Gathering Wednesday 30 th December

Bismillaah

This is only a reminder of tomorrows gathering, wednesday 30th of december inshaAllaah at 8 pm UK time. We will continue with some of the Names of Allaah inshaAllaah.

As salamu alaikum w rwb,

Next Gathering saturday dec 19th 2009, topic Attributes of Allah (swt). 8Pm gmt

Benefits of Prayer

The prayers is one of the many types of worship in our religion. They are an outwardly expression of our belief and submission to Allaah, subhanaho wata’ala. It is also a practical sign of obedience to the command of Allaah. As such it is something that is performed on a daily basis so that we will always stay mindful of the One who created us and provided for us with all that we can see and observe on this earth - all of which has been subjected to us, for our use and benefit. Allaah said:

And He has subjected to you [for your use and benefit] all that is in the Heavens and the Earth. It is all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily in this are signs for a people who think deeply. Al-Jaathiyah (45:13]

Allaah mentions the prayer in many ayaat in the Qur’aan:


And be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down (in worship). Al-Baqarah (2:43)

Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship). Al-Ma’idah (5:55)

And to perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat)", and to be obedient to Allah and fear Him, and it is He to Whom you shall be gathered. Al-An’aam (6:72)

As salamu alaikum w rwb,

Just an annoucement in sha ALlah, We will be introducing counseling, aromatherapy and psychotherapy for the sisters. Also we will be having a network of websites to find help locally, there will be a sister's section where we will have links to ayat, hadiths and fatawah in regards to women and women's wellbeing in islam in sha Allah. If you would like any update please add the sisters mentioned or follow the blog in sha ALlah.

As salamu alaikum w rwb,

The benefits of prayers is the topic for tomorrow wednesday 16 december 2009 8 pm GMT In sha ALlah.

Maryam (as) and Isa (as)

As salamu Alaikum wr wb

Jesus and the Virgin Mary in Islam

Many people may be surprised that Muslims love Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the Quran, no woman is given more attention than Mary. Mary receives the most attention of any woman mentioned in the Quran even though all the Prophets with the exception of Adam had mothers. Of the Quran's 114 chapters, she is among the eight people who have a chapter named after them. The nineteenth chapter of the Quran is named after her, Mariam. The third chapter in the Quran is named after her father, Imran. Mary (peace be upon her) is the only woman specifically named in the Quran. An authentic Hadith states that the Prophet said, "The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh." (Bukhari 4.643). Indeed, both Mary and Pharaoh’s wife are an example:

And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Fir'aun (Pharaoh), when she said: "My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his work, and save me from the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in Allah).

And Maryam (Mary), the daughter of 'Imran who guarded her chastity. And We breathed into (the sleeve of her shirt or her garment) through Our Ruh [i.e. Jibril (Gabriel) ], and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Lord [i.e. believed in the Words of Allah: "Be!" - and he was; that is 'Îsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) as a Messenger of Allah], and (also believed in) His Scriptures, and she was of the Qanitun (i.e. obedient to Allah) .

(Quran 66:11-12)

. The Virgin Mary plays a very significant role in Islam. She is an example and a sign for all people.

Tonight's gathering

As salamu alaikum wr wb,
Tonights gatehring would but at the usual time, 8 pm London time. The topic will be about Isa (as) and His noble mother Maryam (as).

Wise sayings of Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah

Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimuhullah) amazes me…some of his inspirational words…

Every Punishment from Him is pure justice and every blessing from Him is pure grace.
(Majmoo-ul-Fataawaa, 10/85)

Whoever desires everlasting bliss, let him adhere firmly to the threshold of servitude.(Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Madaarij 1/531)

The Lord loves to be Loved. (Majmoo-ul-Fataawaa, 1/54)

Guidance is not attained except with knowledge and correct direction is not attained except with patience. (Majmoo-ul-Fataawaa, 10/40)

In this world there is a Paradise, whoever does not enter it will not enter the of the Hereafter. (Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Qaabil, p.69)

The one who is (truly) imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allaah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.(Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Qaabil, p,69)

This whole religion revolves around knowing the truth and acting by it, and action must be accompanied by patience. (Majmoo-ul-Fataawaa, 10/38)

Profound Saying of Ibn Qayyim (r)

Profound Saying of Ibn Qayyim (r)

