Wednesday, 12 December 2007

Saturday, 10 November 2007

HAJI

Respected teacher mentioned In this week's jummah bayan:

Pehle raaste kach-che hote the
Haaji pak-ke hote the
Aaj raaste pak-ke he
Haaji kache he

Those days it was difficult to get to Makkah but the pilgrims were truly sincere.
These days it is easy to reach Makkah however the pilgrims waste time when they get there.

ADVICE: Be one of those pilgrims that use every second of a minute in the Ibadat of Allah subhana watala. Avoid Wasting time and useless talk.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007

Thursday, 20 September 2007

Dua at the time of Iftar

“And when My servants ask you about Me, of course, I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me so that they may be on the right path”. (2:186)

The previous verses mentioned the merits and injunctions concerning fasting and Ramadan. This strain continues even after the present verse. In between, this brief verse has been introduced to persuade servants of Allah to pray before Allah.

Ibn Kathir has pointed out that this verse appearing in the middle of injunctions of fasting is a hint that prayer (dua) made at the completion of a fast is accepted, therefore, one should be very particular about making dua at that time. In a Hadith it has been mentioned,

للصائم عند فطره دعوة مستجابة
“ The prayer made by one who is fasting at the time of his iftar is accepted".
This is why the blessed Companion, Abdullah ibn Umar would assemble his family members around him at the time of iftar and would make dua.

Wednesday, 19 September 2007

The Human Self (Nafs)

Within our body there is our Nafs (self). Allamah Alusee (ra) mentions regarding Nafs: “the nafs (self) by its nature is very inclined to passions (shahwaat)”.

There is well known story of Abu Yazid Bustami (ra). When he saw Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala in a dream, he asked Him: “How can I find the way to you?” Allah said: “Abandon yourself and come!” Thus all good lies in waging total war against the Nafs (self) under all circumstances.

The Qur’an also tells us about the inclinations of human soul that have direct bearing on the levels of development.

One is the inclination towards doing wrong and evil deeds, termed as Nafs-i-Ammarah (12:53).

The other is towards realization and repentance i.e. to realize immediately if one does something wrong, that what he has done is termed as Nafs-i-Lowwamah (75:2).

The third is towards doing good and righteous deeds, termed as Nafs-i-Mutmainnah (89:27)

In a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet Sallalahu Alaihe Wasallam has been reported to have asked the Sahahbah Radiallahu Anhum: What do you think about a companion who, if you treat him nicely, feed him, clothe him, still he would throw you in all sorts of troubles, and if you insult him, and keep him hungry and naked, he would do what is good for you? The Sahabah said: Ya Rasulullah, there just cannot be a companion worse than him in this whole world! He said: By Him in whose hands rest my life, your self inside you is such a companion. (al-Qurtubi) and it appears in another Hadith: Your greatest enemy is your own self which not only disgraces you by getting you involved in evil deeds, but also makes you run into all sorts of troubles.

However, the aforementioned Verses and Ahadith narrations tells us, that human self does usually demand the taming of what is bad from us.

To explain, it can be said that the human self when on its own does incite to evil deeds is called Ammarah (it directs its owner towards every wrong action). But, when one does not follow its passions because of the fear of Allah, his or her self becomes Lawwamah (the self, which is conscious of its own imperfections and blames its own wrong doings and evil deeds, and repents from them and seeks forgiveness). When someone keeps striving hard against passions of his or her self, and brings it to a state where the very urge to commit evil deeds does not remain there anymore, then, that self becomes what is called Mutma’innah (the self at peace). Righteous people can be at this state through spiritual strivings.

Hadhrat Shaykh Maulana Anver Shah Saheb writes: “the self of a human is first absorbed in passions and futile things, never inclining to virtue or good deeds, such self is called Ammarah. Then, somewhat it come to senses and understood good and bad, and so desisted; sometimes in heedlessness ran on his or her original habit where after sense touched him or her and began to rebuke him or her self, such a self is called reproachful- Lawwamah. Then when it completely becomes purified and the inclination of self, remains on virtue, it starts to flee from absurd action by itself, and feel pain at the very thought of committing evil, this self becomes peaceful – Mutmainnah”.

In order to attain the desirable level of development, Nafs lawwamah and Nafs Mutmainnah have to be activated and Nafs Ammarah has to be suppressed or controlled to a desirable extent if not to be completely suppressed.

A person would repent over whatever wrong he does and vow not to do any wrong again only when his Nafs Lawwamah is activated and Nafs Ammarah is suppressed or controlled.

Repentance in this context involves two things. One is the activation of Nafs Lawwamah because the person realizes his fault or mistake and rebukes him or her self for it. The other is the suppression of Nafs Ammarah because repentance involves not merely the expression of regret over the wrong done but also firm determination of not doing any wrong again which implies nothing but suppression of Nafs Ammarah. Repentance without solemnly undertaking not to repeat any wrong cannot be treated as repentance. Likewise, a person is impelled to do righteous deeds only when his Nafs Mutmainnah is activated.

In other words, Nafs Ammarah has to be controlled to avoid the commission of major sins at least if it is not possible to avoid the commission of all the sins. The Qur’an treats the persons avoiding the worst of sins, if not all the sins, as being rightly guided (42:37).

The use of appropriate method coupled with guidance and the fear of Allah on the one hand and firm faith in the Mercy and Magnanimity of Allah, on the other, could be of great help in activating Nafs Lawwamah and Nafs Mutmainnah. (Insha-Allah)

With will, fire becomes sweet water;
and without will, even water becomes fire. (Mathnawi)

By: my respected teacher hafezahullah.......

A company of the pious

A Musalee (one who goes to a Mosque) wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to Mosque. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 Lectures. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Imams are wasting theirs by giving Lectures at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher, I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to Mosque for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today.

By: my respected teacher hafezahullah.......

Thursday, 13 September 2007

Week 4 and 5

HADITH:
"Moderation in spending is half of one's sustenance, friendliness towards people is half of one's intelligence, and asking good questions is half of one's knowledge" (Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman)

DID YOU KNOW:
There were ten companions promised Paradise by the prophet Muhammed 9sallahu alaihi wassalam) during their lifetimes. These were: Abu bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, Az-Zubayr, Abdur-Rahman bin Awf, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa'id bin Zayd and Abu Ubayda Ibn al-Jarrah.

