Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Opportunity Al-Baqara (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verse 210 "Are they waiting for God and the angels to come down to them in the shadows of clouds? The matter will have been settled then. To God shall all things return." The verse condemns those who waver and are reluctant to submit and come into the fold of God's peace. It questions their motives and the reasons that hold them back, and asks whether they will remain fixed in their obstinacy until such time as God, flanked by angels, should appear to them in person. In other words, are they waiting for the fearful Day of Judgement to arrive? That day will indeed come, and the surah moves at once to that momentous day to tell us that everything has been settled. Time has come to a stop. The opportunity to believe and repent has gone for ever. No one could be saved now, as all stand facing their Lord to whom "shall all things return". This is an illustration of the Quran's unique and effective style, which brings to life the scenes it describes, and makes the reader or listener feel and see and hear what is going on as if it were happening now. How much longer will they dither when the chance to come into the fold of God's peace is calling, and the final judgement is so close? God's invitation is a promise of peace and happiness both in this life and the life to come. Compiled From: "In the Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 1, p. 243

Understanding the Prophet's Life Burhan "Charity is a proof" [Muslim] Charity or sadaqa is the giving of one's wealth to others for the sake of Allah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, described charity as a burhan. Burhan are the rays that are emitted by the sun. Part of their significance is that they clearly and unequivocally point to the existence of their source, the sun. That is why a "proof" or "definitive argument" is called a burhan. It unequivocally points to the truth of what it is being used to prove. The Prophet has befittingly called charity a burhan or demonstrative proof. This has been explained in more than one way. These explanations are not contradictory and they all could have been meant by the Prophet when he made the statement. One explanation of this hadith is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was alluding to the fact that sadaqa is a sign of one's true belief. By its nature, wealth is something beloved to a human being. Giving up part of one's wealth for the sake of Allah is a much greater sign of one's faith than mere lip service. In general, hypocrites are not willing to give in charity (unless to be seen) for they are not willing to part their wealth. A second explanation is that a person's sadaqa will be a proof for him on the Day of Judgement when he is asked about his wealth and how he used it in this life. He will rush to his charity and seek refuge in it in the same way that one rushed to a proof for support and help. Compiled From: "Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 884, 885

Blindspot! Origin of Love If you read the Quran, you will find confirmation of the place from which pure, noble love originates. You will find it discussed in: 1. The context of da'wah, the purpose of which is to rekindle and arouse human hearts: Say, if you want to love God, then follow me and God will love you. (3:31). 2. The description of believers: Those who have attained to faith in God, are most strong in their love of God (2:165). 3. The description of the relationship between the believers and their Lord and Sustainer: He Loves them and they love Him (5:54). 4. The discussion of good and evil: Indeed God loves those who do good (2:195), and He does not love the aggressors (2:190). Compiled From: "Islam: The Way of Revival Vol 1" - Watering the Seeds of Love: Sa

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Initiative Al-Imran (House of Imran) - Chapter 3: Verse 133 "Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous." There is a big difference between production speed and productivity. Hastiness is blameworthy. We can hardly find the word used in the Quran without a negative connotation attached to it. However, being quick to act is not the same as hastiness. Allah praises those who show initiative in the above verse. Being quick here refers to taking initiative and getting things done instead of dragging your feet and procrastinating. This is not to be confused with hastiness, which is to try and get too many things done in too little time, which is the inevitable result of poor planning and procrastination. Compiled From: "Appealing to 'Patience' to Deny People’s Rights" - Salman al-Oadah

Understanding the Prophet's Life Honouring Guests Khalid ibn Amr relates that he heard the Messenger of God, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: He who believes in God and the Last Day should honour his guest as he deserves. He was asked: ‘And what does he deserve, O Messenger of God?' and he answered: "A day and a night of what he deserves, and hospitality for three days. More than this is charity." (Bukhari, Muslim). As the above-mentioned Hadith indicates, guests are to be welcomed. But this openness and generosity should not be abused so as to be a burden on the hosts. This factor should be taken into consideration for those of us who come from families back home who may not be well off financially. We should act wisely and judge for ourselves how long is too long for our hosts. Compiled From: "Etiquette guide for being the ideal guest" - Abdul Malik Mujahid

