Thursday, May 31, 2007

Sunnas of sleep

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah
Imam Ahmad reported that Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) passed by a man who was lying on his stomach, so he poked him with his leg and said, ‘This is a posture that Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not like.’” It was also reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and there are many other hadiths in the major collections that support this.
Because of this, it is mentioned in Imam al-Barkawi’s manual on the path of taqwa, al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya:
“And it is disliked to lie on one’s stomach without an excuse..”
Imam al-Khadimi added in his commentary:
“Sleeping on one’s back is the sleep of the prophets, who contemplate the creation of the heavens and earth [f: when without a roof on their heads]; sleep on the right side is the sleep of scholars and worshippers; sleep on the left is the sleep of kings to digest food; and sleeping on one’s face is the sleep of devils and the unbelievers.” ( al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya fi Sharh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya, 4: 177)
In the Fatawa al-Hindiyya, a brilliant collection of relied upon positions within the Hanafi school, gathered by a committee of scholars commissioned by the righteous Moghul emperor, Aurangzeb, it is stated that,

“It is recommended to take advantage of the afternoon nap (qaylula), for the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, “Take afternoon naps, for the devils do not take afternoon naps,” as mentioned in al-Ghayathiyya… It is recommended for one to sleep in a state of ritual purity, and to lie on one’s right side, facing the qibla for a while [f: at least, and then, if it is difficult to fall asleep on one’s right] then one may sleep on one’s left side [f: without it being considered sub-optimal], as mentioned in al-Sirajiyya.
It is disliked to sleep early in the morning, and between maghrib and isha [f: because it would normally lead to one missing isha in congregation, otherwise, it is not disliked though still better not to do]. It has been mentioned in some works that no sleep was more beloved to Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) than sleep [right] after isha before the last of the night. One’s sleep should be on a bed that is mid-way between being soft and hard [f: as this prevents excessively deep sleep that could make one miss prayer or tahajjud, while being reasonably comfortable]. One should take one’s right hand as a pillow under one’s cheek. One should bring to mind that one will be [similarly] placed in the grave, lying on one’s side, alone with nothing but one’s works… If one is full and fears stomach pain, it is not wrong to place a pillow under one’s stomach and to sleep on it.
One should make remembrance of Allah (dhikr) when going to sleep, saying the tahlil (‘la ilaha illa Allah’), tahmid (‘alhamdu lillah’) and tasbih (‘subhan Allah’) [f: after having recited the specific Prophetic invocations recommended before sleep] until sleep overcomes one, for the sleeper is resurrected according to how he fell asleep and the one who dies according to the state he died in.
One should get up before fajr, for the earth complains to Allah from the ghusl of the adulterer, and from blood unlawfully spilled on it, and from sleep after fajr time [comes in].
One should wake up making remembrance of Allah [f: the best of which are the specific Prophetic invocations], and with a firm resolve to have taqwa from that which Allah has prohibited, and determined not to wrong any of Allah’s servants, as mentioned in al-Ghara’ib. "[ al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5: 376]
Among the sunnas of waking are:
1. To say ‘La Ilaha illa Allah’, then ‘Alhamdulillah’ three times, then Alhamdulillahi alladhi ahyana ba`da ma amatana wa ilayhi an-nushur (All praise is to Allah who gave us life after death, and to Him is the final return). [Bukhari, Abu Dawud, and others]
2. It is good to rub the face and eyes with both hands, to get rid of the effects of sleep, as mentioned in Shama’il al-Tirmidhi
3. It is recommended to brush one’s teeth, ideally using a tooth-stick (miswak), because of hadiths to this effect in Ahmad’s Musnad in in Abu Dawud’s Sunan.
And all good, in this world and the next, may be found in following the way of the Beloved of Allah (upon him be the best of blessings and most perfect of peace). And all success is from Allah.
Wassalam.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Unable to stay awake after completing the Fajr prayer? Struggling to barely make it through the day?
Do you find yourself nodding off at your desk during idle moments at work? Are midday meetings becoming your favorite naptimes?
The hustle and bustle of our fast-paced lives leaves little time for rest. While college students are perhaps among the most sleep-deprived, more and more people are failing to get enough sleep. And for Muslims, living in a society that does not revolve around prayer timings poses an additional challenge.
Despite it being such a crucial part of our 24-hour day, we pay little attention to this often taken-for-granted activity. How many of us have seriously contemplated questions such as, "How much sleep do I need?" "What can I do who about insomnia?" "Can I really catch up on sleep?"
Believe it or not, there is actually an organization called the National Sleep Foundation (http://www.sleepfoundation.org/) that is dedicated to "improving the quality of life for the millions of Americans who suffer from sleep disorders, and to the prevention of catastrophic accidents related to sleep deprivation or sleep disorders."
Sleep has been mentioned by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala in Sura An-Naba (78), verse 9, "And We have appointed your sleep for repose." And indeed, Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam) himself emphasized that our bodies have a right over us. The carefully recorded biographies of the Prophet inform us that he spent most of the day in service to his community and most of his night in prayer to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. It is said that the Prophet slept very little during the night, but encouraged a short nap between the Dhuhr and 'Asr prayers. One wonders how it was possible for the Prophet to function with such little sleep; however, having had prophethood bestowed upon him, he was commanded by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala to prepare and train himself for that tremendous mission.
Stage 1 Muscles relax, irregular, rapid brain wavesStage 2 Larger waves, bursts of electrical activityStage 3 Large, slow waves (delta)Stage 4 Continuation of large, slow waves (delta)Stage 5 1 hour or later, REM - rapid eye movement (brain waves as active as if one were awake. Dreams occur.Stage 6 Recurring REM cycles until one awakens 75% Non-REM sleep, 25% REM (dreaming)
In today's society, people devote little effort to monitoring their sleep patterns. Indeed, most of us do not know what actually happens during sleep (refer to diagram). We do know, however, that if we do not get enough sleep, we can feel irritable and drowsy. Consider a typical summer day when daylight hours are long, and nights are short. In North America , the beginning time for Fajr prayer can be as early as 4:30 am while the time for 'Isha prayer can be as late as 10 pm. By the time we wrap up the day and go to bed, it may be after midnight - technically, the next day. Waking up for Fajr prayer under these circumstances can be a struggle, to say the least.
And then, what does one do after completing the prayer? This can actually be the real dilemma. Consider this scenario: if you complete Fajr prayer at 5 am, yet you do not have to prepare for work (which starts at 9 am) until 7:30, what do you do during those 2-1/2 hours? Chances are you haven't had enough sleep so you'd like to return to bed; however, you feel uneasy, recalling that the Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam frowned on the habit of sleeping after the Fajr prayer.
Try, though, as we may to follow the Prophet Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's Sunnah, for many of us, those extra hours of sleep in the morning have become a source of revitalization. If you are fortunate enough to be able to fall asleep again, you may feel more rested and ready to take on a full day of work. If, however, it takes you a half hour or more to fall back to sleep, you may actually find yourself awakening later feeling groggy.
This scenario is just one of many, and addresses the individual who doesn't make it to bed until late but still wakes for prayer. What about the individual who does not wake for prayer? The fact is that many of us, for a combination of reasons, rarely get a good night's sleep.
We will now discuss the dangers of sleep deprivation, recommendations for sleep management, and the wisdom behind the habits of the Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam. Scientists have conducted various studies on sleep patterns in which the most common finding is that not getting enough sleep is a threat to both our physical and mental health. A typical work day lasts approximately 9 hours. Adding another hour or so for commuting time means the average person requires at least 10 hours a day of alertness, notwithstanding family responsibilities and extra-curricular activities after work. A working mom may find it necessary to stay awake continuously for 18 hours or more, making it impossible for her to get more than 5-6 hours of sleep every night. And we're assuming that her sleep is not disrupted by stress or any other physical ailments. As this cycle repeats itself over the duration of the workweek, it is not uncommon for many people to suffer from sleep deprivation. Many Muslims experience increased bouts of sleep deprivation during the month of Ramadhaan. Waking up an hour before the Fajr prayer, eating suhoor, staying awake through the day until iftaar, praying the Taraweeh prayers, and repeating this cycle for an entire month can cause shock to a body that is unprepared. Are You Sleep Deprived? Do you want to know if you are sleep-deprived? One simple test is to see how fast you are able to fall asleep. Spouses of people who are sleep-deprived report that they fall asleep almost immediately after their heads touch the pillow. They often cannot sit still during prolonged meetings else they risk falling asleep. And often, the irony is that they are sleep deprived because of intense periods of activity without breaks or pauses. As mentioned above, sleep deprivation poses risks for both physical and mental health. For example, research has shown that two out of three road accidents in the U.S. may be linked to drivers who are sleep-deprived. Slower reactions combined with an inability to think clearly often puts sleep-deprived drivers at a higher risk for road rage and, even worse, of missing important cues such as slowed traffic or unsafe road conditions.
Recent studies in the West have also reported that starting schools later in the morning may help reduce discipline problems while increasing academic performance. This finding sits at odds with the traditional notion in the Islamic culture which emphasizes rising early for Fajr prayer, and memorizing Qur`aan, for example, in the early hours of the morning.
Sleep and Teenagers
Sleep deprivation is not uncommon among teenagers as well. Ever wonder why teenagers enjoy slumber parties so much… during which they comfortably stay awake all hours of the night and sleep in until the Dhuhr prayer? Over the past few years, various studies have indicated that adolescents, in their prime years of development, need more sleep than they are getting. Some scientists have based this finding on the possibility that teenagers have internal clocks that prompt them to stay awake late at night and sleep later in the morning (Washington Post, 10/19/00). Recent studies in the West have also reported that starting schools later in the morning may help reduce discipline problems while increasing academic performance. This finding sits at odds with the traditional notion in the Islamic culture which emphasizes rising early for Fajr prayer, and memorizing Qur`aan, for example, in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps one explanation could be that in Islamic cultures, typically very little activity takes place between the 'Isha and Fajr prayers. A household that abides by this tradition is likely to produce youth who are more alert and effective in the early mornings. On the other hand, non-Islamic lifestyles socialize the youth to stay awake for hours on end after the 'Isha prayer. In this lifestyle, the night comes to life - ceasing to be a time for rest. Sleep and University Students University students are perhaps among the most vulnerable to sleep disruption and deprivation. Muslim students try especially hard to juggle strenuous schoolwork, Islamic study circles, and extracurricular and social activities. We asked two seniors and a first year student at Georgetown University about their own sleeping habits. The three students averaged approximately five-and-a-half hours of sleep per night. Admittedly, senior Shaheen Kazi added that her six to seven hours of sleep a night are reduced drastically during peak exam times. As vice-president of the campus Muslim Student Association, and coordinator of the Muslim Housing Co-op, Kazi has to maintain a delicate balance between excelling academically while fulfilling her obligations to the Georgetown Muslim community. But exactly how do such students make it through the day with such little sleep? Rehenuma Asmi, a first-year student majoring in Arabic and pre-medicine says she does not usually have to take a nap during the day. Kazi and her roommate, senior Nadia Chaudhri indicate that they take power naps (20-30 minutes) during the day. Prophet Muhammad's Sleep Patterns The Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam was known to sleep very little. There are several authentic reports regarding his sleeping habits. During the early period of revelation, he was commanded to spend most of the night or some part of the night in prayer. After the initial years of revelation, the Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam continued the night prayers in the last third of the night. He would stop, and rest lying on his right side until his companion and the caller to prayer, Bilal, came to wake him for the Fajr prayer. He did not sleep after Fajr prayer, but we learn from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam that he recommended a nap between Dhuhr and 'Asr prayer. Indeed, the reader is invited to further explore the blessed habits of the Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam in the various books of seerah and throughout the books of Hadeeth. Overall, we would all agree that our bodies deserve their share of rest. As Muslims, we are reminded by Prophet Muhammad Sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam that our bodies have a right over us. We must monitor our daily activities to ensure that we are getting enough sleep. Most of all, our sleep patterns should not make us miss either Fajr or 'Isha, as they mark the beginning and the end of our days. So make sure that from time to time, you ask yourself, "Am I getting enough sleep?" Editor's Note: There are several sleep disorders (like insomnia, parasomnia, or hypersomnia for example) and the reader is invited to visit the American Sleep Disorders Association at http://www.asda.com/ to learn more about them.