TARGET:
Try to enjoin the good in people.

Poetry

COME, BEGGARS

Come, beggars
sit with open hands
at the gate
of nothingness

God will bring bread
without the mdium
of bread

sweetness
without honey or bee

when past and future
dissolve
there is only you

senseless as a lute
upon the breast of God
(Rumi)

Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Seeker of Knowledge...Mehnat(EFFORT)

We should put in full concentration and work extremely hard to acquire this ILM. Remember we did not come here by ourselves, but Allah has chosen us and brought us here. So to be accepted he looks at, how much effort we put in, how hard we try, how much we sacrifice and according to that we will be rewarded.
Three points to bring into practice:

*Motala (going over the next day's lesson)
*Sabak (to learn what was taught on that day)
*Iyadah (To go over and revise the previous day's lesson)

"Work-hard day and night, surely you will gain success"

Week 3

HADITH:
One who repents from sin is like one who has no sin (ibn Maja, Tabarani, Al-Mujam al kabir)

DID YOU KNOW:
The "Pliny of the Arabs" Al-Masudi (d 957 A.D) described an earthquake, and the first windmill in his celebrated work "The Meadows of Gold".

TARGET:
Constantly ask for forgiveness Inshallah it will be beneficial.

Sunday, 19 August 2007

Week 2

HADITH:
"The Quran will either be evidence for you or against you" (Muslim)

DID YOU KNOW:
The first observatory in Europe, Giralda or "The Tower of Seville", was built in 1190 C.E, in the Spanish town of Seville under the supervision of the celebrated Mathematician, Jabir Ibn Afiah.

TARGET:
Start reciting a few verses of the Glorious Quran and gradually increase it. Insh'Allah it will benefit us.

Seeker of Knowledge...Ikhlaas (Sincerity)

Talib-e-Ilm what is our aim?

Whilst we are studing this Ilm we must always ponder over our intentions and rectify them.
We are not here to gain worldly pleasure,
We are here to gain:

1. Marifat (Recognition of Allah)
2. Islah (Rectification of ourselves)
3. To convey the true message.
Remember:
"If you run after the world the world will run away from you, If you run towards Allah the world will come running towards you"

Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Week 1

HADITH:
"Backbiting is worse than unlawful intercourse" (bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-iman)

DID YOU KNOW:
In the year 980 Abu'l Wafa al Buzjani (a.k.a Abu'l Wefa) [940, d. Baghdad (iraq), July 15,998] introduces the tangent ratio to Arabic mathematics and further develops spherical trigonometry.

TARGET:
Stay away for back-biting, and from those who back-bite. Insha'Allah

Hadith/Target/Did you know

"When asked what deeds were the most beloved by Allah, the prophet Muhammed sallahu alaihi wassalam replied, "The most regular, constant deeds even though they may be a few". He added, "Take upon yourselves only those deeds which are within your ability." (bukhari)

As most of us may be aware what this hadith is saying. That those deeds, which are regular are most beloved to Allah. We all tried to act upon this hadith, with the help of a weekly hadith, target and did you know. I hope and pray that we all tried our utmost best to bring those hadiths in our lives and act upon them persistently.

Also as you can see the 2nd part of the hadith which mentions, only try to act upon those deeds that you are capable of. It can get difficult improving ourselves in deen, whilst we work and study. So insha'Allah for those that work, go university, college and even those seekers of knowledge (talib-e-ilm), i will carry on quoting a weekly Hadith, Target and a Did you know. In this method insha'Allah, we can put a new target and hadith into practice every week and increase our knowledge whether it be just a little amount, as long as we keep it persistent.

May Allah accept our efforts.

NOTE TO READERS

The site was not updated due to certain circumstances, i do apologise.

Friday, 15 June 2007

SUNDAY 24th JUNE 2007



23rd June 2007

June Week 20

HADITH:
"The Miswaak(a natural tooth-brush from the twigs of an Arak tree) purifies the mouth and pleases the Lord" (Bukhari without a chain [Ta'liqan]. Nasa'i. Darami).

DID YOU KNOW:
Wednesday is the day in which light was created and it is a day injurious to the ways of the disbeliever, though it is a providential day for the believer.

TARGET:
InshAllah start using the mis-waak try and make it a habit.

Tuesday, 8 May 2007

Wudhu (Ablution)

On the previous Wednesday my respected teacher elaborated on the topic wudhu and mentioned three prayers essential whilst making wudhu (ablution):

To take the name of Allah subhana watala before doing any action.

"Bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem"

1. An action done without Allah subhana watala's glorious name is incomplete, even though it may seem to be complete, it will not have the barakah in it. There are certain things that become haram, if done without taking Allah's name e.g slaughtering an animal. It is not permissible for a Muslim to eat the meat of an animal, which has not been slaughtered with Allah's name.

It is sunnat to Pray "bismillah" before washing each part (a'adha) of the body in wudhu.

2. AFTER WUDHU

"Ashadu-laa-ilaa-ha-ilal-laahu-wahdahu-laashareeka-lahu wa-ashhadu-anna-muhammadan-abduhu-warasoo-luhu"

I testify that there is no god (worthy of worship) but Allah. He is one by himself. There is no partner in Him and i testify that Muhammad (Sallahu alaihi wassalam) is his servant and his messenger.

After that recite the following prayer:

"Allahuma-ajalanee-minat-tawaa-beena-waja-al-nee-minal-muta-tahireen"

O Allah, make me of those who turn to you and repent much and make me of those who stay very clean and very pure.

In this prayer, firstly we ask Allah subhana watala to make us, from those who ask for forgiveness. This will purify our inner self and then we ask to be from those who keep themselves clean and pure from the outside. This dua also shows that it is giving priority to our inner-self and to be pure from the inside is extremely important.

May Allah give us the ability to act upon these prayers Ameen.

