How often do we as muslims make excuses for why we cant pray?
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Here are the first 5 episodes. Each week inshaAllah I will add 5 more, or you can always accesss the next episodes on youtube.
With Ramadan just around the corner, muslims around the world are starting to prepare themselves mentally, physically and spiritually for fasting from sunrise to sunset.
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become God-fearing." (The Quran, 2:183)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim).
Everything you need to know about fasting http://www.islam101.com/ramadan/qhFast.htm
source: http://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-10-1.htm#s1
"Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus, love him, and honor him. They are, however, divided over the question of his divinity.
Fortunately, this difference can be resolved if we refer the question to both the Bible and the Quran, because, both the Bible and the Quran teach that Jesus is not God.
It is clear enough to everyone that the Quran denies the divinity of Jesus, so we do not need to spend much time explaining that.
On the other hand, many people misunderstand the Bible; they feel that the belief in Jesus as God is so widespread that it must have come from the Bible. This article shows quite conclusively that the Bible does not teach that.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not God. In the Bible God is always someone else other than Jesus.
Some will say that something Jesus said or something he did while on the earth proves that he is God. We will show that the disciples never came to the conclusion that Jesus is God. And those are people who lived and walked with Jesus and thus knew first hand what he said and did. Furthermore, we are told in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible that the disciples were being guided by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is God, surely they should know it. But they did not. They kept worshipping the one true God who was worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (see Acts 3:13).
All of the writers of the Bible believed that God was not Jesus. The idea that Jesus is God did not become part of Christian belief until after the Bible was written, and took many centuries to become part of the faith of Christians.
"Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus, love him, and honor him. They are, however, divided over the question of his divinity.
Fortunately, this difference can be resolved if we refer the question to both the Bible and the Quran, because, both the Bible and the Quran teach that Jesus is not God.
It is clear enough to everyone that the Quran denies the divinity of Jesus, so we do not need to spend much time explaining that.
On the other hand, many people misunderstand the Bible; they feel that the belief in Jesus as God is so widespread that it must have come from the Bible. This article shows quite conclusively that the Bible does not teach that.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not God. In the Bible God is always someone else other than Jesus.
Some will say that something Jesus said or something he did while on the earth proves that he is God. We will show that the disciples never came to the conclusion that Jesus is God. And those are people who lived and walked with Jesus and thus knew first hand what he said and did. Furthermore, we are told in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible that the disciples were being guided by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is God, surely they should know it. But they did not. They kept worshipping the one true God who was worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (see Acts 3:13).
All of the writers of the Bible believed that God was not Jesus. The idea that Jesus is God did not become part of Christian belief until after the Bible was written, and took many centuries to become part of the faith of Christians.
This site is a wonderful way for non arab speakers to learn Ayat Al-kursi.
http://www.mounthira.com/learning/ayat/alkursi/ayatulkursi/
"The merits of Ayat al-Kursi have been mentioned in numerous hadiths. Although the Quran itself and every verse therein are of excellence, Ayat al-Kursi is certainly the most excellent verse of all its verses. This verse is called Ayat al-Kursi due to the word “Kursi” being mentioned in it. Of all the chapters in the Quran, the most excellent chapter is Surat al-Ikhlas, and the most excellent verse is Ayat al-Kursi. One virtue of Ayat al-Kursi is that more reward is obtained for reading it than any other verse.
Taking Off the Hijab by Shazia Ahmad
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Question
I understand that hijab is required, and I’ve been wearing it for some time now but I feel like putting it on might have been a mistake. I don’t feel like it’s made me become a better Muslim, and I feel almost like I’m deceiving people because they look at me as an example even though I’m still struggling with a lot of things. Also, if I take it off, is it really something Allah will punish me for? It seems like such a petty thing. Isn’t the most important thing having a clean heart?
Answer
Assalaamu `alaykum dear questioner,
Thank you for asking this question which opens up a number of important issues, and for entrusting us enough to share with us some of what you’re struggling with. I ask Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala – exalted is He) that He makes the words that I write beneficial to you and others who are reading, and that He leads you to the best decisions.
