How do you behave in private?

Do you continuously disobey Allah and find comfort in it because nobody is around? Do you feel more shy in front of others than in front of Allah? Some people are careless of their faith. The moment they return home and hang up their ‘religious’ hat, they immediately begin to transgress the boundaries of Allah. They disregard repenting or trying to cease their bad behaviors.

How to Know If Allah is Pleased with You?

Among the signs that the Lord is pleased with His slave is that He guides him to do good deeds and avoid haraam things. This is confirmed by the words of Allaah:

While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety” [Muhammad 47:17]
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ

As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:69]
 وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
But if a person is hindered from doing good deeds and avoiding haraam things – we seek refuge with Allaah – then that is a sign that Allaah is not pleased with him.

Always be Hopeful with Allah’s Kindness

Imagine if our sins could never be erased? What type of a life would it be? Hopeless, right?

Now, read of Allah’s Kindness
O Son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask for forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you; O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it [Hadith Qudsi, Al-Tirmidhi]

Little Known Facts About Israel

. Did you know that Israel allots 85% of the water resources for Jews, and the remaining 15% is divided among all Palestinians in the territories? For example in Hebron, 85% of the water is set aside for about 400 Jewish settlers, while the remaining 15% is distributed among Hebron's 120, 000 Palestinians?

. Did you know that the United States awards Israel $5 billion in aid each year from American tax dollars?

. Did you know that US aid to Israel ($1.8 billion annually in military aid alone) exceeds the aid the US grants to the entire African continent? This aid is used both to buy American weaponry and to buy arms made in Israel.

What does Islam say about "mothers"?

This is one of the most convincing things about Islam - the treatment of women in general and especially the high position mothers hold in Islam.

Amongst the clearest examples of Islam's honoring women is the great status of the mother in Islam. Islam commands kindness, respect and obedience to parents and specifically emphasizes and gives preference to the mother as shall be shown in this article. Islam raises parents to a status greater than that found in any other religion or ideology.

The command to be good to one's parents begins right from the Qur'an. Allah says:

"Worship God and join not any partners with Him; and be kind to your parents..." [Noble Quran 4:36]

The mention of servitude to parents follows immediately after servitude to God. This is repeated throughout the Qur'an.

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your 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 Your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." [Noble Quran 17:23-24]

The great scholar, Abu al-Faraj Ibn Al-Jawzî (d. 1201CE) explained:

To be kind to one's parents is: to obey them when they order you to do something, unless it is something which Allah has forbidden; to give priority to their orders over voluntary acts of worship; to abstain from that which they forbid you to do; to provide for them; to serve them; to approach them with gentle humility and mercy; not to raise your voice in front of them; nor to fix your glance on them; nor to call them by their names; and to be patient with them. (Ibn al-Jawzî, Birr al-Wâlidayn)

The Qur'an emphasizes the great struggles the mother goes through for her child, to highlight the need for one to reciprocate their parents sacrifice for them:

"And We have enjoined on man [to be good] to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him and his weaning was over two years. Be thankful to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination."[Noble Quran 31:14]

The renowned exegete, Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa'di (d. 1956), says about this verse:

{And to your parents} meaning, be kind to your parents, shower on them love, affection and piety, both in words and deeds, treat them with tender humility, provide for them and never harm them verbally nor physically. [...] Then, Allah mentions the reason why we should be kind to our parents, when He says {His mother bore him in travail upon travail}, that is, the mother bore constant suffering; in pain and hardship from the first moment she felt the child moving in her womb to the worst pangs during the time of delivery. And {his weaning is for two years}, that is, during these two years the mother breast-feeds her child and looks after him/her. So after all the years of suffering, hardship, love and care, could we not, at least, compensate our mothers for what they have done for us and pay them back their rights? (Taysîr al-Karîm ar-Rahmân fî Tafsîr al-Kalâm al-Manân)

Equality of Men and Women

My brothers and sisters everywhere! Islamic law [Shari'ah] - that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) sent down to His Messenger Muhammad - came to announce that women (exactly like men) are full human beings. Women (like men) are therefore required to follow the way appointed by Allah.
A woman (like a man) is therefore obligated with all three degrees of this religion: Islam (outward submission to Allah), Iman (inward faith in Allah), and Ihsan (perfection of worship of Allah).

Islam (outward submission to Allah)

It is thus required for every woman to testify that there is none deserving worship but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger; to pray; to give charity; to fast; and to make a pilgrimage to Allah's House if she has the means.

Iman (inward faith in Allah and the unseen [Al Ghaib])

It is likewise required for every woman to believe in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in Allah's decree (and that the good and evil consequences thereof are from Allah).

Ihsan (perfection of worship of Allah)

It is likewise required for every woman to worship Allah as if she sees Him. For although she cannot see Allah, she must believe that He sees whatever she does in secret and in public.
Women (exactly like men) have been commanded with these three levels of the religion (Islam, Iman, and Ihsan).

