A short reminder: The acceptance of repentance

Allah the Most High says in the Holy Quran:

"Oh my Slaves who transgressed against themselves (by commiting evil deeds and sins!) Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Most Forgiving Most Merciful." (Surah Az-Zumar:53)

It is not befitting that a true believer distances himself from Tawbah. Do no despair and think that Allah will not accept your Tawbah. This is not the sign of a true believer, and it leads to destruction. Indeed Allah is the Most Merciful, who always forgives his Repenting slaves and none despairs from the Mercy of Allah except the disbelieving people. What one is ordered to do is have a good opinion of Allah in all his affairs, even in the last moments of his life.

It is narrated from Du'maan Ibn Basheer who said regarding this ayaah:

"And do not throw yourselves into destruction" (Surah Al Baqarah:195)

If any of you sins he should not throw himself into destruction by saying Allah will not forgive me, rather he should ask Allah for forgiveness as Allah forgives all sins. (Al-Bayhaqi)

Extract from "Obstacles that prevent one from making repentance" by Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA)

Allah clearly reminds us of His infinite Mercy on us in the Quran, however we still fail to repent and we still lack our awareness that death may take us, today, tomorrow, or even before you finish reading this sentence....

Perhaps the most important thing any of us can do is to have tawakkul, being negative, and pessimistic, yes, this is human nature, but as Ibn Masud (RA) said:

"The is none of us that does not experience feelings like these (pessimism), but Allah eliminates them by Tawakkul" (Abu Dawud)

So it's not an excuse. Do you wish to die a pessimist, do you not believe in the words "Bismillahir Rahmaan Ar Raheem"... In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful....?

"Be weary about which state you die upon, and tht you do not die in a state of negligence".

(Al-Bayhaqi).

So it is ONLY when we loose the negative attitude, have tawakkul and be mindful of our death, that we will realise and appreciate that repentance is in our reach...UNTIL our last breath departs from our lips.

May Allah accept our repentance, make us mindful of our sins and shower us with His Mercy.

Ameen.

The Sacred Month of Muharram

The first month Muharram, is a month of great reward and virtue. Muharram itself means `sacred' and is from those months which have been mentioned as sacred in the Holy Quraan.

Almighty Allah states in the Holy Quraan:

"Four of them ( Zil-Qadah, Zil-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab) are sacred."

(Surah At-Tawbah, 36)

Virtues of Muharram

Muharram has been blessed with certain specific virtues:-

Abu Hurairah رضى الله عنه reported:

"I asked the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم: 'Which prayer is the best after the obligatory prayers?' He said: 'Prayer during the middle of the night.' I asked: 'Which fast is the best after the fast of Rarnadan?' He said, 'The month of Allah that you call Muharram.' "

(Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud)

Mu'awiyyah ibn Abu Sufyan reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم say: "Concerning the day of 'Ashurah, it is not obligatory upon you to fast on it as I do. Whoever wishes may fast and whoever does not wish to is not obliged to do so."

(Bukhari and Muslim)

'Aishah stated: "The tribe of Quraish used to fast on the day of 'Ashurah in the days before Islam, as did the Prophet. When he came to Madinah, he still fasted on it and ordered the people to do likewise. Then, when fasting during the month of Ramadan becam obligatory, he said: 'Whoever wishes may fast ['Ashurah] and whoever wishes may leave it."

This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "The Prophet came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on the day of 'Ashurah. He said to them: 'What is this fast?' They said: 'A great day. Allah saved Moses and the tribes of Israel from their enemies on this day and therefore, Moses fasted on this day.' The Prophet said: 'We have more of a right to Moses than you,' so he fasted on that day also and ordered the people to fast on that day."

This is recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

According to al-Bukhari and Muslim, Musa al-Ash'ari reported: "The Jews would honor the day of 'Ashurah as an 'id. The Prophet said: 'You [Muslims] are to fast on it.'"

