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Madinah tranquility is incomparable

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Madinah tranquility is incomparable

Madinah tranquility is incomparable

MADINAH: Pilgrims spend the most beautiful moments in the Prophet’s Mosque. Where they pray in Riyazul Jannah (garden from the gardens of paradise) and get to greet the Prophet, peace be upon him, said the Omani pilgrim, Ahmed Nasser.
“Such deeds give immense comfort and contentment to the pilgrim visiting the Prophet’s Mosque. It is a huge opportunity and a dream fulfilled,” he said.
The Omani pilgrim visited Quba Mosque, the Seven Mosques, Al-Jumah Mosque and Al-Ghamama Mosque.In addition to the Uhud battle site and other well-known historical sites in Madinah.
Nasser said that there is no city in the world like Madinah whereas Muslims feel peace and tranquility during their stay, and are sad to leave. “Madina is the dearest city to all Muslims around the world.”
The pilgrim faced no obstacles throughout his road trip that stared from Oman to the Kingdom so he praised the services provided by the Saudi government around the year for pilgrims as well as the Two Holy Mosques expansion projects.

Article by: www.arabnews.com

Quran majeed answered many unresolved queries

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Quran majeed answered

Quran majeed answered many unresolved queries

I found in Quran the answers to those queries which I had failed to find in Christianity. Particularly, it was only Islam that provided satisfactory answer to the question relating to the birth of Christ
It was way back in 1989 when I, along with my sister, conducted a tour to some of the countries of the Middle East. During our stay in Bahrain, we were accorded a warm welcome. There I happened to meet some children and had a light chitchat with them. I put certain questions to them and they flung at me their innocent queries.
During the course of this interaction, they inquired about my religion. I told them, “I am a Christian.” I asked them, as to what was their religion. A wave of serenity took over them. They replied in one voice: Islam. Their enthusiastic answer really shook me from within. Then they started telling me about Islam. They were giving me information, much in piece with their age. The pitch of their voice would reveal that they were highly proud of Islam. This is how I paced toward Islam.
A very short interaction with a group of children ultimately led me to have long discourses about Islam with Muslim scholars. A great ripple had taken place in my thought. I made failing attempt to console myself that nothing had happened but I could not conceal this fact any longer from myself that at heart I had converted to Islam.
This I disclosed first to my family friend, Qunber Ali. The same Qunber Ali managed to take me to Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. Till that time, I did not know much about Islam. From there, in the company of a Saudi family, I proceeded for Makkah for the performance of Umrah (sort of mini Haj).
There I made public for the first time that I had become Muslim.
Having embraced Islam, I felt as if I were born again. I found in Islam the answers to those queries which I had failed to find in Christianity. Particularly, it was only Islam that provided satisfactory answer to the question relating to the birth of Christ. For the first time I was convinced about the religion itself. I pray my family members might appreciate these facts. My family is the follower of that cult of Christianity, which is known as Jehovah’s Witness.
According to its creeds, only 144,000 men would finally qualify to enter into paradise. How come? It remained always a perplexing creed for me. I was surprised to know that the Bible was compiled by so many men, particularly about a volume scripted by King James. I wondered if a man compiles a directory and then ascribes it to God, but he does not fully comply with these directions.
During my stay in Saudi Arabia, I have had the opportunity to buy a cassette released by the erstwhile British pop-singer and the present Muslim preacher, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). I learned a lot from this as well.
When I returned to US, American media orchestrated heinous propaganda against Islam and the Muslims. Gossips were let loose on me, which really disturbed my peace of mind. Hollywood was hell-bent upon maligning the Muslims. They were being projected as terrorists. There are many things where there is consensus between Christianity and Islam, and the Qur’an presents Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) as a virtuous prophet. Then, I wondered, why Christian America levels baseless allegations against Muslims?
This made me gloomy. I made up my mind that I would do my best to dispel the wrong image of Muslims, portrayed by the American media. I had not the slightest idea that American media would not digest the news of my accepting Islam and raise such a great hue and cry.
It was virtually acting against all its tall and much-publicized claims about the freedom of expression and the freedom of conscience. So the hypocrisy of American society came to surface and lay uncovered before me. Islam unknotted many complications for me.
As a matter of fact, I came to think of myself as a complete human being, in the literal sense of the word. After becoming Muslim, I felt a tremendous change in me. I discarded all thing prohibited in Islam. This made things difficult for my family too. In short, the Jackson family tumbled altogether. Threatening letters poured in, which further intensified the worries of my family.
They would tell me that I had nurtured the animosity of American society and culture, by entering into the laps of Islam, you have deprived yourself of the right to live with others. We would make life unbearable for you in America so on, so forth.
But I confess that my family is broadminded. We have held all religions in esteem. Our parents have trained and groomed us in that way. Therefore, I may say that the Jackson family enjoys friendly relation with people belonging to almost all religions. This is the result of that training that I am being tolerated by them so far.
My brother Michael Jackson
On my way back to America, I brought a number of books from Saudi Arabia. Michael Jackson asked me himself for some of these books for study. Before this, his opinion was influenced by the propaganda of American media against Islam and the Muslims. He was not inimical toward Islam, but he was not favorably disposed toward Muslims either. But after reading these books, he would keep mum and not say anything against Muslims. I think perhaps this is the impact of the study of Islam that he diverted his business interests toward Muslim traders.
Courtesy: islamreligion.com

Delaying Hajj for no reason

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Delaying Hajj for no reason

Delaying Hajj for no reason

What is the ruling on one who delaying Hajj for no reason when he has the means and is able to do it?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. Whoever is able to do Hajj and does not do the obligatory Hajj, delaying it for no reason, has committed a great evil and a major sin. What he has to do is to repent to Allaah from that and hasten to do Hajj, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97] And the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; establishing regular prayer; paying zakaah; fasting Ramadaan, and performing Pilgrimage to the House (the Ka’bah).” (Saheeh – agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16). And the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, when Jibreel (peace be upon him) asked him about Islam: “It means to testify that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to establish regular prayer, to pay zakaah, to fast Ramadaan, and to perform Pilgrimage to the House if you have the means to do so.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 8, from the hadeeth of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him)). And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Article by: en.islamway.net

Rewards of ‘Umrah

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Rewards of Umrah

Rewards of ‘Umrah

Is it permissible for me to perform ‘Umrah on my own behalf and on behalf of my deceased father and a number of my deceased relatives? What is the allowed number and what are the conditions & reward of this? Is the intention of doing so stipulated before travelling to the Sacred Places?