Cool Tips! Sense of Humour One of the best things you can do for yourself when you fail is to learn to laugh. I love the comment made by a humourist who said he spoke for an organization where they always rated the previous meeting's speaker in their program using little bells. Speakers who received a standing ovation got four bells next to their name. Those who were above average got three. Merely average speakers got two bells, and poor speakers got one. The humourist said that when he spoke to them several months ago, they awarded him the no-bell prize. There isn't a person alive who wouldn't benefit from a good laugh, especially when he's done something really stupid. When you take your mistakes too seriously, then everything seems to become life-and-death. When that happens, you sure die a lot. The way to solve that is to keep your sense of humour no matter how bad things get. Compiled From: "The Difference Maker" - John C. Maxwell, p. 156

Maintainer's Message NOW ONLINE! MarriageSuccess.ca presents a landmark series of documentary films about getting married and staying married. ------------------------ Please help us fight Islamophobia. We've developed viral video players that you can embed on our website. Go here to get the code to paste in your site. Please ask any webmaster you know to include any of the players in their site. May Allah reward you abundantly. ------------------------ Spread the word. Follow the links below to invite more friends and families to join Friday Nasiha. If you want to invite multiple email addresses to Friday Nasiha please send the email addresses to us and we will invite them on your behalf. Please donate generously whatever the amount is. The more you donate the more we'll be able to spread the word via advertising and marketing. Any extra money we get will be used to fund other Young Muslims initiatives. You can donate online or send your cheque payable to 'Young Muslims Canada', put in the memo 'Friday Nasiha' and mail to: Young Muslims P.O. Box 48030 Mississauga, ON L5A 1W0 Please include your email address so that we can confirm the receipt of your donation. A small amount of your time will lead to a massive amount of reward from Allah and will benefit Friday Nasiha and its readers immensely. Remember, you have the potential to gain reward for every additional reader who joins and implements something which they learn from Friday Nasiha! Don't let this opportunity pass you by! May Allah reward you for your time!

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Rights of Men Hud (Hud) - Chapter 11: Verse 117 "And your Lord would never destroy human habitations wrongfully, while their inhabitants are righteous." The verse implies that Allah does not destroy a people even if they commit association in His divinity so long as their dealings between themselves are carried out in justice. It is only when they begin to wrong each other on a large scale that they meet with their destruction. Hence it is said that a dominion lasts despite disbelief but not despite justice. [Zamakhshari, Shawkani] God's chastisement does not afflict any people merely on account of their holding beliefs amounting to shirk or kufr, but afflicts them only if they persistently commit evil in their mutual dealings, and deliberately hurt other human beings and act tyrannically. Hence those who are learned in Islamic Law hold that men's obligations towards God rest on the principle of [His] forgiveness and liberality, whereas the rights of man are of a stringent nature and must always be strictly observed - the obvious reason being, that God is almighty and needs no defender, whereas man is weak and needs protection. [Razi, Asad] It is imperative that there should always be a good number of righteous people in every society. A community that is prepared to put up with everything except a group of righteous people in its midst is certainly destined for self-destruction. God's final decision, whether to punish a community or not, depends on the extent to which that community possesses the elements that would enable it to respond to the call of truth. If we truly love the society we live in and don't want the punishment of God to come down upon us, we should try our best to develop a group of people who will call people to do good and forbid them from evil. Compiled From: "Ishraq Al-Maani " - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, Vol. 5, pp. 294, 295 "Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, vol. IV, pp. 138, 139

Understanding the Prophet's Life Seeking God The path to God is only illuminated when a person recognizes the central place of God, Allah, in his or her own life and strives hard to develop his or her self accordingly. The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) said, "If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the sight of God, he has to only look at what place he gives to God (in his heart and life)" (Hakim). For the Believer, the most coveted goal in life is to seek the good pleasure of Allah and Janna (Paradise). Know, however, that attaining the pleasure of Allah takes precedence over seeking Janna but the two are closely connected. Paradise can only be attained through seeking Allah's pleasure, and when Allah's pleasure is gained, we will indeed be granted Paradise. The alternate to attaining Paradise in the Hereafter is to be placed in Jahannam (Hellfire) and to receive punishments. Hellfire is for those who seek as their ultimate goal in life, not the pleasure of Allah or Paradise, but the enjoyment of worldly gains. The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage. All worldly gains are left behind when you die. All that remains on earth is bound to perish, while Allah and His good pleasure will remain for ever! Compiled From: "In The Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, pp. 1-3

