ummtaalib

For the answer to your question, look at number 4 Here May Allah ta'ala give us the tawfeeq to clear our hearts of all enmity, envy, jealousy...! Aameen Ya Rabb and this is only possible through Your mercy!

A Simple Format for ‘ibadah on Auspicious nights Our Beloved Nabi (sallallahu’alaihiwasallam) has mentioned: “Indeed your Lord has reserved certain special moments in time (in which he emits abundant/special mercy) Be sure to avail yourselves for these opportunities.” (Majma’uz Zawaaid) We are usually aware of the significant occasions that present themselves each year. The crucial thing is how do we “avail ourselves” and maximise our benefit from these blessed nights? Here under is a suggested format for “What to do on Blessed nights?” 1. Offer Esha & Fajr Salah in congregation. Rasululllah (sallallahu’alaihiwasallam) said: “One who performs Esha in congregation gets the reward of spending half the night in worship. And he who follows that up with the Fajr salah in congregation, will be as if he has stayed up all night in ‘ibaadah.” (Sahih Muslim & Sunan Abi Dawud) 2. Sleep in the state of wudhu Hafidh Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has mentioned a reliable narration that states: “The soul of one who sleeps with wudhu makes sajdah (prostrates) at the ‘Arsh of Allah” (Fathul Baari) Imagine our souls making sajdah at the throne of our Creator on a night like LaylatulQadr! 3. Abstain from sin It’s not logical to fill the bucket when it has a hole… One should specifically free the heart of any ill-feelings or malice towards fellow muslims. (See here for “how to clean the heart” of such ailments) 4. Clear your heart from ill-feelings towards fellow Muslims. The ‘Ulama state that those who harbour ill-feelings are deprived of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness on occasions like these. A Hadith in Sahih Ibn Hibban, there is mention of four people that will be deprived on this night: a) An Alcoholic. b) One who disobeys his parents. c) One who severe family ties d) One who harbours ill-feelings in his heart for others. 5. Salatut Tasbeeh This is very strongly recommended due to its huge reward. See here for a detailed article on it’s authenticity, and here for the format of Salatut Tasbeeh. 6. Tawbah Since the purpose of the turning to Allah on these nights is precisely to attain forgiveness from Allah, this act is a fundamental on such occasions. The procedure for Tawbah is: a. Perform two rak’aats of Salaah. (Optional) b. Stop the sin that one is repenting from. c. Regret the sin from the bottom of your heart. d. Make a determined pledge with Allah never to repeat that sin.Besides the two rak’aats of Salah,the remainder are all fundamental. Furthermore, if the sin involved usurping the right of the next person, one needs to ask him/her for forgiveness too. Without this we are not guaranteed forgiveness. If that person has passed away, we could make dua for him and repay the debt (if any) to his heirs. 7. Zhikr There are many forms of zhikrullah. I would suggest the following: A hundred times “Laa ilaah illallah” A hundred times repeating the name of “Allah” And a hundred times: “Subhaanallahi wabihamdihi subhanallahil ‘Azeem” The reason for the third one is the following: Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihiwasallam) said: 1. “He who recites this one hundred times will have all his sins forgiven even if it be equal to the foam of the ocean” (Sahih Bukhari) 2. “These words are beloved to Allah Ta’ala, easy on the tongue and weighty on the scales (of deeds on Qiyamah)” (Sahih Bukhari) Furthermore, this is the form of Zhikr that the entire creation is engaged in. (Al-Quran, Surah:17 ayah:44) 8. Salawat on Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihiwasallam) If it was not for our beloved Nabi (‘alaihiSalatu WaSalam) we would not have these Blessed occasions. Therefore we cannot afford moments like these to pass without remembering him. In Fact by doing so we ourselves benefit. One Hadith states: “He who sends salutations upon me once, Allah Ta’ala sends ten salutations upon him.” 9. Tilawat (Recital) of Quran This is considered the best form of Zhikr. One could recite even a quarter juz or just the masnoon Surahs that are to be recited every night. Like Surahs Waqi’ah, Mulk, Sajdah, Yaseen etc. 10. Dua “Du’a is the essence of Worship” and hence cannot be omitted when we engage in worship. More so on occasions when Almighty Allah accepts duas such as on the night of Qadr. One should spend a lengthy duration in begging from Allah, as we are all in need of it. In light of the current world crisis, do remember our oppressed brethren around the globe. On the night of Qadr the following Du’a should also be repeated as taught by Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihiwasallam) to his beloved wife Sayyidah ‘Aishah (radiyallahu ‘anha): اللهم إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ العَفْوُ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘Anni” O Allah! You are indeed Most Forgiving, so forgive me. Note 1: The above can all be achieved in about 1 hour. Salatut Tasbeeh: 20 mins Tawbah: can be incorporated in the du’a Zikr: 10 mins Salawaat: 5 mins Tilawat: 15 mins Du’a & Tawbah: 10 mins However if one is short on time for whatever reason, my suggestion would be to at least do the first four and the last one. That would be: a) Esha & Fajr with Jamat b) Sleep with Wudhu c) Abstain from sin d) clean the heart e) Dua Note 2: The night commences at Maghrib, not after Esha or after Taraweeh or at Sehri time. Therefore one can and should commence ‘ibadah from Maghrib, although it is indeed best to do so at the last part of the night. Note 3: These are mere suggestions intended to make it easy for people. One may engage in whatever form of ‘ibadah one is comfortable with. May Allah Ta’ala grant us all complete forgiveness and steadfastness on guidance. Ameen. Please do remember the writer in your supplication as well. Al-Miftah

