Have You Given This A Thought?

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

have you ever stopped & pondered on your life?
maybe at the end of the day?
or maybe at the end of the week?
do you forget that we're only here temporarily?
that this is all just like a dream?
that we will wake up at the end to the "real" world?



*the photo above is linked to a great article over at halalbucks.com

Harms Of Looking at Opposite Sex with Lustful Gazes

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

In this day and age, due to the shamelessness and immodesty which has been spread through Pornography, TV, VCR, Internet, Cell Phone, Cinema, etc., so many people's lives have been destroyed. Young people have ruined their youth in illicit sexual intercourse and masturbation. Life-life marriages have been broken due to unlawful love affairs. On a social level, society is plagued with problems such as rape, prostitution, child molestation and pedophile, homosexuality, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The question arises as to what is the root of all these problems. May Allah Ta'ala reward our pious predecessors, who look at the world with the eye of the heart, enlightened by the light of the Quran, Hadith and the burning love of Allah Ta’ala. They have diagnosed all these sickness to be brought about by one deadly disease. The root of all these problems is the SIN OF THE EYES, casting evil glances, looking at the opposite or same sex with lustful gazes. Unfortunately today, people do not even consider casting evil glances to be a sin, when in actuality it is the root of innumerable vices and sins.

Another reality which people are totally unaware of is that by protecting one's eyes from lustful glances, one is promised the taste of the sweetness of Imaan. Once the sweetness of Imaan enters the heart, it will never be taken back. Thus by protecting the eyes, one is given grad tidings of a good death.

Rasulullah Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said:

"Verily the evil glance is a poisonous arrow from the arrows of Iblees. He who abstains from casting evil glances, I will grant him such Imaan, that he will feel the sweetness of it in his heart".


Hafiz ibn Katheer (رحمۃ اللہ علیہ) mentions in his Tafseer:

"He who protects his eyes from unlawful gazes, Allah Ta'ala will grant him the light of the heart."

We ask Allah Ta'ala that He makes this note a means of exposing the reality of this destructive disease and that He guides the entire Ummah from the darknesses of sin into the light of piety and obedience to Allah Ta'ala and Rasulullah Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).

Characteristics of a Pious Wife

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

A pious woman’s priority is to seek the pleasure of Allah. She tries acquiring the qualities of a good wife by following the examples of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and obeying what is commanded in the Book of Allah. Complete obedience and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and Quran is the best of a woman’s qualities.

Examples:
A woman is married for four reasons: for her wealth, for her fame, for her beauty and for her religion. So marry one for her religion and you will win. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands) and guard in their husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their honor, husbands property, etc) [4:34]

An-Nasaii narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was asked “Who are the best of women?” He replied, “The one who pleases him (her husband) if he looks at her, obeys him if he orders (her) and does not subject her honor or money to what he dislikes.”

Ibn Hibban narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, “If a woman prayed five prayers, fasted in Ramadan, protected her honor and obeyed her husband; then she will be told (on the Day of Judgment): enter Paradise from any of its(eight) doors.”

Reflect on:
If a woman harms (in any way) her husband, then his wife in Paradise tells her: “Do not harm him, May Allah fight you, he is only staying temporarily with you. Soon he will come to us.” [Ahmad & At-Tirmithi]

If a man calls his wife to bed and she refuses till he slept while angry, then the Angels will curse her till the morning. [Muslim]

Allah does not look to the woman who does not appreciate her husband while she cannot stand his departing her. [An-Nasaii].