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "The Messenger of Allah fasted on the day of 'Ashurah and ordered the people to fast on it. The people said: 'O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that the Jews and Christians honor.' The Prophet said, 'When the following year comes--Allah willing--we shall fast on the ninth.' The death of the Prophet came before the following year." This is recorded by Muslim and Abu Dawud. In one version the wording is: "If I remain until next year, we shall fast the ninth," meaning, the tenth.

This is related by Muslim and Abu Dawud.

The scholars have mentioned that the fast of 'Ashurah is of three levels:
1. fasting three days--that is, on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram;
2. fasting on the 9th and 10th; and
3. fasting only on the 10th.

Virtues of the best 10 days of the year...

1st Dhul Hijjah is upon us alhamdulillah (10th December), Yaum ul Arafah will inshaAllah be on Tuesday 18th December (9th Dhul Hijjah), followed by Eid ul Adha on Wednesday 19th December. May Allah grant us all the tawfiq to reap the rewards and benefits of these blessed days. May Allah also protect the Hujjaj who have travelled (or will be travelling) from every corner of every land to seek the mercy of the Almighty. May Allah grant them expiation and a Hajj Mabroor . Ameen.

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The first ten days of this month are full of blessings and are very special for many reasons, as followed:

• Allaah swears an oath by these 10 days, and when Allah swears an oath by something it indicates its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the ten nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2].
  Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)

• The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) testified that these are the best days of this world and Allah has preferred them over all the other days of the year

• The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commanded us to recite a lot of Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, example – Allahu Akbar, La elaha illallah, Alhamdulillah, Subhaanallah
  
• These days include the Day of Arafaah, on which Allaah perfected / completed the religion of Islaam and fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years
  
• These days include the pilgrims (hujjaj) performing Hajj in Mecca
  
• These days include the Day of Sacrifice – Eid ul Adhaa

The Superiority of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

By Shaykh ibn al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Chief of the Messengers, Muhammad.

Indeed it is a great favour and blessing from Allah that He has made for His righteous servants periods of time within which they can increase in good deeds to attain great rewards and one of these opportunistic periods is the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah (the final month of the Islamic Calendar, in which the hajj is performed).

Superiority of the FIRST Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
The excellence of these ten days have been mentioned in the Qur'ân and the Sunnah.
1. Allah says in the Qur'ân:
"By the dawn and by the ten nights … " [Al-Qur'ân 89:1-2]
Ibn Kathîr said that "the ten nights" referred to here are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and this opinion was also held by Ibn Abbâs, Ibn az-Zubair, Mujâhid and others.

2. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"There are no deeds as excellent as those done in these ten days." They (the companions listening) said, "Not even Jihâd?" He, peace be upon him, said, "No, not even Jihâd except a man who goes forth endangering his life and wealth and does not return with anything." [Recorded by al-Imâm al-Bukhârî]

3. Allah says:
" … and remember the name of Allah in the appointed days." [Al-Qur'ân 2:203]
Ibn Abbâs and Ibn Kathîr said this means in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

4. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:
"There are no other days that are as great as these in the sight of Allah, the Most Sublime. Nor are there any deeds more beloved to Allah then those that are done in these ten days. So increase in tahlîl (to say lâ illaha illallah), takbîr (to say allahu akbar) and tahmîd (to say alhumdulillâh)."

[Reported by at-Tabarânî in al-Mu'jum al-Kabîr]

5. With regards to the noble companion Saîd bin Jubair, when the days of Dhul-Hijjah began he would strive to increase in good actions with great intensity until he was unable to increase anymore.

[Reported by ad-Dârimî]

6. Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bârî:
"The most apparent reason for the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah being distinguished in excellence is due to the assembly of the greatest acts of worship in this period, i.e. salawât (prayers), siyâm (fasting), sadaqah (charity) and the hajj (pilgrimage). In no other periods do these great deeds combine."

