Eid Mubarak

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Eid Mubarak to all my brothers and sisters, may Allah Azzawajjal forgive us, accept our du'a and fasts, and give us another opportunity to fasts during this blessed month.  Please remember all of those less fortunate who aren't able to enjoy this celebration for one reason or another.

September 20, 2009 at 10:56 pm Leave a comment

Du’a Qunoot

Du'a Qunoot is the dessert after the main course of tarawih.

August 27, 2009 at 2:09 am Leave a comment

Ramadan Karim

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,

Ramadan Karim to all my brothers and sisters in Islam.  May Allah Azzawajal accept all of our fasts, and du'as this blessed month.  For those that cannot fast for some medical concerns, may Allah subhana Wa Ta'ala give you the reward of fasting despite your physical limitations, and may He allow you to have the opportunity to fast again, and taste the beautiful joy of opening your fast after a long day.

WaSalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.

August 23, 2009 at 5:35 pm Leave a comment

The Wisdom of Following The Sunnah

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Say: “Obey Allah and His Messenger”: But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith. (Surah Al-Imran v. 32)
Narrated AbuDharr:  ”The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to us: When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down.” (Sunan Abu Dawud
There seem to be quite a few muslims nowadays who question the merits of following the Sunnah of our Beloved Messenger and Prophet SallAllahu Alayhi wa Sallim (SAW).  Amongst them, some feel that it is unnecessary, others feel it’s optional, and others have no opinion either way.   But I’m always pleased when we see proof, because that’s what some people need to satisfy their hearts, that prove that what our beloved Rasool (SAW) has taught us, commanded us, and exemplified for us has a wisdom we may or may not see in our lifetime.  Their is a wisdom from a zahiri, or outwardly, perspective as well as a batini, or inwardly perspective.  Likewise, there is benefit in our worldly lives, and there is benefit for our akhira (afterlife).
Below, the link describes a research study that confirms the above hadith about anger.  It is a well known hadith; very simple in its instructions and very clearly understood.  For those who need satisfaction of the heart based on science, here you go:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6016087/Insults-are-better-taken-lying-down-claim-scientists.html
WaSalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

August 19, 2009 at 2:15 am Leave a comment

Who is Allah?

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.  (Suratul-Nur Ayah 35)

July 29, 2009 at 1:37 am Leave a comment

You’ll Find the Solution in the Quran – Yaser Birjas

July 26, 2009 at 9:33 pm Leave a comment

Dangers of Pride and Arrogance

Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious; (Suratul Nisa Ayah 36).

 

It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b.  Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: None shall enter the Fire (of Hell) who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of Iman and none shall enter Paradise who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride.  (Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0165)

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

From the hadith I have relayed the meaning of, we can see the importance in the sight of Allah about remaining free of Pride.  Allah subhana Wa T’ala (SWT) will not let anyone enter Janna who has a mustard seed of pride.  How big is a mustard seed? When you see a mustard seed, it’s tiny.  It looks about the size of one dhal or lentil.  So when you reflect on how much pride has to be in our heart in order for us to be denied paradise, it’s a very small tiny amount.  But this tiny amount, like a grain or seed can grow and sprout and cause an infestation of the heart, much like a weed.  Our mashaikh have repeatedly warned all the salikeen on the dangers of kibr, and the importance of remaining attached with our sheikh to prevent this disease from spreading like a wildfire. 

Pride can take shape and form in many ways, and can attack without notice to the least suspecting.  What was shaytan’s downfall? His pride. 

And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down.  Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith.  (Suratul Baqarah Ayah 34)

Shaytan didn’t and doesn’t doubt the existence of Allah.  He was an Alim, and was in the majlis of Allah subhana Wa Ta’la with the Angels.  This wasn’t the reason for his outcast about the doubt of Allah and his majesty.  It was his Pride, or contempt that he held for Adam alayhis Salaam directly led him to disobedience of Allah.  He outright defied a command of Allah (SWT).  Why? Because of his arrogance, that Adam (AHS) was created from clay, and he was created from fire.  “Since fire is better than clay, I’m better than Adam.  Why should I bow to him?”

