The Blessed Days of Dhul-Hijjah

The Hajj Pilgrimmage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where 2.5 million Muslims from all over the world make the annual trip.

Courtesy of Mission In Islam

Compiled by Shawana A. Aziz

The month of Dhul-Hijjah is a season of worship, and seasons of worship bring along blessings, benefits and opportunities to correct one’s faith and make up for shortcoming. Every one of these special opportunities involves some kind of worship, which brings the slave closer to his Lord. And Allah bestows His blessings and Favors on whom He wills. The fortunate person is he who makes good use of these special months, days, and hours, while worshiping Allah. He is most likely to be touched by the blessings of Allah. [Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa'if pp. 8]

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are marked blessed for both, the pilgrims and the non-pilgrims. Rewards of good deeds are multiplied in these days. Imaam Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) (d. 751H) said:

“Indeed, its days are the most excellent of all the days with Allah. It has been confirmed in Saheeh al-Bukharee from Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “No deed are more virtuous than deeds on these days.” The companions asked: ‘Not even Jihad (fighting in Allah’s Cause)?’ He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) replied: “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out risking himself and his wealth for the sake of Allah, and does not come back with anything.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee vol: 2, no: 457] And it is these ten days, of which Allah takes an oath saying: “By the dawn; by the ten nights.” [Soorah al-Fajr (89): 1-2] This is why it is recommended to increase in making Takbeer, Tahlil and Tamhid during these days.” [Zaad al-Ma'aad vol: 1, pp: 56]

Yawm al-Arafat: The 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah is the day of Arafat. It is this day when the pilgrims gather on the mountain plain of Arafat, praying and supplicating to their Lord.

The day of Arafat holds great importance in Islam since this is the Day when Allah completed his revelation on His Messenger (sallahu alaihe wa-sallam). It is reported in the Saheehayn (i.e. Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim), from Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radhi allahu anhu) that a Jewish man said to him:

“O Ameer al-Mumineen (O head of the Muslims)! There is a verse in the Qur’aan, which if was revealed on us, the Jews, we would have taken that day as an Eid (festival).” Umar asked: “Which verse?” He said: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Soorah al-Maidah (5): 3] Umar (radhi allahu anhu) said: “We know on which day and in which place was this verse revealed to Allah’s Messenger (sallahu alaihe wa-sallam). It was when he was standing in Arafat on a Friday.”

Arafat is the day on which Allah took the covenant from the progeny of Adam (alaihis-salaam), it was reported that Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) related:

“(When Allah created Adam (alaihis-salaam) Allah took covenant from him in a place Na’maan on the day of Arafat, then He extracted from him all the descendants who would be born until the end of the world, generation after generation, and spread them out in front of Him in order to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to them face to face saying: “Am I not your Lord?” and they all replied: “Yes, we testify to it.” Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He was their Creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said: “That was in case you (mankind) should say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘Surely, we were unaware of this. We had no idea that You, Allah, were our Lord. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You.” …” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah vol: 4, no: 1623] Indeed, the day of Arafat is a blessed day and there is no other covenant greater than this covenant!

Arafat is a day of Forgiveness from sins, freedom from the Hell-Fire for the people who are present in the plain of Arafat. Aa’ishah (radhi allahu anha) narrated the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) saying: “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the day of Arafat. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels saying, ‘What do these people (the Hajis) want?’” [Saheeh Muslim]

You Gotta Have A Little F.A.I.T.H.

The Power of Having F.A.I.T.H.!

F – Focus

A – Attitude

I – Initiative

T – Thankful

H – Healing

In order to overcome any obstacle that life throws at you and to also begin the process of healing, you have to FOCUS on your goal(s). Have the “right” ATTITUDE which is being positive that you will be able to overcome any challenge(s). Take the INITIATIVE to make the first step in process of being healed. Always, always be THANKFUL that you are alive and well today. Each day is a gift from [Allah] and nothing or no one can hold you back from accomplishing your goal(s) in this life or in the Hereafter. By taking these few steps, you will begin the process of your healing. May [Allah]  continue to shower you all with His abundant blessings.