Fatwa

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His Slave and Messenger.
If you mean assuming Ihraam for one ritual on behalf of yourself and on behalf of others, then this is not permissible because Ihraam is valid for only one person. If you mean sharing the reward of your ‘Umrah with them, then this is allowed by many scholars and there is no limit for the number.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen may Allaah have mercy upon him said:
There is no limit to how many people may share in the reward. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire Ummah (i.e. Islamic nation), and a man may offer a single sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his household, even if they are one hundred.
However, it is more appropriate and better to keep the reward for yourself and to strive hard in supplicating Allaah Almighty for those deceased individuals. If you would like to perform ‘Umrah on their behalf, you can go out to the nearest place from which you can assume Ihraam again – which is At-Tan‘eem – after doing the ‘Umrah that you offer on behalf of yourself, then assume Ihraam for performing ‘Umrah on behalf of whomever you want. You can repeat that in the same journey for as many times as you want.
No intention is stipulated for that before traveling. If it occurs to you to share the reward of your ‘Umrah with a deceased person, according to the opinion that allows that, or if it occurs to you to do Umrah on behalf of whomever you want after traveling, then there is nothing wrong with that at all. We have repeatedly pointed out such rulings in many fatwas.

Article by: www.islamweb.net

Recommendations to Pilgrims and Visitors of the Holy Mosque

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Recommendations to Pilgrims and Visitors of the Holy Mosque

We would like to offer certain recommendations to the pilgrims and visitors of the Holy Mosque in implementation of the Quranic verse in which Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {And cooperate in righteousness and piety} [Quran 5:2]
These recommendations are also in line with the Prophetic Hadeeth in which the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said: “Religion is Naseehah (sincere advice), to Allaah, His Book, and to the Muslim leaders and the Muslim public.”[Muslim]

Recommendations:

1-Fearing Allaah The Exalted in all conditions and cases. Piety is the source of all good morals and it is one of the Divine recommendations to His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):
·{O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul…} [Quran 4:1]
· {And We have instructed those who were given the Scripture before you and yourselves to fear Allaah…} [Quran 4:131]
In many of his Khutbahs (sermons) the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), used to command people to fear Allaah The Almighty.
Piety means doing what Allaah The Almighty has imposed on His slaves and keeping away from His prohibitions out of sincerity and love for Him. This should also be with the aim of winning the reward of Allaah. The Almighty and being saved from His punishment, in accordance with the way that Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), legislated for us.
‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood may Allaah be pleased with him.Who was one of the senior scholars of the Companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said, “True piety and fear of Allaah The Almighty mean obeying Him without any form of disobedience, remembering Him without any form of forgetfulness, and thanking Him without any sign of ingratitude to Him.”
‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Azeez may Allaah have mercy upon him said, “Piety cannot be obtained only through fasting all day and praying all night, and then committing sins in between, but piety can be obtained through keeping away from what Allaah The Almighty has prohibited and doing what He has made obligatory. Anything good after that is an additional good.”
The revered Tabi‘ee, Talq ibn Habeeb may Allaah have mercy upon him said, “Piety is to act in obedience to Allaah, on a light (guidance) from Allaah seeking the reward of Allaah, and to refrain from disobeying Allaah, on a light from Allaah, fearing His punishment.”
These are precious words and they mean that the Muslim has to learn his religious affairs and know what will make him sinful if he does not know it. In this way, the Muslim will worship Allaah The Almighty with insight. This is the practical application of the Two Testimonies of Faith (I bear witness that there is none truly worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).)
The first testimony of faith entails believing in Allaah The Almighty alone, and dedicating worship to Him alone, as well as doing everything for His sake alone, hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment.
The other testimony of faith entails believing that Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), is the Messenger of Allaah The Almighty to humankind and the Jinn, in addition to believing in his sayings, adhering to his Sharee‘ah and keeping away from whatever contradicts it. Those two testimonies form the foundation of the religion of Islam. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
·{Allaah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, The Exalted in Might, The Wise.} [Quran 3:18]
·{And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.} [Quran 2:163]
·{Say, [O Muhammad], “O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allaah to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.” So believe in Allaah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allaah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.}[Quran 7:158]
2-All pilgrims and visitors to the Holy Mosque, as well as all Muslims, are advised to observe the five daily prayers on time. Every Muslim must revere these prayers and perform them tranquilly, because they constitute the greatest pillar of Islam after the Two Testimonies of Faith. They represent the post of Islam and the first thing about which the Muslim will be reckoned. Whoever leaves the daily five prayers is a disbeliever. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
·{And establish prayer and give Zakaah and obey the Messenger – that you may receive mercy.} [Quran 24:56]
·{Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allaah, devoutly obedient.} [Quran 2:238]
·{Certainly will the believers have succeeded: * They who are during their prayer humbly submissive}[Quran 23:1-2]
·{And they who carefully maintain their prayers – * Those are the inheritors * Who will inherit al-Firdaws. They will abide therein eternally.}[Quran 23:9-11]
The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ), said:
– “Between a man and disbelief and Shirk is the abandonment of prayer.”[Narrated by Muslim in the chapter of “Calling the One who leaves the prayer a disbeliever”]
– “That which differentiates us from the disbelievers and hypocrites is our performance of prayer. He who abandons it, becomes a disbeliever”[Ahmad, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’i, At-Tirmithi, and Ibn Maajah]
– “Whoever observes prayer (punctually fulfilling its conditions), it will be light, evidence, and salvation for him on the Day of Resurrection; but whoever does not, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be associated with Qaaroon, Pharaoh, Haamaan, and Ubayy ibn Khalaf (a great enemy of Islam from among the Quraysh).” [Ahmad]
Some scholars interpreted this Hadeeth saying,
“The person who abandons prayer will be raised with such a foursome because his neglect of prayer may be due to his preoccupation with his property, his presidency, his work, or his trade. Hence, if he was preoccupied with his property, he will be resurrected with Qaaroon; if with his position as a leader, then he will be resurrected with Pharaoh; if with his work, then with Haamaan; and if with his trade, then with Ubayy ibn Khalaf, the trader among the disbelievers of Makkah.”