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Monday, May 28, 2007

The Youth's Role in Supporting Islam

The beating of war drums generates worry, tension, and confusion in the hearts. It keeps one from enjoying sleep, food, family, because of being continuously tense and frightened. But we say to the Muslim youth: Your role did not start just now, but rather started from the beginning of your maturity and awareness. And it will not end by the end of a given event, but rather by your death. So take the initiative and start to perform your role now. It is neither of sound judgment nor of proper zeal for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala’s religion to sleep like the People of the Cave and wake up at every crisis that requires a solution, whereupon we ask about our role, and then sleep again until the next one. These feelings of worry and tension only overwhelm the people of weak faith. In order to overcome such feelings, one has to do the following:

First: Refining and Renewing One’s Faith in the Oneness of Allaah
Almighty Allaah is the Lord and Sustainer of the universe; everything occurs by His Command, and to Him belongs all creation and decisions. "Every day He exerciseth (universal) power" [Ar-Rahman, 29] Therefore, every Muslim must renew his faith, confidence, and reliance on his Lord, for He is more careful to preserve His religion and His believing servants than anyone else is. "Lo! Allaah defendeth those who believe] [Al-Hajj: 38] The Muslim should also affirm his absolute faith in divine decree, and in the fact that nothing occurs except by the Will and Predestination of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, whether it be important or insignificant. "No calamity befalleth save by Allaah's leave" [At-Taghabun, 64:11] "Lo! We have created everything by measure: [Al-Qamar 54:49] "Say: Naught befalleth us save that which Allaah hath decreed for us. He is our protecting helper. In Allaah let believers put their trust!" [At-Tawbah: 51]

Second: Repentance. Asking Allaah’s Forgiveness and Glorifying Him
"And had he not been one of those who glorify (Allaah); He would have tarried in its belly till the day when they are raised" [As-Saffat, 143-144] Al`Abbas and `Ali (radhiallaahu anhum) said, “No calamity occurs except because of a wrongdoing, and no relief after a calamity comes except through repentance.”

