20 Minutes with MeMe

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

Assalaam O Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,

Narrated Al-Bara':

I heard the Prophet (p.b.u.h) delivering a Khutba saying, "The first thing to be done on this day (first day of 'Id ul Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah) and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions)."

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 15, Number 71

”MeMe”, as my little cousin Mohammad bin Rehan was trying to say, was our cute little goat which was to be sacrificed in the way of Allah SWT for the sacred occasion of ‘Id ul Adha, in rememberance of Hazrat Ibrahim AS.

I've never been very fond of goats or cows so there wasn't any chance of attachment to this one too.. I had expected it to be slaughtered already when I got up the morning of ‘Id ul Adha.. but asusual, the butcher was late... and didn't come till 1 or 2pm ... so I got to spend a little time with Meme and Baqqa(the other goat) and because of their cute actions, I felt theres an association between us.

In just those 20 mins, I learnt a lot about keeping pets and to take care of them, and I experienced how the innocent animals show affection to their owners. I observed why it’s necessary to feed them well and why its important to spend some time with them before the sacrifice, that creates a connection between you and the “Nusuk” and by sacrificing it you’ll be able to show your sincere love to your Allah by slaughtering something that is dear to you. [Innamul Aamaal Bin Niyaat].

I realized ‘Id ul Adha is not just another event, and its not just for the sake of slaughtering animals and having feats afterwards, but its an event, an oppourtunity to solidify the Iman, to get connected with Allah SWT, to show your love. It’s a time to extend happiness and relationships with your relatives and friends and to take care of the poor people. It’s a moment to thank Allah SWT for all His Mercies and Blessings.

May Allah SWT accept our offerings of sacrifices and our deeds, actions and prayers, May Allah SWT fill our hearts with Pure Iman and love of Allah SWT and Rasul Allah SAW , May Allah SWT make us steadfast in Practicing Islam to the fullest. May Allah have His Mercy on the Muslim Ummah. AMEEN

"Eid Saeed, Kullo Aam wa Antum Bakhair :) !!"

Rulings for the Sacrifice:

1- Its age: The sacrifice of the sheep should not be other than a ewe, which has completed a year, or about it. A goat should have completed one year and entered in the second year. The camels should have completed four years and entered in the fifth. The cows should have completed two years and entered in the third year. As to the Prophet’s saying: “ Do not slaughter but an old (sacrifice), If it is difficult to find it, then you may slaughter a six month old ewe.” (narrated by Muslim)

2- Its safety: It is not sufficient to sacrifice but the healthy ( the devoid of defects ). The one-eyed , the limped or that the horn of which is broken in its origin is not sufficient. Neither the sick nor the slim that has no flesh are sufficient, either. That is for his saying (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him): “The sacrifice of these four is not permissible: the one-eyed whose defect is obvious, the sick whose sickness is clear, the limped whose limping is apparent and the weak that has no flesh”.

3- The best of it: The best of the sacrifices is that which is a white male, horned ram which has blackness mixing around its eyes and legs. That is the description which the Messenger of Allah (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) liked most, and he sacrificed with. Aa`isha (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Noble Prophet (may blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) had scarificed a horned ram, trampling in blackness, walking in blackness, and looking in blackness”.

4- The time of its slaughtering: The time of slaughtering the sacrifices is in the morning of the Eid day after the Eid prayer. It is not legal to do it before Eid prayer. As to his saying (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him): “ That who slaughters before the prayer, then he is slaughtering for himself, and that who slaughters after the prayer then his sacrifice is complete, and has attained the tradition of the Muslims”. But after the Eid day, it is permissible to delay it to the second day or the third day. That is for what was narrated: “All the days of At-Tashriq are days of slaughtering.”

5- What is desirable at the slaughtering: It is preferable to turn the sacrifice towards the Qibla and to say: “ I turn my face towards Him Who originated the heavens and the earth, as a truthful Muslim, and I am not of the atheists. My prayer and sacrifice , my living and my death are to Allah the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. With this I have been commanded and I am the first of the Muslims”. When one commences slaughtering he has to say: “ In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, Our Lord, it is from You and to You”.

6- The validity of the entrustment in it: It is desirable for the Muslim to slaughter his sacrifice himself, and if he emtrusts any one on his behalf, it is permissible. There is no dispute in this among scholars.

7- The desirable distribution: It is desirable that the sacrifice be divided into there: His family eat one third, and they give in charity one third, and they give the remaining one third to their friends. That is for his saying (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him): “ Eat and save, and give in charity”. And it is permissible to give it all in charity, as it is permissible to save a part of it.