Blindspot! Established Order The time has come to reconcile ourselves with the depth and breadth of the Islamic civilizational tradition and its wealth of meaning that establishes rules in the light of the objectives of dignity, freedom, justice and peace. The Muslim peoples of today urgently need to reassert themselves. Crucial to the process are spirituality and mysticism: not those of a certain form of Sufism that, not wishing to “take part in politics,” ends up playing the game of powers (and colonisers), but of the quest for self that an authentic Sufism never separated from human, social and political (by way of wise and just government) considerations. It is not enough to affirm that freedom must come before the “Sharia”; what is lacking is a thoroughgoing reflection on freedom in the modern age, and the superior objectives (maqasid) of the Path (ash-Sharia) that supersede its reduction to a body of regulations presented as God’s intangible laws. What ash-Shatibi provided us with, in his synthesis of the “objectives of the Sharia" - which is actually a “philosophy of law" - must be thought for the notion of freedom: we need a “philosophy of liberty” that cannot be constricting, reactive or dogmatic but must be broad, holistic and liberating, valid for women and men alike. There is a sore need of young scholars (ulama) of both sexes, of intellectuals who will show a modicum of courage. While respectful of the message and the immutable rules of practice, they must imperatively seek reconciliation with the intellectual audacity of those who have given the age-old Islamic tradition its strength. Against the institutions that have often shaped them, that are under state control and intellectually enfeebled (such as al-Azhar or Umm al-Qura today), the young Muslim generations must free themselves, make their presence felt and give new meaning to the dynamics of a civil society that is no longer a passive onlooker, or simply complain, and display their indignation, or explore new ways of acting, new and alternative visions. Yet they must remain faithful to themselves, while resisting the established order. Compiled From: "Beyond Islamism" - Tariq Ramadan

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Fuad Al-Sajda (The Prostration) - Chapter 32: Verse 9 (partial) "... He endows you with hearing, sight and insights: (yet) how seldom are you grateful." The Quran recognizes that an empirical attitude is an indispensable stage in the spiritual life of humanity and thus it gives equal importance to all the facets of human experience as yielding knowledge of the Ultimate Reality which reveals its symbols both within and without. According to the Quran, to secure a complete vision of Reality, sensory perception must be supplemented by the perception of Fuad or the heart as revealed in the above verse. The heart provides inner intuition or inner experience that brings us into contact with aspects of Reality other than those open to the senses. Mystically information is disseminated to the mind. It is a mode of dealing with Reality in which sensation, in the physiological sense of the word, does not play any part. The region of inner experience, for the purpose of knowledge, is as real as any other region of human experience and cannot be traced back to sensory perception. The immediacy of inner experience resembles our normal experience and belongs to the same category. Unfortunately, living the present world of naked materialism, we have assumed, without criticism, that knowledge of the external world through sensory perception is knowledge. Compiled From: "Words That Moved the World" - Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad, p. 109

Understanding the Prophet's Life Reciting Quran The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "One who recites the Quran in a loud voice is like one who gives alms openly and one who recites the Quran quietly is one who gives alms secretly."[Abu Dawud] Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas, "The Prophet's recitation was loud enough for one who was in the inner chamber to hear it when he was in the house." [Abu Dawud] The Prophet, peace be upon him, once went out at night and found Abu Bakr praying in a low voice, and he passed Umar ibn al-Khattab who was raising his voice while praying. When they both met the Prophet together, the Prophet said: I passed by you, Abu Bakr, when you were praying in a low voice. He replied: I made Him hear with Whom I was holding intimate converse, Apostle of Allah. He (the Prophet) said to Umar: I passed by you when you were praying in a loud voice. He replied: Apostle of Allah, I was awakening the drowsy and driving away the Devil. The Prophet said: Raise your voice a little, Abu Bakr, and he said to Umar: Lower your voice a little. [Abu Dawud] Compiled From: "Prayer At Night" - Sunan Abu Dawud

Blindspot! Repentance Even if one tries his best to follow all of the steps and means that help one purify his soul, the nature of man is such that, in general, he is bound to falter every now and then. When a person falters and sins, though, that is not the end of the matter. As long as he has not reached the moment of death, the door to repentance will remain open to him. He need not despair - as long as he brings himself to account and repents to Allah for the sins and transgressions he has committed. The true repentance includes: 1. Stopping oneself from the sin that one is committing 2. Feeling remorse 3. Having the sincere intention to never again return to performing that sin 4. If the sin also involved the rights of other humans, one must also rectify the wrong that he has done Ibn Taymiyyah points out that repentance is not just from the performance of evil deeds but also from the lack of performing the good deeds. Compiled From: "Purification of the Soul" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 380-382

Islamic Design House abaya review.

