Divine Wonder

Quench spirit’s thirst
Satisfy soul’s hunger
Read the noble Quran
Be a part of divine wonder

It has wisdom in orders
It has knowledge in stories
Peace is its message
Having solution to worries

With its beam wants do not wander
With its shadow tongues do not waver
Countless are its benefits
A witness of Allah’s favor

Read it once, twice or thrice
It never loses its freshness
Strange tales never become old
As they stand proud in uniqueness

Lives stitched on its fabric
Homes built on its soil
Will be placed in best lands
An Honest reward for their toil

Killing the beast inside you
It brings out your purest form
Washing away waste desires
It clears obsolete norms

Never astray it will lead you
Nor wandering it will leave you
Hold on to its rope firmly; and
Your name will be in the ‘Few’.

The search man is involved in
End on its door,
Stepping into its world
He needs to search no more.

by Zoya Eitezaz Ahmed
reposted from March 2009

Divine Wonder

Pleasing Allah – Recite Qur’an

“The author of a book would be pleased to see you reading it and would pay attention to you. The Glorious Qur’an is the book of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ, He turns towards the one who recites it and becomes pleased with him.”

Hazrat Maulāna Ashraf ʿAlī Thānwī رحمه الله

Recite Qur'an

Am I Grateful?

Am I truly grateful for each breath that I take,
For each and every moment that I am awake?
Do I thank Allah for my restful sleep,
And for the dreams that cause me to weep?

Am I honestly thankful to the Almighty One,
For the early morning mist, the bright, rising sun?
During Fajr prayer, I use my soft prayer mat,
As Allah’s servant, do I appreciate that?

Throughout the day, do I realise,
That Allah, All knowing and the Most Wise,
Gives me what I need and so much more
And that I have so much to be grateful for?

A grandmother’s love, a book of hadith,
The clothes that I wear, the food that I eat,
The book that I should follow, the Holy Qur’an,
Promoting the good and ending the wrong.

So I must ask myself every beautiful day,
Am I truly grateful for each breath that I take,
For each and every moment that I am awake?
Do I thank Allah for my restful sleep,
And for the dreams that cause me to weep?

By Ibn-e-Malik (Voices Issue 7)

Reposted from January 2008

Importance of Marriage

“And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.”
[24:32]

Tafsir of Surah Ikhlas

Allah, The One, The Unique: A Tafsir of Surat ‘l Ikhlas delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq on Friday 25th May 2012 at Al Kawthar Academy, Leicester, United Kingdom.

This small chapter speaks about the oneness of Allah and monotheism. It emphasises the importance of making religion sincere and exclusive for Allah in all deeds and actions. Its profound meanings and messages are the very foundation of faith and the Qur’an.

Reposted from Nov 2012

Virtues of Surah Kahf

“Virtues of Surah Kahf” by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh Ul Haq.

The hadith related by Hakim and Bayhaqi, from Abu Sa`id (Allah be pleased with him), “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays”. [Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir]

Hazrat Al Baraa said that when a man was reciting Surah Kahf with a horse tied with two ropes at one side. Suddenly a cloud overshadowed him, and as it began to come nearer and nearer, his horse began to take fright. He went and mentioned it to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam in the morning and he said, “That was tranquillity which came down by reason of the Qur’aan.”

Hazrat Abu Darda radiyallahu anhu reported Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihe wasallam saying, “If anyone memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal (Anti-Christ).” (Muslim)

Hazrat Abu Darda radiyallahu anhu reported Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihe wasallam saying, “Anyone who reads the first three verses of Surah Kahf, he will be protected from the trial of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ).” (Tirmizi)

Surah Kahf

Tafsir Surah al-Mutaffifin

Laylatul Qadr

What is Laylatul Qadr?

