Prayers

Here is a link to a Webpage with a list of prayers in Arabic and English which you can recite after daily prayers and in anytime.

May Allah, the Almighty God, accept our prayers, amen.

The Islamic Pilgrimage: Hajj

Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage, is a dream journey for every believing Muslim. To know about Hajj:

• HAJJ – Pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Mecca
• The Hajj in Pictures

And here is a beautiful video clip about Hajj:

In Hajj, all Muslims are equal. The poor and the rich walk together and all wear white garments. All united by Islam.

May Allah support us and help us in undertaking Hajj soon, amen.

Best Opportunity for Repentance!

Tomorrow, if Allah wills, is the first day of the month of Dhul Hijjah, may it be full of Allah’s blessings and forgiveness. The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are blessed and the Muslim has to make the most of them by:

• praying more sincerely,
• spending more time in studying the Quran,
• fasting those days,
• doing more good like helping the poor, planting the earth, cleaning the environment, visiting the family, being honest and kind, and visiting the ill,
• asking eagerly for Allah’s forgiveness and acceptance of repentance, and
• making effort to clarify the misconceptions about Islam by behaving like a real Muslim: stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, stop following women, stop wasting time in cafes and malls, spend your money more wisely, regard people’s feelings, be kind to the elderly and children, love Allah’s creatures, make your family happy, and keep your city clean.

May Allah forgive our sins and mistakes, that which we know of and which we do not know of, amen.

The Islamic Weekly Eid

I did not know what Jews usually do during Saturdays until I read this post. I read about what they are not allowed to do on Sabbaths. Allah has prescribed this for the Jews for a reason, I believe.

Friday is considered a holy day in Islam and it is known as the weekly Islamic Eid.

On Fridays:

• men pray Jumaa (Friday) prayer in congregation in the Masjid while women pray Dhuhr (noon prayer) at home,
• selling is continued after Jumaa prayer,
• people visit their families, and
• people enjoy their time in doing what they like to do like going to parks, cooking, walking, fishing, hunting, … etc.

I usually spend some of my time on shopping for my needs and on the Internet.

What do you usually do on Fridays?

Regarding 9/11 & Eid Al-Fitr Coincidence

Ibnat al-Hidayah has cleared everything up regarding Eid Al-Fitr which is a festival celebrated to break the 30-day fast during Ramadan, and she also clarified the misconceptions held by some in that we build Masjids only on holy sites.

Of course, I am not excited that Eid Al-Fitr coincides with the 9/11 anniversary this year. And, I really do see the importance of expanding one’s knowledge regarding others’ faith at such a time.

I only have one thing to say regarding this matter:

Al-Qaeda, damn on you.

Questioning the Creation of Man

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind; but most of mankind know not. (57)

Quran 40:57

Many keep on questioning the creation of the humankind. And some claim that we are the result of pure chance. How can that be when the Earth we live on and the sky that protects us are both more complex than our own bodies?

The perfect our bodies are, and the complex the blue sky and the wide ground, the more illogical to say they are all occurred by chance.

Sins & Acceptance of Repentance in Islam

I would like to share this article with you regarding the concept of sins in Islam and about Allah’s acceptance of a sinner’s repentance.

May Allah accept our repentance in this Holy month and may He help us walk on the straight path, Amen!

Give Charity & Pay Zakat

In Islam, giving charity is a good deed and paying Zakat is a must. Charity can be given to anyone in need, whether they are Muslims or not, and regardless of their ethnic or racial backgrounds. On the other hand, Zakat is given to Muslims who are poor, and it can be given to non-Muslims whose hearts are to be softened.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible to give charity to non-Muslims and this action will be rewarded, if they are in need of it, but they should not be given the obligatory charity, i.e. zakaat, unless they are those whose hearts are to be softened (i.e., they are close to embracing Islam). It is a condition for giving charity to non-Muslims that they should not be involvied in fighting the Muslims or driving them from their homes, because charity in such cases would be seen as helping them to wage war against the Muslims. (Fataawa Mutanawwi’ah by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 521).

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity. It is only as regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allaah forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the zaalimoon (wrong-doers – those who disobey Allaah.)” [al-Mumtahimah 60:8-9].

Muslims should seek first and foremost to give their charity to their Muslim brothers who are in need, and there are plenty of them. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

It must be noted that charity can be given in any time and in every possible amount and type. But Zakat must be payed once a year under certain conditions.

Nisaab ul-Zakat for naqd (gold and silver) is defined as the minimum amount of naqd specified by shari’a below which one is not required to pay zakat, whereas if one’s wealth exceeds it then zakat becomes incumbent.

And it is known that zakat ul-maal (wealth) in shari’a is required for the two types of naqd—gold and silver—and what serves their function in modern times (commonly referred to as cash), whether it is dollars or riyals or pounds or otherwise.

Nisaab for gold as our Prophet (peace be upon him) has informed us (and for currencies made from gold) is 20 mithqaalan, a measure which is equivalent to 85 grams of pure gold (1 mithqaal = 4.25 grams). It becomes incumbent upon anyone who owns such an amount in any form to pay zakat on it in the amount of 2.5%.