Week 19

HADITH:
"The one who initiates the salaam is free of pride" (Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al iman)

DID YOU KNOW:
Al-Amide (d. 1314 C.E) a Syrian who was blind from childhood, developed a tactile system of reading by hand later developed by and popularised by Louis Braille, 500 years earlier.

TARGET:
InshAllah- try and make salaam to very Muslim you go past.

Tuesday, 1 May 2007

Seeker of knowledge ...(ILM)

ILM
(Knowledge)
(It maybe divided into two categories)


1. NUR-e- NABUWAT (light of Islam)
2. ILM-e- NABUWAT (knowledge of Islam)

NUR-e-NABUWAT:
This will only be attained if one has complete, Love and obedience towards the 'Ilm, teachers, books, equipment used for gaining the Islamic Sciences. One who acts upon, what he/she has learnt will be blessed with Nur-e-Nabuwat. By gaining this one has achieved the true meaning of knowledge and Allah سبحانه و تعالى will surely elevate him/her.

ILM-e-NABUWAT:
Remember, a person who is talented can gain the knowledge (ilm-e-nabuwat) but lack the Nur (divine light) of the knowledge because he/she did not have love for the knowledge and did not act upon it, nor he had respect of it. This 'Ilm will be useless to him/her and it may be detrimental for him/her.

Therefore we need to acquire both, ILM-e-NABUWAT which is attained by effort, and NUR-e-NABUWAT is gained by sitting in the company of the pious scholars.

Appreciation

Respected teacher reminds us a few points regarding appreciation, It is essential in one's life to be thankful to Allah سبحانه و تعالى as this will increase that blessing for us.

*The most valuable gift is to have Imaan, we must do Shukr (be thankful) to Allah سبحانه و تعالى for giving us this amazing gift.

*One of the greatest ways of appreciating and being thankful about the gift of Imaan, is to act upon all the good deeds. By undertaking this Allah سبحانه و تعالى will increase us in our IMAAN... InshaAllah.

*Most honoured teacher always mentions, that Shaytaan's mission is to penetrate in one's heart and he will do anything to do so, but remember keeping "our lips and tongue wet" by uttering the Glorious names of Allah will save us from shaytaan's evil thoughts.

"Allah is the friend of the believers, he takes them out from the darkenesses to light"
(quran 2:257)


Respected teacher says:
"It's up to you, to keep the friendship of Allah or to break it."

May Allah give me the Tawfique to act upon what has been said by respected and us all. Any mistakes are truly made unintentionally.

Sunday, 29 April 2007

Seeker of knowledge ....(Value of time)

A few words of wisdom from respected teacher concerning the use of TIME!

TIME is a Ne'mat (gift) from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. In this time and era we do not use this gift as we should. Remember every minute is valuable and the previous minute will never return.

There are people that are engrossed in dhikr or any other type of worship whilst in their daily routine.

So we should try our utmost best in utilising our time wisely inshAllah it will be greatly beneficial.

An advice was specially given to those who are Hufaaz.

*One must pray 3 Paras a day, and use their time in the correct manner.

week 18

HADITH:
"The one who eats and is thankful is like the one who fasts and is patient" (Tirmidhi, Darami)

DID YOU KNOW:
Wearing the Ihram, all signs of position and status in society are removed and all men face Allah with their soul laid bare and independent of all worldly distinctions.

TARGET:
Reflect on the conditions for making repentance.

Monday, 23 April 2007

Week 16 and 17

HADITH:
"Bells are flutes of satan" (muslim)

DID YOU KNOW:
Ibn Al-naphis described pulmonary circulation in the human body 350 years before its attributed discoverer Sir William Harvey.

TARGET:
Reflect on the legitimacy of all earnings and possessions.

NOTICE

As you all may have known that respected teacher has been very ill, but alhamdulillah through the mercy of Allah he has recovered.. duas are requested...

Monday, 9 April 2007

Prescribed prayers


While going to the bathroom

"Allah-humma inni a-udhu bika minal khubuthi wal khabaa-ith"

O Allah, i seek refuge with you from the evil satans, the male and the female.

* One must enter with the left foot.
* One musn't spend too long in the bathroom.
* The shayateen like filthy places therefore they live in the bathroom.

BENEFITS OF READING THIS PRAYER:

--> Worldly (dunyawi) benefit is that, your body is protected from them.
--> The benefit for the hereafter (Ukhrawi) is that you are protected from evil thoughts.

When coming out of the bathroom

"Allah-humma gufraanak-Alhamdu-lilahi-ladhee adh-haba a'nil-adha wa a'faani"

O Allah, i seek your forgiveness. Praised is Allah who delivered me from filth and granted relief to me.

* Firstly we are asking for forgiveness as we were not able to be in remembrance of Allah in that room and also because we are not able to thank him the way we should.
* Then we thank him for removing the filth from our body, by praising the almighty.

Or say:

"Al-hamdu lilahi ladhee adhaa-qanee ladha-dha tahu wa abqaa-a'lay-ya qu-watahu-wa da-fa' a'n-nee adhaa-hu"

Praised is Allah who blessed me with the taste of food and let energy from it be absorbed in my body and the filthy part of it be removed from me.

* Firstly we praise him for giving us the ability to taste the food.
* Then for removing the filth from our body.




Week 14 and 15

HADITH:
"The upper [giving] hand is superior to the lower [taking] hand." (Bukhari, Muslim)

DID YOU KNOW:
The Black Stone came down from paradise, it was white in the beginning but it became black due to the sins of human beings. (tirmidhi)

TARGET:
InshAllah to reflect one's attitude towards prayer (salaah)

Wednesday, 28 March 2007

Monday, 26 March 2007

Week 13

HADITH:
"The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever" (Muslim, Tirmidhi)

DID YOU KNOW:
Hamza (raa), the prophet's uncle died at the battle of uhud along with 70 martyrs.

TARGET:
Encourage good relations between siblings.

Sunday, 25 March 2007

Prescribed prayers

Wednesday, March 21, 2007, my respected teacher delivered a Hadith discourse on “prescribed prayers….”

Sayyidatuna Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to remember Allah at all times. [Muslim].

