*!!* Sahar *!!*

***** 

Gone away,

 Never to come.

Not meaning,

Anything to some.

Beware

 Of lamenting!

Why,

Forget and sing!

Make this, the time

Never to forget!

 Something

To never regret!

***** 

Everything that has gentleness within it is beautified, and whatever lacks it is spoiled. When you meet someone, giving them a bright smile and a kind word, you are displaying a characteristic of the truly successful man, a characteristic that even a bee exhibits. When a bee lands on a flower (doing so for a practical purpose) it does not destroy it, because Allah rewards gentleness with that which He does give for harshness. There are certain people whose personalities are like magnets, attracting everyone who is nearby, simply because they are loved for their gentle talk, their good manners, and their noble deeds.

Winning the friendship of others is an art that is mastered by those that are noble and pious; a circle of people constantly surrounds them. Their mere presence in a gathering is a blessing, and when they are absent they are missed and asked about.

These people have a code of conduct entitled:

“Repel [evil] with one which is better, then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity, [will become] as though he was a close friend.” Surah Fussilat – Ayah 34.

They suck out malice from others with their sincerity, forgiveness, and gentleness. They forget evil that was enacted upon them and preserve the memory of kindnesses received. Biting, harsh words may be aimed at them, but such words pass by their ears without entering and continue on their path without ever returning. They are in a state of calmness. People in general, and Muslims in particular, are safe from suffering any harm at their hands. The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasalam said:

“The Muslim is the person whose tongue and hand do not harm others. And the Believer is he whom others trust, about their blood and wealth.”

He further said:

“Verily, Allah ordered me to keep relations with those that cut me off; to forgive the one who does an injustice with me, and to give to those who withhold from me.”

The noble Qur’an put it:

“Those who repress anger, and who pardon men: verily, Allah loves the good-doers.” Surah Al-Imran – Ayah 34.

Give to such people glad tidings of a reward close at hand in terms of peace and tranquillity. Also give glad tidings to them of a great reward in the Hereafter, of gardens and rivers, wherein they will be in close proximity to their forgiving Lord.

“In a seat of truth [Paradise], near the omnipotent King [Allah].” Surah Al-Qamar – Ayah 55.


There is one activity worthy of mention here, because it gives both pleasure and removes dark clouds that may hang over you; namely, for you to travel through the lands and observe the open book of creation, appreciating all of its wonders. During your journeys, you can see gardens of splendour and beautiful green meadows. Leave your home and contemplate that which surrounds you. Climb mountains, traverse valleys, ascend trees, and drink sweet, pure spring water. Thereupon, you will find your soul to be free like the bird that sings and swims in the sky in perfect rapture. Leave your home and remove the black blindfold from your eyes, and then travel through the spacious lands of Allah, remembering and glorifying Him.

To isolate yourself to the confines of your own room, while passing the hours away with lethal idleness, is a certain path to self-destruction. Your room is not the only place in the world, and you are not the sole inhabitant of it. Then why do you surrender yourself to misery and solitude? Call out with your eyes, ears and heart:

“March forth, whether you are light or heavy.” Surah At-Taubah – Ayah 41.

Come, recite the Qur’an beside a mountain brook or among the birds as they sing. Travelling through the land is an activity which doctors recommend, especially for those who are feeling downcast, constricted by the narrowness of their own rooms. Therefore go forth and find delight in travelling.

“And they think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! You have not created [all] this without purpose, glory to You!” Surah Al-Imran – Ayah 191.



Those who have nothing to do with their lives are the same people who spend most of their time spreading rumours and falsehood, mainly because their minds are devoid of beneficial thoughts.

“They are content to be with those [the women] who sit behind [at home]. Their hearts are sealed up [from right guidance] so they understand not.” Surah At-Taubah – Ayah 87.

When you find yourself to be idle, prepare for depression and despair, because idleness allows your mind to wander in the past, the present, and the future, with all of their difficulties. Therefore, my sincere advice to both you and me is to perform fruitful acts instead of being idle, for idleness is a slow and hidden form of suicide.

Idleness is like the slow torture that is inflicted upon prisoners in China: they are placed under a tap, from which a drop of water falls only after every hour. During the period of waiting for the next drop many of them lose their mind and are driven to insanity.

Being inactive means being negligent of one’s duties. Idleness is an expert thief and your mind is the victim of this perpetrator.

Therefore get up now and say a prayer or read a book; praise your Lord, study, write, organize your library, fix something in your house, or benefit others so that you can put an end to your inactivity. I say this only because I sincerely wish for your betterment.

Destroy boredom by working. When you apply this simple precept alone, the doctors of the world guarantee that you have travelled fifty percent of the way toward happiness. Look at farmers, carpenters, and bread-makers, and observe how, when they are working, recite words as melodious as the singing of birds, because they are content. Afterwards observe yourself and how you toss and turn on your bed while wiping away your tears, always miserable, always torturing yourself.

An extract from “Don’t be sad” by Shaikh Aidh Al Qarni

Huma Ahmad (New York)

As I stood there in front of the room lecturing on "The Soul's Journey After Death", I could not help but think that what I was doing was futile. Half of the people in that room were going to walk out with the same beliefs as they came in with; that this was all something like a fairy tale. The other half would listen, nod and go back out doing the same things they were doing before.

There is something inherently wrong with our generation. I say this as being one of them.

We listen to lectures on Islam like they are stories of old. We're not quite sure if Islam is completely correct. Because if we did, would we continue doing the things we do? Where is our aqeedah? Where is our certainty in truth? Where is our fundamental belief? For example, we're not quite sure what will happen after we die, but we'll take the Islamic explanation because it's there. Why don't we believe that what will happen to us after we die is the truth? The truth is the way we should look at it, like it is something that will definitely occur, like any other fact of life, any other undeniable scientific law or simple equation.

Some facts: We will be tested. We will die. Our soul will be taken. Our soul will be placed back in our bodies and be questioned. We will undergo punishment of the grave. We will be resurrected. We will be asked. We will be punished.

My soul questioned if any of this reached the 30 college age students in front of me.

I decided to give two examples from my own experience. One a friend that I grew up with and went to Islamic weekend school with. One day senior year in high school, she just started getting sick. Just like that she became so ill. She passed away a year later from ovarian cancer. We were 19. Can you imagine? 19 years old. She was engaged and had just gotten married. She was just one of us.