What are the recommended acts in these days?
1. The Prayer - It is highly recommended to perform the obligatory acts at their prescribed times (as early as possible) and to increase oneself in the superogatory acts, for indeed, this is what brings a person closer to their Lord. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:
"Upon you is to increase in your prostration to Allah, for verily you do not prostrate to Allah with even one prostration, except that He raises you in degrees and decreases your sins because of it." [Reported by Muslim]

2. Fasting - This has been mentioned as one of the acts of righteousness where Hanbada ibn Khâlid reports on the authority of his wife who reports that some of the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
The Prophet, upon whom be peace, would fast on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Âshûra and three days in every month.

[Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dâwûd, an-Nisâî and others]
Al-Imâm an-Nawawî said that fasting in these ten days is extremely recommended.

3. Saying allahu akbar; lâ illaha illallah and alhamdulillâh - It is found in the aforementioned narration of Ibn 'Umar:
"So increase yourselves in saying lâ illaha illallah, allahu akbar and alhamdulillâh."
Al-Imâm Bukhârî, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Ibn 'Umar and Abû Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to go out to the markets in the ten days saying the takbîr causing the people to follow them in this action."
He also said:
"Umar ibn al-Khattâb used to say the takbîr in his minaret in Mina, whereupon the people of the mosque hearing 'Umar, would start to say the takbîr as would the people in the markets until the whole of Mina was locked in glorifying Allah."
Ibn 'Umar used to say the takbîr in Mina during these ten days and after prayers, whilst on his bed, in his tent, in his gathering and whilst walking. What is recommended is to say the takbîr aloud due to the fact that 'Umar ibn al-Khattâb, his son and Abû Hurayrah used to do likewise, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Strive with us O Muslims in reviving this sunnah that has become lost in these times and it was almost forgotten, even amongst the people of righteousness and goodness all of which is unfortunately in opposition to what the best of generations were upon (preserving and maintaining the superogatory acts).

There are a number of ways of making takbîr that have been narrated by the companions and their followers and from these ways is the following:
- Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar kabîrun.
- Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, lâ ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wallahu akbar, wa lillahil hamd.
- Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, lâ ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, allahu akbar wa lillâhil hamd.

4. Fasting on the day of 'Arafah - Fasting has been affirmed on the day of 'Arafah, where it has been confirmed from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said regarding fasting on the day of 'Arafah:
"Be content with the fact that Allah will expiate for you your sins for the year before (the day of 'Arafah) and the year after (the day of 'Arafah)."

[Reported by Muslim]
However, whoever is at 'Arafah as a pilgrim then fasting is not expected of him, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, stopped at 'Arafah to eat.

May the peace of Allah be upon his Prophet, the family of the Prophet and all of his companions

Marhaba ya Ramadhan 1428

I will inshaAllah be taking a break from this blog for Ramadhan, and will be returning with after 'Eid ul Fitr inshaAllah.
Here is some food for thought on the ADAB OF RAMADHAN (Click the link).

And a few brief reminders i posted last year:

RAMADHAN: HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES

TIME FOR REFLECTION

Zaka'h and Sadaqah

Sins of the Tongue I

Sins of the Tongue II

Fasting of the eye

Fasting of the ear

Merits of the last 10 days

Please endeavour to make the most of this blessed month, reflect, change, improve and most of all REPENT. Make your actions righteous and take steps to improve your character inshaAllah. There is no better time to change than now. May Allaah give us all the tawfiq to better ourselves and take advantage of our time left on the dunya, to prapare for our everlasting abode in the akhirra. Please remember the Ummah, our captive Muslim brothers and sisters, and myself in your dua'as.
JazakhumAllahu khairun

PS: Don't forget to come to 1Eid on Eid day if you can:

Watch the website for updates: www.1Eid.net

In preparation of Ramadhan...

Event on Sunday 9th September 2007 at 2pm

@ The IslamBradford Centre, Preston Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1JF

- (Above Day2Day Cash & Carry)

- Separate seating for Sisters & Food will be served!
For more information contact: 0783 459 4453 or email info@islambradford.com

Death is seeking YOU.....

