Thursday 29 January 2015

Jummah Quotes

Friday is a special day for the Muslims, here’s a special hadith from our Prophet (pbuh) about the day of Jummah:
VERSE ABOUT JUMMAH FROM THE QURAN
“O you who believe, when the Salat is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew. Once the prayer is completed, you may spread through the land to seek God’s bounties, and continue to remember God frequently, that you may succeed.” Surah al-Jumuah, 9-10.

SOME HADITH REGARDING FRIDAY
·         I heard Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) saying, “We (Muslims) are the last (to come) but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures before us. And this was their day (Friday) the celebration of which was made compulsory for them but they differed about it. So Allah gave us the guidance for it (Friday) and all the other people are behind us in this respect: the Jews’ (holy day is) tomorrow (i.e. Saturday) and the Christians’ (is) the day after tomorrow (i.e. Sunday).” Sahih Bukhari

·         The Prophet (saw) said: “If you say to your companions: ‘Be quiet’ on a friday while the Imam is delivering the sermon, you have engaged in Laghw (idle talk or behaviour).” Ibn Majah

·         The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “What if one of you were to take a flock of sheep and look for grass for them one or two miles away, but he cannot find any at that distance, so he goes further away? Then (the time for) friday comes but he does not attend it, then (another) friday comes but he does not attend it, and (another) friday comes but he does not attend it, until Allah places a seal on his heart.” Ibn Majah

·         Allah’s Messenger (p.b.u.h) talked about friday and said, “There is an hour (opportune time) on friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand.” And he (the Prophet) pointed out the shortness of that time with his hands. Bukhari

·         The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Five prayers and one friday prayer to (the next) friday prayer are expiatious (for the sins committed in the intervals) between them. Sahih Muslim

·         The Prophet (saw) said, “When it is a friday, the angels stand at the gate of the mosque and keep on writing the names of the persons coming to the mosque in succession according to their arrivals. The example of the one who enters the mosque in the earliest hour is that of one offering a camel (in sacrifice). The one coming next is like one offering a cow and then a ram and then a chicken and then an egg respectively. When the Imam comes out (for jummah prayer) they (i.e. angels) fold their papers and listen to the Khutba.” Sahih Bukhari

·         “The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘The best of your days is friday. On it Adam was created, on it the Trumpet will be blown, on it all creatures will swoon. So send a great deal of peace and blessings upon me on that day, for your peace and blessings will be presented to me.’ A man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how will our peace and blessings be shown to you when you will have disintegrated?’ He said: ‘Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.’” Ibn Majah

·         Once a Jew said to me, “O the chief of believers! There is a verse in your Holy Book Which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed as a day of celebration.” ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab asked, “Which is that verse?” The Jew replied, “This day I have perfected your religion For you, completed My favor upon you, And have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (5:3) ‘Umar replied,”No doubt, we know when and where this versewas revealed to the Prophet. It was friday and the Prophet was standing at ‘Arafat (i.e. the Day of Hajj)”. Sahih Bukhari

·         Abu Huraira said: I heard Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) saying, “We (Muslims) are the last (to come) but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures before us. And this was their day (friday) the celebration of which was made compulsory for them but they differed about it. So Allah gave us the guidance for it (friday) and all the other people are behind us in this respect: the Jews’ (holy day is) tomorrow (i.e. saturday) and the Christians’ (is) the day after tomorrow (i.e. sunday).” Sahih Bukhari

Friday 23 January 2015

The Fitna of the Dajaal: The Tribulations of the Dajaal

There is no fitna that we have been warned against more than the Fitna of the Dajjaal. It will be such that many people, Muslims included, will fall prey to it. So you need to be on your guard against this.

The Tribulations of the Dajaal

‘Abd Allaah ibn ‘Umar said, “The Prophet () said, ‘While I was asleep, I saw myself in a dream performing Tawaaf around the Ka’bah. I saw a ruddy man with lank hair and water dripping from his head. I said, “Who is he?” and they said, “The son of Mary.” Then I turned around and saw another man with a huge body, red complexion, curly hair and one eye. His other eye looked like a floating grape. They said, “This is the Dajjaal.” The one who most resembles him is Ibn Qatan, a man from the tribe of al-Khuzaa’ah’.’ ” [Bukhaaree, Muslim]

Jaabir ibn ‘Abd Allaah said, “The Prophet () said, ‘The Dajjaal will appear at the end of time, when religion is taken lightly. He will have 40 days in which to travel throughout the earth. One of these days will be like a year, another will be like a month, a third will be like a week, and the rest will be like normal days. He will be riding a donkey; the width between its ears will be 40 cubits. He will say to the people: “I am your lord.” He is one-eyed, but your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the word Kaafir and every believer, literate or illiterate, will be able to read it.

