Answer to Anonymous

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Romance and Islam": Fahad, your blog is very interesting. I recently picked up a Koran and started reading it; I found it interesting and insightful. Reading the Koran makes me want to be a better person and more in touch with my spiritual side, what scares me is the complete surrender to Allah's will and fundamental Muslim believes such as being a Martyr. I thought seriously about becoming a Muslim but only practiced certain beliefs and never shared them with anyone. The Koran mentions Allah chooses the worthy and guides who he wishes. What advice can you give me as a Muslim regarding my disagreement with certain Muslim beliefs?

I would like to thank “Anonymous” for visiting my blog and finding it interesting, and I would also like to praise Anonymous for trying to know more about our religion. As Anonymous has asked me for an advice regarding certain issues which seem a bit on a fundamental side, I would try to advice him/her to best of my ability and with all my sincerity. May Allah Help me….

First of All I would like to comment on the Word “Fundamentalist” or “Extremist”, these words which are mostly used for Muslims but dont hold any importance in life of a good Muslim, and Muslims never invented these words. All Muslims are asked by Allah to follow a certain guideline, whoever follows it by the book is called a good Muslim and whoever doesn’t is one of the non believers in the message of Allah that includes Muslim and non Muslims they both are called Non Believers if they don’t believe in Allah and his word, some people including muslims themselves use the word “ Kafir” and try to create a impression that it degrades people of other religious beliefs. But the fact is “ Kafirs” means a non believers, it can be used for both Muslims and non muslims who don’t practice and implement the laws of Allah. Coming back to Fundamentalist and Extremists: These two words are used by non Muslims and Muslims alike for people who follow the law of Allah exactly by the book. Once upon a time I was one of those people who used to call some Muslims extremist just because they grew a beard and wore a face covering, or went out to the war to fight the oppression. I soon realized that I was the one at fault, these people only seem extremists and fundamentalist cause I myself can’t be like them, instead of correcting my way of life I started to call them with those names. Most of the people around us are ao called moderate muslims and we are afraid to lose their company so we end up agreeing on their terms and conditions. So to my understanding calling a good Muslim Fundamentalist or Extremist just because we want to live a moderate life is just not right. We should accept them as good Muslims and ourselves not so good Muslims, holding ourselves accountable for our short comings is better then pointing fingers at Muslims who are on the right track by calling them names. This way we try to convince people that we are right, this is done due to ignorance or arrogance on our part because it’s really hard to resist this world’s entertainment, immorality and free thinking.

I tried to explain these words and its implications in one of my postings… The fundamentalist Couple

Now I’ll move on to the topic that is of Quran and its understanding, the basic belief of a Muslim is that” Quran” is a divinely revealed book from Allah Himself to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims believe Quran is the latest version of the previous books which were revealed to (Prophet Musa) Moses and to (Prophet Isaa) Jesus, need for revealing Quran came as previous books were edited and misquoted by some people for their own convenience. Therefore Allah sent down Quran with a promise that no human being will change it or no one can create something like it, people who understand Quran will testify that it holds enough miracles to justify the fact that it is divinely revealed book and it has been the same for last 1400 years without even a letter deleted ar added. No other book of law in this world has been preserved to the extent of Quran. Differences of opinion between Muslims and Non Muslim exist for few reasons:

1. Sometimes non Muslims are culturally arrogant to believe in Quran just because they think it will degrade their beliefs and their religion which was followed by their ancestors for centuries but Quran gives a great tribute to religions of Jesus and Moses and all Muslims are ordered to respect and believe in them whosoever doesn’t believe in Moses and Jesus are not of the believers.

2. Convenience of people also plays an important part in disbelieving in Quran for example polygamy is also allowed in Christianity but the church disapproves it, in the case of veil it is important for a women to dress modestly and cover her head but the Christianity has changed so much through centuries that people take it as more of a convenience and don’t think it is important to cover yourself modestly anymore. Same stands for Alcohol, in Christian scriptures wine has been mentioned as a source of joy as well as a source of mockery, shamelessness and sin so people justify drinking alcohol by saying we are just having good time, but if you look at it in reality you would notice, it causes more harm then good. So no God, be it of Jesus, Moses or Muhammad (PBUH) will allow its loved created beings to something which is more harmful to you than good.

3. Confusion and misunderstanding is the third and most important reason why non Muslims and some of the Muslims face while reading and understanding the Book (the Quran) itself and its Message. Quran is taken to lightly sometimes even by muslims themselves, people of different languages think that they understand the translation and the message correctly and they try to implement the verses as they are, they sometimes quote a verse which is relevant only as a example and a history for us to understand and learn through examples from the events which happened in the past. For example please read my previous post on Islam Spreading by Sword and Misconceptions… Quran is commonly misquoted by human beings muslims or non muslims alike for their convenience… Some Muslims do that because they want to create their own following (deviate sects) or use Quran to justify their own thought process which they want to implement on other Muslims who have no knowledge of Quran and Non Muslims do that to justify their own thoughts and reasons. It is really sad that majority of Muslims use Quran in their prayers and to recite the verses but don’t have time to understand beyond those words and implement what is revealed to them instead they go on about quoting the verses and misguiding people when they are themselves misguided. On the other hand non Muslims quote certain verses of Quran with out understanding the events surrounding the revelation of a certain chapter or a verse and its contexts to create differences and point out laws which don’t suit their lifestyles.

So my sincere advice to people of all faiths including Muslims is that they should learn and understand Quran completely before they start quoting verses without knowing the background and the reasons behind certain verses of Quran. And I also advice people when you come across a certain verse which doesn’t suit your lifestyle or some verses seem harsh to you than you should investigate that particular law and weigh it logically, morally and with unbiased thinking. For example dont think Alcohol shouldn’t be prohibited just because you find it fun, always try to know why alcohol is prohibited. Is it morally correct or it isn’t? Weigh good and bad in it. Once you do that you will come to terms with Quran, every prohibition and everything which is allowed in Islam has logical reasons behind them and if you weigh all the laws in good and bad. Good will always succeed.

Why complete surrender to Allah’s will? Is it fundamental Muslim belief to be a martyr?

First and the most important thing to ask your self is: who is God? If the answer you get is: God is Almighty, He is the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, No one created God and God created everything; Humans, Animals, plants, the universe and everything in it. Then its will be easier for everyone to understand that why should we completely surrender to Allah’s will, if a person creates a certain product and copyrights it, that particular person has all the rights over that product in whatever way he wants it to be used as he can use it. No one can steal it without its permission or misuse it. I find it difficult to understand why humans don’t think the same way about God, God created us and he has all the rights over us. God gives us a Book of rules of do’s and don’ts just like a father gives his children laws to conduct themselves. When a child breaks the law he is punished, and is grounded or his pocket money is reduced. Same way,God has all the rights to tell us if you do badly you will be punished and if you do good you will be rewarded. And as God is Almighty then he punishment is severe and if He rewards you then its the best. If you dont believe in God altogether then you dont have to surrender. Logical and Simple!

That in my view is complete surrender to Allah’s will, and Allah’s will is that humans follow His laws.

About martyrs well it’s a long story I would like to make it short and would also advice you to dig in to the history a bit that its not only a fundamentalist Muslim belief, it has its roots in Judaism and Christianity as well please visit the following link to get an idea where it all started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrs

My point of view on Martyrs is a bit logical and a bit religious, suppose a country recruits soldiers to guard their country against the oppressors and those who fight against its enemy and are killed in the line of duty are rewarded by numerous medals which are not worth anything for them in this world nor hereafter and they are mentioned few times in news articles, their families are given a medal in hand and they are forgotten by time. This is the most a human being can give another human being when they are dead.

But when you believe in God and fight for his cause, Allah is the one who Himself recruits its soldiers some of them stay alive and some die. When a person dies his life is over what would he do with a piece of metal given to his family so the Martyrs are rewarded by a medal from Allah Himself for their services with paradise. When you believe Allah is the one who has created you, and has all the rights over you and you follow His orders and die for His cause then it is only logical that He provides you with some reward same as president of countries do. On the other hand unlike what people think that every Muslim will be rewarded and recruited for being martyrs is totally wrong, like all other armies not all Muslims are soldiers and not all of them die. You can always notice around you people like me, I am not recruited yet and maybe I am not the one chosen by Allah Himself to be in his army.