Laylatul Qadr, also known as the Night of Power or Night of Decree, is one of the most significant events in the islamic calendar.  It was on this blessed night that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

(The Night of Power)

Crowning Glory

Laylatul Qadr is the crowning glory of the holy month of Ramadhaan. It is associated with the sending down of the Qur’an Majeed, the last Book of Allah on His last Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), for the guidance of mankind. The Qur’an Majeed describes this Night.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ
وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ
لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
سَلاَمٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ

“We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the Angels and the Spirit (Jibraeel) by Allah’s permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn!” (Surah 97)

The Night of Power is the night of spiritual bliss. Our Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said concerning Ramadhaan:

“Verily this month has come to you; and therein is a night which is better than a thousand Months. Whosoever is deprived of it, is deprived of all good; and none is deprived of its good except a totally unfortunate person”. (Ibn Majah)
“Whosoever stands up (in prayer) at the Night of Power out of faith and hopeful of reward, all his past sins will be forgiven.”(Targhib)

Better than a thousand months

A thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months. Fortunate is the person who spends this night in prayer. The man or woman, who prays for the whole night during this Night, will deserve blessings and reward for the period as if he or she had been praying for eighty three years and four months consecutively. Since the Night of Power is better than one thousand months no one can actually measure the extent as to how much better it is.

Exclusive

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: “Laylatul Qadr has been bestowed by Allah to my Ummah (People). It was not given to any people before this.” (Dur-Mansoor).

How manifest and replete the special bounties and mercies of Allah Ta’ala are upon this Ummat is quite really beyond imagination. It will therefore be extremely foolish to allow ourselves to be deprived of these great blessings at the expense of sheer laziness and a few hours of extra sleep.

Which Night is it? When is Laylatul Qadr?

The exact date of Laylatul Qadr is not known to the Ummah and is one of the matters only Allah knows, with the wisdom people strive to seek it.

Although there are different reports in different traditions regarding the exact night, it is almost unanimous that the blessed night occurs in one of the last ten nights of Ramadhaan and more probably in one of the last ten odd nights i.e. 2lst, 23rd, 25th 27th or 29th night.

The popular opinion is, however, in favour of the 27th Night of Ramadhaan but that is not absolutely certain. The traditions indicate that it is to be sought in one of the last ten nights and preferably in the last three odd nights. It was therefore the practice of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his companions to make I’tikaaf in the Mosque for the whole time offering Divine service during the last ten days of Ramadhaan.

Hazrath Aisha (Radhiallaahu Anha) reported that the Apostle of Allah said: “Search for the Blessed Night in the odd (nights) from the last ten (nights) of Ramadhaan” (Bukhari).

What to do on Laylatul Qadr?

Hazrath Aisha has narrated another saying:
“I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I were to find a Night of Power, what should I recite therein?” Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) advised her to recite:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allaahum-ma in-na-ka ‘afoow-wan tu-hib-bul-‘af wa fa-fu ‘an-ni.
O Allah! You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness, so forgive me. (Bukhari).

Special attention should therefore be given to the excessive recitation of this dua for Laylatul Qadr on the blessed night. Furthermore one may engage in lengthy rakaats of Tahajjud salaat, Tilaawat of the Qur’an, Dua, Zikr, etc.

The worship and the vigil of the Night of Power are a treat to the soul. The heart tends to melt into tears of heartfelt gratitude. The body is in a state of angelic ecstasy The soul strives to reach nearer to Almighty Allah. In this holy month of Ramadhaan let us strive to seek the Night of Power and its bliss. May Allah reward us with His bountiful blessings. Aameen.

Laylatul Qadr

Example of a believer

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘The example of a believer who recites the Qur’an is that of a citron (a citrus fruit) which is good in taste and good in smell. And the believer who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date which has a good taste but no smell. And the example of an impious person who recites the Qur’an is that of Ar-Rihana (an aromatic plant) which smells good but is bitter in taste. And the example of an impious person who does not recite the Qur’an is that of a colocynth which is bitter in taste and has no smell.”

Sahih Bukhari

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