Duas and Reminders for Muslims

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Iman

 

Shaykh Fath al-Mowsily relates, once I saw a young boy walking through the jungle. It appeared as if he was uttering some words. I greeted him with Salaam and he replied accordingly.

 

I inquired,"Where are you going?" Young boy retorted,"To the house of Allah, Kaaba in Makkah."

 

I further asked, "What are you reciting?""Noble Qur'an" he replied.

 

I remarked, "You are at a tender age, it is not an obligation that you are required to fulfill."

 

Young boy said, "I have witnessed death approach people younger than me and therefore would like to prepare if death was to knock on my door."

 

I astoundingly commented, "Your steps are small and your destination far."

 

He responded, "My duty is to take the step and it remains the responsibility of Allah (SWT) to take me to my destination.

 

"I continued to ask, "Where is your provision and conveyance (means of transport)."

 

He replied, "My Yaqeen (certainty) is my provision and my feet's are my conveyance."

 

I explained, "I am asking you regarding bread and water."

 

Young boy replied! "Oh Shaykh if someone invited you to his house, would it be appropriate to take your own food?"I exclaimed, "No!"

 

"Similarly, My Lord has invited His servant to His house, it is only the weakness of your Yaqeen (certainty) that makes us carry provisions.

Despite this, do you think Allah (SWT) will let me go to waste?" "Never" I replied. Young boy then left.

 

Sometime later I saw him in Makkah. Young boy approached me and inquired,

"Oh Shaykh are you still of weak belief?"

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Fajr Prayers

 

A man woke up early in order to Pray the Fajr Prayer in the masjid.He got dressed, made his ablution and was on his way to the masjid.On his way to the masjid, the man fell and his clothes got dirty.

 

 

He got up, brushed himself off, and headed home. At home,He changed His Clothes, made his ablution, and was, again,on his way to the masjid.

 

 

On his way to the masjid, He Fell again and at the Same Spot!

 

He, again, got up, brushed himself off and headed home.At home he, once again, Changed His Clothes,

made his ablution and was on his way to the masjid.

 

On his way to the masjid, He Met a Man Holding a Lamp.He asked the man of his identity and the man replied 'I Saw You Fall Twiceon your way to the masjid,So I Brought a Lamp so I can Light Your Way.'

 

The first man thanked him profusively and the two where on their way to the masjid. Once at the masjid, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in and pray Fajr with him.

 

The second man refused.

 

The first man asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was the same.The first man asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.

 

He man replied

 

I am Sheytan(devil/ evil)

 

 

The man was shocked at this reply.

 

Sheytan went on to explain,'I saw you on your way to the masjid and it was I who made you fall. When you went home,cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the masjid,Allah forgave all of your sins.I made you fall a second time, and even that

did not encourage you to stay home,but rather, you went back on your way to the masjid.Because of that, Allah forgave all the sins of the people of your household .I was AFRAID if i made you fall one more time,then Allah will forgive the sins of the people of your village,so I made sure that you reached the masjid safely..'

 

So do not let Sheytan benefit from his actions.

 

Do not put off a good that you intended to do as you never know how much reward you might receive from the hardships you encounter while trying to achieve that good.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Cell phone vs. Quran

 

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Quran like we treat our cell phone?

 

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

 

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

 

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

 

What if we used it to receive messages from the text(Quran)?

 

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

 

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

 

What if we used it when we traveled?

 

What if we used it in case of emergency?

 

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Quran?

 

Oh, and one more thing.

 

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Quran being disconnected

 

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Sighting of the Moon

 

* What if people in one area sight the moon, but those in another area don't? Is it okay for them to start and end the fast on different days?

 

* Should we follow the moon-sighting in Saudi Arabia (or any other area of the world), or should we in our local community sight it ourselves?

 

* What if our location is overcast and cloudy, and the moon is not visible to us?

 

* Why do we even bother looking for the moon, when we can astronomically calculate when the new moon is born, and thus when the crescent should be visible? That eliminates human error, right?

