and the tears can't stop flowing....

:'(

Read all supplications here

Say after Fajr prayer: “Allaahumma inni as’aluka rizqan tayyiban, wa ‘ilman naafi’an, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan (O Allaah, I ask you for good (halaal) provision, beneficial knowledge and accepted good deeds).” 

Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad (6/294_ and Ibn Majaah in al-Sunan (66). 

Al-Haythani said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id (10/146): Its men are thiqaat (trustworthy). End quote. And it was classed as hasan by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar as it says in al-Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah (3/70). It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Majaah. 

As you can see, it is a du’aa’ that is general in meaning and includes earnings from business as well as from farming, employment or manufacturing. This is how the Sunnah is in du’aa’s that are concise in wording and comprehensive in meaning. 

But it is mustahabb for you to ask Allaah for what you need by name, using whatever simple words and phrases Allaah enables you to say. So you may say for example: O Allaah, help me in my business, or O Allaah, bless me in my business, or O Allaah, make me independent of means so that I have no need of that which is haraam, or decree for me therein that which is good and makes me independent of means… and so on. 

More important than the wording of the du’aa’ is sincerity in du’aa’, focusing properly and turning to Allaah fully, for Allaah does not look at the eloquence of the words, rather He looks at what is in the heart of sincerity, humility and longing for His mercy. From this you may know that saying du’aa’ in languages other than Arabic is also permissible, if the du’aa’ is general in meaning and was not narrated in specific words in the Qur’aan or Sunnah. 

You should also note that fearing Allaah (taqwa) is a means to attain all success, and that the business by means of which a person seeks to attain the pleasure of Allaah and in which he pays heed to His command and prohibitions, is a business that will be blessed and helped, if Allaah wills, and that haraam things erase all blessings, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Allaah will destroy Riba and will give increase for Sadaqaat (deeds of charity, alms). And Allaah likes not the disbelievers, sinners”

[al-Baqarah 2:276] 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Even if riba increases a thing, its consequences lead to loss.” 

Narrated by Ahmad (1/395); classed as hasan by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (4/369); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (3542). 

Yahya ibn Mu’aadh al-Raazi (258 AH) – who was one of the best of the salaf –said: 

Obedience will be stored in the stores of Allaah, and the key (to obedience) is du’aa’, and it becomes effective by means of halaal earnings. 

Imam al-Ghazali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, when discussing what should be paid attention to when doing business, in Ihya’ ‘Uloom al-Deen (2/103): 

It us essential to have a good intention and sound belief when starting out in business, so a man should intend to make himself independent of means so that has no need of what is haraam and he does not need to ask of people or seek what they have, as halaal income makes him independent of others and help him to carry out his religious duties and sponsor his children, so that he will become like those who strive for the sake of Allaah. He should be sincere with the Muslims and love for all people what he loves for himself, and he should intend to follow the path of justice and good conduct in his dealings, and intend to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil in everything that he sees in the marketplace. If he has all these sound beliefs and intentions in his heart, he will be striving in the path of the Hereafter. And if he earns money then this is something extra, and if he loses in this world he will prosper in the Hereafter. End quote. 

And Allaah knows best.

Asalaamoalaikum,

As you make the commitment to each other with Allah Subhanawata’ala as your witness, to abide by His guidelines for finding happiness with each other, I too want to join in and pray for both of you.

I ask Allah Subhanawataala to put mercy, love and respect in your hearts for each other and for all those who are around you.

I ask Allah (SWT) to surround you with friends with taqwa who always are by your side in difficulty and in happiness showering you with the duas of love, mercy and protection, and who always encourage you to see the brighter and “cooler” side of each other.
I ask Allah (SWT) to allow each of your parents to see you wedded and happy in the path you have chosen, to follow in the obedience of Allah (SWT). He is the final one to whom we are all obedient.

I ask Allah (SWT) for all the small and big comforts of daily living for you and for the grease of laughter to ease all the possible points of friction.

I ask Allah to grant you a place to live where your Deen would be cherished and where you would find encouragement and rest with fellow muslims who enhance your efforts and help you up when you stumble.

I ask Allah to shower His blessings, love and Rahma on you and to answer your prayers for this dunya and the Hereafter, whenever and wherever you ask Him (SWT).

I ask you to remember Him (SWT) every moment that you can, either in exaltation (SubhanAllah) or in gratefulness (Shukr Alhamdollillah).

May these words become the essence of your conversations with each other and may you knowingly and unknowingly thus shower His (SWT) blessings upon each other, on your home, your friends and patients.

Your Dad and I love you and are here for you on stand by whenever you
need us.