We are all advised to remember Allah at all times as well.

Allah mentions in the Qur’an:

"And remember Allah much, that you may be successful.'' (62:10)

The reason stated to remember Allah is that we may be successful and if we do not remember Him it will not effect Allah even an iota bit. As by remembering him it will only save us from sins and increase the love for him.

Now the statement, which arises is that it is virtually impossible to sit in one place and remember Allah for hours and hours on end, with the rest of the day to day duties on our plate. However the foremost way of remembering Allah subhana wat'ala is by enforcing the prescribed prayers in our life.

Therefore when we go to sleep, wake up, eat, go out etc we must pray the specific prayers that has been given to us by our Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, in that way not only will we be remembering Allah every moment in our daily routine, but also acting upon the sunnah of Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. This will increase both the love for Allah and his Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Insha-Allah.

Therefore hadhrat has chose to start these Wednesday lessons mentioning and explaining the daily prescribed prayers. The first prayer explained was:

When rising from sleep

"Alhumdu-lilahil-lazi-ahyaana ba'da-maa amaatana-wa-ilahin-nushoor"

All praises belong to Allah who gave us life after death and to him we are to return.

We are reminded a few points concerning our beloved Allah Subhana Wa'tala in this prayer:

* We begin our day praising the Lord Almighty Allah Subhana Wa'tala. As sleep has been given to us as a gift from him, without it we would be in turmoil. Praising him is thanking him for this bounty.

* He is the one who woke us up after sleep.

*Sleep is the brother of death; we are not conscious and are unaware of the happenings around us whilst we are asleep. He brought us back from that state.

* Finally we are reminded of death, as we will return to our most beloved.

I hope and pray that Allah Subhana Wat'ala gives us all the full ability to act upon these prescribed prayers.

NOTE:
This was the introductory of the prescribed prayers, from now insh'Allah Hadhrat will mention one prayer every week and in that way insha-Allah we will be able to act upon it and make our life in remembrance of Allah subhana Wat'ala and according to the Sunnah.

Wednesday, 21 March 2007

"A Thief only goes to a rich man's house"


"A Thief only goes to a rich man's house"
(Shaykh Molana Imran bin Adam)



A rich man is one who has Iman, therefore the thief (shaytaan) will go to a person, who has Iman. Attacking a non-believer will leave him no treasure.
Due to his incredible intelligence he will try his utmost best to lead the believer astray, no matter what level of piety/spirituality they are at. His attempts and plans will become greater, this does not always mean one has weakened their Iman. It can prove that one has strengthened it and making shaytaan work harder.

Week 11 and 12

HADITH:
"Oppression will be darkness on the day of judgment" (bukhari)

DID YOU KNOW:
During the first years of the advent of Islam the Qibla (direction for prayer) was in the direction of Jerusalem and then by Divine command the direction was changed towards Makkah.

TARGET:
reflect on on past/current arguments, and analyse if a different response could have created a more peaceful outcome.

Sunday, 11 March 2007

Quote

"Check your Love Thermometer"
(Shaykh Molana Imran bin Adam)

We use a thermometer to know whether the degree has increased or decreased, similarly we must constantly check our love thermometer, to observe our progress or downfall in the Love of Allah. This thermometer is our HEART.

Week 10

HADITH:
"A believer is simple and noble and a transgressor is deceitful and ignoble" (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

DID YOU KNOW:
The number zero reached European civilisation through the Arabs after 800 AD. The Greeks and Romans did not need the number zero for they did their calculations on an abacus. The name 'zero' comes from the Arabic 'sifr'.

TARGET:
Insha'Allah- reflect on any wasteful financial spending.

Friday, 9 March 2007

Taalib-e-ilm

SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE:

Soon there will be a section for the seekers of knowledge.
A few words of wisdom from My respected teacher, so that we can act upon and become the best of seekers.
Insh'Allah

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

Food 4 thought

A Musalee (one who goes to a Mosque) wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to Mosque.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 Lectures. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Imams are wasting theirs by giving Lectures at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher, I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.

But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to Mosque for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today.
(Shaykh Molana Imran bin Adam)

Tuesday, 6 March 2007

Quote

"Life Upon deen is like playing snakes and ladders"
(Shaykh Molana Imran bin Adam)

There will be times where we become so engrossed in deen that we assume, we will never go back. We almost touch the skies and feel a spiritual upliftment and feel our iman becoming stronger. This is climbing the ladder in the game.

However there are occasions where we land on a snake and we end up going back a few steps. These must be avoided, as the snake (satan) will never leave you, he will try his utmost best to lead you astray.

Never give up hope and faith, get up and keep throwing that die, Inshallah you will succeed with the help of Allah.


May allah increase the knowledge of my esteemed beloved teacher.

Week 9

HADITH:
"Alcohol constitutes many sins" (razin)

DID YOU KNOW:
In 697 C.E Abd. al-Malik Ibn Marwan (685-705 C.E.) introduced the first Islamic coins. Devoid of figurative representation, both sides of the dinar were inscribed with verses from the Qur'an.

TARGET:
Insha'Allah - consume a spoonful of honey, black seed oil and drink a glass of milk each day.

Monday, 26 February 2007

Week 7 and 8

HADITH:
"Gatherings are to be kept in confidence" (Abu Dawud)

DID YOU KNOW:
Ibn 'Amr reported that the prophet was reported to have said, "Prayers in my mosque are better than 1000 times of prayer at other mosques, except at Al-Masjid Al-Haram". (reported by Ahmed, Muslim and An-Nisai")

TARGET:
InshAllah - Make more of an effort to learn about the Prophet sallahu alaihi wassalam's life.

Friday, 16 February 2007

Sweetness Of Iman

On Wednesday the 14Th February 2007, my respected teacher articulated on the topic Sweetness of Imaan (faith) and love for Allah. As you all may have noticed my respected teacher delivers his discourses mainly on one topic Love. Acknowledge, as this Love for Allah will take us to appreciate and obey him sincerely.

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (PBUH) said,

"There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of Iman: To love Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) more than anyone else; to love a servant (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to infidelity after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell)".
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

When one loves his/hers beloved, they will sacrifice themselves to them and will do everything it takes to maintain their delectation.

