Hadith e Qudsi: Verily, Allah's Mercy prevails over His wrath

There are many non Muslims who while targeting the otherwise peaceful religion of Islam, label Allah as a tyrant and least merciful. I wonder how such an accusation can be levelled against the Creator of the entire universe to be a tyrant for it is His love and mercy that continues to ignore the crimes and atrocities of the demagogues, thus giving them time to repent and seek the Divine forgiveness so that Allah in His infinite mercy forgives them. 

Even if your sins are countless, Allah’s mercy is endless. “Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”  Al Quran | 39:53

But instead of seeking mercy of Allah, these utterly naïve people not only live in a world of self illusions but also make a place for them in the burning fire of Hell when the Divine Court will be established on the day of Judgement.

* Know the difference between Hadith and Hadith e  Qudsi

With this premise in the backdrop, today we share a Hadith e Qudsi attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about the Divine promise of forgetting the sins and crimes of those who revoke His mercy to be forgiven.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book with Him upon the Throne: Verily, My mercy prevails over My wrath.”

Aabic Text:

 لَمَّا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابِهِ فَهُوَ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي غَلَبَتْ غَضَبِي

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3194, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2751

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

This simple, yet well meaning Hadith e Qudsi should be enough for those who view Allah as merciless and devoid of love for the humanity. Of course, when a limit has been crossed then wrath of Allah did  and does befall on the individuals, and even nations. We only need to read the history of 'Ad and Thamud and many other nations that boasted of their might and challenged to Divine supremacy, and were destroyed, only with their remains remaining as an example of Divine wrath.

Dear sisters and brothers in Islam, let us always seek mercy of Allah and beg Him no to unleash His wrath on us for we are too meek and weak to sustain the wrath when it is unleashed.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadith e Qudsi (حدیثِ قُدسی) attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  for more Hadith e Qudsi.

For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Source of Hadith: | 1 | 2 |

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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The only positive Fallout of Gaza Genocide: Jewish Reverts

No man has ever been born heartless. It is only that some hearts take time to soften while most hearts crumble to brutality committed against the man and the resultant pain and sufferings that emerge as a fallout of the heart wrenching brutal acts. 

The recent spate of genocidal barbarism by state of Israel against the Palestinians who are striving to find a piece of land for their independent existence has melted many a hearts, even that of the Jews, both within and without Israel. There have been numerous processions taken out by the Jews, specially in the USA, to condemn the barbaric accts of Israel police. Although, the use of force is justified to bring in peace, yet the merciless killing of children, even from point blank range smacks of carrying out gendercide of Palestinians.

It is strange that Jews, who once suffered at the hands of Hitler and were killed en masse, are resorting to the same tactics to carryout ethnic cleansing they themselves still condemn when it befell on them. How long this genocide will continue is uncertain to predict, but one thing is for sure that the amount of barbarism, human sufferings and pain of seeing thousands of children wrapped in coffins with mothers wailing has started to melt the hearts of the Jews - something that never happened before.

Now, while condemning the war crimes of Israel, there are incidents that Jews are reverting to Islam. In fact on the social media, a new term Jewish Reverts is being used to expose the atrocities of Israel and show an extreme reaction by reverting to Islam.

There are numerous videos on the social media (links given below) that show Jews reverting to Islam. Herein under, we one such video that show how genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is melting hearts and letting the Jews in unprecedent numbers enter the fold of Islam:

May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help the world to stop barbaric killing of the oppressed and weak who are fighting for their independence, specially in Gaza and Indian held Kashmir and melt the hard and merciless hearts to succumb to the wailing of mothers of innocent children being mercilessly slain. Ameen. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Disclaimer: The data / video for this post has been collected from the references given below or YouTube. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

To read personal accounts of many who have reverted to Islam, please visit our page: Embracing Islam: Revert Experiences.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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Let us continue to practice the virtues learnt during the Ramadan

Ramadan is the most blessed month of all other months of Islamic calendar. It is the month of learning and practicing virtues we do no otherwise practice in other eleven months of the year. It would not be wrong to say that Ramadan teaches us self discipline to learn the patience to abstain from what is otherwise Halal to us including food, intimate relations with our spouses, restraining our anger and harnessing our tongue to abstain from using foul language. It also conditions us to stand for long hours offering Traveeh  prayers at night and reciting Qur'an more than we recite otherwise.

