Monday, September 22, 2008

Pain Makes People do Cruel Things, Even when they are Intrinsically Good

miWisdom today… Pain makes people do cruel things, even when they are intrinsically good.
by Adam Sicinski


Our lives are filled with constant ups and downs. The happiest of moments come and go, and over time they have a tendency to balance out the sadness that some of us continue to hold within our hearts.

Because we are such emotional creatures we tend to easily get carried away and lost within the moments where we have much at stake and plenty to lose. Within these moments, suddenly everything could be lost in the blink of an eye, and as a result an awe encompassing and overwhelming pain explodes from within and paralyses us externally.

Unable to think rationally, unable to make educated decisions, and unable to take actions that are consistent and congruent with our highest values and morals; we fall into the pits of a selfish misunderstanding of our predicament, where everything we do from this moment forth comes from a survival reactionary state that came ingrained within the software recesses of our minds.


It is within these moments that life tends to get the better of us.
It is within these moments that uncharacteristic habits, decisions and actions can begin to dominate our reactions to circumstances.

It is within these moments that good people end up undertaking regrettably evil acts.Take the pain of a broken heart. Once so full of life, so full of love, and so full of giving; today it rests there within the safety of its cage, restless, yet pained by the cuts and wounds of its battles with an enemy it once adored and would sacrifice its life for.

This heart has suddenly been changed. Once full of love, today that love has been replaced by anguish and a saddened feeling of emptiness, a void that this heart longs to fill no matter what it takes.

A heart so suddenly hurt with these emotional disabilities, now evolves and mutates into something that once had no presence. Suddenly a new irrational attitude is born and the heart seeks to right the wrongs, to bring justice to the empty space it feels expanding from within.


In order to hold back and shun these feelings of emptiness and weakness, it fights back by taking over the emotional centers of the brain and urging the body into physical action that it otherwise wouldn’t have taken on its own accord. It becomes irrational and unjustly, feeling only of its own void and self-pride that was once filled with a radiant energy, and now rests empty like a dried up well.

Can you blame this heart for the actions it is about to take?

We are emotional creatures… that we are, and we all have cruelty lying hidden deep within the recesses of our souls. It just takes the right (or wrong) trigger to unleash this beast out of its slumber and onto an unsuspecting world. Yes… pain makes people do cruel things, even when they are intrinsically good.

Yet pain is only a response, an interpretation so to speak about external events and circumstances that overwhelm and bring much sorrow and unhappiness to our lives. It is not so much the pain that we suffer that changes us, but rather our own interpretation of the pain that determines how we will proceed from this moment on. Our hearts are reactionary, and will bend and flow in accordance to our perceptions of the events that unfold within the presence of our senses. How we interpret our perceptions will either weaken or strengthen our beating heart.

The moment you find yourself being ruled by an unforgiving heart, you might find it helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

How is it exactly that I am feeling this way? Can I describe these emotions clearly and concisely?

Is it rational for me to be feeling this way about this situation?
Could I be misreading this situation based on my limited and biased perspective? Could my emotions be filtering out my reasoning?

Even the worst of circumstances have a silver lining if only I look for it. What could the silver lining be here? - Today and into the future.
Would everyone I know react and feel this way about this situation? If not, than how different would their reactions and feelings be?

If I was to separate myself emotionally from this situation what would I see, and how would I feel? Are things any different?

How can I proceed forward in accordance to my highest and most important values?
If all of a sudden this event or situation was completely eradicated from my memory, how would I proceed with my life from this moment on?

Do I understand that a little time, separation and nurturing can mend and in many instances repair the wounds of a broken heart?

If you have a similar learning experience or would like to add to the list of questions, you may do so by commenting below.



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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach me destination

miWisdom today… “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” Another thought provoking James Dean quote that shows us how important it is to be flexible in our daily undertakings.


