Benefiting Others | Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed

Khutbah: Being a Benefit to Others - Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh

Ayat al-Kursi

The Advantages of Ayatul Kursi

Verse 255 of Surah al-Baqarah (chapter: The cow) in holy Qur’an is called Ayatul Kursi:

"Allah! is besides whom there is no God, the Everliving, the self-subsisting by whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by his permission?

He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they can not comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great."

The benefits Ayatul Kursi are:

1. Holy prophet (PBUH) said: whoever recites the first 4 ayats of Surah al-Baqarah (chapter: The cow), then Ayatul Kursi and then the last 3 ayats of Surah al-Baqarah, will not be inflicted with any kind of difficulty in his wealth or himself, Satan will not come near him and he will not forget the Qur’an.

2. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: Qur’an is a great word, and Surah al-Baqarah is the leader of the Qur’an and Ayatul Kursi is the leader of Surah al-Baqarah. In Ayatul Kursi there are 50 words and for each word there are 50 blessings and good in it.

3. One who recites Ayatul Kursi every morning will be in the protection, safety of Allah until the night.

4. If one ties this to ones wealth or children, they will be safe from Satan.

5. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said: These things increase ones memory: sweets, meat of an animal which is slaughtered in Islamic manner near the neck, Lentils, cold bread and recitation of Ayatul Kursi.

6. For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiyeh to them, gives them light (noor) in the grave.

7. Frequent recitation makes ones own death easy.

8. When leaving home, if one recites it once, the Almighty has one group of Angels to come and protect you. If recited twice, 2 groups of Angels are assigned to do this. If recited 3 times Allah tells the Angels not to worry as the Almighty himself takes care of him.

9. The Holy Prophet has said: If one recites Ayatul Kursi before going to sleep, Allah will send an Angel to come and look after you and protect.

10. When one is alone in the house, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and asking Allah for help will make you remain calm and you will not fear.

11. The Holy Prophet has said: When leaving home, if one recites Ayatul Kursi, then Allah will send 70,000 Angels to do Istighfaar for him until he returns home, and upon his return Poverty will be removed from him.

12. One who recites it after every prayer, their salat will be accepted, and they will remain in the safety of the Almighty and He will protect them.

13. Allah told Prophet Musa (a.s): If one recites it after every salat, the Almighty will make his heart a thankful one (Shakireen) will give him a reward of the prophets, and his deeds will be like those of the truthful (Siddiqeen).

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Fasting is beneficial to the immune system: Study shows it triggers stem cell regeneration

Fasting as little as eight days a year could help bodies become healthier, according to new research from the University of Southern California. 

People undergoing chemotherapy treatment often suffer damage to their immune system, leading to additional health complications. Similar challenges are faced by the those experiencing autoimmune deficiencies and some seniors. These effects could be treated simply by not eating. 

Fasting two to four days at a time every six months causes stem cells to awake from their normal dormant state, and start regenerating. Researchers discovered this practice destroyed damaged and older cells, and caused new cells to be born, effectively renewing the immune system. This is the first time any natural intervention has ever been shown to trigger this self-renewal. 

In mice and humans, white blood cell counts were significantly lowered after long periods without food. These bodies are vital to the human immune system. But, when their numbers decline to a critical point, pathways for hematopoietic stem cells were switched on. These cells manage the immune system and generate new blood.

"When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged," Valter Longo of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, said. 

Going without food for 48 to 96 hours shifts human bodies to consume stores of fat, glucose (sugar), and ketones (created when fats are broken down for energy). Unhealthy white blood cells are also broken down, so that their components can be reused for the next generation of cells. This process is akin to recycling for the immune system. 

After a period of fasting, human immune systems generate new blood cells when nutrients start flowing back into the body. Researchers at USC wanted to know what drives body systems to rebuild the cells. 

Protein kinase A, an enzyme known to inhibit cell regeneration, was reduced in the systems of people who are fasting, the study found. Concentrations of a growth-factor hormone called IGF-1 were also lowered in those who have not eaten in days. That biochemical has been shown to promote the formation and growth of tumors, as well as the damaging effects of aging. 

"[I]f you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system," Longo said in a university press release. 

Study of the role of fasting in stem cell generation and human health was profiled in the journal Cell Stem Cell. 

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