A second example; some of you might have known her, Basma. She was the daughter of Imam Siraj Wahaj in New York City. She went to MYNA conferences and camps with us. She was active. She was one of the best Muslims I've ever met. One of those kinds of Muslims you meet and you can't stop smiling when you talk to them. She was pregnant and gave birth on a Thursday I remember to a beautiful baby girl. A week later, just days after, she didn't feel right and went back into the hospital and died soon after from internal bleeding. Unthinkable, the community of New York was stunned. She was only 20 years old. She was gone and a beautiful baby girl in her place. They named her Maryum.

These are examples I give that occurred to me in my life. I'm sure no one is immune and have felt the pain of loss in their own lives.

Can you imagine, I said to the 30 pairs of eyes staring at me, they were 19 and 20 years old. They were just like us. I'm sure they never thought it would happen to them either.

I think every night before we go to sleep we should think about what we did that day.

"I woke up, I went to school, I saw someone committing a sin. I discussed it with others. Someone new was at the MSA meeting I didn't bother to talk to them or be friendly. I made a remark that I knew hurt someone. I missed Asr because I didn't want to be late for class."

We need to think about these things. What if we don't wake up the next morning? Allah tells us that He takes the souls at night and keeps the ones that aren't to be returned. What if we don't wake up? What if we are hurtled to the next step; we wake up and our soul is being taken out of our bodies, taken up to the heavens and taken back down into the body. We are buried, the dirt slowly covering us. We are made to sit up, are questioned. What will we say? We receive punishment of the grave. We are resurrected. We are asked about every single tiny small thing that we did.

What will we say? I wanted to forget the time I did this, the time I said that. Countless countless sins before me. So many in just that past day that I didn't think about? What to do?

Allah gives us another chance when we wake up the next morning. Here is a new day. You can now make up for what you did the day before. You can run out and ask forgiveness for all those you wronged. You can try to make up for it, improve. Another bright beautiful day.

We need to stop being complacent. We are too comfortable. What is wrong with us that we live in delusion? We think about our lives and are comfortable. "Oh I am doing enough. I'll get to heaven eventually. I'm Muslim that's enough." Why aren't we scared? Why do we think we will go to heaven? We are nothing compared to the people of past. We commit sin after sin and our hearts feel nothing. What is wrong us that we do not feel discomfort, pain when we commit a sin, before we do it, not even a twinge?

Sometimes Allah might send a hardship upon people to bring them to the right way. Hardship brings many people back to Islam. Sometimes Allah might keep people poor because He knows what would happen if they had money. Shouldn't we be scared? If we disobey Allah, He might send something to teach us. Perhaps that would be better. Perhaps we should pray that Allah send us something to remind us, to scare us.

I remind myself first, before anyone.

We need to wake up. We need to know that what is coming is true beyond any doubt. We will die. We will be resurrected. We will pay for each and every sin we committed.

One day we won't wake up the next morning, and oh the regret we will feel on that day...the regret.

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/poetry/khalaf/0031.htm

In the past few weeks a British MP sparked a huge controversy in the UK on the Muslim woman’s dress commonly referred to by non-Muslim westerners as "the black veil" and by Muslims as the niqaab. I watched the controversy as it grew fiercely spreading across the western world and how it was being portrayed in the media. Many westerners began preparing for a mighty confrontation with the Muslim women who live in their countries that still choose to wear niqaab and they’ve assumed all of them to have immigrated from "back home". Some of them describe the wearing of the niqaab by Muslim women as “backwards”, “uncomfortable for them”, and in the words of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair it is a “mark of separation”. But although they express their feelings towards it in many ways, the overriding question on the mind of many westerners appears to be: Why are some Muslim women who are not forced to wear niqaab still choosing to do so in free western countries? Indeed, many westerners are baffled by this, and instead of trying to understand they turn to their own alternative explanations such as “they must be brainwashed” because saying these women are “oppressed” just doesn’t cut it anymore. As for these westerners, then I as a Muslim woman who wears niqaab say leave them to their ignorant assumptions for it is the same whether we explain to them or do not explain to them; they have chosen not to understand. But there are other westerners who when I make eye contact with them on the streets look more curious than cruel. And many sincerely wonder the reason for us turning to this traditional Islaamic dress when we simply aren’t forced to. And as for them perhaps it is only more of an explanation from a veiled Muslim woman that they want, and to know how niqaab benefits us and to them I say fair enough. I have chosen to write this piece for them (specifically) and I sincerely hope that it serves them well in explaining this to them. I have witnessed many non-Muslim western writers and self-proclaimed intellectuals set out to try and explain for themselves how we feel about niqaab and constantly suggest it is not possible for a rational woman to want this. But I wonder what makes them qualified to speak from the Muslim woman’s perspective on niqaab. Is there anyone more qualified to say how these Muslim women feel about wearing niqaab other than one of these Muslim women themselves? So here I go to explain to you the benefits of wearing niqaab, but first here is some relevant background information about me:

1. I was born and raised in Canada my whole life, am (of course) a Canadian citizen, and the only other country I have been to was the United States. So occasionally when I am shouted at to go back home to my own country I’m not really sure how to.

2. English is my first and only language.

3. I am considered educated by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and I hope by my writing you have observed this on your own.

4. No one on planet earth has forced me to wear niqaab and at any moment I could take it off and there would be no real consequences from others for doing so. And similarly, no one forces me to defend wearing niqaab or to speak well of it, and this I also do by choice.

5. At age nine I was told to wear the Muslim headscarf (commonly referred by Muslims as hijaab) but was able to do so still running around in jeans and a shirt. In grade ten I progressed to wearing skirts on my own. In grade twelve I began wearing the long black robe (abaya), which often is seen on Muslim women. Later on in the year, I began wearing niqaab and then I wore a long and loose garment over my abaya commonly referred to by Muslims as a khimaar. And finally to top it all off, I began to wear gloves. I love dressing like this and am happy to. Thus, I progressed to dressing this way, and most of my life did not do so.

6. I never thought three years ago I would ever wear niqaab and had much disdain for it at the time. Silly me.

7. Among the women I know who wear niqaab and have helped me to think differently about it are women who have converted to Islaam. Some of them are brown-skinned like me while others are white, black, Pilipino etc.

So this is where I come from and I hope you are now able to see its relevance to the issue at hand. But now to go on to the many benefits there are for me and other Muslim women in wearing the niqaab and dressing modestly. Some of the benefits I’ve received were expected and others have surprised me. This is not intended as a piece that fuels the debate on niqaab, but rather I’m just trying to convey the perspective of a Muslim woman on wearing her own niqaab. Surely as these are my feelings and no one can feel them but me, no one can argue against them. It may be wondered will I mention any disadvantages of wearing it, but by Allah I know of no real or meaningful disadvantages that are of any concern to me.