Change is a Process of Transformation
So many times throughout our day we try and fight off circumstances, people and events. We do everything within our power to try and resist the changes that confront us, and yet we continue to struggle fighting against a powerful force that will simply not letup.
Do we ever stop to think about the actual process of change?


The world as we know it today will not be as we will know it tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. The people that we know today are not going to be the same people tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. Nor will we be the same tomorrow, next week, next month or next year.


The simple fact of the matter is that change continues to evolve and expand on every level each second throughout our day. Change is like the wind blowing a sail boat through the open ocean. To resist change is to fight against the inevitable and all powerful forces of life. On the other hand, to harness the power of change will take one on a path of unexpected transformation that can bring many blessings and the potential for abundant opportunities.
The Quickest Path Isn’t Always the Right or Best Path to Take


Most of us have a deep fixation in our minds that there is only one way, one path towards a desired destination. We are so fixed and locked upon this journey that we will rarely accept a different opinion or perspective. We know the path that we must take and we will do whatever it takes to reach that destination no matter what difficulties may lie in our way.


“Inflexibility has killed a great many people over the course of human history.”
The funny thing about life is that it presents us with a constant array of clues that are somewhat forced upon us when we least expect them. The great sailors of days gone by picked up on this very quickly.



They knew that the wind blows and directs with a purpose. They realized that through the act of harnessing this powerful force that they could redirect themselves along paths that offered less resistance and greater potential for success. Yes, indeed for them these journeys might have taken longer, however life always has a means and a purpose for everything that it throws our way.


Learn from the Winds as they are our Teachers
Life has an interesting way of teaching us lessons that prepare us for the journey ahead. We all have goals, dreams and ambitions that we would like to one day successfully bring to physical reality. Yet from our very limited perspective we fail to realize or understand how unworthy and undeserving we actually are of these experiences.


Every goal, every dream, every deep intense purpose that we conjure up within the recesses of our minds is not so much a destination but rather a journey of experiences filled with lessons, hardships, and challenges that must be confronted and overcome in order to experience the pleasures of the destinations that we envision within our minds.


No man or woman EVER accomplished their goals, dreams or visions without first experiencing the hardships of the journey that led them to their final destination. When the winds came they understood that they had a choice. They could either resist and try to fight over the top of the winds of change, or they could harness the power of these winds and propel themselves forward towards their destination in potentially unforeseen ways.



They realized that life is in a constant process of motion and change that adapts to our shifting thoughts, actions, emotions and goals. What we consciously think we want, may indeed not be what we unconsciously desire. Yet, the shifting wind knows and realizes these internal desires and progressively adjusts our course towards our true intentions.
Will this course bring about a smoother journey of experiences, or will it bring further hardships and lessons?


As our course changes, the winds become our teachers, they help us to understand what it will take to deserve to experience our dreams in physical reality. Without these experiences it would be impossible to accomplish what we seek. Ask the most successful people in the world if they would have become who they are today if not for those challenges, problems, or ill-fated circumstances that constantly stood in their way.



They learned throughout this process that life will always throw you curve balls, and that unless we adjust, adapt and alter our course to match the changes that we are experiencing, we will suffer the consequences of ill-fated decisions that may leave us guilt ridden for the remainder of our lives.


We simply can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails to reach our ultimate destination.


Transformational Questions
To keep you on track with this way of thinking, you might find it helpful to ask yourself the following questions:


Where am I currently experiencing the most resistance in life? With people? Events? Circumstances?


What is this resistance trying to tell me? What underlying meaning does it have for my ultimate goals and objectives?


Am I sabotaging myself through the act of continuing to fight through this resistance?


What am I really learning from this experience that I hadn’t noticed before?


Is there another way to deal with this person or situation that I hadn’t thought of before?


How have the winds changed course, and what new and unexpected opportunities are they presenting me with when it comes to dealing with this person or situation?


How can I adjust my sails to ensure that I stay on track towards the bigger picture, yet remain flexible enough to adapt to the changing world that’s confronting me in the moment?