So my advice for you on this topic is to study (Jihad Striving in the cause of Allah not war against non Muslims as people try to tell you), what are the rules of Jihad? And what are different kinds of Jihad humans beings are allowed to do and for what reasons? Study of this topic will sort out your issues regarding Martyrs. And please note Suicide, killing of children, women, elderly, and even cutting down trees of enemies is totally forbidden in Islam, I also advice you to read rules and reasons of war in Islam, and how prisoners of war are treated. All that can be useful for you to understand real Islam make sure you don’t study biased material and don’t follow what media is trying to brain wash you with. The best source to read unbiased material about Real Islam is The Quran and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), if a Muslim contradicts with Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad please disregard them because humans are prone to errors be it Muslims or anyone else. Whatever people tell always cross check it for its authenticity.

I hope I have answered your issues with best of my abilities and I hope if you have any questions which are not answered or you need more explanation please feel free to contact me on my email, now I would like to finish off with your last statement which mentions Allah chooses the worthy and guides who he wishes: I came across an article which will answer this question

http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=article&aid=44

I am currently studying Quran myself and I have a blog dedicated for it http://rediscoverquran.blogspot.com, I wish to learn more and share it with other people and I regularly update it please book mark it may help you and it may guide you like it has guided me… May Allah forgive me if I have committed any mistakes in answering you and guide us all to the straight path ..Ameen

I can’t change my Past, but I am Positive

Recently I have been advised by someone to write about my recent experiences, I thought about it and I figured out it’s the hardest thing to do. I have so many stories to tell but I can’t find words to express them. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not a good writer. But life isn’t easy anyways so I decided to give it a try, some will like it and some not. Anyways you can’t please everyone……….

Well let’s start with the past, every single person has a past and I do to. Since I have chosen to give priority to my religion instead of the goods of this world, Suddenly I see different sides of people that I haven’t noticed it before cause I was busy entertaining myself while the world conspired against each other. Some support me while some don’t. I do accept, I was my own enemy and I am myself the reason which lead people to think of me like that. But, I wont accept people pointing fingers at me as well, I have left my past behind and I find no reason for other people to hold on to it.

Some people ask me for guarantees, some people say is it because you have found a religious woman, some people say it’s a phase, some say don’t become an extremist. I sometimes wonder why they have all negative things to say. Life has no guarantees; no human being is guaranteed to behave in the same manner. A human being has the tendency to adapt to its surroundings and behave the same way as people around him or her do. Someone joked with me once and said “if you want guarantees buy a Micro Wave you will get one year replacement Guarantee. The fact is that there are no guarantees for a human being; death, personality changes, failed marriages, financial state, war, etc…. So how can I provide guarantees to people, I don’t know myself where I may end up in future.. Only Allah knows Best.

I have come to an understanding as why humans are different than Allah, Allah forgives the past and humans don’t- it’s one of the attributes of Allah that humans cant posses.

Looking at the positive sides of things, Since, I started following the correct path; I have evolved from being depressed by lack of faith in me by people to more positive thinking. Islam led me to think positively even in times sadness and crises and tackle all issues positively.

Now I don’t regret my past at all, actually I am really happy that I had a past. I make use of that past to let people know ,how I changed and what can people do to make a change in their lives like I did, I am a living example, I have lived every moment of it and I know how hard it is to let go of goods of this world. I guess people like me can help more humans rather than people who haven’t done anything in their lives and those who were born in a family which was religious and practiced Islam since they were kids. They may not be able to relate to people who have had pasts which they haven’t experienced themselves, for them answering questions asked by people like us is a bit hard….but I know and I can and I fight against my temptations every day and every night ….. I may have answers for people who have lived a life like I have. Past is positive, you can learn from your mistakes and let people know how to stay away from those mistakes…..

Allah is the most Merciful Please read : Man Who committed 100 Murders and was forgiven....

Past is signing off ..see you in future :)

Disclaimer: It’s just that I am thinking positively about my past, I don’t approve of it. If I had a chance to go back in time, I would have changed it. I hope people don’t take it literally and commit all the sins and wait to change………. Life has no guarantees…you never know if you are alive till that time …so change now:)

Romance and Islam

I have been bombarded with lots of questions from my friends since I left my past behind, everyone thinks that when you turn to religion life becomes boring… All good Muslims do is fight, say this is forbidden and that is forbidden. One of my friends asked me what is your idea of Romance since you started to take your religion seriously. I told him nothing much has changed since I chose the path I am on, its just that few changes here and there sort out everything for me…. Then I had to give him an example to make him understand few things and I thought of sharing it with you all…..

Idea of a Romantic evening 2005 – (My Past Thoughts)

Occasion: A Romantic Date
Intention: Love or ……….
Date: Girlfriend – illegal, maybe temporary
Location: The Beach
Time: 8 pm full Moon
Background music: Violin
Dinner: Italian
Drinks: Wine – intoxicates, may lead you to something which you can regret later.

Idea of a Romantic Evening 2007 plus (my future thoughts)

Occasion: A Romantic Date
Intention: Love and Respect
Date: Wife – some one legal and a person you will spend the rest of your life with
Location: the beach
Time: 8 pm Full Moon
Background music: Sound of waves – Natural sound of water is by far romantic then someone playing violin at least you get to be alone…total privacy
Dinner: Italian or Arabic does it matter when you have a beautiful someone to share your food with
Drinks: Anything Virgin- At least they will keep you in your senses

So who says a good Muslim can’t be a romantic, it’s just that the mind set changes from illegal to legal. In fact it’s more rewarding to be romantic with your wife than your girl friend. With your wife you think of a long term relationship and romance helps you grow in a relationship further, with girlfriends it’s vice versa all romance in the beginning of your relationship and later complaining about not being romantic anymore.

If you compare between my past thoughts when I was not so good Muslim and Present when I am trying to be one, you won’t find much of a difference. Whatever difference you may find will make that romantic evening even better.

Place, location, full moon, food, and ideas nothing change, what changes is rights and wrongs. I wish people stop assuming things and stop taking people on face value, behind that veil and a beard are humans as every one is.

Remember that our Prophet Muhammad Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam had found the time to go out to the desert and race with his wife Aisha. She outran him but later after she had gained some weight, he outran her. Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam took his wife to watch the young Ethiopians playing and dancing their folk dances. The show of emotions is necessary to keep the marital bond away from rusting and disintegrating. Remember that you will be rewarded by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for any emotions you show to your wife as the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said "One would be rewarded for anything that he does seeking the pleasure of Allah even the food that he puts in the mouth of his wife" Never underestimate the importance of seemingly little things as putting food in your wife's mouth, opening the car door for her, etc. Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam used to extend his knee to his wife to assist her up to ride the camel.

Always try your best to be good to your wife by words and by deeds. Talk to her, smile to her, seek her advice, ask for her opinion, spend quality time with her and always remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said, "The best of you are those who are best to their wives"

Finallay, it is common that spouses vow to love and honor their spouses until death do them part. I do believe that this vow is good or even great, but not enough! It is not enough that you love your wife. You have to love what she loves as well. Her family, her loved ones must also become your loved ones. Don't be like my colleague who was unhappy about his wife's parents coming to visit for few weeks. He candidly said to her "I don't like your parents." Naturally she angrily looked at him straight in the eye and said, "I don't like yours either." Also, it is not enough that you love her until death do you part. Love should never end and we do believe there is life after death where those who did righteousness in this world will be joined by their spouses (Surah Al Zukhruf 43:70) and offsprings.

The best example in this regard is the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam whose love for Khadija, his wife of 25 years, extended to include all those she loved; this love of his continued even after her death. It was many years after her death and he never forgot her and whenever a goat was slaughtered in his house he would send portions of it to Khadija's family and friends and whenever he felt that the visitor at the door might be Khadija's sister Hala, he would pray saying, "O Allah let it be Halaa."

