What do you "gain" from praying to Almighty Allah regularly?

 

Rumi was once asked:
What do you "gain" from praying to Almighty Allah regularly?
He replied: Usually "I don't gain anything", but rather "I lose certain things".
And he quoted everything he lost praying to Allah Almighty regularly:
1 - I lost my pride
2 - I lost my arrogance
3 - I lost my anger
4 - I lost stress
5 - I lost greed
6 - I lost the pleasure of lying
7 - I lost the taste of sin
8 - I lost impatience
9 - I lost despair and discouragement

Unanswered Prayers

How To Start Ramadan Right | Khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman

 

Hadith of the day

 ‘Amr ibn Murrah reported: A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if I testify there is no God but Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah, I perform the five prayers, I pay the obligatory alms, and I fast the month of Ramadan and stand for prayer in it. Among whom will I be?” The Prophet said, “Among the truthful and the martyrs.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3438
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut

How to Make Prayer (Salah) Effective | Khaled Abou El Fadl

 

A mother's prayers

 

 When Imam Bukhari was 3 years of age, he lost his eyesight.
His mother promised herself that she would pray #tahajjud salah until Allah restores her son's eyesight back.

And that's exactly what she did. She prayed tahajjud every night until one night in a dream she saw Ibrahim (as) give her the good news that Imam Bukhari's eyesight had been restored. She ran to her son and when he awoke, he found himself with vision again.
Lessons for me: This mother didn't go into a state of helplessness after her young child lost his eyesight. Being a single mother, she didn't lose hope and become disheartened with the difficulty she would have to face with bringing up a son with a disability. She knew very well the power of dua. She knew the beauty that lies in praying tahajjud salah. She knew Allah comes down to the lowest heaven asking his servants to make dua to Him at this time. Her taqwa, her conviction in the Might of Allah is what led her to consistently pray. To pray tahajjud salah means you sacrifice your sleep. But she did it without fail. It wasn't a "sacrifice" on her behalf but a most needed task.

When we read about the life of Imam Bukhari or know what his contribution to Islamic history and education is, how can we not look back at the household he grew up in. The mother that raised him. The mother that made dua for him in the darkness of the night.
A widow, a single mother. But she had a wealth many of us fail to embrace. She devoted herself as a slave.
These women are our role models. These women are who we look up to. Not because we know how pretty or amazing they were in looks. But because in the face of tests, they remained close to Allah. With a history filled with women who brought up men like Imam Bukhari and others, how can we feel demotivated when it comes to our own children.

If we want good for our children, and see them grow up to be good slaves, we need to take the necessary steps to become a good slave too.

This reminder about this mother's dua came at such a perfect and apt time for me. A time when I've become extremely worried about my children. This reminded me that dua is no small thing.

- Gilded Dunya

Detailed Discussion on the Fiqh of Salah by Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Join Dr. Sh. Yasir Qadhi as he discuesses the Fiqh of Salah(Prayer), its conditions, pillars, actions, rulings, and everything regarding the Salah.

 

 

A mother's prayers....

 

When Imam Bukhari was 3 years of age, he lost his eyesight.
His mother promised herself that she would pray #tahajjud salah until Allah restores her son's eyesight back.
And that's exactly what she did. She prayed tahajjud every night until one night in a dream she saw Ibrahim (as) give her the good news that Imam Bukhari's eyesight had been restored. She ran to her son and when he awoke, he found himself with vision again.
Lessons for me: This mother didn't go into a state of helplessness after her young child lost his eyesight.
Being a single mother, she didn't lose hope and become disheartened with the difficulty she would have to face with bringing up a son with a disability. She knew very well the power of dua. She knew the beauty that lies in praying tahajjud salah. She knew Allah comes down to the lowest heaven asking his servants to make dua to Him at this time. Her taqwa, her conviction in the Might of Allah is what led her to consistently pray. 

To pray tahajjud salah means you sacrifice your sleep. But she did it without fail. It wasn't a "sacrifice" on her behalf but a most needed task.
When we read about the life of Imam Bukhari or know what his contribution to Islamic history and education is, how can we not look back at the household he grew up in. The mother that raised him. The mother that made dua for him in the darkness of the night.
A widow, a single mother. But she had a wealth many of us fail to embrace. She devoted herself as a slave.
These women are our role models. These women are who we look up to. Not because we know how pretty or amazing they were in looks. But because in the face of tests, they remained close to Allah. With a history filled with women who brought up men like Imam Bukhari and others, how can we feel demotivated when it comes to our own children.
If we want good for our children, and see them grow up to be good slaves, we need to take the necessary steps to become a good slave too.