May Allah Subhanawata’ala bless your engagement. I am so happy for both of you. Please keep us in your prayers my dear Hajjan daughter and my new son in law to be inshallah!

Love and duas,
Mom

PLEASE KEEP ME AND MY FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS. JAZAAIK ALLAH HU KHAIRAN.

Phi 4:6 (ESV) ...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Sometimes sleep appears to be the key that unlocks my emotional Pandora's box. In the morning, instead of feeling rested when the alarm chimes I'm tired. It's as if relaxation causes the hasp on the lid to loosen and swing open, releasing all the forebodings that were locked away.

Since I've begun blogging however, I start my computer first thing upon arising, load my Bible software, read sections from The Word, and fix my thoughts on how my writing can glorify God. Focusing on Him lessens the intensity of the swirling apprehensions, causes the negativities to retreat and the lid to become tightly shut again. Many times, I'm not even aware of how it happened, only that I am suddenly aware of internal peace. This process entails a shift in concentration: I gently pull my attention away from the anxiety and set my eyes only on Him. All glory and honor to you, oh Lord.

Dear Lord, the quiet times I spend in supplication with You clothe me in peace. I have an inner certainty and trust that no matter what happens, You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me. I am prepared to do Your will today. Amen.

- Ya muqallib al-qulub, thabbit qalbi 'ala dinik

O mover (or flip-flopper) of hearts, make my heart firm upon your religion

- Ya muqallib al-qulub, thabbit 'ala'l-haqq

O mover of hearts, make my heart firm upon the truth

- Ya muqallib al-qulub, thabbit qalbi 'ala ta'atik

O mover of hearts, make my heart firm upon your obedience

- Ya musarrif al-qulub, thabbit qalbi 'ala ta'atik

O director of hearts, keep my heart in a state of obedience to you

- Ya muqallib al-qulub wa 'l-ahwalhawwil halina ila ahsan 'l-hal

O you, transformer of hearts and spiritual states make our states the loveliest of states

- Allahumma, ya muqallib al-qulub wa’l-absar, thabbit qalbi 'ala dinik

O Allah, O controller of the hearts and eyes, let my heart hold fast onto your religion

- Allahuma Ya Musabbib al-Asbab, Ya Mufattih  al-Abwab, Ya Muqallib al-qulubi wal-absar, Ya Dalil al-mutahayyirin, Ya Ghiyath al-mustaghathin, Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum, Ya Dhul-Jalali wa-l-Ikram! Wa ufawwidu amri il-Allah, inn-Allaha basirun bil-'ibad

O Allah, o causer of causes, o opener of doors, o transformer of hearts and eyes, o guide of the stupefied ones, o redresser of complainants, o living, o eternal, o majestic an venerable, (..)

Allah is the one who controls the hearts of people. Remember the hadith - in Sahih Muslim - that Allah doesn't look at your bodies and appearances but rather at your hearts (and your acts).  In the Qur'an it is said that only the ones with a clean heart (bi qalbin salim) will be accepted by Allah. Oh Allah clean our hearts and deeds from hypocrisy and make us better people.

This also reminds us of the phrase in the Ratib of imam al-Haddad:

Ya Dha'l-Jalali wa'l-Ikram amitna 'ala dini'l-islam

"Oh Possessor of Majesty and Honour, cause us to die in the religion of islam"

According to the hadith death is a gift for the believer. (Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-iman).

Djabir ibn 'Abdullah relates that he heard the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) say three days before he died: "Let no one of you die, except in a mental state in which he expects the best of Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Glory." (Source: Sahih Muslim) 

Amin ya rabb al-'alamin!

POST IN PROGRESS

(Tha Ha: 25-28 )

So this blog will be left quiet for the next 2 weeks. I am leaving the house soon to see my grandparents before I go. The flight is at 4pm so if you need anything before that, my phone would still be working. I would be uncontactable while I'm there (no autoroaming) and so, whatever you need to say, just say it now or forever (2 weeks) keep your silence. Heh.

On a serious note however, do pray for the safety of my team and our health and everything else. It is the month of Rajab, I wanted to post something about it but i hope someone else would do so for the benefit of the rest! Bottomline is: This is Allah's month. (Every month is His la, but this one a bit more special). Istighfar a lot and seek forgiveness. Thats obligatory every other time but make it even more this month. Make dua a lot.
Should I not come back, do know that you guys are close to my heart. If I do leave this world, dua that I meet a good ending (husnul khotimah) and that Allah forgives my sins & purify my heart and that I meet Him in a clean, pure state. Should I come back insyaAllah, i see this 2 weeks as a weaning off from attachments. No telephone, no internet, no family or loved ones, nothing that I am attached too. Withdrawal therapy from this dunya hehe, may I succeed! Amin!