8- The wage for its butcher from other than it: The butcher should not be given the wage for his doing from the sacrifice. As to the saying of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Messenger of Allah (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) had ordered me to stand at his camels: And to give in charity its meat and skin and saddles, and not to give the butcher anything of it. And he said: “We give him from what we have”.

9- Is the sheep sufficient for the household? The one sheep is sufficient for the household as a whole, even though they are many. According to Abu Aiyyub (May Allah be pleased with him): “ The man used during the days of the Messenger of Allah to sacrifice the sheep on his behalf and on behalf of his household”.

10- What one should avoid until he fulfils his sacrifice: It is enormously detested for that who wanted to sacrifice to cut hair or any of his nails if the crescent of Thul-Hijja begins, until he sacrifices. According to the Noble Prophet (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him): “ If you see the crescent of Thul-Hijja and any one of you wants to sacrifice, let him hold from cutting his hair and his nails until he sacrifices”.

11- The sacrifice of the Messenger (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) on behalf of all the Muslim nation: A Muslim who is incapable of offering the sacrifice, gets the reward of those who sacrifice. That is because the Noble Prophet (may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) ,when he slaughtered one of his two rams, said: “ Our Lord, this is on my behalf and on behalf of that who did not offer a sacrifice of my nation”.

Is Taudiukumullah. :)

Ahlan Wa Sahlan Ya Ramadan

Assalaam O Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah, Kullo Aam wa Antum Bakhair!

The Most Blessed and Most Awaited Month, "Ramadan" has just arrived :)! Alhumdulillah.
Its hard to put in words, the feelings and love of Every Muslim for this month, so lets just leave it like that.

It is said in Qur'an:

• "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). (Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know." (2:183-84)

• Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him" (2: 185).

Prophet Mohammad SAW said:

• Abu Huraira related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim).

• Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: If anyone omits his fast even for one day in Ramadan without a concession or without being ill, then if he were to fast for the rest of his life he could not make up for it (Bukhari).

[So lets not leave the fasts of Ramadan for mere or no reasons, :) ] , Happy Ramadan to All of you!

Some Quick Reminders

When to start fasting

Ibn Umar related that the Prophet said: Do not start fasting unless you see the new moon, and do not end fasting until you see it. If the weather is cloudy then calculate when it should appear (Bukhari, Muslim).

The Suhoor meal (which is eaten before dawn)

Anas related that Rasulullah said: Take the Suhoor meal, for there is blessing in it (Bukhari, Muslim).

Breaking your fast

Salman ibn Amir Dhabi related that the Prophet said: Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

Fasting during a journey

Aisha related that Rasulullah was asked whether one should fast when on a journey, and he replied: Fast if you like, or postpone it if you like (Bukhari, Muslim).

Behavior while fasting

Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: If a person does not avoid false talk and false conduct during Siyam, then Allah does not care if he abstains from food and drink (Bukhari, Muslim).

Forgetfully eating or drinking while fasting

Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: If anyone forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks he should complete his Siyam, for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink (Bukhari, Muslim).

Providing for those who are breaking the fast

Zaid ibn Khalid Juhni related that the Prophet said: He who provides for the breaking of the Siyam of another person earns the same merit as the one who was observing Siyam diminishing in any way the reward of the latter (Tirmidhi).

Lailat al-Qadr

Aisha related that the Prophet said: Look for Lailat al-Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).

[Reference]

"May Allah accept our fasts and prayers, make the fasts easy for us, shower His blessings and mercies on us, give us good health to keep all the fasts and courage to stay from all the bad deeds and habits, May Allah forgive our sins, guide us to the right path and strengthen our faith. May Allah bless the Muslim Ummah and keep us united. Ameen "

Fee Amanillah.

Significance of Shaban and Shab e Bara'ah

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu Wa Maghfiratuh,

I can hear some fire works and crackers outside and I know people would be making Halwa and Sweets in their homes to celebrate the Shab e Barat, afterall this is Pakistan.

I wouldn't have written this post, but just a week ago, a friend of mine mentioned that the 15th of Shaban is soon to come, and I could see the excitement in the people around about this particular night. Therefore I spent most of my week in searching for the "Truth" about the 15th Night of Shabaan, as being in KSA for most of the time, I had never heard and seen about any such "Biddah". [Its not as such I never heard about the concepts of the night, like the Big tree with everyone's name on its leaves... and which decides who'll live and who'll die the following year, or the concept of going to graveyards etc.]