Great work MashaAllah. Jazaakillah for posting answer

Ramadan – the beneficial scorcher Once more, the honourable guest, Holy Ramadan is here. The word “Ramadan” comes from the Arabic root word denoting “scorching heat”, “parched thirst”, “intense dryness”,”sun-baked ground”, etc. Thus, Ramadan is so called to indicate the burning sensation in the stomach as a result of hunger and the dryness of the throat due to thirst.Ramadan also “scorches out” the sins of the Muslim as if burning it to the ground. In another sense, the hearts and souls soak up the spiritual warmth of Ramadan, just as the sand and stones are receptive to the sun’s heat. Heat is also used as a medical treatment to remove and drive out toxins, cold and other harmful substances from the body. In a similar manner, the heat of Ramadan will expunge and “dry out” greed, arrogance, indifference and other spiritual maladies from the soul of man. Again, intense heat is vital to all manufacturing processes as metals, plastic, glass, wood, etc. are all moulded into various products under scorching temperatures. Similarly, the heart of man is cast into a beautiful spiritual mould in the heat of the crucible of Ramadan, thereby becoming a wonderful receptacle of piety and righteousness! Tremendous benefits of fasting Fasting is not a mindless exercise of torturing the body by remaining hungry and thirsty, but is extremely meaningful and produces tremendous benefits for the fasting person, some of which are summarised as follows: • Increased Ibadah and devotions in Ramadan make a Muslim feel closer to the Creator, and generate appreciation for all His provisions; food, water, etc. as a boon and blessing from Him. • By becoming more charitable in this month, feelings of generosity, soft heartedness and good-will towards others are developed. The Prophet Muhammad r was more generous than the fast blowing wind in this month. • Through the self-control and discipline of fasting, a Muslim develops tolerance, patience, contentment, good manners, good speech and good habits. • Ramadan causes a change in life’s routine, which results in healthy lifestyle habits - particularly with regard to diet, eating habits and less smoking. • Because fasting is a collective activity, it creates a sense of belonging to a huge global family of Believers and strengthens the bonds of family ties and Islamic brotherhood on a local level as well. First hand sympathy with the poor and hungry One of the outstanding benefits of fasting is that a Muslim experiences hunger and thirst, and thus personally identifies with the plight of the hungry and poor, thereby generating a real and intense degree of sympathy and concern for the underprivileged who have so little to eat everyday. This in turn makes Muslims reach out to the poor and render them all forms of assistance.One who does not from time to time experience this hunger first hand, cannot truly empathise with the poor and hungry and this has a bearing on the effectiveness of any relief programmes operated by such people. Ramadan is a very special month, but it is important for the benefits of this month to remain throughout the year. The spirit of piety and spiritual elevation experienced in Ramadan should stay on during our “normal” lives in the eleven months. And when the spiritual batteries begin to weaken, again comes the next Ramadan to give a full charge! Ramadan Kareem to one and all and a happy and joyous Eid Mubarak in advance from all at Darul Ihsan! by Mufti Zubair Bayat (Ameer, Darul Ihsan)

Q: What is the ruling regarding the person who does not fast during the month of Ramadhaan without a valid excuse and eats openly? A: Fasting is a salient feature of Islam. To openly eat and drink during the month of Ramadhaan is tantamount to showing disregard to the salient feature of Islam and a major sin. If the one who does not fast and openly eats and drinks regards it as a sin but does so due to weakness of Imaan he will be guilty of a major sin but will not come out of the fold of Islam. If he believes that there is no sin in what he is doing then such a person has regarded this salient feature of Islam as insignificant. Hence this will render him out of the fold of Islam. (Ahsanul Fataawa vol.1 pg.37) ولو أكل عمدا شهرة بلا عذر يقتل و تمامه في شرح الوهبانية قال في الوهبانية : ولو أكل الإنسان عمدا و شهرة ولا عذر فيه قيل بالقتل يؤمر قال الشرنبلالي صورتها: تعمد من لا عذر له الإكل جهارا يقتل لأنه مستهزئ بالدين أو منكر (ردالمحتار على در المختار ج2 ص413) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

