بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Verses of the Week قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِّن دِينِي فَلاَ أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلَـكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللّهَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفاً وَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
وَلاَ تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُكَ وَلاَ يَضُرُّكَ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذاً مِّنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلاَ رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصَيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُمُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُم بِوَكِيلٍوَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّىَ يَحْكُمَ اللّهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ104. Say: "O humankind! If you are in doubt about my religion, then (know that) I do not worship those whom you worship apart from God, but I worship God alone, Who causes you all to die. I have been commanded to be of the believers.
105. "(I have also been commanded:) Set all your being exclusively to the true Religion, as one with pure faith (free from unbelief and hypocrisy), and never be among those who associate partners with God.
106. "And do not invoke, apart from God, that which can neither benefit you nor harm you; if you did so, then you would be of the wrongdoers (who wrong themselves by committing the greatest wrong of associating partners with God)."
107. If God touches you with affliction, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He wills any good for you, then there is none who can hold back His bounty. He causes it to reach whomever He wills of His servants. He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate."
108. Say: "O humankind! Assuredly there has come to you the truth from your Lord. Whoever, therefore, chooses the right way follows it but for his own good; and whoever chooses to go astray, goes astray but to his own harm. I am not one appointed as a guardian over you to assume responsibility for you."
109. And follow what is revealed to you, and remain patient and steadfast in your way until God gives His judgment. And He is the best in giving judgment.
(10:104-109)
Hadiths of the Week
Pre-destination
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam, 'You are Adam whose mistake expelled you from Paradise.' Adam said to him, 'You are Moses whom Allah selected as His Messenger and as the one to whom He spoke directly; yet you blame me for a thing which had already been written in my fate before my creation?' " The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said twice, "So, Adam overpowered Moses." [Bukhari]
Always say Alhamdulillah, and accept what Allah has chosen for you
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Such is a wonder, the affairs of a believer. All his affairs are good, and this only happens to believers. When he receives good things, he is thankful, and that is good for him. When something bad befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.” [Muslim]
Belief in Qadar doesn't imply giving up work and waiting for your fate.
We were in the company of the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam in a funeral procession at Baqi Al-Gharqad. He salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Carry on doing (good deeds), for everybody will find it easy to do (what will lead him to his destined place)." Then he recited "As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser...for him, the path for evil." [Bukhari]
Power of Dua'a
وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفاً وَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
وَلاَ تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُكَ وَلاَ يَضُرُّكَ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذاً مِّنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلاَ رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصَيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُمُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُم بِوَكِيلٍوَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّىَ يَحْكُمَ اللّهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ104. Say: "O humankind! If you are in doubt about my religion, then (know that) I do not worship those whom you worship apart from God, but I worship God alone, Who causes you all to die. I have been commanded to be of the believers.
105. "(I have also been commanded:) Set all your being exclusively to the true Religion, as one with pure faith (free from unbelief and hypocrisy), and never be among those who associate partners with God.
106. "And do not invoke, apart from God, that which can neither benefit you nor harm you; if you did so, then you would be of the wrongdoers (who wrong themselves by committing the greatest wrong of associating partners with God)."
107. If God touches you with affliction, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He wills any good for you, then there is none who can hold back His bounty. He causes it to reach whomever He wills of His servants. He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate."
108. Say: "O humankind! Assuredly there has come to you the truth from your Lord. Whoever, therefore, chooses the right way follows it but for his own good; and whoever chooses to go astray, goes astray but to his own harm. I am not one appointed as a guardian over you to assume responsibility for you."
109. And follow what is revealed to you, and remain patient and steadfast in your way until God gives His judgment. And He is the best in giving judgment.
(10:104-109)
99 Perfect Names and Attributes of Allah
(Asma-o Allah al-Husna)
"His are the best (or most beautiful) names."
(17:110; 20:8; and 7:180)
p.s. It is not possible to perfectly translate the names and attributes of Allah subhanahu wataala from their original Arabic into English. However, I am trying to provide you with many different but fairly close explanations.
Name of the Week
الرشيد
Ar-Rasheed: The One who guides
Allah directs people to the right way; His Management proceeds and reaches the zenith of perfection without ever consulting anyone; to Him all Perfection is attributed. His Wisdom is the greatest, His All-Awareness is the most perfect; His Judgment heads for correctness and sublimity. He guides all His creatures, and directs them to the righteous way, to their bliss in this world and in the hereafter.
In the Arabic language the word rushd means reason, rationality, and sound judgment.
In the Arabic language the word rushd means reason, rationality, and sound judgment.
Allah, Al-Rasheed, guides and leads to the truth. glory be to Allah, the DIRECTOR to the Right Way, where we find our good and bliss, Praise and Glory be to Him, He is Allah.