And unless this pride is corrected, unless tazkiyah is done to eliminate this pride, and control the spread and manifestation of this disease, then the pride will remain and prevent us from obtaining the blessing from Allah Subhana Wa T’ala (SWT)

There are other examples of the dangerous road that pride can lead one down.

In Ibrahim's confrontation with Namrood, the former argues that Allah is the one who gives life and gives death.  Namrood responds by bringing out two people sentenced to death.  He releases one and kills the other as a poor attempt at making a point that he also brings life and death.  Ibrahim refutes by stating that Allah brings the Sun out from the East, and so he asks Namrood to bring it from the West.  Namrood is then perplexed and angered.  He arranges for Ibrahim to be thrown into a great fire, but Allah protects him from it by commanding the fire to be cool and safe for Ibrahim.

When Firaun (Pharoah) repeatedly challenges Musa Alayhis Salaam (AHS), and whenever Allah’s signs come.  Whenever the Azab came down on the people of Firaun, he begged Musa to ask Allah to remove these calamaties, promising repentance.  Yet, when the calamites were removed by the Mercy of Allah, Firaun would again resort to his tyrannical and arrogant ways.

Pride takes many forms and shapes.  In Imam Al-Mawlud’s discourse, Matharat Al-Qulub, he mentions three different qualities and kinds of arrogance.

The first type is when a person deems himself superior to others.  Imam Al-Ghazali Said, “People of knowledge are in greater danger of arrogance than anyone else”, because the knowledge they have might cause them to look down on others who may not have the same level of knowledge.

The second type is arrogance displayed in a person who shows contempt and scorn to others.  Once a man (SAW) an old woman calling to the Prophet (SAW) in a boisterous manner.   The Prophet (SAW) stopped to talk to the lady without any sign of annoyance.  When the man (SAW) the Prophets (SAW) Calm reaction, he Said Muhammad (SAW) is a man unlike the kings of other lands”.  The Prophet (SAW) remained humble despite his obvious high station, because he was the perfect human being.

The third type of arrogance mentioned in Matharat Al-Qulub is that of lineage.  This type of arrogance is related to the tribalism and high births that the pre Islamic Arabs were so focused upon.

When we discuss pride in our present day, the most common form of pride that we see is looking down upon others.   Perhaps we look down upon someone who makes less money.  A lot of times people look down on one who is not yet able to get married.  A married couple with children may look down on a married couple without children.  It is also quite possible that someone who begins to become more spiritual and tries to obtain closeness to Allah begins to look down on those who aren’t yet walking a spiritual path.  They may feel that because they have been given a special n’ma from Allah that they are somehow better than others who may not have this blessing.  As in the case of Shaytan, who argued with Allah that he was better than Adam, because he had more blessings from Allah.  He was created from a better material, or he had more good deeds, or more knowledge.  Anyway you look at it, Shaytan held contempt for Adam, and looked down upon him because of his feelings of superiority.

What we must try to remind ourselves, is that rizq comes from Allah and Allah alone.  When we have received a special blessing from Allah: whether it is a nice house, or nice car, a pious spouse with children, good health, or strong iman and knowledge, we should remind ourselves to be thankful to Allah.  We should beg Allah to grant us the tawfiq to be grateful to Him and allow us to help others with His special blessings.  And to protect us from looking down upon others who may have been not been given the same types of blessings.

Just like rizq comes from Allah, Allah can also remove this rizq.  For a salik to remain grateful is very important, and is key to his success. 

Another danger of how pride can affect us is by preventing us from seeking knowledge.  We may begin to feel that we know everything, so why bother seeking out an expert who has toiled and struggled hard to obtain true knowledge from Allah.  Nowadays it seems that everywhere you go everyone is an Alim.  It seems when you even suggest someone to seek the advice of a mufti or an Alim, their response might be “what for, we have everything we have in the Quran that we need.  Why do we need an alim or mufti for?”.  It is this kibr that becomes detrimental, and leads one down a road of self interpretation.  Of preventing them to seek the company of the righteous, and to sit at the feet of scholars and allow fez to come to them. 