What should be done in this night In order to observe the Night of Bara'ah, one should remain awakened in this night as much as he can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship: (a) Salah. Salah is the most preferable act to be performed in this night. There is no particular number of Rak'at but preferably it should not be less than eight. It is also advisable that each part of the Salah like qiyam, rukoo' and sajdah should be longer than normal. The longest surahs of the Holy Qur'an one remembers by heart should be recited in the Salah of this night. If someone does not remember the long surahs, he can also recite several short surahs in one rak'ah. (b) Tilawa. The recitation of the Holy Qur'an is another form of worship, very beneficent in this night. After performing Salah, or at any other time, one should recite as much of the Holy Qur'an as he can. © Dhikr. One should also perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night. Particularly the following dhikr is very useful: One should recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as many times as he can. The dhikr can also be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure. (d) Dua. The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is prayers and supplications. It is hoped that all the prayers in this night will be accepted by our Lord, insha-Allah. Prayer itself is an 'Ibadah, and Allah Almighty gives reward on each prayer along with the fulfillment of the supplicator's need. Even if the purpose prayed for is not achieved, one cannot be deprived of the reward of the prayer which is sometimes more precious than the mundane benefits one strives for. The prayers and supplications also strengthen one's relation with Allah Almighty, which is the main purpose of all kinds and forms of worship. One can pray for whatever purpose he wishes. But the best supplications are the ones made by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. These are so comprehensive and all-encompassing prayers that all the human needs, of this world and the Hereafter, are fully covered in the eloquent expressions used in them. Actually, most of the prophetic prayers are so profound that human imagination can hardly match their greatness. Several books in various languages are available which provide these prophetic prayers, and one should pray to Allah Almighty in accordance with them, whether by reciting their original Arabic text or by rendering their sense in one's own language. (e) There are some people who cannot perform any additional Salah or recitations for any reason, like illness or weakness or being engaged in some other necessary activities. Such people also should not deprive themselves completely of the blessings of this night. They should observe the following acts: (i) To perform the Salah of Maghrib, 'Isha' and Fajr with Jama'ah in the mosque, or in their homes in case of their being sick. (ii) They should keep reciting the dhikr, particularly the one mentioned in para © above, in whatever condition they are until they sleep. (iii) They should pray to Allah for their forgiveness and for their other objectives. One can do so even when he is in his bed. (f) The women during their periods cannot perform salah, nor can they recite the Qur'an, but they can recite any dhikr, tasbeeh, durood sharif and can pray to Allah for whatever purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Qur'an or in the hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the intention of recitation). (g) According to a hadith, which is relatively less authentic, Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, went in this night to the graveyard of Baqi' where he prayed for the Muslims buried there. On this basis, some of the fuqaha hold it as mustahabb (advisable) in this night to go to the graveyard of the Muslims and recite Fatihah or any other part of the Qur'an, and pray for the dead. But this act is neither obligatory nor should it be performed as regularly as an obligatory act. What should not be done in this night 1. As mentioned earlier, the Night of Bara'ah is a night in which special blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in total submission to Allah Almighty, and one should refrain from all those activities, which may displease Allah. Although it is always incumbent upon every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence becomes all the more necessary in such nights, because committing sins in this night will amount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such an arrogant attitude can invite nothing but the wrath of Allah. Therefore, one should strictly abstain from all the sins, particularly from those mentioned in the Hadith No. 3 quoted earlier in this article, because these sins make one devoid of the blessings of this night. 2. In this night some people indulge in some activities which they regard as necessary for the celebration of the Night of Bara'ah, like cooking some special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques, or improvised structures. All such activities are not only baseless and innovated in the later days by ignorant people, but in some cases they are pure imitation of some rituals performed by non-Muslim communities. Such imitation in itself is a sin; performing it in a blessed night like the Night of Bara'ah makes it worse. Muslims should strictly abstain from all such activities. 3. Some people spend this night in holding religious meetings and delivering long speeches. Such activities are also not advisable, because these acts can easily be performed in other nights. This night requires one to devote himself for the pure acts of worship only. 4. The acts of worship like Salah, recitation of the Qur'an and dhikr should be performed in this night individually, not collectively. The Nafl Salah should not be performed in Jama'ah, nor should the Muslims arrange gatherings in the mosques in order to celebrate the night in a collective manner. On the contrary, this night is meant for worshipping Allah in solitude. It is the time to enjoy the direct contact with the Lord of the Universe, and to devote one's attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours of the night in which nobody should intervene between one and his Lord, and one should turn to Allah with total concentration, not disturbed or intermitted by any one else. That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, observed the acts of worship in this night in total seclusion, not accompanied by anyone, not even by his favorite life companion Sayyidah 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, and that is why all forms of the optional worship (Nafl Ibadah), are advised by him to be done in individual, not in collective manner. Albalagh

Sultan Muhammad Al Faatih Constantinople was the most strategic city in the Byzantine Empire. It is now called Istanbul in Turkey. It lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. The Hadith declares the army and its leader who conquer the city to be the best. (Ahmed) Many Muslim expeditions tried to conquer the city from the time of Muawiya (radhiallahu anh) in 48 AH. The city was conquered under the seventh Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II ibn Muraad Al Faatih (the Conqueror). Muhammad Al Faatih was born in 1429 CE. He become Sultan at the age of 22. He studied Qur’aan, Hadith, Fiqh, Maths, Geography, History and Military Sciences. To conquer the city he built a fort on the European side of the Bosporous strait. The largest cannons since that time were built. One’s missiles weighed 300kg and its range more than 1,6km. A 50 day siege started on April 9, 1453. The sea access was blocked so the Sultan ordered ships to be transported overland on oil painted wood and they were unloaded on the other side. On May 29 cannons blasted through the city walls and the Sultan entered, completing the conquest of the Byzantine Empire. Sultan Muhammad also established large schools with both secular and religious sciences. He conquered the Balkans, taking Greece, Bosnia, several Venetian possessions and parts of Italy. He passed away in 1481 at the age of 52. Source