Article by: www.islamweb.net

An ‎Admonishment to the Ummah of Islam‎

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During this great season, as Muslims around the world prepare to perform the Hajj. An act of worship that entails multiple obligations, we would like to address and admonish the pilgrims.

Will they return as they were before Hajj, without reforming their relationship with Allaah The Almighty in all their affairs, without adhering to the rulings of His Sharee’ah (Islamic law) in full? Will they return without worshipping Allaah The Almighty as He should be worshipped and supporting Him so that Allaah The Almighty would support them and restore their pride, glory, and unity, and grant them victory over their enemies and protection against their evils and scheming?
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): ‎ ‎

• {if you support Allaah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.} [Quran 47: ‎ ‎7]‎ ‎
• {Indeed, Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.} [Quran 13:‎ ‎11] ‎

Today, the Ummah is witnessing and experiencing one of the hardest and most critical periods in its history. These are days when the Ummah is humiliated and its members are being slain and tortured all over the world. The only real and comprehensive solution to stop these tragedies is for the Ummah to return to the essence of its religion and to adhere to it completely.

Our Ummah is a righteous one, but it has been subjected to deceitful schemes, misguidance , nd somnolence by the enemies of the religion and their helpers. This has made many of the members of the Ummah lax and led to them committing different sins persistently, such that they do not even regard such sins as bringing the wrath of Allaah The Almighty.
The Ummah has been distracted from endeavoring to achieve reform and progress and to spread its sound ‘Aqeedah (creed) and its divine call all over the world.
Undoubtedly, if our Ummah made use of this great pillar and pilgrims applied the wisdom and lessons learned from Hajj – the most important of which is sincere repentance – after their return, the Islamic Ummah would achieve reform and regain its pride. It is not difficult for Allaah The Almighty to grant it victory and restore its leadership of the world in a few years.
The lessons and wisdom of Hajj start from the point of assuming the state of Ihraam (the sacral state):
• When assuming the state of Ihraam, we are reminded of abandoning the blight of the worldly life; and performing Ghusl (ritual bath) is to shed the past in which we have committed sins and fallen short of performing our obligations.
• We say “Labbayk Allaahuma Labbayk. (O Allaah, I answer Your call).” The broad meaning of this Talbiyah is that we go to Allaah The Almighty and obey Him in all aspects of life; we abide by the teachings of the religion that Allaah Chose for us and we love Allaah, are sincere to Him and worship Him alone without associating any partners with Him.
• Many meanings are inferred from saying the Takbeer, that is the words “Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is The Greatest).” Allaah The Almighty is the Greatest and we must keep His Good Pleasure as the greatest of all goals. We perform Tawaaf around the Ka’bah, stay at Mina, go to ‘Arafaat then Muzdalifah and return to Mina. We perform all the rites of Hajj just as we were ordered, in obedience to Allaah The Almighty and to establish our servitude in all aspects of our life: in our ‘Aqeedah, thoughts, values, concepts, deeds and conduct.
• When throwing the pebbles for three days, we remember our continuous war with the devil and that we must not succumb to his seduction and temptation. This also trains us to be wary of the devil and his helpers among humankind who spearhead his schemes to make people deviate. Such helpers have become corrupted and are still corrupting the Islamic Ummah and are keeping it away from its true religion and the orders of Sharee’ah through their different means.
• When slaughtering our sacrifices, we remember the example of the Prophets Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), may Allaah exalt their mention, when they did not hesitate to fulfill the orders of the Creator, glory be to Him.
• We shave our heads in ultimate submission to Allaah The Almighty and His orders and this is a statement of the obedience that we need to achieve all the days of our life.
• All the rites of Hajj, which clearly require us to exert efforts and endure various hardships, remind us of the act of worship that is the pinnacle of Islam, Jihaad, which has been weakened in the Ummah ever since it deviated from the essence of Islam in many matters. Should we not then train ourselves to aspire to reach this peak and strive against ourselves to achieve the most perfect type of Jihaad by obliging our souls to obey Allaah The Almighty, adhere to His orders and apply His legislation?
• All the rites of Hajj also remind us of a major duty, of which we are in dire need in this age of ours, which is calling to Allaah The Almighty and exerting efforts for the sake of that call.
Unfortunately, many people have forgotten this duty as if it never was an obligation upon them. During Hajj, we remember and reflect upon the story of the first one who called people to perform Hajj, the father of the prophets, Ibraaheem may Allaah exalt his mention and we learn a lesson from the efforts and sacrifices that he offered for the sake of calling to Allaah The Almighty and establishing and spreading His religion.
All the wisdom and innumerable lessons learned from this great pillar are a call for change and for exerting efforts to do what satisfies Allaah The Almighty in all aspects of life. Hajj is a school, or rather a university, which educates the Ummah to do all that is beneficial for it and which elevates its status.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Their meat will not reach Allaah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.} [Quran 22: 37]
People said to Al-Hasan Al-Basry may Allaah have mercy upon him “The reward of an accepted Hajj is forgiveness!” He may Allaah have mercy upon him said, “The sign of this is that one would avoid the bad deeds that he used to do.”
Dear pilgrims,
Hajj is one of the greatest aspects of our religion, and Allaah The Almighty has favored you by performing this obligatory act of worship and you, Allaah willing, will be one of those who will return free of sins as on the day their mothers gave birth to them; just like a pure white page. Hence, dear brother and sister, do not tarnish this clean page with sins that you commit again and persist in doing them after you return from Hajj.
‎Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong} [Quran 16: 92]‎
Remember that one of the signs of having an accepted Hajj, which is what you hope for, is to become a better person who endeavors to perform all that is good and avoid all that is evil, to invite people to Allaah The Almighty according to your ability and to endeavor to develop the Ummah.
Be careful, review all your deeds in view of the Sharee’ah and scrutinize them closely so that you will not be among those who commit sins without feeling that they are doing so or without caring about it!
Be keen on keeping the pages white and pure; indeed, strive to increase their purity, so that you would be happy when you meet Allaah The Almighty and help our Ummah on the road to success, pride and victory.
‎Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):‎ ‎‎
• {And they will be called, “This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.”} [Quran 7‎‎ ‎:43]‎
• ‎{Allaah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that – then those are the defiantly disobedient.} [Quran 24: 55]‎