One example: A brother who likes to argue the point of halal meat.  He is of the opinion that unless it’s been proven haram, then he treats it as halal.  One day, a conversation took place on the topic of dietary supplements that use gelatin.  It’s a standard in the dietary supplement industry, that most capsules that contain gelatin use pork gelatin, unless otherwise specified.  When this brother was advised of this fact, and that he should be careful in consuming gelatin products, his rationale led him to state that in the Quran we are not forbidden the bones of swine, only the flesh.  So therefore it’s okay to eat the bones as long as I’m not eating the flesh.  He was left to his own interpretation, and came up with this logic to make it okay to consume pork gelatin.  May Allah SWT guide us, and give us the correct understanding of this deen, Ameen.

In one hadith of the Prophet (SAW),

Anas b.  Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Neither nurse mutual hatred, nor jealousy, nor enmity, and become as fellow.  brothers and servants of Allah.  It is not lawful for a Muslim that he should keep his relations estranged with his brother beyond three days.

So we can see above, the importance of keeping good relations with our brothers and sisters.  To not let rancor enter our hearts.  We should make du’a for our brothers and sisters, and we should also make du’a for our enemies.  Make du’a for their hidaya, and guidance.  We should make du’a for our nonmuslim friends, acquaintances, and co-workers.  Our neighbors.  We should constantly beg Allah to guide them to the path of Islam, because we do not know the state of our own nafs and iman at the time of death.  There is sometimes a theme amongst people of the book, and Muslims alike that we condemn everyone who does not conform with our way of thinking.  But since when were we able to look into the hearts of men? Since when did Allah give authority for any human being to point fingers at another and decide their fate?

This is another level of pride, when we are so sure of our own salvation from Allah that we can freely point the finger at anyone and everyone?

In another hadith, the Prophet (SAW) once said to his companions do you want to see a man of paradise? A man then passed by, and the Prophet (SAW) said that man is one of the people of paradise.  So a companion of the Prophet decided to learn what it was about this man that earned such a commendation from the messenger of Allah (SAW).  He spent time with this man, and observed him closely.  He noticed that he did not perform the night prayer vigil, or anything extraordinary.  He appeared to be an average man of medina.  The companion finally told the man what the Prophet (SAW) had said about him and asked if he did anything special.  And the man replied, the only thing that I can think of other than what everyone else does, is that I make sure that I never sleep with any rancor in my heart towards another.  That was his secret.

So we should try to remove this rancor, or even hint of hatred, jealousy or envy.  The scholars have indicated that one way to remove any hatred of another is to make sincere du’a for that person.  By name, asking Allah for good for them and their families in this life and the next.  To ask for their forgiveness from Allah.  Because who is to say that we are better than someone, just because we do not like them, or that we do not agree with them?

In the sight of Allah we are all faqir – we are all poor.  We are born into this world without clothes and without the ability to feed ourselves.  Without the ability to even walk.  It is our parents who nurture us and feed us and clothe us and show us love and attention, only by the Mercy of Allah.  When we become older, it is Allah who has given us the faculties such as sight and hearing, intelligence, and the ability to understand concepts, in order that we may learn and be productive when we reach maturity.  Why? So we can be thankful to Him.  So we can understand that without his Mercy, we would have and be absolutely nothing.  What about the person, given great strength and health, and when it is removed by Allah? They can barely function to support themselves, they can barely get out of bed? It is for Allah to provide rizq to His servants.  But for man, we are created in a state of hastiness.  We forget, that what we learn ultimately is not something special about us.  It is something special that Allah has Given us.  It is an Amana or trust from Allah to be used in the correct way.  It is to be used in a halal way, and the best way we can use it is for our akhira.  If Allah has given us a special gift of memorization, we should try to use this in memorizing Qur’an.  If Allah subhana wa t’ala has given us capacity to have great wealth, we should use it in taking care of the poor and needy.  If Allah has given us the gift of speech, we should use it to perpetuate his message by giving dawa and teaching other Muslims about how to follow Islam.  By utilizing the gifts that Allah has given us, we stand more of a chance of remaining grateful to Him, and allowing these gifts to benefit us not only in the dunya, but in the hereafter for our akhira as well.