My Story of Islam How a nurse in Germany, gave up her uniform for a shuttlecock burqa! I had a typical life for one brought up in Western Culture. It was an upbringing, which was highly influenced by materialism and discrimination, without any real aim in life. No one in my family was inclined toward a religious way of life. We were taught, my three brothers and I, early on that this world is a materialistic one, and the goal in life was to acquire the finer things of this world. The method with which we were taught to achieve these things was to firstly get a good secular education free from religious teachings. This was to be followed by securing a good job. A good job was one that would give you a respectable status within the society. This in turn would allow one to develop his self esteem to the fullest and then you could become free to do whatever your heart desired. The belief in Allah was never part of my thinking when I was young. The belief in a Creator of this world and everything in it is taken away while you are very young when you live in the West. We were taught about the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus and other non-existent personalities. These personalities had the same characteristics as Allah. We were taught that Santa Claus knew everything about everyone and he traveled around the entire world in one night. Later as we got older we were told that all of these things were a lie. There was no such thing as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. This just reinforced our belief that if you can not see something, then it means it does not exist. So the conclusion one reaches after coming face to face with the reality that all of these characters don’t exist is that, nauthu billah, Allah did not exist either. So I completed my education and I became a nurse. This allowed me to get my own apartment, car, mobile phone and other luxuries. I was young and free to do, as I wanted as I was living apart from my parents. I could now enjoy some of the finer things in this dunya that I had dreamed about throughout my childhood. Although my dreams had become reality, I was still not satisfied with my life. Life and Shaitan continued to mislead me. The job I had, the status in society I had also, but what about starting a family of my own with a loving husband? So I began my search for a life partner. Since religion was not an issue, I began looking in nightclubs, discotheques, the Internet chat rooms, and just about any place I could think of. I adorned my self with make up and wore all kinds of shameless dresses, with the single purpose of catching “Mr. Right”. Since I was German and my family brought me up hating any human who belongs to another tribe, color or simply showed any sign of which the “German Race”, meaning being a fascist and nazi, did not approve of, ( have white skin, blue eyes light hair and blaming the downfall of the economy on just any foreigner who stepped foot into Germany and taking up jobs that no German would even dare to think of doing below a certain amount of wage ), I tried my best to r.follow my families teachings and those of the German Culture and looked for a typical German cultured life partner and just following the slogan: Deutschland den Deutschen. Auslaender raus! Germany for the Germans. Foreigners out! And all this while toning my skin to look brown and curling my hair to look like those whom we hated so much! kinda hyprcritical. Hm? But I could never obtain the respect of any man or the rest of society like the western culture’s TV and magazines had promised. I therefore slipped into depression. I started to hate my body and myself and began to change my body so I could turn into the image which the west projects as the perfect woman. But I only succeeded in becoming a shell of my former self, destroying my health and natural beauty and mindset Allah ta’ala created me with, namely being g , good mannered, loving and caring to mankind, respecting and serving the man of the house and taking care over sick, weak and needy and have shame. However, things were about to change. Mankind plans and Allah ta’ala plans, and Allah ta’ala is the Best of Planners. While working as a nurse it offered me an opportunity to witness many, many people die. No matter what the doctor or nurses did. Respect , dignity and feeling pity toward the human body was and has never been a part of modern medicine. The hospital are just places of weird , inhuman experiments on old and sick and the helpless children. Furthermore the false and weird christian religion showed its true face. majority of doctors and nurses are atheists and so was I. Believing that we were in absolute power of doing anything, even to resurrect the dead! But the Truth always struck us full force , but we kept rejecting it and blaming the sick! When the patient was sick or on the death bed the truth could not be withheld.The sick and dying chase the female or male priest out theri rooms ,cursing them for the falsehood they preached, forbidding them to read from the bible . Man times, when i had night shift alone, i witnessed the work of the angles of death. It exactly happened as hadith explained. Patients screamed at me to chase away this fierce looking persons who gives them pain and scare them . Often the old and young dying patients would call me.. nurse help me. do you not see these men? Go away. go away!…etc.. I was able to see the powerlessness of modern medicine. With all of its x-ray machines, and fancy equipment and the sincere efforts of the doctors and nurses, it could not prevent the patients from dying at their appointed time. As a result, I began to question myself as to what is life’s purpose. All praise is due to Allah, that He planted a spark in my heart that led me to understand that there must be more in store for one after this short worldly life. That spark started me reflecting on the life of my older brother. He had accepted Islam about 10 years before me. Shortly thereafter he left Germany to study in the madrassah in Pakistan. While he was away in Pakistan he wrote letters to me explaining what Islam was really like. He emphasized the important status a woman had in lslam (paradise lies under the feet of the mother and other hadith like that). He also wrote about the importance of keeping oneself covered, modesty shame etc. at the time he was writing these letters, I was not ready to accept what he was saying. I could only think negatively about purdah, and the burqah. These things represented