Third: Worship and Doing Good
Muslim reported in his collection, Saheeh Muslim, Book of Al-Fitan (Afflications) that Ma`qil Ibn Yasar narrated that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, “Worship during the period of widespread turmoil is like an immigration to me (i.e. in reward).” This hadeeth highlights two important aspects: The true Muslim should occupy himself with fruitful matters such as the performance of prayer, remembering Allaah often, invoking Allaah fervently, fasting, giving in charity, being keen to call on Allaah, and so on. Such matters are far better for the Muslim than being engaged in meaningless talk and fruitless discussions, which are not likely to lead to anything useful, but rather occupy the mind and worry the soul. It is essential to regain the peace of one’s soul through those tranquilizing doses of obeying and remembering Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, so that one may think and behave correctly.


Fourth: Patience
There is no faith without patience. Therefore, we, as Muslims, should never tire of advising one another to be patient, as patience is the cure of many chronic problems. (Hastiness is from Shaytaan and deliberateness is from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.) Patience and deliberateness make him consider his decisions carefully and see to his affairs with understanding and correct vision, which prevent him from acting haphazardly or aimlessly. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, “The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger.” In another narration of the same hadeeth, it is reported that he sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, “The strong person is the one who defeats his anger.” This represents the highest form of courage and is a feature of human perfection.


Fifth: Abandonment of Dispute and Dissension
The Almighty says, "…and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength departs from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allaah is with the steadfast" [Al-Anfal, 8:46]

Dispute causes failure, weakness, and dispersal of efforts, and may cause some people to become preoccupied with themselves rather than with their enemies. Almighty Allaah has criticized the People of the Book before us, as well as whoever follows in their footsteps from this nation, because of the disagreements and disputes rampant among them. Allaah says, "Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are divers. That is because they are a folk who have no sense" [Al-Hashr, 59:14]The true Muslim does his best to reconcile the different sects that make up the Muslim community.


Sixth: Optimism
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam used to like a good omen. Anas radhiallaahu anhu said, “The Prophet was the best and the bravest amongst the people. Once the people of Madeenah were terrified at night, so they went in the direction of the sound (that terrified them). The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam met them (on his way back) after he had found out the truth. He was riding an unsaddled horse belonging to Aboo Talhah and a sword was slung around his neck, and he was saying, ‘Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!’” Thus, the feelings of weakness and inability engulfing the hearts of a significant number of Muslims need urgent attention. Although we all agree on the gravity of the events and their serious consequences, we should bear in mind the established facts which prove that this nation shall continue to exist until the end of time. For example, the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam invoked Allaah Almighty not to make his nation entirely perish by famine. This invocation was accepted by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. Thus, this nation withstood the test of time and survived all disasters and calamities; it may fall ill but will never die. For these reasons, we wonder at the panic overwhelming some people. Where is the steadfastness of the true believers? Where is the firmness of determined Muslims? This nation suffered from greater calamities but it never surrendered or gave in. Rather it held on and set great examples of patience and endurance. One should not forget what happened to the Muslims during the days of the Tatar invasion which conquered all the Islamic countries and demolished the capital of the Muslim nation. Anyone who tries to perceive those events and imagine living during that epoch will surely feel that the Last Day has come, that Islam has perished, and that its nation has vanished from existence. However, that did not happen at all. After two centuries only the Muslims conquered Constantinople and reached Vienna . Thus, O people of Islam! Receive glad tidings and have whatever hopes you wish to have. Your nation will never die by a deathblow.Nevertheless, the legal optimism in Islam is that positive, active, and productive kind which buoys up and motivates one’s spirits. Unfortunately, a group of people resorted to expecting miracles, waiting for the supernatural, and such false dependence which neglects the causes and waits for marvels. We know for sure that miracles ended with the end of the messengers and that we are living in the realm of reality where we should make use of all available means, depending and putting our confidence in Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. During hardship, the right attitude is to be steadfast, patient, and to deal with events from the viewpoint of the firm content believer, without any feeling of inability or false dependence. Muslims should approach ongoing events with a realistic perception, accounting profit and loss, and preserving interests, and minimizing evils. Also, it should be far from weakness and recklessness. The laws enforced by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala in the universe are applicable even to prophets; the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims triumphed in the Battle of Badr, but were defeated in Uhud. They concluded a peace treaty in Hudaybiyah, conquered Mecca and turned away in Hunain. Also we should not be hasty or impatient. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala says: "…but there is an appointed term from which they will find no escape.a" [Al-Kahf: 58]


Seventh: The establishment of Muslim brotherhood in its noblest form
This should be reflected on one's feelings, words, and actions. The following are the features of brotherhood: Being loyal to the believers and not helping the disbelievers against them. The judgment concerning helping disbelievers against the Muslims is as clear as day. It is explained in various verses in the Qur`aan, like for example, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's saying, "O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allaah guideth not wrongdoing folk" [Al-Maa'idah: 51] The Almighty also says, "O ye who believe! Choose not My enemy and your enemy for friends" [Al-Mumtahanah: 1] Allaah Almighty says, "He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them" [Al-Maa’idah: 51]Therefore, Muslims are required to establish brotherhood among them and help one another. The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam says, “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor lets him down nor looks down upon him. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith: his blood, his wealth and his honor.” Furthermore, in the Farewell Sermon, he sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said, “Verily! Your blood, property and honor are sacred to one another (i.e. Muslims) like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours and in this city of yours.” Thus, our support and affiliation to our Muslim brethren should not be temporary or momentary. Unfortunately, our sense of responsibility to our brethren never awakens except in times of crises, when we hurry to help them and then go back to our sleep after the crisis has subsided. Among the aspects of this brotherhood is hurrying to relieve the victims of catastrophes, such as children, old people, women, and the homeless. Muslims are supposed to be the first to help their brothers in faith, not the Red Cross Organization, the International Food Program, or any eastern or western country. We know that millions of Afghani people originally live in camps in Pakistan . With the new circumstances, the number of refugees has increased. Their conditions are catastrophic as regards health, food, and livelihood. Every Muslim should be very cautious not to fall into the snares represented in the stupor of shock or excessive enthusiasm. What we need most in many affairs of our lives is balance and having a base of established facts; we should not let actions and reactions make us lose our required balance. Furthermore, we do not need to exert much effort to realize that many of our mistakes have resulted from a deviation in perception away from the required balance and moderation. Feelings can be provoked and stirred, but actions should be done in accordance with the guidance of the Qur`aan and the Sunnah as well as the objectives of Islam, taking into consideration the potential advantages and disadvantages which cannot be realized except through consulting prominent pious scholars who do not flatter the public or pursue their personal interests. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala says, "… whereas if they had referred it to the messenger and such of them as are in authority, those among them who are able to think out the matter would have known it" [An-Nisaa’: 83]Thus, the best advice to be given concerning ongoing events is to restrain feelings lest they result in some erroneous judgments, which may cause harm for the Muslims and their interests. Because of their strong passion and their strong liability to be swayed, the youth are especially advised to have insight when handling matters and dealing with grave events that entail serious consequences. Neither should agitation lead us to rashness nor should zeal lead us to recklessness. Youthful enthusiasm can be an active productive energy if directed to the right way. So every youth should not make his enthusiasm a tank of fuel that can be inflamed by any mischievous person. The important thing is not to give vent to one's feelings, but rather to realize interests and prevent evils. In fact, Muslim nations cannot endure more hardship and unrest; therefore, it is our duty to act in a responsible disciplined way in such hard circumstances until the hardship is eased and the nation is relieved. Indeed, the call to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala flourishes in the atmosphere of tranquility and stability. That was why Az-Zuhri said after the Al-Hudaybiyah peace treaty, “People trusted each other, so anyone who was convinced with Islam embraced it. Thus, the people who embraced Islam after the peace treaty and before the Conquest of Makkah were many times more than those who embraced Islam before that. The Messenger of Allaah sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam came to conclude the peace treaty accompanied by about one hundred and fourteen men, then he came to conquer Makkah accompanied by more than ten thousand, though the span of time between the two events was short.”We ask Allaah Almighty to ordain for this nation an age of guidance where the people who obey Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala are honored while the people who disobey Him are debased. We ask Him to strengthen Islam, grant Muslims victory, unite them on the truth, and protect them from disasters and calamities. Aameen.