Article by: www.islamweb.net

Haj – The journey of love

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Haj - The journey of love

By Him whose House the loving Haj visit,
Responding with ihram at the appointed limit,
Uncovering their heads in total humility
Before One to Whom faces bow in servility.
They exclaim in the valleys,
“We have responded to You –
All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!”
He invited and they answered, with love and pleasure;
When they called upon Him, nearer came the Divine treasure.
You see them on their mounts, hair dusty and disheveled,
Yet never more content, never happier have they felt;
Leaving homelands and families due to holy yearning,
Unmoved are they by temptations of returning.
Through plains and valleys, from near and far,
Walking and riding, in submission to Allâh.
[At the Ka’bah]
When they see His House – that magnificent sight
For which the hearts of all creatures are set alight –
It seems they’ve never felt tired before,
For their discomfort and hardship is no more.
Now the eye of the Lover drowns in its streams,
It sees through its tears the goal of its dreams;
Now for Allâh, how many tears are issued?
Each one being followed by a multitude,
When the eye perceives the House, its darkness clears,
And from the sorrowful heart, pain disappears;
Vision cannot encompass this beautiful sight:
Each glance returns with greater delight!
No wonder at this, for when the Merciful preferred
The House for Himself, it became most honoured.
He clothed it in Majesty, a magnificent garment;
Embroidered it with Beauty, a wonderful ornament!
The hearts all love the House therefore,
Awed and humbled, in respect and honour.
Arafat
Now to ‘Arafat, hoping for Mercy and Forgiveness
From the One overflowing with Generosity and Kindness;
Now for Allâh is that Magnificent Standing
Like, though lesser than, the Day of Reckoning.
The Irresistible draws near, His Majesty manifest,
Boasting to His angels, for He is the Mightiest,
“My slaves have come to Me so lovingly,
I’ll be Generous and Merciful, willingly.
I have forgiven their sins, – to this you are witness –
Fulfilled their hopes, and showered them with goodness.”
So joyous news! O people of that standing,
When sins are forgiven and Mercy is spreading;
How many slaves are set completely free?
Whilst others seek a cure, and heal will He.
Now Satan is never known to lose such face:
He’s blameworthy, rejected, in utter disgrace.
For he sees a matter that enrage him must:
He flees, slaps his face and covers it in dust!
Such Forgiveness he never did see
As granted by the Lord, and such Mercy!
He built his edifice from every temptation available
Till he thought it was complete, unassailable;
Then Allâh struck his building at its very foundation,
So it fell upon him, tumbling in devastation;
What worth has his structure, this evil ploy,
That he does build, and the Lord does destroy?
[Muzdalifah and Mina]
Now to Muzdalifah, to spend the night
In the Sacred Area, then Prayer at first light;
Now on to the Great Pillar, which they need
To stone at the time of the Prayer of ‘Id;
Now to their tents for the sacrifice prepared,
Reviving the tradition of a Father revered.
If sacrificing themselves were Allâh’s demand,
They would respond, submitting to the command;
Just as they’d expose their necks in Jihad
To Allâh’s enemies, till these stream with blood;
They discipline themselves, presenting the head for a shave:
Bringing humility and happiness to the obedient slave.
[The Tawaf of Ifadah/Ziyarah]
So when they’ve removed those natural growths,
Completed their rites, and fulfilled their oaths,
He invites them again to visit His House:
What honour and welcome this visit allows!
By Allâh, they visit it in so much splendor,
Receiving their rewards and plenty of honour;
There Allâh bestows Grace, Favour and Kindness,
Showing Generosity, Mercy and Forgiveness.
[Mina]
Then they return to Mina, each to his tent,
Every minute wish is granted, and they are content;
They stay there a day, then another, then a third,
They’re allowed to depart early, but to stay is preferred;
They stone the pillars daily after the sun’s decline,
With a slogan of Takbir in the presence of the Divine!
If only you could see their standing there:
Palms outstretched, hoping for Mercy’s share!
“O Lord! O Lord! Knowing as You do
That we hope for no-one, only You!
Then grant our wish, O You All-Knowing,
We pray for Your Mercy overflowing.”
[The Farewell Tawaf]
When they’ve achieved at Mina all their gains,
Once more they fill the valleys and plains:
To the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, by the end of the day,
To circle it seven times, and then to Pray.
When departure nears and they are certain
That the bond of proximity is about to loosen,
There’s only a last stand for a final farewell:
Now for Allâh are the eyes that swell,
And for Allâh are the heavy hearts that turn
Into cauldrons of desire where fire does burn;
And the passionate sighs whose heat so vigorous
Nearly melts the Lover, ecstatic, rapturous!
Now you see those bewildered, perplexed in the throng,
Whilst others chant their sorrowful song:
“I depart, but there remains for You my yearning,
My fire of grief is raging and burning;
I bid farewell, but longing pulls my reins –
My heart is encamped in Your eternal plains!”
No blame today for saying what you feel:
No blame for expressing what you used to conceal!