Romance does play a very important part in a good muslims life

Significance of Sunnah

No devout Muslim would ever dare to go against the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, but it is regrettable to note that some of the liberal elite tend to raise the slogan that the Book of God (i.e. the Qur'an) is enough and that there is no need at all for the Sunnah of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him. Slogans like this are raised mainly by people who want to get rid of the Islamic Law (Arabic: Sharee`ah) completely.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, himself was well-aware that such ill-natured opinions would arise and hence gave a clear warning of this as reported by Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma'di Karib, one of his Companions: "I have indeed been given the Qur'an and something similar to it besides it. Yet, the time will come when a man leaning on his couch will say, 'Follow the Qur'an only; what you find in it as halaal, take it as halaal, and what you find in it as haraam, take it as haraam.' But truly, what the Messenger of God has forbidden is like what God has forbidden." (Reported by Abu Dawood and Darimi.)

In fact, ANYONE WHO REJECTS THE SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET, PEACE BE UPON HIM, DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE QUR'AN, for Almighty God Himself has emphasized the importance of the Sunnah in many verses, of which a few are given below.

"O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those charged with authority among you; and if you differ in anything among yourselves, then refer it to God and the Messenger if you do believe in God and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination." (Surat Al-Nisa' 4:59)

"The answer of the believers, when summoned to God and His Messenger in order that he may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, 'We hear and we obey'. It is such as these who will attain success." (Surat Al-Nur 24:51)

"But no, by your Lord! (O Muhammad) They cannot be believers until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest submission." (Surat Al-Nisa' 4:65)

Ana’s reported that the Messenger of God said: "I have left among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of God and my Sunnah." (Reported by Haakim.)

The Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to hold the commandments given by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a very high esteem, making no distinctions between them and those given by God.

Once 'Abdullah Ibn Mas`ood quoted this saying of the Prophet (hadeeth) while he was delivering a sermon: "May God curse the women who tattoo their bodies and those who pluck their eyebrows; those who separate their teeth to make them look prettier and those who try to change the creation of God." A woman named Umm Yaqub from the tribe of Banu Asad came to know of these words. She approached Ibn Mas`ood and said: "O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman! It was reported to me that you have cursed such and such women." He said: "Why should I not curse those whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, cursed and who are cursed in the Book of God as well." She said: "I have read whatever is contained between the two covers (i.e. the whole Qur'an)." Had you been a good reader, you would have discovered it. Did you not read the following verse?

"So take whatever the Messenger gives you and keep away from what he forbids you." (Surat Al-Hashr 59:7)

Let us see what the four great Imams (i.e. religious scholars) have said about the authority of the Sunnah.

a) IMAM ABU HANIFAH was asked: "What do we do if we find a saying of yours opposing the Book of God?" He replied: "Leave my saying and stick to the Book of God." The questioner asked: "What if it contradicts a saying of the Prophet?" Abu Haneefah said: "Leave my saying in the face of the Prophet's saying." Again he was asked: "What if it goes against the saying of a Companion?" Again he said: "Leave my saying in the face of the Companion's saying." (Reported in Al-Qawl al-Mufeed by Shawkani.) Imam Abu Haneefah also declared: "My way (Arabic: madhhab) is whatever hadeeth (saying of the Prophet) that is proved to be authentic." (Shami 1:50, Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 62.)

b) The saying of IMAM MALIK IBN ANAS is well-known: "The saying of any person can be accepted or rejected, except for the Prophet of God, peace be upon him." (Reported by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and Ibn Hazm. Also in Al-Yawaqeet WA Al-Jawahir 2:96.) He also said: "I am just a mortal; sometimes 1 am wrong, sometimes I am right - so check my opinions. Whatever agrees with the Book (i.e. the Qur’an) and the Sunnah, accept it; whatever disagrees with them, reject it." (Reported by Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 72.)

c) Once IMAM SHAFI'I narrated a saying of the Prophet (hadeeth). Someone from the audience said: "Do you say so as well?" On hearing this, the Imam was enraged. His face turned pale and he said: "Woe to you! Which earth would carry me, which sky would shelter me if I narrate a saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him and do not hold the same view! Do you see a zunnar (belt worn by non-Muslims) on me? Or have you noticed me coming out of a church? How can I report something from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and not agree with?!!"

d) IMAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL said: "Do not follow me or Maalik or Shaafi or Auza'i or Thawree, but take from where they took (i.e. from the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah)." (Reported by Al-Fulani and Ibn al-Qayyim.) He also said: "He, who is on the verge of destruction rejects a saving of the Messenger of God, May the peace and blessings of God be upon him." (Reported by Ibn al-Jauzi.)

The Prophet (PBUH) also has stressed the importance of his Sunnah. During the course of Khutbah al Wada'ah (Farewell Sermon) the Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said:"I leave behind two things, if you hold fast unto them you shall never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

He also asked his Companions to convey others what they have learned from him saying:"Haddithu 'anni" (relate my saying to others)

Furthermore, he implored his Sunnah to uphold his way of life saying:'Alaykum bi sunnati' (follow my example)'.

The Holy Qur'an forbids ignoring or opposing any of the explanations or commands given by the Prophet (PBUH):"And as for him, who opposes the Messenger after guidance has been made clear, follows a path other than that of a believer."

Qur’aanic revelation and the precepts of the Prophet (PBUH) constitute the primary sources of Islamic Law.Generally the Holy Qur'an lays down the broad aspects of the Law and Sharee`ah obligations which cannot be fulfilled without resorting to the Sunnah of the Prophet the Prophet (PBUH).

For instance, the Holy Qur'an orders Muslims to pray but does not provide its specific timings; also it does not explain the way Muslims should pray. The details are found in the Sunnah. Again, the Holy Qur'an allows one to bequeath a share from one's estate to any person and does not stipulate the maximum limit for such a bequest. The Prophet (PBUH) is the one who fixed its maximum limit at one third of one's estate only.In other words then, the Prophet (PBUH) interpreted the verses of the Holy Qur'an and explained their meanings and implications to his companions to apply them in their lives. In the process he (PBUH) also made provisions for those aspects of the Law which were not specifically provided for in the Holy Qur'an. Likewise, all rules pertaining to Fasting, Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) and Zakaat (compulsory charity) were laid down by the Prophet (PBUH).

Enough for you is your Home

The words ‘Isolation’ and ‘Seclusion’ have a special meaning in our religion: to stay away from evil and its perpetrators, and to keep those who are foolish at a distance. When you seclude yourself from evil in this manner, you will have a opportunity to reflect, to think, to graze in the meadows of enlightment.

When you isolate yourself from things that divert you from Allah’s obedience, you are giving yourself a dose of medicine, one that doctors of the heart have found to be a most potent cure. When you seclude yourself from evil and idleness, your brain is stimulated into action. The results are increases in faith, repentance, and remembrance of Allah, the Most Merciful.

However, some gatherings are not only recommended, but necessary: the congregational prayer, circles of learning, and all gatherings of righteousness. As for gatherings wherein frivolity and shallowness prevail, be wary of them. Take flight from such gatherings, weep over your wrong doing, hold your tongue, and be content within the boundaries of your home. My mixing with others based on foolish motives, you endanger the stability and soundness of your mind, for the people you indiscriminately mix with are likely to be experts at wasting time, masters at spreading lies, and skilled in spreading both trouble and mischief.

Allah says:

“Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about in your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing sedition among you.” (Quran 9:47)

I advice you to fortify yourself to you purpose and isolate yourself in a room, except when you leave it to speak well or to do well. When you apply this advice, you will find that your heart has returned to you. So use your time well and save your life from being wasted. Hold your tongue from backbiting, free your heart from anxiety, and preserve your ears from profanity.

Is not He (Better than your gods), who responds to the distressed

Allah says:

“Is not He (better than your gods) who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him.” (Quran 27:62)

From Whom do the weak and the oppressed seek victory? Who does everyone beseech? He is Allah. None had the right to be worshipped except Him.