If you have a similar learning experience or would like to add to the list of questions, you may do so by commenting below.

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Monday, September 15, 2008

Knowledge, the Key to Success

The adage that ignorance is bliss could not be farther from the truth when seriously put into practical application. Throughout the annals of time, what great accomplishments has ignorance made? What great empires and what marvels of science and technology now bear witness to ignorance's strength and power? That's right, none. Nothing of true worth is achieved without wisdom and knowledge.

It was with supreme knowledge that Allah, SWT, laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth. It was with wisdom, knowledge and understanding that Soleiman (AS) ruled the greatest empire the world has ever known. Our own Prophet, Mohammad (SAW) told us that acquiring knowledge was a duty placed on each and every Muslim. But the knowledge of what and who, remains the question.

Many of us have used the above saying of the Prophet (SAW), to justify dealing in riba (interest), in order to send our sons and daughters to the finest universities to become doctors, lawyers and engineers. We use it to justify sending our children to private schools, because they supposedly have higher academic standing and prestige than Muslim schools. We say we are doing it, because the Prophet (SAW) said to get knowledge, but is this the knowledge he was speaking about?

It is narrated by Abu Musa that the Prophet (SAW) said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain-water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain- water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, (making their animals drink from it) and to irrigate the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then the land was of no benefit). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's Religion and gets benefit from the knowledge which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches it to others. The (last example is that of a) person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's Guidance revealed through me (He is like the barren land.)" (Bukhari).

Through the above narration, the Prophet (SAW) is telling us of the superiority of religious knowledge. This is the knowledge that we should give priority to. All other knowledge will not be of benefit if we do not have this one. First and foremost, comes the knowledge of Allah. Knowing His names and His attributes. Knowing what is expected of us in regard to our servitude to Him, and what mutual rights exist between us.

Secondly, we should strive to know Allah's Book, the Qur'an. We should learn to read it in Arabic, if we don't already know how to do so. We should also be trying to memorize as much of it as possible, and stressing the importance of both of these things to our children. Reading the Qur'an should be something commonplace in every Muslim home, and is an activity that the whole family can, and should participate in.

Thirdly, we should know about the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions. It's by reading their stories that we learn of their bravery, love for the Deen and their complete devotion to Allah. It's by knowing them that we grow to love them, and through loving them, we strive to become more and more like them. This is especially true, when most children nowadays want to be like Mike (Michael Jordan) or Janet Jackson or some other celebrity. They want to emulate these people, because they know so much about them. It then becomes increasingly important for us Muslims to introduce our children to our heroes. Who were braver in battle than Umar and Hamza; who was more wise and gentle than Abu Bakr (RAA); and which women were more graceful and honourable than the wives of the Prophet were?

Yes, in these times of increasing technology and information superhighways, it is important to obtain secular knowledge. Also, as a nation, we do need doctors, lawyers and engineers. But we need people who are knowledgeable of their religion first and foremost. What good will it do us to have a nation of professional people who do not know how to make the salah, or to calculate the zakat, or how to perform Haj?

Ignorance is not bliss. Through it runs the deviant courses of innovation, shirk, disunity and hatred. Knowledge is the key to our success. It give us the power to govern ourselves, our households, and ultimately our communities. A nation, which forgets why it was founded, who it serves and what its responsibilities are, by embracing ignorance, is a nation destined to fail.

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Ramadan Warriors

Ramadan Warriors
by Muhammad Alshareef

Sahl Ibn Sa'd radi Allahu anhu narrates that RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"In Jannah, there is a gate called Ar-Rayyan: a door which the Saa'imoon will enter from, no one else except them. It will be announced, 'Where are the Saa'imoon?' and the Saa'imoon will stand. No one except them will enter from the gate called Rayyan."

Have you ever heard of a weekend warrior? They are employees who sit in cubicles and relax at a coffee station, weighed down with donuts all week long. Then on the weekend, they rip off their suits bearing their Reebok gear underneath and spend the entire weekend playing basketball, hang gliding, and mountain climbing. What happens? They break their knees, pull a dozen muscles, and are hospitalized on Monday.