a prison for a young westernized woman like me, below her dignity to bear children and to love and serve her husband. And the example Muslims life and interpreted their religion did not bring me close to Islam at all but made me reject the truth even more! However, after analyzing the direction I was going with my life was not correct, I decided to investigate further as to what Islam was all about. After all I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I could see that obtaining worldly possessions was not the key to happiness. I had most of the things that I had wanted, yet I was still unhappy and thoroughly depressed. I thought maybe Islam had something to offer me. After all, my brother seemed to be happy and I had always looked up to him when I was a child. He was always had been an example to me. Initially I chose to follow and imitate him in many ways to please my mum as she was always in praise of him and to find the way to go. As he knew what I was going through in my personal life, because he did the same things I did before Islam. One day over the telephone ( when wanted to make an end to all again, after breaking up with my life partner, etc,) from Pakistan he suggested I turn to Allah to solve my problems and everything would be alright after that. After some thought, I decided to give Islam a try. It was the best thing I ever did. But the results were not seen immediately. Accepting Islam at first left me very afraid. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I was now alone in Germany (the first thing I had to do was leave my boyfriend and live by myself). I didn’t know any one in the country who was Muslim. How would I learn the prayers and the different things that are halaal or haraam? I was in a difficult situation. So I decided to take a leave from the hospital from where I was working and go to Pakistan and learn the deen from my brother directly. I had no other choice at this time. This would give me the opportunity to learn enough of the deen so I could return to Germany and perform the basic functions of Islam and learn what was expected of me from my Lord. I arrived at the airport in my western dress, searching for my brother. He came in shalwar kameez along with his wife. The first thing I noticed about his wife was the black burqah she was wearing complete with niqab and netting over that! When I saw this I could only think to myself that I hope my brother doesn’t expect me to dress like his wife! All the negative feelings I had had prior to Islam about the burqa were coming back into my mind. Shaitan had come with a full force attack aimed directly at my weakest point. Then all of a sudden my worst fears were realized. My brother pulled a burqah out of a plastic bag he was carrying and said: come on little sister, it’s time to dress like a Muslim woman! It’s amazing how fast the fear left me after putting on the burqah for the first time. The fear was suddenly replaced by feeling of peace and safety. Now I was being respected as a Muslim woman. Nobody could see how i looked like. no man or women reduced me to only my appereance. There was the respect that I had searched so hard for before Islam and never achieved it. At last I had found it in Islam after donning the burqah. In addition, I felt more pleased with the way I looked now. I no longer desired to change my looks to please others. I finally became happy with my whole self (both internal self and external self). But this was not enough, I wanted more. I wanted the complete package i.e. the netting over my niqab, gloves to cover my hands and closed shoes along with black socks to cover my feet. I saw that the more I covered myself the better I felt, as I knew that this was the proper way for a Muslim woman to be. When a Muslim woman covers her body from strange men then Allah is pleased with her. This was what I was now striving for. Now when my leave was over from the hospital and I had to return to Germany and go back to work, I no longer felt that Germany could be my home. And when I did return with a different way of dressing, eating, attitude, etc, my old friends either didn’t understand me or didn’t like me anymore and i became a target of mockery and insults. But why? Because I found believe in God, which they all claimed to have and because I chose to cover my body ans hide my beauty or ugliness and did not prostitute myself anymore?! They thought I had just gone to Pakistan on vacation and that I didn’t enjoy my trip. They didn’t realize I had gone there to seek a new way of life and this is what had happened. So I then decided to quit my job at the hospital and return to Pakistan with the intention of learning more about my new religion. One month after I arrived, Allah blessed me with a husband. Now the amazing thing here has to be mentioned is:…. My husband is an black american, ex-practicing christian who equally hated whites as much i hated blacks!! wow.. Please read it and let it sink into the brain. I had been blessed with a husband i prayed for since i took shahada! Awise, tolerant, deeni and loving husband whom i can respect and serve and have children with and who cares for me no matter ho how sick i am or how i look like! This had been another proof for me that Islam is the absolute truth. Before Islam i would have rather beat up or killed my now husband and i would not have even thought about marrying a man who is quiet some years older than me and not a German! .. smile. Only in Islam man and women have rights which be fulfilled on both sides. Only Islam teaches mutual respect and love and has a uniqe family system which binds together the human race thru brotherhood and sisterhood as we all have our origin from the same parents. Adam and Eve alayhimus salaam Now I try to fulfill the rights of Allah by staying home and remaining occupied with the domestic duties of a wife and mother of now 5 Kids. I keep learning and searching for the truth and halaal only and I’m trying my best to be occupied in homeschooling my children toghether with my husband according to Islam. I’m occupied in preparing my own medical treatments, cosmetics, food stuff and many other things. I rarely go outside the four walls of my house anymore. I have found complete serenity and contentment in my house where I am the queen of my castle. Those rare times that I go out now are only with my husband and with my blue shuttlecock burqah. Or at least a very long and loose black Burqa which is always in accordance of the Sharia!!!! The Truth Seeker