FROM GOD TO ALLAH

by AHMED HULUSI
www.ahmedhulusi.org

From a God who thinks like a man, to a man who thinks like Allah!
For centuries after centuries, mankind has found solace in the idea of idolizing and deifying an all-powerful being with whom refuge can be sought against the many calamities and events that leave mankind helpless and impotent.
This process of deification and seeking salvation and success from an outside source, has led mankind to turn towards numerous concepts of god/s with the hope of having their dreams and desires met. As such, various objects that were thought to be powerful enough to have the capacity to meet their demands were deemed as gods, and hence began the period of idolatry.
At first, the gods were identified from among certain stones, plants and animals on earth. However, once their mortal nature was recognized, and as Prophets and Rasuls came time and time again pointing to the absurdity of deifying these earthly objects, man gave up on earthly gods and turned his gaze towards the heavens. This time, deifying certain heavenly objects or stars with specific influences as gods.

Whenever man encountered an object or event that he could not solve or comprehend, it became a mysterious power for him, to which he eventually associated a concept of godhood. This concept of an earthly or heavenly god falls into direct contradiction with scientific knowledge and is nothing but postulation. The Quran rejects this assumption that goes against verified knowledge with its ‘kalima-i tawhid’ (The Word of Unity), ‘there is no god’.
Man imprisoned himself in a cocoon when he idolized fire and heavenly bodies, all in supposition of a ‘god’. In time and with conditionings from the environment, he began to lead a life completely devoid of contemplation. Enslavement was the price of this ignorance; he became a slave to his gods and this dependence became his reassurance.

MAN, WORLD, UNIVERSE AND ISLAM

by AHMED HULUSI
www.ahmedhulusi.org

Do we know anything about the world, which exists, beyond our physical viewpoint? In this day and age, everybody asked this question will naturally give the following answer:
“Of course, I live on Earth!” Well, this is actually the answer given to the question: “Where do you live now?”
If you tell someone that he is an alien from outer space then the reply will be: “No, how can this happen? I am from a planet known as Earth.” So, is this Earth not in space? Are we not living on a planet called Earth, which is travelling through space?
Well, if we consider this realistically, we are in fact only a tiny speck in space. Because we have for so many centuries been inclined to accept everything in a conditioned manner, we think that we live in a world which is fixed at some point, around which the sun orbits, and that the whole of the universe is rotating about our planet Earth. As a result of this assumption, we accept ourselves as being life forms living on this Earth, and the Earth as the centre of the universe.
The most up-to-date modern science of our time still hasn't succeeded in making us aware that there are many other realities beyond our knowledge, which have to be learned in the meantime. We keep on telling ourselves that we are a species born and raised on the planet Earth. Yes, but even though each of us has lived and spent our time here on this Earth, how could the world we live in be best explained? Under what criteria will the definition of our world be made? What sort of world is it and where can it be found in the universe?

Again, let me ask you a different question this time: How old are you? Some of you will say I am 30 and some of you will say I am 50. Now, the question is, are you really 30 or 50 years old? What I mean to say is, what dictates that your age is 30 or 50?
As we already know, the world that we live in at present is only one of many other planets in this solar system of ours, which rotates around the sun. We are approximately 150 million kilometres away from the sun, continuously turning around this giant hot star. The sun which we see every day in the sky, standing out there in the sky like a giant copper tray or a massive saucepan is approximately one million 303 thousand times bigger than our world in terms of its mass.
Now, at this point, let's try to concentrate: We are always telling ourselves that our lives on Earth have been in the process of continuation ever since we were created. Furthermore, our definition of a one-year period is the amount of time it takes our Earth to complete one full revolution around the sun. According to us, this is the unit of measure, which is represented by one year. We also tell ourselves that our age has reached 30, because the Earth has gone around the sun 30 times in succession. In other words: since the day we were born, the Earth has completed exactly 30 revolutions around the sun. As can be seen very clearly from this example, this is the way in which we have produced our own definition of time. Meanwhile, we are still unable to come to terms with a very important factor, which needs to be understood, either by deliberately ignoring it or by pretending that we don't want to know anything about it at all. Or perhaps we are totally unaware of this fact.

Because in our world of limited understanding, there is no such concept or point of view. Yes, in reality, all of us, regardless of whom we are, are living in our own world of perception and resemble very closely indeed a shell, covered over and submerged, so that our contact with the outside world has been completely lost. As a result of this, we can just about manage to communicate with the others around us through using our limited understanding but also get trapped into the values that these people have predetermined for us.
Being stuck into our own world of perception, we know absolutely nothing about what is happening out there, which means that our interpretation of what is actually happening around us is a complete mystery to us and is something that we don’t notice, and therefore we are not able to realize many of the facts of our lives.

