azra

Some virtues of attending the Jumu’ah prayer:

Abu Hurairah (R.A.) narrates that Nabi (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, ‘The sins are remitted between the five prayers, one Jumu’ah Salaah to another Jumu’ah Salaah and Ramadhaan to Ramadhaan as long as no major sins are committed.’ (Muslim)

Fajr Salaah: It has been narrated by Aisha (R.A.) that Nabi (S.A.W.S.) said: “The two Rak’aats of Fajr (Sunnah) is better than the entire world and whatever it contains. (Muslim)

Zuhr Salaah: Umme Habibah (R.A.) says: “I heard Rasoolullah (S.A.W.S.) saying: “Allah will make the fire of Hell Haraam on whoever observes the four Rak’aats before Zuhr and four Rak’aats (two Sunnah and two Nafl) after Zuhr.” (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)

For those of us who only use dua when we are in dire need or difficulty, the reminders in this post prove that we should NEVER let go of making dua to Allah. This is because making dua lets us seek Allah’s attention. Furthermore, dua similar to prayers is an act of worship that we simply can’t ignore. Taking it another step, by us not making Dua makes Allah angry. Consider the following sayings of Allah and the prophet:

Seeking Allah’s attention Allah says in the Quran:

Wabisah bin Ma’bad (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: I went to Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) and he asked me:

“Have you come to inquire about piety?”

I replied in the affirmative. Then he said:

“Ask your heart regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart,
. . .
and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart,
even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.”

[Ahmad and Ad-Darmi]

COMMENTARY:
There are two points about this Hadith:

Your deen or way of life can be one of two types: one way of life is to look after your own self interests and the other way is to seek to improve the welfare of others, even at your own expense, in order to earn the pleasure of Allah. These are two diametrically opposed ways of thinking, behaving and living. Now the way to Allah is the way of giving. The Prophet (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) made a comparison of the two different personalities as follows:

Hadith:
Abu Hurairah (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

“Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.”
Then (giving a warning) he said:”

1. “Are you waiting for poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion,

2. Or prosperity which will make you corrupt,

3. Or a disease which will disable you,

4. Or senility which will make you mentally unstable,

5. Or sudden death which will take you all of a sudden,

6. Or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected,

Allah, the Exalted, says:

“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in Al-Husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).” (92:5-7)

“And Al-Muttaqun (the pious and righteous) will be far removed from it (Hell). He who spends his wealth for increase in self-purification. And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to be paid back. Except to seek the Countenance of his Rubb, the Most High. He surely, will be pleased (when he will enter Jannah).” (92:17-21)

Hadith:
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Once we were on a journey with Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) when a rider came and began looking right and left. Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.S) said, “Whoever has an extra mount should offer it to him who is without it, and whoever has surplus food should give it to him who has nothing;” and he continued mentioning other properties until we thought that none of us had any right to surplus of his own property.
[Muslim]

COMMENTARY:

Prophet Muhammad [Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam] was, in his youth, a combination of the best social attributes. He was an exemplary man of weighty mind and faultless insight. He was favoured with intelligence, originality of thought and accurate choice of the means leading to accurate goals. His long silence helped favourably in his habit of meditation and deep investigation into the truth. His vivid mind and pure nature were helpfully instrumental in assimilating and comprehending ways of life and people, individual and community-wise.

[From The Pages Of The Life Of Prophet Muhammad (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam]

Traditions delightfully relate how Haleemah and the whole of her
household were favoured by successive strokes of good fortune while
the baby Muhammad [Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam] lived under her care.

Ibn Ishaq states that Haleemah narrated that she along with her
husband and a suckling babe, set out from her village in the company
of some women of her clan in quest of children to suckle. She said: It
was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode on

When the Messenger of Allah [Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam] was twelve years old, he went with his uncle Abu Talib on a business journey to Syria. When they reached Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the vicinity of Howran under the Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real name was Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He had never been in the habit of receiving or entertaining them before. He readily enough recognized the Prophet [S.A.W.S.] and said while taking his hand: “This is the master of all humans.

Hadith:
Abu Kabshah ‘Amr bin Sa’d (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

“I swear by Allah for three (qualities) which I am going to tell you about. Remember them well:
(1) The wealth of a man will not diminish by Sadaqah (charity).
(2) Allah augments the honour of a man who endures an oppression patiently.
(3) He who opens a gate of begging, Allah opens a gate of poverty (or he said a word similar to it).”

He (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) also said, “Remember well what I am going to tell you;
The world is for four kinds of people:

Hadith:
‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘as (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: the Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

“There are forty kinds of virtue, the highest of which is to gift a (milch) she goat. He who practises any of these virtues, expecting its reward (from Allah) and believing on the verity of the promise made for it, will enter Jannah.”
[Al-Bukhari]

COMMENTARY:

Hadith:
Ibn Mas’ud (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) asked:
“Who of you loves the wealth of his heir more than his own wealth?”

The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah! There is none of us but loves his own wealth more.”
He (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:
“His wealth is that which he has sent forward, but that which he retains belongs to his heir.”
[Al-Bukhari]

COMMENTARY:

And why did you not, when you heard it, say? “It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to God, this is a most serious slander” (Quran 24:16)

A commentary on one of the most destructive of major sins:

The statement of Allah – the Most High:
“I did not create the Jinn, nor mankind, except to worship Me.”
[Al-Qur’an 51:56]

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) -rahimahullah – said:”Worship (Al-‘Ibadah) is obedience to Allah by following that which He ordered upon the tongues of His Messengers.”
He also said:”Worship (Al-‘Ibadah) is a comprehensive term covering everything that Allah loves and is pleased with – whether saying, or actions, outward and inward.”[Majmu’ al-Fatawa (10/149)]

Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism, We read in the Quran:

AHADITH:
1. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (RadiyAllahu Anhuma) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:

“Successful is the one who enters the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his day’s needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him.”
[Muslim]

COMMENTARY:

Ahadith:
(1) Sahl bin Sa’d (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Were this world worth a wing of mosquito, He would not have given a drink of water to an infidel.”
[At-Tirmidhi]

COMMENTARY:
This Hadith makes it clear that the world and its wealth and riches has no significance to Allah. Thus, it should not have much significance to the believers. It should be considered a means to reform the Afterlife, or a place of trial.

Hadith: Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported:

A man came to the Prophet (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) and said:

‘O Messenger of Allah, guide me to such an action which, if I do Allah will love me and the people will also love me.”

He (Sallellahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you.”
[Ibn Majah]

COMMENTARY:

Hadith:
Once, Mu’adh ibn Jabal (r.a.) asked the Prophet (sallellahu alaihi wa sallam) to inform him of some good work that would admit him into Paradise and distance him from the Hellfire.

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) mentioned to him the virtues of many good deeds, then said:
“Shall I inform you of the foundation of all of that?”

Mu`adh (r.a.) said: “Certainly.”
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) took hold of his tongue and said: “Restrain yourself from this.”

Mu’adh (r.a.) then asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Are we held to task for the things that we say?”

Tamim ad-Dari radhiallahu ‘anhusaid, “The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, (three times), “The Religion is nasihah (sincerity and sincere advice).” We said, “To whom?” He said, “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people.” [Related by Muslim (no. 55)]Commentary
Imam An-Nawawi (d. 676H) – rahimahullah – said:

Having good morals and manners is an essential requisite of our faith—and that takes much thought and effort.
The Beloved Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention) said: “The best amongst you are the best in character and manners”
(Al-Bukhaari)

Improving our character, however, is not at all an easy task. One must go through rigorous self-discipline, monitoring, and education to reform our entire way of thinking and acting.