Thursday, April 28, 2011

What is the punishment of not going to salat al jummah. Can you please back up the answer with a hadith.

                                               



Praise be to Allaah. 
If a person for whom Jumu'ah is obligatory does not attend and does not have a valid excuse, this is a major sin. Whoever does not attend three Jumu'ahs (in a row) out of negligence has a seal placed over his heart and is regarded as one of the ghaafileen (negligent, heedless). Muslim narrated in his Saheeh from Abu Hurayrah and Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both), that they heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them) say from his minbar: "People should definitely stop neglecting Jumu'ah, or else Allaah will most certainly seal their hearts and they will most certainly be among the ghaafileen."

 According to another hadeeth: "Whoever neglects three jumu'ahs (in a row) out of negligence will have a seal placed upon his heart." This is a spiritual punishment, which is more severe that a physical punishment such as imprisonment or flogging. The Muslim ruler should punish those who fail to attend Jumu'ah prayers with no excuse, as a deterrent. Let each Muslim fear Allaah and not miss performing one of the obligatory duties enjoined by Him, lest he expose himself to the punishment of Allaah; let him adhere to that which Allaah has made obligatory so that he may earn the reward of Allaah. And Allaah bestows His Bounty upon whomsoever He wills.


Written by Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak.


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Who we keep company with is reflective of who we are

                                                   


For as far back as I can remember, my parents would always admonish me and my siblings to keep good company. My Dad specially had a favorite saying, "Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are." Needless to say, I was always very conscious, and careful about choosing the right people to surround myself with. In Islam it is doubly true and essential to surround yourself with righteous companions, because they will help to keep your feet planted on the straight path, while doing otherwise may lead you astray.

It was Ahmad ibn Harb, rahimahullaah, who said, "There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and to watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart of the Muslim than mixing with sinners, and watching their actions." No matter who you are, or how strong or independent you may feel, no man, or woman, is an island, and you can't make it through this life alone. This is why Islam so stresses the Jama'ah, or the congregation.

The sayings that there is strength in numbers and that it is the lone sheep that gets devoured by the wolf are true. Therefore we need to adopt correct manners, in that we try ardently never to do an action or to befriend anyone without knowing whether the pleasure of Allah is in it or not, and never loving and hating for worldly reasons. For the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wassalaam said, "Whoever loves for Allah, and hates for Allah, gives for Allah and withholds for Allah, has completed his faith." (Abu Dawud) So who should be our companions? First of all they should be good Muslims, who believe in Allah and His Messenger. For Allah says in the Qur'an, "And who so obeys Allah and the Messenger [Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wassalaam], then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are." [4:69]

Secondly, being around them should make you want to increase in good deeds. Allah ta'ala says, "And We have sent down to you [O Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wasallam], the Book [this Qur'an] in truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it and Mohayminan [trustworthy in highness and a witness] over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that [He] may test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you [all] is to Allah; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ." [5:48]

By aligning ourselves with people who do good deeds, we are then prompted to compete with them in this regard, and thus improving the character and the religion of everyone involved. 

Lastly, but by no means the least, our companions should help us to remember Allah. For Allah Ta'ala says, "O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does this, then they are the losers." [63:9] In this time of hustle and bustle, it is very easy for us to get caught up in the pursuit of worldly gains. This is why it is increasingly important to surround ourselves with people, who will encourage us to think of Allah, in every instance of our lives. The superiority of the remembrance of Allah was explained by the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, who said, "The example of the one who remembers his Lord, in comparison to the one who does not remember his Lord, is that of a living creature compared to a dead one. (Bukhari)

So let us take stock of the people we spend our time with. Do they fall into the above categories? If our friends aren't doing these things, then what does being with them say about us? We should strive to love those who love Allah, and to hate those who hate Allah, and what He has sent down of guidance for humanity. For the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam said, "Whoever possesses three things will find the sweetness of eman. For Allah and His Messenger to be more beloved to him than anything else; to love a person for Allah's sake alone; and to hate to return to disbelief the way he hates to be thrown into the fire." (Bukhari)


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

About a Muslimah


 الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
 


In the name of Allah the beneficent, the Merciful
 


Thoughts and Actions of a Free Muslimah
A Wish, A Thought, A Reminder
 


I am a Muslimah! And I see the world from behind this veil! The life of this world is a 'cage' for me as I can't bypass the boundaries set for me by my Lord. Yet, I view my self as the most 'free'. Strange are the matters of a believer. There are those who claim to be totally free from divine injunctions; in my eyes they are slaves of the self, social customs and worldly traditions. And there are also those who claim to be believers and yet they weigh the divine injunctions parallel with logical, worldly and material 'ifs' and 'buts' because they are yet to experience the true sweetness of Imaan. They are still 'connected' and they cannot experience what it is like to be free. Isn't it the real FREEDOM to have no God beside Allah to worship? No vision other than a global Islamic state? No Social and Worldly traditions to drive you? A simple way to life: "Follow Allah and His Messenger ".
 