Alhumdullilah this will be my first ever Islamic Design House abaya review.The abaya I got to review is my second favourite in the collection and it is called Day Dreamer. Kind of appropriate for me I guess! I must say I love all of the new collection (S17) and this one especially because of the colour; purple is my favourite colour and the design. This abaya comes with not only pockets but my favourite; a hood. Also you can see from the picture that they include an extra button in case you lose one which many companies don't bother to include.
 Since I'm a housewife and my life revolves around going outdoors with the kids, shopping and to the mosque/quran classes, I decided to show how you can easily get around in a playground with your kids in my photos. (one of my kids is the photographer). This abaya is made out of polyester and is easy to take care of; out of the package it was a little wrinkled from being folded but it was easily ironed in a jiffy. Owning other abayas from IDH I can also say that they are also easy to wash and dry. I just put them on the delicate cycle. These abayas are so functional. Whether you are running around with your kids or praying or shopping or traveling by car (our family is always taking long car trips either to get halal meat or to visit the big kids) or by plane like last year all the way to Malaysia! IDH abayas are super comfy. One thing I've found though is that you have to be careful what you wear under them or else watch out for the cling effect. I have to avoid yoga pants at all costs or have all eyes on me at the mall (don't ask!)  Jeans,dresses, skirts and dress pants are all ok. I've also heard that satin works great.What can I say about IDH? Their customer service is great! They listen to what you have to say and try to make you happy. For example a while back I had trouble with the Canadian site and the UK made sure I was taken care of. No worries now though as the Canadian site is perfectly fine. Also my favourite abaya was sold out and discontinued but the Canadian rep at RIS showed me that they had a very similar one out in a winter style and that made my day and I bought it right away. I also love their promotions like the one that had buy one abaya get a hijab for free. Another thing I love about IDH is that when you wear their abayas and scarves you can easily fit in and not stand out and non-muslims compliment you on your outfit.

For my readers ; you can get a new abaya too just like this one or choose another style and get 10% off. The code is OMWITS13 use at Islamic Design House.com

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Faith and Reason Al-Alaq (The Blood Clots) - Chapter 96: Verses 1-5 "Read. In the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot of blood. Read. Your Lord is the most Bounteous, who has taught the use of the pen; has taught man that which he did not know." The first revelation was a remarkable event: it was the first contact between Earth and Heaven since, six hundred years earlier, Jesus Christ had preached the Gospel to the world. These initial verses of the Quran did not command obedience to God nor His glorification, nor attainment of His nearness, nor even rejection of idolatry or the rites and customs of paganism. These were left for later occasions. It was the beginning of an era which saw the most unprecedented and concerted efforts being made for the promotion of learning. It was the era in which Faith and Knowledge joined hands to create a new civilization. It was an age of Faith as well as of Reason. The command to read and acquire knowledge was to be executed under the guidance of a divine messenger and in the name of the Lord so that man proceeded ahead in his journey in the light of God's knowledge and the certitude of faith. The reference to the creation of man from a clot of blood was meant to point out that man should not exceed his limits, nor feel exultant on capturing the forces of nature, since this was to come about with the acquisition of knowledge. The pen was honoured by being mentioned in the revelation since it has always been the most important tool of learning. Thereafter the revelation referred to the teaching of man by God - for God is the ultimate source of all knowledge which could enable man to know what is unknown. All the discoveries made in any field have come from this ability of man to learn and extend the horizon of his knowledge. This was the starting point of the revelation to the Prophet of Islam, which had a deep impact on the subsequent course of attaining knowledge, preaching God's message and changing modes of thought. It made knowledge a fellow and ally of religion that could always help man in solving new social and cultural problems. Religion, on the other hand, was thereafter never frightened or timid in the face of knowledge. Compiled From: "Islam and Knowledge" - Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, pp. 2, 3