Article by: en.islamway.net

Hajj: Trusting in the Promise of Allah

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Hajj

The Hajj season is upon us once again with millions of pilgrims preparing to don their ihraam and travel to the holy cities in search of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, striving to turn over a new leaf in their lives and come closer to their Creator.
 In preparation for this journey, pilgrims will have spent many hours hunting for the best value Hajj packages by speaking to friends and family, checking references, and comparing price plans. Hard earned savings, which may have been accumulated over a lifetime will be invested for this three week journey. Wives and children may be left at home alone for this entire period. Basic luxuries such as a change of clothes, toothpaste, and scented soap will be abandoned for those precious few days when the pilgrims undergo severe hardship in the most testing conditions, even sleeping outdoors in the desert beneath the stars without a tent amongst millions of others from all over the world, all dressed identically in a humble pair of towels. The question inevitably arises as to why these pilgrims voluntarily subject themselves to such difficulty.
What motivates them to leave their families, spend their life savings and suffer such troubles? The answer is simple – it is the promise of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said that “the one who performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity and wrongdoing will come out as the day he or she was born” – pure and free from sins. [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
«من حج هذا البيت، فلم يرفث، ولم يفسق، رجع كيوم ولدته أمه» صحيح البخاري
In another hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said that “the reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than the gardens of Paradise.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
«الحج المبرور ليس له جزاء إلا الجنة» صحيح البخاري
It is belief in this promise of complete forgiveness, of the treasures of Paradise and the eternal pleasure of Allah that drives Muslims to make these sacrifices for His sake.
In essence, the historical background to the Hajj is about trusting in the promise of Allah. Almost every ritual performed and every step taken derives from a moment in which a member of the family of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) trusted in the promise of Allah with complete submission.
Let us reflect upon the moment when Ibrahim was commanded to abandon his wife Hajar (peace be upon her) and their baby son Ismail (peace be upon him) in the empty barren desert of Makkah with not a living soul for miles. At that time, Makkah had neither inhabitants nor a known source of water. He left them there alone with them a bag full of dates and a waterskin. For any father, it is difficult to leave his infant child in such circumstances. For Ibrahim (peace be upon him), it would have been even more heart-wrenching, for Allah had blessed him with this son after he was childless until he was 86 years old. Now, he had been commanded by that same Lord to leave his precious son in a barren desert valley.
When Ibrahim started to depart, Hajar followed him, saying, ‘O Ibrahim! Where are you going and leaving us in this valley that does not have any inhabitants or anything else?’ She repeated this several times, but he was not paying any attention to her. She then said to him, ‘Did Allah command you to do this?’ Ibrahim replied, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘Then certainly, He will not abandon us.’ She went back, while Ibrahim kept on walking, until he was next to a hill where he could no longer be seen. He then recited the following supplication,
{O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka’bah at Makkah); in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.} [Ibrahim 14:37]
{رَّ‌بَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ‌ ذِي زَرْ‌عٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّ‌مِ رَ‌بَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْ‌زُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَ‌اتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿٣٧﴾} إبراهيم: 37
Transliteration: Rabbana innee askantu min thurriyyatee biwadin ghayri thee zarAAin AAinda baytika almuharrami rabbana liyuqeemoo alssalata faijAAal afidatan mina alnnasi tahwee ilayhim waorzuqhum mina alththamarati laAAallahum yashkuroona (37)
 
Imagine Hajar sitting with her baby in the scorching desert sands alone in glaring silence not knowing what was to be their fate, how they would survive and how she would raise her child. It was not long before the water ran out and baby Ismail began to become weak with thirst. With not a drop of water in sight and her infant’s cries echoing in her ears, Hajar began climbing the hills of Safa and Marwa repeatedly, desperately searching for anyone who could help. Due to her sincerity and her faith and most of all, her trust in the promise of Allah, Gibreel descended from the Heavens to dig the well of zam-zam which continues to flow and quench the thirst of pilgrims to this day. Moreover, after a few days a group of Bedouins, seeking new pastures, happened to pass by the mouth of the valley. When they saw flocks of bird circling over it, they concluded that there must be water. Some of their men rode into the valley to explore it and found a lonely woman with a child sitting by the rim of an abundant well. By the mercy of Allah, the tribesmen asked Hagar’s permission to settle in her valley. She agreed with the condition that the well of Zam Zam forever remain the property of Ismail and his descendants. Today, during our Hajj, we literally follow in the footsteps of Hajar as she ran frantically between these hills in the roasting desert sun, believing in the promise of her Lord, which He fulfilled.
Years later, Allah commanded Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to return to Makkah where he found his wife and son alive and secure, as was promised by Allah. But Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) test of belief in the promise of Allah was not over as he was commanded to sacrifice his son Ismail (peace be upon him) for Allah, his son for whom he had yearned for decades, his son who he had not seen for years.
As Syed Qutb explains, “We see here Abraham in his old age, cut off in a foreign land, having deserted his homeland and his people, being given a child. The child turns out to be a model son, with his forbearance confirmed by God Himself. Hardly had Abraham enjoyed his son’s company and seen his youth blooming so as to become his companion and assistant, when he sees in his dream that he should slaughter him. He understands that it is a sign from God requiring sacrifice. What is his attitude now? He does not hesitate for a moment. The thought of disobedience does not even occur to him. He thinks only of submission. It is true that the dream was only a signal, not a clear and direct order issued through revelation. It was a signal by his Lord though, and that was enough for Abraham to comply, not to delay, and not even to ask why.”
Moreover, his compliance did not betray any feeling of distress, horror or panic; it was marked by calm acceptance and reassurance, reflected in his words as he put this most grave matter to his son: {O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!} [As-Saffat 37:102]
{قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَ‌ىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ‌ مَاذَا تَرَ‌ىٰ} الصافات: 102
Transliteration: qala ya bunayya innee ara fee almanami annee athbahuka faonthur matha tara (102)
These are the words of a man in full control of himself and his feelings, knowing that he is only doing his duty and trusting that it behoves him to comply. We do not see any element of panic driving a person to do even what he feels to be repugnant, in order to get it done and finished with.
That it was hard for Abraham is beyond doubt. He was not required to send his only son to war, nor to put him to a task that would end in his death. Nothing of the sort. Instead he was required to undertake the task himself, by his own hand. And what task was that? It was to slaughter his own son by way of sacrifice. This was the order he received calmly, the one that he put to his son and asked him to consider carefully. He did not take his son by surprise and do what was bidden. Rather, he puts the question to him as if it were both normal and familiar. To Abraham, the question was one of obedience. Since his Lord wanted something, so be it, without hesitation. His son should also know and accept it willingly, with submission so that he too would earn the reward of obeying God and experience the pleasure of submission to Him. He himself had known that pleasure and now wants his son to feel it as the pure goodness that surpasses all else that life can offer.”
The reply of Ismail (peace be upon him) can only be the response of the child of a mother and father who sacrificed all comforts out of a firm belief in the promise of their Lord. {He said: My father! Do as you are bidden, and, God willing, you will find me to be patient in adversity.} [As-Saffat 37:102]
{قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ‌ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّـهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِ‌ينَ} الصافات: 102
Transliteration: ya abati ifAAal ma tumaru satajidunee in shaa Allahu mina alssabireena (120)
 