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The Truth Behind This Month's Blue Moon

Summary

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The Truth Behind This Month's Blue Moon

By Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
posted: 25 May 2007
06:59 am ET

Thursday, May 31 brings us the second of two full Moons for North Americans this month. Some almanacs and calendars assert that when two full Moons occur within a calendar month, that the second full Moon is called the "Blue Moon."

The full Moon that night will likely look no different than any other full Moon. But the Moon can change color in certain conditions.

After forest fires or volcanic eruptions, the Moon can appear to take on a bluish or even lavender hue. Soot and ash particles, deposited high in the Earth's atmosphere can sometimes make the Moon appear bluish. Smoke from widespread forest fire activity in western Canada created a blue Moon across eastern North America in late September 1950. In the aftermath of the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991 there were reports of blue moons (and even blue Suns) worldwide.

Origin of the term

The phrase "Once in a blue Moon" was first noted in 1824 and refers to occurrences that are uncommon, though not truly rare. Yet, to have two full Moons in the same month is not as uncommon as one might think. In fact, it occurs, on average, about every 32 months. And in the year 1999, it occurred twice in a span of just three months!

For the longest time no one seemed to have a clue as to where the "Blue Moon Rule" originated. Many years ago in the pages of Natural History magazine, I speculated that the rule might have evolved out of the fact that the word "belewe" came from the Old English, meaning, "to betray." "Perhaps," I suggested, "the second full Moon is 'belewe' because it betrays the usual perception of one full moon per month."

But as innovative as my explanation was, it turned out to be completely wrong.

More mistakes

It was not until the year 1999 that the origin of the calendrical term "Blue Moon" was at long last discovered. It was during the time frame from 1932 through 1957 that the Maine Farmers' Almanac suggested that if one of the four seasons (winter, spring, summer or fall) contained four full Moons instead of the usual three, that the third full Moon should be called a "Blue Moon."

But thanks to a couple of misinterpretations of this arcane rule, first by a writer in a 1946 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine, and much later, in 1980 in a syndicated radio program, it now appears that the second full Moon in a month is the one that's now popularly accepted as the definition of a "Blue Moon."

This time around, the Moon will turn full on May 31 at 9:04 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (6:04 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time).

But for those living in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, that same full Moon occurs after midnight, on the calendar date of June 1. So in these regions of world, this will not be second of two full Moons in May, but the first of two full Moons in June. So, if (for example) you live London, you'll have to wait until June 30 to declare that the Moon is "officially" blue.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

At The Heart Of Every Relationship Is Allaah

Relationships are central to the existence of every human being. Allaah Most High has enjoined some relationships as purely natural, such as those between parents, children, and other immediate and extended family members. Other relationships are based on solemn contracts, such as a marriage. Through a marriage contract, a man and a woman who are ordinarily impermissible to each other become permissible to each other. Some relationships are based on familiarity and social ties at the community level. Other relationships are based on business contracts. All of these relationships are based on the fulfillment of rights and responsibilities. Summary

In His ultimate wisdom, Allaah Most High has placed Himself at the heart of every relationship. To love Allaah, to know Allaah, and to want to please Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala in our daily lives, we must have functional and healthy relationships with our parents, siblings, friends, and community members. We do not have the option to remove either Allaah or human beings from our lives. The love, mercy, and compassion that characterize our interactions with others are a blessing from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. He created us and endowed us with these sublime qualities. It is only sheer arrogance that would make us attempt to remove Allaah from any of our relationships.

The main reason that Muslims place Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala at the heart of every relationship is because these rights and responsibilities emanate from Allaah and the Prophet Muhammad sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam. We learn of our rights and responsibilities through Islamic teachings as explicated in the Qur`aan and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam. Fulfilling one's responsibilities requires knowledge of what those responsibilities are. Similarly, one cannot expect to demand one's rights without knowing first what those rights are.

Anytime a relationship goes sour, one must stop first to ask what the basis of the relationship is and if in fact the relationship existed for the sake of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. A businessman who cheats others is wantonly defying the teachings of Islam. At the moment when he cheats another person, he is also allowing his personal greed to override his fear of Allaah Most High. A husband who raises his hands to hurt his wife or their children is defying the teachings of Islam. At the moment of his violent outburst, he is allowing his personal anger to override his fear of Allaah Most High. There can be no moment in which Allaah Most High is not at the heart of a relationship. It is an unfortunate existence, and indeed a miserable existence, for the one whose personal whims and desires end up placing him or her at the center of the relationship.

Let us consider a day in the life of a young man named Khalid.

Khalid sat up in bed, unable to fall asleep. What had started as just a small disagreement with his parents had deteriorated quickly into a shouting match. Khalid hurled the final volley, saying, "I don't care what you or anyone else says; I don't need you, I don't need anyone; I have Allaah to help me." Slamming the door to his room shut, Khalid felt sure that he could survive on his own. After all, at the prime of his life as a 15-year-old, why did he need his parents? They just kept getting in his way. Why did he need his brothers and sisters? They never understood him. Why did he need his friends? They never went along with him. As long as he had Allaah, he was set. He was complete. He needed no one else.

As he sank into bed for the night and slipped under the warm covers, he felt sure that tomorrow would be different. From tomorrow onwards, he would need no one else, no other relationship except the one he had with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. He tossed and turned but he was restless and unable to bring himself to sleep. Why? These covers are so warm, so comfortable, why can't I get to sleep? The peaceful night was interrupted. He sat up in bed. In the bedroom next door, he could hear his father consoling his mother who was sobbing uncontrollably. The strong-headed Khalid was no more.

Only a few hours ago he knew exactly what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go. He knew he needed no one else except Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. But now, hearing his mother crying had confused him. He was unsure of himself. Unsure of what he felt. If he had Allaah, why did anyone else matter? So what if mom or the siblings were sad? So what if his friends and the community looked down on him for his behavior? He struggled to put himself to sleep that night. Unable to sleep, he turned to talk to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. Picking up the Qur`aan, he thumbed through the pages and came across a few that seemed to be wrinkled, used more often than the others. He could not believe his eyes and as he read the verses out loud, the meaning of the verses seemed to shoot directly to his heart.

[Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." Your Lord knoweth best what is in your hearts: If ye do deeds of righteousness, verily He is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again (in true penitence).] (Al-Israa’ 17:23-25)

Here it was, loud and clear. Any people who thought they could have a relationship only with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and cut off their ties with parents, siblings, and friends were mistaken. Khalid knew that he had hurt his mother and his father with his "I don't care" and "whatever" one-liners. He also knew that he did care and he loved them both dearly. And he was very much aware of the fact that as annoying as his brothers and sisters were, they were his true friends — people he could count on to love him no matter what!