 

Over the years, various scholars and communities have answered this question in different ways. The prevailing opinion is that one should commit to a local moon-sighting, i.e. begin and end Ramadan based on the sighting of the moon in your local vicinity. Astronomical calculations can help us predict when the moon should be visible, but Muslims still tend to follow the traditional method of looking at the sky themselves and physically "sighting" the moon. Thus, the exact day of the beginning of Ramadan is not generally known until the night before the fast begins, when the moon is actually sighted and confirmed.

 

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." narrated Abu Huraira (ra) (Al-Bukhari Vol. 3: No. 123).

 

The arrival of the month of Shaban offers a tired old subject to participants in Muslim events, even informal dinners and celebrations, and Internet chat groups: the day to start and end the month of Ramadan.

 

The proponents of using the sighting in Makkah to begin Ramadan anywhere on earth argue that a sighting in one area is binding on Muslims in other areas as well.

 

However, the hadith narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i rejects argues against a sighting being binding on distant places. Thus states that Kurayb, who traveled to Syria encountered the start of Ramadan there on a Friday, upon return to Medina, informed Ibn Abbas that he had seen the crescent-moon on the night of Friday, and that the people in Syria,including Muawiyah the governor, had fasted on Friday. Ibn Abbas replied that they (in Medina) had seen the crescent-moon on Saturday, and that they would not stop fasting until they either saw it again, or had completed thirty days. Kurayb asked, "Will you not suffice with the sighting of Muawiyah?” Ibn Abbas replied, "No, that is how the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded us.”

 

Also, we need to consider that just as Muslims around the world will not pray simultaneously, rather each area will pray based on the movement of the sun in their area. Thus, how could they start and end fasting simultaneously.

 

The presence of numerous hadith on this issue only indicates that even the Companions and their later contemporaries differed about the start and end of Ramadan, such difference did not cause disunity among them, and so there is no reason why it should for us.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Surahs in the Quran that provide protection

 

Surah Faatiha protects one from the anger of Allah

 

Surah Yaseen protects one from the thirst of the Day of Judgment

 

Suratul Waaqi’ah protects one from poverty and starvation

 

Surah Mulk protects one from the punishment of the grave

 

Surah Kauthar protects one from the enmity of the enemy

 

Surah Kaafiroon protects one from kufr at the time of death

 

Surah Ikhlaas protects one from hypocrisy

 

Surah Falaq protects one from calamities

 

Surah Naas protects one from evil thoughts

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Practice restraint with your tongue

 

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper (anger). His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper and get angry, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

 

The first day the little boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.

 

Little boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper (anger) than to drive those nails into the fence...

 

Finally the day came when the little boy did not lose his temper (anger) at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the little boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper (anger). The day passed and the little boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

 

The father took his little boy by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.

 

The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."

 

Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) mentions the tongue before the hand. As everybody knows, the 'wounds' caused by the tongue are deeper and more hurtful than those caused by the hand. Besides, one is often prepared to strike more readily, easily and more frequently with one's tongue than with the hand. Slandering, backbiting,reproaching and other similar ways of hurting people are common and more difficult to avoid than hurt done by the hand. Further, if a person can refrain from hurting with the tongue, he can more easily refrain from the assaults by the hand. Again, defending oneself against physical assaults is, in most cases, easier than against verbal assaults of, in particular, backbiting and slandering. So, a true Muslim always restraints his tongue as well as his hand from hurting others.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Common errors made during Ramadhan

 

1)Excessive spending:

Ramadan should be a time to avoid being wasteful, and learning to be prepared in facing harder times by distinguishing the needs from the luxuries. Unfortunately, many people go beyond their limits to spend during Ramadan. Whether in the varieties of food that they savor each night, or by the other types of spending.

 

2)Staying awake during the night and sleeping during the day:

Some people sleep during most of the day when they are fasting. Ramadan is not a time of being lazy, and this does not allow the full benefit from the experience of fasting. It is as if they have only inverted their nights into days and vice versa. In addition, some may spend a great portion of the night indulging in eating and drinking and socializing.