This is what sets me free from the slavery of mankind, and lifts me to the Most High! I am free because I have to follow only One True God! And I am free in a way, you may never know! I am a Muslimah, a complete slave of ALLAH!
 


"I am a Muslim Woman
So please don't pity me
For God has guided me to truth
And now I'm finally free!"
 


The thing that makes me different from all others is that my priority lies in what ALLAH has ordained, not otherwise. I see things from the view of Islam-the way ALLAH has selected for me! This is what defines my actions, my thoughts, my motivations, my vision and my life. For me nothing goes out of Islam, and nothing out of Islam, bothers me. AlhamduLILLAH!
 


My Love:
They view me as enslaved and oppressed because their love lies in this world, and as my love lies beyond this world, I am not bound to the customs of this world. I am not afraid of anyone but Him, I am not bound to anyone, but Him, I am not to please anyone, but Him, I am not to do anything, but what He wants me to do, I do not have to follow anyone, but His Prophet s.a.w. I am free in a different way. Love of ALLAH drives my life, and love of ALLAH describes it. For it is true that the one you love is the only one you want to pleased, I do not have to please anyone except Him, thus His love is what I strive for, and this is what defines my vision and way of life.

 And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.
(Surah Al Baqarah 2:165)
 


My Vision; My Mission:
As a Muslimah, my vision is described by the doctrine I follow, i.e. Islam. The ultimate aim of a Muslim is to establish the rule of ALLAH on His earth.
"What is purpose of human life but to realise the potential of khalifate-Allah."
To have a vision, means to work for a desirable future. Thus I am an activist, having a set mission; my activities are defined by my vision of a global Islamic state. In sha ALLAH.
 


I am only one;
But still I am one;
I can't do everything
But! Still I can do something
I will not refuse to do
The something I can do!
 


From Muslimah to Mujahidah:
When I became a Muslimah, this was the point I started my struggle-the Jihad, it always starts as self-purification (jihad-bin-nafs) but it ends on purifying the whole society. This term-Jihad is the most disturbing and threatening to those who are followers of Taghoot or who are self-indulged. Yet it's the most inspiring thing for people like me. Jihad is more than a temporary injunction and it is not concerned only with the defense of the borders, it is the ultimate method of achieving the aim of our vision i.e. the establishment of ALLAH's rule.
Thus I am a Mujahidah, striving in ALLAH's way, struggling for a global Islamic state. This is the mission ALLAH's Khalifah has to accomplish in sha ALLAH. And what honor could be more than the honor of shahadah?
 


Surely, Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their property in return for the Garden they shall have; they fight in the cause of Allah, and they slay and are slain
(Surah At Tawbah 9:111)
 


From Muslimah to Muhsinah:
I strive for excellence (Ihsan) in my actions. Ihsan, which means excellence, is the spiritual essence of Islam:
And it is described as:


"To worship Allah (swt); (live for Allah (SWT)) as though you're seeing Him"
And seeing Him is not possible from these very eyes, that you and I have--but even then I try to see Him, from the eyes through which He is visible to me, from the eyes which see things beyond their physical appearance, the eye of my Ruh-the Nur of ALLAH, this is the light that guides me through the dark times of my life. This is the light that is showing me what most people can't see. The Nur of ALLAH is only visible through these spiritual eyes.
 


"And those who strive and struggle in Us to reach Me, We will guide them to the ways and to the Path (through which they can reach Allah).  And surely Allah is with those who pursue the struggle of al‐Ihsan"
(Surah Al‐'Ankabut 29:69)

My Ideals :
I am not fascinated by uncovered cover-paper girls but I idealize the beauty of modesty of Maryam AS. I don't dream myself a princess in high palaces, but I frequently dream myself a mujahidah like Khawla RA. I don't want layers of protection that affect my dynamism, but I seek the path of constant struggle set by Aishah RA. I don't wish to burden myself with my own pains and troubles, but I want to be an Islamic Counselor like Khadijah RA. I don't want to live a riskless life, I want my feet to get dirty in the path of Allah like Asma RA. I don't want to die a natural death, I want to die in His path, working for the supremacy of his Kalimah, like Sumayyah RA.