My esteemed teacher reminds us of a quote:

"A lover surrenders to his beloved"

May Allah give us Taufique, Ameen

Monday, 12 February 2007

Guarding Secrets

وعن ثابت عن انس رضي الله عنه قال: اتي علي رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم وانا العب مع غلمانفسلم علينا فبعثني في حاجة، فابطآت علي امي ، فلما جئت قالت ما حبسك؟ فقلت: بعثني رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم لحاجة قالت: ما حاجته قلت انها سر قالت لا تخبرن بسر رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم احدا. قال انس: والله لو حدثت به احدا لحدثتك به يا ثابت رواه مسلم

Narrated by Thabit رضي الله عنه that Anas رضي الله عنه said :

Once Rasulullah صلي الله عليه وسلم came to me while I was playing with the boys. He greeted us and sent me on an errand. This delayed my return to my mother. When I came to her, she asked, “What detained you?” I said; “Allah’s Messenger صلي الله عليه وسلم sent me on an errand.” She asked, “What was it?” I said, “It is a secret.” My mother said, “Do not disclose to any one the secret of Rasulullah صلي الله عليه وسلم.” Anas رضي الله عنه said to Thabit رضي الله عنه "By Allah, were I to tell it to anyone I would have told you". (Muslim)

Today’s lesson is regarding to guard the secret. To disclose a secret is the theme of this Hadith. When Anas رضي الله عنه told his mother about the cause of secrecy, she refrained from insisting that the secret should be disclosed to her. Rather, she lent her support to her son’s standpoint and advised him to conceal the secret.

It is part of Shariah and moral teaching that we should keep the secrets of our friends in our hearts. Unless we receive a go ahead from a friend, we must not make his/her secret public.

Secrecy of Fatimah رضي الله عنها:

Aishah رضي الله عنها reported:

On one occasion all the wives of the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم were with him when his daughter, Fatimah رضي الله عنها who walked in the style of her father, arrived. He صلي الله عليه وسلم welcomed her saying, "Welcome, O my daughter", and asked her to sit on his right side, or on his left side and then whispered something to her at which she wept bitterly. When he perceived her grief, he whispered in secret to her again and this time she smiled (with happiness). I said to her: "Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم chose you his daughter from amongst all his wives to speak secretly to you and yet you wept.'' When he left, I asked her, "What did Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم say to you?'' She said, "I will not divulge the secret of Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم .'' When Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم passed away, I said to her: "I adjure you by the right I have in respect of you to tell me what Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم had told you.'' She said: "Now (when Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم has died), I will tell you. When he whispered to me the first time, he told me, `Jibril (Gabriel) used to listen to my recitation of the Qur'an and then recite it back to me once, and this time he has done it twice; and so I perceive that my death is approaching. Then be mindful of your duty to Allah and be patient and steadfast, for I shall be an excellent predecessor for you." On this I wept as you saw. When he perceived my distress he said to me in secret for the second time, `O Fatimah, are you not pleased that you will be the chief among the believing women or of this Ummah?' This made me smile as you saw.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

This Hadith, too, has an implication for keeping a secret and concealing it from people.

Islam also treats conjugal union as a sacred and secret act, both in social and moral terms. Indeed, the sanctity of conjugal rights contributes to the consolidation of moral norms and social cohesion. Yet, what passes between wife and husband on the consummation night is usually taken in a light vein in our societies. In the morning, both of them relate their sexual experience to their friends respectively. This is moral indecency, which is incompatible with human dignity and civilized behaviour.

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه reported:

Messenger of Allah صلي الله عليه وسلم said,

"The most evil of the people to Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be the man who consorts with his wife and then publicizes her secret.'' [Muslim].

This Hadith reckons it as a grave sin, which must be shunned. The bed-experience must be kept private by the married couple to the exclusion of a third person

May Allah give us taufique to act what has been said. Aameen

Please forgive me for any mistakes that have been made, they were made unintentionally.

Week 6

HADITH:
"Calmness and patience deliberation is from Allah and haste is from satan" (Tirmidhi)

DID YOU KNOW:
The first known alphabetical encyclopedia of medicine called "The Book of water" was written by Ibn Al-Thahabi (d. 466 H).

TARGET:
Insha'Allah- ensure my priorities include salah and family ties.
points included:
* Forgiviness
* Patience
* Puntuality

May the Almighty be pleased the works of my respected teacher and may Allah give us all the ability to act upon what has been learnt.

Tuesday, 6 February 2007

Patience

My dear respected teacher's lesson on Wednesday was relating to the following Hadith:

عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم: ما يزال البلاء بالمؤمن والمؤمنة في نفسه وولده
و ماله حتي يلقي الله تعالي وما عليه خطيئة – رواه الترمزي

Narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: Allah’s Messenger صلي الله عليه وسلم said:

“A Muslim male or female, continue to remain under tribulations in respect of his life, property and offspring till he or she faces Allah the Exalted, in the state that he or she has no sin on his or her record.” (At-Tirmidhi )

This Hadith shows that for Muslims, trials and tribulations are also a blessing in this world and the hereafter because their sins are forgiven in proportion to the trials and tribulations he has to face and his reward with the will of Allah will also be given. Thus, a Muslim should always be patient and contented in the event of trial or tribulation because without these qualities he will not have the privilege associated with them. In fact, his impatience would increase his sins even further.
A person will experience difficulties and tests constantly; as one conflict has been solved another will arise. This is an on going process, which does not lie in our hands. Where ever we maybe, a dilemma of some sort will approach us. It is up to us to go about it in the correct manner.

Allah turns hardships and troubles suffered by a Muslim into a means of expiation for his sins. But this is only possible if the believer exercises patience. However, if he starts wailing and complaining instead of showing patience then besides suffering hardships, he would be deprived of the reward, which lies in bearing them patiently.

Allah makes us suffer for two reasons:

1) As a chastisement (عذاب)
2) As a mercy (رحمه)


How do we understand, which one we are experiencing?