Therefore it is most advisable for you and I to invoke Him during difficult times during times of both hardship and ease, to seek shelter with Him in difficult times, and to plead at His doorstep with tears of repentance; then will His help and relief quickly arrive.

Allah says:

“Is not He (Better than you gods) who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him...” (Quran 27:62)

He saves the one who is drowning, gives victory to the oppressed, guides the misguided, cures the sick, and provides relief to the afflicted.

Allah says:

“And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only” (Quran 29:65)

As for the various supplications one makes to remove hardship, I refer you to the books of Sunnah, in them, you will learn prophetic supplications with which you can call to Allah, supplicate to Him, and seek His Aid. If you have found Him, then you have found everything. And If you lose your faith in Him, then you have lost everything. By supplicating to Him you are performing one of the highest forms of worship. If you are persistent and sincere in you supplication, you willl achieve freedom from worry and anxiety. All ropes are cut lose save His, and all doors are shut save His. His is near; He hears all and answer those who supplicate to Him.

Allah says:

“Invoke Me (and ask Me for anything), I will respond to your (Invocation).”
(Quran 40:60)

If you are living through affliction and pain, remember Allah, call out His name, and as Him, for help. Place your forehead on the ground an mention His Praises, so that you can obtain true freedom. Raise your hands in supplication, and ask of Him Constantly. Cling to His door, have good thoughts about Him, and wait for His help- you will then find true Happiness and success.

Verily, with hardship, there is relief

“Verily, with hardship, there is relief” (Quran 94:6)

Eating follows hunger, drinking follows thirst, sleep comes after restlessness, and health takes the place of sickness. The lost will find their way, the one in difficulty will find relief, and the day will follow the night.

Allah says:

“Perhaps Allah may bring a victory or a decision according to His Will” (Quran 5:52)

Inform the night of coming morning, the light of which will permeate the mountains and valleys. Give to the afflicted tidings of a sudden relief that will reach them with the speed of light or with the blinking of an eye.

If you see that the desert extends for miles and miles, then know that beyond that distance are green meadows with plentiful shade. If you see the rope tighten and tighten, know that it will snap.

Tears are followed by a smile, fear is replaced by comfort, and anxiety is over thrown by serenity. When the fire was set for him, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (pbuh) did not feel its heat because of the help he received from his Lord.

Allah says:

“We (Allah) said: ‘O’ fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim” (Quran 21:69)

The sea would not drown Prophet Moses (pbuh), because he uttered in confident, strong, and truthful manner:

“Nay, verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me” (Quran 26:62)

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told Abu Baker (ra) in the cave that Allah was with them – then peace and tranquility descended upon them.

Those that are slaves of the moment see only misery and wretchedness. This is because they look only ar the wall and door of the room, whereas they should look beyond such barriers as are set before them.

Therefore do not despair: it is impossible for things to remain the same. The days and years rotate, the future is unseen, and everyday Allah has matters to bring forth. You know it not, but it may be that Allah will afterwards bring some new thing to pass. And verily, with Hardship there is a Relief.

So don’t be sad :)

Pre-ordainment

Allah says:

“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees – before We bring it into existence” (Quran 57:22)

The pen has dried, the pages have been lifted: all events that shall come to pass have already been written.

Allah says:

“Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us” (Quran 9:51)

Whatever has befallen you was not meant to escape you, and whatever has escaped you was not meant to befall you: if this belief were to be firmly ingrained in you heart then all hardship and difficulty would become ease and comfort.

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Whoever Allah wishes good for, He inflicts him (with hardship)”.

For this reason, do not feel overly troubled if you are afflicted with sickness, the death of a son or a loss in wealth. Allah has decreed these matters to occur and the decisions are His, and His alone. When we truly have faith, we shall be rewarded well and our sins shall be atoned for.

For those that are afflicted with disasters, glad tidings await them: so remain patient and happy with you Lord.

Allah says:

“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned” (Quran 21:23)

You will never completely feel at ease until you firmly believe that Allah has already pre-ordained all matters. The pen has dried and with it has been written everything that will happen to you. Therefore do not feel remorse over that which is not in your hands. Do not think that you could have prevented these things, whether you wanted to or not.

All that has been pre-ordained shall come to pass.

Allah says:

“Then whosoever wills let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.” (Quran 18:29)

Surrender yourself: believe in preordainment, before pangs of anger and regret overwhelm you. If you have done all that was in your power, and afterwards what you had been striving against still takes place, have firm faith that it was meant to be. Do not say,’ had I done such and such, such and such would have happened,’ rather say “This is a decree of Allah, and what He wishes, He does,”

Don’t Be Sad :)

Repel boredom with work

Those who have nothing to do with their lives are the same people who spend most of their time spreading rumors and falsehood, mainly because their minds are devoid of beneficial thoughts:

Allah says:

“They are content to be with those (the women) who sit behind (at home). Their hearts are sealed up (from right guidance) to they understand not.” (Quran 9:87)

When you find yourself to be idle, prepare for depression and despair, because idleness allows your mind to wander in the past, the present, and the future, with all of their difficulties. Therefore, my sincere advice to you is to perform fruitful acts instead of being idle, for idleness is a slow and veiled form of suicide.

Idleness is like the show torture that is inflicted upon prisoners in China: they are placed under a tap, from which a drop of water falls only after every hour. During the period of waiting between drops, many of them lose their minds and are driven to insanity.

Being inactive means being negligent of one’s duties, Idleness is an expert thief and your mind is its victim.

Therefore get up now and say a prayer or read a book; praise your Lord, study, write, organize your library, fix something in your house, or benefit others so that you can put an end to you inactivity. I say this only because I sincerely wish for your betterment.
Destroy boredom by working. When you apply this simple precept alone, you will have traveled at least fifty percent of the way towards happiness. Look at farmers, carpenters, and the bread – maker, and observe how, when they are working, they recite words as melodious as the singing of birds, because they are content. Afterwards observe yourself and how you toss and turn on your bed while wiping away your tears, always miserable, always torturing yourself.

Doing good to others gives comfort to the heart

The first person who benefits from the act of charity is the benefactor himself, by seeing changes in himself and in his manners, by finding peace, by watching a smile form on the lips of another person.

If you find yourself to be difficulty or distress, show kindness to others, and you will be the first to find solace and comfort, give to the needy, defend the oppressed, help those in distress, and visit the sick: you will find that happiness surrounds you from all directions.

An act of charity is like perfume-it benefits the user, the seller, and the buyer. Furthermore, the psychological benefits that one receives from helping others are indeed great. If you suffer from depression, an act of charity will have a more potent effect on your sickness than will the best available medicine.

Even when you smile upon meeting others, you are giving charity.

The prophet (pbuh) said:

“Do not dismiss certain acts of kindness by deeming them to be significant, even if (such a act) is to meet your brother with a smiling face (for that is a deed which might weigh heavily in you scale of deeds).”

On the other hand, when you frown upon meeting others, you are displaying a sign of enmity, an act that is so detrimental to brotherhood that only Allah knows the full extent of its evil effects.

The Prophet (pbuh) informed us that the prostitute who once gave a handful of water to a dog was rewarded for that deed with Paradise, which is as wide as the heavens and the earth. This is because the Giver of rewards is Forgiving, Rich, and Worthy of Praise.

O’ you, who are threatened by misery, fear and grief, occupy yourself in the betterment of others. Help others in different ways through charity, hospitality, sympathy, and support. And in doing so, you will find all of the happiness that you desire.

Allah says:

“He who spends his wealth for increase in self-purification, and has in his mind no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return; except only the desire to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High.He surely will be pleased (When he enters Paradise) ( Quran 92:18-21)

Leave the future Alone until it comes

Allah Says:

“The Event (the Hour or the punishment of disbelievers and polytheists or the Islamic laws or commandments), ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it.”
(Quran 16:1)

Be not hasty and rushed for things that have yet to come to pass. Do you think it’s wise to pick fruits before they become ripe? Tomorrow is non existent, having no reality today, so why should you busy yourself with it? Why should you have apprehensions about future disasters? Why should you be engrossed by their thoughts, especially since you do not know whether you will even see tomorrow?