He says, “...but he whom God leaves to stray, for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.” (18:17)
Pre-destination
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam, 'You are Adam whose mistake expelled you from Paradise.' Adam said to him, 'You are Moses whom Allah selected as His Messenger and as the one to whom He spoke directly; yet you blame me for a thing which had already been written in my fate before my creation?' " The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said twice, "So, Adam overpowered Moses." [Bukhari]
Always say Alhamdulillah, and accept what Allah has chosen for you
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Such is a wonder, the affairs of a believer. All his affairs are good, and this only happens to believers. When he receives good things, he is thankful, and that is good for him. When something bad befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.” [Muslim]
Belief in Qadar doesn't imply giving up work and waiting for your fate.
We were in the company of the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam in a funeral procession at Baqi Al-Gharqad. He salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Carry on doing (good deeds), for everybody will find it easy to do (what will lead him to his destined place)." Then he recited "As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser...for him, the path for evil." [Bukhari]
Power of Dua'a
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said, "Only supplication averts the decree, only kindness prolongs life, and a man is deprived of provision for a fault he commits." [Tirmidhi]
The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam said, “nothing can change the Divine decree except dua'a." [Ahmed & tirmidhi.)And always remember
“And whatever misfortune befalls you it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” – [42:30]
Joke of the week
An urban police chief is working at his desk when he receives a telephone call.
“Chief? This is Harrison, Detective Division," says the man on the other end of the line. "I, uh, have a problem here.”
“What is it?”
“Two of our patrol officers found a dead body at the intersection of Monongahela Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue.”
“And…?”
“And I can’t fill out the report because I don’t know how to spell either Monongahela or Allegheny. What should I do?”
The Chief takes a moment to let out a snort of disgust.
“For crying out loud, Harrison. Do I have to do all of the thinking around here? Have the officers drag the body to First and Main – and then call you back.”
“Chief? This is Harrison, Detective Division," says the man on the other end of the line. "I, uh, have a problem here.”
“What is it?”
“Two of our patrol officers found a dead body at the intersection of Monongahela Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue.”
“And…?”
“And I can’t fill out the report because I don’t know how to spell either Monongahela or Allegheny. What should I do?”
The Chief takes a moment to let out a snort of disgust.
“For crying out loud, Harrison. Do I have to do all of the thinking around here? Have the officers drag the body to First and Main – and then call you back.”
Story of the Week
A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Allah Almighty knows best."
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Allah Almighty knows best."
To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.
About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.
When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.
"You were right" the King said, "It was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good…Allah Almighty knows best."
"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
The King's friend replied: "Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you on that hunting trip."
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)."[22:76]
Although the decisions of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala may seem harsh to us, they are full of wisdom and mercy. Allah is more merciful to us than our parents and our lovers, don't think for a second that what happens to you in life is unfair or unjust to you! How many times did we want something so bad then realized that we were wrong and unwise.
Always say Alhamdulillah, and do not complain, for that Allah knows best.
Wisdom of the Week
The Greatness of Allah SWT
Ibn al-qayyim said:
Sunnah of the Week
Words of the Week
القضاء والقدر
Website of the Week
http://quranicaudio.com/index
Videos of the WeekIbn al-qayyim said:
He governs the affairs of the various kingdoms and He commands and forbids, creates, sustains, gives death, gives life, gives power, strips power (to and from whom He wills) and alternates the night and day. He gives varying fortunes to people and alternates governments (and states), destroying some and bringing some into existence. His Command and Power are dominant in the heavens and their zones, the earth and all that which is on and in it, in the seas and in the air.
His Knowledge has encompassed everything and He counted everything. He hears all types of voices and they do not confuse Him. Rather, He hears each voice in its distinct language and need, and no voice will make Him busy from fulfilling the need of another, and no need will ever escape His Perfect Knowledge (and His Power to deliver). He does not become bored because of the many needs of those who need. His Sight encompasses all that which there is. He sees the movement of a black ant on a barren rock during a dark night. To Him, the Unseen is uncovered and the secret is secret no more, "Whosoever is in the heavens and on Earth begs of Him (its needs from Him)." [55:29] He forgives an evil deed, makes depression vanish and brings reprieve from disasters, relief for whoever needs it, wealth for the poor, guidance for the misguided, light for the lost, help for he who is desperate, fullness for the hungry, cover for the barely clothed, cure for the ill and ease for he who suffers. He accepts he who repents, gives reward for he who does good, gives aid for he who was dealt with injustice, destroys an arrogant person, covers mistakes, gives safety after fear and elevates some people and humiliates others.
If those who inhabit His heavens and His earth and all those whom He created, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the most pious heart, His Kingdom will not increase. If all His creation, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the heart of the most wicked heart, this will not decrease from His Kingdom. Also, if all those who inhabit His heavens and His earth, all mankind and all the Jinns, the dead and the living, stand up on one strip of land and each asks Him for his need, and He then fulfils their needs, this will not decrease from what He has a bit. He is the First, nothing is before Him, the Last, nothing is after Him, the Most High, nothing is above Him, and the Most Near, nothing is nearer than Him. He, Exalted and Ever High as He is, is the Best Whom one can and should remember, the only One Who deserves to be worshiped and thanked, the Kindest of all those who own and the Most generous of all those who are asked to give.