 The response is not one of mere obedience and resignation but marked with acceptance and certainty. Ismail (peace be upon him) addressed his father with love and affection and fully surrenders to the will of his Lord, trusting in His promise.
During Hajj, the pilgrims commemorate Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) stoning of shaitaan who tried to tempt him away from obeying Allah in this command by the stoning of the pillars, thereby displaying our enmity towards shaitaan and our allegiance to Allah. Muslims the world over celebrate the trust that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Ismail (peace be upon him) had in the promise of their Lord by sacrificing an animal at the end of the Hajj.
Finally, let us ponder on the moment after this noble father and son have built the Ka’bah when Allah commands Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to make the call for pilgrimage promising him that {And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).} [Al-Hajj 22:27]
{وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِ‌جَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ‌ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ} الحج: 27
Transliteration: Waaththin fee alnnasi bialhajji yatooka rijalan waAAala kulli damirin yateena min kulli fajjin AAameeqin (27)
 
When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) made this call, how many people would have heard it that people would come from the farthest regions of the world? Yet, due to Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) unwavering belief in the promise of His Lord, he obeyed without question. The phenomenal result of this call to Hajj can be seen today when millions of Muslims from the four corners of the globe make the journey by plane, by ship, by road, by camel and even by foot. All answering the call of Ibrahim made thousands of years ago. All firmly believing in the promise of their Lord to forgive them and cleanse them to the state they were in when their mothers gave birth to them – pure and without sin.
Article by:en.islamway.net

Purpose of life in islam

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Purpose of life

Purpose of life in islam

Islam is the response to humanity’s search for meaning. The purpose of life & creation for all men and women for all times has been one: To know and worship God.
The Qur’an teaches us that every human being is born conscious of God: “(Remember) when your Lord extracted from the loins of Adam’s children their descendants and made them testify (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we testify to it.’ (This was) in case you say on the Day of Judgment: ‘We were unaware of this.’ Or you say: ‘It was our ancestors who worshipped others besides God and we are only their descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those liars did’?” (Qur’an, 7:172-173)
In Christianity, the Purpose of life is rooted in faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the proposition is not without serious problems.
First, if this is the purpose of creation and the precondition for eternal life, why was it not taught by the prophets to all the nations of the world? Second, had God turned into man close to the time of Adam all mankind would have had an equal chance to eternal life, unless those before the time of Jesus had another purpose for their existence! Third, how can people today who have not heard of Jesus fulfill the Christian purpose of creation? Naturally, such a purpose is too narrow and goes against divine justice.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) teaches us that God created this primordial need in human nature at the time Adam was made. God took a covenant from Adam when He created him.
God extracted all of Adam’s descendants who were yet to be born, generation after generation, spread them out, and took a covenant from them. He addressed their souls directly, making them bear witness that He was their Lord. Since God made all human beings swear to His Lordship when He created Adam, this oath is imprinted on the human soul even before it enters the fetus, and so a child is born with a natural belief in the Oneness of God. This natural belief is called fitra in Arabic.
Consequently, every person carries the seed of belief in the Oneness of God that lies deeply buried under layers of negligence and dampened by social conditioning. If the child were left alone, it would grow up conscious of God — a single Creator — but all children are affected by their environment. The Prophet of God said, “Each child is born in a state of ‘fitra,’ but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any young born mutilated before you mutilate them?” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
The Arabs would cut the ears of camels and the likes as a service to their gods in pre-Islamic times.
So, just as the child’s body submits to physical laws, set by God in nature, its soul submits naturally to the fact that God is its Lord and Creator. However, its parents condition it to follow their own way, and the child is not mentally capable of resisting it.
The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold it to account for this religion. When a child matures into an adult, he or she must now follow the religion of knowledge and reason.
As adults, people must now struggle between their natural disposition toward God and their desires in order to find the correct path. The call of Islam is directed to this primordial nature, the natural disposition, the imprint of God on the soul, the fitra, which caused the souls of every living being to agree that He Who made them was their Lord, even before the heavens and earth were created, “I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.” (Qur’an, 51:56)
According to Islam, there has been a basic message which God has revealed through all prophets, from the time of Adam to the last of the prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon them). All the prophets sent by God came with the same essential message: “Indeed, We have sent a messenger to every nation (saying), ‘Worship God and avoid false gods…’.” (Qur’an, 16:36)
The prophets (peace be upon them) brought the same answer to mankind’s most troubling question, an answer that addresses the yearning of the soul for God.
What is worship?
Islam means ‘submission’ and worship, in Islam, means ‘obedient submission to the will of God.’ Every created being ‘submits’ to the Creator by following the physical laws created by God, “To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and the earth; all obey His will.” (Qur’an, 30:26)
They, however, are neither rewarded nor punished for their ‘submission’, for it involves no will. Reward and punishment are for those who worship God, who submit to the moral and religious Law of God of their own free will. This worship is the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to mankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Jesus ((peace be upon him), “None of those who call me ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
‘Will’ means ‘what God wants human beings to do.’ This ‘Will of God’ is contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship.
Only when human beings worship their God by submitting to His religious law can they have peace and harmony in their lives and the hope for heaven, just like the universe runs in harmony by submitting to the physical laws set by its Lord. When you remove the hope of heaven, you remove the ultimate value and purpose of life. Otherwise, what difference would it really make whether we live a life of virtue or vice? Everyone’s fate would be the same anyway.

Article by: arabnews.com

Method of Umrah step by step

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Method of umrah

Method of Umrah

All the praises and thanks be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the last and seal of the Prophets, and upon all his family and companions.Now we are starting Method of umrah step by step.
1-Method of umrah If the one who wants to perform umrah  reaches the miqat (the assigned point where ihram (consecration) takes place), it is recommendable for him to have a bath and wash himself .Women also do the same even if she is in menses or childbed. But she does not perform circumambulation until she becomes purified and has a bath. A man perfumes his body, but not the consecration clothes. If taking a bath in the miqat is not possible, so there is nothing wrong for him. It is recommendable to take a bath upon arriving to Mecca, before circumambulation, if possible.
2-A man takes off all his sewn clothes and wears a below-waist cloth and an above-waist cloth, they are better to be white and clean, and he is to uncover his face. As for women, they are to concentrate in their ordinary clothes, which are not of fame or adorned.
3- He then intends starting the ceremonies in his heart, and says by tongue: “labbayka umrah (Here I come for umrah)”, or “labbayka allahuma umrah (O Allah here I come for umrah)”. If a muhrim (a man in a state of ihram) is afraid that he may not be able to complete his ceremonies, that he is ill, or that he is afraid from an enemy or the like, it is lawful for him to stipulate upon starting the ceremonies and says “If a stopper confines me, so I will finish my ceremonies where You stop me”, for the Hadith of Dubâ’ah bint Az-Zubair, may Allah be pleased with her, in which she said, “O Messenger of Allah! “I want to perform pilgrimage and I feel sick”. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: “Intend to perform pilgrimage and stipulate that “I will finish my ceremonies at any place where You stop me”, [Agreed upon its authentication]