With the end of the month of Ramadan, we suddenly revert to our habits, good or bad, of pre Ramadan months. But does this is the outcome of fasting for the entire months and exhibiting strict self discipline on us? Certainly not. Ramadan is in fact is a one month training camp for all of us to a strict practicing timetable to condition our behaviour for the rest of the eleven months. So what do we do?

Well, for one thing, let us stop abstaining ourselves from the Halal things and start to live our normal lives. Eat and drink during the day or even intimately meet our spouses. But that is all. Other than that, we must continue to practice the virtues learnt during the month. Some are given herein under:

The Suhoor, the food taken before the commencement of the fast of the day, every morning much before the pre dawn time, conditioned us to get up early morning, eat Suhoor followed by the pre dawn prayer (Fajr). This was normally followed by recitation of the Qur'an, usually one Juz /part every day. Now that the Ramadan is over and there are no Suhoor to taken, let us continue to offer the Fajr prayer if we were no regular in doing so before Ramadan.

Tarawih prayers coupled with the night prayer, Isha, attracted large number of believers who had otherwise never prayed the Isha prayer in the masjids. [Tarawih,  (Arabic: تَّرَاوِيح, romanized: tarāwīḥ), are special Sunnah prayers involving reading long portions of the Quran, and performing up to 20 rakahs, which are performed only in the Islamic month of Ramadan.] Now let us continue to offer Isha prayer in the masjid and be punctual as we have been during Ramadan. This should bring about a phenomenal change in our lives with regard to offering Isha prayer in the masjid.

Continuing with the offering of the practice of Tarawih prayer which entailed standing for almost an hour to listen to the Qur'an being recited, let us change over the Tahajjud prayer, the late night prayer which was the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. this non obligatory prayer is of immense value and rewards as at late night of the hour, one is all alone communicating and talking to his Creator. The getting up for Suhoor should not be replaced with offering tahajjud prayer.

The fasting itself is a good concept that can now be correlated to the many health  benefits of intermittent fasting. We are already tuned up after fasting for thirty days to abstain from eating and drinking. While we may not start fasting like that f Ramadan, we can reschedule our eating habits with long spells of food abstaining. This would be good for our health as we have experienced during Ramadan. 

While in Ramadan we abstained from foul language or telling lies or expressing our anger on petty matters,  why cannot we continue this healthy habit and remain happy, for foul language and anger is also hurting, may sometimes even lead to depression. So let us have a pleasant demeanor from now on and be happy and let others be so too.

In my reckoning, these are some virtues which we can easily adopt and continue with these for remaining part of the year, till next Ramadan. Try it, not difficult to achieve and be happy.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings, to learn more about Ramadan. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for our exclusive pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

| Photo | 

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Enormous reward of sitting at the prayer mat and remembering Allah after one's As Salat (Prayer)

Muslims all over the world offer obligatory prayers, As Salat, five times a day. The As Salat is a means to communicate with the Master of the Universe, Allah. Therefore one should neither try to hurry up the prayer itself, nor should be in a hurry to get up from one's prayer mat after the As Salt is over. In fact the time after the prayer provides time for a servant of Allah to speak to Allah exclusively by oneself. Those who do so, have an enormous reward in waiting for them.

The reward is mentioned by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in one of his Hadiths as mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī  (Book 10 - Call to Prayers (Adhaan) /  كتاب الأذان / Chapter 36:  (The reward of a person) who waits for As-Salat (the prayer) in the mosque and the superiority of mosques / باب مَنْ جَلَسَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلاَةَ، وَفَضْلِ الْمَسَاجِدِ) as Hadith 659, given herein under:

Narrated by Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,

"The angels keep on asking for Allah's Blessing and Forgiveness for anyone of you as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place) and does not do Hadath (passes wind). The angels say, 'O Allah! Forgive him and be Merciful to him.' Each one of you is in the prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and nothing but the prayer detains him from going to his family."