So one of the ways that we are taught to help eliminate this pride is the importance of dhikr of Allah (SWT) and sitting down in the dhikr of Allah SWT.  In remembrance of Allah, we can find the cure for the rust of our hearts.  It is the important process of the salik to travel this journey of remembrance, and to constantly seek the advice and knowledge from our mashaikh to travel this journey.   By doing so we hope to achieve the closeness to Allah SWT, and to separate ourselves from our nafsani desires.  To further ourselves from the temptations of Shaytan, and to rid ourselves of these spiritual diseases like pride and hatred and jealousy.  By staying consistent in dhikr of Allah (SWT), we are able to hopefully find more importance in our akhira so we can repeatedly ask Allah for His forgiveness, and really reflect that this dunya is a temporary stay.  This dunya is important in the fact that it is our test, where ultimately we need to keep our eyes on the prize.  It’s a means to the end, which is our akhira.  And whatever means we focus on in this life, will be the indicator of where we are going to end up when we pass away.

When you look at the process of olives, you can also see a sign of the patience needed to enjoy the fruits of doing dhikr of Allah (SWT) and remembering Him.  When you grow an olive tree, it first of all takes a few years for that tree to begin to bear fruit.  It doesn’t happen the first season, it usually takes about 4-5 years for that tree to start bearing fruit.  Even then the fruit that it bears is relative to the size of the olive tree.  Furthermore, when you begin to harvest the olive fruits, when ripe.  You still cannot eat the olives from most trees, save one or two types, directly from the tree.  They are just too bitter and pretty much inedible.  The olive has to go through a process of curing in order for some of the chemicals to be eliminated from the skin of the olive, in order for it to become what we come to know when we eat an olive. 

Similarly, when we go through the process of tazkiyah, patience is required by us to first of all get to the point of bearing fruit.  We have to get accustomed to sitting in dhikr of Allah (SWT), then getting to the point of clearing our mind, and then activating our lataif.  It takes time to progress through the different stages and lessons.  And once we begin to bear fruit, that’s just when the process is beginning.  We then Insha’Allah start to see the real benefits of how we act, how we think, and this process also takes time.  And Insha’Allah when we keep progressing, just like the olive tree, then Insha’Allah we hope that we then can begin to really benefit from the process.  And what a special blessing to have in front of us living examples of the outcome of this fruit, when we are able to sit in the company of our shuyukh.  When we sit in the suhbah of our shuyukh, we are able to benefit and feel even closer to Allah.  And we can see where we are heading Insha’Allah which is by leading our lives in the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

At the same time, I can see how far I’ve come, I see how far I still have to go.  I contemplate on where I’ve been and I ask Allah to protect me from returning to that.  Sometimes, I have nightmares about returning to that lifestyle.  I hope for more important things, and I’m really able to put this life into perspective.  I really have come to realize, that it is so important not to waste the time that Allah swt has given us.  I’ve already felt I’ve wasted so much time, and there are times I just feel sad that I wasn’t guided to this 10 years ago, or 15 years ago.  Perhaps my life would be so much different now.  But Alhamdulillah, this is khayr from Allah that whatever experiences we have, have been important lessons for us going forward.  I have become so much more tolerant of people in a sense.  On the topic of pride, I know I still have so much to work on.  There are so many people that would surprise us, if just given the chance.

For example, at my work, there is a person who is a supervisor in our finance dept.  Not a very high position, nor prestigious one, but Alhamdulillah I have a lot of respect for the person and they work they do.  They don’t make a lot of money, but Alhamdulillah they take pride in doing their work and doing it well.  How shocking it was for me to find out this person has a master’s degree, and is working on a PHD full time and almost graduated, yet is doing pretty much a standard data entry job.  SubhanAllah, my esteem and respect rose 10 times for them not because of their education, but because of their humbleness, and their dedication despite their education, to work at a job that might be considered average or menial by many, because of the importance of doing this for their akhira.  And it reminded me of how far I need to go.  They do not look down on others doing these types of jobs, even though they could very well work in a higher field; in fact they are working right alongside with people doing the same job.