Benefit 1: It is an Act of Worship that Can Yield Reward

Of surprise to many I’m sure, in Islaam it is well know that an act of worship goes beyond prayer. Wearing niqaab and dressing modestly for the Muslim woman is also an act of worship, an opportunity to please Allah, which means she can be rewarded for it. Imagine the comfort I then feel to know that every time I wear it I may be rewarded for doing so and to constantly be wearing it throughout life takes its potential reward almost beyond my understanding.

Benefit 2: You are Immediately Identified as a Muslim Woman

As women who dress like me are attributed to Islaam, there is no need to explain to others what religion I am from. Since people immediately know I’m Muslim many of them then expect certain behaviors of mine to be different from theirs because of my different religious teachings. And many people kindly make way for my differences because of this acknowledgement. And it is an honour to be identified as a Muslim woman.

Benefit 3: It Brings the Best Treatment from Men

I have found Muslim and Non-Muslim men alike to treat me better than ever since I began observing niqaab. They move aside for me to let me pass, never come within my personal space, and practice decent behavior when it is necessary for them to speak to me. You won’t find them making inappropriate gestures or remarks to me that would offend many other women, but rather I’m not bothered. To my relief I am left peacefully alone to go about my business without the worry that I need to ward anyone off. Often I’ve seen or have known of women becoming extremely angry because men who find them attractive would bother them and when these women demand that they stop these men do not take them seriously. To many men, the primary message a woman gives off is in her manner of dress which dictates to them how to treat her.

Benefit 4: More Clothes Means more Protection

When we dress in this manner around non-related men we do not incite their desires so that they may want to harm us. Rather, it effectively discourages them from bothering, molesting, or harassing us as the wearing of clothes and the covering up of beauty naturally calms the desires of the other gender rendering you to be leave alone in peace. They have no business with us, and we cannot be deceived by them. And how often do we hear of young mothers becoming pregnant thinking themselves loved only to be abandoned when they are finished being toyed with. And how can a man desire a woman whose beauty is not even described to him? So naturally this type of dress is protection, it is the easiest protection to accomplish, and when we are in the company of our male relatives who would not harm us (like others men may) and in whom we can place our immediate trust regarding ourselves and our honour we don’t need to cover to this extent. The vast majority of the time in fact we are not dressed this way. This same idea of protection can be applied regarding the two genders. As women are generally physically weaker than men and more vulnerable to this type of harm by them, she can balance out this disadvantage by wearing more clothes for protection. So wearing niqaab is also befitting for our very nature as women.

Benefit 5: More Protection Means a Greater Feeling of Ease and Peace

Security is a human need that when felt naturally leaves a human being in a state of relief and encourages feelings of ease and peace. For me when I cover, I know I am shielded from every strange man who may have within them perversions, evil thoughts, or may commit lewd acts I may not know about. It is impossible to tell which of them may possess these ill traits in public, and so often do we find the most decent looking person to have committed the most heinous crimes. So we get to choose which men get to see us and we choose for them to be our male relatives (our honourable and beloved protectors). And it is a unique power for a woman to have this choice. To know then that simply wearing niqaab does away with much of these threats naturally leaves the Muslim woman feeling ease and peace beneath the veil.

Benefit 6: It Makes Beauty Easy on Women

Many women nowadays, particularly in the western world exhaust themselves before going out in public applying make-up, tending to their hair, and choosing an outfit to wear for the day; a process which takes some hours. And before heading out many cram their feet into outrageously oppressive and uncomfortable high-heel shoes. Some women find the public pressure of body image so intense that they take to greater extremes and suffer from such disorders as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Ironically, they call themselves free in doing so and equal to men yet do this primarily for the sake of men. And then upon coming home, these women in the presence of their spouse or family do not care to exert the same effort in tending to their appearance. For Muslim women it is the complete opposite, and the niqaab plays a huge part in that. We need not struggle to please the many men outside of our homes who have no business with us but we need only please our spouse and family and that is a lot less people. After all, the relationship lies between a woman and her spouse, and not a woman and other men in society. Or at least from an Islaamic standpoint that is how meaningful relationships should be.

Benefit 7: It Helps to Preserve Praiseworthy Virtues

Among the virtues we Muslim women try to strive for, and indeed we consider them virtues, are the virtues of modesty and chastity. And these are virtues all Muslims strive for. The niqaab helps to preserve and feed these virtues. When the women of society possess them then the whole of the society benefits. That is because we find there is a direct link between how women of a society generally dress and how much temptation there is for men and women to fall into fornication, adultery, and other despicable acts. And it is these acts that destroy families and cause all of society to fall into corruption and weakness. Having these virtues also paves the way for gaining other virtues such as decency, honour, uprightness, integrity, piety, discipline, honesty etc. Many westerners mock Muslim women in veil, and praise other types of women such as Hollywood actresses and endeavor to be like them. I wonder what good example we can take from them. Even though these women can publicly be seen in movies performing acts that at one point in time were done only in a bedroom, they are still seen as a beacon of light for the many women of the western world and are constantly called role models. And I have never witnessed the condemning of their behavior by westerners whilst the condemning of niqaab and the wearing of modest clothes has been vicious. I fear it would be painfully hard and degrading to always attain their fake appearance, to be seen as a sex object, and to answer each call of this sickly vain society. So let it be seen by us in which way this leads to our happiness, goodness for us, and freedom. And let it be seen by us some meaningful and lasting relationships they are able to carry with their boyfriends, spouses and families as a result of their behavior. We do not see it. The behavior of many western women and what they value can likewise be baffling to us Muslim women.

Benefit 8: It Means Freedom for Us

Can it be denied that everyone has their own notion of what freedom is? For Muslim women, freedom is not as absurdly simple as: the fewer clothes you wear the more free you are. And it does not mean you are able to do whatever you wish. We as well as all Muslims consider us bound by religion and our worship is to Allah not to our own vain desires. Freedom first comes to us in worshipping Allah alone and not ascribing partners to Him or giving what belongs to Him to others. This is freedom in that it satisfies the natural inclination of a human being to worship their Lord and does so in a manner that can be easily understood and that gives Him His due respect. And as for the way niqaab offers us Muslim women freedom is that it frees us from all kinds of harm that comes to women from many angles and allows us to serve our Lord. Primarily I am referring to the harm that can be inflicted on women by men when women incite their natural desires. And it also frees us from going against our nature and we are allowed to have shame and we are not pressured to display our bodies to strangers. And we are freed from the expectation to please with our appearance every man in public. And this is what we consider to be freedom. And even if westerners were to consider whether or not we are free according to their standards even they would have to consider us free because we are doing what we want to do out of pure choice.