Ibn Qayyim (r) said: "When the slave wakes up as the night encloses upon him and his only concern is Allah and how to please and obey Him, then Allah takes upon Him to fulfill all of his needs and remove from him all that causes him anxiety. Allah also makes his heart free to love Him only, his tongue free to remember Him only and his body free to serve Him only.However, when a slave of Allah wakes up when the night encloses upon him and his main concern is the world, Allah will make him bear the burdens of it's anxiety, grief and hardships. Allah will entrust him to his own self and He will make his heart busy, stealing from it His love since it will be preoccupied with love for creation. Allah will keep his tongue from His remembrance because it will be engaged with His creation; his body will be kept from obedience since it will be enslaved by its desires and services. And he will toil like a beast of burden toils in the service of another. And all who turn away from the worship, obedience and love of Allah, will be put into trial with the worship, service and love for creation."Allah (the Exalted) says:"And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) fromt he remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah) (i.e. this Qur'an and worship of Allah), we appoint for him Shaitan to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him. (Qur'an 43:36)Ibn Qayyim continues to say: "Seek out your heart in three situations:-When you are listening to the Qur'an-When you are part of a gathering of remembrance-When you are alone and away from the world and it's distractions.If you cannot find your heart in these three situations, then ask Allah to bestow upon you a heart, for indeed you are bereft of one."

"Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness."- Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya
__________________

Some Words to Heal the Broken Heart

Some Words to Heal the Broken Heart

Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah
Taken from "Diseases of the Hearts and their Cures"

As for the sickness of desire and passionate love then this is the soul loving that which would harm it coupled with this is a hatred of that which would benefit it.Passionatelove is a psychological sickness, and when it’s effects become noticeable on the body, it becomes a sickness that afflicts the mind also. Either by afflicting the mind by the likeness of melancholy, or afflicting the body through weakness and emancipation. But the purpose here is to discuss its effect on the heart, for passionate love is the fundament that makes the soul covet that which would harm it, similar to the one weak of body who covets that which harms it, and if he is not satiated by that then he is grieved, and if he is satiated then his sickness increases. The same applies to the heart afflicted with this love, for it is harmed by its connection to the loved, either by seeing, hearing, touching or even thinking about it. And if he were to curb the love then the heart is hurt and grieved by this, and if he gives in to the desire then the sickness becomes stronger and becomes a means through which the grievance is increased.In the hadeeth concerning the saying of Moosa reported by Wahb*, which is recorded by Imam Ahmad in az-Zuhd:Allah says: Indeed I drive away My friends from the delights of this world and its opulence and comfort just as the compassionate shepherd drives away his camel from the dangerous grazing lands. And indeed I make them avoid its tranquility and livelihood, just as the compassionate shepherd makes his camel to avoid the resting placers wherein it would be easy prey. This is not because I consider them to be insignificant, but so they may complete their portion of My kindness in safety and abundance, the delights of the world will not attract him and neither would desires overcome him.




*Wahb ibn Munabbih is a noble taabi’ee, but this hadeeth is reported from him directly to the Prophet (saaw) and is not authentic.


Therefore the only cure for the sick lies in his removing the sickness by removing this blameworthy love from his heart.There are some whose hearts contain the disease of desire and whose perceptions are only skin deep. When the object of the desire submits, the sickness is satiated, and this satiation strengthens the desire and pursuit of the object and hence strengthens the sickness. This is in contrast to the one whose objective is not met, for this failure results in the removing the satiation that would strengthen the sickness and thereby the desire is weakened, as is the love. This is because the person definitely intends that there be action accompanying his desire, for otherwise all his desire would be is just whisperings of the soul, unless there is some speech or looking accompanying this.As for the one who sis afflicted with this passionate love but holds back and is patient, then indeed Allah will reward him for his taqwa as occurs in the hadeeth:That the one who passionately loves someone yet holds back, conceals this and is patient, then dies upon this, will be a martyr. (A da’eef hadeeth . refer to the discussion concerning its authenticity in al-Jawaab al-Kaafee and Rawdha al-Muhibbeen of Ibn al Qayyim and Silsilah ad-Da’eefah of al-Albaanee. )This hadeeth is known to be the report of Yahya al-Qataat from Mujaahid from Ibn Abbas from the Prophet (saaw) but it is problematic and such a hadeeth is not to be depended upon.But it is known from the evidences of the Shareeah that if one were to hold back from performing that which is unlawful, be it looking, speaking or acting, and he conceals this and does not articulate it so as not to fall into that which is prohibited and he is patient in his obedience to Allah and keeps away from disobedience to Allah, despite the pain that his heart feels due to this passionate love (similar to the case of the one who is patient through a calamity), then indeed this person would gain the same reward as those who have feared Allah and been patient.