He is the King Who has no partner, the One Who has no competitor, the Samad (Self-Sufficient) Who has no offspring, and the Ever High, none like unto Him. Everything perishes save His Face and every kingship is bound to perish except His. He will only be obeyed by His Leave, and His Knowledge uncovers all disobedience to Him. When He is obeyed, He thanks for it, and when He is disobeyed, He grants forgiveness (for those who truly repent to Him). Every punishment from Him is just and every bounty is a grace. He is the Closest Witness and the Nearest One with His Perfect Care. He controls the forelocks of everything and has the full records of all deeds and the books of all ages. The hearts are unmasked to Him and the secret is unveiled. His giving and punishing is merely a Command, "Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be, and it is!'"
Sunnah of the Week
Istikhara Prayer
"Istikhara" means to seek goodness from Allah (Exalted is He), meaning when one intends to do an important task they do istikhara before the task. The one who does the istikhara is as if they request Allah Almighty that, O the Knower of the Unseen (Exalted is He) guide me if this task is better for me or not? To make the prayer of Istikharah (iss-teh-KHAR-uh), one should:
- pray two non-fard (non-obligatory) rakat (units) of prayer, even if they are of the regular sunnah prayers or a prayer for entering the mosque, and so on, during any time of the day or night.
- One should recite in them whatever one wishes of the Qur'an, after reciting al-Fatihah. Then one should praise Allah and invoke blessings upon the Prophet, salallahu alaihi wasallam.
- After this, one should supplicate to Allah: "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika. wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azim fa-innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wala a'lamu, wa anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta' lamu anna hadha-l-amra khairun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa'ajilihi) f aqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi, wa in kunta ta'llamu anna hadha-l-amra sharrun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa-aqibati amri (or fi'ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu anni wa s-rifni'anhu. Wa aqdir li al-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi."
Meaning: (O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, and Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this thing is good for my deen and my subsistence and for my Hereafter - (or say, If it is better for my present and later needs) - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me to obtain, and then bless me in it. If You know that this thing is harmful to me in my deen and subsistence and in the Hereafter - (or say, If it is worse for my present and later needs) - then keep it away from me, and keep me away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, and make me satisfied with it).
The Prophet, salallahu alaihi wasallam, added that then the person should mention his need.
An-Nawawi says: after making istikharah, a person must do what he is whole heartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the istikharah. And if his feelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, for otherwise he is not leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aid from Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice, means that one should completely abandon what one desired oneself.
Words of the Week
القضاء والقدر
Al-Qada’ & Al-Qadar (Al-Qada wal-Qadar)
The Divine Will and Decree
Al-Qadar: Literally means knew, predetermined, and planned perfectly. Al-qadar is Allah’s complete Knowledge, Writing in the Safe Tablet, and Willing of all things before their existence.
Al-Qada: literally means judged, ordained, and executed perfectly. It is defined as Allah’s creation of all things by His Command and Will.
Website of the Week
http://quranicaudio.com/index
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
“O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be conscious of Allah, that you may be successful." [Quran]
"Conduct yourself in this world, as if you are here to stay forever; prepare for eternity as if you have to die tomorrow." [hadith by The prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam, in Bukhari]
"the Muslim’s faith is not complete unless he knows that whatever befalls him could not have missed him, and whatever misses him could not have befallen him."
"There is no such thing as Coincidence, everything is Fate"
“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.”
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
"How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? " ~Paul Sweeney
Dua'a of the Week
O Allah! You know all what we hide, You are the Hearer of all voices, The giver of what people ask you for, unto You prayers are supplicated. You are Allah, the One, The Eternally Besought of all, Bestower, Who gives lavishly, the Merciful, None could profane Your Judgment, the Lord of all, the Possessor and Judge of all:
We beseech You to bestow upon us useful knowledge, fruitful work, sincere belief, and guidance.
O Allah! We address to You our prayers:
The prayres of that whose defects are piled up, whose sins are heavy burdens, whose hope went into ashes,whose tears are abundantly shed, and whose life come to an end.
The prayers of that who finds not any other forgiver or Giver but You, grant us Your Mercy, for without Your Mercy there is no breathe of hope, You are our hope when we loose hope of all arround us, wth Your Grace help us achieve our hopes.
O Allah! I beseech You not to make me the worst among of Your creatures, and not among the hopeless, our obedience does not benefit You, and our disobedience do not harm you, It is Your Mercy that we should seek, and Your wrath that we fear, we ask You to endear obedience to us, and increase faith in our hearts, and help us to abstain wrong-doing.
O Allah, Relieve our minds, and ease our tasks for us. We seek refuge in You from the evil whispers of the heart, and the trial of the grave.
Our Lord, On You we depend, on Your bounty we rely, Your Mercy we beseech, to we surrender, by Your revelation we judge, and to You is our return, forgive us and forgive our brethren who have believed in You before us. and let in our hearts any hatred or rancor against any of those who believed in You, You are - Our Lord - the forgiving, most merciful.
Ameeen
Picture of the Week
translation: "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"
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