I’d like to start by addressing what I believe is the least important factor in this equation, and that is ‘what other people might think.’ It should never be the case that we alter our practice of Islam or our worship for the sake of other people, or what they might think or assume. People may be quick to judge or jump to conclusions, but whatever thoughts or opinions they have are strictly their responsibility, and not something we should be overly concerned with.
You said that you’re worried that wearing hijab may be deceiving, because people see you as better than you really are. But in truth all of us are sinners, and it is only from Allah’s mercy upon us that He is as-Siteer - the One who veils our faults and our flaws, and makes us seem better than we really are in others’ eyes. One famous scholar said, “If sins had a smell no one would come near me because of the stench!” Every single one of us has deficiencies and weaknesses, has made mistakes, has taken missteps or is presently taking them. We only do the best that we can, and any good deed that Allah grants us the opportunity to perform should be considered a blessing that we take advantage of. Instead of worrying about not being good enough, we can instead consider this as an opportunity to be thankful to Allah for concealing our negatives, and pray, “O Allah, forgive me for what they do not know about me, and make me even better than what they think.”
You will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this earth who can be considered ‘worthy’ of being a representative of Islam, because everyone has one dimension or another in their faith or practice in which they are lacking. However that doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging each other by whatever means are available to us. There is a very beautiful hadith related to this issue:
Anas relates that, “We asked the Prophet ﷺ, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shouldn’t we refrain from calling others to goodness if we don’t practice all good things ourselves, and shouldn’t we refrain from forbidding wrong things until we ourselves have abstained from all the bad?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘You should call others to goodness even if you don’t do all good, and you should forbid bad things even if you don’t abstain from all of them yourselves.’” (Al-Tabarani)
Remember that by wearing hijab you are not saying to others ‘I am Islam’, but simply that ‘I am a Muslim’, meaning – I am someone who is trying to follow this religion, who accepts it as truth, sees beauty in it and hopes to beautify myself with it. I remember a quote attributed to Yusuf Islam: “Islam is not a state of being but it is a process of becoming,” – becoming more, become better, striving to reach that state of perfect submission and connection with Allah Most High, and May He help all of us achieve that, ameen.
You also said that you feel hijab has not really made you a better Muslim. A lot of times when a person first starts performing a good deed they feel an iman ‘rush’, a feeling of happiness at doing something good for the sake of Allah and energy to do more, improve themselves, etc. However, after some time, when that action starts to become just another part of a daily routine, it loses that power, and that increase in iman and excitement dissipates.
What a person needs, instead of focusing on those ‘rushes’, is a steady and constant diet of good deeds and spiritual nourishment. We cannot rely on one particular deed to ‘make’ us better Muslims. Instead, we have to take the reigns and make sure we are doing things regularly that increase us in iman, like recitation of the Qur’an, performing salah with consciousness and focus, dhikr, and so on. Wearing hijab can definitely be one of those things, but it is only one part of a whole that needs to be constructed. Just like exercise is important for good health, yet it has to be combined with eating right and many other things in order for the person to see the desired results in the end.
Also know that there is a direct relationship between a person’s actions and their inner state. We know that when someone is in a high state of iman it’s natural for him or her to start performing more good deeds. However, we may overlook the fact that the opposite is true as well – that just performing good deeds, even if one may not be ‘feeling it’, can affect us and change us. The limbs are inroads, and performing good deeds with them can soften a hardened heart, bring enlightenment to a closed mind, and give a person a feeling of rejuvenation and desire to come closer to Allah and do more positive things. I heard a scholar say that if one is feeling troubled, confused or in a low state of iman, “go quickly to action”; because good deeds can bring about that inner reawakening one may need. If we don’t see a change happening in us when we do a good deed, that doesn’t mean we should stop it but that perhaps we need to supplement it with others in order to gather the momentum needed to see results.
Thirdly, you are absolutely correct when you say that the most important thing is for us to have purified hearts. Allah (swt) emphasizes this in the Qur’an when He states that on the Day of Judgment nothing will be of benefit to the servant except “one who brings to Allah a clean, sound heart” (26:89). The question is, how does one achieve that? What purifies us and cleanses our hearts?
In our times we find that some people feel that we’ve reached a more ‘enlightened era’ in which spirituality can be derived solely from philosophy and ideas, and need not be bound by rituals and details of religion. However those who propound this notion forget that Allah did not create us as minds and souls alone – but coupled them with our physical bodies. We cannot deny the fact that we are body and soul, content and form, together, and each has its own needs and specifications for refinement. This is a sunnah of Allah in the way that we were created, and why prayer, fasting, and all our spiritual endeavors have very specific physical components. These forms house within them dimensions of meaning, but it is only from enacting them precisely that a profound spirituality can be achieved.
Purifying our hearts is the goal, but the means to reaching that goal is through the very real and specific physical prescriptions and commandments that Allah (swt) has given us. It is through His obedience and through following the teachings of our deen that we clean and polish our hearts. It is for this reason that I have to say that hijab is not something trivial. Anything that leads us to spiritual awareness, elevation, and purification – that helps us come closer to Allah – cannot be considered trivial or petty. Perhaps it is more likely that there are hidden depths within it that we do not perceive, or that we are not putting it in the proper context of its deeper purpose and meaning.
About punishment from Allah: a better way of looking at this issue is not considering the smallness or pettiness of the sin, but the greatness of the One whom we are sinning against. From His infinite wisdom, all-encompassing knowledge and vast mercy, in accordance to His Law – which is at its core about attaining benefit and warding off harm – He has instructed us to perform this action. In the Qur’an Allah says, ‘It may be that you dislike something and in it is goodness for you’ (2:216); ‘It may be that you dislike a thing but Allah brings about from it a great deal of good.’ (4:19) If someone chooses to step away from a prescribed action knowingly, we cannot deny that this is a sin, and that Allah holds us to account for our sins. However we always have hope in and pray for Allah’s mercy and kindness, as we know He can forgive all sins if He chooses.
In closing, I want to leave you with a beautiful quote from a Hadith Qudsi.
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said:
“My servant draws not near to Me with anything more beloved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him.” (Bukhari)
Know, dear questioner, that if you feel far from Allah, the solution is not to stop what you are doing and find a different way, but to persevere and continue on the path you are on, even though it is hard. This will make you beloved to Allah, and one who feels the happiness of being close to Him and being shaded by His Loving Mercy and care.
May Allah enliven and enlighten our hearts and grant us closeness to Him. May He make us people who love to worship Him, and through our worship become close to Him and gain His love. May He make our hearts firm and steadfast on our deen, and grant us strength and bravery in our spiritual struggles. May He guide us to the best decisions and make easy for us the path of khayr [goodness]. Ameen ya Rabb.
WAllahu a`lam – and He alone knows best.
Wasalaamu alaykum.
Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/taking-off-the-hijab/
A real friend wishes his companions well,
He's not one who allows them to get close to hell,
Always be careful of the friends you Choose,
So, in the end, Jannah you will not lose,
If you find your companion is not stopping your wrong,
then, be weary, his friendship is not strong.
If you see the pattern made,
that when you are under your friend's shade,
Your Imaan begins to fade,
Leave the worthless creation,
make friends with Allah, Surely that is a high station!.
A dervish who had knowledge of our present situation,
Once told his students the following dictation,
"The meeting of people will never enrich you,
save with the gibberish of useless gossip.
So diminish your meeting with people,
except for knowledge or to improve your condition"
Imran Ibn Zarkhan Al Shafi
~In The Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful~
All Praise be to the one who Created us;
There are some who make His existence a fuss;
Those who disbelieve in Him, they are in Loss;
In this life we have a test;
The question: whose fear of Allah is the best?
To worship him is our quest.
Time and Time again we are faced with situations;
In which we must make tough decisions;
Fools are we, we think we're so smart;
shaytan attacks us with many ideas like darts;
According to him, we plan and chart;
Not knowing that he is poisoning our hearts;
The time comes when we realize the mistake in our Parts;
One last chance!, for some the tauba starts;
Even still, some don't ask of His Forgiveness;
They don't realize that they're in a big mess;
Never do they ask of Allah's Mercy;
They have eyes, but can they really see?;
There are also the righteous however;
Forget to ask Allah?, NEVER!;
They ask Allah in every endeavor;
To help them as part of His Favor;
Then, even if they are affected by Shaytans call;
They are not hurt by the hard fall;
They quickly get back up, standing tall;
Racing to gain forgiveness from The Merciful;
Allah promised to answer the caller's call;
Take a lesson from the fitra of the child;
With the lesson of walking they are trialed;
Yes, they do fall, but they are not beguiled;
They get back up and take a step;
Maybe again they accidentally trip;
But they stand up again and get a grip;
More and more steps take place;
Before you realize it, they are walking with so much grace;
An example for us, as we grow in our age and Deen;
Like the baby, hard challenges we have seen;
As the baby walks with so much grace;
We should also pick up our pace;
We are travelers, there is no question;
To Allah is our ultimate destination!
May the Prayers and blessings of Allah be on His beloved;
and on the companions who prayed and strived;
That the Deen of Allah might be carried on to those who came later;
On high thrones will they be raised in the hereafter;
All Praise be to the one who Created us;
There are some who make His existence a fuss;
Those who disbelieve in Him, they are in Loss;
In this life we have a test;
The question: whose fear of Allah is the best?
To worship him is our quest.
Time and Time again we are faced with situations;
In which we must make tough decisions;
Fools are we, we think we're so smart;
shaytan attacks us with many ideas like darts;
According to him, we plan and chart;
Not knowing that he is poisoning our hearts;
The time comes when we realize the mistake in our Parts;
One last chance!, for some the tauba starts;
Even still, some don't ask of His Forgiveness;
They don't realize that they're in a big mess;
Never do they ask of Allah's Mercy;
They have eyes, but can they really see?;
There are also the righteous however;
Forget to ask Allah?, NEVER!;
They ask Allah in every endeavor;
To help them as part of His Favor;
Then, even if they are affected by Shaytans call;
They are not hurt by the hard fall;
They quickly get back up, standing tall;
Racing to gain forgiveness from The Merciful;
Allah promised to answer the caller's call;
Take a lesson from the fitra of the child;
With the lesson of walking they are trialed;
Yes, they do fall, but they are not beguiled;
They get back up and take a step;
Maybe again they accidentally trip;
But they stand up again and get a grip;
More and more steps take place;
Before you realize it, they are walking with so much grace;
An example for us, as we grow in our age and Deen;
Like the baby, hard challenges we have seen;
As the baby walks with so much grace;
We should also pick up our pace;
We are travelers, there is no question;
To Allah is our ultimate destination!
May the Prayers and blessings of Allah be on His beloved;
and on the companions who prayed and strived;
That the Deen of Allah might be carried on to those who came later;
On high thrones will they be raised in the hereafter;
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
Summarized from Bida’i` al-Fawa’id (304-308)
1. Seeking refuge with Allah from Shaytan. Allah the Most High said, “And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” [41:36]
2. Recitation of the two soorahs al-Falaq and an-Nas, as they have wondrous effect in seeking refuge with Allah from his evil, weakening Shaytan and protection from him. This is why the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “No person seeks refuge with anything like the Mu`awwidhatayn (soorahs al-Falaq and an-Nas)”. [an-Nasaa’i, 5337]
3. Recitation of Ayat al-Kursi (2:255).
Bilal Philips is offering free online Islamic courses. After the completion of these courses, diplomas and certificates will be given out.
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/
You can also visit Bilal Philips website at
http://www.bilalphilips.com/
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What a great way to study Islam, educate yourself and increase your knowledge! You can then use your diploma/Certificate to teach others at masjids!
I just enrolled and would encourage everyone else to take a look. You go at your own pace which makes it perfect for those of you who have busy schedules!
http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/
You can also visit Bilal Philips website at
http://www.bilalphilips.com/
“Allahumma infa’ni bima ‘allamtani, wa allimni maa yanfa’oni wa zidni ‘ilman, alhamdulillahi alaa kulli haal, wa a’odtho billahi min haali ahlil naar.”
O Allah, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me,
and increase my knowledge. Praise be to Allah in all circumstances.
I seek refuge in Allah from the state of those who go to Hell.”
(Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 2482 Narrated by)
Hadeeth: Three people’s du`aa are never rejected: the one who is fasting, until he breaks his fast; the just ruler and the one who has been wronged. Allah raises it above the clouds and the doors of the skies are opened for it, and the Lord says, ‘By My Honour and Glory! I will help you, even if it be after some time!’”
[Tirmidhi]
source: http://theidealmuslimah.blogspot.com/2009/05/top-ten-excuses-of-muslim-women.html
(If you get a chance please check out sister Nida´s blog, her blog is devoted to spreading the word of islam)All praise is due to Allah ta'aala as is deserved by His Majesty and Great Power. I send prayers and ask for blessings upon His Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhee wasallam) who drew the path for us to the pleasure of Allah and His Jannah. This path is a straight one that is surrounded by virtue from all sides and attends to the best moral characteristics which are increased by the clothing of purity, concealment, and chastity. It is the path trod by the two halves of human society, namely the man and the woman, toward harmonious contentment and happiness in this life and the Hereafter.
This is precisely why the Protector, the blessed and above all imperfection, has made wearing hijaab an obligation upon the woman as a safeguard of her chastity and protection of her honor and sign of her faith ( Iman). It is on account of this that societies (both Muslim and non-Muslim) that have distanced themselves from the way of Allah and deviated from His straight path, are ill societies in need of treatment that will lead them to recovery and happiness.
Among the pictures that point to the distance of society from that path and that make clear the level of its deviation and separation from it is the open spread of women not just uncovering their faces but enhancing and making a display of their beauty. We find that this is manifested regretfully, in Islamic (Muslim) society despite that Islamic clothing is also widespread. So then, what are the reasons that have led to this digression?
Excuse One: I'm not yet convinced (of the necessity) of hijab
Source: http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/muta_story.htm
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I was fourteen years old and my relationship with my parents was on the edge just like any other teenager. I started to become interested in boys. I felt as if no one understood me, not even my friends. I especially didn´t feel pretty with my braces.
It all changed when I met him . It was fascinating to know that a college student would care so much about me. He was the most wonderful person. He treated me like a queen, and soon we became the best of friends. I felt I could tell him anything. As our friendship progressed, we talked about different topics including religion. He had different beliefs than me; he was Shia while I was Sunni. We always argued upon the differences. He had a way with making things sound better than what they were. Soon I became very confused.
One day he mentioned the idea of Mut'a.
A few years after I had reverted to Islam, the topic of Mut´a came up. I wasnt familiar with Mut´a and found out that Mut´a is a temporary marriage in which the man has no financial responsibility to the woman or if she gets pregnant their child. This type of marriage which was once allowed for 3 days in our prophets time (p.b.u.h.) during war and was then made forbidden, is still practiced amongst shias and is usually practiced to fulfill their sexual needs all the while lying to themselves that it is allowed islamically (Basically they are giving themselves excuses to date and have sexual relationships with women.) Even though some of their top shia scholars are against Mut´a, many shias still practice this today. Its not uncommon for new reverts to be approached by shia males who will try to convince you that this is islamically allowed and something good. To understand Mut´a one must first understand why it was allowed back in our prophets time and understand the history of shiaism and how they deviated from the straight path after the death of our prophet (p.b.u.h.) Today I will focus on Mut´a and in another post I will focus on the history of shiaism.
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