Posts Tagged Self-Development
Whoa buddy…peace be unto you
Posted by almuqarraboon in Manners & Characteristics of a Believer, Miss Muqarraboon's Concoctions, Self-Development on March 25, 2011
Bismillah walHamdulillah
I once called a phone repair office, and the conversation began as usual: as-salam3laykum, and the man answered with “wa’salaam.”
But then the conversation took an interesting turn. I tried to explain to him the issue with my phone and I just wanted to ask if I could fix it myself. But he started screaming about how he couldn’t help me because they get hundreds of phones every day, and how I need to bring my phone in. He started screaming in a very loud voice and became very rude. Alhamdulillah, I don’t think any profanity was used. I remained calm, and tried to achieve my purpose of calling. I gave him the name of the person who was supposedly the one who fixed my phone, and the first man screamed to the second man “Talk to her!” and then he handed him the phone, and I could still hear him screaming in the distance.
SubhanAllah… and the conversation began with “Peace be unto you.”
Just something to think about: when you say Salaam to another Muslim, you are saying more than a generic phrase. This phrase holds such beauty that the Rasool sallallahu 3layhi wasallam said:
“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves”(Sahih Muslim)
You are telling the Muslim, “I am your brother/sister in Islam, I am a Muslim like you, I love you for the sake of Allah, and I will not harm you with my speech or actions.” These are all of the things that come along with your Salam…so try to remember that the next time you say salaam and then proceed to hurt someone’s feelings, or proceed to engage in some sort of sin with them (because in that case you are harming them and yourselves).
So what does it say about the person who says salam to someone and then puts hasad on them, or backbites them, or curses them, or hits them?
Food for thought…
wasalamualaykum
Characteristics of a wali of Allah swt
Posted by almuqarraboon in Manners & Characteristics of a Believer, Self-Development on March 11, 2011
Angels say: O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! be Merciful to him.
Posted: 01 Jan 2011 01:49 PM PST
Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
“The angels keep on asking Allah’s forgiveness for anyone of you, as long as he is at his Mu,salla (praying place) and he does not pass wind (Hadath).
They say, ‘O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! be Merciful to him.”
[Sahih Bukhari – Book #8, Hadith #436]
Please Share this Hadith with your relatives & friends and may Allah SWT reward you.
| As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),
Characteristics of A Wali of Allah [This article is adapted from his Book “Criterion between the Allies of Allah and the allies of the Devil”] The word ‘Awlia’ singular ‘Wali’ comes from the root word of Wilayah. Wilayah is the opposite of enmity (Adawah). The Wali is therefore the one who is close. Allah has explained in His Book, and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that He has Awlia among the people and that Shaytan also has his Awlia. The Quran mentions the allies of Allah. “Indeed there is no fear upon the Awlia of Allah, nor shall they grieve; those who believe and used to fear Allah much. For them are glad tidings in this life and the Hereafter…” [Noble Quran 10:62] “Allah is the protector (ally) of those who believe, He takes them out of darkness into light.” [Noble Quran 2:257] The allies of devil have also been mentioned in the Quran: “…As for those who disbelieve, their allies are the Taghut who take them out of the light and into the darkness. Those are the people of fire, and they will be in it forever.” [Noble Quran 2:257] “We have made the devils allies of those who do not believe; those who commit outrages and then say: “We found our predecessors on this (tradition)” Surely they have taken the devils as allies instead of Allah, and they think that they are on guidance” [Noble Quran 7:27-28] After knowing that there are among people allies of the Merciful and the allies of the devil, it becomes very important to differentiate between these groups by means of the criterion, as described by Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as follows: The First and Foremost Condition of an Ally of Allah – Taqwa and Belief in Allah No slave can be an ally of Allah, unless he has the characteristics of faith and pious practices, since Allah has made faith and piety a pre-condition for His Wilayah. He said: “Indeed there is no fear upon the Awlia of Allah, nor shall they grieve, those who believe and used to fear Allah much (i.e. have Taqwa – piety). For them are glad tidings in this life and the Hereafter…” [Noble Quran 10:62] Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah, the Exalted said: “Whoever takes a Wali (loyal slave) of Mine as an enemy, I will wage war on him; and My slave will not perform any act with which he draws closer to Me, more beloved to Me then when he fulfills what I have ordained on him; and My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him, and when I love him, I will be his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his legs with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him; and if he seeks refuge with Me, I will grant him refuge.” [Sahih Bukhari] From this narration and the above-mentioned Quranic verse, we know that the Awlia of Allah are those who believe in Allah and give Him their full loyalty Thus, they love all that Allah loves, hate what Allah hates, are pleased with what Allah is pleased with, despise what Allah despises, they enjoin what Allah enjoins, forbid that what He forbids, give to those whom Allah loves for them to be given, and withhold from those whom Allah loves not to receive, since Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the best handhold of faith to be love and hate for the sake of Allah: “The most dependable handhold on faith is: love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah.” [At-Tirmidhi] “Whoever loves for Allah, hates for Allah, gives for Allah, and withholds for Allah, has sought the completion