Understanding the Prophet's Life Gratitude Ibn Abbas, may Allah be please with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "There are four qualities, whoever is given them has truly being given the best in this world and the next. They are: a grateful heart, a remembering tongue, an enduring body, and a faithful wife." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Allah is pleased with His slave if when he eats something, he thanks Allah for it, and when he drinks something, he thanks Allah for it." (Muslim) Abu'd-Dunya narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Speaking of Allah's blessings is gratitude and ignoring it is ingratitude (kufr). The one who does not give thanks for a small blessing will not give thanks for a great blessing, and the one who does not give thanks to people will not give thanks to Allah. To be with a group is blessing, and to be alone is a punishment." Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said: "If any of you would like to see the great blessing of Allah on him, then let him look at those who are less fortunate that him, not those who appear better off than him." Compiled From: "Patience and Gratitude" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, pp. 65, 66

Blindspot! AIDS AIDS is seen as a disease almost exlusively resulting from inadequate and/or deviant sexual behaviour (which is not true). Women, men, and children have been infected through mere blood transfusions, dirty hypodermic needles, or born with it because the mother herself was infected. Reminding society and people at high risk about moral principles and their spiritual outcomes is necessary and helpful in terms of prevention, but it cannot resolve everyday situations. Once the disease has been diagnosed and one considers the actual day-to-day behaviour of women and men - leaving aside questions of guilt or blame - appropriate social, economic, and ethical measures must be taken to fight the disease. Above all, HIV-infected patients should not be the objects of accusations and made to feel guilty, so that they are compelled to become invisible, to constantly lie, to hide from their families, their society, and their community (or be rejected by them). Society must go further and dare to tackle the position of AIDS patients in contemporary societies: we cannot accept the employment, housing, and societal discriminations that stigmatize the sick and marginalize them all the more. Compiled From: "Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 179, 180

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Sake of Allah Al-Baqara (The Cow) - Chapter 2 : Verse 207 (partial) "And of men is he who would give himself away to seek the pleasure of Allah." We should strive to become Allah's sincere devotees. There should be no worldly act that is not done as an act of servitude to Allah, not even such acts as sleeping, eating, dressing, speaking and laughing. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, engaged in all these acts. But he was God's devote par excellence. As a consequence of that, every aspect of his life, even the most ordinary of chores, was an act of devotion to Allah. It is important that every act of life should be for the sake of Allah, and for His Pleasure alone, as the above verse says. Without such spirit, even the most religious of acts - prayers, reciting the Quran, martyrdom, and infaq (spending in the way of Allah) - would all be merely worldly acts. Imbued with this spirit of total dedication, even the smallest religious act, and all acts of worldly life, would stand heavy in the scale of Divine Justice. If we are able to achieve this state of sincerity, even a little effort would suffice in imparting the colour of Allah in our lives and souls. All the evils of the world - in men's souls, in their lives, in their mutual relationships - have their roots in lack of sincerity. Lack of sincerity in matters pertaining especially to religious activities leads to very ill effects. We should designate our niyyah (intent) purely for Allah and strive always to keep it so. This brief and simple prescription is the gist of true religious faith and of the desire to shape our lives completely according to that mould. It is also the most effective formula to remember Allah at all times. This is the perpetual dhikr (remembrance), one that suffices for all occasions. Compiled From: "Dying and Living for Allah" - Khurram Murad, p. 37

Understanding the Prophet's Life Haya of Allah If a person has a complete haya of Allah, he would not think of or perform any act that is displeasing to Allah. He would be too ashamed of ever doing something of that nature. In fact, he should have more haya toward Allah than toward any of the creation. This is because everything he possesses has come to him as a blessing from Allah and He knows that Allah is aware of everything he does. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has ordered Muslims to have the proper haya towards Allah. He said: "Have haya towards Allah in the correct manner of haya." The Companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, we are bashful towards Allah, and to Allah is the praise." The Prophet then told them, "This is not what is meant. The haya towards Allah which is the true haya is for a person to be mindful of his head and what it contains, and of his stomach and the [bodily parts] close to it, and to remember death and disintegration. And whoever desires the Hereafter abandons the beautification of this world. The one who does that has had haya toward Allah in the proper manner of haya." [Tirmidhi, Ahmad] Compiled From: "Commentary on the Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi" - Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo, pp. 814, 815