The Important thing to know is that tomorrow is from the world of the unseen, a bridge that we do not cross until it comes. Who knows, perhaps we might never reach the bridge, or the bridge might collapse before we reach it, or we may actually reach it and cross safely.

For us to be engrossed in expectations about the future is looked down upon in our religion since it leads to our having a long term attachment to this world, an attachment that the good believer shuns. Many people of this world are unduly fearful of future poverty, hunger, disease, and disaster: Such thinking is inspired by the Devil.

Allah says:

“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fasha (Evil deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins etc), whereas Allah promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty...” (Quran 2: 268)

Many are those who cry because they see themselves starving tomorrow, falling sick after a month, or because they fear that world will come to an end after a year. Someone who has no clue as to when he will die (which is all of us) should not busy himself with such thoughts.

Since you are absorbed in the toils of today, leave tomorrow until it comes, Beware of becoming unduly attached to future prospects in this world.

Today is all that you have

When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening – live as though today is all that you have, Yesterday has passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet arrived. Your life’s span is but one day, as if you were born in it and will die at the end of it. With this attitude, you will not be caught between and obsession over the past, with all its anxieties, and the hopes of the future, with all its uncertainty. Live for today: During this day you should pray with a wakeful heart, recite the Quran with understanding, and remember Allah with sincerity. In this day you should be balanced in your affairs, satisfied with your allotted portion, concerned with your appearance and health.

Organize the hours of the day, so that you make years out of minutes and months out of seconds. Seek forgiveness from your Lord, remember Him, Prepare for the final parting from this world, and live today happily and at peace. Be content with your sustenance, your wife, your children, your work, your house and your station in life.

Allah Says:

“So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful” (Quran 7:144)

Live today free from sorrow, bother, anger, jealousy, and malice. You must engrave onto your heart one phrase: Today is my only day. If you have eaten warm, fresh bread today, then what do yesterday’s dry, rotten bread and tomorrow’s anticipated bread matter?

If you are truthful with yourself and have a firm, solid resolve, you will undoubtedly convince yourself of the following: Today is my last day to live. When you achieve this attitude, you will profit from every moment of your day, by developing your personality, expanding your abilities, and purifying your deeds. Then you say to yourself:

Today I shall be refined in my speech and will utter neither evil speech nor obscenity. Also, I shall not backbite.

Today I shall organize my house and my office. They will not be disorderly and chaotic, but organized and neat.

Today I will be particular about my bodily cleanliness and appearance. I will be meticulous in my neatness and balanced in walk, talk and actions.

Today I will strive to be obedient to my Lord, pray in the best manner possible, do more voluntary acts of righteousness, recite the Quran, and read beneficial books. I will plant goodness into my heart and extract from it the roots of evil – such as pride, jealousy, and hypocrisy.

Today I will try to help others – to visit the sick, to attend a funeral, to guide the one who is lost, and to feed the hungry. I will stand side by side with the oppressed and the weak. I will pay respect to the scholar, be merciful to the young, and reverent to the old.

O’ Past that has departed and is gone, I will not cry over you. You will not see me remembering you, not even for a moment, because you have traveled away from me never to return.

O’ Future, you are in the realm of the unseen, so I will not be obsessed by your dreams. I will not be preoccupied about what is to come because tomorrow is nothing and has not yet been created.

‘ Today is my only day’ is one of the most important statements in the dictionary of happiness, for those who desire to live life in its fullest splendor and brilliance.

The Past is gone forever

By brooding over the past and its tragedies, one exhibits a form of insanity – a kind of sickness that destroys resolve to live for the present moment. Those who have a firm purpose have filled away and forgotten occurrences of the past, which will never again see light, since they occupy such a dark place in the recesses of the mind. Episodes of the past are finished with; sadness cannot retrieve them, melancholy cannot make things right, and depression will never bring the past back to life. This is because the past is non existent.

Do not live in the nightmares of former times or under the shade if what you have missed. Save yourself from the ghostly apparition of the past. Do you think that you can return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, milk to the udder, or tears to the eye? By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a very frightful and tragic state of mind.

Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present. When Allah mentioned the affairs of the previous nations, He, the Exalted, said:

“That was a nation who has passed away” Quran 2:134

Former days are gone and done with, and you benefit nothing by carrying out an autopsy over them, by turning back the wheel of history.

The person who lives in the past is like someone who tries to saw sawdust, Of Old, they used to say: “Do not remove the dead from the Graves.”

Our tragedy is that we are incapable of dealing with the present: neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. If every man and every jinn were to try jointly to bring the past back, they would certainly fail. Everything on earth marches forward, preparing for a new season – and so should you.

Ref: Don't Be Sad

How to Perform Salah(Prayers)?

For flash demonstration for the right way to Pray please visit :

http://english.islamway.com/sindex.php?section=prayer

SUTRA

Before a person starts to pray, he should place something at a short distance in front of him of the place where he prostrates (does Sajdah). Such an object is called Sutra and is used when the person is spraying alone. A person passing in front of the person in Salat, should pass on the outside of the Sutra.

If someone is praying in congregation, then the Imam acts as the Sutra. The Imam, however, must have his own individual Sutra in front of him.

QIBLAH (Direction)

Wherever a person is in the world, he should face towards the Kabah when he is going to pray. The Kabah is in the sacred mosque of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Facing towards Qiblah (Kabah) is a very important condition of performance of Salat. However, if the person is in a place such as a desert, jungle, unknown strange city or a place where he does not know the direction of the Qiblah, he should try his best to find out the direction of Qiblah from others. However, if it is not possible then he should use his judgment and face in a direction which he thinks is that of Qiblah and Allah will accept his Salat.

It is important to start the Salat facing the direction of Qiblah and it does not matter if his direction changes while he is praying e.g. in a ship, a train or an airplane, etc.

Note: Nowadays, a compass is available which gives the direction of Qiblah. In strange places and airplanes it is a useful instrument to possess.

INTENTION (Niyah)

After facing the Qiblah, the person should make Niyah (intention), The intention is made within his mind, so the person should think about the particular obligatory, optional or Nafl prayer he intends to perform. He should not utter the words of Niyah aloud, as this is not authentic or approved by the Prophet (pbuh).

TAKBIR TAHRIMAH

After making Niyah the person should start his Salat saying Allah is the greatest, rasing both of his hands to the shoulders, with fingers stretching to the earlobes. he should then fold his hands over his chest right hand over the left hand. This first Allahu Akbar is called Takbir Tahrimah because after saying takbir Tahrimah every common and worldy action, talk or movement is forbidden. Throughout the Salat the eyes of the worshipper should point to the spot where the forehead rests in Sajdah.

WHERE SHOULD THE HANDS BE FOLDED AND PLACED AFTER SAYING TAKBIR TAHRIMAH

Some people place their hands under the navel, others place them under the chest but there are Ahadith which state that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to place his hands over his chest.

a) Halb Ataee reported: "I saw the Prophet (pbuh) placing his right hand over his left hand over his chest." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)

b) Wail bin Hajr said: "I prayed with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and he put his right hand over his left hand over his chest." (Ibn Khuzaimah, Abu Dawud, and Muslim).

There are some other narrations which state that some Fuqha used to place their hands under the chest but above the navel. Placing the hands in either of these positions is correct but it is better to place them over the chest according to the practice of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as mentioned in the above authentic Ahadith.

RECITATION BEFORE FATIHAH

There are several Du'a which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite before Fatihah. We will mention two of them:

"O Allah set me apart from my sins as east and west are apart from each other.""O Allah cleanse me from my sins as a white garment is cleansed from the dirt after thorough washing.""O Allah, was me off from my sins with water, snow and hail."

If a person does not know the Du'a just mentioned then he should recite the following one. Umar is reported to have used this Du'a after saying Takbir Tahrimah:

Glory be to You, O Allah, and all praises are due unto You, and blessed is Your Name and high is Your Majesty and none is worthy of worship but You.