This reminder about this mother's dua came at such a perfect and apt time for me. A time when I've become extremely worried about my children. This reminded me that dua is no small thing.
- Gilded Dunya

Why aren't my prayers being answered?!

Why We Send Blessings Upon Ibrahim After Every Prayer!

New Zealanders observe Muslim call to prayer: 'We are one'

Spiritual Benefits of Salah (Ruku and Sajdah Explained) | Nouman Ali Khan|

Just because I don’t wear hijab, doesn’t mean I need you to pray for my soul

As a Muslim, I have never thought that a hijabi Muslim sister is better than me, or more pious. And I have wished that these feelings be reciprocated. However, this has not always been the case. Many a time, during my childhood and teenage years, growing up with young Muslim girls, I was told what I was doing was wrong, and that they hope Allah yahdeek: loosely translated as may God guide you (to the right path). There was no discussion, debate or even room to allow me to defend myself. Instead, I was prayed for.

The most basic regulations within Islam lay in the main foundations of the five pillars: these are the testimony to the faith, to fast Ramadan, give to charity, pray five times a day and journey to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime. Yet, the outer image of a Muslim has become more a concern than the inner intentions and acts of the Muslim woman. I think to myself often, if the headscarf instigates these women to pray, fast and genuinely help them in their path of faith, then I am all for it.

Yet what about those who feel the headscarf has done half their duty for them? It’s like having a padlock but no key: you may be wearing the headscarf, but it hasn’t unlocked your intention to follow Islam in its most basic form.

This sometimes harsh judgment shown towards Muslim women who do not wear hijab can lead to at least some Muslim women to become alienated from the Muslim community, and could lead to a loss of Islamic practice. A similar situation prevails regarding evaluation of the headscarf as a token of Islamic faith. The depiction of the hijab as a unifying element within the Muslim community is not well-founded, and breeds a seed of intolerance to those of us who don’t wear it. In addition, it has become a token political symbol, fuelling public debate by non-Muslims, never mind Muslims themselves.

Full article:

Shkodran Mustafi: This is why I started to pray five times a day

Shkodran Mustafi is one of the most successful muslim  players in the world, he is also a world cup winner.

Arsenal member besides being a very good player, he is also good at practicing Islam.

He has shown an interesting story why he did’nt drink alohool when he was at Everton years ago.

“I started to practice religion from the age of 17. I was part of Everton. We went with teammates for dinner and all my friends where drinking but I did not. One of my friend asked why you do not drink you are German, I said I am a Muslim and I do not drink alcohol, “said Mustafi.

“My teammate always asked me why I am a Muslim, and I told him my parents are Muslim and I was raised in a family of believers”.

“I never asked myself why I am Muslim. My parents have taught me but I never wondered why I do not drink, why I don’t eat pork or other things. ”

“I started reading and searching for this answers, since then I started to pray five times a day and I feel happy with this,” said Mustafi.

“Faith is very similar to football. If you do not believe in what you are doing is useless because it will be bad, ” said the Albanian.

Mustafi is known in the  football world as player who practices Islam

link

http://muslim-stories.top/shkodran-mustafi-this-is-why-i-started-to-pray-five-times-a-day/

Ramadan starting tomorrow, Inshallah

Ramadan is starting tomorrow (27 May) in most countries Inshallah. Here are some links to help you:

Ramadan Section: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/

Hadith and Fiqh on Ramadan fasting: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/Hadiths/

Dua's section: http://islamawareness.net/Dua/

Ramadan: Video Lectures: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/VideoLectures/

Taraweeh matters: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/Taraweeh/

Fatawa related to Ramadan: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/Fatawa/

Medical benefits and Health issues in Ramadan: http://islamawareness.net/Ramadhan/Health/

Everything about Zakat: http://islamawareness.net/Zakat/

Dua of Prophet Musa (A.S) | illustrated | Nouman Ali Khan

Olympic Athletes Show the Positive Power of Islam

The Power of Prayer

On Aug. 13, Somali British long distance runner Mo Farah sought to claim back-to-back gold medals in the 10,000-meter run. In the middle of the race, the favorite locked his legs with another runner and fell on the track. He bounced right back up, strategically wove his way past the pack and claimed gold.

After he crossed the finish line, Farah fell on the track again—this time to pray. He bowed his head before a stadium of adoring spectators. That performance was just as dramatic as racing past Kenya’s Paul Kipngetich Tanui to win this third gold medal.

Farah’s prayer can help counter the damaging stereotypes of Muslims held by many around the world. For Farah, and scores of Muslim athletes, faith is not incidental, but central to their excellence in sport. “I normally pray before a race,” Farah said. “I read du’aa [Islamic prayers or invocations] think about how hard I’ve worked and just go for it.”