This is in relation to the physical body. But there are people that should be known as Ramadan warriors. They are those that haven't fasted all year long and then shock their bodies with a whole month. Or haven't prayed in the masjid or haven't woken up to pray in the night all year long. What happens to them? As one Muslim doctor said, "In normal days, we have about 5 to 7 patients a day. On the first day of Ramadan, the patients increase to over 50!"

Ramadan warriors were rare in our Islamic history. To illustrate, let's all remember where we were at the beginning of Safar. We were probably praying for work to end, or just finished up with exams, or looking through brochures for a holiday getaway.

Interestingly, if we were sitting beside a Tabi'oon over a thousand years ago in a simple masjid, we would have heard him raising his hands asking Allah to grant him the blessing of being around when a guest comes, a guest called Ramadan!

There are different ways that we can 'warm up' for Ramadan. One of those ways is by increasing the frequency of our du'a. Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala says in the Qur'an, with the verse before it talking about Ramadan and the verse after it speaking about Ramadan, and right in the middle we read:

And when My servants ask you, (O Muhammad), concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me (by obedience) and believe in Me that they may be guided (Al-Baqarah 2/186).

Every goodness on earth is from Allah. And one of the most exclusive blessings is Ramadan. So let us ask the Lord of Ramadan to help us find His mercy in the coming days.

I once gave a khutbah on Hajj entitled The Call of Ibrahim. A brother told me that during that khutbah he raised his hands to Allah and asked Allah to find him a way to make Hajj. He said that he had no money to make the trip, but that night more than one brother approached him with the offer, "Brother, we have a Hajj program for new Muslims, would you like to come?" Alhamdulillah, that brother made Hajj that year from a du'a that came straight from the heart, in sha Allah.

The early generations of the ummah used to make du'a 6 months after Ramadan that Allah accept their deeds in Ramadan. And for the next 6 months, they would make du'a to Allah to grant them the blessing of being alive in the coming Ramadan.

Cleanliness – Whenever a guest comes, we prepare in advance for his arrival by vacuuming the carpet, dusting the shelves, and scrubbing the sinks. We should do this for our guest called Ramadan. But the scrubbing should not just be of our physical surroundings; it should include the scrubbing of our sins.

Listen to the words of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam speaking about those people that don't want to clean up for Ramadan:

"Whoever doesn't desist from speaking falsehood and acting upon it, Allah has no need that he desist from his food and drink” (Bukhari).

Fasting in Sha'baan (the month before Ramadan) – The biggest downfall of the weekend warriors was that they were not properly warmed up for the exercise, which caused the injuries. Similarly, when fasting, some people only do it once a year, making their bodies very foreign to going without food and drink.

From here we see the following Sunnah: Umm Al-Mu'mineen Aisha radi Allahu anha observes, "Allah's Messenger never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan and I haven't seen him fast more than he did in Sha'baan."

A poet said:

Oh ye who isn't satisfied with his sins in Rajab

So much so that you continued disobedience in Sha'baan,

The month of fasting has now come upon you

So do not convert it also to a month of disobedience.

PART II

When we look at the celebrations of 'the holy days' of this country, we see that they put all their time and effort and spirit in preparation. I tell you, go to any store outside this masjid and you will see preparations of candy canes, red and green bouquets, even eggnog all in the wait for the annual celebration of the birth - as they falsely claim- of Prophet 'Eesa alayhis salaam. They are preparing for their falsehood almost 2 months in advance! One of the ways to prepare for Ramadan is to educate ourselves in the Fiqh of Ramadan. Alhamdulillah, sitting in this masjid today are many brothers and sisters for whom this will be their first Ramadan. Allahu Akbar! May Allah accept it from them and allow them and us to share in the blessing of Ramadan for many years to come.