«يا رسول الله ! إني أريد الحج، وأنا شاكية. فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: حجي، واشترطي أن محلي حيث حبستني» متفق عليه

 He then recites the talbiya loudly such as the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, that is: “((Labbaika Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaika la sharika Laka labbaik, Inna-l-hamda wan-ni’mata Laka walmulk, La sharika Lak) which means: here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am. You have no partner. Here I am. Surely all praise, grace and dominion is yours, and you have no partner.))” [Agreed upon]

 «لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك ، لا شريك لك» متفق عليه

 He increases saying the talbiya as well as the remembrances and supplicates to Allah Almighty much. When he arrives to the Sacred Mosque, it is a Sunnah to enter first by his right leg and says: “In the name of Allah, and prayers and peace of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah. I seek refuge with Allah the Great, with His noble Face and His old sovereignty from the expelled Satan. O Allah! Open to me the gates of Your Mercy”, such as all other mosques. He is then to be occupied with talbiya until he reaches the Ka’abah.
4- Upon reaching the Ka’abah he stops talbiya. He then goes to and turns his face to the Black Stone. He receives it by his right hand and kisses it if possible; he should not harm people by crowding. He says upon receiving it: “bism-allah wa allahu-akbar (In the name of Allah and Allah is the Greatest)”, or: “allahu-akbar (Allah is the Greatest)”. If it is difficult to kiss it so he can receive it with his hand, a stick or the alike and kiss what he receives it with. If it is difficult to receive it, he points to it and says: “Allah is the greatest” and he does not kiss what he points with. The terms of right circumambulation: A circumambulator must be purified from both kinds of impurities (the greater and the minor), as circumambulation is like praying, however, speaking is permitted.
5- He is to make the House to his left side, and to circumambulate seven times around it. If he is parallel to the Yemenite Corner, he is to receive it by his right hand, if possible, and says: “In the name of Allah and Allah is the Greatest” and does not kiss it. If it is difficult to receive it, he is to leave it and to continue his circumambulation, without pointing to it or saying Allah is the Greatest, because this has not been mentioned about the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. As for the Black Stone, whenever he is parallel to it he is to receive and kiss it and to say “Allah is the Greatest” – as we mentioned before- or he is to point to it and say “Allah is the Greatest”. Pacing is preferable- that is: to walk quickly with close steps – in all the first three rounds of the arrival circumambulation, especially for men.
It is preferable for a man to put the middle of his above-waist cloth under his right shoulder and its ends over his left shoulder in the arrival circumambulation, in all rounds. It is preferable to increase remembrances and supplications with whatever easily comes to mind in all rounds. There is no special invoking or remembrance in circumambulation. He is rather to invoke and remember Allah by whatever easy of remembrances and supplications. He is to say between the two corners, {Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:201]

{رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ} البقرة: 201

Transliteration: rabbana atinafee alddunya hasanatan wafee alakhiratihasanatan waqina AAathaba alnnari
In each round, because this is proven from the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. He is to end the seventh round by receiving and kissing the Black Stone, if possible, or pointing to it and saying Allah is the Greatest, according to the aforementioned details. After finishing circumambulation he is to wear his above-waist cloth by putting it over his shoulders and the two ends over his chest.
6- He is then to pray two prayer units behind the Maqâm (place of Ibrâhîm) [or the stone on which Ibrâhîm stood while he was building the Ka’bah], if possible. If he is not able, he can pray at anywhere in the Mosque. He is to recite in them after Al-Fâtiha: {Say: (O Muhammad to these Mushrikûn and Kâfirûn): “O Al-Kafirûn (disbelievers in Allâh, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar)!} [Surat Al-Kâfirun], in the first prayer unit,

 {قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ} الكافرون: 1

 Transliteration: Qul ya ayyuha alkafiroona
and, {Say (O Muhammad): “He is Allâh, (the) One} [Surat Al-Ikhlâs] in the second prayer unit.

 {قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ} الإخلاص: 1

 Transliteration: Qul huwa Allahu ahadun
This is the best, but if he recites others, so there is nothing wrong in that. After finishing the two prayer units, he is to go to the Black Stone to receive it with his right hand, if possible.
7- He is then to get out to as-Safâ to ascend or stand at it, but ascending is better, if possible. He is to recite in the beginning of the first round the words of Allah Almighty, {Verily! As-Safâ and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allâh.} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:158]

 {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ} البقرة: 158

 Transliteration: Inna alssafa waalmarwata min shaAAairi Allahi
It is preferable to turn his face to the qiblah above as-Safa. He is to praise Allah and says Allah is the Greatest and says, “There is no god but Allah”, and “Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah alone. He has no partners. To Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs all praise, and He is Over all things Competent. There is no god but Allah alone, He has fulfilled His Promise, and has granted victory to His servant, and has defeated the parties Alone.” He is then to invoke Allah with what is possible while raising his hands. He is to repeat such remembrance and invoking (three times).
He is then to descend and move to al-Marwah, until he reaches the first flag, so he is to walk quickly, until he reaches the second flag. As for women, it is not lawful for them to walk quickly, as they are not to be exposed. He is then to walk and ascend or stand at al-Marwa. Ascending is better, if possible. He is to say and do over al-Marwa, as what he said and did over as-Safa, except reciting the mentioned verse, as this is lawful upon ascending as-Safa in the first round only, as a following to the Sunnah of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. He is then to descend and walk in the place of walking, and hurries in the place of hurrying, until he reaches as-Safa. He is to do that seven times, as his going is a round and his returning is a round. If he performs these round riding, so there is nothing wrong in that, especially when necessary. It is preferable to increase remembrance and invoking during his walking with whatever easily comes to his mind, and to be purified from both kinds of ritual impurities. If he walks while he is ritually impure so it is satisfactory.
8- When he finishes walking, he is to have his hair cut or shaved, but shaving is better. If his coming to Mecca is near the time of pilgrimage, then cutting is better for him, to have the rest of his hair shaved in pilgrimage. A woman collects her hair and cut a hairbreadth or less. If a muhrim fulfils that, so his umrah is complete. All praises and thanks be to Allah. Everything which was forbidden for him due to consecration is now lawful.
May Allah help us and all our Muslim brothers to understand and adhere to His religion, and may He accept from all of us, He –the Almighty- is Generous.
Prayers and peace of Allah be upon His Slave and Messenger, Muhammad and upon all his family and companions and all his followers to the Day of Resurrection.