Tafreehe Beheshtian by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb Rahmatullah Alayh. (Zikr-e-Rab) In this Hadhrat Talks to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. May Allah S.W.A grant him Paradise. Aameen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpoLm4XO_ko

Very important question. I have heard this hadith explained a few times however I do not wish to elaborate my understanding. I'm trying to find a related article written by scholars...inshaAllah I will post as soon as i find one.

inshaAllah we all keep her and the whole ummah in our du'as...specially in days and nights full of blessings Hope this helps inshaAllah: info on 15th Sha'baan

wa'alaykus salaam ww ok i see. It appears in this answer there is specific detail regarding perforated ears so you would need to ask a Mufti for further clarification

Alhamdulillah found some answers: "To intentionally inhale the smoke of cigarettes or odour repellent smokes such as agarbatti" will break fast which requires Qadha Mufti Faruq "Basic Principles from Ramadhan to Hajj" (Note the word "Intentionally) I'm not sure which thread you mean but both Mufti Faruq's book and the leaflet "Sawm" in the OP says to drop oil or medicine in the ear breaks fast As for the last question, all we need to know is snuffing breaks the fast. Nasal sprays and inhalers also break the fast according to Mufti Faruq's book.

Tashakkur (gratitude) and Takabbur (pride) cannot be in the heart at one and the same time. When the person switches the light of Tashakkur on, the darkness of Takabbur will disappear.

Aameen to the du'a at the end. Amazing depth and benefit in the words of the respected Shaykh (Hafizahullah). The analogies of these pious souls is amazing! Jazakillah for posting

Haafidha Rayhaanah Omar It has been said that everything has a beloved & that the month of Ramadan has a beloved, too: The Glorious Qur’an. And so for the duration of this month, Muslims worldwide honour Ramadan’s beloved and aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’an. In this article you’ll learn how you too can work towards achieving this noble goal, insha’Allah. Step 1: Establishing an intention Our beloved Messenger taught us – through his words & actions – the importance of one’s intent or purpose. Establishing one’s intention is an effective catalyst for implementation. Once your intention has been established, remember to renew it often. Whilst reciting and even upon completion of the Qur’an, recall your intention and renew it, thus ensuring that it is constantly purified & you are seeking His Divine Acceptance, inshaAllah. Step 2: Don’t be overwhelmed For some, as much as they aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’an during Ramadan, they are overwhelmed by the number of pages or the length of some Surahs. Remove ‘I can’t’ from your vocabulary and eliminate negative thinking, for the believer puts their trust in Allah, matched by striving with their actions. Remind yourself that you are (if Allah wills) fully capable of achieving your Qur’anic aspirations, whether it be completing Qur’an 1 or 5 times. This second point is key. Put your heart into this accomplishment & reap the rewards throughout, inshaAllah. Step 3: Plan ahead Prior to commencing with your recitation it’s important to plan around your routine and block out time for your Qur’an goal e.g. your work hours, rest hours & any other commitments which you may have. Structure a realistic plan of how to complete the recitation of Qur’an within the month by dividing each Juzz up per day. Draw up this personal plan, review it constantly, and put it into action! As you put your plan to paper, consider past Ramadans and; ask yourself if there have been instances where you were unable to complete Qur’anic recitation. Reflect over why and how this occurred. Is there a different mechanism that you could put into place? How could you enhance your daily Qur’an routine if these distractions were dealt with? Take the first opportunity that comes, to begin your Qur’anic quest. So when the moon is sighted & the announcement has been made for the 1st Salaatul-Taraweeh, begin in earnest, with Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Baqarah etc. Step 4: Understand the Qur’an Read the translation of the Juzz you will be reciting daily. Having a basic knowledge of the theme, topic, message & meaning of what you are reciting makes the recitation of the Qur’an an incredibly uplifting experience that you do not want to miss out on! Step 5: Find Qur’an Buddies and Compete in Good Develop close bonds with brothers/sisters who are known for their attachment to the Qur’an. They’ll be your spiritual friends. Engage a Qur’an Buddy in your noble Qur’an productivity goals. Request that they remind you to fulfil your goals and spiritual aspirations so they can help you in times of slacking. In life, we compete with many materialistic goals and race one another, but what about following the footsteps of the best of generations that had come before us in a competition this Ramadan? In striving and competing with our friends and colleagues towards our noble goals, in a good-natured way, we can motivate ourselves to finish our Qur’an goal. One of the common aspects which deter a Muslim from completing this task is excessive communication. Often, many of us spend too much unnecessary time surfing the net, chatting, texting, etc… . Reduce this even by a third and you will see, feel and witness the blessings in your time, inshaAllah. Step 6: Seize the Moment A deeply inspiring story in ‘lessons from the waiting room’ – where a mother; who has taken her unwell child to the hospital; waits for the doctor to see to her child. She notices a young Muslim who uses his time in the waiting room, in a most effective & spiritually rewarding way, reciting from a pocket-sized Quran. Lesson to be taken here: Invest in a pocket-sized Qur’an and make it your best friend this Ramadan. Seize every opportunity and moment to be with Allah through your recitation. One of the best times at which to recite Qur’an, is after Suhoor. Having partaken from the Sunnah meal, and within an hour or two still to go before work or school, this is the ideal jump start to your day. The Prophet asked Allah to bless our Ummah in the early hours, and you will also be more likely to memorise ayahs at this time. Research shows that morning study creates better performance in students so don’t miss the morning recitation! Time Tip: Salah Followed by Qur’an. Consider the following option that has worked well for numerous people in past Ramadans. Try reciting 6 – 8 pages of Qur’an (depending on the Mus-haf that you are using) after each of your 5 daily salah. Add Qiyaamul-Layl as a 6th addition, and you will reach the end of Ramadan, having completed your Qur’an recitation with ease & perhaps, even before the last 5 days of Ramadan so long as you remain committed. Time Tip: Recite before going to sleep. Allah says: “Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words” [73:6]. Reciting during the day is also beneficial, however the night time recitation is easier as well during Ramadan as there are less distractions and noise. Step 7: Remain steadfast and consistent The key to any success is consistency. Once you’ve mapped your plan, stick to it. Remind yourself of the greatness of this month, of the opportunities that it provides for your spiritual growth and your relationship with the Qur’an. Don’t be willing to compromise it in this month. Step 8: Make dua’a to Allah Nothing can be achieved without the aid and guidance of Allah . When making your intention to complete your memorisation of Qur’an, supplicate to Allah to ease this noble pathway and to crown your efforts with success, inshaAllah. These are the 8 ways I wanted to share with you on starting and completing your journey through recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadan. Indeed, Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah: “This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.’’ In the hours of the days and nights of this sacred month, may the Qur’an be your companion of light and guidance, resonating through your words, actions and life mission. May your relationship with the Qur’an be strengthened, enriched & enlivened with the profound wisdom and divine message from Allah . About the Author British-born Haafidha Rayhaanah Omar memorised The Qur’an in less than a year & has since then, furthered her Islamic studies in numerous countries around the world. Her interests and specialty lie in ‘Uloomul Qur’an, Seerah & Ahaadeeth. For 6 years, she served as the Principal of Darul Qur’an Linn-Nisaa’, an academy of Tahfeedhul Qur’an, Itqaanul Qur’an & Uloomul Qur’an, with a student enrollment of 400 learners. An established, motivational speaker, Rayhaanah has successfully consulted thousands of women on: confidence building, time-management, goal-planning & emotional healing. She has lived, studied abroad & traveled extensively with her husband. They have an 8-year old (blogging) son, Mu’awiyah & are currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