of his faith.” [Abu Dawud] Belief (Iman) of necessity entails belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His Prophets, and the Last Day: “Say: We believe in Allah and in that which has been sent to us and in that which was sent to Ibrahim, and Isma’il and Ishaq and Ya’qub, and the tribes and that which was given to Musa and Isa and that which was given to the Prophets form their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them, and we submit to Allah. And so, if they believe in that which you believe, they have achieved guidance, but if they turn away, they are surely in rebellion. Allah will suffice you against them and He is the all-hearing, the all-knowing.” [Noble Quran 2:136-137] “The Prophet has believed in that which is sent to him from his Lord as have the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His books and His Messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His messengers, and they say: “We hear and we obey. (We seek)Your forgiveness, our Lord to You is the return (of all). Allah does not burden any soul beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned.” [Noble Quran 2:285-286] “This is a book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those who are pious. Those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them. Those who believe in that which was sent down to you and that which was sent down to those before you, and certainly of faith in the existence of the Hereafter. Such are on a true guidance from their Lord, and such are the successful.” [Noble Quran 2:1-5] Thus, a necessary component of faith (Iman) is to believe that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the seal of the prophets, and there is no prophet after him, and that Allah sent him to all of the two possessors of free will: humans and Jinns. From the moment he was made a prophet, Allah made him the criterion between His allies and His enemies, none are the allies of Allah except one who believes in Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and in that with which he was sent, and follows it openly and in secret. Whoever claims love of Allah and alliance with Allah but does not follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not one of the allies of Allah. He is one of the allies of Shaytan. Allah said: “Say (O Mohammad) If you truly love Allah, then follow me so that Allah loves you.” [Noble Quran 3:31] Allah made it clear in the verse that Allah loves whoever follows the Prophet, and whoever claims the love of Allah, but does not follow the Prophet, is not from the allies of Allah. Al-Hasan al-Basri said about this verse: “A group of people claimed to love Allah, so He sent down this verse as a test for them.” And secondly to believe in all that which he (Prophet) was sent with. Anyone who does not believe in it is not a believer, much less a pious ally of (Wali) of Allah. Whoever believes in part of what he brought and rejects part is a Kafir, and not a believer: “Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Prophets and seek to differentiate between Allah and His prophets, and they say: “We believe in some and we reject some” Such are true disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. As for those who believe in Allah and His prophets, and sought not to differentiate between any of them. We shall give them their rewards. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.” [Noble Quran 4:150-152] Whatever stage the person reaches in terms of asceticism, devotion, and knowledge, but without belief in the entire message brought by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), it can never make him a believer, nor an ally of Allah. Allah said: “Whoever turns away from the reminder of the Merciful, we will assign to him a devil, who will be a partner to him.” [Noble Quran 43:36] The reminder is the reminder with which He sent His Messenger such as the Quran. So, whoever does not believe in the Quran, and all the information contained therein, has turned away from it, and so is assigned a Shaytan. He turns himself as blind from the Book of Allah and Allah will turn him blind on the Day of Judgment: “And whoever turns away form my reminder will have an oppressive, restricted life, and We will resurrect him on the Day of Qiyamah: blind. He will say: “Oh my Lord! Why have you resurrected my blind, while I used to see?” (Allah) will say: “Just as My verses came to you and you forgot them, today you are forgotten.” [Noble Quran 20:124-126] This verse clearly shows that ‘my reminder’ here is the same thing as ‘my verses’ which Allah sent down. Thus, even if someone mentions Allah (which is known as ‘Dhikr’ in Arabic) constantly, day and night, with devotion, but at the same time is not a follower of Allah’s Dhikr (Quran) which He sent down to His prophet, he would be one of the allies of Shaytan, even if he were to fly through the air, or walk on water. Faith also includes – belief that Prophet is the intermediary between Allah and His creation for the purpose of delivering His orders and forbiddance, His promises and threats, and the definition of Halal and the Haram. The Halal is that which Allah and His Messenger have declared Halal, and the Haram is what Allah and His Messenger have ordained, because Allah commands the believers to obey him: “O you who believe! Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger and make not vain your deeds.” [Noble Quran 47:33] “He who obeys the Messenger had obeyed Allah” [Noble Quran 4:80] He also says: “Whatsoever the Messenger gives you take it and whatsoever he forbids you refrain from it.” Thus, whoever believes that any Wali has a way to Allah without following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a Kafir, and is an ally of the devil. Actions of The Allies of Allah The allies of Allah are of two levels: forerunners those who brought near – and those of the right hand who act in moderation. Allah, the Exalted says reminding the Day of Judgment: “And you (all) will be in three kinds (i.e. separate groups). So those on the Right Hand and Who will be those of the Right Hand? And those on the Left Hand and who will be those on the Left Hand? And those foremost will be foremost in Paradise. They will be those nearest to Allah.” [Noble Quran 56:8-12] And again Allah says in the end of the same Surah: “Then, if the dying person be of the Muqarrabun (those brought near to Allah.) (There is for him) rest and provision, and a Garden of delights (Paradise). And if he be of those on the Right Hand. Then there is safety and peace for those on the Right Hand. But if he be of the denying then for him is entertainment with boiling water. And burning in Hell-Fire.” [Noble Quran 56:88-94] And the actions of these two groups are mentioned in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “Allah says: “Whoever takes a Wali (loyal slave) of Mine an enemy, I will wage war on him; and My slave will not perform any act with which he draws closer to Me, more beloved to Me then when he fulfills what I have ordained on him; and My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him, and when I love him, I will be his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his legs with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him; and if he seeks refuge with Me, I will grant him refuge.” [Sahih Bukhari] Consequently, the righteous – those of the Right Hand are those who seek to come close to Allah with obligatory actions: they do that which Allah has ordered them to do, and avoid that which Allah has forbidden them, and do not demand of themselves the doing of the commendable but less than obligatory (i.e. Mandub), or the avoiding of some of the disliked of the allowed (i.e. Makruh) As for the forerunners those brought near, they sought to come close to Allah with extra efforts after the obligatory. They did the obligatory and the commendable, and avoided the forbidden and the non-recommended. When they sought to come close to Him with everything within their ability of that which they love, Allah’s love for them became complete, as Allah says: “…My salve will keep drawing closer to Me by performing the Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) until I love him…” [Sahih Bukhari] The Allies of Allah Have No Special Appearance The allies of Allah have no special appearance with which they differ form other people. They have no special dress from other than just being permissible. Rather, they are to be found in all categories of the nation of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). However, the Quran and the Sunnah show clearly that the best people in the sight of Allah is the one with the most of Taqwa (pious practice): “O people, we have created you from a male and a female and made you in peoples and tribes that you may know each other. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the greatest in righteous practice.” [Noble Quran 49:13] Abu Hurairah narrates in a Sahih Hadith: “The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: “Which people are the best? He said: “Those greatest in Taqwa (righteous practice)”…[Bukhari and Muslim] Allies of Allah Are Not Ma’sum (Protected) From Mistakes It is not a condition for an ally of Allah that he be free of (protected from) mistakes and errors. It is quite possible that some knowledge of the Shari’ah may be hidden from him, just as it is possible for him to be confused about some issues in Islam But, he may not necessarily because of this, leave the ranks of allies of Allah, since Allah has overlooked and forgiven for this Ummah error, acts of forgetting, and things done under compulsion: “There is no burden upon you for that in which you were mistaken, rather that which you have done with the full determination of the heart.” [Noble Quran 33:5] Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a ruler exerts himself to arrive at the correct ruling, and is correct, he gets two rewards and when he exerts himself but is mistaken, he gets one reward.”[Bukhari and Muslim] Since, it is possible for any ally of Allah to make a mistake. It can never be obligatory upon the people to believe in everything any one of them says, except that in the case that one of them is a prophet. Rather, it is obligatory for him to measure all of that up to the criterion of that which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. If it is in agreement therewith then he can accept it, but if it is in disagreement then he must reject it, and if he cannot be sure whether it is in accordance with the Prophet’s message or at variance with it, he must refrain from believing it or applying it. The second Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), regarding whom Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “In previous nations there were individuals who were addressed (with the truth). If there are such people in my nation, Umar is the one of them.” [Bukhari and Muslim] “Verily, Allah has put the truth on the tongue of Umar and in his heart.” [At- Tirmidhi (Hasan)] But, Umar always did that which was obligatory upon him: i.e. – to measure things that occurred to him against that with which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. He never said: “I am Muhaddath, I receive inspiration and visions, and so you should accept that which I say and not oppose me therein.” Heart is an intuitions and not protected from falling into errors, and so one needs always to measure them against that which has been brought by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the protected from falling into error. And the early scholars of Islam have unanimously agreed that the opinions of any man can be accepted and rejected i.e. they are open to questions except for the statements of the Prophet. The point we are making here is an issue of complete consensus of the allies of Allah: It is obligatory upon the allies of Allah to hold tight to the criterion; the Quran and the Sunnah, and no one of them is Ma’sum; i.e. protected against falling into errors, such that it is permissible to him or to his followers to follow that which comes to his heart without subjecting it to the test of the Quran and the Sunnah. Whoever does not accept this is in no way or shape or form among the allies of Allah, whom Allah has ordered us to emulate. Such a person is either ‘Kafir’ or is engaged in extreme and excessive foolishness and ignorance.