Benefit 9: It is a Befitting Action for Nowadays Especially

In the eyes of many, niqaab is a backwards thing, a thing from the past, a tradition, and something no longer needed nowadays. On the contrary, I have found the need to wear it more than ever especially because harassment, molestation, and assault on women are more wildly rampant than ever and the morals of society as a whole have decreased. The need for a woman to wear niqaab grows as the threats against her that niqaab effectively shields against increase. There is not denying in the west threats to a woman’s honour widely exist, and these threats to women also spread across the world from its direction.

So although others may express there hatred for the niqaab and those who wear it, it cannot be said by other than a Muslim woman who choses to wears it how we feel about wearing it, and what we consider it to do for us. So this is what I say, and be assured it reflects the views of other Muslim woman who wear niqaab by choice in the west. Were others to say “well this is the opinion of only one of them” I would fear they would reflect yet further ignorance of Muslim women. In light of this great niqaab controversy I know of nobody more knowledgeable or experienced in the field of niqaab other then the veiled Muslim woman. And I know of nobody's opinion being more relevant and important in the niqaab debate other than hers. And I know of the niqaab more that those who don’t wear it. And of my niqaab I know of only good.

Nusaybah Alli
Toronto-Canada

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often
mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100%
of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could
significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory,
trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or
on a
printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by
45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50%
less likely to develop bladder cancer.

And now for the properties of COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of
Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two
days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let
the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in
Coke removes stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a
rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola
over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the
rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap
the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is
finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for
sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of
greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The
Coca-Cola
will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your
windshield

For Your Info

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It
will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium
from
bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must
use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive
materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of
their trucks for about 20 years!


Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or coke?.

One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive
colours met a pearl that lived far in the bottom of the sea and had none
of these characteristics.

Both got acquainted with each other.

The flower said: "Our family is large; roses and daisies are members of
the family. And there are many other species that are various and
countless; each has a distinctive scent, and appearance."

Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower.

"Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are depressed?" The
pearl asked.

"Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow
us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful
appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we
are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and
fragrance" The flower sighed.

And then the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life!
How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of
the sea. "

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colours
and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to
procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching
for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more
beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in
their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas.
However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and
mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable"

The flower is the unveiled woman (who shows her charms)

and the pearl is the veiled woman (who conceals her beauties) Think
about it!

Darwin was an atheist and he claimed that man’s forefathers were monkeys and that with the elapse of time man evolved to be man. That was his ideology.

Somebody asked Moulana Thanwi (R.A) : “People are going astray because of Darwin’s theory. Please write your evidence to refute it.”

Hazrat Thanwi (R.A) replied: “There is no need for it!”

The person again said: “Many people are getting misled by this theory and are beginning to really believe that we were monkeys originally and that slowly we evolved into human beings.”

Hazrat said: “Everybody has pride in his ancestors. Someone is a Sayyid – he is proud of it. someone is a Khan, someone is a Moghul – they are all proud of their ancestry. A Bengali is proud of being a Bengali. A Gujerati is proud of being a Gujerati. So if Darwin and company are all proud that their origin is a monkey – so good luck to them.”

In fact, we make Shukr to Allah – because Allah says:

“I have created Adam (A.S) with my two hands” – not hands like ours but Allah created Adam (A.S) with great care and precision. So our forefather, Hazrat Adam (A.S), Allah forbid, was not a monkey. The other thing is that if there is any shortcoming in our parents or ancestors, we must try to hide it. If these people (Darwin etc.) were humans, they would have hidden this shortcoming. But we see that these people spend millions of dollars and university time – America being in the forefront – just to prove that their forefathers were monkeys. In reality they are animals.

Hazrat Moulana Hakim Akhtar Saheb (D.B) has answered them in the best way. When he came to South Africa, he saw many monkeys in the wild. He remarked: “Why is it that only Darwin’s monkey evolved into a man? There are millions of monkeys around the world. Why didn’t any of these monkeys transform into a man? If one monkey could transform into a man, the other monkeys could have also transformed into men.”

In fact these people are the real monkeys and are playing monkey tricks with the whole world. Among their monkey games, one game is such that one person throws the ball, the other person hits it with a bat, and 50 000 people clap their hands. This monkey game is called cricket. This throwing of a ball and hitting it – is it a job of dignity? But these people are doing the jobs of animals.

The skin of a pig – that is called ‘a ball’. Eleven people this side and eleven people that side – the game is called soccer. This side team’s job is to place the ball between the two poles on that side – is this the job of a human being?

An extract from “The virtues of knowledge” by Moulana Abdul Hamid Ishaq Sahed.

AT A TIME WHEN ISLÂM IS FACED WITH HOSTILE MEDIA COVERAGE PARTICULARLY WHERE THE STATUS OF MEN IN ISLÂM IS CONCERNED, IT MAY BE QUITE SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT ISLÂM IS THE FASTEST GROWING RELIGION IN THE WORLD, AND EVEN MORE IRONIC TO IS THAT THE STATISTICS SHOW THE MAJORITY OF CONVERTS TO ISLÂM ARE WOMEN!

The status of women in society is neither a new issue nor is it a fully settled one, and where Islâm is mentioned, for many the term 'Muslim Woman' prompts images of exhausted mothers chained to the stove, 'victims' suppressed in a life of indoctrination, frantic to be westernised and so on. Others will go to great lengths to explain how the hijâb is an obstacle, clouding the mind, and comment that female converts are either brainwashed, stupid or traitors to their sex. I reject such accusations and pose to them the following question: why is it that so many women who have been born and brought up in the so-called "civilised" societies of Europe and America are willing to reject their "liberty" and "independence" to embrace a religion that supposedly oppresses them and is widely assumed to be prejudicial to them?

As a Christian convert to Islâm, I can only present my personal experience and reasons for rejecting the "freedom" that women claim to have in this society in favour of the only Religion that truly liberates women by giving us a status and position which is completely unique when compared with that of our non-Muslim counterparts.

Before coming to Islâm, I had strong feminist tendencies and recognised that where the woman was concerned, a lot of shuffling arwnd had been going on, yet without being able to pin her on the social map. The problem was ongoing new 'women's issues' being raised without the previous ones being satisfactorily resolved. Like the many women who shared my background. I would accuse Islâm of being a sexist religion, discriminating, oppressing and giving men the greater privileges. All this coming from a person who didn't even know Islâm, one who had been blinded due to ignorance and had accepted this deliberately distorted definition of Islâm.