Verily, he who fears Allah and is patient, then surely Allah makes not the reward of the doers good to be lost. [Surah Yusuf: Ayah 90]

But as for him who feared the standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode. >[Surah an-Naaziaat: Ayah 40]

When the soul loves something, it will do all it can to attain it, so the one who does this out of having a blameworthy love or hatred then this action of his would be sinful. For example, his hating a person due to envying him and thereby harming whosoever is linked to that person.As one poet affected by this said:For the sake of a Sudanese girl he loved Sudan to the point that he loved the black dogs due to his love of her.

Ibn al Qayyim al Jawziyyah’s al Fawaaid (p111-112) “The slave is not afflicted with a punishment greater in severity then the hardening of the heart and being distant from Allah. For the Fire was created to melt the hardened heart. The most distant heart from Allah is the heart which is hardened. If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry.If four matters are exceeded in quantity, beyond what is necessary, the heart shall become hardened:Food, sleep, speech and sexual intercourse. A body afflicted by disease does not derive nourishment from food or water, similarly a heart diseased by desire does not benefit from admonishment and exhortation.Whosoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires.The heart which is clinging to its desires is veiled from Allah, commensurate to the degree that it is attached to them, the hearts are the vessels of Allah upon his earth, hence the most beloved of them to him, are the ones most compassionate, pure and resistant to deviation.They (the transgressors) preoccupied their hearts [in the pursuance] of the Dunya, would that they preoccupied them with Allah and the hereafter, then surely they would have reflected upon the intended meaning of his poignant words and verses. Their hearts would have returned to their masters with wisdom, marvelously curious and [in possession] of the rarest of precious gems.If the heart is nourished with remembrance, its thirst quenched with contemplation and cleansed from corruption, it shall witness remarkable and wondrous matters, inspiring wisdom.Not every individual who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom, and assumes its character is form amongst its people. Rather the people of knowledge and wisdom are those who infused life into their hearts by slaying their desires. As for the one who slays his heart and vitalized his desires, then knowledge and wisdom is naked upon his tongue.The destruction of the heart occurs by security [in this Dunya] and negligence, its fortification occurs by fear and remembrance. If the heart renounces the pleasures of the Dunya, it settles upon the [pursuance of] pleasures of the Hereafter, and amongst those who call towards it.Should the heart become content with the pleasures of the Dunya, those pleasures [of the hereafter] cease [to continue].Yearning for Allah and his meeting is like the gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, extinguishing the blaze of the Dunya. Whosoever caused his heart to settle with his Lord shall be in a state, clam and tranquil, and whosoever sent it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. For the love of Allah shall not enter a heart, which contains the love of this world, except as a camel, which passes through the eye of a needle.Hence, the most beloved servant before Allah is the one whom He places in His servitude, whom He selects for His love, whom He causes to purify his worship for Him, dedicates his objectives for Him, his tongue for His remembrance, and his limbs for His service.The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah and protection [from transgression] .It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is at-Taqwa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirst, and its food and drink are knowledge, love, dependence, repentance and servitude.”

Eating and drinking

Bismillah Ar-rahman Ar Rahim,
As salamu Alaikum w rwb,
Today’s topic is about the etiquettes of eating, drinking and host according to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

I have broken it down to few paragraphs:
· Gratefulness for the Halal food
· Uttering the name of Allah
· Manners of sitting while eating and drinking
· How we should eat and drink
· Serving food-
· Honoring guest
· Behaviors as a guest
· Right of the guest
· Right of the Host
· Accepting invitations
· Supplication for the host.

Backbiting and slandering

Bismillaah

Allaah, subhanaho wata’ala, says:

ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَۛ فِيهِۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ

This is the Book (the Qur'ân), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqûn [the pious and righteous persons who fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]. (Al-Baqarah 2:2)

One of the characteristics of a righteous behaviour is good speech. A person who stays mindful of Allaah, subhanaho wata’alaa, will want to refrain from sins of the tongue such as backbiting, slander, gossip, lying, swearing, cursing and vain talk. The Qur'aan and hadeeth warn against these sins of the tongue. Guarding one's speech is so important that Muslims will be held accountable for everything they say:

مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ۬

“Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)” (Al-Qaf 50:18).

In soorah al-Hudjuraat, He says:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا يَسۡخَرۡ قَوۡمٌ۬ مِّن قَوۡمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُواْ خَيۡرً۬ا مِّنۡہُمۡ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ۬ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيۡرً۬ا مِّنۡہُنَّۖ وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَلَا تَنَابَزُواْ بِٱلۡأَلۡقَـٰبِۖ بِئۡسَ ٱلِٱسۡمُ ٱلۡفُسُوقُ بَعۡدَ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ


O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked"]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers).

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمٌ۬ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن يَأۡڪُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتً۬ا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬



O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting)[] . And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful. (49: 12)