Khalid read and reread these verses in which Allaah Most High, after decreeing that Muslims worship no one but Allaah, decreed kindness to parents. The mention of mercy, honor, humility, righteousness, forgiveness, and repentance had a calming effect on Khalid. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to go and tell his parents he was sorry. He wanted to give them their right to advise him, to counsel him, and to assist him through these teenage years. He wanted most of to repent to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala for raising his voice at his parents!

Final Thoughts

As we go through life, Allaah Most High tests us with various challenges, and perhaps the most difficult of these tests are those that involve human relationships. Increasing our awareness of our rights and responsibilities is a very critical component of our lives. Remembering to be conscious of Allaah Most High helps us to fight any desires that arise out of a purely selfish orientation. We do not live alone or in a vacuum. We are just one of the many actors in this human drama of life and the earth is our stage. The script has already been written by Allaah, and our goal is to toil on this earth, conscious of our rights and responsibilities towards Allaah and towards those around us. Our goal should be to please Allaah through establishing functional and healthy relationships with our family, friends, and community members. Ultimately, we can only achieve true success when Allaah Most High is at the heart of all of our relationships. An apt reminder in closing is when Allaah Most High addresses all of mankind, saying:

[O mankind, be conscious of your duty to Allaah, Who created you from a single soul and from him He created his mate, and from them both, He created many men and women; and fear Allaah through Whom you demand your (mutual rights) and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs; surely Allaah is ever an All-watcher over you.] (An-Nisaa' 4:1)

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Motivation

1) Never expect things to happen, struggle and make them happen. Never expect yourself to be given a good value, create a value of your own.

2) If a drop of water falls in lake there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf of lotus it shines like a pearl. So choose the best place where you would shine.

3) Falling down is not defeat, real defeat is when you are refusing to get up.

4) Ship is always safe at shore, but it is not built for it.

5) When you are successful your well-wishers know who you are, but when you are unsuccessful you know who your well-wishers are.

6) Never take some one for granted, hold every person close to your Heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones.

7) The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions!

8) Knowledge is like a fruit. When a fruit grows on a branch of a tree, its weight causes that branch to bend and bow. Similarly, when knowledge increases in a person, it causes him to become humble and not Mutakabbir (proud and boastful).

9) Under the shade there is always darkness.

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When our father irritate us?

An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his house along with his son who had received a high education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of the house. The father asked the son: What is this? The son replied: It is a crow. After a little while the father again asked the son: What is this? The son said: It is a crow.

After a few minutes the father asked his son the third time: What is this? The son said: Father, I have just now told you that this is a crow. After a little while the old father again asked his son the fourth time: what is this? By this time some statement of irritation was felt in the son's tone when he rebuffed his father: Father! It is a crow, a crow. A little after the father again asked his son: What is this? This time the son replied to his father with a vein of temper. Father: You are always repeating the same question; although I have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?

The father went to his room and came back with an old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read what was written. What the son read were the following words written in the diary:
'Today my little son was sitting with me in the courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me twenty-five times what it was and I told him twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for my innocent child.'
The father then explained to his son the difference between a father's and a son's attitude. While you were a little child you asked me this question twenty-five times and I felt no irritation in replying to the question twenty-five times and when today I asked you the same question only five times, you felt irritated, annoyed and impatient with me.

Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) mentions in Noble Qur'an:
"And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! Have compassion on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little." Noble Qur'an (17:23-24)

Imam Zainul Abideen (pbuh) says: "It is also said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and asked: "I feed my parents, carry them on my back and clean them, have I fulfilled my duty towards them? The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) answered: No, because, you are serving them in anticipation for their death while they served you wishing you a long life".

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

SACRIFICE 2

The Making of a Muslim

HOW TO SACRIFICE?
Part 2
By Khurram Murad
Inner Urge
The primary motivating force that drives you to make sacrifices must lie inside your own self. The urge should come from within. The roots must lie deep in heart and soul. Neither group approval, nor conformity, nor organizational discipline, nor any other external pressure, should provide the compulsion to come forward with your sacrifice. Each one of them is important and has an important role to play in shaping our conduct. But if sacrifices are offered for any reason other than Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's pleasure, it would be extremely difficult to offer large sacrifices, or offer them continually, under all circumstances. The will and spirit to sacrifice must be internalized.
Willing Choice
Choice to sacrifice should be made willingly. This means that you should, by your own choice, come forward to offer whatever you can to secure Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's pleasure. Your will should harmonize with His will.
This does not mean that one should not feel any pain or discomfort while making a sacrifice. Once you give up your love or your desire or your value, to feel pain is only human. Indeed, if you feel no pain in giving up something, that giving up may not be worth being called a sacrifice. You are throwing away something which is of no value to you. Rather, the greater the pain, the greater the worth of the sacrifice. But pain ought to be followed by contentment; contentment for having given up something you considered valuable for Allaah's pleasure which is really the most valuable, for having willingly borne pain for the sake of your love for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala which supersedes every other love.
Two Basic Aids
We have been given two basic aids to help us develop all those inner resources which I have put before you. I can only mention them in passing, for each deserves to be treated in detail in its own right.
'O Believers! Seek help with Sabr and Salaat' (Al-Baqarah 2:153).
What is Salaat? Salaat of course is a ritual worship. It consists of certain physical postures. It also consists of certain words which we utter from beginning to end. But the whole purpose of Salaat is to remember and to be conscious of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. This is what the Qur'aan very clearly states:
'Establish Prayer to remember Me' (Ta Ha 20:14).
What is Sabr? It is very comprehensive in meaning. Literally Sabr means to bind and restrain. In the Qur'aan it encompasses qualities as wide as restraint and resolve, patience and the will to sacrifice, discipline and steadfastness. It binds you to your pledge to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, to your brothers, to your good in the Hereafter.
Hold on to Salaat and Sabr and you will gain the strength you need to offer sacrifices.
Two Models
Let us, finally, look at two models of sacrifice.
One is Ibraheem`alayhissalaam: He was tried and tested in every conceivable way. His father, his family, the priestly and political powers all were opposed to him. He forsook them. He was thrown in the fire. He was banished from his home. He wandered through deserts and forests. And, ultimately, he put the knife on the throat of his son.
This was perhaps the most difficult thing to do. It involved not only the sacrifice of a beloved son; it asked for the sacrifice of a recognized basic human ethics. Yet, in final analysis, all ethics and morality are rooted in Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's Will. Pleasing Him is the ultimate criterion. But, of course, only a Messenger in direct communication with Allaah can be in a position to override an ethics laid down by Allaah and give Him this extreme sacrifice. Each one of us, however, may at times, have to suspend his 'personal' ethical judgement in the face of a clear injunction from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.
Only after offering all these sacrifices, and the ultimate sacrifice, was Ibraheem proclaimed as the 'leader of mankind'.
'And when his Lord tested Ibraheem by various commandments and he fulfilled all of them, He said, Behold, I make you a leader of mankind' (Al-Baqarah 2:124).
If we profess and proclaim that we stand for a revival of Islam, where Islam will be the leader of all mankind, then we should, individually and collectively, follow and emulate; that noble model of Ibraheem.
The second model is that of the Prophet Muhammad, sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam. Whether it was in the valley of Makkah where thorns were laid in his path or in the valley of Taif where stones were thrown at him, on the battlefield of Uhud where he lost his teeth or in the streets of Madeenah where his enemies raised all sorts of slanderous campaigns and propaganda against him, he has left for us the best examples of sacrifice. So did his followers and Companions.
Root Principles
Sacrifice, as we saw earlier, primarily means slaughter of an animal. To remember the examples of Ibraheem`alayhissalaam and Prophet Muhammad sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, you sacrifice an animal each year on the day after Hajj; Hajj itself being a worship rite which incorporates the most intense and sustained sacrifices. Here we must remember two important lessons:
One: What finds acceptance with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala is not the sacrificial animal, but our willingness and preparedness to sacrifice, His love in our hearts, our obedience to Him. Never lose sight of this root principle; never be content with 'form' without spirit; nor, though, ever give up forms.
'The flesh of them shall not reach Allaah, neither their blood, but Godliness from you shall reach Him'. (Al-Hajj 22:37).
Two: The supreme sacrifice is the sacrifice of life. By giving away your physical life in the way of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, you die once. And that is the ultimate sacrifice. But you are required to die every day and every moment as you overcome your deeply-rooted loves, as you offer yourself totally to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, as you obey Him against all opposition from within and without. Thus you lay down your life, not just once, but again and again. That is the supreme sacrifice.
'Say: My Prayer and my sacrifice, my living and my dying belong to Allaah, the Lord of all the worlds'. (Al-An'aam 6:162).
'Not equal is he among you who spent, and who fought, before the victory; those are higher in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards' (Al-Hadeed 57:10).
Conclusion
Let me say, in conclusion, that all sacrifices are required of us because we have to shoulder the immense responsibility of fulfilling the mission that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's Messengers were charged with: 'That you be witnesses unto mankind.' We must be true slaves of our Lord, and be selfless servants of mankind. It is to serve mankind that we have been constituted into an Ummah. That calling requires that we prepare ourselves for one of the most difficult tasks in life.
Without making sacrifices the revival of Islam will always remain a matter of speeches or a matter of dreams. To actualize it, we will have to give up our time and wealth, our life and resources, our personal likes and dislikes.
Even our best efforts, however, may not be perfect. We may waver and falter, we may fail and despair. But this is only human. What Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala looks at is our intention and effort. So let us turn to Him to help us lest our human frailties overwhelm us when sacrifices are demanded of us, and to seek His forgiveness for all our shortcomings and failures.
'Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget, or make mistakes. Our Lord! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those before us. Our Lord! Do Thou not burden us beyond what we have strength to bear. And pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us. Thou art our Master; help us, then, against people who deny the truth'. (Al-Baqarah 2:286)