Respected teacher answered:

* To complain about the dilemma and issues we are going through, it is as though a punishment from Allah سبحانه وتعالي.
* To show gratitude to Allah, as he could have sent a conflict that we couldn't have bared and to pray the following Du'a:
انا لله وانا اليه راجعون
"Inna-Lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon".
It is as though Allah has sent his mercy upon us, and forgiven our sins.

Despite all of the above, we must acknowledge that, we mustn’t complain, however neither should we show bravery in the sight of Allah. He is the Almighty and we his creation must present ourselves to him in a humble position.

ADVICES:
* Hardships could be a means of elevation of ones rank
* One should not desire for one’s own death in consequence of frustration created by troubles
* Patience is a great weapon of a Muslim
* It is permissible to express the trouble and restlessness, which on feels.
* One should use medical treatment as a means for his health but should not ignore his prayers to Allah because both have importance and utility of their own….
Allahسبحانه وتعالي says:
وبشر الصابرين
"Give glad tidings to those, who are patient"

May Allah give us the ability to act what have been said Ameen, i ask for sincere foriveness for any mistakes made as they were truly unintentional

week 5

HADEETH:
"A person will be with the one whom he loves" (Bukhari, Muslim)

DID YOU KNOW:
Al-Zahrawi (d. 1013), an illustrious surgeon began ligating arteries with fine sutures over 500 years prior to the French surgeon Ambroise Pare.

TARGET:
Insha'Allah- evaluate how much importance is attached to material possessions.

Monday, 29 January 2007

Strong Believer

My respected and most beloved teacher’s Dars/lesson on Wednesday 24/1/07 was concerning strength.


عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه و سلم " المومن القوي خير وأحب إلى الله من المومن الضعيف و في كل خير، احرص علي ما ينفعك، واستعن بالله ولا تعجز. وان اصابك شئ فلا تقل: لو اني فعلت كان كذا و كذا ولكن قل قدر الله و ما شاء فعل فان لو تفتح عمل الشيطان" – رواه مسلم

Narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه : Allah’s Messenger صلي عليه وسلم said,

“A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one in all good things. Adhere to that which is most beneficial for you. Keep beseeching Allah for help and do not refrain from it. If you are afflicted in any way, do not say: If I had taken this or that step, it would have resulted into such and such,’ but say only: ‘Allah so determined and did as He willed.’ The word ‘IF’ opens the gates of satanic conduct.” [Muslim]

Respected teacher explained that in this Hadith,

1. Goodness is acknowledged in weak as well as strong because the real Faith is a common feature of both. The one who is stronger is, however, better with Allah for the reason that he is more active and energetic in the matter of noble deeds and performance of ritual prayers, obligatory as well as voluntary.

Further ahead this Hadith is related to either:

A. Physical strength (jismani)

B. Spiritual strength (ruhani)

E.g. When one turns angry and controls his anger is the strongest.

In one Hadith it is mentioned:

“The strong man is not the one who wrestles, but the strong man is in fact the one who controls himself in a fit of rage.” [Muslim]

People are usually impressed by the physical power and strength of somebody. But the real strength of man lies in the fact that he should be able to wrestle his passions in a fit of anger and avoid committing an act for which he may subsequently regret. To control the ego [nafs] is the most difficult and daring deed to achieve. One may be physically powerful, however if one is not spiritually powerful there is no use of that strength and power. Where as if one is spiritually strong even though he is physically weak, Insha-Allah he will still gain great success.

One may say, "I am willing to change my ways of life and strengthen my iman, however i don't seem to get up and do what it takes to revert myself for the better"

Respected Teacher answers this in the most amazing manner.

"Hidayah is from Allah, Allah is the one who decides whether you do such an act or not. Ask Guidance from Allah as well as changing. As we all are in need of Allah's help. We cannot achieve anything without him."

2.This Hadith also ordains that in case of trouble, one should exercise patience and show submission and obedience rather than saying ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ about it, because it provides Shaytan with a chance to mislead the victim.

It has Allah's hikmah behind it all. May Allah be pleased with my respected and most beloved teacher and May Allah guide us all, Ameen……….

Week4


HADITH:
"Supplication is the essence of worship" (bukhari).

DID YOU KNOW:
Al-Zahrawi (known as Albucassis) wrote "At-Tasrif" a 1500 page illustrated encyclopedia of medicine and surgery (1000 C.E). In it he describes 200 surgical instruments many of which are still used today with slight modifications. It became the manual for physicians at its time and for many years to come.

TARGET:
Insha'Allah- reflect on the conditions for making repentance.

*To show remorse
*To humble oneself infront of the almighty



Sunday, 21 January 2007

The Holy Qur'an

My respected teacher performed his weekly Dars of Hadeeth on Wednesday and he respected advised us on the benefits of reciting the Holy Qur’an.

يقول الله سبحانه وتعالى: ( من شغله القرآن وذكري عن مسألتي أعطيته أفضل ما أعطي السائلين وفضل كلام الله سبحانه وتعالى عن سائر الكلام كفضل الله تعالى على خلقه) رواه الترمذي

In Hadeeth-e-Qudsi it has been mentioned that Allah سبحانه وتعالي mentions:

"If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favours of Me, because of him remaining busy with the Holy Qur'an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favours of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the superiority of Allah over the entire creation."

In this Hadeeth we find that whoever is so engrossed in reading the Qur’an and does not have time for any other Nafl acts, so in return Allah will favour him more than even those who beg before Him.

We need to make a habit of reading the Qur’an contineously. Shaykh Zakariyya (ra) advised those, who are hafidh that they must read atleast 3 juz every day and to those, who aren't Hafidh may pray 1 juz per day.

There are many people, whilst in their daily routine they have the habit of reciting the Holy Qur’an completely.

My Shaykh once mentioned in his discourse that there was a man, whose job was to deliver goods, and whilst driving he would start his day reciting "Surah Fatiha" and he would complete the Qur’an by the end of the day.

Even though we may not be Hafiz-e-Qur’an we must put much effort into reciting the words of Allah as much as we can. May it be just a few lines or words, however try and make sure it is persistent.