THE MUSLIM WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND

Marriage in Islam

In Islam, marriage is a blessed contract between a man and a woman, in which each becomes “permitted” to the other, and they begin the long journey of life in a spirit of love, cooperation, harmony and tolerance, where each feels at ease with the other, and finds tranquility, contentment and comfort in the company of the other. The Qur’aan has described this relationship between men and women, which brings love, harmony, trust and compassion, in the most moving and eloquent terms:

(And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your [hearts] . . . 

(Qur’aan 30:21)

This is the strongest of bonds, in which Allah (subhaanahu wa ‘ta’aalaa) unites the two Muslim partners, who come together on the basis of love, understanding, co-operation and mutual advice, and establish a Muslim family in which children will live and grow up, and they will develop the good character and behavior taught by Islam. The Muslim family is the strongest component of a Muslim society when its members are productive and constructive, helping and encouraging one another to be good and righteous, and competing with one another in good works. The righteous woman is the pillar, cornerstone and foundation of the Muslim family. She is seen as the greatest joy in a man’s life, as the Prophet (Sala llah alayhi wa salam) said:

“This world is just temporary conveniences, and the best comfort in this world is a righteous woman."

A righteous woman is the greatest blessing that Allah (subhaanahu wa ‘ta’aalaa) can give to a man, for with her he can find comfort and rest after the exhausting struggle of earning a living. With his wife, he can find incomparable tranquility and pleasure. How can a woman be the best comfort in this world? How can she be a successful woman, true to her own femininity, and honored and loved? This is what will be explained in the following

She chooses a good husband

One of the ways in which Islam has honored woman is by giving her the right to choose her husband. Her parents have no right to force her to marry someone she dislikes. The Muslim woman knows this right, but she does not reject the advice and guidance of her parents when a potential suitor comes along, because they have her best interests at heart, and they have more experience of life and people. At the same time, she does not forego this right because of her father’s wishes that may make him force his daughter into a marriage with someone she dislikes.There are many texts that support the woman in this sensitive issue, for example the report quoted by Imam Al-Bukhaari from al-Khansa’ bint Khidam:

The second day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage

More than two million Muslims have travelled from Mecca to Mount Arafat, on the second day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage

The Day of Arafat is the only day when Muslims gather together at Arafat Mountain in an act of unity to pray and fast for their religion and to offer sacrifices as they remember that Abraham offered Ishmael, It is called the Day of Repentance

Indeed, the day of Arafat is a blessed day and there is no other covenant greater than this covenant! Arafat is a day of Forgiveness from sins, freedom from the Hell-Fire for the people who are present in the plain of Arafat. A’ishah (radhi Allâhu anha) narrated the Messenger of Allâh (sallAllâhu alaihi wa-sallam) saying:
“There is no day on which Allâh frees more people from the Fire than the day of Arafat. [Sahîh Muslim]
 ( ما من يوم أكثر من أن يعتق الله فيه عبدا من النار من يوم عرفة) رواه مسلم في الصحيح.
This Hâdîth mentions forgiveness for the pilgrims. In addition to this, fasting on the day of Arafat is a Sunnah and an expiation of sins for the residents.

Signs of Allah in Birds

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

"Do they not see the birds suspended in mid-air up in the sky? Nothing holds them there except Allah. There are certainly Signs in that for people who have faith." (Surat an-Nahl: 79)
...
A bird uses great energy when it takes flight because it has to lift all its body with its tiny wings. Yet, once it is up in the air, Allah has made it easy for it to remain aloft without expending too much effort. Birds can fly for a long time by allowing themselves to rely on the wind. This way, they hardly tire since they consume very little energy. When the effect produced by the wind diminishes, they begin to flap their wings again. By means of this feature Allah has given birds, they can cover very long distances and migrate to remote destinations.