Blindspot! Powerful Energy Even if you are not a religious person by nature or training - even if you are an out-and-out skeptic - prayer can help you much more than you believe, for it is a practical thing. What do I mean, practical? I mean that prayer fulfills these three very basic psychological needs which all people share, whether they believe in God or not: 1. Prayer helps us to put into words exactly what is troubling us. It is almost impossible to deal with a problem while it remains vague and nebulous. Praying in a way, is very much like writing our problems down on paper. If we ask help for a problem - even from God - we must put it into words. 2. Prayer gives us a sense of sharing our burdens, of not being alone. Few of us are so strong that we can bear our heaviest burdens, our most agonizing troubles, all by ourselves. Sometimes our worries are of so intimate a nature that we cannot discuss them even with our closest relatives or friends. Then prayer is the answer. Any psychiatrist will tell us that when we are pent-up and tense, and in an agony of spirit, it is therapeutically good to tell someone our troubles. When we can't tell anyone else - we can always tell God. 3. Prayer puts into force an active principle of doing. It's a first step toward action. I doubt if anyone can pray for some fulfillment, day after day, without benefitting from it - in other words, without taking some steps to bring it to pass. Call it God or Allah or Spirit - why quarrel with definitions as long as the mysterious power takes us in hand? Compiled From: "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" - Dale Carnegie, pp. 208, 209

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Guidance Al-Isra (The Ascension) - Chapter 17 : Verses 9-10 "Verily, this Quran shows the way to all that is most upright and gives the believers who do good deeds the glad tidings that theirs will be a great reward, and (it announces, also), that We have readied suffering for them who do not believe in the life to come." Islam is a religion in the sense that its tenets are based on Divine Guidance but Islam is not a religion as religion is perceived today. Since its foundation is based on logic and reasoning and not on dogma or blind faith, the fact of not compartmentalising the secular and religious spheres into separate enclosures indicates that Islam is more a God-directed whole system of life and not a religion dealing with compartments, or sections of life. Hence, on the one side when dealing with the principles of living - social, political or economic - Islam may be compared with non-religious ideologies like capitalism, communism, socialism, etc. and when dealing with the moral and spiritual development of individuals and societies, it can be compared with other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity. According to Islam, the One Almighty God, Allah, created and appointed mankind as His vicegerent on earth with autonomy. Life in this world is a period of test, and reward or punishment is in the life Hereafter. Allah arranged the receiving of His guidance throughout the ages through His chosen persons known as Prophets. The first vicegerent and Prophet was Adam (peace be upon him) and the whole of mankind is his progeny. All the Prophets or Messengers had one religion, Islam, and one mission of inviting people and mobilising those who accept the invitation. The fundamental theme of the Quran is that Allah always offers guidance to man through the Revelations which He bestows upon His Prophets. In this way the Quran leads towards principles that are central to ethical rectitude and beneficial to man's individual and social life. It is guidance for the life-span of the whole community. Compiled From: "Words That Moved the World" - Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad, pp. 103, 104

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Understanding the Prophet's Life Raising Hands Amongst the etiquette of Dua that is known by all Muslims, young or old, is that of raising one's hands while making dua. Abu Musa al-Ashari narrated, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, made a dua, and I saw him raise his hands, until I could see the whiteness of his armpits." [Bukhari] Furthermore, Salman al-Farsi said that the Prophet said: "Indeed, Allah is Shy and Beneficent. He is Shy when His servant raises his hands to Him to return them empty, disappointed!" [Ahmad, Abu Dawud] There are many reasons why raising one's hands in Dua is beloved to Allah. Of these reasons is that it is an indication of Allah's complete power and right to be worshipped. It proves - by actions and not only words - that Allah is worthy of being asked, and that He is the one Who Hears and Knows everything, for He knows the situation of His servant better than the servant himself. It demonstrates that man is poor and destitute for his Lord's blessings, for he has humbled himself in front of the One full of Honour, and raised his hands up to him, indicating his poverty. It is a physical manifestation of all that this noble act of dua embodies. Compiled From: "Dua: The Weapon of th Believer" - Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, pp. 75, 76