There are three rights of the Qur’an:

1. Azmat (greatness)
a) Inner greatness (Batini)
*Love- We should have love for the Qur’an from the heart.
b) Outer greatness (Zahiri)
*Adab- We should respect the Qur’an by our actions.

2. Tilawat (recitation)
- the daily recitation of the Holy Qur’an should be our habit.

3. Amal (to act upon)
- to act upon what has been said in the Holy Qur’an.

Week 3

HADITH:
"The Religion (Islam) is to act with sincerity" (Muslim).

DID YOU KNOW?:
Caliph Umar ibn ul Khattab was the first to establish the Islamic Hijri calender. He chose the Hijrah of the Prophet sallahu alaihi wasalam from Makkah to Madinah to be its starting point. Before that the Arabs used important events like the incident of the Elephant, to keep track of dates. The First day of the Hijri Calender correspond to July 16, 622 C.E

TARGET:
Insh'Allah analyse one's priorities in life

*Think about the halal and haram things before prioritising


May he give us all the ability to act upon these targets InshAllah

Sunday, 14 January 2007

Humour

My greatly respected teacher performed his (respected) weekly Hadeeth lesson on Wednesday concerning humour and a few more beneficial points.
Hadeeth:

و عن انس ان رجلا استحمل رسول الله صلي الله عليه و سلم فقال اني حاملك علي ولد ناقة فقال ما اصنع بولد الناقة فقال رسول الله صلي الله عليه و سلم و هل تلد الابل الا النوق- رواه الترمزي

Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه said: A man came to the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم and said: O Rasul of Allah! Give me a mount. The Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم said: We shall give you a she-camel's child to ride on. He said: What shall I do with a she-camel's child? The Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم replied: Does anything other than a she-camel give birth to camels?" (Sunan Tirmidhi)

My beloved teacher mentioned that through this Hadeeth we can deduce that Our Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم was humorous towards his beloved companions.

We are all drawn to people with a good sense of humour. Humour has the power of warming people’s hearts and lifting the spirits like no other human characteristic, and it provides a welcome break amidst the pressures of life.

Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه )quoted that, companions said, “O Prophet of Allah, you joke with us.” He said, “I only say what is true.” (Tirmidhi)

GUIDELINES FOR HUMOUR:

*We mustn't associate fun and laughter with lies. The Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم said, “I only say what is true.”

*Bad language or reference to improper topics of conversation may not be subject of jokes.

*The angels are ready to record whatever we may utter, therefore to stay quite is also to stay away from sins

*Protect your tongue and from fun and laughter that contain lies.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• Is this the right time to joke?

• Is this an appropriate person to joke with?

• Is this an appropriate topic to joke about?

• Is this the right place?

STORY :

My beloved teacher mentions: "There was a couple that constantly used to argue and they were at each others throats non-stop. So to go to a Shaykh was decided, they explained their situation, and instantly the Shaykh noticed that it was the women, who couldn't control her tongue. They asked for some water (that had been prayed on), soon the Shaykh advised that the women should keep that water in her mouth for 15 minutes, as soon as the argument starts. So this was understood and the couple did as they were told, whenever there was a controversy between them the women did not say anything due to the water in her mouth. Soon the husband gave up too. This is how their problem was solved."

ADVICES:

1. Control your tongue

2. Have a laugh but speak the truth

3. Silence saves you from sin

4. To smile is a Sadaqah (charity)

5. Silence is a best answer to a fool

May Allah be pleased with my esteemed teacher and may he give us the ability to act upon what has been said...ameen

Apologies for any mistakes that have been, they were truly unintentional!!

Week 2

I hope and pray we all tried our utmost best in keeping up with the first target.

HADITH:
Actions are according to intentions (bukhari-Muslim)

DID YOU KNOW?:
Abul Hasan is distinguished as the inventor of the telescope, which he described to be a tube "Tube, to the extremities of which were attached diopters".

TARGET:
Insha'Allah - reflect on the intentions behind one's actions.

*When you're about to do something, anything stop and think about, why you are doing it, who you are doing it for.
*Then go back change you're intention, Only for the sake of Allah...May it be the smallest act.

Tuesday, 9 January 2007

Setting Targets

I thought maybe we should all keep targets....may it be daily, weekly or even monthly. We hear and read many discourses and lectures from our beloved teachers, shaykhs but how much of it goes in and we actually attempt to act upon it. We busy ourselves so much in our daily lives and routine that we hardly have time to improve ourselves in matters of deen. If we learn but not act upon the knowledge we have gained, it won't be any use to us but become a cause of destruction. May Allah save us.

Let us bring that little amount of knowledge into our lives and act upon it, slowly and gradually and insha'Allah we can make an immense change in our lives.

As my respected teacher once mentioned:

"Mountains are made up of stones; hence acting upon knowledge slowly, gradually will become a mountain of knowledge"

"One large change is less effective than a small but persistent change.
e.g. One bucket full of water won't make an effect on a stone where as a drop every day will gradually make a dent, may it take 1 year, 5 years or even 20 years it will make that mark"


Therefore i thought of putting up a "Weekly Hadith", A "Did you know" statement, and a "Weekly target"...

HADITH:
The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who is in the fruit garden of paradise (until he returns). (Muslim)

DID YOU KNOW?:
Prophet Ibrahim Alaihis salaam's footprint is preserved on a stone in vicinity of the ka'aba known as Maqam Ibrahim

TARGET:
Insha'Allah- reflect on one's personal characteristics.
*Sincerity
*Patience
*Self-respect
*Hardworking
*Gentleness

Saturday, 6 January 2007

Cordial Tendency

My esteemed teacher gave an amazing discourse regarding Love for Allah on Friday....

It is stated in al-Hadeeth al-Qudsi that:


كنت كنزا مخفيا فاحببت ان اعرف فخلقت الخلق
"I was a hidden treasure, I wanted myself to be identified, and therefore I created the creation"

The reason why Allah سبحانه وتعالي has created us, is to love Him and for us to recognise His existence, none other than Him. Otherwise love is "WASTEFUL LOVE".

