Blog Archives
Is it hypocrisy to forbid something but then do it oneself?
Source: http://islamqa.info
Question: If I am exhorting my brothers and I warn them against some sins, but I fall into these sins myself, am I to be considered a hypocrite? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
Cutting the Grass – A bloody ritual in the Israeli Palestinian conflict: Israelis watch the ‘spectacle’ of the bombardment of Gazans (Video)
On a hill on the Western neighbourhood of Sderot, many residents come to look over the Gaza strip, to watch the lunching of rockets from Gaza to Israel, and the attacks, of airplanes and canons of the Israeli army. The views expressed in this video are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of PassTheKnowledge. Let your opinion know below in the comments:
14 Things You Can Do For Muslim Unity This Eid
By: Abdul Malik Mujahid
Source: http://www.missionislam.com/
How can we build Muslim unity in one day? Of course, none of us can perform such an awesome task in 24 hours, but we can take small, meaningful steps to work towards that goal, especially on Eid day.
Eid is a day of joy and happiness. It’s a time when Muslims of all colors, schools of thought and other variations come together to worship Allah collectively. We all commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, Hajira and Ismail (peace be upon them). It’s a great opportunity to take advantage of everyone’s high spirits to do some unity building.
Here are some suggestions of small things we can do to build Muslim unity this Eid.
Feeling Helpless – What Muslim Ummah can do to help during times of war
- Hope: At this critical juncture when war is the buzz word of the War Mongers, many Muslims are left in despair and in a state of hopelessness. It may seem that the death of millions of innocents is now inevitable, but we must continue to strive our utmost to defend them and to spread the truth about this immoral war. Above all, we must remember that Allah Most High has control over all things and can provide help in ways we do not even understand. Not even the ‘greatest’ superpower can overpower Him! No falsehood is to remain forever. No oppression is to remain forever. After hardship comes ease. The bitter reality of the Muslim nation will come to an end, and tomorrow will be definitely better than today. We should have HOPE in the ALL encompassing MERCY and HELP of Allah Most High under all circumstances, whether it be in victory, defeat, happiness or sadness.
- Remember Allah: Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that : ” I was (once) behind the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) when he said to me: ‘O son ! I shall inform of a few things: Remember Allah, and He will protect you. Remember Allah, and you will find Him close to you. When you have to ask for something, ask of Allah Most High. When you require aid, seek His aid. Believe firmly that if all the creation desires to benefit you in anything, they can never benefit you, but, that which Allah has decreed for you. If they ALL unite to harm you, they will not be able to harm you in anything, but that which Allah has decreed for you.” (Tirmidhi)
- Supplication (dua): Dua is the weapon of a believer. Make ernest, sincere supplication (dua). Try to shed tears and beg Allah Most High to alleviate the suffering of the Muslims in Palestina, Syria and other places where Muslims are oppressed, not forgetting to make supplication (dua) for the brave ” Children “. Beg Allah Most High with sincerity. (like a child begging his mother). Also, conscientise the family and the children at home to also make supplication (dua).
- Voluntary Prayer: Even if one is not a regular performer of night vigil (tahajjud) prayer; at least for the sake of the lives of the innocents; get up at the time of night vigil (tahajjud) and perform two rakaats of prayer; contemplate on the sufferings, that the Ummah is facing today; beg Allah Most High for His Divine Help and assistance. Shed some tears; Ask for Forgiveness and help for the Abstention from sin and for Allah Most High’s Divine Solution.
- Participate: in Peace Rallies and Anti -war campaigns: keeping in mind the Shariah injunctions , reading salaah on time, of good character, proper conduct, hijab, peace etc.
- Charity (Sadaqah): Give some charity (sadaqah) on behalf of the Muslims in Palestine, Syria; on behalf of the orphans; the widows; the martyrs and those that are the victims of oppression. This charity may even be a loaf of bread or bottle of milk to a needy person in your area.
- Fast: Keep a voluntary fast on any day of one’s choice. At the time of breaking one’s fast ;Beg Almighty Allah Most High, to alleviate the sufferings of the Muslim Ummah in Palestine, Syria, and other parts of the world where Muslims are unjustly being oppressed.
- Relief and Financial Aid: The lives; homes and infra-structure of the people of Palestine, Syria have been devastated over the last 12-15 years. Assist by aiding financially to a legitimate Relief agency in your area. Spare ourselves from over indulgences and financially aid our Brothers and sisters in this hour of need.
- Make News outlets Aware: Keep a vigilant eye on the news outlets; magazines etc. and respond timeously to their bias comments and views. Participate in phone-in sessions on the Radio. If one is unable to do so; make those who are able to do so; aware of such comments; articles etc. so that timeous responses are made. Forward pertinent and relevant articles you come across to the International and local media outlets.
- Qunoot-e-Naazilah: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) encouraged the Ummah to read Qunoot supplication (dua) at the time of distress and calamity. Encourage family members to recite Qunoot (dua) daily; example of a Qunoot – (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1213; al-Nasaa’i, 1725; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 429)
(i) “Hasbun allaahu wa ni’mal wakeel”: Allah is sufficient for us and our Guardian.