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُصَلِّي عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مَا دَامَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ مَا لَمْ يُحْدِثْ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ، اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ‏.‏ لاَ يَزَالُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا دَامَتِ الصَّلاَةُ تَحْبِسُهُ، لاَ يَمْنَعُهُ أَنْ يَنْقَلِبَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ ‏"‏‏.‏

As Salat / prayer is a means of communication between the servant and his Master, Allah the Almighty. It is the time when one should shun all worldly thoughts and offer one's As Salat as if he is talking directly to Allah, praising Him, acknowledging the countless bounties he has been blessed with and supplicating to remain on the righteous path, As Siraat ul Mustaqeem.

Therefore, one should never be in a hurry to offer his prayer, and concentrate on his one to one connection with his Master. Still better would be to keep sitting at one's prayer mat and remember Allah by using His many attributes (99 Attributes of Allah) or reading Qur'an without getting up from his prayer mat, provided his wudu remains intact. As per the Hadith quoted above, the reward for doing so is enormous as angels keep asking Allah for the forgiveness of the servant of Allah. Let us bag the enormous reward of sitting on the prayer mat after our As Salat.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Please refer to our reference pages: Collections of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Rewards for more Hadiths on the subject and Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about As Salat - Prayers

For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Source of Hadith

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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A Supplication for forgiveness repeated 100 times by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Whenever we need to make a request to our company head or a superior, we rehearsed chosen words several times so that what ever we speak, every words is expressive of our earnest desire for request be accepted. In fact, it is the words that always matter. Carefully chosen words can eve melt a stubborn and least responsive boss.

Likewise, we should carefully select words when making a supplication to our Creator, the Lord of the universe. Some may ask why? The answer is that no one likes a ill worded request which really cannot be understood. Therefore, when we ask forgiveness from Allah, we should phrase our supplication in a way that not only we we put across our request for pardoning, but also we appreciate our Lord that He alone is the pardoner and no one else. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would often make supplications in the presence of others so that they should remember the well worded supplications for nothing could be better phrased by the revered Prophet of Allah.

This supplication is mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book # 8  Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr / كتاب  الاستسقاء / Chapter # 512 About Seeking Forgiveness / باب فِي الاِسْتِغْفَارِ

as Hadith number # 1515, quoted herein under:

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar:

We counted that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say a hundred times during a meeting: "My Lord, forgive me and pardon me; Thou art the Pardoning and forgiving One".

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ مِغْوَلٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُوقَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَعُدُّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَجْلِسِ الْوَاحِدِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ ‏ "‏ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَىَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade:  Sahih (Al-Albani)

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Please refer to our reference page: Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more prophetic Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

You may also  refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah, and our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Source of Supplication

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Eclipse: The sun and the moon are two signs from Allah - Their eclipse is not related to birth and death

Whenever there is an eclipse of sun or moon, a  lot is written, mostly the expression of superstitions and their bad effect on man and the surroundings. In many cultures, people are forbidden to go out at the time of eclipse. even pregnant women are forbidden to go out, lest the eclipse effects the fetus. 

Although, many Muslims are to obsessed with the effects of eclipses, all this is superstition which has nothing to do with Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says that the eclipse is a phenomenon that God has created. It does not happen for any human being's birth or death. He has taught us to offer a certain prayer during the eclipse, which is very special in its form and length.

Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that Ibn Mas’ud al-Ansari said: the sun was eclipsed the day Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and the people said, The sun is eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The sun and the moon are two signs from Allah, and they do not become eclipsed for the death or the birth of anyone. If you see that, hasten to remember Allah and to pray.