The Weight of Gendered Stereotypes

A young woman in a head scarf can often conjure up images of frailty and disempowerment. But Egyptian weightlifter Sara Ahmed is anything but. She can out-lift most women in the world and has the kind of physical power few possess.

Donning all black with a red headscarf, the colors of her nation, the diminutive Ahmed lifted a combined weight of 255kg (562lbs) to claim the bronze medal in the 69kg weight class. The feat, given her nationality and ethnicity, was unprecedented. Ahmed became an instant icon in her native Egypt, becoming the first female medalist in the nation’s 104-year history in Olympics’ competition and the first Arab woman to win an Olympicmedal in weightlifting.

As she bowed her head to receive her medal, Ahmed represented world-class power, strength and Muslim womanhood, disrupting tropes that have enabled headscarf bans in France and trite oppression narratives in America and elsewhere.

Source

I Love Muhammad (pbuh) But I Hate The Musalli Horse Stance

The Prophet (pbuh) said that when Muslims stand for prayer, we must not leave any gaps between us otherwise Satan runs in those gaps during the prayer. But this must be put in context as the following anecdote illustrates.

A Saudi friend told me that one young man in his country adopted the Musalli Horse Stance in prayer. When an elderly man asked him why he was standing in prayer like that, the young man replied, “Because Shaytan (Satan) runs through the gaps.”

The elderly man replied to him, “My son, your feet are so wide apart that Shaytan will run under your legs if you are not careful.”

Good point. I have prayed next to people whose foot is pushing so hard on my foot that instead of thinking about my Lord the only thing I am thinking about during my prayer is which Accident and Emergency Department will have the shortest waiting times if this geezer fractures my foot.

Read entire blog My love and dua to my brother Babar Ahmad.

Women attending the Masjid

 

The Masjid is known as the ‘house of Allah’ as it symbolises the place where God is worshipped. This is the place of devotion and proclamation of his Greatness and Majesty. Although the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared that ‘the entire earth has been made a masjid for me’, in other words we can pray anywhere. However, the Masjid has a special place in Muslim society. This spot of land designated as the Masjid is “the best place on earth” (prophetic tradition).

“The person who visits the Masjid is God’s guest and divine hospitality is forgiveness” said the Prophet (peace be upon him). The one who prays in congregation in the Masjid gets his reward multiplied twenty seven times (Hadith). “Whoever waits in the Masjid for the next prayer is protected as he is in a Ribat (fortress) which gives protection from the attacks of the devil and ones ego” (Hadith). The serene, quiet and simple environment of the Masjid lifts the spirit, which helps the worshipper to focus and get absorbed in divine thoughts.

Scholars have likened the Masjid to a ‘magnifying glass’ since it focuses the sun rays onto a single spot, similarly the rays of Divine Mercy are focused in the Masjid on the worshipper. The Masjid is the house of Allah, the best place on earth and it is a fortress. Whoever visits the Masjid is indeed Allah’s guest, graced with Divine hospitality; he is honoured as a true believer. It is the place for enriching one’s spirituality and building social relations. Is this exclusively for men? Is it a men’s club? Do women have no share in this wonderful spiritual place?

In this article I present Hadith evidence to show that women have full right to attend the Masjid. The merciful Master (peace be upon him) did not make it compulsory for them to visit the Masjid but as we will see he kept telling men not to stop them. Here I will not comment on why some later ‘jurists’ banned women from the Masjid. I will confine myself to some of the Ahadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Ibn Hajar’s (d. 761 AH) commentary.

The virtues of attending the Masjid

Abu Huraira narrates the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as saying, “Shall I not tell you about that which will obliterate your mistakes and bring your near to Allah?” They replied, “ Yes! Surely O Messenger.” He said, “it is to perform the ablution properly in difficult circumstances. A lot of foot steps to the Masjid and waiting for the next prayer after performing one that is the Ribat. That indeed is Ribat” (Muslim).

In the Muslim community the Masjid is the centre of Islamic activities. It is a place of worship and learning, a place for meditation, devotion, service and remembrance of Allah. In the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) it even had the role of the supreme court where the Chief Justice (peace be upon him) would issue his legal injunctions. It was also the military headquarters where the Messenger (peace be upon him) would plan the Jihad against the forces of unbelief. This Hadith directs us to the Masjid in order to have our minor sins erased and spiritual station raised, the Prophet (peace be upon him) orders us to do the wudu properly too. “The wudu is the key to the prayer and the prayer is the key to the heavens” (Hadith).