 

3)Spending more time in socializing:

Because people invite each other more often during Ramadan they do tend to spend more time socializing with friends, and relatives. While it is a good deed to feed the fasting person, this should not result in precious time lost in vain talk. Use the occasion for remembering Allah (SWT) and offering additional prayers.

 

4)Reading Holy Quran too fast:

Some insist on finishing the whole Holy Quran once or more, even if they have to read very fast. Although reading the Holy Quran many times is desirable, this should not be done hastily, without pondering upon its meaning. Allah (SWT) said: "This is a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses." (Holy Quran 38:29)

 

5)Socializing in Itikaf:

Many people are eager to do Itikaf but some confine themselves in the Masjid not to pray and worship Allah (SWT) but to talk and socialize.

 

The ways of doing good are numerous in Ramadan. Many people try to perform more than they are able to. By going beyond their capabilities, they end up not performing any deed in the desired way.

 

Scholars and Preachers should assume a more prominent role in educating the people - both by talking to them and by giving the best example in their behavior which should comply to the Shariah (Islamic Law) and following the Sunnah.

 

The Muslim should realize that his priorities dictate that he does what benefits him in the Hereafter and should not put worldly interests first.

 

The Muslim should apply himself to deepen his sense of following the Sunnah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), in every aspect of his life, at all times and especially during the month of Ramadan. This necessitates seeking more knowledge about the Fiqh of fasting and its etiquette, assimilating the wisdom and goals of fasting, and facilitating the means that allow all the Muslims to benefit from their fasting.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahem

 

O Allah, on this day, grant me wisdom and awareness, keep me away from foolishness and pretention, grant me a share in every blessing You send down, by Your generosity, O the most Generous.

ameen

[Showqi]

Thank you very much BoX of ChoColateS

[BoX of ChoColateS]

You are welcome Showqi, this is a reminder for me as well.

 

Ramadhan a time for reflection

 

Too often when we think about Ramadan, we only think about taraweh, suhur and iftar. Many Muslims spend the day sleeping or watching television to “pass the time” and many rush to complete as many Qur’ans as possible.

 

How many of us though, use this extra free time for reflection. Ramadan is supposed to be the time of the year in which we recharge our iman and prepare for the challenges facing us over the next eleven months. This can not be done unless we stop to contemplate our own faults and reflect upon the solutions during this important month.

 

A question arises though as to what should we reflect on during Ramadan and the following is a list of what I feel we all should reflect on, of course every individual will have specific issues that need more attention:

 

1) Your relationship with Allah: Is your life pleasing to Allah? Are you close to Allah? Do you understand His Book? Do you recite it outside of Ramadan?

 

2) Your relationship with your family: Does your family love you? Are you a burden or blessing to those around you? Will you be missed if you die today? Are you fulfilling the rights of your family? Are you a role model Muslim to your family?

 

3) Your relationship with people: Have you contributed to society? Do you have a legacy? Does your presence help others love Islam or does it chase them away from it?

 

4) The creation of Allah: pondering over the beauty of Allah’s creation helps one increase in piety and closeness to Allah.

 

5) The problems in society and what you can do to solve any of them.

 

Some people might say that Ramadan is a busy time for them and they do not have time to do this, so here is a list of the best times during Ramadan to set aside for reflection:

 

1) After Asr: I understand that most women are in the kitchen during this time but most of the men are either finding ways to pass the time or sleeping. Instead this could be a great time for reflection.

 

2) Before Iftar: Everybody is seated at the table waiting to sink their teeth into the variety of dates and savouries in front of them. Instead of looking at our watches every few seconds, let us make du’a or ponder during this time.

 

3) Qiyamul Layl: It is late, all the distractions are gone, you are alone praying to your Lord, this is the best time to contemplate on your own faults and ask Allah for help in solving them.

 

4) After Suhur or Fajr: Either you are sitting and waiting for fajr prayer or trying to fall asleep after the prayer, take this time to reflect and contemplate instead of revising the iftar menu for today.