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| Khadejah Jones Share Islam Team ShareIslam.com |
Etiquette of Du’aa
Posted by almuqarraboon in Back 2 the Basics :), Self-Development on March 5, 2011
Bismillah WalHamdulillah
As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),
ETIQUETTES OF DUA
1. Allah Loves to Be Asked
He encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him and He encourages His slaves to ask of Him. Allah says:
“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)” [Noble Quran 40:60]
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright” [Noble Quran 2:186]
2. Sincerity Towards Allah Alone in Making Du’a
Allah says:
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)” [Noble Quran 98:5]
3. Ask Allah by His Most Beautiful Names
Allah says:
“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names” [Noble Quran 7:180]
4. Praising Allah as He Deserves Before Calling Upon Him
Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd said: Whilst the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said, “O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him.” [At-Tirmidhi]
5. Sending Blessings Upon The Prophet (peace be upon him)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Every Du’a is kept back until you send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him).” [At-Tabarani]
6. Facing Towards The Qiblah
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) looked at the Mushrikun, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) turned to face the Qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord: “O Allah, grant me what You have promised me, O Allah, give me what You have promised me. O Allah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.” He kept on crying out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands, facing towards the Qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders. [Muslim]
An-Nawawi said: This shows that it is Mustahabb (preferred) to face towards the Qiblah when making Du’a, and to raise the hands.
7. Raising The Hands
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty.” [Abu Dawud].
The palm of the hand should be raised heavenwards, in the manner of a humble beggar who hopes to be given something.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“When you ask of Allah, ask of Him with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of them.” [Abu Dawud].
Should the hands be held together when raising them or should there be a gap between them?
Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen stated that they should be held together. What he said is: “As for separating them and holding them far apart from one another, there is no basis for that in the Sunnah or in the words of the scholars.” End quote.
8. Having Certain Faith That Allah Will Respond
Focusing with proper presence of mind, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Call upon Allah when you are certain of a response, and remember that Allah will not answer a Du’a that comes from a negligent and heedless heart.” [At-Tirmidhi]
9. Asking Frequently
A person should ask his Lord for whatever he wants of the good things in this world and the Hereafter, and he should beseech Allah in Du’a, and not seek a hasty response, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“The slave will receive a response so long as his Du’a does not involve sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty.” It was said, “What does being hasty mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made Du’a and I made Du’a, and I have not seen any response,’ and he gets frustrated and stops making Du’a.” [Bukhari]
10. Being Firm in Du’a
Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“No one of you should say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You wish, O Allah, have mercy on me if You wish’; he should be firm in his asking, for Allah cannot be compelled.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
11. Beseeching, Humility, Hope & Fear
Allah says:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret” [Noble Quran 7:55]
“Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us” [Noble Quran 21:60]
“And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons” [Noble Quran 7:20]
12. Saying Du’as Three Times
‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud said: “Whilst the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was praying at the Ka’bah, Abu Jahl and his companions were sitting nearby. They had slaughtered a camel the previous day, and Abu Jahl said: “Which of you will go and get the abdominal contents of the camel of Banu So and so and put it on the back of Muhammad when he prostrates?” The worst of the people went and got it, and when the Prophet (peace be upon him) prostrated, he placed it between his shoulders. They started laughing, leaning against one another. I was standing there watching, and if I had had any power, I would have lifted it from the back of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained in prostration, not lifting his head, until someone went and told Fatimah. She came with Juwayriyah, and lifted it from him, then she turned to them and rebuked them. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) had finished his prayer, he raised his voice and prayed against them. and when he made Du’a or asked of Allah he would repeat it three times. and he said: “O Allah, punish Quraysh” three times. When they heard his voice, they stopped laughing and were afraid because of his Du’a. Then he said, “O Allah, punish Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi’ah, al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf and ‘Uqbah ibn Abu Mu’ayt,” and he mentioned the seventh but I cannot remember who it was. By the One Who sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the truth, I saw those whom he had named slain on the day of Badr, then they were dragged and thrown into the well, the well of Badr.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
13. Ensuring That One’s Food and Clothing Are Lawful (i.e., Halal)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“O people, Allah is Good and does not accept anything but that which is good. Allah enjoins upon the believers the same as He enjoined upon the Messengers. He says:
‘O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do’ [Noble Quran 23:51]
‘O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah. Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with’ [Noble Quran 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who travels for a long distance and is disheveled and dusty, and he stretches forth his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ but his food is Haram, his drink is Haram, his clothing is Haram, he has been nourished with Haram, so how can he be responded to?” [Muslim]
Ibn Rajab said: Ensuring that one’s food, drink and clothing are Halal, and that one is nourished with Halal, is a means of having one’s Du’a answered. End quote.