This state of physical purification is a prerequisite for a state of spiritual purification. After offering his devotion and humble prayer he sits in the Masjid waiting for the next prayer, this is spiritual vigilance, in Allah’s house absorbed in His thought. He is far from the temptations of the devil, the whispers of the uncouthed self and the lures of the glittering world. “This is Ribat, indeed the Ribat”, says the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ribat is the fort from where the soldiers use to keep a watch. The blessed Messenger (peace be upon him) equates this Ribat to the sitting in the Masjid waiting for the next prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is recommending a perfect method for self-purification and defining the limits of Islamic asceticism, i.e. solitude and austerity. Not to abandon life, home, family and friends but to live amongst them, yet find time for solitude and communion with Allah. The one who attends the Masjid regularly has been praised by the Mustafa (peace be upon him) in these words:

“Whoever you see coming and going to and from the Masjid, you must give testimony of his faith being complete”. He then recited, “surely the one who builds the masjid is the one who has faith in Allah, the hereafter and fears no one except Him. They are the one who are rightly guided” (Tirmidhi).

In another tradition narrated by Abu Haraira he (peace be upon him) says: “Whoever attends the Masjid, Allah prepares a special hospitality for him” (Muslim).

Praying with the Congregation

Abu Darda says he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying, “When there are three people in a village or in the desert and they do not pray as a group the devil takes control of them. You must be with the group. Surely the wolf attacks the sheep that is alone and separate from the flock” (Abu Dawud).

We have already read that the prayer is one of the most important qualities of the believer. It is the flavour of faith, the food of the soul and gives peace of mind. It is a personal devotion but should be offered in a congregation. This Hadith is emphasising this group aspect of the prayer.

How valuable it is to offer the prayer in congregation is explained by the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said, “the group prayer is twenty seven times superior than the individual prayer” (Muslim).

The Hadith under discussion instructs that even when there are only three people they should pray together as a group rather than pray separately. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then gives the similitude of the lone sheep cut off from the flock. The devil who is depicted here as the wolf attacks the lone wanderers, those who are not with the Muslim community or those who live only at its peripheries not taking active part in its affairs.

The congregational prayer has many benefits such as; fostering love and compassion for fellow Muslims, thus strengthening the bonds of brotherhood, equality, since everyone stands humbly together whether he is a pauper or wealthy, big or small. Prayer gives training in being punctual and regular in ones daily affairs. Congregational prayer is one of outstanding features of Islam, the row upon row of believers standing humbly, bowing in unison and then prostrating together, it is a moving experience for any onlooker. The congregational prayer also teaches obedience to a leader (Imam) and gives the sense of belonging to the community.

From Bukhari and Ibn Hajar

Chapter 162- Women going to the Masjids at night and darkness

Abdullah ibn Umar narrates the messenger (peace be upon him) said ”When your women seek your permission to attend the Masjid at night then give them permission” (Hadith no. 865).

Ibn Hajar Asqalani (d.761 AH) is perhaps one of the greatest commentators of Bukhari. Here is a summary of his commentary on this topic:

1. The permission to attend the Masjid hints to the fact that it is not compulsory, since if it was there would be no need to seek husbands permission.

2. He quotes another Hadith from Muslim. Abdullah ibn Umar narrates the Messenger (peace be upon him) said “don’t stop women from getting their share of the Masjid when they seek your permission”. Bilal (his son) said “By God we certainly will stop them”. According to Tabarani Bilal said “I will not let my wife and whoever wishes can let his wife do as she likes”.

3. According to the narration in Muslim, when Bilal said this to his father Abdullah ibn Umar, he was furious at him, he turned to him and cursed him three times and thereafter never spoke to his son until he died.

4. Ibn Hajar comments on this “father and son fight” by saying that “Bilal saw mischief in some women of his time and that made him react in that way to protect his sense of honour and self respect and Abdullah disapproved because he was clearly opposing the Prophetic tradition”.

Chapter 164- Women’s prayer standing behind men

Umm Salma said “when the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished his prayer by saying salaam the women would get up and leave. He would stay for a while in his place. This was done so that women could leave before the men could see them”.

Anas said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed in Umm Sulaim’s house, I and an orphan stood behind him and Umm Sulaim behind us” (Hadith no.874).

Chapter 165- The quick departure of women after Morning Prayer and their short stay in the Masjid

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said “the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray morning prayer in darkness, Muslim women used to come and go without being recognised in the dark” (Hadith no. 872).

Abdullah Ibn Umar said ”There was a woman who used to attend the Morning and night prayer with the congregation in the Masjid. It was said to her why do you come yet you know that Umar does not like that. She said he has not stopped me! She said the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “Don’t stop God’s maids from attending the Masjids” (Hadith no. 900).

Commenting on these two Ahadith Ibn Hajar says “if women are permitted to attend Masjids at night despite that night is time of suspicion, the permission during daytime is even foremost”.

Source

Ramadan 2015 Around the Corner - Mufti Menk 2015