A woman does not fast while her husband is present without his permission, except in Ramadan. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Any woman who asks her husband for divorce for no reason will not smell the fragrance of Paradise. [Sahih Al-Jamii]

The Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, “If I were to order anyone to bow down to other than Allah, I would order the wife to do so for her husband. By the One who owns the soul of Muhammad,if a wife does not fulfill her obligations towards her husband, then she will not have fulfilled her obligations towards Allah.” [Ahmad]

You VS You - Self Motivation, Change & Success

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Arees Institute presents:

YOU VS YOU - SELF MOTIVATION, CHANGE & SUCCESS

with Shaikh Dr Isam Rajab (Kuwait / USA)

Dates: Saturday 13th June & Sunday 14th June 2009
Venue: 17-19 Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, London, SW1W 0PT

Arees is a well in Madina where many historical incidents were witnessed. This 12-hour course over 2 days covers areas focusing on self motivation, change and success. Who are you and what are your mission and vision in life? How do you attract success? How can you overcome procrastination and get things done in a more effective way? Take part in a life transforming journey like no other. Only 40 seats available. All welcome.

For further information please check out:
Website: www.arees.org

Serdar Prayer Rug

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Today's post is a bit different from usual...
Taken from my other blog...

Serdar Prayer Rug



Selling at USD 8.50 each / MYR 28.00
Made in Turkey
Dimensions measuring 3.5" x 2.2"
Available in different colors & similar designs

25 Steps To Be Closer To Allah

1. Start off each day with ‘adhkaar al-istiyqaadh’ (waking up Supplications), thanking Allah for waking up in good shape.

2. Put Allah first in your life.

3. Broaden your horizons - learn 5 new verses from the Quran every day, travel to pray far in the mosque to brighten your day,take up a booklet having supplications and read them.

4. Pray Salaat Al-dhuhaa (after sunrise).

5. If someone says something mean ;to you, just shrug it off and dismiss it in a friendly, laid back manner, and pray that Allah shall forgive them.

6. When you get angry, remember Allah, and how short and worthless life is to waste in being Angry.

7. Remember that you can never have too many friends, but you can have few quality friends that help you fulfill the purpose of your creation (i.e. live for Allah).

8. When you’re happy, try to share your happiness with others. Thank Allah for that, and pray its continuation.

9. When something bad or embarrassing happens to you, just think that it could always be worse, remember the reward of patience, and thank Allah that it’s not worse than it is.

10. Do something extra of goodness once in a while, like feeding a poor person, or caressing an orphan’s head.

11. Never stop believing that you can win Allah’s love and thus work For it. Then you can win the love of Allah’s slaves.

12. Spend some time thinking of Allah’s amazing creation.

13. Always love those who love Allah unconditionally. This way you will ensure that you live for Him, love for Him, and hate for Him (those who are enemies of Him).

14. Find the righteous ways to express yourself, and if you think that what you are about to say shall cause no benefit, maintain silence (this is tough!!).

15. Every now and then, give yourself a break. Play sports, give time to your family, friends, but always remember Allah and watch that He is watching you.

16. Pray for blessing to come to those being lost, and pray to Allah to guide them to the right path.

17. Hug your parents, kiss their hands and heads and always obey but stop at Allah’s orders.

18. Smile to everyone, for your smile makes a big difference to him or her and you are rewarded.

19. Forgive, forget and smile.

20. Tears are not for women only… tears are for all human beings with feelings remaining in them. Don’t restrain your tears when remembering Allah.

21. When people criticize your actions and effort, revise your actions and see if they please Allah or no. If they do; then ignore and remember how the Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba were criticized, made fun of and even physically harmed, so have patience.

22. Read the Quran daily and try to have a schedule for completing it as much as you could. As you open the Quran daily, read with observing not just passing your eyes through the words.

23. Don’t let popularity go to your head, for it never lasts and you may lose from it more than gain.

24. Never look down on anybody, for, to Allah, they may be better than you.

25. Send this to all with the intention of having a healthy society living for Allah and pray.

2 Parallel Drives

DateDrive 1: Six more seats left (unless you want the recording)

Coach Zohra's class is scheduled on June 17th and it will
be recorded and streamed over the web, inshaAllah.

Previously, we set the price of the class to $90. But,
Zohra insisted to keep it $30 to make it affordable for you.