Nisaab for silver and currencies made from silver is 200 dirhams, which is equivalent to 595 grams of pure silver (1 dirham = 2.975 grams). Likewise, it becomes incumbent upon anyone who owns such an amount in any form to pay zakat on it in the amount of 2.5%.

It is well known that there is a noticeable disparity between the value of nisaab for gold and that of silver in our times. The best and most conservative for a poor person is to assess how many dollars he has that have been in his possession for a complete lunar year (Hijri, which is 354 days). If the amount reaches the value of nisaab for silver or more, then he should pay from it for every 1000 dollars, 25 dollars (i.e., 2.5%) to be spent in the prescribed benficiaries as specified by shari’ah, and we ask Allah to aid us and help us succeed in haqq il-maal wa salla allahu ala nabiyyana muha

Note you can find the current price of gold and silver via the internet, such as on the following page:

http://www.tradeshop.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/raylc/aipm/gold.cgi

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Note that the previous link is not working. You can use this online Zakat calculator to calculate the Zakat in US Dollars.

Study Islam Online at SunniPath Academy

I was browsing the Internet and I came across SunniPath Website. It is an online academy for studying Islam and the Arabic language:

The Prophet Muhammad (God bless him and give him peace) said:

“Whenever God wishes well for someone, He gives them deep understanding of the religion” [Bukhari, 71; Muslim, 1037].

SunniPath is dedicated to the effective transmission of reliable and relevant religious knowledge.

Our knowledge is reliable because our teachers have been formally trained and authorized to transmit knowledge by leading scholars of the Muslim heartlands. They are meticulous in their conformity to the time-honored orthodoxy of Sunni Islam while sensitive to the circumstances of Muslims living in the modern world.

Our knowledge is relevant because we focus on conveying beneficial knowledge in a positive manner that inspires students and encourages practice. We do not engage in argumentation, nor are we interested in the academic approach of seeking knowledge for its own sake.

Our method of transmission is effective because we implement the principles of traditional Islamic education using the latest techniques of online learning to connect students all over the world with qualified teachers.

SunniPath

I believe many will find it good in learning about Islam.

Spying on Your Neighbor?

Spying on people, especially the neighbors, is bad. But some people find it amusing that they made it into this:

In Islam, it is forbidden to spy on neighbors and enter their homes without asking for permission. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own without first announcing your presence and invoking peace upon the folk thereof. That is better for you, that ye may be heedful. (27)

Quran 24:27

O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful. (12)

Quran 49:12

And those who abuse believing men and woman, when they have not merited it, bear the weight of slander and clear wrongdoing. (58)

Quran 33:58

And there are Hadiths by Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, regarding spying on people:

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Beware of suspicion. Suspicion is the falsest kind of speech. Do not spy or pry. Do not be rivals nor envy one another. Do not hate one another nor show enmity to one another. Be slaves of Allah, brothers, as you have been commanded to be. The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim. He does not wrong him nor disappoint him nor despise him. Godfearing is here,” and he pointed to his chest. “It is enough evil for a man that he should despise his Muslim brother. The blood, honour and property of every Muslim is sacred to another Muslim. Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions.”

So, stop spying!

O, Servants of Allah, Listen

Allah, the Glorified, has given as the Holy Quran to guide us on the straight path.

He says regarding our parents:

Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, say not “Fie” unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. (23)

Quran 17:23

And He affirms the importance of being kind to our mothers:

And We have enjoined upon man concerning his partners – His mother beareth him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years – Give thanks unto Me and unto thy parents. Unto Me is the journeying. (14)

Quran 31:14

Also, Allah has given us precious advices for a happy life:

And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent. (29) Indeed, your Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed He is ever, concerning His servants, Acquainted and Seeing. (30) And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin. (31) And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (32) And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly – We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law]. (33) And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best, until he reaches maturity. And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned. (34) And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even balance. That is the best [way] and best in result. (35) And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – about all those [one] will be questioned. (36) And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height. (37) All that – its evil is ever, in the sight of your Lord, detested. (38)

Quran 17:29-38

And He ordered us to avoid gossip and spying on others:

O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful. (12)

Quran 49:12

And Allah says regarding mocking other people:

O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers. (11)

Quran 49:11

And He ordered us to be good people. Allah says about His prophets, Isaac and Jacob:

And We made them chiefs who guide by Our command, and We inspired in them the doing of good deeds and the right establishment of worship and the giving of alms, and they were worshippers of Us (alone). (73)

Quran 21:73

And many other advices and words of wisdom can be found in Allah’s noble book, the Quran. Read and discover!

The Twenty-First Chapter of the Quran: The Prophets

So, I seem to be posting more and more verses from the Holy Quran. No problem. It is good to share the wisdom and beauty of the Quran with the world.

Here are some verses from the twenty-first chapter in the Quran, the Prophets:

Or have men taken for themselves gods from the earth who resurrect [the dead]? (21) Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah , they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah , Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. (22)

Quran 21:21-22

And read the following verses, and you are reminded of science:

Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe? (30) And We placed within the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with them, and We made therein [mountain] passes [as] roads that they might be guided. (31) And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away. (32) And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming. (33)

Quran 21:30-33