Article by: en.islamway.ne

 

The Kaba the Sacred House of God

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vipkyr
The Kaba is the sacred House of God situated in the middle of the Holy mosque in the city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The black cube shaped box is familiar to people of all faiths due to the images that come out of Saudi Arabia every year at pilgrimage time. Usually when people see these images, their attention is focused on the black box being circled by hundreds if not thousands of worshippers. This box is the Kaba.
{God has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, an asylum of security, Hajj, and ‘Umrah (pilgrimage) for mankind…} [Quran 5:97]
{جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا لِّلنَّاسِ…} [المائدة:٩٧].
Transliteration: Jaala Allāhu Al-Kabata Al-Bayta Al-Ĥarāma Qiyāmāan Lilnnāsi …
The Kaba is the holiest site in Islam, and it is the qibla, the direction Muslims face when praying. It is called the Kaba because of its shape; cube in the Arabic language is [I]ka’b[/I]. Sometimes the Kaba is called Al Bait Al Atiq, or the emancipated house, Prophet Muhammad said that this name was used due to the fact that God has protected the Kaba from coming under the control of tyrants.
The Kaba is made from granite taken from the hills near Mecca, and stands 15 meters (49 feet) high, the sides measure 10.5 m (34′) by 12 m (39′). Today the Kaba is covered by a black silk cloth decorated with gold-embroidered calligraphy known as the kiswah.
On the southwest side of the Kaba is a semi-circular wall, this represents the border, or al hatim. Entrance to the Kaba is gained through a door, 2.13 metres of the ground, on the north-eastern wall. Inside, the floor is made from marble and the walls are clad with marble up to the halfway point between the floor and the ceiling.
Amongst the traditions of Prophet Muhammad we learn that his beloved wife Aisha asked about the wall and the door. She says, «I asked the Messenger of God about the wall and whether it was part of the House [the Kaba]. He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘So why is it not incorporated into the House?’ He said, ‘Your people ran out of money.’ I asked, ‘What about the door? Why is it high up?’ He said, ‘Your people did that so they could let in whomever they wanted and keep out whomever they wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are still new [in Islam] and too close to their time of ignorance , and I am afraid that they would resent it, I would think of incorporating the wall into the House and bringing the door down to ground level.’»
Verses from the Quran are written on tablets inset in the marble and the upper part of the interior wall is clad with green cloth decorated with gold embroided verses. Lamps hang from a cross beam; there is also a small table for incense burners. Caretakers perfume the marble cladding with scented oil, the same oil used to anoint the Black Stone outside.
The Black Stone, an ancient sacred stone, is embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaba, one and a half meters above the ground. Prophet Muhammad said , «The black stone came down from paradise and it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam turned it black»
The scholars of Islam have differed on who built the Kaba. Some say that it was built by the angels. Others say the father of humankind, Adam built the Kaba but over many centuries it fell into disrepair and was lost in the mists of time, to be rebuilt by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. All agree that the Kaba was either built or rebuilt by Prophet Abraham.
{And (remember) when Abraham and (his son) Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Kaba at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’} [Quran 2:127]
{وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ} [البقرة:١٢٧].
Transliteration: Wa ‘Idh Yarfau ‘Ibrāhīmu Al-Qawāida Mina Al-Bayti Wa ‘Ismāīlu Rabbanā Taqabbal Minnā ‘Innaka ‘Anta As-Samīu Al-Alīmu
Since then the kaba has been rebuilt several times. By the Amalekites, the tribe of Jurham, Qusayy ibn Kilaab, the tribe of Quraish and several times after the advent of Islam. Shortly before prophet Muhammad’s mission began the Kaba was built from stones, without mortar and it was not much higher than the height of a man, people had stolen treasure from the Kaba so the Quraish decided to rebuild it and add a roof.
Each tribe collected building materials and worked cooperatively until it came time to replace the black stone. Because of the prestige involved with placing the stone arguments broke out. Abu Umaiyah ibn al Mughirah one of the most senior men said, “O Quraish come to an agreement over that which you are disputing. Let the first man who enters through the gate decide the matter for you”.
The first man, was Muhammad, at that time known as al amin (the trustworthy one). He suggested that they carry the black stone to its place in a cloak, each tribe holding an edge so that the prestige was distributed equally. The black stone reached the Kaba in this manner and Muhammad then placed the stone in its place The Kaba consists of four corners. Finally, it is important to understand that Muslims do not worship the kaba or the surroundings. It is simply the qibla, the direction in which Muslims face to pray, therefore it serves as a focal point.

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Article by: en.islamway.net

Umrah Plus to be launched soon

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DAMMAM: The Umrah Plus program would be launched soon to allow foreign pilgrims .To visit some of the Kingdom’s most attractive cultural and religious landmarks.The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) announced recently.
Abdul Aziz Al-Hussain, the SCTNH’s director general in Riyadh, said preparations are almost complete. Umrah companies are currently tying up partnerships with tour companies in the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the Travel and Tourism Pioneers Forum was launched recently in Riyadh with 35 companies from around the world participating.
Nasser Al-Hamdi, Egypt’s ambassador to the Kingdom, said the country is prepared to receive Saudi tourists. About 430,000 tourists visited Egypt in 2013 and 2014, he said.
Prince Saif Al-Islam bin Abdul Aziz said the travel and tourism sector in the Kingdom has grown significantly.Now made up 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The plan is to ensure annual growth of 10 percent over the next five years, compared to 6 percent last year and 4 percent in 2014.

Article by: arabnews.com