By doing dhikr of Allah (SWT) and practicing the remembrance of Allah, I have observed myself to become more patient in some situations.  I try to remind myself that these obstacles or situations are temporary at best.  I try to remind myself what is pleasing to Allah first, before I act.  And there are times I make many mistakes and try to rectify myself and prevent myself from doing it again. 

Instead of trying to live in oblivion, I find myself wondering at every step and turn how many mistakes did I make? I want to take account of myself now, so I can try to correct myself.  Alhamdulillah.  And this is directly from doing dhikr of Allah (SWT), and trying to remain in a remembrance of Allah. 

Lastly,Narrated Anas RA: The Prophet (SAW) said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."

Oh Allah to protect us from kibr, and all the spiritual diseases of the heart.  Oh Allah to grant us hidaya and forgiveness from Your Rahma and please do not allow us to go astray.  Please keep us on the siratul Mustaqim.  Oh Allah give strength to those among us who are weak, give provision to those among us without, give pious spouses and children among us without, and let us be thankful and grateful to you.  Ameen.

Jazaakum Allahu Khayran. I ask Allah SWT to forgive me for all my mistakes, and shortcomings. I’m not an Alim nor a man of knowledge, just a simple muslim trying to be the best human being I can be. Please make du’a for me, if I’ve said something that hurt you, please find it in your heart to forgive me.

WaSalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

 

July 26, 2009 at 7:34 pm Leave a comment

Meat – Halaal or not Halaal?

Surah ‘Isra 17 Ayah 32
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

And come not near unto adultery. Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way.

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

In the above verse, it is important to reflect that Allah subhana wa T’ala (SWT) is commanding us not just to avoid adultery, but avoid even approaching adultery. Why? Because to approach something that is haraam, in of itself may lead to man loosening his control and perception of what is allowed and what is forbidden, and it becomes harder to control your nafs.

Umar RA related that Rasulullah SAW said: “Whenever a man is alone with a woman (non-mahram) the Shaytan makes a third” (Tirmidhi). So by even approaching adultery, we’re already in trouble – we now have Shaytan, our avowed enemy, as a companion.

Now by bringing this topic up, it’s obvious for many of us that there is a black and white distinction in terms of committing adultery of what is allowed and what is not. However, what concerns us for this conversation today, is avoiding what is doubtful.

For some Muslims in the west, is this idea that meat sold in regular supermarkets is halaal. They feel it is okay to eat this meat because we live in the country of the Ahlul Kitab, or people of the book. I never understood this mentality or justification. I don’t want to generalize, and may Allah forgive me if my perception is not correct, but this viewpoint seems to come mainly from my Arab brothers and sisters, and less from Muslims who are from the Indo-Pak, Malaysian, etc. Allahu ‘Alim, this is an observation of my own, it could be correct or incorrect. This is just from my experience. Once again,
this viewpoint of eating supermarket meat being okay, may or may not be the majority amongst all Muslims, I’m not sure. But its prevalence, at least where I live, is alarming to me. I personally feel it shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion but here we are.

We are all insaan and we all commit sins, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and we ask Allah SWT to protect us and forgive us for these errors we commit. But I take issue when I not only hear Muslims argue about eating meat that is haraam, but also arguing with Muslims who are eating halaal zabiha meat, as if we are fools! Sometimes it’s
even questionable to buy your meat from the halaal market, because the brother you are buying “halaal” meat from is eating whatever he wants from wherever he wants. How am I to feel comfortable that he is going the full length to ensure we are eating halaal zabiha meat? A different topic for a different day.