A person can read both Du'a together or just one of them or any of the other Du'a which are approved by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and these are about 7. These Du'a can be found in different places of several books of Hadith, e.g. Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad-e-Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Dar-qutni, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and Muatta Imam Malik.

All of the 7 Du'a can be read together before reciting Surah Fatihah.

This recitation is called Du'a-ul-Istiftah which means Du'a of starting. Du'a-ul Istiftah should only be recited in the first Rakat.

TAAWUDH

Then the person who is praying should say:

I seek Allah's protection from Satan who is accursed.
This should only be said in the first Rakat.

TASMIYAH

Then the person who is praying should say:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, and the Most Merciful.
This should be said in every Rakat before reciting Surah Fatihah.

SURAH FATIHAH

Then the person praying should recite Surah Al Fatihah in Arabic.

The translated meaning of Al Fatihah is as follow:

"Praise is only for Allah, Lord of the universe. The Most Kind, the Most Merciful. The Master of the Day of Judgment. You Alone we worship and to You Alone we pray for help. Show us the straight way. The way of those whom You have blessed. Who have not deserved Your Anger, nor gone astray."

Ameen.

Reciting Al Fatihah is so important that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that no prayer was acceptable without the recitation of Fatihah.

a) Ubadah bin Samit reported Allah's Messenger (pbuh) as saying: "There is no Salat acceptable without reciting Surah Fatihah." (Bukhair, Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, and Ibn Majah)

b) Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) was saying that anyone who prayed any kind of Salat and did not read in that, Umm-ul-Wuran (and in one version, Fatihah-tul-Kitab), his prayer will be deficient, will be deficient, will be deficient and not complete. (Bukhairi, Muslim, Ahmad).

c) Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger (pbuh) as saying: "No Salat will benefit a person who did not read in that Surah Fatihah." (Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban and Ahmad)
In the light of the above Ahadith we understand that Surah Fatihah must be recited or read in every Rakat of any type of Salat.

RECITATION OF SURAH FATIHAH BEHIND AN IMAM

Some people are very confused whether they should or should not read Surah Fatihah while praying in congregation. But there should not be any confusion in this matter as the following Ahadth very clearly answer the question:

a) Ubadah bin Samit said: "We were behind the Prophet (pbuh) in the Fajr prayer, and he recited a passage from the Quran, but the recitation became difficult for him. Then when he finished he said, "Do you recite behind your Imam?" We replied, "yes, Allah's Messenger (pbuh)." Then Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said "Do not recite anything (behind the Imam) except Fatihah-tul-Kitab (Surah Fatihah) because he who does not include it in his recitation in prayer, his Salat is not valid." (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi)

b) Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "If anyone observes prayer in which he does not read Umm-ul-Quran (Fatihah), it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, and not complete.> It was said to Abu Horairah: :What should we do when we are behind an Imam?" He, (Abu Horairah) replied, "Read it in silence..." (Muslim)

AMEEN

It is Sunnah to say Ameen when a person finishes recitation of Surah Fatihah. If he is praying alone, he should say Ameen in silence and if he is praying with congregation behind an Imam, then he should say Ameen fairly loudly when the Imam finishes saying the last verse of Surah Fatihah. When saying Ameen, the voice of the whole congregation should resound at the same time.

There are many Ahadith which prove that saying Ameen aloud is Sunnah of the holy Prophet (pbuh) and it was the regular practice of the companions. We will mention a few of these Ahadith here:

a) Naeem Al Mujammar said: "I prayed behind Abu Hurairah. He recited Bismillah hir-Rahmanir-Raheem, then he recited Surah Fatiahah, and when he reached wala daleen, he said Ameen after it and the people behind him said Ameen...." (Bukhari)

b) Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "When the Imam says Ghayril maghdubi alyhim walad daleen, all of you should say Ameen, because the angels say Ameen and the Imam says Ameen. And whosoever says Ameen and his voice blends with that of the angels he would be forgiven his sins." (Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasai)

c) Aisha reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "Jews are more envious of Muslims in two things: (a) our greeting someone with Assalamu alaykum, and (b) saying Ameen (aloud) behind the Imam." (Ahmad and Ibn Majah)

d) Ata said: "I found 200 of the companions praying in the mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) and when the Imam said Walad Daleen, I heard the echo of their voices resound with Ameen.

RECITATION AFTER SURAH FATIHAH

It is Sunnah for a person who is praying that he should read a Surah form Quran after Al Fatihah in the first two rakaat of the Fard prayer. He can recite one or more Surah. Here are a few short Surah which you can recite:

a) Surah Ikhlas
Say: He is Allah, the only One, Allah helps and does not need help. He does not produce a child and He was not born of anyone. There is no one equal to Him."

b) Surah Falaq
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, form the evil of all that He has created, and from the evil of the darkness of night when it falls, and from the evil of those (charmers) who blow into knots. And from the evil of the envied when he envies.

c) Surah Nas
Say: I seek refuge in the Sustainer of mankind. The owner of mankind, Lord of mankind. from the evil of the sneaking whisperer. Who whispers in the hearts of mankind (Whether he be) from among jinni or mankind."

RAKU (BOWING)

Then the person praying should say "Allahu Akbar" raising both his hands to shoulder level with the palms facing outwards and fingers stretching to earlobes. He should then bend in Raku so that his trunk (i.e. from head to hips) becomes perpendicular to the rest of the body. His hands should rest on his knees with the fingers spread apart, taking care that his arms do not touch his body. The person should be calm and composed in the Raku posture and not hurry it. Then he should read at least three times:

"Glory be to my Lord Who is the very Greatest."

He can read it 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, etc times

There are some other Du'a which can be read with Subhana Rabbi yal Azeem or instead of Subhana Rabbi yal Azeem. Two of them are mentioned below:

Other Du'a in Raku:

Aisha reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) mostly read the following Du'a in his Raku and Sajdah:

"Glory be to You, oh our Lord and all praise be to You. Oh Allah, forgive me." (Bukhair and Muslim)

Ali reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to read the following Du'a in Raku: "Oh my Lord, I bowed to You and I believed in You and I submitted to You. You are my Lord. My ear, my sight, my brain, my bones, my tendons and whatever has been carried by my feet is submitted for the Lord of the worlds." (Ahmad, Muslim and Abu Dawud, etc.)
There are other Du'a which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) read in Ruku and they can be found in other books of Hadith.

Perfection of Ruku and Sajdah Abi masud Al Badri reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "Allah does not consider the Salat of a man who does not straighten his back when bowing for Ruku and performing Sajdah." (Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban and Tabarani) Abi Qatadah reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "the worst thief is one who steals in his Salat?" Prophet (pbuh) answered, "he does not complete his Raku and Sajdah with perfection." Or he said, "He does not make his back straight in Ruku and Sajdah." (Ahmed, Tabarani, Ibn Khuzaimah and Hakim) These Ahadith prove that Ruku and Sajdah should be done calmly, slowly and perfectly, otherwise Salat of the person will be deficient.

QAWMAH (STANDING AFTER RUKU)

After the pefect Ruku, the person praying should raise his head form Ruku saying: "Verily, Allah listens to one who praises him." and raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders with palms facing outwards and fingers stretched to the earlobes, and then he should lower his hands to his sides. In the standing position, he should be erect so that the joints of his body go back in place. While in this position, he should recite one or all of the following Du'a as many times as he likes.
DU'A QAWMAH

a) "Oh, our Lord, all the praises be to You." b) "Oh, our Lord, All praises be to You, very many, pure and blessed praises be to You." c) Abu Saeed Al Khudree says that when Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to say: "Oh Allah, our Lord, all praises be to You, as much as they can fill the heavens and the earth and everything which You want to be filled after that. You deserve to be praised and glorified. You deserve more than what Your servant has said and all of us are Your slaves. Nobody can prevent whatever You want to give and nobody can give whatever You want to prevent and a person with high rank cannot benefit himself or another from his high rank against Your will. " there are some other Du'a which can be read in the Qawmah position and these can be found in other books of Hadith.