Click here for her message:

http://halfdate.com/currentdrive/#zohra


DateDrive 2: Call for proposals and volunteers

Please help with half a date or a pleasant comment.
http://halfdate.com/currentdrive/


May Allah reward you with the sweetest date in Jannah

The True Meaning of 'Laa ilaaha illallaah'

It is a declaration [1](kalimah) that the Muslims proclaim in their daily lives; in their call to prayer (adhaan), their call to establishing the prayer (iqaamah), their sermons and their speeches. It is:

"A declaration upon which the heavens and the earth are established, and for which the whole of creation was created, and for which Allaah sent Messengers, revealed Books, and prescribed Divine Laws. Because of it the scales and the registers were set up, as were Paradise and HellFire. Due to it, the creation was divided into Believers and unbelievers, righteous and wicked. It is the root cause for there being creation, command, rewards and punishments. It is the right for which the creation was created and about it and its rights will they be questioned and brought to account. Because of it there is punishment and reward, due to it the direction of prayer (qiblah) was set up, upon it rests the very foundation of the religion, and it is the right of Allaah over His slaves. The declaration of Islaam and the key to Paradise. About it, both the earlier and later people will be questioned. Indeed, no person will stand before Allaah without being asked two questions: What did you worship? And how did you respond to the Messengers? The reply to the first is by realisation of laa ilaaha illallaah; knowing it, affirming it, and acting by it. The reply to the second is by realisation that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam, is the Messenger of Allaah; knowing it, complying with it and being obedient to it." [2]

Since understanding the meaning of a statement depends upon knowing its grammatical analysis, the scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon them, have paid great attention to the grammatical analysis of laa ilaaha illallaah. So they say:

The word: laa [which means 'No'] is known as a particle of absolute negation. The word: ilaah is its corresponding noun, which is inflected and which carries with it an implication of an omitted syntactical term (taqdeer). In this case, the taqdeer is designated as being the term: haqq (right); meaning that none has the right (or deserves) to be an ilaah. The phrase illallaah (except Allaah) is an exception to the previous negation and is in the nominative case.

The meaning of ilaah is: That which is defied with worship. It is that which the hearts love, adore and deify; hoping in it for the attainment of benefit or for the protection against harm. [3]

It is an error to think that the ellipsis (taqdeer) is the word existence (mawjood) or object of worship (ma'bood), because [the declaration of faith would then mean: No deity exists except Allaah, or: No deity is worshipped except Allaah]; whereas there are many things in existence that are worshipped besides Allaah, such as idols, tombs and other things. However, the only one that has the right to be worshipped is Allaah and whatever else is worshipped besides Him is futile, the worship of which is false.


AUTHOR: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan
SOURCE: Laa ilaaha illa-Allaah: Its Meaning, Requirements and Effects upon the Individual and Society.
PRODUCE BY: Message of Islaam
Footnotes:
[1] Shahaadah - The Declaration of Faith (i.e. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasoolallaah).
[2] Zaad-ul-Ma'aad (1/34) of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn-ul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah.
[3] Thus the meaning of the declaration of faith is: That none has the right to be [deified and] worshipped, except Allaah.

__________
Contribute to the da'wah; Invite all your friends to the group whether muslim or non-muslim and may Allaah reward you.