-SS-

The Miracle of Allah: Qur’anic Scripture appears on Russian Baby’s Skin

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SubhanAllah, what an utter fascination!

Miracle or hoax? Russians puzzled as phrases from the Qu’ran start appearing ’spontaneously’ on baby’s skin

By Mail Foreign Service [Daily Mirror UK]

Last updated at 10:17 PM on 19th October 2009

A baby is sparking a wave of speculation in Russia after phrases from the Koran allegedly began appearing on his skin.

Sayings from the Muslim holy book are said to appear on nine-month-old Ali Yakubov’s back, arms, legs and stomach – before apparently fading away and being replaced with new sayings.

Russian medics claimed they are puzzled over the cause of the marks on a baby’s skin, which started when the word Allah apparently appeared on his chin within weeks of his birth.

Human Koran: Sacred sayings from the Muslim holy book apparently appear spontaneously on nine-month-old Ali Yakubov's body.

One of the markings on the child's skin, which medics and his family say are genuine apparitions.

Medics deny that the marks are from someone writing on the child’s skin.

His mother, Madina, said that she and her husband were not religious until the writings started appearing on his skin.

Initially they did not show anyone the unexplained writings, she said, until revealing them to their doctor and the imam in their village of Red October which is in a strongly Muslim region.

Now the boy has become a focus of Muslim homage in his troubled home province of Dagestan, close to war-ravaged Chechnya in the south of Russia.

Local MP Akhmedpasha Amiralaev said: ‘This boy is a pure sign of God. Allah sent him to Dagestan in order to stop revolts and tension in our republic.’

The boy’s mother claimed: ‘Normally those signs appear twice a week – on Mondays and on the nights between Thursdays and Fridays.

‘Ali always feels bad when it is happening. He cries and his temperature goes up. It’s impossible to hold him when it’s happening, his body is actively moving, so we put him into his cradle. It’s so hard to watch him suffering.’

The phrases regularly replace each other on the baby’s skin, she said.

Local imam Abdulla has told locals that the Koran forecasts that before the end of the world, there may be people with its sayings on their bodies.

He said that one sign read: ‘Don’t hide these signs from the people.’

The story has attracted considerable attention from the Russian media and online.

Russian video report:

Translation of the video report:

—– ENGLISH —–
Correspondent Omar Magomedov visited the family a miracle baby.

First signs of skin baby’s parents were perceived as birthmarks, then as irritation and postnatal scarring. Fearing for the health of the child, a young couple called the doctor of an ambulance, but doctors just shrugged, referring to the unknown science of skin disease.

Said Rasulova, the ward nurse: “From the standpoint of medicine, I can not explain what it is. With her mother’s words, it appears with the temperature.

At the invitation of relatives, family Yakubov visited a local priest, who saw a bizarre zigzag traces the Arabic word “Allah”, and later the prayers and even whole passages from the Koran. Two days ago, at the foot 9-month, Ali made another inscription. What a surprise it was a priest, when the same text of the prayer he found in the Holy Quran.

Abdullah, the imam of the village mosque: “The book is written, which is closer to the end of the world such inscriptions, signs will be apparent even to the human body. There are sayings in Islamic books. “

Now home photo album filled with pictures Yakubov with unusual inscriptions. In the form of an Arabic ligature often occurs on the back, legs and hands, a little less on her stomach and head. And, periodically one text is replaced by another. At this time, say doctors, a baby’s temperature rises to 40 ° C. For parents, this seemed to signal that soon the skin will make the next inscription.

Madina Yakubov, mother of Ali: “Keep it impossible. We have to be laid in the cradle, it raises the body like this, crying, crying. Temperature to 40 ° C rise. Very much a child suffers. Throughout the night, when it appears he is not asleep.

At the request of Madina child’s face we do not show, so as not jinxed. Not long ago about an unusual child was known only to parents, neighbors, local doctors, then with the advent of Arabic inscriptions, which translated literally means “show the signs of my people,” the news of the birth of a miracle baby broke up the whole neighborhood. Local priests have decided that this is a sign, but because the boy’s need to show people. Now the family Yakubov only has time to take crews and give interviews.