The revered wife of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been quoted as saying:

In the life-time of Allah's Apostle Muhammad ﷺ the sun eclipsed, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second Raka as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, "The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa." The Prophet then said, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! There is none who has more ghaira (self-respect) than Allah as He has forbidden that His slaves, male or female commit adultery (illegal sexual intercourse). O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! If you knew that which I know you would laugh little and weep much.

In another Hadith, Abu Bakr narrates:

We were with Allah's Apostle when the sun eclipsed. Allah's Apostle stood up dragging his cloak till he entered the Mosque. He led us in a two-Rakat prayer till the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone's death. So whenever you see these eclipses pray and invoke (Allah) till the eclipse is over."

Aforementioned Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, we should take eclipses as signs of Allah, which happen due to rotations of sun, earth and moon, and are part of normal celestial movements. These do not happen as a warning for a forthcoming calamity or death to someone. All we should do is remember Allah in such times and ask forgiveness. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is said to have led a four rakat prayer cycle, called Salat al-Kusuf as has been mention in the above referred hadiths.

“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.” (Fussilat 41:37)

The eclipse prayer, Salat al-Kusuf, is an obligatory sunnah whenever there is an eclipse of the sun. [It is agreed that the Solar Eclipse prayer is a confirmed sunnah. There is disagreement about the lunar eclipse. The two famous positions are that the lunar eclipse prayer is recommended as al-Ujhuri stated.

Please watch an informative video by Mufti Menk on solar eclipse:

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  for more Hadiths on the General Subjects.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Hadith References: | 1 | 2 |

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Reward of acts focused in this world and the Hereafter (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Man has been created to be servant of Allah and it is expected that all his acts are focused on pleasing Allah, and none else. Yet we normally observe that the focus of our attention is this world and the worldly gains and not the bigger and far superior rewards in the life of the Hereafter as promised by our Creator. And certainly those who focus on gains and happiness of this world by any means, whether Halal or Haraam, with complete disregard to the accountability awaiting on the Day of Judgement, will be the ultimate losers, for they sacrificed the pleasures of the Hereafter to the worldly comforts.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has warned the believers of an attitude of focusing on worldly gains in one of his Hadiths mentioned in Sunan Ibn Majah /  Book 37 Zuhd / باب  الزهد) / Chapter 2: Being concerned with this world / باب الْهَمِّ بِالدُّنْيَا / as Hadith number # 4105 under:

‘Abdur-Rahman bin Aban bin ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan narrated that his father said:

“Zaid bin Thabit departed from Marwan at mid-day. I said: ‘He has not sent him out at this time of the day except for something he asked.’ So I asked him, and he said: ‘He asked me about some things we heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever is focused only on this world, Allah will confound his affairs and make him fear poverty constantly, and he will not get anything of this world except that which has been decreed for him. Whoever is focused on the Hereafter, Allah will settle his affairs for him and make him feel content with his lot, and his provision and worldly gains will undoubtedly come to him.”

Arabic Text:‏

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَبَانَ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ خَرَجَ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ مَرْوَانَ بِنِصْفِ النَّهَارِ فَقُلْتُ مَا بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ إِلاَّ لِشَىْءٍ سَأَلَ عَنْهُ ‏.‏ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ سَأَلَنَا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ سَمِعْنَاهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ مَنْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرَهُ وَجَعَلَ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ وَمَنْ كَانَتِ الآخِرَةُ نِيَّتَهُ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ وَجَعَلَ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) 

The Hadith amply highlights the focus of our attention to whatever we do in this world and for a life in the Hereafter. Most of us, even true believers, fall for the worldly gains despite worshipping to Allah, keeping fasts, paying Zakat / charity or even going for Hajj and Umrah. There are people who go for Umrah almost every year with the money earned form Haraam means with complete disregard to the awaited wrath of Allah, who they think are pleasing Allah by their 'noble' acts.

Even otherwise, we resort to under the table deals in business, or willfully harm others for own gains so as to live a better life at the cost of rights of those who deserved better. Such focus of attention to worldly life will be accounted for and Allah promises to make their lives in this world miserable and difficult. 