The issue I have is the justification used that “Well we are eating meat from the People of the Book, so what’s the problem?” Well, I’ll explain my problem with it. Yes, we are allowed to eat the meat from the people of the Book. The Jews are the only people of the book who have a set strict standards and guidelines for eating food, especially meat. But the last time I checked, the meat you find in the supermarket isn’t Kosher unless otherwise specified, so which people of the book are we referring? Ah, yes the Christians. Well, first of all, the only Christians I know who even think of slaughtering their meat according to their rules and regulations is the Orthodox Christians. Even then, how do we know they aren’t saying in the Name of Jesus (AudhuBillah) before slaughtering the meat?

And, when you go to a mass produced beef facility where the slaughter the meat, how do you know which religion the person is who is slaughtering your meat, anyways? He could be atheist, or Hindu, or Agnostic. This leaves open too many variables. Not to mention the treatment of the animals. (Again a different topic for a different day.) Would you eat meat knowing that it was sacrificed in the name of Jesus? Or Buddha? Or the “Almighty” Dollar?

The Response? Well, according to the hadith that is used to justify eating supermarket meat, our mother Aishah (RA) questioned the Prophet SAW about some meat that some new Muslims had presented, and he (SAW) instructed her to just say Bismillah, and eat it.

This hadith has been misapplied to this non-zabiha meat issue according to many scholars, and this is not the correct interpretation.

We are supposed to say Bismillah on everything we eat, or drink. So saying Bismillah over haraam doesn’t make it halaal my brothers and sisters. And the key point is, they were eating the meat of Muslims.  They didn’t go to the kuffar, sit down and eat their meat. They were eating the meat of Muslims, who were more than likely instructed in their religion. Allah knows best.

We are commanded in the Al-Qur’an:

He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that which hath been immolated to (the name of) any other than Allah.  But he who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Surah Al-Baqarah Ayah 173)

And there are also hadith which support this:

Narrated ‘Adi bin Hatim:

I asked the Prophet (about the hunting dogs) and he replied, “If you let loose (with Allah’s name) your tamed dog after a game and it hunts it, you may eat it, but if the dog eats of (that game) then do not eat it because the dog has hunted it for itself.” I further said, “Sometimes I send my dog for hunting and find another dog with it. He said, “Do not eat the game for you have mentioned Allah’s name only on sending your dog and not the other dog.” Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Number 175:

We can see above, that Allah has warned us to not eat any meat slaughtered with other than the name of Allah. And the hadith above supports this as well. If you send out a hunting dog, you must send it out with Allah’s name, and if you find another dog there along side the killed game, the prophet Muhammad SAW forbade that meat to be eaten? Why? It was DOUBTFUL as to which dog had killed it, the one sent out in the name of Allah to slaughter the animal, or the one that was not.

Also, it must be mentioned the health benefits of eating meat which has been properly drained of blood (vis-á-vis in Zabiha Slaughtered meat), far outweigh the disease causing nature of meat that has retained most of the blood. And may other wisdoms that Allah alone knows – We should say “We hear and we obey.”

I am not a scholar, nor a mufti, nor a man of knowledge. I’m just a simple Muslim, trying to live this deen the best I can. My intention is not to hurt anyone, whether they choose to eat meat that is not slaughtered or not according to Islamic standards.

Even though I definitely disagree, I won’t condemn. I make du’a – for myself that Allah guides me correctly, and for my brothers and sisters, Ameen Thumma Ameen. I hope I’ve at least made someone think twice and reconsider that eating the meat that is not slaughtered correctly, is at best DOUBTFUL, and more than likely according to many scholars HARAAM. When we eat haraam, and consume haraam, how can weexpect Allah to accept our du’as? It’s a very serious thing. If we sin and repent and strive not to repeat it, that’s one thing. But I see this as a standard that is practiced heavily, supported by more scholars than I would like here in the U.S., and I see it being pushed upon those Muslims who do not accept this viewpoint via peer pressure and illogical justifications.

To see where this type of thinking leads you, I will leave a story with you all. One brother was trying to argue that he will eat any meat, unless he is certain that it’s pork. Instead of avoiding doubtful, he eats everything until certainty of being haraam. The topic turned for the worse onto dietary supplements, a field which I worked for eight years. In most dietary supplement capsules, they use pork gelatin as the standard.