Let us briefly review what fasting is:

Fasting in Ramadan is not optional - it is a must. The evidence for this is found in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Allah says:

O you who believe! Observing as-sawn (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqoon (the righteous) (Al-Baqarah 2/183).

The Prophet said:

"Islam is built on five (pillars)..." among which he mentioned fasting in Ramadan (Bukhari).

The Arabic word for fasting is sawm. In Arabic, it literally means to abstain from something. And in Islamic Law, it is to abstain from those things that break the fast starting from dawn (Fajr prayer) and ending with sunset (Maghrib prayer) having first made the intention to do so.

The things which break one’s fast, the things which he or she must abstain from, from dawn to sunset, are as follows: eating and drinking, and marital relations.

These apply if 3 conditions are met: that the person is not ignorant that this thing breaks one’s fast, that he is aware that he is doing something that breaks his fast (meaning he did not do so in forgetfulness), and he does so out of his free will and no one forced him to break his fast.

In conclusion, as the month of Ramadan draws nearer, we should prepare for this special guest by preparing a Ramadan program (‘Operation: Valuable Time’) in our homes and at our masajid. The program should in sha Allah include:

1. Locked times of the day when we will consistently recite Qur'an, learning its meanings and memorizing new surahs.

2. Something useful for the time before Taraweeh prayers and the time after Taraweeh. And how to increase our worship in the last ten nights – i.e. what will we do extra.

3. We should make sure that there are days of this month when we feed people. Bring dates or milk to the masjid for Maghrib. Invite people over to have dinner with your family. Organize a dinner in the masjid and invite people that don't normally get invited because they are new. Take care of the new Muslims in your community and for the sake of Allah ta'aala make their Ramadan special.

4. Make the intention to double and triple the amount of sadaqah we give, the worship we normally do, the dhikr we do, and the deeds that'll help us purify our souls.

5. And finally, for those that can afford it, plan an Umrah to the Ka'bah in Ramadan!

After returning from the Farewell Hajj, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam saw an Ansari woman who had not made the Hajj. He asked her, "What kept you back from joining in the Hajj?"

She said, "We had a camel that we used to ride which Abu Fulan and his son went on, and another we used for farming."

So, RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, Umrah in Ramadan is the same (reward) as performing Hajj with me” (Bukhari and Muslim)!

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How the Prophet Fasted In Ramadaan

How the Prophet Fasted In Ramadaan
Author: Compiled by Muhammad Zorkane
Source: Al-Muntaqaa Issue Nine [1]
Translator: isma'eel alarcon (for al-manhaj.com)



The Prophet (saws) would not begin fasting Ramadaan until there was a verified sighting of the crescent indicating the month or with the testimony of two trustworthy Muslim witnesses or just one witness. But when there was no sighting or testimony or the night of the thirtieth day of Sha?baan was cloudy and the crescent could not be sighted, he would complete thirty days for Sha?baan and then fast after that.
He (saws) would forbid that a Muslim fast a day or two days prior to the start of Ramadaan out of precaution, unless those days coincided with days he normally fasted.

He (saws) would not break his fast until directly after the disk of the sun had disappeared. And he would order his Companions to hasten in breaking their fast. And he would break his fast before praying (the Maghrib prayer). He would break his fast with fresh dates. If he didn?t find them, then with old dates, and if he didn?t find them, then with sips of water. When breaking his fast, he would say: "The thirst has gone, the veins have moistened and the reward is certain, if Allaah wills." [Dhahaba Adh-Dhama?u wabtallatil-?urooqu wa thabatal-ajr in sha Allaah]

When he (saws) would travel in Ramadaan, he would either fast or beak his fast and his Companions would choose between the two. So they would hold that whoever had energy and fasted then that was good and whoever was weak and broke his fast, then that was good.

It was not from his (saws) practice to estimate the point of distance in a journey for which a fasting person could break his fast. When his Companions would set out on a journey, they would break their fast without even having crossed outside of their homes. And they informed that this was his Sunnah.