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Blindspot! Purity Purity, for the Muslim, is both a physical and spiritual state. Although, the goal of Islamic spirituality is to become free of the limitations of "self" (nafs - also, "soul" or "spirit"), because humans live in their physical forms on the earth and normally locate their sense of self in their bodies, Islam works with the body to ennoble the spirit. The obligatory rituals of salat, fasting, and pilgrimage all engage the body and spirit together to uplift and dignify the believer. Although these rituals can be rigorous, they are not intended to punish the body or cause harm to the individual. Islam does not view the body itself as a source of sin or evil; bodily desires can be harnessed for good or for evil. Islamic rituals, therefore, are intended to help believers achieve consciousness about the way in which they use their bodies. When fasting, a Muslim cannot eat, drink, experience intimacy, or engage in arguments. Having to refrain from these actions for a time, the believer later approaches eating, drinking and intimate and social relationships with greater intentionality, thus taking responsibility for her greatest distinction among all of creation - the ability to impart meaning to her actions. Compiled From: "The Story of the Qur'an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life" - Ingrid Mattson, p. 154, 155

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Maintainer's Message RAMADAN MUBARAK! We wish you a happy and blessed Ramadan. May Allah give us the ability and will power to increase our worship in this month to attain the forgiveness of Allah and ultimate reward of Paradise. NOW ONLINE! MarriageSuccess.ca presents a landmark series of documentary films about getting married and staying married. ------------------------ Please help us fight Islamophobia. We've developed viral video players that you can embed on our website. Go here to get the code to paste in your site. Please ask any webmaster you know to include any of the players in their site. May Allah reward you abundantly. ------------------------ Spread the word. Follow the links below to invite more friends and families to join Friday Nasiha.

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Imperceptible Al-Baqara (The Cow) - Chapter 2 : Verse 3 (partial) "Who believe in what lies beyond the reach of human perception." The limits of human perception do not prevent believers' souls from reaching their Creator, the omnipotent power behind the universe and all existence. Their limited natural senses do not stand in the way of their desire to reach beyond the physical world or their pursuit of the ultimate truths of life. Belief in the imperceptible raises human consciousness to a level where a wider and fuller world can be perceived. Such a step provides him with a totally new awareness of the realities of the interacting energies and forces that are at play in this complex world, and of the way he conceives of them. It also affects his behaviour and life on earth in general. This belief has the vital role of preserving man's finite mental and intellectual powers and saving them from being wasted, abused or misdirected. These faculties have been bestowed on man to enable him to properly discharge his obligations as God's representative on earth. In the present life, the domain for man's activities of procreation, construction, innovation and excellence is limited. His intellectual power needs to be strengthened and complemented by spiritual power which stems directly from God and is thereby linked to the whole of existence. Any attempt to comprehend the world from another perspective is futile and foolish, because it resorts to the wrong tools and defies the fundamental truth that the finite cannot fathom the infinite. Man's limited sensory and intellectual capabilities do not enable him to understand the absolute meaning of things. This inherent human deficiency, however, in no way prevents man from believing in the imperceptible and accepting that it is the prerogative of the Divine. Man should leave these matters to God, the Omniscient, and should turn to Him for meaning, information, understanding and explanation. Recognition of this fact is the greatest prize the human mind can win, and is the first and foremost mark of the God-fearing believer. Compiled From: "In the Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 1, pp. 23, 24

Understanding the Prophet's Life Trust The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned his people against lying, breaking their word, and breaching their trust. All of these were condemned as "signs of hypocrisy." [Abu Dawud] He was so meticulous in this matter that when he saw woman call her child, saying: "Come on, I'll give you something," he asked her if she was telling the truth. She replied that she would give him a date, to which God's Messenger responded: "If you were to give him nothing, you would have lied." [Abu Dawud] His concern in this matter extended even to animals. Once, annoyed at seeing a Companion trying to deceive his horse, he said: "Stop deceiving animals. Instead, be trustworthy with them." [Bukhari] Another time, while returning from a military campaign, a few Companions took some baby birds from a nest to pet them. The mother bird returned after a short while and, finding her babies gone, began to fly around in distress. When God's Messenger was informed, he was so upset that he ordered the birds to be returned immediately. Such an order was meant to show that representatives of trustworthiness should harm no living creatures. [Abu Dawud] Compiled From: "The Messenger of God: Muhammad" - Fethullah Gulen, pp. 69, 70