When he couldn’t argue his certainty about the gelatin used in capsules as being from beef and not pork (because I had more knowledge of the dietary supplement industry than he) the conversation took a strange turn. The conversation, which I was doing my best to end abruptly so as to not invite argument, finally ended with him saying:  ”Well such and such scholar told me that in al-Qur’an we are told that the Flesh of Swine is prohibited for us, not the bones. Therefore pork gelatin capsules are okay.”

La Hawla wa Quwatta illah Billah. What is this? I make du’a for him that he corrects this viewpoint. I feel even more sad if what he said really did come from the mouth of a scholar.

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:

I heard Allah’s Apostle, in the year of the Conquest of Mecca, saying, “Allah and His Apostle made illegal the trade of alcohol, dead animals, pigs and idols.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing the boats and the hides; and people use it for lights?” He said, “No, it is
illegal.” Allah’s Apostle further said, “May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah made the fat (of animals) illegal for them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and ate its price.” Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 34, Number 438.

Let us take a lesson from the people of the book, and not get involved in doubtful things and start twisting the commandments of Allah SWT to fit our own nafs and desires. I ask Allah to protect me and my family from this, and my brothers and sisters in Islam as well.

One last note: We may disagree, but we don’t condemn. No one has the right to say who is and who is going to hell or heaven. That is for Allah to decide, and we don’t’ know our state at the time of death. My intent is air some of these points in a public forum, in order that I may also learn and receive Mercy from Allah.

We all commit errors every day, and we can only stop doing so with the help of Allah; we hate the mans actions, but not the man. I hate many of the things I do, yet I try and struggle to correct myself and be a better person, so please make du’a for me, even if you disagree :) .

That being said, no comments will be approved bashing either viewpoint and inciting hatred amongst Muslim Brothers and Sisters. If you would like to comment, make it brief, concise, and respectful. This is becoming of a Muslim and Muhmin. Incoherent posts, that are not thoughtful, respectful, and to the point may not be approved, and I reserve the right to correct your grammar and spelling. Not to say mine is excellent, but if I find the grammar and punctuation severely off, I will adjust it to make it more readable.

Furthermore, I ask and implore Allah SWT to forgive me for any and all mistakes; anything I said right was from Allah and His Mercy, and all the mistakes were mine.
WaSalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

Posted via email from Simple’s posterous

July 23, 2009 at 4:34 pm Leave a comment

Virtues of Suratul Mulk

  
Download now or listen on posterous

Quran – Mishary Rashed al-Efasy (1424 H) – Surah Mulk (67).mp3 (866 KB)

Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Sayyidina Ibn Mas‘ud Radiyallahu ‘Anhu said: "The one who recites ‘Tabarakal ladhii bi-ya-dihil mulk’ (Suratul Mulk) every night, Allah Ta‘aala will through its blessings save him from the punishment of the grave. In the Nabawi period (time of Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) we named this surah ‘maani‘ah’ (the one that protects from punishment)." – Nasa-ee, Sharhus Sudur. 

 Anas (radiAllahu anhu) reported Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wasalam) as saying, “There is a Surah which will plead for its reciter\till it causes him to enter paradise (Tabarakalladhi Biyadihil Mulk).”[Tabrani]“

May Allah subhana Wa T'ala give us all the tawfiq to recite this surah with regularity, and reflect on the meaning.

WaSalaam

 

July 20, 2009 at 1:06 am Leave a comment

English Mariful Quran

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

There is a present day tafsir by Mufti Shafi Usmani RA that I find very eloquent and easy to understand in modern English. When I read this I became engrossed in the language and explanation of Al-Quran that was presented, and I highly encourage anyone and everyone to read this and study it. Please make du’a for the compilers and their families.

The link is below, and you will need Adobe Acrobat installed to read it.

http://www.islamibayanaat.com/EMQ.htm

July 20, 2009 at 12:16 am Leave a comment


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