Bidda'ah or No Bidda'ah, thats not the issue at the moment[as the extra celebrations are clearly useless and not allowed, we dont bring 'em under question], but to know if there is ANY importance at all about the fasts of Shabaan, the speical Ibadah at 15th Night and the significance of this Night.

I'd like to share what I found after a week's search of material on net, a Thorough study of "Saheeh Bukhari", and looking for references in Quran ul Kareem.

The following link has the "Biyan" of Shaykh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, the Mufti of Saudi Arabia, [Salafi or Research Followers]. According to them, theres no concept of the 15th night of Shaban, and its a complete Biddah even to consider it as a Special Night, and doing special Ibadah like we do on Lailatul Qadar.

• REGARDING CELEBRATING THE NIGHT OF THE 15th OF SHA'BAN (SHAB-E-BARAT)

Later I got to read the "Biyan" of Mufti Taqqi Usmani , [Hanfi Maslak] in which he has given a no. of Ahadith and arguments to pin point the importance of the night and is in favor of spending the Night in a special way.

Following is the link to his Biyan:

• The 15th Night of Shaban

Such a clear difference of opinions between different Maslak and Ulama is enough to make a simple Muslim confused. But then Allah always guide, and His help is always there...
Just as I was worried what and whom to believe, I found this another link, revised version of the Biyan of Mufti Taqqi Usmani which cleared most of my confusions about this matter, and I finally came to a decision.

• The Revised Opinion

Fasting in Shabaan is no doubt "Afzal". Fasts of Shaban are considered "Nafl" [or we can even keep them as Qadah], and keeping the fasts in the month of Shaban is Sunnah as Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used to fast the MOST in Shaban. I'd like to quote the Hadith from Saheeh Bukhari:

“Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to fast (daily) until we would say he does not break his fast (by missing a day), and he used to break his fast (by not fasting) until we would say he does not fast. And I did not seek Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) fast any month completely except for Ramadan, and I never saw him fasting as much as he did in Sha’ban.”

Therefore theres no questioning to why we should keep fasts in the first half of the month, [Moreover, it is advised to keep the fasts of 13,14 and 15 every month of Hijri Year] but the significance of the 15th night remains a mystery. To be on the safe side, theres no harm in doing the Ibadah [which should be actually our daily routine] and afterall, its the love for your Allah and Rasul Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم which counts. "Innamul Amaal Bin Niyaat".

To elaborate my point, what I conceived from all the research and information was that if you are in doubt as to what is right and what is not [in a situation like this, No Authentic References and with such difference of opinions], then you should follow your Heart, and it is better to spend your time in Ibadah, then to not doing the Ibadah coz of doubts. At the same time, restraining from and becoming aware of any kind of Bidda'ah in this regard is important as:

It is narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm 'Abdullah 'Aishah, radiyallahu 'anha, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

According to the version in Muslim, (it reads): "Whosoever works a work which has for it no command of ours is to be rejected."

In the end, Another very informative Article about Fasting in Shaban,

• The Virtues of Month of Shaban

And Allah (SWT) knows Best.

P.S:
1) It is important that you read the "Fatwas" [The links given] and then decide it for yourself what it gathers.

2) A General, Common view, on which most of the Ulama agree, is that Allah SWT decides the fates of all this month.

3) The confusion was about some of the "Da'eef" Ahadith and references, which can be found in the above mentioned links.

4) More links of related topic can be provided on request.

[If this article was of any help, if there are any comments, or any corrections that can be made, you are most welcome to leave a message. May Allah guide us and Forgive us, for He is the Creator of All, worthy of All Praises.]

Is Taudi U Kumullah.

"ANGER" ? Islamic Way to Deal with it!

Anger is one of the evil whispers of Shaytaan, which leads to so many evils and tragedies, of which only Allaah knows their full extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal to say about this bad characteristic, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described cures for this "disease" and ways to limit its effects, among which are the following:

(1) Seeking refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan:
Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 6/337)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a man gets angry and says, `I seek refuge with Allaah,' his anger will go away." (Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 695)

(2) Keeping silent:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/329; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).
This is because in most cases, the angry person loses self control and could utter words of kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allaah), or curses, or the word of divorce (talaaq) which would destroy his home, or words of slander which would bring him the enmity and hatred of others. So, in short, keeping silent is the solution which helps one to avoid all that.

(3) Not moving:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."
The narrator of this hadeeth is Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him), and there is a story connected to his telling of it: he was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr, with the result that the trough was broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in watering his camels, but instead the man misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken]. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: . . ." and quoted the hadeeth. (The hadeeth and this story may be found in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 694).