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Thursday, May 17, 2007

SACRIFICE 1

The Making of a Muslim

HOW TO SACRIFICE?
Part 1
Love for Allaah
Remembering Allaah
Living in His Presence
Meeting Allaah
Grateful and Humble
By Khurram Murad
HOW TO SACRIFICE?
How to draw from within yourselves the inner resources which would generate, nourish and sustain your spirit and capacity to sacrifice? How can you become, and remain, willing and prepared to offer sacrifices required of you?
You have come to know some of the ways while we have been discussing various types of sacrifices. There are, how ever, certain fundamental inner resources which need to be emphasized and remembered, which you must try to generate within yourselves.

But first let us recapitulate certain basic principles on which these resources depend.

One, a sacrifice is a sacrifice only when you give up something which you love or value or desire. You can give it up only for the sake of something which you love more or value and desire more, or which is more important or urgent to you. Two, whatever the outer form of sacrifice - time, wealth, life, likes and dislikes, opinions - what you really sacrifice is the love and value you attach to it, and not the form. Three, you will therefore become more willing and pre pared to offer a sacrifice in the way of Allaah as your love for Allaah and His rewards increases in depth, intensity and strength and as the value you attach to the objects of sacrifice diminishes in your sight.

Love for Allaah

Thus love lies at the root of everything. You can therefore realize what you need most to help you gain the inner strength necessary for offering sacrifices. It is your love for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. How much do you love him? Do you love Him more than everything else?

That is why the Qur'aan says: 'The [true] believers love Allaah more than all else' (Al-Baqarah 2:165).
That is why it confronts every Muslim with one simple but profound question:
Whom do you love more? Allaah, His Messenger and Jihaad in His way, or fathers, sons, wives, brothers, wealth, houses, commerce, careers? (al-Tawbah 9:24).

Only with such love for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala will sacrifice turn into an inner urge,rather than remaining a motion of compliance with an external exhortation. Then you will derive the true delight and pleasure in fulfilling the demands of Eemaan. Remember: there are two types of Eemaan. One remains on our lips and that is the Eemaan which becomes a burden to us. There is another Eemaan which penetrates into the heart that is the Eemaan which becomes a pleasure, a delight, a joy. Once you have this Eemaan, if you are required to give time, money, life or sacrifice,likes and dislikes, opinions, you do it gladly. The Prophet, sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, said: 'There are three things, only the one who has them will taste the sweetness of Eemaan: [first of them is] that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and His Messenger sall Allaahu1alayhi wa sallam he loves more than any other thing beside them . . .' (Bukhaari, Muslim).
How to attain love for Allaah which exceeds every other love? There are not, and cannot be, any precise formula for this purpose. But a few things will help. And each in turn will become a rich inner resource you will need to fulfill the demands of sacrificing.

Remembering Allaah

Remember how He Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala has created you, provided you with everything you need; how infinitely Merciful He is. Look at your existence, look at the universe around you, and everywhere you will see His mercy and care, His wisdom and majesty. As you reflect and ponder over 'His signs', which are everywhere, your love for Him will increase.

Part of remembering Him is to turn to Him and seek His help in loving Him. The Prophet, sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, has taught us many ways of doing so. Two are:

I ask of Thee, Allaah, Thy love, love of those who love Thee, and the (doing of) deeds which may bring Thy love to me. Make my love for Thee greater than my love for myself, for my wealth, for my family, for cold water. (Tirmidhi, Muslim).

Allaah, make Thy love greater than every other love, Thy fear greater than every other fear. Make my eagerness to meet Thee cut across all my worldly desires. Place my pleasure in worshipping Thee while Thou gives the worldly their pleasure in this world.

Remembering Him Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala as often as you can is essential and fundamental. It will help you not only to attain love, but all other resources you need to develop your spirit and capacity of sacrifice: mindful of living in His presence, attaching real value to meeting Him and receiving His rewards, understanding the worth and place of this-worldly life, grateful and humble before Him, fearful of never having done enough, prepared and willing to obey His commands.

Living in His Presence

Live as if you are in His presence. Remember that 'He is with you wherever you may be' (Al-Hadeed 57:4).
When you are called upon to make a sacrifice, or you prepare to make it of your own accord, remember that you are before His eyes. That is what He asks us to be mindful of: 'Surely you are before Our eyes' (Al-Tur 52:48).
Coupled with your conviction that whatever you are sacrificing belongs to the One who is seeing you, and His reward would be manifold and eternal, this should give you some measure of that inner urge and strength essential to you.
This consciousness of being in His presence, of His Eyes being upon us, of Him listening to us, of doing our duty as our Master is with us, praising us generously, rewarding us kindly, is a prime source for creating the spirit of sacrifice. This also creates trust in Him, because once you know that you are with Him, you can entrust all your affairs to Him.
Meeting Allaah
Every one of us has to die (Aali-`Imraan 3:185). Death is not the end of everything, it is only a transition into the next phase. In that phase we will stand face to face with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.
None of us likes to die; it is only human. But die we must, and only after death will the doors open to eternal life and blessings. If you understand the nature and reality of this-worldly life, if you know that you can receive your fair wages only upon meeting Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, then you will develop two feelings. One, a desire to meet Him, however you may fear Him on account of your own misdeeds. Two, the preparedness to sacrifice everything that belongs to this-world for what you will earn in reward in the Hereafter.
One of the du'aas the Prophet, sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam, used to make says:

Allaah! Grant me the delight of looking at Thy noble face and a longing to meet Thee (Nasa'i, Ahmad, Hakim).