Project Aila – A different approach

As you all know, Cyclone Aila has ravaged the south-western region of our country. There are people at this very moment dying of water-borne diseases and lack of clean drinking water or food. They have no access to shelter or clothing as their houses have either been blown away or are fully submerged in salt water. As privileged citizens, it is our duty to stand by these helpless people who have already borne the brunt of Hurricane Sidr.

~~~Long term help:-
Aid organizations generally run out of relief within 2-3 weeks after a disaster. They are forced to leave and the victims stay back with no funds to rebuild the houses or schools. In fact, the next time a natural calamity occurs they again end up having no access to clean drinking water. In order to rectify this, we have decided to collect money which will be used to build tube wells on high ground so that they aren’t submerged during the next natural disaster, ensuring a clean source of water for many people in the area, who will otherwise die the next time around. One deep tube well only costs between Tk 5000-7000, depending on the area. We will also rebuild as many houses and schools as is possible with the money we collect. The deadline for donating money is June 21.

~~Short term help:-
The acute need right now is to combat waterborne diseases. For this we will appreciate any donation in the form of oral saline (or ORSaline), Flagyl and water purification tablets. Also, there is a serious need for clothes. The deadline for these is June 14.

In order to ensure transparency we will upload the budget for a deep tube well as well as photo proof on CommunityAction’s Facebook group. The same will go for any houses or schools we help to remake.

We sincerely hope you will lend the Cyclone Aila victims your support. At the very least, let us all send out a prayer for them.

Drop off point: You don’t necessarily need to come and give us the money, an Actioneer will go and collect it from you if you want us to. Please let us know on our Facebook group or through communityactionbd@gmail.com. If you would like to drop it off yourself, please note the following addresses:

Sohaila Ridwan,
Abdullah Ahmad Zabir
Paribag apartments
Flat B4, 1/G, Paribag.
1st apartment in the road adjacent to Paribag Mosque.
Phone: 01552335618

OR

Nabila Idris
Niraloy Prova
Apt B3E, House 75,
Road 8A, Dhanmondi
Road adjacent to Almas Super Shop.

OR

Nabila Mirza
871 South Shahjahanpur
Adjacent to rajarbaghpoliceline traffic island.
(with a big brown gate)
Phone: 01732658882 & 01199853205

OR

Esha
Dr. Shamsunnahar Tarafder
Ibn Sina Hospital(2nd floor),
South Kallyanpur, Dhaka.
(Contact dis no. when u r in front of d hospital gate)
Phone: 01717692284

OR

Zaved
Flat A5, Building 2B
NAM Village
(Beside chairmanbari maath, two white adjacent buildings)
Banani 1, Block 1
Dhaka 1213
phone: 01818799032

Excellence of Modesty

(a) Excellence of Modesty.
Modesty is the mean between two extremes--cowardliness and pride. This is the best virtue for conduct of a man's life in troubles of journey to eternal goal. Modesty is a virtue found only in the Prophets, great men and other religious personalities. The rule stands that however a man lowers himself by the Creator and the created. A great man is not he who calls himself great. A great man is he who is born of high percentage and carries great social position, but true greatness consists in piety and virtues. The Holy Quraan says: AS FOR THE FUTURE ABODE, WE GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE GOT NO DESIRE TO BE BOASTFUL IN THE EARTH, NOR TO MAKE MISCHIEF (28: 83). And the servants of the Beneficent Allah are they who walk on earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, they say-peace (25: 63). The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: The wise man is he who lowers himself and acts for what is after death--4:106. Be modest to Allah with due modesty--4:102. Every meek and modest man shall enter Paradise--4:227.

(b) How to acquire the virtue of modesty. How can a man be not modest if he takes into consideration the following things?

(1) He has been created of a most admirable thing which he now forgets. He was most helpless in infancy depending on his parents and guardians for his up-bringing and livelihood. Then he becomes a youthful an full of pride. After some years he gets old and becomes weak and helpless as in infant sage and ultimately succumbs to nature i.e. death. How helpless is he in all his affairs. This seems to be just like picture-makings in bio scope shows. How helpless are the pictures in the hands of the performer! They go away suddenly and come suddenly to the public view. How can we then take pride and be not modest? How can a man become proud and not modest regarding his beauty when he sees that he has got within him nothing but filth, stool and urine? Even food which is so loved by men becomes after a few hours companionship with men despised things from which men flee away. These thoughts cannot but make a man modest in his pride of beauty.

(2) How can a man be not modest in his pride of strength and power if he thinks that he cannot with all his strength create a fly, or grow a seed, or a hair on his palm? These are foods of reflection for those who understand.