FIRST SAJDAH (PROSTRATION)

After the perfect Qawmah the person praying should move to perform Sajdah saying: "Allahu akbar" putting palms downwards on the ground below the ears. The knees should be brought downwards on the ground. His fingers and toes should be pointing towards Qiblah without spreading the fingers of the hands. During prostration seven parts of the body should touch the ground. (i) The forehead along with the tip of the nose (ii) both hands (iii) both knees (iv) the bottom surface of the toes of both feet. In this position, he should say "Oh, Allah, glory be to You, the Most High." He should say this at least 3 times or 5, 7, 9,11 etc. times. There are some other Du'a which can be read in the Sajdah position.

OTHER DU'A IN SAJDAH

i) Ali said that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to say while doing Sajdah: "Oh Allah, for You I have prostrated, and in You I have faith, and unto You I have submitted, my forehead has prostrated in front of one Who created it and gave shape to it and made it perfectly. Then He gave power of hearing and sight, and blessed is Allah's Name Who is the Perfect Creator." (Ahmad and Muslim)

ii) Abu Hurairah said that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to say in his Sajdah: "Oh Allah, forgive all of my sins, minor ones and major ones, ones I committed previously and ones I commit in the future, ones I commit openly and ones I commit secretly." (Muslim , Abu Dawud and Hakim) There are some other Du'a which Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to say in his Sajdah but these Du'a are too long to mention here. They can be found in authentic books of Hadith like Muslim, Ahmad, Nasai, Abu Dawud etc. It is not surprising that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stayed in Ruku and Sajdah for long intervals. All of the authentically approved Du'a can be said with Subhana Rabbi yal ala or on their own or altogether according to the time available and capacity of the person. In Sajdah position the worshipper is at his closest to Allah. Hence, Sajdah should be performed calmly, and quietly, without fidgeting, and the worshipper should try to read as many Du'a as he possible can.

JALSAH (SITTING BETWEEN TWO SAJDAH)

After performing one Sajdah perfectly and calmly, the person praying should raise his head form Sajdah saying "Allahu Akbar" bending the left foot and sitting on it while keeping the right foot propped up with its toes pointing towards the Qiblah, the palms of his hands should rest on his thighs and knees, the back should be straight so that the joints go back in place. It is sunnat to say the following Du'a while sitting in between the two Sajdah: "Oh, Allah, forgive me, and have mercy on me, and keep me on the right path, and keep me healthy, and provide me with Halal sources of living and complete my shortcomings and make my rank high." The worshipper can say this Du'a once or as many times as he likes.

SECOND SAJDAH

Then the person should perform the second Sajdah saying "Allah Akbar" and repeat what he did in the first Sajdah.

JALSAH-E-ISTARAHAT (SITTING FOR REST)

Then he should raise his head up saying "Allahu Akbar" and sit for a short while as he did in Jalsah. He does this before standing up for the second Rakat.

SECOND RAKAT

After standing up for the second Rakaat, he should fold his hands over his chest as he did in the first Rakaat and start his recitation by reading "Bismillah..and Surah Fatihah followed by any passage or a chapter of the holy Quran." Then he should complete his second Rakaat in the manner of the first one. While choosing a passage or a chapter for the recitation in the second or a subsequent Rakaat, the worshipper should observe the order in which they occur in the Holy Quran. Also, each surah or verse should be shorter than the one recited before it. Hence, longer Surah are recited before shorter Surah.

TASHAHUD

After completing the last Sajdah of the second Rakaat, the person should raise his head saying:

STANDING UP FOR THIRD RAKAT

If a person is praying three or four Rakaat, then he should stand up after Tashahud saying

SALAT ALAN NABI (DARUD)

"Oh Allah, send grace and honor on Muhammad (pbuh) and on the family and true followers of Muhammad (pbuh), just as You sent grace and honor on Ibrahim and on the family and true followers of Ibrahim. surely, You are Praiseworthy, the Great." "Oh, Allah, send Your blessings on Muhammad (pbuh) and the true followers of Muhammad (pbuh), just as You sent blessings on Ibrahim and his true followers. Surely, You are Praiseworthy, the Great."

DU'A AFTER SALAT ALAN NABI (DARUD)

There are quite a lot of Du'a which Prophet (pbuh) used to say after Darud and he taught them to the companions. Here we will mention a few of them:

i) Abdullah bin Amr said that Abu Bakr said to Allah's Messenger, "Please teach me a Du'a so I can say it in my Salat". So, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, "Say "Oh Allah, I have been very cruel to myself (by ignoring my duty to You) and there is no one who can forgive the sins except You. so forgive me because You are the only Forgiver and have mercy on me. Verily, You are the Forgiver and Merciful."

ii) Shaddad bin Aus reported that the Prophet of Allah used to say in his Salat : "Oh Allah, I ask You for strength in every matter of Deen and a strong will power to be on the right path. And I ask You to make me thankful for Your bounties and give me ability to worship You perfectly. And I ask You to make my heart sincere and my tongue truthful. I ask You for every goodness known to You and I seek refuge in You from everything bad that You know is bad. I ask Your forgiveness for all mistakes You know." (Nasai)

iii) Aisha reported that the Prophet (pbuh) used to say this Du'a in his Salat: "Oh Allah I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the troubles of Daj-jal, and I seek refuge in You from the difficulties and troubles of the life and death. Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from every kind of sin and unexpected troubles." "Oh Lord, make me and my children keep up Salat. Our Lord, accept our Du'a. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and all the believers on the Day of Judgement." Although most people read Rab bijalnee after Darud; it is permitted to recite any nice Du'a. However, it should be known that this Du'a is not one of those Du'a which Prophet (pbuh) used to say after Darud. It is preferable to read both Rab bijalnee and the Du'a which are authentically proved from the Prophet (pbuh) and those he taught to his companions. we have mentioned only four but there are about twelve. However, they are too lengthy to mention here.

ENDING THE SALAT

After praying for himself as much as the person wishes, he should end his Salat saying: "Peace be on you and the Mercy of Allah." turning the face first to the right and then to the left, both times over the shoulder. This brings the two, three or four Rakaat of the Salat to completion.

DUA AFTER SALUTATION

There are many Du'a which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to say after salutation. So, a person praying should try to memorize them and follow the practice of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Some of these Du'a we will mention here: It was the continuous practice of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he turned away from his Salat to say: 1. a) Allahu Akbar (once aloud) Allah is the greatest. b) I ask Allah to forgive me (3 times) c) Oh Allah, You are the peace and You are the source of peace, You are blessed, O Possessor of glory and honor. (Muslim) 2. Oh Allah, help me to remember You all the time, And to thank You and to worship You perfectly. 3. There is no God but Allah, He is the only One and has no partner, sovereignty and praise are only for Him, and He has full authority over everything. Nobody can prevent whatever You want to give and nobody can give whatever You want to prevent and a person with high rank cannot benefit himself or another from his high rank against Your will. (Bukhair, Muslim) 4. It is Sunnat to say: Glory be to Allah (33 times) Praise be to Allah (33 times) Allah is the Greatest (34 times) There are very many Du'a which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to say and he taught them to his companions. These can be found in famous books of Hadith.

Types and Number of Prayers

TYPES OF SALAT

a) Fard or obligatory Salat:Every believer is ordered by Allah to offer five obligatory prayers in a day. Failure to observe any one of the five obligatory prayers is a serious and punishable sin.

b) Nafl prayer This is a voluntary prayer which the Prophet (pbuh) observed before or after Fard at special and isolated occasions. It also includes those which he encouraged Muslims to pray. The Nafl prayer can be divided into three categories:

(i) Sunnat Muakkadah (compulsory). That is those which are emphasized by the holy Prophet (pbuh) and offered regularly by him before or after the Fard prayer but not praying this type of Salah doesnot invalidate (Fard)Obligatory Prayer

(ii) sunnat Ghair Muakkadah (optional). That is those offered only occasionally by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

(iii) Nafl Prayer (extra). This is an extra prayer. There is a reward for praying it an no sin for leaving it. It can be offered at any isolated instance according to the time and capacity of the believer. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) encouraged the believers to pray Nafl to help make up for any minor omissions or other defects in the obligatory prayer.