Grateful and Humble
Whatever the nature of sacrifice, and whether big or small tangible or intangible, offer it in gratitude and humility. It so often happens that one begins to get weary and tired of giving in the way of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. One, then, begins to say, 'We have already spent so much time; we have already given so much money; how much more shall we give?; we have already made so many sacrifices; what else is required of us?' This will happen only if you are making sacrifices not to please Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala alone; but then you are motivated by something else. Or, when you do not realize that you should indeed be grateful to Him for every opportunity you get to offer some sacrifice. Also offer every sacrifice in all humility.
Let us be very clear that whatever things you sacrifice, you do not give it to some person, nor to some organization. Nor do you give it to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, though He is Merciful and Generous enough to say that whatever you give is a loan to Him, which shall be repaid manifold. You give everything to yourselves. Does one ever get tired of giving more and more to himself?

Now this is not selfishness. It only means that we believe that our ultimate prosperity lies in submission to the will of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. Through sacrifice we seek our betterment in this life and we desire a successful, eternal life in the Hereafter. At the same time, every sacrifice we make, everything we give in the way of Allaah Almighty, makes our community stronger.

Therefore be grateful to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala for having given you the opportunity to sacrifice, for having called upon you to serve Him, for having blessed you with the ability to offer something in His way. Things might have been otherwise. We might have been left wandering astray: we might not have been given the opportunity to sacrifice wealth and thus reap eternal reward. You should therefore give every sacrifice in the spirit of gratitude. To Him you should look for acceptance.

And also humility. You should never have the feeling of having done enough. Once the disease creeps into your heart that you have done enough, then all is lost. You should always think that whatever sacrifice you may offer, it is still nothing compared to the obligations you have to discharge towards Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.

Being fearful of never having given away enough is very fundamental to your sacrifice. The Qur'aan says: 'They give what they give, but their hearts tremble' (al-Mu'minoon 23:60).

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

WHY PRAYERS ARE NOT ANSWERED?

One day Ibrahim Adham was passing through the bazaar in the city of Basra when he was surrounded by people who said to him: "O Ibrahim! Allah has stated in the miraculous Qur'an that: "Call Me and thou shall be answered"; we call upon Him bout our prayer is not answered.
Ibrahim said: "The reason is because your hearts have died due to ten things so that your supplications have no sincerity as your hearts are not pure and free of contamination."
They asked: "What are those ten issues?" He replied:

01:- First and foremost you have accepted Allah but have not repaid His claim.
02:- You have recited the miraculous Qur'an but have not practised it.
03:- You profess your love of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), but are opposed to his Household (A.S.).
04:- You claim to have enmity with Satan but in practice you are in agreement with him.
05:- You say that you are fond of heaven but in order to enter heaven you have not done anything.
06:- You said that you were afraid of the Fire of Hell, but have thrown your bodies in to it.
07:- You were busy slandering and criticizing people but were ignorant of your own shortcomings and faults.
08:- You said that you didn't like the world but are greedily following it.
09:- You confess to the reality of death but don't prepare yourself for it.
10:- You have buried the dead but haven't taken a lesson or guidance from it.

These are the 10 practices (Ten Reasons) which cause prayers to remain unanswered.



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SOS

SOS = Save Our Souls

SOS signal ဆိုတာ ကမာၻေပၚရွိ အသက္ကယ္ အဖြဲ့ အားလုံး နားလည္တဲ့ အသက္ကယ္ အခ်က္ေပးျခင္း တစ္မ်ိဳးပါ။ အႏၱရာယ္ တစ္ခုခု ၾကဳံလာျပီဆိုလွ်င္္ (ဥပမာ - သေဘာၤပ်က္ရင္၊ ေတာထဲမွာ လမ္းေပ်ာက္သြားရင္) SOS signal ေပးလိုက္မယ္ဆိုရင္ အနီးဆုံး အသက္ကယ္ အဖြဲ့ တစ္ဖြဲ့က လာကယ္ပါလိမ့္မယ္ (သူတို့ အနီးအနားမွာ ရွိရင္ေပါ့)။

SOS signal ဘယ္လို ေပးမလဲ… အရင္ေခတ္ Morse code (သံၾကိဳးရိုက္သည့္ေခတ္) က . . . _ _ _ . . . (အစက္သုံးစက္၊ dash သုံးခု၊ အစက္သုံးစက္) အမွတ္အသားနဲ့ ေပးပို့ေလ့ ရွိခဲ့သည္။ အသံနဲ့ အခ်က္ေပးမယ္ဆိုရင္ (ဘယ္လိုေျပာရမလဲ မသိဘူး။) ေဒါက္ေဒါက္ေဒါက္ ေဒါက္..ေဒါက္..ေဒါက္ ေဒါက္ေဒါက္ေဒါက္ ဆိုျပီး ပထမသုံးခ်က္ကို တစ္ဆက္တည္း၊ ဒုတိယ သုံးခ်က္ကို နည္းနည္းဆြဲျပီး တတိယ သုံးခ်က္ကို တစ္ဆက္တည္း ေပးလို့ ရပါတယ္။ အမ်ားဆုံး သုံးတာကေတာ့ မီးေရာင္နဲ့ အခ်က္ျပတာပါ။ အမ်ားအားျဖင့္ လက္ႏွိပ္ဓာတ္မီးေပါ့။ မီးကို ဖြင့္လိုက္ ပိတ္လိုက္ မွိတ္တုတ္မွိတ္တုတ္ ျဖစ္ေအာင္ လုပ္ျပီး အခ်က္ျပလို့ ရပါတယ္။ ထုံးစံအတိုင္း ပထမ သုံးေခါက္ကို ႏွစ္စကၠန့္ ဖြင့္ ႏွစ္စကၠန့္ပိတ္မယ္ဆိုရင္ ဒုတိယ သုံးေခါက္ကို ငါးစကၠန့္ေလာက္ ျခားျပီး အဖြင့္ အပိတ္ လုပ္ရပါမယ္။ ျပီးရင္ တတိယ သုံးေခါက္ကို ပထမ သုံးေခါက္လုပ္ပါတဲ့။

အရင္တုန္းက ရုပ္ရွင္ေတြထဲမွာေတာ့ ၾကည့္ဖူးမွာပါ။ အခုမွ အတိအက်သိလို့ ေရးၾကည့္တာ။

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS

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Monday, May 14, 2007

Find the Man in the Coffee Beans


THE TRICK IS TO FIND THE MAN IN THE COFFEE BEANS:

This is bizarre -- after you find the guy -- it's so obvious. Once you find him, it's embarrassing, and you think, why didn't I see him immediately?

Doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, the right half of your brain is better developed than most people. If you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, the right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!!

And, yes, the man is really there!!!