So let us brothers and sisters in Islam, let us focus on the life of the Hereafter more than this temporary worldly life. so as to be blessed with permanent rewards in the Heavens.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Collections of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Rewards for more Hadiths on the subject

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Source of Hadith

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Muslim Festivals

Festivals are means to celebrate a happy occasion, be it be religious, cultural, harvest cutting or a follow up of an event coming down from the ancestors. These festivals are usually celebrated with much fanfare, loudness and merry making. When a new ready harvest is being cut, bands and bugles are beaten and blown to encourage the crop cutters and make it a day full of festivities.

Festivals when related to the religions are much simpler and less noisy. These are celebrated with religious zeal and fervour and every one joins hands to celebrate the day, with humility to thank Allah for having let us live to the day of festival, with entire families and friends.

As for Islam, there are two major festivals that are held in each lunar calendar. These are known as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. This reference page provides links to our earlier posts which give detailed information about each of these two festivals. 

Eid al Fitr: 

Eid al-Fitr is the first festival in a lunar year which is held and at the end of the month long fasting in month of Ramadan. one of two major holidays celebrated by Muslims and commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan and siting of the new moon of the next Islamic month Shawaal,  Since it is held after the end of month long fasting, the word Eid al Fitr means the festival of breaking the fast.. Eid al Fitr is also known as ʿĪd al-Fiṭr "عيد الفطر "- or Al-ʿĪd al-Ṣaghīr (العيد الصغير The smaller / lesser Eid). It is also known as Meethi (sweet) Eid in some countries as on this day sweetened dishes are prepared and devoured happily.

Herein under are links to our earlier posts which give detailed information about how this type of Eid is celebrated and how special charity is doled out to help those who cannot afford to buy new clothes or prepare special dishes exclusive to the day:

• How and When Muslims started to celebrate Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha 
• Eid al Fitr: The festival of breaking the fast
• Eid ul Fitr عيد الفطر Mubarak / Eid greetings to everyone around the world 
• Zakatal Fitr: Why, when and to whom it is given 
• The minimum scale of Zakatul Fitr 
• Five Most Favoured Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah on Eid Day 
• Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah on Eid Day

Eid al-Adha:

Eid ul-Adha "عيد الأضحى" or العيد الكبير (Eid-al-Kabir) is the latter of the two Islamic festivals, celebrated soon after the performance of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. This Eid is celebrated to honour the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God's command. And his son also willingly obeyed what his father had been asked to do. However, when Prophet Ibrahim was about to cut the throat of his son, Allah accepted Prophet Ibraheem's willingness obedience and replaced his son with a lamb to sacrifice instead. While those performing Hajj, sacrifice an animal, which may be a lamb, goat, cow or camel. Muslims all over the world also emulate the sacrificing of animals to be part of the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim. 

Herein under are links to our previous posts on Eid al-Adha:

• What is Eid al Adha - How it differs from Eid al Fitr
• Why do Muslims Sacrifice Animals on Eid al Adha 

In Sha Allah (God willing) we will continue to add more substance so that the spirit of celebrating these two festivals is well understood.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand basics of Islam as enunciated in Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Eid al Fitr: The festival of breaking the fast

The month of Ramadan is a month of test for the Muslims, for it is a month in which every Muslim undergoes a strict test of patience, hunger and thirst besides abstaining from many a Halal things for the love of Allah. The rigours of fasting from dawn to dusk, specially in summers, is really telling. Yet Muslims endure all hardships of the month lovingly and faithfully. In fact the month of Ramadan, the 9th month Islamic lunar calendar, is much awaited rather eagerly by the Muslims every year, and after fasting for the entire month, they bid farewell rather sadly and a heavy heart for the month carried special blessings and rewards that no other month carries.

With the end of the month of Ramadan, the new moon of the Shawaal, the tenth Islamic month, brings in the glad tidings of a festival of breaking the fast. That is life return to normal as was before entering into the month of Ramadan a month ago.  Due to dependence on the lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan can be of 29 or 30 days.