It is interesting that birds' legs, so slender and little in comparison to their bodies, can carry their entire bodies. It is amazing that so many muscles, veins and nerves can exist in such a slender leg! If birds' legs were thicker and relatively more bulky, it would be more difficult for them to fly.

~~~~~ FOOD ~~~~~

Don't Waste it !
 Buy Wisely ~ Cook Carefully ~ Eat it all
 MONEY IS YOURS BUT RESOURCES BELONG TO THE SOCIETY". THERE ARE MANY OTHERS IN THE WORLD WHO ARE FACING SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES. YOU HAVE NO REASON TO WASTE RESOURCES
 ...
 Food and drink are great bounties of ALLAH swt.
Every grain of food and every drop of water or any halal drink must be greatly appreciated. Wasting is the way of shaitaan. ALLAH Subhan Watala says:
Surat Al-'Isrā' (The Night Journey) - Chapter No: 17
 Verse No: 27

إIndeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.

We have been especially warned against wasting food and drink.
The Quraan-ul- Kareem proclaims:

Ruling on I’tikaaf

I'tikaaf: Ruling, conditions and place?

Ruling on I’tikaaf:

I’tikaaf is prescribed according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus.

In the Qur’aan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
 “and We commanded Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I’tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer)” [al-Baqarah 2:125]

“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187]

UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN- THE ROLE OF THE FATHER

As Salamu Alaykym

It is sad to note that there seems to be an increasing tendency towards viewing parenthood in material terms only. ‘I have to see to it that my children are well fed, obtain a good education and are given a good start in life’.

This statement in essence gives us the sum total of how most fathers view their parental responsibility. Alas, even a limited understanding of Islamic principles will convince one of how erroneous and short-sighted such a viewpoint is. This point is encapsulated in the following Hadith wherein the very Deeni direction of a child is attributed to the role of the parents. The noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Every child is born on Fitrat (a natural inclination towards perfect and practical Islam). It is his parents who turn him towards Judaism, Christianity or fire-worship’. (Mishkat).

The father in essence is the role model of the child and has been given the pedestal of leadership in the home: ‘The man (father/husband) is the keeper and leader of his family’. (Mishkat).

~ Ihram or the state of Ihram ~

Ihram is the state of sacred purity the Muslim faithful must enter before conducting the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makka. Ihram is achieved through ritual cleansing, shaving and manicure for men. Men symbolize their state of Ihram by wearing a white, two-piece, seamless garment - sheets or towels - that covers the upper and lower part of the body.

Big problems Easy Solution

What am I going to do? Why is my life so messed up? Why can’t I find happiness? Why am I alone? Why do I feel stuck? Why do I have these problems?

These questions only have meaning if we direct them to Allah. No one else can answer them. Consider the words of the Prophet Ya’qub (alayhis-salam, peace be upon him) when his son Yusuf (as) was secretly thrown into a well by his brothers. They then reported to their father that Yusuf had been killed by a wolf.

And he turned away from them and said, “Oh, my sorrow over Yusuf,” and his eyes became white from grief, and he fell into silent melancholy
 وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
They said, “By Allah , you will not cease remembering Yusuf until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish
 قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ
He said, “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and I know from Allah that which you do not know,only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah
 قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
- Quran, Surat Yusuf, 12:84-86

When you feel stuck, when you feel that no one understands your situation, when you’re in pain and you can’t even imagine a solution, only Allah has the answers. You can’t see a way forward, but He can. You don’t see your own worth, but He does. You can’t figure out the road to happiness, but He can show you
 *Attach your heart to God and you will never be let down*

Don't be sad. Allah is with us

اے کہ در زندان غم باشی اسیر
از نبی تعلیم لا تحزن بگیر

Oh , Why are you being the prisoner of grief ...
Learn the lesson of لا تحزن (Don't Be Sad) taught by Nabi ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) ....

ایں سبق صدیق را صدیق کرد
سرخوش از پیمانہ تحقیق کرد

This lesson was taught to Siddiq (Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه ) by Siddik (The title given to beloved Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم :meaning speaker of the truth) ..

..:: The Beauty of HAJJ ::..

[By: Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah - (As Seen through the Eyes of the Believers)]

By Him whose House the loving pilgrims visit,
Responding with ihram at the appointed limit,
Uncovering their heads in total humility
Before the One to Whom faces bow in servility.

They exclaim in the valleys, "We have responded to Your call -
All Praise is You Ya ALLAH! and ALL the Kingdom too!"

He invited them and they answered His call!, with Praises,Glorification,love and pleasure;
When they called upon ALLAH in humility, He is nearer to them, then send the Divine treasure the gift of Mercy.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)'s Family Tree

Thought I'd share it again as it's important to know the beautiful family of Our Rasool (s.a.w.)

Note, when people ask about Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) and his wives (Our Mothers) (r.a.), make sure you know that most of them were married for non-carnal reasons i.e. not for his personal desires, but more so he (s.a.w.) married for - - Protecting Widows
- Creating Harmony Amongst Non-Muslims and Muslims
- Other reasons to create Social Stability

This is a message for every sister :

♥ Who got married but doesn't have children: dears sister, know thatAysha (radhyaAllahu ‘anha) got married to Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) in a very young age but she has never had children.
♥ who was divorced: dear sister, the 2 daughters of Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) got divorced even though they are the daughters of the messenger of Allah!
♥ Who got married and is didn't get pregnant yet : remember dear, the first wife and mother of believers Khadijah (radhyaAllahu ‘anha) got married to Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) when she was 40 years old and she got 6 children but saida Aysha (radhyaAllahu ‘anha) didn't has children from him (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) even though she was so young. So there is absolutely a Divine Wisdom behind that.
♥ who didn't get married yet and afraid of what people may say about her: don’t worry dear sister, marriage is Rizq