Abu Haneefah  (and also Ash-Shaafi’ee in an earlier opinion of his) held that the sum of Zakatul-Fitr becomes obligatory at the dawn of Eid day because it is reported that the Prophet  commanded his Companions  to pay Zakatul-Fitr before going out to perform the prayer of Eid [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. (Therefore, if one has a newborn before the dawn of Eed, or one dies after the sunset of the final day of fasting, his or her Zakatul-Fitr must be paid, according to Abu Haneefah ). Also, according to Abu Haneefah  it is possible to pay Zakatul-Fitr in Ramadan in advance of Zakatul-Fitr, or even just prior to the commencement of Ramadan. Ash-Shaafi’ee  however, holds that Zakatul-Fitr can be given on the first day of fasting Ramadan. Imaams Maalik and Ahmad  state that its payment becomes obligatory after the sunset of the last day of Ramadan, but can be paid one or two days earlier. Where should Zakatul-Fitr be paid? In general, the best place for the collection and distribution of one’s Zakaah and charity—and this includes Zakatul-Fitr—is one’s locality or community, be it in one’s city, state, or country. This is strongly implied in the statement of the Prophet  in sending the famed Companion Mu’aath Ibn Jabal  to teach the people of Yemen. He said to him, “Inform them that Allah has made the paying of Zakaah obligatory on them. Take it from their rich and give it to their poor.” There are provisions for transferring Zakaah resources to other communities among Muslims; however, special guidelines for doing so have been established by Muslim scholars in accordance with Islamic legislation, to which the institutions responsible for the collection and distribution of Zakaah among Muslims are to adhere. Zakatul-Fitr: A favourable sign for our community The reemergence of Muslim concern for the paying and collection of all Zakaah resources and charities—especially Zakatul-Fitr —is an auspicious sign, indeed, for the Muslim community. Zakaah has increasingly taken a central place in contemporary Muslim discourse, as its dynamic (almost miraculous) possibilities are again being realised by Muslims. At least seven conferences on this topic have taken place in Kuwait (and others in Pakistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt) in recent decades. Their focuses have been diverse. A good summary of their scholarly recommendations concerning Zakatul-Fitr, however, is represented in the Sixth International Conference on Contemporary Zakaah Issues held in Kuwait in 1997. They are summed up herein to augment this look at one of the most blessed and pleasing expressions of our worship, to which Allah alone has guided us. And all goodness and truth is from Him alone. Summary of the Recommendations of the Sixth International Conference on Contemporary Zakaah Issues (Kuwait, 1997) 1. Zakatul-Fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim who has the food or provision to sustain himself, and those whom he is obligated to support, on the eve and the day of Eid, provided that this exceeds his basic needs. 2. A man is obliged to pay Zakatul-Fitr for his wife and minor children who have no money of their own. In the case of one who has independent children, one is not obliged for their payment. 3. What is obligatory is the giving of a Saa’ (four handfuls) of dates, barley, raisins, or other such grain, equal to about 2.25kg of wheat. Originally, the giving of Zakatul-Fitr was limited to the kinds of food that had been stated in the relevant statement of the Prophet . However, jurists have established (through proper methods) that it may be given out of other commonly consumed foods, such as rice, meat, milk and so forth, but should be valued in accordance with the items specified by the Prophet . Moreover, it is permissible to give Zakatul-Fitr in currency by paying the equivalent value of what is obligated. Those Muslim institutions entrusted with its collection and distribution are required to assess the value of the originally specified items in their areas, and to disseminate that information in their communities, accordingly. 4. Zakatul-Fitr must be given before the prayer of Eid. It is forbidden to delay it until after the Eid day. If one, for any reason, is prevented from giving it at that particular time, one must pay it after that time passes. If there is a need, Zakatul-Fitr may be given at any time from the beginning of the month of Ramadan that is, its first day—until the end of the specified time [of Eid day]. 5. It is permissible for one to delegate another to give Zakatul-Fitr on one’s behalf. 6. It is permissible for the institutions that collect Zakatul-Fitr to exchange it from goods to currency, and vice versa, based on the general interest of the community. 7. It is permissible, in special cases, to transfer Zakatul-Fitr collections from the people or locality in which it was collected to nearby communities in more need. And it is equally permissible to spend Zakatul-Fitr in another community, if the giving community has no one in need of it. 8. One must have a clear intention before giving one’s Zakatul-Fitr. If one delegates, or gives permission, to another to give Zakatul-Fitr on his behalf, it is considered an explicit intention. 9. If the community decides, after due process of consultation among its leadership and scholars, to delay the spending of what it has collected from Zakatul-Fitr payments until after the day of ‘Eid, then this may be done, provided that it serves a clear benefit for the community. 10. The Zakatul-Fitr payment should be dedicated to the poor and the needy. In some cases, however, it can be given to eligible recipients of Zakat of wealth; namely those stated by Allah in the following verse (which means): “for the poor and the needy, and for those who work [to administer it], and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and for freeing captives (or slaves), and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer…” [Qur’an 9:60] Article courtesy: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage