Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim .....

Renew Your Faith| Sheikh Sâlih al-Mughâmisî, professor at the Islamic University in Madinah|

Faith is the most precious of possessions. It is the greatest gift. Allah has made it the distinction of those who are destined for Paradise.

Allah says: "Are those who believe like those who are iniquitous? They are not the same." [Sûrah al-Sajdah: 18]

We must value the gift of faith. Allah withheld the gift of faith from some of the closest relatives of His Messengers, like Abraham's father and one of Noah's sons. They were so close to those noble Prophets, but they were not blessed to have faith. Be thankful that Allah has bestowed this blessing on you. We must praise Him for giving us this gift. We would not have been guided had it not been for Allah guiding us.

We should take care of this most valuable gift. We must safeguard it. We must not let it deteriorate or fall into peril. How do we do this?

It is well-known that faith increases and decreases. Faith increases most effectively through the performance of good deeds.

Abû Hurayrah relates the following:

Once when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting with his Companions, he asked: "Who among you started his day fasting?"

Abû Bakr said: "I am fasting."

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: "Who among you has visited the sick?"

Abû Bakr said: "I have."

Then the Prophet asked: "Who among you gave food to the poor?"

Abû Bakr who answered: "I have."

The Prophet then asked: "Who attended a funeral procession today?"

Abû Bakr again replied in the affirmative.

At this point, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "These deeds do not come together in a single person except that the person is admitted into Paradise." [Sahîh Muslim]

Consider how Abû Bakr engaged in all of these good deeds in a single day. We should not be surprised to know that, on another occasion, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said about Abû Bakr: "Abû Bakr's faith weighs as much as the faith of the rest of my followers put together."

In order to renew your faith and increase it, read the Qur'ân. Put your mind into it, and think carefully about what you are reading. There is no better way to remember Allah or beseech His favor than by using His own words.

Also, read the stories of the Prophets to learn about the exemplary lives of those who possessed the greatest faith of all. We can see how Abraham (peace be upon him) was willing to sacrifice his own son for the love of Allah, how he was willing to let Nimrod cast him into a bonfire, and how he gave hospitality to his guests, His heart was sincere in everything that he did and he always turned penitently to his Lord. Because of this, he earned the epithet "Friend of Allah."

"And Allah took Abraham as a friend." [Sûrah al-Nisâ': 125]

When we read about the lives of the Prophets and contemplate on the lessons that their lives teach us, it increases our faith and bolsters our conviction. Consider when Allah says: "They are the ones whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance." [Sûrah al-An`âm: 90]

To further increase your faith, visit the graveyard. See how everyone' s state in the physical world is made equal by death. Then consider how the status of their souls differs. How many believing souls are saying in expectation: "My Lord! Bring on the Day of Resurrection!" How many other souls are pleading in fear and dread: "My Lord! Do not bring on the Day of Judgment."

May Allah increase us in faith and make us all God-fearing.


http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=35&sub_cat_id=2029

“…Praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen (for His Message)! …” [al-Naml 27:59]

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim .......

Beware of Coarseness and Indecency | Sheikh Muhammad al-Khudayrî|

When dealing with others, a Muslim invariably confronts situations where he is verbally abused or derided. If he is living among non-Muslims, he might sometimes be confronted by a situation where a non-Muslim abuses his honor, that of other Muslims, or even the honor of Islam, with foul and unsavory language. The question arises as to whether it is suitable for a Muslim to reply back in a similar fashion to defend Islam and the Muslims. Would he be sinning if he were to use similar foul language against the non-Muslims?

It is not fitting for those who should be calling others to Allah to use unsightly and foul language. This is impropriate behavior for a Muslim to stoop to, regardless of who starts it, even if the one who initiates it is a non-Muslim. Our good example in this and in all matters is our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the best of those who ever called people to Allah. We must emulate his conduct in the way we deal with non-Muslims. He had been tormented and abused by the unbelievers. They scorned him and made him an object of ridicule. Ultimately, they expelled him from his homeland. Nonetheless, he remained in his conduct a blessing for all living things.

A Jewish man once greeted the Prophet (peace be upon him) by saying: “Death be upon you.” He used the Arabic word ‘sâm’, meaning ‘death’, in a parody of the Islamic greeting for peace which is the word ‘salâm’.

Though the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew exactly what the man had said, he paid it no heed and gently replied: “And upon you.” He did so without repeating the misused word “sâm” and behaved as if he had not noticed it.

However, `Âishah, who had also heard what the man really said, immediately retorted: “And death be upon you and a curse as well!”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take it easy, `Â’ishah. Allah loves kindness in everything.” In another narration of the story, it is related that he also said: “Beware of coarseness and indecency.”

`Âishah complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: “Didn’t you hear what they said?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Did you not hear my reply? I responded to their offensive supplication. My supplication will be answered by Allah while their supplication against me will not be answered.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

Some of the Companions once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to pray to Allah to invoke His curse upon the pagans. He replied: “I was not sent to curse people but as a blessing. [Sahîh Muslim]

Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It is not fitting for a sincere lover of truth to invoke curses.” [Sahîh Muslim]

And he said: “A believer should not invoke curses.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî with authentic line of transmission]

We should call people to Allah by explaining to them the truth about Islam. We must teach them our beliefs, our code of Law and our exemplary moral standards. If they resort to curses and vindictives, we should instead take recourse to sound arguments and evidence. Only those who are weak and defeated, who have no knowledge, choose to respond by insult. We must refrain from such conduct.

However, this does not mean that we are never to defend ourselves against abuse or seek judicial action to remedy it, particularly if the abuse is directed at Islamic beliefs and teachings.

Allah says: “And whoever defends himself after his being oppressed, for such people, there is no way of blame against them. The way of blame is only against those who oppress mankind, and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom.” [Sûrah al-Shûrâ: 41-42]

This means that we may seek justice and redress in the face of oppression. We are entitled to respond to abuse, but without allowing ourselves to fall into oppression or transgression.

May Allah guide us all to the right way in our words and deeds, and in our efforts to call others to Islam. May he bless us to conduct ourselves in the noble manner of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim ......

Envy| Sheikh Khâlid Husayn|

The topic of envy is a very important one. It is a serious problem that all of us need to cope with. Envy spreads through society like a frightful illness and it is an illness that demands treatment.

Envy is indeed a serious, sometimes fatal illness. It is an ignoble character trait that tears rifts between people, communities, and even nations. A community that is blackened by this loathsome quality is one wherein cooperation and love become virtually unknown. Enmity, hatred, and violence become the order of the day.

Envy occurs when we see some blessing in the hands of another and desire for that blessing to be lost to that person. Muslim scholars have defined this feeling in many ways, but all of their definitions contain this essential meaning – to wish for someone to lose something good that he or she has been blessed with.

Al-Nawawî describes envy in the following way: “Envy is to desire for someone who enjoys a blessing to become bereft of it, regardless of whether that blessing is of a religious or worldly nature.”

Al-Ghazâlî writes: “As far as envy is concerned, Islamic scholars define it as the hatred of a blessing and the love that the one so blessed by it will become bereft of it.”

Ibn al-Jawzî says: “Envy is to hope that the one being envied becomes bereft of a blessing that he enjoys without the envier necessarily acquiring a similar blessing for himself.”

Envy is something quite prevalent in the world. This is why the Qur'ân speaks about it often. Allah says: “Do they envy the people on account of what Allah has given them of His grace?” [ Sûrah al-Nisâ' : 54]

Allah instructs us to seek refuge from “…the evil of the envier when he envies.” [ Sûrah al-Falaq : 5]

In the Qur'ân, we also have: “They shall say: Nay! You envy us.” [ Sûrah al-Fath : 15]

We must also not forget the famous story of Joseph (peace be upon him) and his brothers who envied his father's love for him so much that they cast him into a well.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against the ill consequences of envy upon the envier, saying: “Beware of envy, for indeed envy consumes one's good deeds like fire consumes wood.” [ Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4903)]

He said: “The afflictions of the nations before you shall beset you: envy and rancor.” [ Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2510)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned so sternly against envy because of how dangerous and ruinous it is. It can bring us to destruction in both our worldly and spiritual lives.

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Do not revile nor envy one another. Do not turn away from one another and do not sever ties. Be devotees of Allah and brothers to one another. It is not permissible for a Muslims to shun his brother for more than three days.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6065) and Sahîh Muslim (2559)]

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) also said: “In the worshipper's heart, faith and envy cannot dwell together.” [ Sunan al-Nasâ'î (3109)]

Envy is indeed a great and deadly evil. When it strikes, it inevitably leaves destruction in its wake. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the causes of envy, so that we can take preventative action. Though the causes of envy are numerous, they can be summarized as follows:

1. Weakness of faith and discontent with Allah's providence. The heart of a person who is discontented is perpetually being rent apart and set ablaze. All it takes is for him to see someone else enjoying some blessing that he sees himself as deprived of. Such a person is unaware that it is indeed Allah who has apportioned His provisions for us all.

Being pleased and content with Allah's decree of His provisions is the way to bring rest to the soul and tranquility to the heart.

2. Ignorance of the evil consequences of envy. An envious person is rarely able to appreciate what his envy will lead to; its negative repercussions upon his faith, his life, and the community in which he lives.

With respect to his faith, an envious person is angry and annoyed with Allah's decree. He perceives his Lord as being unjust – glory be to Allah above what the envious ascribe to Him – since he is displeased that Allah bestowed upon another a blessing that He did not grant to him. This is a serious matter indeed.

With respect to his life, an envious person is eternally preoccupied with what Allah has given to others. He lives in a state of grief and depression as he looks upon the happiness that others enjoy while he is so deprived. His whole personality takes on a darker hue. Life becomes a burden to him. Contentment alludes him in everything and all that follows after his discontent is regret.

He becomes distanced from his community, as everyone, young and old, finds his company unpleasant. His own relatives often dislike him more than strangers, and he feels alienated at all times. His standing in society suffers, as does his professional life. He becomes an unproductive member of society.

3. Hatred, enmity, and rancor. These are some of the most serious reasons for envy. A person who harbors such ill feelings towards others automatically begins to feel envy towards them for whatever good they possess. In such a state, his hatred and envy can instigate him to inflict harm or injury upon them.

4. Astonishment. Allah tells us in the Qur'ân how the nations of the past spurned the Prophets who had been sent to them. They decried: “You are nothing but a man like ourselves!” [ Sûrah YâSîn : 15] “Should we believe in two men like ourselves!” [ Sûrah al-Mu'minûn : 47] Their astonishment that people like themselves could be elevated to the rank of Prophets led them to envy and as a consequence to disbelief.

5. Pride. The envy that the unbelievers felt for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stemmed from pride. “And they say: ‘Why is not this Qur'ân sent down to some leading man in either of the two (chief) cities?'” [ Sûrah al-Zukhruf : 31]

Abû Jahl gave his reason for disbelieving in the Prophet (peace be upon him) as follows: “We vie with the tribe of Bânû Manâf in nobility. They feed the people so we feed them people. They assume responsibilities so we assume them. They give so we give. So when we are neck in neck in the race, they declare: ‘We have a Prophet who receives revelation from Heaven.' When will we be able to match that? By Allah! We shall never believe in him nor shall we ever believe what he says.”

We can see how the envy that filled Abû Jahl's heart caused him to disbelieve. He could not bear to see how Allah was blessing the Prophet (peace be upon him) and honoring him with prophecy and with His Message.

6. Meanness of spirit. Some people simply loathe it when good befalls others. They take glee, rather, in hearing about their suffering and their misfortunes. Allah speaks about such people, saying: “If aught that is good befalls you, it grieves them; but if some misfortune overtakes you, they rejoice at it.” [ Sûrah Âl `Imrân : 120]

7. Rivalry. When people have similar ambitions, they can fear losing out to those others who share their ambitions. Al-Ghazâlî writes: “This applies only to people in competition with one another. As a consequence, each of them envies his rivals for whatever they achieve that brings them closer to their goals. This includes the envy suffered by co-wives with respect to their relationship with their husband. It also includes the envy that was felt by Joseph's brothers for his success in engendering their father's love. As Allah relates to us: ‘They said: Truly Joseph and his brother are loved more by our father than we.' [ Sûrah Yûsuf : 8]”

Armed with the knowledge of what causes envy, we should do our utmost to avoid falling into it. We should work to remove these negative factors from our lives and block any path that might take us down the road to destruction.

The Sunnah recommends to us some things to do that will help us in this endeavor.

If we see something we covet and feel our envious gaze falling upon the blessings of another, we should make it our habit to say “ Mâ shâ' Allah; lâ quwwata illâ bil-lâh .” meaning: It is what Allah has decreed; there is no power besides that which is Allah's.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever sees something that he likes and then says: ‘ Mâ shâ' Allah; lâ quwwata illâ bil-lâh ', will bring no harm to it.”

We should also pray to Allah to bless that person. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees with his brother something that pleases him should supplicate to Allah to bless him in it.” [ Musnad Ahmad (15550) and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (3509)]

Putting this advice into practice will protect our hearts from envy and protect our brothers and sisters in faith from the harm that our envy might visit upon them.

There are also ways that are established in the Sunnah for us to beseech Allah's protection from the harm of those who envy us.

We should read from the Qur'ân Sûrah al-Fâtihah and Âyah al-Kursî . The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If a worshipper reads the opening of the Book ( Sûrah al-Fâtihah ) and Âyah al-Kursî in his home, he will not be afflicted that day by the gaze of man or jinn.” [ al-Daylamî ]

We should also read the last two chapters of the Qur'ân: Sûrah al-Falaq and Sûrah al-Nâs to protect us from the evil of those who envy us.

http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=35&sub_cat_id=636

=================

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim .......

Loving Allah and His Messenger
Love and hate are among the actions of the heart. It is obligatory upon the pubescent person to use these two emotions in accordance with the rules of the Religion. One must love Allah and what is in accordance with the rules of Islam. Also, one must hate the devil and what he whispers of sinful matters.

1- Loving Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam: The pubescent person is obligated to love Allah, His Qur’an, and His Prophet. This is done by following the orders of Islam and avoiding its unlawful matters.

Allah, ta^ala said:

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ

Qul in kuntum tuhibbun-allaha fattabi^uni yuhbibkum-ullah.

Ayah 31 of Suratu Al ^Imran means: {Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.}

This is an essential part of believing in Allah, what He revealed, and believing in the Prophet and what he brought. The doubt in Allah, on the other hand, His Qur’an, or His Messenger is among the sins of the heart. In fact it is blasphemy, which takes one out of the Religion of Islam.

2- Loving the companions, relatives (Al) of the Prophet, and the pious Muslims: Among the obligations of the heart is loving the Companions, relatives (Al) of the Prophet and the pious Muslims. Failing to love them is one of the sins of the heart. Mocking or cursing them is among the sins of the tongue.

The Companions: They are the Companions of the Prophet. They supported the Religion of Allah and spread it, especially the earlier ones who immigrated with the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and those who received him in Madinah. The Companions are the people who met the Prophet during his life and believed in him, whether they knew him for a long or a short time, as long as they died on the correct belief.

The Relatives (Al) of the Prophet: This term is given to the wives of the Prophet such as Khadijah and ^A’ishah. It also refers to his Muslim relatives, like Hamzah, al-^Abbas, ^Aliyy, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and their mother Fatimah (may Allah raise all their ranks). Loving the Al of the Prophet is an obligation because of the merit they have. If one means by the term “Al” the God-fearing pious people, which is one of its meanings, then loving them is an obligation, because they are beloved to Allah due to their ideal behavior in obeying Allah.

The Pious Muslims: They are the ones who have performed all the obligations and avoided all the sins. Among these categories are the scholars, and the highly righteous Muslims.

3- Hating the Devil and Sins: Among what is also obligatory on the heart is hating the devil and the sins. Also, one must regret performing the sins.

Questions:


1. List some of what a Muslim is obligated to love.


2. State from the Qur’an the proof that an indication of a Muslim’s love of Allah is his rightly following the Prophet.

3. Who are the Companions? Why is it obligatory to love them?

4. Who are the Al? Why is it obligatory to love them?

5. Who are the pious Muslims?


6. List some of what a Muslim is obligated to hate?

http://www.sunna.info/Lessons/islam_407.html

Assalamu’alaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarakatuhu...
Bismillaahirrohmaanirrohiim .......

Believe that Allah is the Creator of This World
Allah, ta^ala, said in the Qur’an:

أَفِي اللّهِ شَكٌّ

Afi-llahi shakk.

Ayah 10 of Surah Ibrahim means: {There is no doubt about the existence of Allah.}

The first obligation on the mukallaf person is to know about Allah, ta^ala. Allah is the Creator of all the existent things and is the One Who manages all the creation. If, with our sound mind, we carefully think about all the creations and ponder about their existence, we must know that they have a Creator Who created them.

The mental proof that Allah exists :

With the sound mind, we know irrefutably that every writing has to have a writer, the act of hitting has to have a hitter, and that a building has to have a builder. Therefore, it follows that this universe with all the creations in it has to have a creator Who is Alive, attributed with Will, Knowledge, and Power, and this is Allah. He is clear of all imperfections. He is the One Who does not resemble any of His creations, and nothing resembles Him. The sound mind does not accept the existence of an action without someone who carried it out.

It is not conceivable for nature to be the Creator, because nature has no will. So, how would nature create? It is also not permissible for something to create itself. Finally, something cannot create something that resembles it.

For example, the child is born small; he does not talk or walk. Then he develops. He starts gradually and slowly to talk and walk. Then he matures and becomes a young man, then middle-aged, then old, after which he dies. Who changed him and transformed him from one state to another? Allah is the One Who created and changed him, and willed for him to die.

A story of a man who denied the existence of Allah:

It is related that a man who denied the existence of the Creator came once to one of the caliphs and told him: "The scholars of your time say that there is a creator for this universe, and I am prepared to prove to them that this universe has no creator."

The caliph sent for one of the top scholars telling him of the man's claim and ordering him to come. The scholar was purposely late; then he came. The caliph welcomed him and seated him in the center of the session. Present at this meeting were many scholars and important people. So the man said: "Why were you late in your arrival?" The scholar said: "What if I tell you that a very strange matter occurred to me, and because of it I was late? My house is behind the river of Dijlah (Tigris). I came to cross the river, but I did not find anything other than an old boat with broken planks. When my gaze fell onto it, the planks moved, came together, and reassembled so that the boat became seaworthy. All this happened without the work of a carpenter or a worker. I sat in it, crossed the river, and came to this place.”

The man said: "O people, listen to what your scholar says. Have you heard anything more absurd than this? How can a boat exist without a carpenter to build it? This is an explicit lie."

The scholar said: "O blasphemer, if the mind does not accept the existence of a boat without a builder or carpenter, then how do you say that this entire universe exists without a creator?" The man became silent. He was refuted. The caliph punished him because of his bad beliefs.


Questions:

1. What is the proof from the Qur’an about the existence of Allah?

2. What is the mental proof that Allah exists?

3. Why is it not conceivable for nature to be a creator?

http://www.sunna.info/Lessons/islam_378.html