'Every man is struck down among his people in the morning,
when death is closer than the strap of his sandal.'

(Al Adab Al Mufrad: Imam Bukhari)

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
Allah, the Lord of honour and glory, will accept the repentance of His servant till his death-rattle begins.
(Tirmidhi)

SubhanAllah the month of Ramadhan is merely days away, some of us will see it, some of us will not. How many of those who were here last ramadhan remain for the one to come? How many thought they would be here but aren't. We may be here now, and gone tomorrow, so inshaAllah watch the reminder, take heed. Do not sit idle for indeed death is seeking you... [Hasan al-Basri]

Death is close, it waits for no man, take account for yourself before your account is taken.

Ramadhan Re-runs

Another pre-ramadhan reminder... 2 weeks in counting ...

Tips for Ramadhan and beyond....

Ramadhan is approx 14 to 15 days away, yes subhanAllah that is only a matter of two weeks... are you ready? Heres some advice to help...
May Allah make it easy for us to continue our actions beyond ramadhan inshaAllah and may He help us to make Quran, Qiyam ul Layl, moderation in diet and actions, charity, and correction of character part of our daily conciousness. Ameen.

1. Eat, drink and be moderate

Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.


2. Give a pound a day in charity...or five or ten

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.


3. Memorize atleast 4 new Surahs

Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.


4. Go to Tarawih prayers (Qiyaam ul Ramadhan)

Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.


5. Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished

Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.


6. Stop swearing and/or backbiting

With a special box It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits. Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment. At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you've backbitten the most against.


7. Call/email your relatives

You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's "busy'ness." Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.


8. Go on a technology diet

Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.


9. Read 5 minutes of Quran a day...and reflect insha'Allaah

Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.


10. Forgive everyone who has hurt you

Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too? If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

“If You Wish to Memorise Something…”

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

Noble brothers and sisters, May Allaah guide you to your success, Knowledge is like an ocean with no shore to bound it, it is too much, so you shouldn't even think that you can comprehend it all, But an intelligent person sets the priorities and starts with what is most important. You should start slow but steady, sticking with little yet mastering it is better than getting hands everywhere but not being able to finish anything properly.

If you wish to memorize something then protect it by keep repeating it. Ibn Al-Jawzi mentions a nice story of Al-Haafith Abu Bakr An-Neysaboori,

“Once he was reading out loud and repeating the text over and over to memorize it and one of the ladies in his house said, “I have memorized it by listening to you how come you didn’t memorize it yet?” So he told her to read it and she did. After few days he asked the lady; “Can you repeat the text from that day?” She said, “I have forgotten it.” So he said, “This is the reason why I kept repeating so what has afflicted you (of forgetfulness) will not happen to me.”

Beware of satanic tricks while you are seeking knowledge.

Unfortunately we find many brothers and sisters when they start seeking knowledge they lack focus, commitment, steadiness and concentration. For instance, a person decides to memorize the Quraan, in the beginning s/he seems to be very committed, rather over excited with strong enthusiasm to memorize it all which may not remain the same after few months, illa man Rahima Rabbi.

First you decide to start from juz ‘Amma but after some time you change your mind and start from the beginning (soorah Al-Baqarah) thinking that memorizing in order is better then starting from the end. Behold!! Soon after some time you stop again and decide to memorize the soorah (chapter) which has fadhaa-il or are recommended to read on daily or weekly basis like Soorah Al-Kahf, or Soorah Al-Jumu’ah or the last verses of Soorah Al-Baqarah etc… , so the end result is not getting anything done properly.

Same thing goes when it comes to reading books, person may pick the book of fiqh and after reading few pages thinks that s/he should read books on ‘Aqeedah and then without finishing the book on ‘Aqeedah s/he jumps on to read the books of Ahaadeeth and so on. The end result is that person can’t even finish one book from cover to cover rather is always jumping from one book to another, etc.

So be careful of these obstacles and be firm and committed in your Talab al-ilm (seeking knowledge).