And. Yakubov began earnestly to pray and became deeply faithful. However, in the country a lot and those who still doubt the divine origin of the inscriptions.
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—- FRENCH—-

The Niqab/Burka-ban Argument

Just shaking my head at this Fateh guy. I am absoultely flabbergasted by his views and actions towards his own Muslim Ummah. He’ll only answer to Allah someday as He is the prime witness to all of this mayhem. SubhanAllah!

The Muslim Canadian Congress urges Ottawa to ban burkas, niqabs in public

SEE ALSO: So Much for Liberté, Égalité: France Looking to Impose a Ban on the Niqab/Burqa HIJAB (Headscarf is Beautiful) The Hijaab (Headscarf) and Haya (Modesty) That Muslim Woman Could Be Happier Than You

TheStar.com

Middle Eastern garments designed to cover a woman’s face are “medieval” and “misogynist” symbols of extremism with no basis in Islam, a Canadian Muslim lobby group said Wednesday as it urged Ottawa to ban the burka and the niqab.

The Muslim Canadian Congress called on the federal government to prohibit the two garments in order to prevent women from covering their faces in public – a practice the group said has no place in a society that supports gender equality.

“To cover your face is to conceal your identity,” congress spokeswoman Farzana Hassan said in a telephone interview, describing the issue as a matter of public safety, since concealing one’s identity is a common practice for criminals.

The tradition of Muslim women covering their faces in public is a tradition rooted more in Middle Eastern culture than in the Islamic faith, Hassan added.

There is nothing in any of the primary Islamic religious texts, including the Qur’an, that requires women to cover their faces, she said – not even in the controversial, ultra-conservative tenets of Sharia law.

Considering the fact that women are in fact forbidden from wearing burkas in the grand mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, it hardly makes sense that the practice should be permitted in Canada, she said.

“If a government claims to uphold equality between men and women, there is no reason for them to support a practice that marginalizes women.”

The proposed ban would include the burka, an iconic head-to-toe gown with a mesh-like panel over the face that allows the wearer to see and to breathe, as well as the niqab – a veil that leaves only the eyes exposed.

Hassan said the ban would not extend to the hijab, a traditional headscarf that does not cover the face.

The proposed ban comes on the heels of reports that Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of Egypt’s al-Azhar university and the country’s highest Muslim authority, is poised to issue a fatwa, or religious edict, against the garments.

Media reports Monday said Tantawi described the face coverings as “a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.”

Mohamed Elmasry, former president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said he agrees the tradition has its roots in cultural customs rather than religious teachings, but that the issue is irrelevant in Canada where the practice is not widespread.

Elmasry disputed suggestions that the garments pose a security threat, saying only a minority of Muslim women living in Canada feel the need to conceal their features in public.

He said he believes those women should have the freedom to decide whether they wish to cover their faces, and that a ban would limit freedom of expression.

“People feel it’s part of their identity, people feel it’s part of their culture,” Elmasry said.

“It’s not for you and me to decide.”

A Compilation of Uplifting Verses from the Holy Qur’an to Help You through rough times in Life

Well this is what the headlines suggest it is. When Muslims are going through rough times in their lives, they get through by doing anything from listening to soothing music, to listening to the recitation of Qur’an, or by fasting and praying, I wanted to add another choice on the list, and that is ‘A compilation of uplifting Verses from the Qur’an to help you through rough times in life’. You can read this to be inspired by Allah Himself during rough times as these are direct quotations from the Qur’an to help you through rough times.

Surat Inshirah [94:1-8] (Inspirational words in bold):

1. Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad, SAW)

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2. And removed from you your burden,

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3. Which weighed down your back?

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4. And have We not raised you high in fame?

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5. Verily, along with every hardship is relief.

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6. Verily, along with every hardship is relief (i.e., there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardsip cannot overcome two reliefs)

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7. So when you have have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah’s worship.

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8. And to your Lord (alone) turn (all your) intentions and hopes

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What to do when Life is Good?