Love for ALLAH—Hate for ALLAH:
My love is not for any person or place, my love is not worldly, and it's neither limited nor it is mortal, for I love ALLAH, the Eternal, and the Most High. And this primary love defines the path of love and hatred for me. It is ALLAH, for whom I love someone, and if I hate anyone, I have the same reason for it. All my relations are defined by the Love of ALLAH. I befriend with those who are God-fearing and I am an enemy of those who are arrogant of ALLAH's commands:
Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless you are guarding yourselves against them as a precaution. Allah bids you to beware of Himself. And to Allah is the journeying.
(Surah Ale Imran 3:28)



Mujahidah- Running a Family:
After being ALLAH's slave I am a woman who has a family and children. I am a wife, supporting my husband in every matter and encouraging him to sacrifice whatever is needed for our mission. I am also a mother, and like every woman, I too have aims for my children but these aims do not revolve around the worldly goals rather final goal. I instill in them the passion for D'awah, the urge for Shahadah and the courage to sacrifice anything for the betterment of their Aakhirah. I pray for the Shahadah of my husband and my children in ALLAH's way, and I hope from ALLAH, that on the day of resurrection I will enter Jannah along with them In sha ALLAH.



Trials—A Workshop:
This life, which is a trial itself, is surrounded by hardships, especially for those striving for paradise:
Anas bin Maalik reported: "The paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations." (Sahih Muslim)
But it is ALLAH, to Whom I turn both in the times of trials and satisfaction. And I try to find solutions in Salah and Sabr, as these are the two weapons to fight with, during hardships.
These trials are nothing more than a blessing in disguise, as they train me for the ultimate fight of kufr and Islam in sha ALLAH.
And indeed when Tawakkal ala
ALLAH accompanies faith, no problem remains a problem:
What problems can trouble me?
When I am one of the Mutawakkileen!
 


Worldly Temptations; Follow the Mid Way:
Worldly temptations like fashion, new home, designer clothes etc, etc, are the things mostly women are attracted to, and in fact distracted with. Home, being the main focus of a woman, causes materialism to creep into their hearts. Yet Islam teaches me "the mid way" and it does not let me go to either of the extremes of Bukhl or Israaf.
Its not that my home is not my preference, like all other women it is my paradise but I do not need materials to decor my home. I beautify it with love, care, affection, devotion, Islamic values and remembrance of ALLAH.
 


Looking beyond Personal Problems; Prioritizing Issues:
In this materialistic world, personal life problems are inevitable. And most people are surrounded by them always. Women being the supervisor of their homes; face domestic problems that may be physical, psychological or stress related, these problems keep them occupied to the level that their home and its management becomes their only mission. But these things are of trivial importance in front of the true vision, and true mission of a global Islamic state, those women who have set their aims according to this vision deem all these worldly and materialistic problems as useless or not worth spending time. It is a matter of prioritizing your life issues, for I prioritize my life according to their importance in Aakhirah. Alhamdulillah.

 Care for Muslims and Humanity:
Being a Muslimah, striving for the betterment of the society is one of my obligations. Fulfilling social responsibilities to the utmost level of self-sacrifice, and not seeking any thanks or returns from anyone except ALLAH is part of my Iman. I am committed to the d'awah movement i.e. spreading the word of Islam, not only to non-Muslims but also spreading the true meaning of Islam to born Muslims. I have dedicated myself to Islam and the Islamization of the society.
And yes I am not alone. I am in a group of slaves of Allah who have found a reason to die for, and Allah has promised His aid for those who work for Him as a team.
Oh ALLAH, We are weak. Raise our status; and make us secure our dignity and honor and accept from us our good deeds!
Oh ALLAH! It is You! Whose pleasure we wish for! It is you whose path we try to follow!
Oh ALLAH, we want to submit our whole selves to You! Please make us among those who submit themselves to you completely!
Oh ALLAH! There is no guidance except your guidance! Please guide us all to the path of those whom You love and who incurred your blessings!
Oh ALLAH, make our hearts free of al-wahn! Free us from the love of this Duniya, and the hatred of death!
Oh ALLAH! Free us from the enslavement of vain desires and material wants and rise us to Your slavery!
Oh the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! Show us the clear path, the path of those whom you love and the path of those who love You!
Oh ALLAH ! Show us the reality of things as they are. Show the truth as truth to us and make us follow it.
Oh ALLAH! Accept us in Your way! Oh ALLAH! Enlist our names in the list of Shuhadah!
Oh ALLAH! Raise us as Shuhadah on the day of resurrection!
Oh ALLAH!