However, despite my critidsms of Islâm, inwardly I wasn't satisfied with my own status as a woman in this society. It seemed to me that society would define the terms such as "liberty" and "freedom" and then these definitions were accepted by women without us even attempting to question or challenge them. There was clearly a great contradiction between what women are told in theory and what actually happens in practice.

The more I pondered, the greater emptiness I fell within. I was slowly beginning to reach a stage where my dissatisfaction with my status as a woman in this society, was really a reflection of my greater dissatisfaction with society itself. Everything seemed to be degenerating backwards, despite all the claims that the 1990's was going to be a decade of success and prosperity. Something vital seemed to be missing from my life and nothing would fill this vacuum. Being a Christian didn't do anything for me, and I began to question the validity of only remembering God one day a week - Sundays! As with many other Christians too, I had become disillusioned by the hypocrisy of the Church and was becoming increasingly unhappy with the concept of the Trinity and the deification of Jesus. Eventually, I began to look in Islâm. At first I was only interested in looking into those issues which specifically dealt with women. I was surprised. What I read and learned taught me a lot about myself as a woman, and also about the real oppression of women lies: in every other system and way of life outside Islâm. Muslim women have been given their rights in every aspect with clear definitions of their role in society - as had men - with no injustices against either of them. As Allâh says: "Whoever does deeds of righteousness, by they male or female, and have faith, they will enter Paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them." [an-Nisâ' (4):124]

So having amended my misconceptions about the true status of women in Islâm, I was now looking further. I wanted to find that thing which was going to fill the vacuum in my life. My attention was drawn towards the beliefs and practices of Islâm. It was only through establishing the fundamentals that I would understand where to turn and what to prioritise. These are often areas which receive little attention or controversy in society, and when studying Islâmic creed, it becomes clear why this is the case: such concise, faultless and widely comprehensive details cannot be found elsewhere.

The fundamental belief of Islâm is Tawhîd which is a simple message 'lâ ilâha illallâh'. It is recognise that Allâh alone is to be worshipped and then to direct all worship towards Him - the root message which strikes at all false worship and it is the place where any person who seriously wants to learn about Islâm should start.

By this time I had begun to meet practising Muslim women and how I felt so secure and welcome in their company! There was a sense of tranquillity and humility about them and I wanted to share in that. These sisters, I regarded not only as friends, but advisors, and supporters too, and the beauty of their companionship was that every person was attracted due to the same reason: to help each other in worshipping Allâh. This is what united their hearts together. Allâh says: "And He has united their [i.e. the believers] hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allâh has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [al-Anfâl (8):63]

Alhamdulillâh, I accepted Islâm willingly.

Through my reading, researching and attending lectures, I have come to know my Rabb (Lord). I have come closer to acquainting myself with some of His Names (Asmâ') and Attributes (Sifât) of Beauty and Perfection. I have found this a great help in understanding the whole Religion. To know, for example, that among Allâh's Names is that He is the Most Wise (al-Hakîm) and the Most Just (al-'Adl), and therefore that He commands only that which is wise and just, would completely relieve a person from seeking to find justifications for Allâh's Laws, or from having having doubts about the fairness of Allâh's Laws. Now, alhamdulillâh, I can appreciate much more why the true Muslim scholars emphasise so strong for Muslims to learn about Allâh - His Asmâ' and Sifât - before trying to reason with Allâh's Laws. Unfortunate I would have been, had I taken the stance that "Islâm gives the best deal to women" and made this my reason for embracing Islâm because then my faith would have been without a firm ground and sooner or later I would have come across some laws ordained by Allâh that I couldn't logically / rationally understand or see the wisdom behind. Had I not studied the foundation of belief, namely Tawhîd and looked at how Allâh describes Himself in His Book, perhaps I would still be in darkness. And all praise and thanks is for Allâh who guided me to the truth - It is as He says: "Wherewith Allâh guides all those who seek His good pleasure, to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness, by His will, into light and guides them to a Straight Path." [al-Mâ'idah (5):16]

The reason why women are turning to Islâm must certainly have something to do with the honour that Islâm gives them and the equality with which it deals with people, not only in terms of gender, but also in terms of race, nationality, class, etc. However, the overriding reason why I and so many others like me were attracted to Islâm was because Islâm answered the most important question which I had ever asked: "Why am I here on this earth?" So I crossed the divide and managed to see what lies on the other side ... alhamdulillâh, I chose Islâm.

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/sisters/0012.htm

Have you ever wondered to yourself what it actually means to be the best?

When we are told that 'this is the best' or 'that was the greatest' or 'this will bring the most benefit' etc, have you ever thought who on Earth gave such people/editors the authority to tell us that? In an age when we have a plethora of 'Top 10' or 'Top 100' lists on everything from cars to films, from foods to places, one wonders where is that list that will really provide some benefit to us in this current short life and the next very long one.

Well, wait no more. Below, from a choice of hundreds of narrations from our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, you can find 100 hadîth, in no particular order of merit, detailing ways on exactly how to become the best, how to have the most excellent characteristics, what really will prove most beneficial for us to know, what really are the greatest things to think about and hope for and indeed, how to become the most beloved of people to our Magnificent Creator, Allah, the Most High.

No more subjectivity, no more empty statements; just the divine criteria of what really is the best as developed by the very best himself, Muhammad al-Mustapha, upon whom be peace. For an explanation of the meaning of each of these hadîth, you can visit here.

So go on, don't be ordinary. Don't be common. Don't be typical ...

Be the best.

Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, told us:

1. "The best of the Muslims is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe." [Muslim]

2. "The best of people are those with the most excellent character." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

3. "The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind." [Dâraqutni, Hasan]

4. "The best of people are those who are best in fulfilling [rights]." [Ibn Mâjah, Sahîh]

5. "The best of people during fitnah is a man who takes up the reins of his horse pursuing the enemies of Allah, causing them fear yet they make him fearful too, or a man who secludes himself in the desert fulfilling the rights of Allah upon him." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

6. "The best of mankind is my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come a people after them who will become avaricious, who will love gluttony, and who will give witness before they are asked for it." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

7. "The best of people are those who live longest and excel in their deeds, whereas the worst of people are those who live longest and corrupt their deeds." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

8. "The best of women are those that please him [her husband] when he sees her, obeys him when she is commanded, and who does not secretly betray him with regards to herself and her money in that which he dislikes." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

9. "The best of women are those that please you when you see them, obey you when commanded, and who safeguard themselves and your money in your absence." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

10. "The best of marriages are the easiest ones." [Abu Dâwûd, Sahîh]

11. "The best of your dates is the Borniyyû date; it expels disease yet does not contain any disease itself." [Hâkim, Hasan]

12. "The best of your garments are those which are white; shroud your dead in them and clothe your living with them. The best of that which you apply to your eyelids is antimony causing the eyelashes to grow and sharpening the eyesight." [Ibn Hibbân, Sahîh]

13. "The best quality of your religion is scrupulousness." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

14. "The best of your religion is that which is easiest." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

15. "The best of the prayer lines for men are the first rows, the worst being the final rows. The best of the prayer lines for women are the final rows and the worst are the first rows." [Muslim]

16. "The best prayers for women are those performed in the most secluded parts of their houses." [Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahîh]

17. "The best of you in Islam are those who are most excellent in character as long as you deeply understand the religion." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

18. "The best of you are the best of you in fulfilling [rights]." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

19. "The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

20. "The best of you are my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come after them a people who will betray and be untrustworthy, will give witness even though they have not been asked to, will make vows yet will not fulfil them and obesity will appear amongst them." [Bukhâri]

21. "The best of you are those who feed others and return greetings." [Abu Ya'lâ, Hasan]

22. "The best of you is he from whom good is anticipated and safety from his evil is assured; the worst of you is he from whom nothing good is expected and one is not safe from his evil." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

23. "The best thing mankind has been given is excellent character." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

24. "The best of that which you treat yourself with is cupping." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

25. "The best of journeys undertaken are to this Mosque of mine and the Ancient House." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

26. "The best of which man can leave behind for himself are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, an ongoing charity whose reward continues to reach him and knowledge which others benefit from after him." [Ibn Hibbân, Hasan]

27. "The best Mosques for women are the most secluded parts of their houses." [Bayhaqi, Sahîh]

28. "The best of the world's women are four: Maryum bint 'Imrân, Khadîjah bint Khuwaylid, Fâtimah bint Muhammad and Âsiyah the wife of Fir'awn." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

29. "The best of days that you should perform cupping are the 17th, 19th and 21st of the month. I did not pass a single gathering of angels on the night of Isrâ' except that they would say to me, 'O Muhammad, perform cupping!'" [Ahmad, Sahîh]

30. "The best day on which the Sun has risen is Friday; on it Âdam was created, on it Âdam was made to enter Paradise and on it he was expelled. The Hour will not be established except on Friday." [Muslim]

31. "Verily, the best of perfume for men is that which is strong in smell and light in colour, and the best of perfume for women is that which is strong in colour and light in smell." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

32. "The most beloved of religions according to Allah the Most High is the 'easy and flexible religion.'" [Ahmad, Hasan]

33. "The most beloved of deeds according to Allah are the continuous ones, even if they are little." [Agreed upon]

34. "The most beloved of names according to Allah are 'Abd Allah, 'Abd'l-Rahmân and Hârith." [Abu Ya'lâ, Sahîh]

35. "The most beloved of deeds according to Allah are the prayer in its right time, then to treat the parents in an excellent manner, and then Jihâd in the path of Allah." [Agreed upon]

36. "The most beloved of deeds according to Allah is that you die and yet your tongue is still moist from the remembrance of Allah." [Ibn Hibbân, Hasan]

37. "The most beloved words according to Allah the Most High are four: Subhânallah, Alhamdulillâh, Lâ ilâha illallah and Allahu Akbar; there is no problem with which one you start with." [Muslim]

38. "The most beloved of speech according to Allah is when the servant says, 'Subhânallahi wa bihamdihî' [How Transcendent is Allah and we praise him!]." [Muslim]

39. "The most beloved of speech according to Allah the Most High is that which Allah chose for his Angels: Subhâna Rabbî wa bihamdihî, Subhâna Rabbî wa bihamdihî, Subhâna Rabbî wa bihamdihî." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

40. "The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever holds back his anger, Allah will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being able to execute it, Allah will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Standing. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes that for him, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey." [Tabarâni, Hasan]

41. "The most beloved of people to me is 'Â'ishah and from the men, Abu Bakr." [Agreed upon]

42. "The best of people in recitation are those who when they recite, you see that they fear Allah." [Bayhaqi, Sahîh]

43. "The best of your leaders are those that you love and they love you, you supplicate for them and they supplicate for you. The worst of your leaders are those that you hate and they hate you, you curse them and they curse you." [Muslim]

44. "The best of you are those who are best in paying off their debts." [Tahâwi, Sahîh]

45. "The best of you are those with the longest lives and most excellent character." [Bazzâr, Sahîh]

46. "The best of you are those with the longest lives and best in action." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

47. "The best of you are those with the softest shoulders during prayer." [Bayhaqi, Hasan]

48. "The best of you are those who are best to their wives." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

49. "The best of you are those who are best to their families." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

50. "The best of you during the 'Period of Ignorance' are the best of you in Islam as long as they deeply understand the religion." [Bukhâri]

51. "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'ân and teach it." [Dârimi, Sahîh]

52. "The best of companions according to Allah are those who are best to their companion and the best of neighbours according to Allah are those that are best to their neighbour." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

53. "The best of places are the Mosques and the worst of places are the markets." [Tabarâni, Hasan]

54. "The best supplication on the Day of 'Arafah and the best thing that I and the Prophets before me ever said was, 'Lâ ilâha illAllah wahdahû lâ sharîka lahû, lahû'l-mulk wa lahû'l-hamd wa huwa 'alâ kulli shay'in Qadîr.'" [Tirmidhî, Hasan]

55. "The best of provision is that which suffices." [Ahmad in 'Zuhd', Hasan]

56. "The best testimony is when one gives it before he is asked to do so." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

57. "The best of dowries are the easiest." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

58. "The best of charity is that which still leaves you self-sufficient for the upper hand is better than the lower hand; start with those you are responsible for." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

59. "The best of gatherings are those that are most open." [Abu Dâwûd, Sahîh]

60. "The most beloved deed according to Allah is to have faith in Allah, then to maintain the ties of kinship, and then to command to good and forbid the wrong. The most abhorrent of deeds according to Allah is to associate partners with Him, then to cut the ties of kinship." [Abu Ya'lâ, Hasan]

61. "The most beloved Jihâd according to Allah is that a word of truth be spoken to a tyrant ruler." [Tabarâni, Hasan]