Blindspot! Wealth and Consumption The month of Ramadan ought to be a school enabling the Muslim conscience to return to what is essential in the message, its objectives, and the questionings necessary to grasp higher goals. For a month, believers take a break from their usual lives to return to meaning and essentials, breaking with their habits of consumption, the rhythms of everyday life, and the deep-seated ideas about competing to acquire and possess material things. Beyond the act of worship and its spiritual dimension, the fundamental teaching of this exercise consists of understanding that the way we relate to wealth and consumption should be questioned in the light of the goals human beings set for themselves. The ethical goals of fasting, clearly stated in the texts or put together by inference, requires us to question our choices in life, development, and individual and collective growth. Yet, an appalling perversion can be observed: this month, which ought to "produce meaning," has been taken over - like so many ecological and humanitarian projects - by the logic of an imperialistic economy based on growth and productivity. Rather than being a month for awareness of goals by questioning development models and consumerist ways of life, that month, and its nights in particular, turn into an increasingly neglectful fair encouraging consumption, even in poorer societies. This is deep, almost complete alienation. The point was to consume less, to consume better in terms of conscience and quality, and we end up consuming less during the day to consume without moderation and with total abandon at night. This is yet another example of formalist perversion: norm and form are maintained while the religious practice's ethical goals are lost. Compiled From: "Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, p. 239

Old Muslim Grandma in the Shoe again!

Masha Allah, yesterday my oldest son and daughter-in-law had a baby; their first. The ultrasound predicted a boy but instead she gave birth to a baby girl! Only Allah knows what is in the wombs. Everything was set up for a boy, the clothes, the decorations, the shower gifts etc. Now I have 3 granddaughters, subhanAllah. May she grow up to be a righteous child and reach Jannah. Amin.

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Gradual Doom Al-Araf (The Heights) - Chapter 7 : Verse 182 "But those who deny Our signs - We will progressively lead them [to destruction] from where they do not know." When a person chooses the path of virtue and patiently perseveres in it, taysir or facilitation usually takes him into a new phase where his wise choice finds Divine support and help. If on the other hand a servant chooses an evil course in life, misusing his freedom, and persists in it, then the phenomenon of facilitation takes on a rather terrible form, against which we should always seek Allah's refuge. It is termed istidraj or driving someone to destruction gradually, by degrees or little by little. It is difficult to tell when facilitation actually takes on the form of divine help or emerges as istidraj, gradually drawing a sinner to his final doom. Man moves forward with great zest and force of his own free volition either in the direction of the good or on the path to disaster. In the one case, man is helped and supported by Allah, whereas in the other he is encouraged to keep on his chosen course until he meets his doom. But in both cases, whether one receives divine help or is gradually drawn to his final punishment, it is man himself who makes his choice and decides which way he is going to follow. Thereafter he is either helped along the course of his choice or simply encouraged and drawn on towards his final doom. Compiled From: "Freedom and Responsibility in Quranic Perspective" - Hasan Al-Anani, pp. 111-114

Understanding the Prophet's Life Bedtime Recitation When going to sleep it is recommended to recite Ayat al-Kursi, Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq, Surat al-Nas, and the end of al-Baqara (2:284-86). This is something to give particular attention to and is emphasized to heed, since rigorously authenticated hadiths concerning this have been established. Abu Masud al-Badri, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said, "The two verses at the end of al-Baqara are sufficient [in their blessings] for anyone who reads them in one night." [Bukhari] Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I have not seen any rational person who has entered Islam sleep until he had recited Ayat al-Kursi (Quran, 2:255). [Darimi] Uqba ibn Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of God said to me, 'Do not let a night pass you unless you recite therein al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, and al-Nas.' Thereafter, not a night passed me unless I recited them." [Ahmad] Compiled From: "Etiquette with the Quran" - Imam al-Nawawi, pp. 107, 108

Blindspot! Meal Manners Spiritual masters traditionally have focused on hunger. The goal is not to create a nation of anorexics but to cut the knot that binds self-discipline. Ramadan is a time to experience hunger with good cheer and renewed gratitude. It is divorcing oneself from the world and being reminded of our spiritual soul. But a person can rob Ramadan of an important benefit by overeating at night in order to make up for what was missed during the day. The night become night-long buffets and worship vigils become secondary (or ignored). People who have a problem with eathing should start at least by lessening the portion of what they normally eat, which is the beginning of discipline. The combination of overeating and a breakdown of meal manners impairs a person's ability to build fortitude. A Muslim begins each meal in the name of God. The purpose of this, in addition to sanctifying a mundane act, is to consciously remember the source of the provision. And if one eats alone, he tries to find company to share the meal with. When the meal is complete, he praises God. If one is hosted, he thanks the host and offers prayers. Compiled From: "Purification of the Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp. 146, 147