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“We give to men by turns,” [Surah al-Imran, 3:140]

This Verse confirms what we all learn about life as we get older. That our fortunes in this life are cyclic, i.e. if one day we are doing well for ourselves, the next day we may not be so well off. In this lesson, I want to discuss what a Muslim should do if his or her life is going well as we should always fear that Allah might transfer our good fortunes to another if we become ungrateful of the bounties that Allah has blessed us with.

As a Muslim, when one is doing well religiously, financially, health wise and in relationships with his family and friends, he can be considered to be having a good time in his life. So what does a Muslim in this position do in order to maintain his place in life and to maximize the use of this position in order to benefit him in the Hereafter?

Well for a starter, he has got to realize that this success in life is because of Allah’s guidance and His blessings on him, he must also understand that he has been blessed either because of his deeds have been righteous or because Allah is taking a trial of him. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges provision for whom he wills, and straitens it for whom he wills. Verily He is the All-Knower of everything.” [Surah Shura 42:12]

What this means is that instead of letting your worldly success get to your head and singing praises about your business abilities, what you really have to do is to see this worldly success in light of an additional responsibility, which is to make the most of this worldly success for your salvation in the Hereafter. This Verse also tells us something that a lot of us refuse to pay heed to much to our own detriment and that is that your wealth and provision is something that is in the Hands of Allah and Allah alone, and so it is much more beneficial to us if we, for example, ask Allah sincerely and passionately for an increase in our wealth rather than spending endless hours networking and entertaining people in power in order to get potential favours that may or may not increase our wealth. The important point here being that we should depend solely on Allah for our provisions and not on your ‘contacts’ or friends, for who can be a better friend to have in times of need than the Lord of the worlds Himself? Furthermore, if we remember Allah when our fortunes in life are good then it is more likely that Allah will remember us when our fortunes aren’t that good and we ask Him for help.

What to do when Life is NOT as Good?

“Whatever good (O man!) happens to you is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to you is from your (own) soul. And We have sent you as a Messenger to (instruct) mankind: and enough is Allah for a witness.” [Surah an-Nisa, 4:79]

It may not be very easy to see immediately the brilliance of the message in this Verse from Allah to us, but as I put this Verse into context later in this page, the meaning of the Verse is going to become clear very quickly. But first I would like to take a moment to describe certain points in a Muslim’s life where his faith in Allah is tested when some of the luxuries of this life are taken away from him. For example Allah may test a person’s health and wealth and see if the person is still a good Muslim under trying circumstances. The golden rule therefore is that any time a Muslim is under distress; his faith is being tested by Allah. Thus whenever you find yourself struggling in life, remember this golden rule, this is a test from Allah, so don’t fail in it by abandoning your religion for the sake of worldly pleasure, and remember that you are going to be rewarded for being patient when being tested, as according to Sahih Hadith the Prophet (SAW) said:

“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, no believer is stricken with fatigue, exhaustion, worry or grief, but Allah will forgive him for some of his sins thereby—even a thorn which pricks him [Ahmad 2:303, Sahih Hadith]

So, whenever you find yourself being tested, remember that you are being rewarded at the same time. Now before we try to find solutions to the problems in our lives, we must understand the real causes of the problems in our lives according to the Verse I quoted, “whatever evil happens to you is for your (own) soul”, so what does this mean? This means that all the problems in our lives are of our own creation. And what action of ours creates these problems?

The answer is our sins. This can be proven using the following Hadith, Imam Ahmad recorded that ‘Aishah (R.A.) said that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said:

“If a person commits many sins and has nothing that will expiate for them, Allah will test him with some grief that will expiate for them.” [Ahmad, Sahih Hadith]

So all our problems in this life are due to the sins we commit. This may be a little tough to swallow initially, so I want you to look deep into your life and find examples in your life that prove this statement. At first it was tough for me to accept this fact too, but upon further study, I was able to find a direct link between the problems in my life and the sins that I have committed.

What to Do when Allah begins to Test Your Faith by Taking away Your Wealth and Your Health?