And it was from his (saws) practice, that Fajr would come on him while he was still in the state of Janaabah (sexual impurity), due to his wives, so he would bathe (make ghusl) after Fajr and then fast.

And he would kiss some of his wives while he was fasting in Ramadaan, but he was the best amongst mankind at preventing his desires (from overtaking him).

He (saws) would use the Siwaak while fasting. And he would wash his mouth and nose while fasting, but would not let the water go deep in his nose or mouth.

He (saws) would pour water on his head during fasting, due to thirst or the heat.

He (saws) would eat dates for his pre-dawn meal (suhoor) and he would incite his Companions to take the Suhoor even if it was only a gulp of water. And he would delay the Suhoor until shortly before Fajr. The time between his Suhoor and the Fajr prayer was the extent it takes a man to recite fifty verses from the Book of Allaah.

A Description of the Prophet's Night Prayer in Ramadaan:

He (saws) would lead his Companions in the Taraaweeh prayer in congregation, then he stopped doing that for fear that the night prayer would be made obligatory on his ummah. But when he (saws) died, this fear went away and the prescription for praying it in congregation remained, due to the Prophet's (saws) saying: "Verily, when a man prays with the Imaam until he finishes the prayer, it is recorded for him that he prayed the (whole) night."

He (saws) would not go beyond making eleven rak'aat, whether in the month of Ramadaan or any other time.

Sometimes, he would say the Qunoot after finishing his recitation and before going into the bowing position, saying: "O Allaah guide me with those you have guided, and forgive me with those you have forgiven, and support me with those you have supported, and bless me in what you have given me, and protect me from the evil you have ordained. For You ordain all and nothing ordains over You. Truly, those you have befriended will not be humiliated, nor will those You have taken as enemies be honored. Blessed and raised High be our Lord. There is no security away from You except with You."

In the second half of Ramadaan, the Companions would say the Qunoot after rising from the bowing position, and they would add to it by cursing the disbelievers. So their Imaam would say: "O Allaah curse the disbelievers - those who hinder people from Your path and who deny Your messengers and who do not believe in Your promise. And divide their ranks. And put fear into their hearts, and send your punishment and torment on them, O Lord of Truth."

Then he would send Salaat upon the Prophet (saws) and he would supplicate what he was able to of good for the Muslims. Then he would ask forgiveness for the Muslims. Then when he had finished all of this, he would say: "O Allaah, You alone we worship, and to You we pray and prostrate. To You alone do we hasten and rush. And we hope for Your mercy, our Lord. We fear Your punishment, verily, your punishment on those whom You have taken as enemies is severe and ever-increasing."

And he would say in the last part of his Witr (either before the Salaam or after it): "O Allaah, verily, I seek refuge in Your Contentment from Your Discontentment and in Your Forgiveness from Your Punishment. And I seek refuge in You from You. The Praises for You cannot be accounted for, and You are just as how You have praised Yourself."

After finishing the Witr, the Prophet (saws) would say: "Subhaan Al-Maalikil-Qudoos" three times, prolonging his voice and raising it when reaching the third time.

He (saws) would pray two rak'at after the Witr and he would command his ummah to do that. And he would recite in them Surah Al-Zilzaal and Surah Al-Kaafiroon.

When the last ten days of Ramadaan would come, he (saws) would tighten his garment, stay up at night (worshipping) and wake up his family (to pray at night). And he would exert himself in these last ten days the way he didn't exert himself in any other days.

He (saws) would supplicate a lot, especially in the Night of Al-Qadr, saying: "O Allaah, You are indeed All-Pardoning, and You love to pardon (sins), so forgive me." [Allaahumma Innaka 'Afoowun, tuhibbul-'afwa fa-'Aafu 'Annee]

A Description of the Prophet's 'Itikaaf during Ramadaan:

He (saws) would perform 'Itikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadaan and he would only do so while fasting and in the three Masjids only (i.e. Masjid Al-Haraam in Makkah, Masjid An-Nabawee in Madeenah and Masjid Al-Aqsaa in Jerusalem)

When he (saws) would want to make 'Itikaaf, he would pray the Fajr prayer (in the masjid) and then begin his 'Itikaaf.