If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets), then the holiday is celebrated the following day. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for one to three days, depending on the country.

The first day of Shawaal is thus known as the Eid al-Fitr / ʿĪd al-Fiṭr "عيد الفطر "- the festival of breaking the fast. It is also called Al-ʿĪd al-Ṣaghīr (العيد الصغير The smaller / lesser Eid). It is also known as Meethi (sweet) Eid in some countries as on this day sweetened dishes are prepared and devoured happily.

The celebration of Eid al-Fitr originated by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when he migrated from Makkah to Medinah. Anas, a well-known companion of the Islamic prophet, narrated that, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ arrived in Medina, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they entertained themselves with recreation. At this, Muhammad remarked that God had fixed two mandatory days of festivity: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (The second of the canonical festivals of Islam).

Muslims start to prepare for celebrating the Eid al Fitr in the last days of the Ramadan and an increased hustle and bustle is observed in the markets, families buying new clothes and shoes. For girls, the preparations also include buying glass bangles, gaudy coloured dresses with matching shoes and purses/bags.

The Eid day dawns with the special Eid prayer congregation at central places, rather than small masjid, so that Muslims en mass could join their brethren on this happy day. It is forbidden to keep fast on the Eid day. For this very reason, one must eat something, even a piece of date, before proceeding for the Eid prayers.

It is actually haram (prohibited) to fast on Eid day, as stated in a Hadith: He [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] forbade fasting on the day of 'Eid) al-Fitr and the day of al-Nahr (the day of sacrifice, i.e., 'Eid al-Adha).

After the prayers are over, all greet each other by embracing and wishing Eid Mubarak (greeting). Special dishes are prepared at homes by the ladies, specially sweet dishes. Sheer Khurma is one of the most favourite sweet dish of the day. Sheer means milk in Persian and khurma means dates; it is a delectable and nutritious mix of Seviyan (a form of vermicelli), dates and milk. This simple yet delicious dessert is versatile as it can be served hot or cold.

Cognizant of the fact that the poor may not have enough money to also participate in the festivities of the day, it is a obligatory Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to pay Zakatal Fitr, also called Fitrana or Sadaqat-Ul-Fitr,  before the Eid prayers, much better if it is paid a day or two earlier so that poor could also buy clothes or at least some sweets for their families.

In order to include the poor in the festivities of the day, a obligatory charitable donation known as Fitrana is given before the Eid prayers to the poor so that could also buy clothes for their children and cook special food for the day. Fitrana  or Fitra is also called Zakat-Ul-Fitr, also called Sadaqat-Ul-Fitr, is a charity that has to be paid for by every household. Unlike Zakat, where only the individuals who have savings above the nisaab amount are required to pay Zakat, Zakat-Ul-Fitr applies to every member of the household as well.

Read our previous posts to know more about Eid al Fitr:

• Eid ul Fitr عيد الفطر Mubarak / Eid greetings to everyone around the world 
• Zakatal Fitr: Why, when and to whom it is given 
• The minimum scale of Zakatul Fitr 
• Five Most Favoured Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah on Eid Day 

Soon after reaching home after Eid prayers, fathers and elder give "Eidi" to the children. Eidi is a usually paid in cash so that the children can celebrate the day by buying chocolates or other eatables, sometimes toys as well, to join in the celebrations of the day. Thereafter the sweetened dishes are served by the ladies of the house. The entire day is then spent in welcoming guests / friends and families who come to wish the Eid greetings. Children also get Eidi from the visiting guests and the day continues as a thankfulness for successfully braving the rigours of the fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is said to have encouraged this practice saying: “Give gifts to one another, you will love each other.”

Please watch an introductory video on Eid al Fitr:

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) accept our fasting during the month of Ramadan and help us not to forget our Muslim brethren with Zakatul Fitr so that they also join in the festivities of the Eid day.  

May Allah help us to understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah by assisting them in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

Photo | Reference: | Wikipedia | Britannica |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More