14. Saying Du’a Silently & Not Out Loud
Allah says:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret” [Noble Quran 7:55]
And Allah praised His slave Zakariyyah (peace be upon him) by saying:
“When he called to his Lord (Allah) a call in secret” [Noble Quran 19:3]
Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team
ShareIslam.com
Stinginess of the soul
Posted by almuqarraboon in Heart and Soul, Self-Development on March 2, 2011
So fear Allāh as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allāh]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful.
(At-Taghaabun: 16)
Righteous Examples for Muslim Women
Posted by almuqarraboon in Especially for the Sisters, Self-Development on March 2, 2011
Righteous Examples for Muslim Women – Part 2
‘Ajradah al-’Amiyah rahimahaAllah : Rajaa’ ibn Muslim said, “we used to be with ‘Ajradah in her house, and she would pray at night, sometimes from the beginning of the night until the time before sunrise. She would then say in a loud voice filled with sadness, “to You the worshippers have spent the darkness of the nights until the dusk, racing to Your Mercy and to the bounty of Your Forgiveness. Only You, my Lord – none other than You – I ask to make me in the first group of as-saabiqeen (the forerunners) to You, and that You raise me among the ranks of the Muqarrabeen (those who are close to Allah), and that You enter me with Your righteous slaves for You alone are the Most Generous of those who are generous, and Most Merciful of those who show mercy, and the Greatest of those who are great, Ya Kareem!” Then she would go into sajdah, and she would continue to cry and make duaa in her prostration until the sun rose. This was her habit for 30 years.”
When it was said to her, “did you sleep at all last night?” she would cry and respond, “The remembrance of death kept me from sleeping.”
It’s easy to be a thug or a gangster, try being a Muslim! – The Deen Show with Saed Rageah
Posted by almuqarraboon in Self-Development on February 26, 2011
They were youths, yet mature youths.
Posted by almuqarraboon in Imaan-boosters, Manners & Characteristics of a Believer, Self-Development on February 23, 2011
Author: unkonwn
“…They were youths, yet mature youths, their eyes fresh and free of evil, their feet refrained from approaching falsehood and futility.
They sacrificed and expended themselves in worship and in withholding themselves from sleep. They sold their souls which were to pass away for souls which would never die.
Allaah saw them in the latter part of the night, bending their backs, reciting the Qur’aan. Whenever one of them came to an Aayah mentioning Paradise, he would weep, longing for it. Whenever he came upon an Aayah mentioning the fire he would groan out of fear, as if the Hell-fire were directly in front of him.
The earth devoured their knees their hands and their foreheads (out of their constant prostration). They joined exhaustion in the night with exhaustion in the day. Their colour becoming yellowed and their bodies emaciated through standing long in prayer and frequent fasting – whilst they regarded their own actions to be negligible before Allaah.
They fulfilled their covenant with Allaah and attained Allaah’s promise.”
So let us hasten to be like them and to resemble them, since, as it was said: We are not in comparison to those who came before except like small herbs growing beside the trunks of tall palm trees.
And as ‘Abdullaah Ibn al-Mubaarak said: Do not mention us whilst mentioning them, the fit and healthy when he walks is not like the crippled.
Real Men by Sheikh Ahmed Ali
Posted by almuqarraboon in Imaan-boosters, Self-Development on February 22, 2011
Just one gem:
“Allah does not work according to logic. Everything works according to the way Allah swt wants it to.” Sheikh Ahmed Ali in “Real Men”
Lesson from Surah Baqarah – Nouman Ali Khan
Posted by almuqarraboon in Lectures That I Be Lovvin'!, Self-Development on February 19, 2011
Beautiful Advice from Hasan Al-Basree (on Pride)
Posted by almuqarraboon in Heart and Soul, Reminders Profit Believers, Riyaa' and Kibr, Self-Development on February 13, 2011
Hasan Al-Basree advised some of his students admonishing them about avoiding the state of being proud. He said:
Al Muqarraboon 