Islam in Diversity

As'salamualaikum ,

Here's a verse that will insha-allah help us a lot in our daily lives.

Allah the Exalted forbids scoffing at people, which implies humiliating and belittling them. In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

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(Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people.) And in another Version

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(And despising people) It is forbidden to scoff at and belittle people, for the injured party could be more honored and dearer to Allah the Exalted than those who ridicule and belittle them. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

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(O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former.) thus, stating this prohibition for men and then women. The statement of Allah the Exalted,

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(Nor defame yourselves,) forbids defaming each other. He among men who is a slanderer, and a backbiter, is cursed and condemned as Allah states

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(Woe to every Humazah, Lumazah)(104:1) Hamz is defamation by action, while Lamz is by words. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

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(Hammaz (defaming), going about with slander.) (68:11) meaning, he belittles and defames people, transgressing and spreading slander among them, which is the Lamz that uses words as its tool. Allah's statement here,

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(Nor defame yourselves,) just as He said in another Ayah,

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(Nor kill yourselves) (4:29), meaning, nor kill one another. `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan said that the Ayah,

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(Nor defame yourselves,) means, none of you should defame each other,' while,

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(nor insult one another by nicknames.) means, `you should not address people by nick names that people dislike.' Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Jabirah bin Ad-Dahhak said, "This Ayah was revealed about us, Banu Salamah;

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(nor insult one another by nicknames.) When the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, every man among us had two or three nicknames. When the Prophet called a man by one of these nicknames, people would say, `O Allah's Messenger! He hates that nickname.' Then this Ayah,

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(nor insult one another by nicknames.) was revealed.'' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith. The statement of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored,

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(Evil is the name of wickedness after faith), means, the names and descriptions of wickedness are evil; meaning, `to use the nicknames that were used by the people of Jahiliyyah, after you embraced Islam and understood it,'

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(And whosoever does not repent,) means, from this sin,

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(then such are indeed wrongdoers.)

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(12. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is sin. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother You would hate it. And have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.)

Its the Tafseeer Ibn Kathir.

Generally, we tend to make a mistake by spying because of misconception.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Jazakallahu Khairan for all the beneficial post.

Some Fatawa I wish to share relating to supplications.

Question: What is the ruling concerning the saying, �We will meet in Paradise �if Allah wills�?

Answer: This is a good saying and there is nothing wrong with it, and we ask Allah to gather us with our brothers in Paradise and that we meet in Paradise. But one shouldn�t say with it  �if Allah wills.� Instead, one should say, �We ask Allah, by His Generosity, to allow us to meet in Paradise.� Or, �May Allah reunite us in Paradise.�

Ibn Baz.

Question: Sometimes when I wake up at two o�clock at night, I supplicate of Allah Almighty silently, but I do so without making ablution, neither do I pray voluntary prayers at that time. Is this permissible, or is it compulsory for me to perform ablution and prayer as well?

Answer: There is no harm in supplicating without having ablution, as well as when one is in a sate of sexual impurity. Purity is not a condition for invoking Allah Almighty. This is from Allah�s mercy because every person is in need of making supplication at all times.

Nevertheless, you are more likely to have your supplications answered if you are in a state of purity and if you pray especially when you are prostrating.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

�The servant is closest to his Lord when he is prostrating, so supplicate more frequently therein.� (Muslim 482)

Ibn Baz

Question: Is this form of supplication correct: �O Allah, I ask you by your Beautiful Names and Attributes to���?�

Answer: It is from the Sunnah to petition Allah by His Beautiful Names and His Exalted Attributes, by one�s good deeds or by one�s love for the righteous. This is a means of having one�s prayers answered, regardless whether one does this before of after his supplication. But it is not permitted to petition Allah Almighty by mentioning people, like saying, �I ask you by so and so,� because this leads to associating partners with Allah Almighty.

Ibn Jibreen

Question: For one�s prayer to be answered, are raising the hands and facing the Qiblah requisite elements of the supplication?

Answer: Raising the hands during supplication as well as facing the Qiblah � the noblest direction to face- is a stressed Sunnah. However, the acceptance of our prayers is not condition on doing so. For indeed Allah accepts the supplication of the sincere Muslim when he supplicates even if he does not raise his hands or face the Qiblah.  It is not necessary for the person supplicating to raise his hands in order for Allah to accept his supplication. Here there could be other factors that prevent its acceptance even though the hands were raised.

Ibn Jibreen.

All these Fatawas are taken from Fatawa Islamiyah Volume 7

May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta�ala accept our Duas and Ibadah Ameen!

Wa Alaikum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Sister Fatima you are looking for a new topic to discuss here. I just got the idea while responding to another thread.

Concentration in Salah

This is something we all experience from time to time. We all know that Salah is our direct link to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala five times a day.

And we also know that Shaitan works overtime to take our minds off our Ibadah.

I do get whisperings from the Shaitan and this is how I try to overcome it. Sometimes I succeed but other times the Shaitan is stronger.

Uthman ibn Abi al-A's (Radhi Allahu Anhu) came to Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) and said: "Allah's Messenger, Shaitan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur'an, confounding me."

Thereupon Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: "That is (the doing of the Shaitan) who is known as Khinzab, so when you perceive this effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left." "I did that and Allah dispelled that from me." (Sahih Muslim #2203) 

I learn the translations of the verses I recite often and try to remember the meaning while I am reciting to prevent other thoughts creeping in like what I�m going to prepare for lunch etc.

One sister advised me to think of death.

Another said, I should decide before I start what Surah I am going to recite.

And yet another said � she gets herself mentally ready to converse with Allah. Subhanallah, this is so true, we are presenting our selves to the Our Creator so we should stand in attention.

What works for you? Share your thoughts with us.

Wa Alaikum Salam 

Bismillah irrahman irrahim

Wa'alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahe wa barakatuhu

Sayyidina Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassalam said in a hadith, '....and prayer is coolness of my eyes.'

I too have experienced this whispering quite alot and in my qiyyam i try to take Surah Fatihah as a conversation just as Sayyidina Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassalam has said. I have noticed that if you think of worldly matters during your Wudu then its more likely that you are going to get worldly thoughts in your prayers too.

Some times when i get whispers and a thought just crosses my mind that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed us with everything and i cant even concentrate in my prayer and that helps me. Humility and humble thoughts just before prayer, any ayah which makes you think, which makes you have longing for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Just the thought that you are standing right infront of your beloved, your Lord, your creator, your master and if we try we can have a direct conversation with him. Just remembering that Holy Quran is His word and try to be careful of recitation and know He is listening to us.

wassalam