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Thursday, May 10, 2007

Prophet

 
A Pioneer of the Environment
 
By Francesca De Chatel
  
"There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift [for which there is great recompense]." [Al-Bukhaari, III:513].
The idea of the Prophet Muhammad sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam as a pioneer of environmentalism will initially strike many as strange: indeed, the term "environment" and related concepts like "ecology", "environmental awareness" and "sustainability", are modern-day inventions, terms that were formulated in the face of the growing concerns about the contemporary state of the natural world around us.
And yet a closer reading of the hadeeth, the body of work that recounts significant events in the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's life, reveals that he was a staunch advocate of environmental protection. One could say he was an "environmentalist avant la lettre", a pioneer in the domain of conservation, sustainable development and resource management, and one who constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between man and nature. From all accounts of his life and deeds, we read that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam had a profound respect for fauna and flora, as well as an almost visceral connection to the four elements, earth, water, fire and air.
He was a strong proponent of the sustainable use and cultivation of land and water, proper treatment of animals, plants and birds, and the equal rights of users. In this context the modernity of the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's view of the environment and the concepts he introduced to his followers is particularly striking; certain passages of the hadeeth could easily be mistaken for discussions about contemporary environmental issues.
Three Principles 
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's environmental philosophy is first of all holistic: it assumes a fundamental link and interdependency between all natural elements and bases its teachings on the premise that if man abuses or exhausts one element, the natural world as a whole will suffer direct consequences. This belief is nowhere formulated in one concise phrase; it is rather an underlying principle that forms the foundation of all the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's actions and words, a life philosophy that defined him as a person.
The three most important principles of the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's philosophy of nature are based on the Qur`aanic teachings and the concepts of Tawheed (unity), Khaleefa (stewardship) and Amaana (trust).
Tawheed, the oneness of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, is a cornerstone of the Islamic faith. It recognizes the fact that there is one absolute Creator and that man is responsible to Him for all his actions:
"To Allaah belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth, for Allaah encompasses everything [4:126]." 
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam acknowledges that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's knowledge and power covers everything. Therefore abusing one of his creations, whether it is a living being or a natural resource, is a sin. The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam considered all of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's creations to be equal before Allaah and he believed animals, but also land, forests and watercourses should have rights.  
The concepts of Khaleefa, Stewardship, and Amaana, Trust, emerge from the principle of Tawheed. The Qur`aan explains that mankind holds a privileged position among Allaah's creations on earth: he is chosen as Khaleefa, "vice-regent" and carries the responsibility of caring for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's earthly creations. Each individual is given this task and privilege in the form of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's trust. But the Qur`aan repeatedly warns believers against arrogance: they are no better than other creatures. 
"No creature is there on earth nor a bird flying with its wings but they are nations like you [6:38]";
"Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of man; but most people know not". [40:57]
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam believed that the universe and the creations in it – animals, plants, water, land – were not created for mankind. Man is allowed to use the resources but he can never own them. Thus while Islam allows land ownership, it has limitations: an owner can, for example, only own land if he uses it; once he ceases to use it, he has to part with his possession.
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam recognized man's responsibility to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala but always maintained humility. Thus he said: "When doomsday comes, if someone has a palm shoot in his hand, he should plant it," suggesting that even when all hope is lost for mankind, one should sustain nature's growth. He believed that nature remains a good in itself, even if man does not benefit from it.
Similarly, the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam incited believers to share the earth's resources. He said: "Muslims share alike in three things – water, herbage and fire," and he considered it a sin to withhold water from the thirsty. "No one can refuse surplus water without sinning against Allaah and against man". [Mishkat al Masabih].
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's attitude towards sustainable use of land, conservation of water and the treatment of animals is a further illustration of the humility of his environmental philosophy.
Sustainable Use of Land
"The earth has been created for me as a mosque and as a means of purification." [Al-Bukhaari I:331] With these words the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam emphasizes the sacred nature of earth or soil, not only as a pure entity but also as a purifying agent. This reverence towards soil is also demonstrated in the ritual of tayammum, or "dry wudoo" which permits the use of dust in the performance of ritual purification before prayer when water is not available.
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam saw earth as subservient to man, but recognised that it should not be overexploited or abused, and that it had rights, like the trees and wildlife living on it. In order to protect land, forests and wildlife, the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam created inviolable zones known as himaa and haraam, in which resources were to be left untouched. Both are still in use today: haraam areas are often drawn up around wells and water sources to protect the groundwater table from over-pumping. Himaa applies particularly to wildlife and forestry and usually designates an area of land where grazing and woodcutting are restricted, or where certain animal species are protected.
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam not only encouraged the sustainable use of fertile lands, he also told his followers of the benefits of making unused land productive: planting a tree, sowing a seed and irrigating dry land were all regarded as charitable deeds. "Whoever brings dead land to life, that is, cultivates wasteland, for him is a reward therein."  Thus any person who irrigates a plot of "dead", or desert land becomes its rightful owner.
Conservation of Water
In the harsh desert environment where the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam lived, water was synonymous to life. Water was a gift from Allaah, the source of all life on earth as is testified in the Qur`aan:
 "We made from water every living thing" [21:30].
The Qur`aan constantly reminds believers that they are but the guardians of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's creation on earth and that they should never take this creation for granted:
"Consider the water which you drink. Was it you that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We could make it bitter" [56:68-70].
Saving water and safeguarding its purity were two important issues for the Prophet: we have seen that his concern about the sustainable use of water led to the creation of haraam zones in the vicinity of water sources. But even when water was abundant, he advocated thriftiness: thus he recommended that believers perform wudoo no more than three times, even if they were near to a flowing spring or river.
Imaam Al-Bukhaari added: "The men of science disapprove of exaggeration and also of exceeding the number of ablutions of the Prophet."
The Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam also warned against water pollution by forbidding urination in stagnant water.

The Treatment of Animals

"If anyone wrongfully kills even a sparrow let alone anything greater, he will face Allaah's interrogation" [Mishkat al Masabih].  These words reflect the great reverence, respect and love that the Prophet always showed towards animals. He believed that as part of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala's creation, animals should be treated with dignity, and the hadeeth contains a large collection of traditions, admonitions and stories about his relationship to animals. It shows that he had particular consideration for horses and camels: to him they were valiant companions during journey and battle, and he found great solace and wisdom in their presence as the following tradition reveals:
"In the forehead of horses are tied up welfare and bliss until the Day of Resurrection."  
Even in the slaughter of animals, the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam showed great gentleness and sensitivity. While he did not practice vegetarianism, the ahadeeth clearly show that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam was extremely sensitive to the suffering of animals, almost as though he shared their pain viscerally. Thus he recommends using sharp knives and a good method so that the animal can die a quick death with as little pain as possible. He also warned against slaughtering an animal in the presence of other animals, or letting the animal witness the sharpening of blades: to him that was equal to "slaughtering the animal twice" and he emphatically condemned such practices as "abominable".  

Conclusion

It is impossible to do justice to the full scope and significance of Prophet Muhammad sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's environmental philosophy in this short article. His holistic view of nature and his understanding of man's place within the natural world pioneered environmental awareness within the Muslim community.
Sadly, the harmony that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam advocated between man and his environment has today all too often been lost. As we face the effects of pollution and overexploitation, desertification and water scarcity in some parts of the world and floods and violent storms elsewhere, it is perhaps time for the world community as a whole, Muslims, Christians and Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, atheists and agnostics, to take a leaf out of the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam's book and address the current environmental crisis seriously and wisely.


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