The Mujahida of this article is surely not me,

but that is what indeed want I to be

Make easy for me this bumpy ride

Oh my dear ALLAH! You be my guide!
 

The Challenge of the Quran

The Challenge of the Quran


Description: The Qur'anic challenge to produce a work similar to it, and the inability of its contemporaries to meet it.
By Dr. Bilal Philips


The Quran is not only unique in the way in which it presents its subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself. By the term "miracle," we mean the performance of a supernatural or extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans. It has been documented that Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, challenged the Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Quran, but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence and literary powers. The challenge to reproduce the Quran was presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:

l.     The Whole Quran

In the Quran, God commanded the Prophet to challenge all of creation to create a book of the stature of the Quran:
"Say: 'If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they exerted all and their strength in aiding one another.'" (Quran 17:88)

2.     Ten Chapters

Next, God made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who denied its divine origin to imitate even ten chapters of the Quran:
"Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), 'Bring ten invented chapters like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful." (Quran 11:13)

3.      One Chapter

This final challenge was to produce even a single chapter to match what is in the Quran, whose shortest chapter, al-Kawthar, consists of only three verses:
"And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My servant, bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful." (Quran 2:23)

These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to prove them wrong. Prophet Muhammad's call to monotheism, to the abolition of idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Mecca society in general, and the position of the ruling Quraishee tribe from which the Prophet came in particular. Mecca, the trading center of Arabia, as well as its spiritual center, desperately wanted to stop the spread of Islam. Yet all that the Prophet's opponents had to do to crush the movement was to make up a single chapter like any one of those which the Prophet and his followers were reciting to the people. A number of Quraishee orators and poets tried to imitate the Quran, but they failed. They then resorted to offering him vast amounts of wealth, the position of king over them, and the most noble and beautiful of their women in exchange for his promise to stop inviting people to Islam. He responded to them by reciting the first thirteen verses of Chapter Fussilat, until they asked him to stop.[1] The Quraish also resorted to torturing their slaves and relatives who had embraced Islam in a vain attempt to cause them to revert to paganism. Later they organized an economic boycott against the Prophet his followers and the members of his clan, Banu Hashim, in an attempt to starve them into submission. But even this plan eventually failed. Finally, they plotted to kill him in his home by sending armed young men from each of the clans of Quraish in order that the guilt of his murder be shared by all the clans, making revenge by the Prophet's clan impossible.

However, God enabled the Prophet and his followers to flee Mecca and join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city to the north called Yathrib. Islam spread rapidly through the clans of Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the city's majority. Prophet Muhammad was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was changed to Medina an-Nabi (The City of the Prophet may God praise him), which was then shortened to "Medina." Over the next eight years, the clans of Mecca and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Medina, which ended with the Muslim invasion of Mecca itself.

All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraish and their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or flowing prose similar to the shortest chapter of the Quran. Hence, there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Quran's literary style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.

It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Quran is not necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare, Chaucer, or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles which set them apart from their contemporaries. However, if, for example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of Shakespeare's writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeare's style in old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost poem of Shakespeare's, the literary world would probably accept this claim, even after careful study. Thus, even the greatest of poets could be imitated; no matter how unique his style was, just as the famous painters have been imitated. [In fact, some English scholars consider much of what has been attributed to Shakespeare to have been written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.] The Quran, however, is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny. And, as was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Quran was more intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful attempt.



Footnotes:
[1] Collected by al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqee, Aboo Ya'laa and Ibn Hishaam, and declared Hasan by Ibrahim al-'Alee in Sahih as-Seerah an-Nabaweeyah, p.64.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Interactive Sites on Medical Information (Worth Keeping)


WORTH SAVING THIS MEDICAL INFORMATION




Just click on an ailment & get a Video explanation!




Which ever diseases you click-on it gives you a video explanation !!!!
Interactive Sites on Medical Information
The tutorials listed below are interactive health education resources
from the
Patient Education Institute <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/medlineplus/leavemedplus.pl?theURL=http://www.patient-education.com> .
Using animated graphics each tutorial explains a procedure or
condition in easy-to-read language. You can also listen to the tutorial.

JUST CLICK ON A SPECIFIC AILMENT

NOTE: These tutorials require a special Flash plug-in, version 6 or
above... If you do not have Flash, you will be prompted to obtain
a free download of the software before you start the tutorial
.
Surgery and Treatment Procedures

Not only is this worth keeping but it needs to be shared!