Seeking Knowledge – The Way to Paradise
“Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have been granted knowledge to high ranks.” (Qur’an) “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female).” (Hadith) THE VIRTUES OF KNOWLEDGE Allah (Most Exalted is He), Who created us and gave us sustenance, has also given us guidance. He said: “Verily We have created man into toil and struggle… Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue, and a pair of lips;…
Two things for the one who has taqwaa
-Advice to the Muslims to have taqwaa1 when seeking provision, and during hardships and trials- Shaikh al-Albaani: “Our calamity today is that we have turned away from the main purpose for which we were created, which is: worshiping Allaah ?. So most of us don’t worship Allaah, and the few who do worship Allaah don’t know how to worship Him. And one of the things we have forgotten from the preserved Qur.aan that Allaah ? blessed upon us as He…
How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr
Laylat ul-Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If a believing person is zealous to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to encounter this night and to pass it in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven. Praying Qiyaam It is recommended to make a long Qiyaam prayer during…
To what degree is a Muslim to be concerned with politics today?
Question: To what degree is a Muslim to be concerned with politics today, within it’s Islaamic guidelines? Answer: If what is intended by “politics” is the administering of the ummah, then the reality is that politics is not from the acts of one individual from the people of the ummah, but rather, it is from the duties of the Muslim State. This is if the objective behind politics, as we stated before, is the administering of the ummah and the…
Loving Allāh and gaining His Love
Shaykh al-Albānī says in his introduction: “Know, O Muslim brother, that it is not possible for anyone to rise to this station of loving Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) except by tawhīd (singling out) of Allāh, the Most High, alone in His worship, and by singling out the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) alone for following from among the servants of Allāh, due to (Allāh’s) statement: ‘He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) has…
The inheritance of Paradise
Abū Huraira said that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم)said: “Whoever fears (Allāh) sets out at nightfall,[1] and whoever sets out at nightfall will reach the goal. Indeed, the goods of Allāh are expensive; indeed, the goods of Allāh is Paradise.”[2] Shaykh al-Albānī comments: “The meaning of this is that there is a price for entering Paradise and that entering it does not happen by feeling safe (from the plan of Allāh) and at-tawākul (not taking any means…
The Mind
(part 1 of 2) Mind and reason are an essential part of Islamic thought and legislation. One could not exist without the other. What exactly do we refer to when we talk about the mind? There are two kinds of reasoning by the mind that have been identified. The first is intuitive reasoning that includes: the capacity to comprehend, make rational conclusions, form speech and behave sensibly. The second kind of reasoning is acquired from our environment, such as the…
Piety and Wickedness
“O Mankind! Partake of what is lawful and good on earth, and follow not Satan’s footsteps: for, verily, he is your open foe and bids you only to do evil, to commit deeds of immorality, and to attribute unto God what you do not know.” (Quran 2:168-169) God addresses all of humanity, the faithful and the faithless, to think about something we take for granted: food. God produces everything on earth: seeds, fruits, vegetables, and meats for human consumption, but…
The Common Origin of Humanity
“O mankind! Be conscious of your Lord, who has created you from one soul (Adam), and out of it created its mate (Eve), and out of the two spread many men and women. And remain conscious of God, in whose name you demand [your rights] from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily, God is ever watchful over you!” (Quran 4:1) God addresses entire humanity and asks them to be conscious of Him, to be aware of His…
Dates: Relief of Pain
It is a long-established custom among Muslim parents to put a piece of well-chewed date (or other available sweet fruit) in the mouth of a newborn baby. Muslims do this following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, believing him to bee, as the Quran says, sent as a healing and a mercy to mankind. We may infer from the way this custom originated that there is a virtue in it….