(ii) “La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka inni kuntu minaz zaalimeen”: There is none worthy of worship except You. Certainly I am amongst the wrongdoers.
13. Repent and make istigfaar
Hazrat Anas (Allah be pleased with him) describes that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said that Allah Most High says that sometimes, He intends to send a calamity to a land; but the idea is given up; seeing those men who populate His houses (masjids) and recite “ISTIGHFAAR” in the late hours of the night; and He withholds the calamity. (BAYHAQI)
14. Help the oppressed : Hazrat Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Abu Talha(Allah be pleased with him) reported that Rasulullah (sallaaahu alayhi wassallam) has said that whosoever helps a Muslim at the time of loss of honour and humility; will receive Helpfrom Allah when he is in need of help.( ABU DAWOOD)
This is a time for unity and solidarity with the innocent people who are under attack. We are urged to do whatever we can for them, from the smallest action to the greatest.
LET US PARTICIPATE IN SOME HUMBLE WAY – FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE AND SANCTITY OF LIFE.
Prepared by AL-Islaah Publications( www.everymuslim.com )
15. Dua Taif
Remember how the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) reacted during his hardships in Taif. Reflect deeply upon the Prophet’s supplication in Taif. This is the dua he recited with shoes full of blood, wounds all over his body and after having been insulted, ridiculed and abused by the people of Taif to whom he had taken recourse seeking a place of refuge. Moreover, this occurs after three years of suffering a boycott at the hands of the Quraysh as a result of which Muslims were reduced to eating grass and leaves off of trees. Also after he had lost his 2 greatest supporters Khadija(RA) and Abu Talib his uncle.
The Prophet (s) as he walks out of Taif:
Ten-Point Plan For What To Do On The Night Of Power
Photo of a ray-less Sunrise, a sign of Laylat’l-Qadr the night before
Source: http://almaghrib.org/
We prepare ourselves so well for Laylat’l-Qadr in terms of what it means to us andwhen it will be, but when we get there many of us don’t know what to actually do on the night itself and achieve the success being offered!
So, we came up with a plan as gleaned from the actions of the blessed early generations:
1. Prepare a list before the evening starts listing all of the specific du‘ās you want to make. This is not necessarily a Sunnah of course – this is only because the Muslims of our generation are not so great at ritual worship and making long, detailed meaningful du‘ās by ourselves; thus we need help, direction and structure.
2. Pray ‘Ishā in Jamā‘ah – that’s half the night in prayer achieved as stated by the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Muslim, and that’s a portion of Laylat’l-Qadr achieved as stated by some of the Salaf like Ibn al-Musayyib and al-Shāfi‘ī.
3. Pray with the Imām, don’t leave him after 4 rak‘ah or 8 rak‘ah or whatever. Finish the Tarāwīḥ prayer with him and the Witr prayer as well, even if he prays it early in the night. You have now achieved the reward of praying the full night, which if it is Laylat’l-Qadr, then you’ve in sha Allah achieved the full reward of standingthe night of Laylat’l-Qadr as stated by the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
4. Avoid setting up two night prayers, calling them Tarāwīḥ and Tahajjud.Either elongate one of them to last longer in the night, or just pray one of them completely with the Imam with Witr. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Ramaḍān: a single congregational prayer, not two separate ones, is the action of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
5. Make a HUGE amount of du‘ā during ALL the rest of the time available before Fajr starts.
6. If you feel the need to take little breaks in the night, only do the following in them:
a) Give plenty of Ṣadaqah, carefully and judiciously, to the highest-returning projects as possible, across as many fields and initiatives as possible, as varied as possible, as much as possible. Take advantage of the hugely multiplied rewards on offer. You can plan this in advance online to save time browsing on the night itself.
b) Read or reflect on something beneficial about Allah or read the Qur’ān itself. Focus on His Mercy. And then call upon that Mercy later in your du‘ā.
c) Keep your tongue busy with dhikr. Don’t waste a single second talking, watching or listening to anything from the dunya if possible. It’s just not worth it. It can wait one night.
7. If you want to bank on just one du‘ā to really focus on during this night then choose the best Prophetic one of:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allāhumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuḥibbul ‘afwa, fa‘fu ‘annī
(O Allah, indeed you are the One who pardons, indeed you love to pardon. So please pardon me.)
8. Reduce the amount of food and time you will spend on eating Suḥūr so that you can spend more time making du‘ā. This night is about standing in prayer, yes, but if you’ve done the above, then that standing is sufficient. Now make the night allabout du‘ā.
9. Pray the Fajr prayer in Jamā‘ah with the Imām. You have just achieved standing the entire night in prayer as stated by the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in al-Bukhāri. So that’s all of Laylat’l-Qadr in standing achieved if it was indeed that night. Doing this is like a double guarantee for the night
10. Finally, after your dhikr until Sunrise and your Shurūq prayer, get to sleep quickly so as to not to sleep too much during the day because there’s more ‘ibādah to be done on the 27th day too, to complete a successful night of al-Qadr as per the actions of the Salaf.