He will go everywhere except Makkah and Madeenah, which Allaah has forbidden to him; angels stand at their gates. He will have a mountain of bread, and the people will face hardship, except for those who follow him. He will have two rivers, and I know what is in them. He will call one Paradise and one Hell. Whoever enters the one he calls Paradise will find that it is Hell, and whoever enters the one he calls Hell will find that it is Paradise.

Allaah will send with him devils who will speak to the people. He will bring a great tribulation; he will issue a command to the sky and it will seem to the people as if it is raining. Then he will appear to kill someone and bring him back to life. After that he will no longer have this power. The people will say, “Can anybody do something like this except the Lord?”

The Muslims will flee to Jabal al-Dukhaan in Syria, and the Dajjaal will come and besiege them. The siege will intensify and they will suffer great hardship. Then Jesus son of Mary will descend, and will call the people at dawn. “O people, what prevented you from coming out to fight this evil liar?” They will answer, “He is a Jinn.” Then they will go out, and find Jesus son of Mary. The time for prayer will come, and the Muslims will call on Jesus to lead the prayer but he will say, “Let your Imaam lead the prayer.” Their Imaam will lead them in praying Salaat al-Subh (Morning prayer) then they will go out to fight the Dajjaal.
When the liar sees Jesus, he will dissolve like salt in water. Jesus will go to him and kill him, and he will not let anyone who followed him live.’ ” [Ahmad]

Protection against Dajjaal
The Prophet () has ordered us to run away from the Dajjaal, not to confront him, and to memorise the first or last 10 verses of Surat Al-Kahf, or to live in either Makkah or Madeenah (as the Dajjaal cannot enter these two places).





Sunday 18 January 2015

The Story of Prophet Muhammad and the Jewish Scholar of Madinah

Zaid ibn Su`nah was one of the very notable Jewish scholars of Madinah and lived at the time of the prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam – May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah. The following story about him is narrated by Abdullah ibn Salaam (may Allah be pleased with him) who was a blessed Companion of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.S.).

According to Abdullah ibn Salaam, Zaid ibn Su`nah reports that once the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.S.) took a loan from Zaid to help other people in the city and promised to pay it on a certain date. Two or three days before the due date, Zaid ibn Su’nah approached the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.S.) who was accompanying Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), and a number of other companions to offer a funeral prayer. After the prayers, Zaid ibn Sunah came to the prophet (S.A.W.S.), grabbed him by his shirt and cloak, and looked at him angrily and said:

“O Muhammad! Why don’t you pay off my due?! By Allah, I know nothing of your family except deferment [on debts]. I know well of your people.”

At this Umar got extremely angry and said: “O enemy of Allah! Did you actually just say what I heard you say to the Messenger of Allah? Did you really just do to him what I saw? By the One Who holds my life in His hand, if I were not concerned with [the Prophet’s] leaving us, I would have struck your head with my sword.”

The Prophet and Messenger of Allah, who was looking at Zaid ibn Su’nah quietly and patiently, said: “O Umar! We don’t need this. I was more in need of your advice to pay off his loan well, and your advice to deal with him courteously. Go with him O Umar, pay off his loan, and give him twenty extra saa` (~44 kilograms) of dates because you frightened him.”

Thus, Umar took Zaid ibn Su’nah, paid off his debt, and gave him an extra twenty saa` of dates. Zaid then asked him for the reason of the increase and Umar replied that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered to give it because Umar had scared Zaid.

According to Zaid, he then asked: “Do you recognize me, Umar?”

“No”, he said.

“I am Zaid ibn Su`nah”

“The scholar of the Jews?”, Umar asked.

“Yes, the same one.”

“Then what made you behave and speak with the Messenger of Allah as you did?” Umar asked.

“O Umar!” I replied.

“I recognized all of the signs of prophethood upon seeing the face of Muhammad except two signs that were not immediately evident: One, that his forbearance would precede his rashness, and that his forbearance would increase upon encountering excessive rashness. Now I have recognized these two signs as well. Bear witness, O Umar! I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet. Also bear witness that I give half of my wealth – and I have plenty of wealth – in charity to the nation of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).”

Umar and Zaid then returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Zaid publicly announced: “I bear witness that none is worthy of worship besides Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger and I believe in him.”

Thus, Zaid testified to the Prophet Muhammad’s message and took the pledge of allegiance on his hand. Later, Zaid participated in a number of expeditions along with the Prophet and was martyred in the expedition of Tabuk.