NUMBER OF RAKAT FOR THE FIVE OBLIGATORY PRAYERS

(i) Fajr prayer: 2 Rakaat Sunnat Muakkadah, 2 Rakaat Fard

(ii) Dhuhr prayer: 2 or 4 Rakaat Sunnat Muakkadah , 4 Rakaat Fard, 2 Rakaat Sunnat Muakkadah and an unspecified number of Nafl as time and capacity allows.

Ibn Umar said "I prayed alone with Allah's Messenger (pbuh) 2 Rakaat before and 2 Rakaat after the Dhuhr prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim)

It is a familiar practice to offer 4 Rakaat Sunnat before Thuhr prayer, but this Hadith proves that 2 Rakaat Sunnat before the Thuhr prayer is also allowed.

(iii) Asr Prayer: 2 or 4 Rakaat Sunnat Ghair Muakkaadah , 4 Rakaat Fard. Ali said, "Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to pray 4 Rakaat before Asr prayer separating them with a salutation..." (Tirmidhi)

Another Hadith narrated by Ali says, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to pray two Rakaat before Asr prayer. (Abu Dawud)

(iv) Maghrib prayer.: 2 Rakat Nafl, 3 Rakat Fard, 2 Rakat Sunnat Muakadah and an unspecified number of Nafl as time and capacity allows.

Abdullah bin Mughaffal reported the Prophet ((pbuh) as saying, "Pray before the Maghrib prayer", adding when saying it the third time,

That was because he did not wish people to treat it as a compulsory Sunnat.

2 Rakaat Nafl after sunset and before the Maghrib prayer are allowed for those who wish to do so. For this the above Hadith is a sure proof. However, some people forbid this and others find it very strange if they see a person offer 2 Rakaat Nafl before Maghrib.

(v) Isha prayer: An unspecified number of Nafl Rakaat according to the time and capacity, 4 Rakaat Fard, 2 Rakaat Sunnat Muakkadah, unspecified number of Nafl as time and capacity allows and 3 Witr.

Some people insist very emphatically upon the offering of 4 Rakaat optional Sunnat before the Isha prayer but during our entire research we could not find a single proof, any practice or order from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or his companions to justify this claim. Certainly, it is allowed to pray Nafl while waiting for Jamaat.

Some people offer 2 Rakat Nafl after the Witr Prayer. However, there is an authentic Hadith which states that the Witr prayer should be offered after all the Nafl, which a person wishes to pray, have been offered.

Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said "Make Witr as the last prayer of your night prayer." (mishkat)

Times of Salat

Each Salat must be offered at or during its proper time. No Salat can be offered before its time.

There are five obligatory Salat in a day.

Fajr Prayer (Morning Prayer)

The time for the Fajr or the morning prayer starts at dawn and ends at sunrise.

Dhuhr Prayer (Early Afternoon Prayers)

The time for Dhuhr or the early afternoon prayer starts when the sun begins to decline from its zenith an and ends when the size of an object's shadow is equal to the size of the object.

Jaber bin Abdullah narrated: The angel Jibrael came to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and said to him, "Stand up and pray Thuhr". So Allah's Messenger (pbuh) prayed Thuhr when the sun had declined from its zenith . Then the angel Jibrael came again at the time of Asr and said "Stand up and pray Asr". Then Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was equal to itself. Then Jibrael came the next day to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and said, (after praying 10 Salat with Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in two consecutive days) that the time of Salat (prayer) is in between these two times.

Ahmad, Nasai, Tirmidhi and Bukhari remarked that this is the most authentic Hadith giving the times of prayer.

We find that many books on Salat state the ending time of Dhuhr prayer and the starting time of Asr prayer when the shadow of something is twice itself. But this contradicts the above Hadith as on the first day Jibrael asked Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to pray Asr when the shadow of everything was equal to itself. This means that was the end time of Dhuhr prayer. And we already know that all the Ulama of the Muslim Ummah(Scholars) agree unanimously that no Salat (prayer) can be offered before its time.

Asr Prayer

The time for Asr or late afternoon prayer starts when the shadow of something is equal to itself and ends just before sunset.

It is better to offer Asr prayer before the sun becomes yellow because even though it is allowed to offer the Salat (prayer) at this time the Prophet (pbuh) disliked Muslims to delay Asr prayer up to this time. He remarked that the Munafiq (hypocrite) offered his Salat (prayer) at this time.

Maghrib Prayer

The time for the Maghrib or the sunset prayer starts just after sunset and ends when twilight has disappeared.

Isha Prayer

The time for Isha or night prayer starts from the disappearance of twilight and ends just before midnight.

It is preferable to offer this Salat (prayer) before midnight but it can be offered right up to the break of dawn.

Note: In countries where due to cloudy weather the sun is not always visible, it is advisable to follow printed calendars giving the accurate time of each Salat (prayer).

Forbidden times of Prayer

Uqbah bin Amir said, There were three times at which Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead:

(i) When the sun began to rise until it was fully up.
(ii) When the sun was at its height at midday till it passed the meridian.
(iii) When the sun drew near to setting till it had set. (Muslim)

Forbidden Times for Nafl Prayer

(i) Abu Saeed AlKhudree reported Allah's Messenger (pbuh) as saying, No Salat is to be said after the Fajr prayer until the sun rises, or after the Asr Prayer until the sun sets. (Bukhair and Muslim)

Only Nafl prayer is forbidden at these times but a missed Fard prayer can be offered. Most of the Ulama of the Muslim Ummah allowed the offering of missed Fard prayer after Fajr and Asr because of the following Hadith:

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, Who has forgotten the prayer he should pray it whenever he remembers it. (Bukhari and Muslim)

(ii) A Nafl prayer cannot be offered once the Iqamat for Fard prayer has been said. Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said, When the Iqamat has been said, then, there is no Salat valid (Nafl or Sunnat ) except the Fard prayer for which the Iqamat was said. (Ahmad and Muslim)

It is seen in practice that many people continue with the Sunnat prayer even though the Iqamat has been said for the Fard prayer especially in the Fajr prayer. The feel that the 2 Raakat Sunnat of Fajr can only be offered before the Fard. This practice is against congregation philosophy, discipline of Jamaat, and a clear violation of Hadith. They should offer 2 Rakaat Sunnat of Fajr immediately after the Fard or after sunrise.

For Prayer Times for your City or Country please visit :

http://www.islamicity.com/PrayerTimes/

Place And Dress For Salat (Prayers)

A Place for Prayers:

A place or a building which is used for the purpose of worship and Salat is called a Masjid (mosque).
A Hadith tells us that

This means that wherever a Muslim might be, he can offer his Salat but the reward of a Salat offered in a mosque is far greater than that offered in an ordinary place. The following points should be noted when choosing a place for Salat:

(a) The place should be clean and pure. Salat in a dirty, filthy and impure place such as a rubbish tip, slaughter house, bathing place and a camel pen is forbidden.
(b) The place should be free from danger. The danger could be due to someone or something that may disturb the worshipper.
(c) A prayer place where the worshipper might hinder the movement of others should be avoided, e.g. busy pavements, public roadways etc.
(d) It is forbidden to pray on the roof of Baitullah (Kabah).(e) It is forbidden to pray on top of or facing towards a grave.

DRESS FOR SALAT

Men

(i) The dress for men should be such that it covers from the navel to the knees at least.
(ii) The shoulders should not be left uncovered.
(iii) Salat can be prayed in one garment if it covers the body from the navel to the knees as well as the shoulders.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

If, however, the garment is not long enough to cover the shoulders then parts of the body between the navel and the knees should at least be covered.

Women

The dress of the woman should be such that it covers her whole body from head to foot leaving only the face and the hands uncovered. A Salat offered in transparent clothing is not valid. Also, tight-fitting clothing which shows the shape of the body should be avoided.