hmmm these are questions which a learned person should answer...I cannot answer but will try to search on authentic sites. If you search and find them please post here

In the UK our fasts will be on hot days and they will be loooong! Allah ta'ala will make it easy for us all, O Allah make it easy and accept it from us, aameen!

Q. 1. What is Sadaqat-ul-FItr? A. It is a charity, the annual distribution of which is essential (Wajib) for every Muslim who possesses on the last day of the month of Ramadan or the day of 'ld-ul-Fitr goods of the value which makes them liable for Zakat. A Muslim has to pay the Sadaqat-ul-Fitr for himself or herself and for his or her minor children. Q: What is the ruling of Sadaqatul Fitr? A: It is wajib upon a free Muslim if he owns Nisab of any form of wealth, in excess of his residence, clothing, furniture, transport and weapons.* *It applies to a well-off person who is forbidden to take Zakah. ~ al-Quduri ~

wa'alaykumus salaam I have not read anywhere that its a sunnah. Wherever recitation of the Qur'an is mentioned in books or bayans, it is mentioned that we should recite as much as possible (more for the huffaaz) however i have heard it said that our target should be minimum, completing it at least once. Also see this: http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?75985-Immense-Rewards-for-Reciting-the-Qur-an-in-Ramadan

wa'alaykumus salaam ww Yes niyyah is necessary..following is from inter-islam The Niyyat (intention) 1. The Niyyat (intention) of fasting is NECESSARY. If a person stays away from all those things that break one's fast without a Niyyah, the fast will NOT be valid. 2. It is NOT necessary to express the Niyyat verbally as Niyyat means to intend. Thus, the intention at heart will suffice. However, it is better to express the Niyyat verbally as for dua: I need to make sure because the Niyyah in the first post is coming as a dua for fasting