62. "The most beloved word according to me is that which is most truthful." [Bukhâri]

63. "The most beloved fast according to Allah is the fast of Dâwûd; he would fast every alternate day. The most beloved prayer according to Allah is the prayer of Dâwûd; he would sleep half the night, stand a third and then sleep for a sixth." [Agreed upon]

64. "The most beloved dish according to Allah is that which most hands feed from." [Ibn Hibbân, Hasan]

65. "The most beloved servant of Allah is he who is most beneficial to his dependents." [Zawâ'id al-Zuhd, Hasan]

66. "The best of earnings is that of the labourer as long as he tries his best." [Ahmad, Hasan]

67. "The best of all deeds is to have faith in Allah alone, then Jihâd and then an accepted Hajj; they surpass all other deeds like the distance between the rising and setting of the Sun." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

68. "The best of all deeds is the Prayer at its earliest time." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

69. "The best of all deeds is the Prayer in its right time, to treat the Parents honourably and Jihâd in the path of Allah." [al-Khatîb, Sahîh]

70. "The best of all deeds is that you bring happiness to your Muslim brother, pay off his debt or feed him bread." [Ibn Adiyy, Hasan]

71. "The best of faith is patience and magnanimity." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

72. "The best of days according to Allah is Friday." [Bayhaqi, Sahîh]

73. "The best of Jihâd is that man strives against his soul and desires." [Daylami, Sahîh]

74. "The best Hajj is that with the most raised voices and flowing blood." [Tirmidhî, Hasan]

75. "The best of supplications is that of on the Day of 'Arafah, and the best thing that was said by myself and the Prophets before me was, "Lâ ilâha illallah wahdahû lâ sharîka lahû." [There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah alone, He has no partners.] [Mâlik, Hasan]

76. "The best of dinars are: the dinâr spent by a man upon his dependents, the dinâr spent by a man upon his horse in the path of Allah and the dinâr spent by a man upon his companions in the path of Allah, the Mighty, the Magnificent." [Muslim]

77. "The best word of remembrance is: Lâ ilâha illallah and the best supplication is: Alhamdulillâh." [Tirmidhî, Hasan]

78. "The best word of remembrance is: Lâ ilâha illallah and the best [expression of giving] thanks is: Alhamdulillâh." [Baghawi, Hasan]

79. "The best of hours are those deep in the latter part of the night." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

80. "The best of all martyrs are those who fight in the front line; they do not turn their faces away until they are killed. They will be rolling around in the highest rooms of Paradise, their Lord laughing at them - when your Lord laughs at a servant, there is no accounting for him." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

81. "The best of all martyrs is he whose blood is shed and whose horse is slaughtered." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

82. "The best of all charity is the shade of a canopy [provided] in the path of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, to gift ones servant in the path of Allah and to gift ones she-camel in the path of Allah." [Ahmad, Hasan]

83. "The best of all charity is that which is given to the relative that harbours enmity against you." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

84. "The best of all charity is that you give it while you are healthy and desirous [of that money], hoping to become wealthy but fearing poverty. Don't delay until you are about to breathe your last and then you say, 'This is for 'so and so' and this is for 'so and so'', for indeed, it has already been written that 'so and so' would receive that." [Abu Dâwûd, Sahîh]

85. "The best of all charity is when the one with little strives to give; start with those you are responsible for." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

86. "The best charity is to provide water." [Ibn Mâjah, Hasan]

87. "The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the prayer in the depth of the night, and the best fast after the month of Ramadhân is the month of Allah, Muharram." [Muslim]

88. "The best prayer is the prayer of the man in his home except for the obligatory prayer." [Nasâ'î, Sahîh]

89. "The best prayer is that with the longest standing." [Muslim]

90. "The best of all prayers according to Allah is the Friday morning prayer in congregation." [Ibn Nu'aym, Sahîh]

91. "The best fast is the fast of my brother Dâwûd; he would fast every alternate day and he would never flee [the battlefront] when the armies would meet." [Tirmidhî, Sahîh]

92. "The best of all fasts after Ramadhân is in the month that you call Muharram." [Nasâ'î, Sahîh]

93. "The best of all worship is supplication." [Hâkim, Sahîh]

94. "The best deed is the prayer in its right time and Jihâd in the path of Allah." [Bayhaqi, Sahîh]

95. "The best of the Qur'ân is: "Alhamdulillâhi Rabb'l-'Âlamîn". [Hâkim, Sahîh]

96. "The best of earnings is a blessed sale and that which a man earns with his hands." [Ahmad, Sahîh]

97. "The best of the Believers is the most excellent of them in character." [Ibn Mâjah, Sahîh]

98. "The best of the Believers with respect to Islam is the one from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe; and the best of the Believers with respect to Îmân are the most excellent of them in character; and the best of those who migrate is he who migrates from that which Allah the Most High has prohibited; and the best of Jihâd is when one strives against his soul for the sake of Allah, the Mighty, the Magnificent." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

99. "The best of mankind is the believer between two honourable persons." [Tabarâni, Sahîh]

100. "The best of all days in the world are the ten days [of Dhul Hijjah]." [Bazzâr, Sahîh]

Salaatut Tasbeeh is a very important form of salaah, as is evident from several ahaadith, wherein Rasulullah (SAW) enjoined it as a matter of great kindness and favour and stressed on its importance. As such, the Ulamaa, Jurists, Muhadditheen, and Sufis throughout the centuries have been particular in offering this Salaah. Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (RA) has narrated that he was once informed by Rasulullah (SAW), ''O Abbaas, Should I not present to you, should I not confer to you, should I not inform you of such an act, which if you practice, Allah (SWT) will forgive all your sins, whether old or new, intentional or unintentional, minor or major, open or secret. (After describing the method of performing this salaah) Nabi (SAW) stated, ''If possible, you should offer this salaah once everyday, and if you cannot perform it daily, then offer it on every Friday (weekly), or once a month, or once a year or at least once in your lifetime.'' [Abu Daawud]