According to another report, Abu Dharr was watering his animals at the trough, when another man made him angry, so he sat down . . . (Fayd al-Qadeer, al-Manaawi, 1/408)
Among the benefits of this advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents the angry person from going out of control, because he could strike out and injure someone, or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or he could destroy possessions and so on. Sitting down makes it less likely that he will become overexcited, and lying down makes it even less likely that he will do something crazy or harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Abu Dawud: "One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret. And Allaah knows best." (Sunan Abi Dawud, with Ma'aalim al-Sunan, 5/141)

(4) Following the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Advise me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Bari, 10/456)
According to another report, the man said: "I thought about what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/373)

(5) Do not become angry and Paradise will be yours (a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hijr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):
Remembering what Allaah has promised to the righteous (muttaqeen) who keep away from the causes of anger and struggle within themselves to control it, is one of the most effective ways of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the ahaadeeth that describe the great reward for doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 12/453, see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 6518).

Another great reward is described in the Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hur al-'Iyn whoever he wants." (Reported by Abu Dawud, 4777, and others. It is classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6518).

(6) Knowing the high status and advantages offered to those who control themselves:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." (Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the hadeeth is agreed upon). The greater the anger, the higher the status of the one who controls himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367, and classified as hasan in Saheeh al- Jaami', 3859)

Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn Hijr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath, 10/519)

(7) Following the Prophet's example in the case of anger:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is our leader and has set the highest example in this matter, as is recorded in a number of ahaadeeth. One of the most famous was reported by Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "I was walking with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he was wearing a Najraani cloak with a rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allaah that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something." (Agreed upon. Fath al-Baari, 10/375)

Another way in which we can follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is by making our anger for the sake of Allaah, when His rights are violated. This is the kind of anger which is praiseworthy. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) became angry when he was told about the imaam who was putting people off the prayer by making it too long; when he saw a curtain with pictures of animate creatures in `Aa'ishah's house; when Usaamah spoke to him about the Makhzoomi woman who had been convicted of theft, and he said "Do you seek to intervene concerning one of the punishments prescribed by Allaah?"; when he was asked questions that he disliked, and so on. His anger was purely for the sake of Allaah.

(8) Knowing that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness (taqwaa):
The righteous (al-muttaqoon) are those praised by Allaah in the Qur'aan and by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has been prepared for them. One of their characteristics is that they (interpretation of the meaning) "spend (in Allaah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allaah loves al-muhsinoon (the good-doers)." [Aal `Imraan 3:134]
These are the ones whose good character and beautiful attributes and deeds Allaah has mentioned, and whom people admire and want to emulate. One of their characteristics is that (interpretation of the meaning) ". . . when they are angry, they forgive." [al-Shooraa 42:47]

(9) Listening to reminders:
Anger is a part of human nature, and people vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a man not to get angry, but sincere people will remember Allaah when they are reminded, and they will not overstep the mark. Some examples follow:

Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man sought permission to speak to `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), then he said: "O son of al-Khattaab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us." `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of those present, said: "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): `Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish' [al- A'raaf 7:199]. This man is one of the foolish." By Allaah, `Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this aayah to him, and he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allaah. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4/304).

This is how the Muslim should be. The evil munaafiq (hypocrite) was not like this when he was told the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and one of the Companions said to him, "Seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan." He said to the one who reminded him, "Do you think I am crazy? Go away!" (Reported by al- Bukhaari, al-Fath, 1/465). We seek refuge with Allaah from failure.

(10) Knowing the bad effects of anger:
The negative effects of anger are many; in short they cause damage to one's own self and to others. The angry person may utter words of slander and obscenity, he may attack others (physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to the point of killing. The following story contains a valuable lesson:
`Ilqimah ibn Waa'il reported that his father (may Allaah be pleased with him) told him: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said, `O Messenger of Allaah, this man killed my brother.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, `Did you kill him?' He said, `Yes, I killed him.' He asked, `How did you kill him?' He said, `He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall, for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe, and killed him.' . . ." (Reported by Muslim, 1307, edited by al-Baaqi).

Anger could lead to less than killing, such as wounding and breaking bones. If the one who caused the anger runs away, the angry person turns his anger in on himself, so he may tear his clothes, or strike his cheeks, or have a fit, or fall unconscious, or he may break dishes and plates, or break furniture.