Sunnats and Aadaab of Ramadhaan – Part 3 1. Spend time in the company of the pious servants of Allah Ta’ala in order to derive maximum benefit from this month. 2. There is a lot of barakah (blessings) in waking up for sehri. Hence, one should fulfil the sunnah of sehri before commencing the fast. عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم السحور كله بركة فلا تدعوه ولو أن يجرع أحدكم جرعة من ماء فإن الله عز و جل وملائكته يصلون على المتسحرين رواه أحمد وإسناده قوي (الترغيب و الترهيب رقم 1623) Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Sehri is full of blessings. Hence, do not omit the sunnah of sehri, even if one is able to have a sip of water at the time of sehri (one should do so in order to fulfil the sunnah of sehri). Certainly Allah Ta’ala descends His special grace upon those who wake up for sehri and the malaaikah make special duaa for them. وعن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فصل ما بين صيامنا وصيام أهل الكتاب أكلة السحر. (مسلم رقم 1096) Hadhrat Amr bin Aas (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The difference between our fasts and the fasts of the Ahle kitaab is the eating of sehri.” 3. It is preferable to have sehri during the last portion of the night (i.e. a little before subh-saadiq). عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه أن نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وزيد بن ثابت تسحرا فلما فرغا من سحورهما قام نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى الصلاة فصلى قلنا لأنس كم كان بين فراغهما من سحورهما ودخولهما في الصلاة قال قدر ما يقرأ الرجل خمسين آية (بخاري رقم 576) Hadhrat Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that on one occasion Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and Hadhrat Zaid bin Thaabit (Radhiallahu Anhu) sat to partake of sehri. When they completed with the sehri, Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) stood up to perform the Fajr salaah. The companions of Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) asked him, “What was the duration of time after they completed sehri till the time the Fajr salaah was performed?” Hadhrat Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) replied: “The duration was the time it would take a person to recite fifty verses of the Qur’an.” 4. One should have iftaar immediately after sunset. عن سهل رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لا يزال الناس بخير ما عجلوا الفطر. قال أبو عيسى حديث سهل بن سعد حديث حسن صحيح (ترمذي رقم 699) Hadhrat Sahl (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “People will continue to remain upon goodness as long as they hasten in opening their fast.” عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال الله تعالى أحب عبادي إلي أعجلهم فطرا. (ترمذي رقم 700) Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that Allah Ta’ala says: Those servants who are most beloved in My sight are those who hasten to open their fasts at the time of iftaar. 5. It is best to open one’s fast with dates and water. عن سلمان بن عامر قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أفطر أحدكم فليفطر على تمر فإنه بركة فإن لم يجد تمرا فالماء فإنه طهور (ترمذي رقم 658) Hadhrat Salmaan bin Aamir (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “At the time of iftaar one should open his fast with dates as this is full of blessings, and if this is not possible then he should drink water as this is a means of purification.” عن أنس قال : كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يفطر قبل أن يصلي على رطبات فإن لم تكن فتميرات فإن لم تكن تميرات حسى حسوات من ماء . (ترمذي رقم 696) Hadhrat Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would open his fast with fresh dates before performing the Maghrib salaah. If fresh dates were not found, then Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would open his fast with dry dates. If dry dates were not found, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would open his fast with a few sips of water. 6. At the time of iftaar recite the following du`aa: اَللّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَ عَلى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّيْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيم O Allah, I have kept this fast solely for You, and with Your sustenance I have opened my fast. Accept this fast from me. Indeed You are All hearing and All knowing. ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ (My) thirst has been quenched, and the veins have been moistened and the reward has been obtained (by Allah Ta’ala) Insha Allah. عن معاذ بن زهرة قال : إن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أفطر قال : اللهم لك صمت وعلى رزقك أفطرت. ( أبو داود رقم 2360) Hadhrat Muaaz bin Zuhrah (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would recite the following Duaa at the time of opening the fast: اَللّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَ عَلى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال كان النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم إذا أفطر قال : لك صمت وعلى رزقك أفطرت فتقبل مني إنك أنت السميع العليم رواه الطبراني في الكبير وفيه عبد الملك بن هارون وهو ضعيف (مجمع الزوائد رقم 4893) Hadhrat ibn Abbaas (Radhiallahu Anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would recite the following Duaa at the time of opening the fast: اَللّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَ عَلى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّيْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيم عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال : كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أفطر قال : ذهب الظمأ وابتلت العروق وثبت الأجر إن شاء الله ( أبو داود رقم 2359) Hadhrat ibn Umar (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would recite the following Duaa at the time of opening the fast: ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ 7. Be generous in the month of Ramadhaan. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would express the most amount of generosity in the month of Ramadhaan compared to the other months of the year. عن ابن عباس قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أجود الناس وكان أجود ما يكون في رمضان حين يلقاه جبريل وكان يلقاه في كل ليلة من رمضان فيدارسه القرآن فلرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أجود بالخير من الريح المرسلة (بخاري رقم 6) adhrat ibn Abbaas (Radhiallahu Anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was the most generous of people. He would reach the peak of his generosity in the month of Ramadhaan when Hadhrat Jibra’eel (Alaihis Salaam) would come to meet him (to make dhor and revise the Qur’an). Hadhrat Jibra’eel (Alaihis Salaam) would meet him every night in Ramadhaan wherein they both used to recite the Qur’an Majeed to each other. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was more generous than the (beneficial) wind that blew (i.e. the wind is known for having no boundaries and it reaches all places, hence the generosity of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) even surpassed the limits of the wind in showing love and compassion for the creation). Ihtaaud Deen

Wa'alaykumus salaam ww awwww poor thing! InshaAllah she will be ok. Allah grant her 'aafiyat and strengthen her, aameen.

Interior of The Dome of the Rock This rock is believed to be the place from where the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) ascended to heaven (mi’raj) during his night journey to Jerusalem. It is the opinion of some scholars that the angel Israfeel (upon him be peace) will blow the soor (trumpet) from this place to herald the Day of Judgement. When the Crusaders took over the site they covered the Rock with a marble facing to make an alter and choir, and the interior Quranic inscriptions were covered with Latin texts, all aimed to blot out Muslim presence. Salahuddin Ayyubi had the building restored after the Muslims reconquered it. Jews and Christians believe this is the place where the Prophet Ebrahim (upon him be peace) was prepared to sacrifice his son Ishaq (upon him be peace) after seeing a dream indicating for him to do so. This is a fundamental difference to the Muslim belief that it was actually his elder son Ismail (upon him be peace) who he was prepared to sacrifice and that this happened in Mina, Saudi Arabia. Inside the Dome, the major Quranic inscription over the arches of the inner arcade is addressed to the “Followers of the Gospel”, i.e. Christians, denying the shocking notion that God had sired a son. It warns them against inaccurate and dangerous statements about God (in Surah An-Nisa):“O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not “Three” – Cease! (it is) better for you! – Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.” [4:171] Underneath the Dome of the Rock The main picture above shows the stairways leading down to the small cave underneath the Dome of the Rock. The picture inset shows an internal view. This cave has been called ‘The Well of Souls’ (Arabic: Bir el-Arweh) as some believe this is where the souls of the dead gather to wait for the event of Judgement Day. However, this is a myth as is the notion that the rock above it is floating without any support. Islamiclandmarks

The Dome of the Rock http://youtu.be/bcqQC_Zlyp0