“Verily We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad SAW). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility). [Surat An’am, 6:42]

It is a well-known fact that Allah tests the faith of Muslims by taking away their health and their wealth or by threatening to take it away, but as seen in the Verse above, if a Muslim does pass the test, his faith will be stronger then it was at the beginning of the test. The first thing I would like to go over with you on this topic is everyday examples of how Allah makes us choose between our faith and our wealth and how more often than not we make the wrong decision.

The testing begins at a young age, you give the grocer a 5-riyal note and he gives you change from a 10. You make a split second decision to keep it or leave it. As you grow older, you are forced to choose between taking and giving interest in your dealings with the bank and other institutions and so it continues. Here is a sample of the questions that appear on the test of your life, consider this a cheat sheet, but just make sure you know the answer by the time the question comes up in your life:

Q1. Should I take simple interest on my savings account?

Q2. Should I apply for a non-Muslim country’s citizenship just so I can be better off financially?

Q3. Should I just make this small bet with my friends (I won’t take the money from them if I win)?

Q4. It won’t hurt him if I don’t tell him a certain fact about my product (the fact doesn’t really matter that much)?

I could go on, but I think you get the point by now. Make sure you know that the answer to all these questions is an emphatic “no”, remember also that when Allah says that He is going to test the believers with a fear of poverty, He actually means what He says. Also remember that the fact that the test is hard to pass and requires real sacrifices does not constitute a valid excuse for failing it, because by definition this test is hard to pass and requires real sacrifices and tough decisions to be made.

Last Word:

Allah will test your faith throughout your life using your wealth and health. Be prepared to be tested, be patient when tested, and remember that our fortunes in this life are cyclic and take life to be a roller coaster; the fact that you are the bottom today also means that you are already on your way up.

Ahmadinejad Hands it well to Katie Couric

CBS’ news anchor Katie Couric sat down with Iran’s Ahmadinejad last week. They touched base on a variety of issues, namely the Western Media biasness towards the lack of coverage on the murder of Marwa El Sherbini versus that of Neda Soltan’s as well as the Palestinian issue. The interview was a fascinating one; thought I’d post some of it on here.

Ahmadinejad 1, Couric 0

Thu Oct 1, 8:50 pm ET

– Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo! Buzz Log

Last week, Katie Couric had the tables turned on her. During an interview with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Couric asked about Neda Soltan, the Iranian female who was shot and killed by Iranian security back in June.

After expressing his regret for the loss of life, Mr. Ahmadinejad pulled out a photo of another woman. He showed it to Ms. Couric and asked if she knew who the woman was. Couric said she didn’t, and that’s when Ahmadinejad pounced.

Ahmadinejad explained that the woman in the photo is Marwa Ali El-Sherbini. She was stabbed to death in a German court by a neo-Nazi. The Iranian president then asked why the death of Ms. El-Sherbini wasn’t being publicized by the media in the same way as Neda’s. Ahmadinejad “suggested that the western media — who turned Neda into a martyr — ignored Marwa’s story.”

The interview between Couric and Ahmadinejad took place last week, but the searches really started to pop this morning. Web lookups on “marwa ali el sherbini” and “who is marwa ali el sherbini” both spiked into the thousands.

The National Post writes that comparing the two deaths was a “little absurd,” and referenced Hamid Dabashi’s editorial for CNN. Mr. Dabashi, a professor at Columbia University, writes that “there are more holes in Ahmadinejad’s point than in that proverbial Swiss cheese.” Ms. El-Sherbini, Dabashi writes, was the victim of a “vicious act of a neo-Nazi racist, while Neda Aqa Soltan was one among many other victims of violence at the hands of the security apparatus of the Islamic Republic.”

Regardless of whether or not the comparison was valid, interest in El-Sherbini’s story has been piqued, and Ahmadinejad reaffirmed his status as a tough interview. But Couric didn’t back down. Later in the interview, the journalist showed photos of World War II concentration camps to Ahmadinejad, who has called the Holocaust “a lie.” Couric asked, “Is this photo fabricated? Is this photo a lie?”