In the worst cases, anger results in social disasters and the breaking of family ties, i.e., divorce. Ask many of those who divorced their wives, and they will tell you: it was in a moment of anger. This divorce results in misery for the children, regret and frustration, a hard and difficult life, all as a result of anger. If they had remembered Allaah, come to their senses, restrained their anger and sought refuge with Allaah, none of this would have happened. Going against the sharee'ah only results in loss.

The damage to health that results from anger can only be described by doctors, such as thrombosis, high blood pressure, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat) and hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing), which can lead to fatal heart attacks, diabetes, etc. We ask Allaah for good health.

(11) The angry person should think about himself during moments of anger:
If the angry person could see himself in the mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself and the way he looks. If he could see the way he changes, and the way his body and limbs shake, how his eyes glare and how out of control and crazy his behaviour is, he would despise himself and be revolted by his own appearance. It is well-known that inner ugliness is even worse than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytaan must be when a person is in this state! We seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan and from failure.

(12) Du'aa':
Du'aa' is always the weapon of the believer, whereby he asks Allaah to protect him from evil, trouble and bad behaviour and seeks refuge with Him from falling into the pit of kufr or wrongdoing because of anger. One of the three things that can help save him is: being fair at times of contentment and of anger (Saheeh al-Jaami', 3039). One of the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was:

"O Allaah, by Your knowledge of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation, keep me alive for as long as You know life is good for me, and cause me to die when You know death is good for me. O Allaah, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in public, and I ask You to make me speak the truth in times of contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I ask You for continuous blessings, and for contentment that does not end. I ask You to let me accept Your decree, and for a good life after death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face and for the longing to meet You, without going through diseases and misguiding fitnah (trials). O Allaah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who are guided. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds."

Punishment of a Liar

Narrated Anas: There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).

Source: Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814.

Importance of Good Deeds (Aamal ul Saleh)

Do good, and leave behind you a monument of virtue that the storms of time can never destroy. Write your name in kindness, love, and mercy on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with year by year, and you will never be forgotten. Your name and your good deeds will shine as the stars of heaven.

Once the Prophet of God, Hazrat Muhammed (p.b.u.h) was sitting amidst his Sahaba (companions) in the mosque when all of a sudden he said "Today I shall narrate a story to you all which will reveal three riddles for all of you to solve". This hushed the crowd and they all listened to what the Prophet had to say.

Hazrat Mohammed (p.b.u.h) continued by saying that once a man got to know that the days in his life was numbered and very soon he would be confronted with death. With this knowledge he feared his loneliness in the grave and went searching for true friends who would help and accompany him.

He knocked on the door of his first friend and asked whether he would help. To this the friend said, "of course, what are we here for." But then the man went on to say that he had very few days to live after which he required help. As soon as he uttered this statement, the friend said "I am sorry but when death does us apart, there is nothing we can do for you but buy you a place in the graveyard and some cloth (Kafan) to cover your dead body." Grieved but looking forward to his next friend, the man moved on.

On the second door, when he came face to face with his friend, and after narrating the entire story of his death and asked for help, the same answer was his fate again. The second friend said "I have been there with you all your life and can help you here. But there's nothing I can do for you after you die except take your corpse to the graveyard and bury you."

Lost in agony and despair, he headed for the third friend, very sure that he would receive the same answer but there was a tinge of hope left. When he confronted the third friend, and told him that he required help, the friend eagerly volunteered to help. But the man continued to say that I need help after I die. To which the third friend replied, "Do not worry, my dear friend! I shall accompany you to the grave, be there with you in the grave, even when the angels arrive for questioning (Munkar-o-Nakeer), then assist you on the Pul-e-Sirat (bridge) and then lead you to heaven. "To this the man heaved a sigh of relief and then passed away in peace."

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) then turned and asked his companions if anybody could identify the three friends and the man. When the prevailing silence didn't dissolve, the Prophet continued to say, "The man in the anecdote is any other human being." The first friend is "money/wealth", things that help us only in life and not after we die.

The second family/friend were the "children/sons and daughters", we strive for them all our life and all they give us is a shoulder to the grave.

And the third and most important friend is "Aamal (deeds)". Who accompany us all the way through.

Moral: Do not strive for materialistic values that will give you nothing and help you in no way in your eternal life. But work and pray and ask forgiveness from God for only the good deeds assist mankind where every other thing loses value in the life hereafter!

At what Level are you Now??

Assalam O Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

My sis found this link... and I liked it a lot. Some very good information to judge ourselves, at what level do we stand!?

To read the article, click on the link below,

What are the Signs of Allah's Love for His slave??

Mercy!

Fi Aman Allah.