THE STATUS AND IMPORTANCE OF SALAATUT TASBEEH

Imaam Al-Haakim (R.A) who is an authority on hadith, has written, ''The authenticity of this hadeeth (of salaatut tasbeeh) is supported by the fact that, since the second generation after the Sahabah (RA) until our times, all the great teachers of religion have been offering this salaah with constancy and have been advising the people to do so, among them was Imaam Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak (R.A) [He was the teacher of the teachers of Imaam Bukhari (R.A)]'' [Al Mustadrak Haakim – vol.1, pg.318] ; Imaam Al-Baihaqi (R.A) has stated that, even before Ibn Mubaarak (R.A), Imaam Abul Jauzaa (R.A), a Taabi'ee (one who had seen the Sahabah (RA) and whose narrations are considered to be reliable, used to be very particular in offering this salaah daily. As soon as he heard the azaan for the Zuhr Salaah, he would go to the musjid and would complete this Salaah before the Zuhr Salaah. Imaam Abdul Aziz Ibn Abi Rawwaad (R.A) who was the teacher of Ibn Mubaarak (R.A) and who was a great devotee, saint and pious man, has stated, ''One who desires to attain Jannah should be constant in offering Salaatut Tasbeeh.'' Allamah Taqi Ud-Deen Al-Subki (R.A) stated, "This salaah is very important, and one should not get misled if some people happen to deny its importance. The one, who ignores it even after learning about its reward, is negligent in religious matters, fails to act like virtuous people, and should not be considered as a reliable person." It is stated in Mirqaat that Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbaas (RA) used to offer this Salaah every Friday. [Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.244] This salaah is preferable to be performed on all those auspicious nights where extra ibaadat (worship) are encouraged e.g. The 15th Night of Shabaan, The nights of Ramadhaan etc.

[NOTE: The Authenticity of Salaatut Tasbeeh has been affirmed by the muhadditheen. Many of them have written detailed articles on this matter. Allaamah al-Suyyuti (RA) has enumerated up to 20 great muhadditheen who have accepted its authenticity]. [Al-Laalil Masnoo'ah-vol.2, pg.40]. According to the principles of hadeeth, this hadith falls at least in the category of Hasan Ahadith.

THE METHOD OF PERFORMING SALAATUT TASBEEH

Imaam Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak (R.A) and many other ulama narrate the following method of offering this salaah. (This method is also reported from Rasulullah (SAW) and is the preferred method of performing this salaah). "After reciting thanaa and before reciting Surah Faatihah repeat these words (the third Kalimah) 'Subhaanallaahi Walhamdulillaahi, Wa laa ilaaha illallaahu Wallaahu Akbar' fifteen times. Then start with 'a'oodhu' and 'Bismillaah' and, after completing Surah Faatihah and another surah, these words (above mentioned) should be repeated ten times before the ruku, ten times during the ruku, ten times after standing up from the ruku, ten times in each sajdah and ten times while sitting between the two sajdahs. All four rakaats should be performed in this manner, thus completing seventy five times (tasbeehs) in each rakaat and 300 times (tasbeehs) in four rakaats.'' [Sunan Tirmizi – vol.2, pg.348]

TABLE OF PERFORMING SALAATUT TASBEEH ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OF IMAM ABDULLAH IBN MUBARAK (R.A)

POSTURES OF SALAAH NUMBER OF TIMES AFTER THANAA – BEFORE SURAH FAATIHA 15 TIMES BEFORE RUKU 10 TIMES DURING RUKU 10 TIMES WHILE STANDING – AFTER RISING FROM THE RUKU 10 TMES IN THE FIRST SAJDAH 10 TIMES SITTING POSTURE – BETWEEN BOTH SAJDAS 10 TIMES IN THE SECOND SAJDAH 10 TIMES TOTAL PER RAKAAT 75 TIMES TOTAL IN FOUR RAKAATS 300 TIMES

There are no particular surahs specified for this salaah. Any surah may be recited. However Sayyiduna Ibn Abbaas (RA) was once asked, ''Are there any particular surahs to be recited in this salaah? He replied, 'At takaasur (S.102), Al Asr (S.103), Al Kaafiroon (S.109) and Al Ikhlaas (S.112).'' Some Ulamaa have also stated, ''The most virtuous surahs (to be recited in this salaah) are Al Hadeed (S.57), Al Hashar (S.59), As Saff (S.61) and At Taghaabun (S.64).'' [Raddul Muhtaar – vol.2, pg.461]

SOME IMPORTANT POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND

1. Counting should not be done verbally as this act nullifies the salaah. The best way is that the fingers should be kept in their position, but should be pressed one by one for counting. [Raddul Muhtaar – vol.2, pg.236; Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.244]

2. This Salaah can be offered at any time of the day or night besides the three forbidden times. However, the more appropriate times, in order of preference, are: After midday, any time during the day, and any time during the night. [Fadhaail A'amaal, Virtues of Zikr – Pg.245]

3. According to some ahaadith, the third Kalimah should also be followed by 'Laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa billaahil aliyyil adheem' It is therefore better to recite it sometimes in addition to the third Kalimah.'' [Ihyaa Ulummuddeen – vol.2, pg.267]

4. In the ruku, 'subhaana rabbiyal adheem' and in the sajdah, 'subhaana rabbiyal a'alaa' should be recited before reciting the third kalimah." [At Tarsheeh, Libayaani Salaatit Tasbeeh – pg.22]

5. If one missed out all the tasbeehaat or some tasbeehaat in any posture, he should not make up for that deficiency in qaumah (after ruku in the standing posture) or in jalsah (after the first sajdah before the second sajdah).

PRACTICE AND CONVEY THIS GIFT GRANTED TO US BY RASULULLAH
CERTIFIED BY: Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Darul Ifta (Fatwa Department), Camperdown.
COMPILED BY: A student [2nd year aalim class] of Madrasah In’aamiyyah, Camperdown.

Special message by Mufti Desai: Please forward this to many people as possible. If you want to print this article and circulate, you may contact the Darul Ifta for an original copy with the Arabic. Every person that praises Allah, you will have a share in the reward, Insha Allah.

taken from asma

Your Favourite Food? pizza chips

Favourite Online Site? an-nisaa

ahhh you tagged almost all my friends brightgem. now i cant think of anyone else :(

As I sit here alone, the tears rolling down my face
It is not salt, but pain that I taste

So I leave now to go stand before You
I am helpless and alone, what else can I do?

I have asked, I have begged but my sins block my du'a
I will come now still begging, forgive me O Allah

Forgive me and grant me what it is that I ask
For me it is impossible but for You a simple task

I try and I try but I do not succeed
But I understand and know it is because Your Words I do not heed

I hear, yes I hear but I do not always obey
Perhaps that is why I am destitute, isolated and why You have written that I
will be alone this way

I have no to blame but the person in the mirror I see
No one else must pay for my sins, no one else, no one else, no one else but
me

So I stand before You to again beg forgiveness because You said that I can
You have told us in Your Book that You are Ar Rahman

I will ask, I will beg but my sins my block my du'a
But I will keep asking, forgive me O Allah

taken from here