Till we meet again (or not), I Love You. :) May Allah bless all of you.

(I fell in love with this quote when I read it.)

I asked for strength

And Allah gave me difficulties

₪

I asked for wisdom

And Allah gave me problems to solve

₪

I asked for prosperity

And Allah gave me muscles and a brain to work

₪

I asked for courage

And Allah gave me danger to overcome

₪

I asked for patience

And God placed me in situations where I was forced to wait

₪

 I asked for love

And Allah gave me troubled people to help

₪

I asked for favors

And Allah gave me opportunities

₪

I received nothing I wanted

I received everything I wanted

My prayer has been answered.

What did you ask for?  What did you get?

Allahumma salli 'ala, Sayyidina, Muhammadin an-Nabiyyi al-ummiyyi, Wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim. (O Allah, send your peace and blessings upon our Master Muhammad, the Unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions.) O My Lord, My sins are like The highest mountain; My good deeds Are very few They’re like a small pebble. I turn to You My heart full of shame, My eyes full of tears. Bestow Your Forgiveness and Mercy Upon me. Ya Allah, Send your peace and blessings On the Final Prophet, And his family, And companions, And those who follow him.

]]> http://satmareanca.wordpress.com/?p=372 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:06:27 +0000 satmareanca http://satmareanca.wordpress.com/?p=372 Nu ştiu voi ce faceţi în week-end, dar eu una citesc. Citesc Vânătorii de zmeie. Începutul e promiţător. Văzusem ecranizarea cărţii, care m-a lăsat mută. Melodia din film e dureros de frumoasă. Enjoy!

Voi ce citiţi & ascultaţi în week-end?

I reach the basement and as I set foot on the second last stair it creaks, a sound that resounds in the quiet darkness of the night. I freeze in my tracks.
Inside the prayer room, men and women are already in prayer. I recall that this is the time of the night when Allah SWT comes down to the lower heavens and asks if anyone out there needs forgiveness……. I know He (SWT)  is looking for me and I am for Him (SWT). I am keenly aware that I for one need to be answering that call.

As I go into ruku for my first set of rakaats, my sleep has vanished, my brain is in focus, my heart is in sync and I am supplicating within the realm of the text of the prayer. The indirect light from the stairway lights the entrance of the room, but I see that most supplicants like me prefer to be in the shadows when they invoke their Lord enveloped with a feeling that they are the only one in the room, calling to Him.

Far away somewhere, it feels like from the recesses of the woods comes the call for morning prayer, sweet, eternally hopeful, and unchanged in 1400 years. It gives me a feeling of happiness that I am part of this ongoing flow of believers who came, listened to the call of prayer, answered it and eventually passed away leaving nothing but the marks of their righteous acts for the generations that follow them.

Fajr prayer en jamaat energizes me, the long surah which now I can partially understand rivets me, and humbles me…………and finally we come to the part that I love, the adkaars for the morning, as the early morning light gently and gradually seeps into the room through the skylight, I repeat what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) repeated sitting on his Musallah and joy fills me at the very thought.
As the adkaars proceed and I am at the last hundred ……I bend my head down and nod off, almost falling over, I realize, that somewhere along the line my focus became fuzzy and either Shaitaan, or my lower Nafs came in to take me on a ride away from my supplications.

Having been sensitized to this fact, I now know that I can be perfectly alert even with less than expected sleep, but on occasions like this when my focus waivers, I feel I can be taken on a journey on a wild horse (My Nafs) who if not consciously and vigilantly kept under control, can take to a wild gallop across dangerous territory, returning from which is tumultuous and arduous.

The sun is now flowing in through the skylights and we stand up for the Ishraaq prayer one by one, and after the Sheikh leaves, we too melt away to our rooms to catch up on a refreshing sleep before the morning session begins.

(Impressions from the retreat on Tazkiyah tun Nafs 08  with Sheikh Mokhtar Magroubi)

How do you keep your focus and concentration after fajr prayer, during your morning adkaars?

" In the silence of quietness we will be pondering, dhikr, dua, supplication,with a playful moment with Allah SWT and it will (Inshallah) change our character"

A retreat in the mountains with Sheikh Mokhtar Magroubi, on the Purification of the Soul

O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah, raise his rank amongst those who are rightly guided, and You be the Caretaker of his descendants after him.  Forgive him and us O Sustainer of the universe, make his grave spacious for him and grant him light in it.

====

Note: Whenever someone supplicates this for another Muslim, he may take the name of the demised in place of the name of Abu Salamah.

Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous.