 

I hope this article assists you in making this a Ramadan of change. As for myself, I hope to experience a Ramadan of reflection and growth. If I do not become a better Muslim this Ramadan, then I will have wasted this blessed month.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Everything happens for a reason

 

Once upon a time an African king had a close friend that he grew with. The friend had a habit of facing each situation that happened in his life (positive or negative) by saying: "That is good! Almighty Allah knows more".

 

The king and his friend left one day for a hunt. The friend loaded and prepared the weapons for the king. Apparently, the friend had missed something in the preparation of one of the weapons, and when the king shot the weapon, it took his thumb away. When examining the situation, the friend observed as always: "That is good! Almighty Allah knows more". The king answered, "No, this is not good". He commanded the soldiers to arrest his friend and put him in the prison. After one year, the king was hunting in a region where cannibals lived. The cannibals captured the king and took him to their village. They tied his hands, and piled up the firewood. When the cannibals came closer to the fire they noticed that the king did not have a thumb. As they were superstitious, they never ate anyone who had a part of his body missing.

 

Thus, after setting the king free, they banished him from the village. When the king arrived at his palace, he remembered the incident about his thumb and felt remorse for the treatment he gave to his friend. Immediately, he paid a visit to the prison to speak with his friend. "You were right", said the king. "It was good that I lost my thumb". The king started to tell his friend everything that happened to him. "I am sorry that I had ordered you to prison for such a long period. It was a great mistake". "No", the friend said, "That was a good decision, because Almighty Allah knows more".

 

"What do you mean by that? How it can be good decision? I ordered my best friend to prison?" The friend answered: "Remember that Almighty Allah knows more and if I was not in the prison certainly I would be with you in the hunt". Then you know what would have happened to me?

 

"He knows what is before them and what is behind them and to Allah are all affairs turned back". Noble Qur'an, Surah Al Hajj (22:76)

 

Do not judge the facts or events for the immediate results! Almighty Allah, the Highest, the Omniscient and the Wise, knows more.

 

When we faced by circumstances that are not good, we react quickly, "This is not good." but, perhaps we do not know the reason behind it. It can become a good thing also. Hence, from now onwards, when we face any type of situation. Let us not jump to any conclusion. Always remember, This life is a test. The good and the bad, nothing happen without any reason. Our mind is not prepared to understand the reason.

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Bismillah rahman raheem

 

O Allah, on this day, place me among those who seek forgiveness. Place me among Your righteous and obedient servants, and place me among Your close friends, by Your kindness, O the most Merciful.

[Nur]

BOC

 

Jazaakellaahu kheyran for the reminders

 

Nur

[Warrior of Light]

Mashallah, JAZ Box of chocolate

 

By my favorite Qari Mishary Rashid Al Afasi few supplications after prayers,

and

 

and

[BoX of ChoColateS]

Patience of a parent

 

An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his house along with his son who had received a high education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of the house. The father asked the son: What is this? The son replied: It is a crow. After a little while the father again asked the son: What is this? The son said: It is a crow.

 

After a few minutes the father asked his son the third time: What is this? The son said: Father, I have just now told you that this is a crow. After a little while the old father again asked his son the fourth time: what is this? By this time some statement of irritation was felt in the son's tone when he rebuffed his father: Father! It is a crow, a crow. A little after the father again asked his son: What is this? This time the son replied to his father with a vein of temper. Father: You are always repeating the same question, although I have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?

 

The father went to his room and came back with an old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read what was written. What the son read were the following words written in the diary:

 

'Today my little son was sitting with me in the courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me twenty-five times what it was and I told him twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for my innocent child.'

 

The father then explained to his son the difference between a father's and a son's attitude. While you were a little child you asked me this question twenty-five times and I felt no irritation in replying to the question twenty-five times and when today I asked you the same question only five times, you felt irritated, annoyed and impatient with me.

 

Allah mentions in Surah Bani-Israil 17:23-24

 

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.

 

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small."

 

I feel bad because I snapped at my grandma today as I was setting the table for guest for afur. She was worried that people wouldn't fit on the table and I said they will be fine and she repeated the question three more times and each time my voice got tense and irritated. May Allah forgive my transgressions.