What Are the Inner Dimensions of Fasting?
Source: http://www.onislam.net/
By: Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
It should be known that there are three grades of fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.
Ordinary fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.
Special fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet-and all other organs-free from sin.
Extra-special fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God.
See Not What Displeases God
| The Treasures of Ramadan
– Are We Patient Enough in Ramadan? – Last Ten Nights of Ramadan: Don’t Miss – How to Optimally Benefit From Ramadan |
A chaste regard, restrained from viewing anything that is blameworthy or reprehensible, or which distracts the heart and diverts it from the remembrance of God. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The furtive glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan, on him be God’s curse. Whoever forsakes it for fear of God, will receive from Him, great and gracious is He, a faith the sweetness of which he will find within his heart.” (Al-Mundhiri)
Jabir relates from Anas that Prophet Muhammad said:
“Five things break a man’s fast: lying, backbiting, scandal mongering, perjury and a lustful gaze.” (Al-Albani)
Speak No Evil
Guarding one’s tongue from twaddle, lying, backbiting, scandal mongering, obscenity, rudeness, wrangling and controversy; making it observe silence and occupying it with remembrance of God and with recitation of the Quran.
The Prophet said:“Fasting is a shield; so when one of you is fasting he should not use foul or foolish talk. If someone attacks him or insults him, let him say: “I am fasting, I am fasting!” (Muslim)
Hear No Evil
Closing one’s ears to everything reprehensible; for everything unlawful to utter is likewise unlawful to listen to. That is why God equated the eavesdropper with the profiteer “(They like to) listen to falsehood, to devour anything forbidden:
{Listeners to calumny and consumers of unlawful gain. If they come to you, then judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they cannot harm you at all; and if you judge, then judge justly between them; God loves the just.} (Al-Maidah 5: 42)
Do No Evil
“It is meaningless to fast, to abstain from lawful food, only to break one’s Fast on what is unlawful“
Keeping all limbs and organs away from sin: keeping the hands and feet from reprehensible deeds, and the stomach from questionable food at the time for breaking fast.
It is meaningless to fast, to abstain from lawful food, only to break one’s Fast on what is unlawful.
The object of Fasting is to induce moderation. The Prophet said:
“How many of those who fast, get nothing from it but hunger and thirst!” (Al-Albani)
Avoid Overeating
Of what use is the fast as a means of conquering God’s enemy and abating appetite, if at the time of breaking it not only makes up for all one has missed during the daytime, but perhaps also indulges in a variety of extra food?
It has even become the custom to stock up for Ramadan with all kinds of foodstuffs, so that more is consumed during that time than in the course of several other months put together.
It is well known that the object of fasting is to experience hunger and to check desire, in order to reinforce the soul in piety.
If the stomach is starved from early morning till evening, so that its appetite is aroused and its craving intensified, and it is then offered delicacies and allowed to eat its fill, its taste for pleasure is increased and its force exaggerated; passions are activated which would have lain dormant under normal conditions.
It is therefore essential to cut down one’s intake of what one would consume on a normal night, when not fasting. No benefit is derived from the fast if one consumes as much as he or she would usually take during the day and night combined.
Look to God with Fear and Hope
After the fast has been broken, the heart should swing like a pendulum between fear and hope. For one does not know if one’s fast will be accepted, so that one will find favor with God, or whether it will be rejected, leaving one among those He abhors. This is how one should be at the end of any act of worship one performs.
ProductiveRamadan To-Do List!
>> Click here to download your ProductiveRamadan To-Do List
Source: http://productivemuslim.com/productive-ramadan-to-do-list/
By: Aneesah Satriya
We all know that the beautiful month of Ramadan is essentially about generosity, nobility, developing oneself and being more compassionate towards others. In addition to internalizing those meanings, we need to act upon them as well.
Accordingly, we at ProductiveMuslim developed a to-do list that you can use this Ramadan. The purpose is to help you organize yourselves and your time in Ramadan.
The to-do list has regular daily acts, as well as, a recommended special act to explore every day.
You can check the task that you have fulfilled every day and highlight the ones you still want to explore. This might help some of us avoid having wasted time in Ramadan or not knowing what to do with the extra time.
Please feel free to share and/or develop the list as per your needs and circumstances. Also please remember that Ramadan is not about being overwhelmed. Rather it’s about ease and mercy, and as Prophet Muhammad 
taught us, “the act most pleasing to Allah 
is that which is done continuously, even if it is small.”
[Sahih Muslim]
Do The Media Encourage Islamophobia? Russell Brand The Trews Ep57 (Video)
Russell Brand The Trews Ep 57 feat. Alastair Campbell
On today’s Trews: Loan sharks, freedom of the press, the rise of UKIP, taxing billionaires and more.
I give you the true news so you don’t have to invest any money in buying newspapers that charge you for the privilege of keeping your consciousness imprisoned in a tiny box of ignorance and lies.
Thanks to Jimi Crayon: @jimicrayon
and Urban Nerds: @urban_nerds for our creative services
PASS THE KNOWLEDGE (LIGHT & LIFE) 