(Ali Imran :193)

It is one of those long hot timeless afternoons when you look at the verdant surroundings and wonder what the gardens of jannah will be like? You feel the oppressive heat and pray that you never have to ever be close to the Heat of Hell.
The lethargy of the brain and the exhaustion of emotions allow me to think of the Swat weekend as a movie in slow motion and appreciate and relive those moments of love.

It is true that all one needs is a little bit of love. But the most ambitious want is the desire for the Love of Allah (SWT). He gives out His (SWT) love in many different ways and sometimes through many different people, and almost never from the standard sources that you would most expect it from.

It is when I compartmentalize where, how and what kind of love should come from whom, where and how that disappointments occur. My mother would call these “expectations of affection” She strongly discouraged having expectations from others to return your love.

Her concept of having no expectations from your loved ones was quite foreign to me. In all the education I had received (mostly western thought) there is this give and take of affection, need and want and measured reciprocation.
So it had always perplexed me as how does one give affection in a particular relationship without expecting it back? What I did not know was that she was teaching me the very essence of Islam, which is giving “Fi SabeelAllah” giving for the sake of Allah without asking for reciprocation from the individual to whom it is given.

I realize now that giving affection with an expectation of receiving it back is like giving a gift in the hope of getting it returned to you perhaps even manifold.
Generosity of material goods is quite easy except for the exceptionally stingy. It is when one gives of ones time, ones love and affection without fear of hurt or reciprocation that one unveils the inside of ones heart and makes it transparent to the recipient.
This act of giving of love is usually followed by fear, as the giver and the thoughtless receiver may consider an unveiled transparent heart, which hides nothing, vulnerable to the strike of hurt.

In the give and take of love in contemporary times, what has almost never been placed in the equation is the power of Allah in this exchange.

After studying some of Imam Ghazali’s work on Love of Allah and The Purification of the Heart by Sheikh Magroubi, I understand that if one gives of ones love fi sabeelallah than the love one receives back is from Allah which may be now in this world via his creation, or later through Him (SWT) directly.

When I accept that Allah SWT is in the equation, being transparent with my love becomes easy and without strings attached.

When someone is mean, I must look at my actions for any source of disobedience of Allah for it may be the reason the landscape around me has changed.

The best treatment when things do not go our way in the reciprocation of emotion or otherwise despite an honest effort on our part is Istighfaar.
In reviewing our actions of the day or the week we may obviously find our specific disobedience to Allah SWT or we may not.

The Prophet (PBUH) who was unsullied by such base behavior would do Istighfaar more than seventy times a day. When asked why some one of his purity of stature would need to do Istighfaar he said and I paraphrase…….Do I not want to enter in Jannah to be with my Lord?

A Pearl from RasullAllah (PBUH):
اللَّهُمَّ إنَّكَ تَسمَعُ كَلامِي، و تَرَى مَكَانِي، و تَعْلَمُ سِرِّي و عَلانِيَتي، و لا يَخفَى عَلَيكَ شَيءٌ مِن أَمرِي، و أَنَا البَائِسُ الفَقِير، ﺍﻟﻤُﺴﺘَﻐِﻴﺚُ المُسْتَجِيرُ، والوَجِلُ المُشفِقُ المُقِرُ المُعتََرِفُ إِلَيكَ بِذَنبِهِ، أسأَلُكَ مَسأَلَةَ المِسكِين، وأَبْتَهِلُ إلَيكَ اِبْتِهَالِ المُذْنِبِ الذَلِيل، و أَدْعُوكَ دُعآءَ الخَائِفُ الضَرِيرُ، دُعآءَ مَنْ خَضَعَتْ لَكَ رَقَبَتُهُ، و فَاضَتْ لَكَ عَبْرَتُهُ، و ذَلَّ لَكَ جِسْمُهُ، و رَغَمَ لَكَ أَنْفُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلنِي بِدُعَائِكَ شَقِياً، و كُنْ بِيَ رَؤُوفَاً، يَا خَيرَ المَسْؤُولِينَ، و خَيرَ المُعْطِينَ.

“Allaahumma innaka tasma‘u kalaamee, wa taraa makaanee, wa ta‘lamu sirree wa ‘alaaniyatee, wa laa yakhfaa ‘alayka shay’un min ’amree, wa ’anal-baa’isu al-faqeer, wal-mustaagheethu al-mustajeer, wal-wajilu al-mushfiqu al-muqiru al-mu‘tarifu ilayka bi-dhambih. As’aluka mas’alata al-miskeen, wa’abtahilu ilayka ibtihaal al-mudhnibi idh-dhaleel, wa ad‘ooka du‘aa’ al-khaa’ifu ad-dareer, du‘aa’a man khada‘at laka raqabatuhu, wa dhalla laka jismuhu, wa raghama laka anfuh. Allaahumma laa taj‘alnee bidu‘aa’ika shaqeeyaa, wa kun beeya ra’oofaa, ya khairal-mas’ooleen, wa khairal-mu‘teen.”