He (saws) would set up a small tent in the back of the masjid in which he would perform the 'Itikaaf and he would place his bed and mattress there.

He (saws) would permit some of his wives to visit him while in the state of 'Itikaaf, and he would depart from them in the door of the masjid. He would not be intimate with them at this time, whether by kissing them or other than that.

And he (saws) permitted a woman to make 'Itikaaf with her husband or by herself.

While in the state of 'Itikaaf, he would not go out from the masjid unless he had some humanly need.

The Prophet's guidance in giving out the Zakaat-ul-Fitr:

Allaah's Messenger (saws) obligated the Muslim and those he provides for, young and old, male and female, free and slave to give a saa' (around 2 kilogram) of dates or a saa' of barley or a saa' of dry cheese, or a saa' of raisins or half a saa' of wheat, or a saa' of the food of the people's land.

He (saws) would give it out in food and not cash.

It was from his (saws) practice to give the Zakaat-ul-Fitr a day or two prior to the 'Eed prayer.

It was from his (saws) practice to specifically give the Zakaat-ul-Fitr to the needy people (masaakeen). And he (saws) would not divide it separately for the eight categories of people mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah (60). He (saws) would appoint one of his Companions to collect and guard the Zakaat-ul-Fitr.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reaping the benefits of Ramadan
Ali Al-Timimi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the month of Ramadaan it is very important that we spent a few moments to
understand some of the wisdoms and lessons that we can learn from this month
of fasting.
Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a companion
of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Let it not be that the day that you
fast and the day that you break fast be equal." Meaning, one's behaviour,
attitude and outlook are the same whether one fasts or not, i.e. fasting has
no effect upon that person. This is why we need to reflect on some of these
lessons.

LESSON 1: Gaining Taqwaa
Allaah legislated fasting for gaining taqwaa, "O you who believe, fasting has
been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so
that you may attain taqwaa." (meaning of Soraatul Baqarah (2):183) Taqwaa in
this case means to make a shield between oneself and Allaah’s anger and
Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fasts, ‘Has this
fasting day made us fear Allaah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect
ourselves from the hellfire or not?

LESSON 2: Drawing closer to Allaah
This is achieved by reciting and reflecting on Al-Qur’aan during night and
day, attending the taraaweeh prayers, remembering Allaah, sitting in circles
of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah. Also for those who can,
making I`tikaaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of Ramadaan, so as to
leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a masjid just thinking of
Allaah, so as to bring oneself closer to
Allaah (SWT). When one sins, one feels distant from Allaah. That is why one
might find it heard to read the Qur’aan and come to the masjid. However, the
obedient worshipper feels closer to Allaah and wants to worship Allaah more,
because he is not shy from his sins.

LESSON 3: Acquiring patience and strong will
Allaah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur’aan and has
commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one fasts,
and gives up one’s food and drink, and one’s marital sexual relations for
those hours, one learns restraint and patience. This Ummah needs man and
women that are strong willed, who can stand upon the Sunnah and the Book of
Allah and not waver in front of the enemies of Allaah. We do not need
emotional people, who just raise slogans and shout, but when the time comes
to stand upon something firm, they cannot do so, they waver.