If one ponders over this then he/she will notice that amongst the creation everyone has this essence of love, as the heart is made to love. May it be a human, an animal or even a plant, all fall in love...

My highly respected teacher cites a few examples:

STEEL:
The steel too loves, it is attracted to the magnet no matter if there may be the most stunning jewel between them it will still be attracted to the magnet.

SUNFLOWER:
If we observe a sunflower that has been named after the sun, we will notice that it is opened up to its best when the sun is shining bright. It shoots up reaching up to the sun due to its love for it. Soon when the sun sets the sunflower's head too lowers itself. If there isn't any sunlight the sunflower withers away and dies.

FISH:
We all acknowledge the fact that once we take a fish out of water it loses its life and lets out a foul odour. A fish will love water to the extreme that it cannot live without it. Extremely in love gives the one, who eats it the love for water too. If we ponder over these examples we will find that the love between the two are wasteful and their consequences are also a downfall.

However, if only we had love like the examples above for our creator Allah سبحانه وتعالي then we would face a greater result, appreciation and reward. We must prioritise our love for someone and make sure that the love for Allah سبحانه وتعالي and Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم is leading everything else we may have affection for.

ALLAH سبحانه وتعالي says:
Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allâh and His Messenger, and striving hard in His Cause, then wait until Allâh brings about His Decision (torment). And Allâh guides not the people who are Al-Fâsiqûn (the rebellious, disobedient to Allâh). (9:24)

May Allah give us all the ability to create love for Allah سبحانه وتعالي and Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم in our hearts. Ameen

Friday, 5 January 2007

The Importance of Halal

I found a book authored by my respected teacher "Halal ki Ihemiyyat" and I thought to translate it and share its beneficial contents with you, which would be a source of my salvation in the hereafter.....

FIRST SECTION: Verses regarding the Importance of Halal

Without Halal sustenance, worship is unacceptable
It is the command of Allah that we eat pure
It is a sufficient virtue that the believers
are together with the Prophets in this command

Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala has emphasized in his pure and holy words regarding the importance of Halal sustenance. Similarly, this issue has emphasized in many blessed Ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam.

Below are selections of verses and Ahadith along with their interpretation.


Verse 1

يا ايهالرسل كلوا من الطيبات واعملواصالحا اني بما تعملون عليم

O’ Messengers, eat of the good things and act rightly, I most certainly know what you do.
23:51


In this verse Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala mentions that the way in which We have given you permission to use Our blessings and ordered you to worship, We have also commanded the Messengers and through them their nations that you and your Ummah should eat that which is good and pure, and then thank Allah by doing righteous deeds. I am aware of what you are doing. I will reward you according to your worship and righteous deeds.

يا ايهالرسل
O Messengers!


When the Messengers of Allah are being addressed in this manner, then this decree holds greater importance for the respective nation of each Messenger. The ultimate aim of this verse is to make sure that the Ummah acts upon it.

In another verse the believers have been clearly ordered to do this. The Prophet of Allah has mentioned this subject matter in a Hadith.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam once said:

O you people, Allah is good, and He only accepts what is good. Allah has issued to the believers the same command that He gave to the Messengers, for He said:

O you Messengers, eat of the good things, and do right. I am indeed aware of what you do. (23:51)

Allah also says:

O you who truly believe! Eat of the good things with which we have provided you. (2:172)

Then the Prophet mentions a man who undertakes a very long journey, describing him as: Unkempt, covered in dust, he stretches his hands toward the sky, (crying): ‘O my Lord! O my Lord!’ but his source of food, drink and clothing is unlawful, and he sustains himself unlawfully, so how can he expect a response to his appeal?
(Muslim / at-Tirmidhi)

كلوا من الطيبات
Eat of the good things.


The literal meaning of the word ‘tayyibat’ is clean and pure. Because all the things which the Islamic Shari’ah regards Haram are not pure and nor do intellectuals regard them to be so. This is why from the word ‘tayyibat’ it is meant all things, which are Halal, clean and pure from inward and outward.

Qadhi Thana’ullah Panipaty writes in his Tafseer al-Mazhari that ‘tayyibat’ clearly means everything that is Halal. And the order of eating pure items is an obligatory, meaning that don’t eat anything Haram. Or ‘tayyibat’ may mean delicious or tasteful, in that case the meaning of the verse is to create ease and show permissibility and forbid asceticism.

Some scholars have written that ‘tayyibat’ means Halal, pure and healthy.

Halal is that in which disobedience of Allah is not committed and its opposite is Haram.

Pure is that by consuming it, a person will not become ignorant of Allah, opposite to that is where one becomes ignorant of Allah and he begins to follow his own egos.
Healthy means that it keeps him away from his own desire and safeguards his understanding and its opposite is to overeat. (Tafseer al-Mazhari)

واعملواصالحا
And work righteous deeds.


In this verse we find that every Messenger in his time was given two pieces of advice, to eat Halal, and to do righteous deeds.

Ulama have stated that in bringing these two commands together it is an indication that eating Halal has a major part to play in being able to do righteous deeds.

When ones sustenance is Halal then this will automatically enable him to do good deeds, and when one consumes Haram then even though if one intends to do righteous deeds, it will prevent him from doing so. Righteous deeds means to fulfil the command of Allah in the way it has been ordered solely for the pleasure of Allah. In conclusion, we have commanded every messenger that do not eat anything which is Haram but eat Halal and do righteous deeds.

Allamah Ibn Kathir Rahemahullah writes ‘Verily Halal helps to do good deeds’. In the verse Allah is not mentioning a certain taste or colour but he is saying eat which is Halal.

It is narrated in a Sahih Hadith that the Prophet of Allah said, “Every Messenger was a shepherd”. The companions asked, “Even you O’ Prophet of Allah?” The Prophet replied, “Even me, I used to graze the sheep of the people of Makkah in exchange for a few Qiraat”.

It is also mentioned in the Hadith that the Prophet Daud Alaihis Salam use to eat from the money he earned whilst working.

At the end of the verse, Allah says ‘do not think even for a moment that we are unaware of what you do, because

“اني بما تعملون عليم” I most certainly know what you do.