LESSON 4: Striving for Ihsaan (righteousness and sincerity) and staying away
from riyaa’ (showing off)
Ihsaan means to worship Allaah as if one seeks Him, and even though one does
not see Him, He sees all. Hasan al-Basree said, "By Allaah, in the last
twenty years, I have not said a word or taken something with my hand or
refrained to take something with my hand or stepped forth or stepped back,
except that I have thought before I have done any action, ‘Does Allaah love
this action? Is Allaah pleased with this action?' So when one is fasting, one
should gain this quality of watching oneself and also staying away from
riyaa’ (showing off). That is why Allah said in a hadeeth qudsee, "Fasting is
for Me and I reward it." (al-Bukhaaree) Allaah singles out fasting from all
other types of worship saying, "Fasting is for Me", because no one knows
whether you are fasting or not, except Allaah. For example, when one is
praying or giving charity or making tawaaaf, one can be seen by the people,
so one might do the action seeking the praise of the people. Sufyaan
ath-Thawree used to spend the nights and the days crying and the people used
to ask him, "Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of Allaah? He said, ‘No.’
They said, "Is it due to the fear of the Hellfire?" He said, ‘No. It is not
the fear of Hellfire that makes me cry, what makes me cry is that I have been
worshipping Allaah all these years and doing scholarly teaching, and I am not
certain that my intentions are purely for Allaah.’"

LESSON 5: Refinement of manners, especially those related to truthfulness and
discharging trusts.
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "Whoever
does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allaah (SWT) has no need
that he should heave his food and drink." (al-Bukhaaree) What we learn from
this, is that we must pay attention to the purification of our manners.
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "was sent
to perfect good manners." (Maalik) So we must check ourselves, are we
following the behaviour of the Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and
peace upon him)? For example: Do we give salaam to those we don’t know and
those we do know? Do we follow the manners of Islaam, by telling the truth
and only telling the truth? Are we sincere? Are we merciful to the creation?
LESSON 6: Recognizing that one can change for the better
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "Every
son of Adam sins and the best of the sinners are those whorepent." (Ibn
Maajah) Allaah provides many opportunities to repent to Him and seek His
forgiveness. If one was disobedient they can become obedient.

LESSON 7: Being more charitable
Ibn `Abaas said, "The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon
him) was the most charitable amongst the people, and he used to be more so in
the month of Ramadaan when Jibreel used to meet him on every night of
Ramadaan till the end of the month…" (al-Bukhaaree) The Prophet (may Allaah
send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "He who gives food for a fasting
person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, without
nothing being reduced from the fasting person’s reward." (at-Tirmidhee)

LESSON 8: Sensing the unity of the Muslims
The Prophet (may Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) said, "…Those
of you who will live after me will see many differences. Then you must cling
to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs. Hold fast to it
and stick to it." (Aboo Daawood) In this month we sense that there is a
possibility for unity, because we all fast together, we break fast together,
we all worship Allah together,
and we pray Salaatul-`Eid together. Therefore we sense that the unity of
possible. It is possible for Muslims to be a single body, but this will only
be achieved when obedience is only to Allaah and His Messenger.

LESSON 9: Learning discipline
The Prophet (ma Allaah send His blessing and peace upon him) made us adhere
to discipline and strictness, strictness that does not lead to fanaticism or
going outside the bounds that Allaah has laid down. One cannot knowingly
break the fast before the sunset, as this will not be accepted by Allaah.
Muslims should learn to be very strict in their lives, because they are
people of an important message, which they mold their lives around.

LESSON 10: Teaching the young to worship Allaah
It was the practice of the people of Madeenah, that during the fast of
`Aashooraa (which is now a recommended fast of one day) to get their children
to fast with them. When the children would cry of hunger and thirst, their
parents would distract their attention by giving them some sort of toy to
play with. The children would break their fast with their parents. (as
mentioned in al-Bukhaaree).
So the young should be brought to the masjid and they should pray with their
parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming worshippers
of Allaah. If one does not encourage children to fast when they are young,
they will find it very difficult to fast for thirty days at the age of
puberty. This is why the Prophet (may Allah send His blessing and peace upon
him) said, "Command your children to
pray at the age of seven and beat them at the age of ten (if they do not
pray." (Haakim)
LESSON 11: Caring for one’s health
Fasting has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of
their health and too build strong bodies. The Prophet (may Allaah send His
blessing and peace upon him) said, "A strong believer is better and is more
beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone."
(Muslim)

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