“Ô Allaah, You hear my words, and You see my place. You know my secret and manifest. Nothing of me is hidden from You. I am the miserable, poor one appealing for protection. I am the frightened, pitiful one acknowledging and confessing to You his sins.

I beg You the begging of a needy one and I implore you the imploring of a humiliated sinful one. And I pray to you the prayer of the ailing fearful one; a prayer of one whose neck has bowed to You, whose tears of pain have flooded his eyes, whose body has in servitude humbled itself to you and whose pride has been lowered to the ground for you.

Ô Allaah, let not my share in Your prayer be misery, and be compassionate to me, Ô Most-Responsive of those who are asked, and Ô Most-Giving of those who give.”

Personally when the fear of being hurt by a power other than Allah arises in my heart I remind myself of this supplication:

اللّهُـمَّ لا مانِعَ لِما أَعْطَـيْت، وَلا مُعْطِـيَ لِما مَنَـعْت، وَلا يَنْفَـعُ ذا الجَـدِّ مِنْـكَ الجَـد .
“Allaahumma laa maani‘a limaa a‘tayt, wa laa mu‘tiya limaa mana‘t. Wa laa yanfa‘u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd.”

“Ô Allaah, none can prevent what You have willed to bestow. And none can bestow what You have willed to prevent. And no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone, as from You is all wealth and majesty.”

Going back to Love by the Grace of Allah:
We are at a small college up north where Tariq spent barely a year, the friendships forged in that time have transferred to us as his family, the love of his friends is now showered upon us. I continuously thank Allah SWT that He placed in the hearts of these young people, Tariqs friends, such compassion, love and transparency, so as to envelope us in the clarity of their affection.

It is evening and we are at the coffee shop and meet G who was Tariq's colleague in the school paper, She tells me that it is “Tariq’s doing” that she is going to Morocco to learn Arabic. I look upon this beautiful girl, her clear blue eyes swimming in tears, how Allah SWT has blessed Shireen, Paul and me with her love and compassion.

We start to walk towards the Last Collection and there is E , Tariq’s co host on the radio. He has grown even taller, his face serious and thoughtful, as he speaks of Tariq, another transparent heart reaching out to us with love and affection.

Outside it is raining, thundering and dark though the evening is young. We walk into the auditorium, it looks different from the last time I sat here with Tariq listening to the Dean of students, he relaxed in body, alert in mind drinking in what she was saying and totally immersed in the moment. The day bright and sunshiny, unlike today.

We are seated in the front row; the seats are all filled with graduating students and their loved ones. As Ben begins his talk, walking the path with Tariq by his side, my mind wanders like a lost child between Paul silently sobbing on my right and Shireen dabbing her eyes carefully restrained in her display of emotion on my left.

Ben………..opening a window of Tariq’s life at Swarthmore, sharing him with us, in so many ways. While I am listening to Ben, latching on to the new memories of Tariq, wanting to walk the paths of Swarthmore, hearing Tariq’s laugh as he cracks up on something Ben says, I am once again thrown into the role of the mediator. The role I have played all my life where I have to shelve my own concerns and feelings because others so close to me are in distress……

I am deeply grateful to Allah SWT for Ben, G and all of Tariq’ friends, colleagues and even younger students who came after the presentation to hug me, share some of Tariq’s memories, and tell us how glad and appreciative they were of our presence here.

………….And so the evening passed, a rite of passage for Tariq’s friends to leave Swat and take as a small part of the memory of Swat, something of Tariq, perhaps his characteristic laugh, his humor or his music with them, filtered into the transparency of their hearts like sunshine to bring joy at unexpected moments far away somewhere where life takes them.

…………And after Paul and Shireen left for home that night of the Last Collection, I stayed back to witness the passage of Tariq’s class into adulthood.

Starting with fireworks that night on the Parrish Beach as Tariq affectionately called the lawn in front of Parrish Hall, and ending with a beautiful sparkling morning of grace, beauty and idealism at the Scott Amphitheatre.

As each graduate walked into their own private future, each was blessed by Allah SWT to reach into their core for the hidden gem of purity called ‘fitra’ given by Him, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The heart of a child innocent of the politics of the times, beats with hope, faith and belief that one day he or she can be like the other children of the world.

While the news is full of the bombings and bulldozing of homes and orchards, ushering in death and disaster in GAZA…....the children do not let go of their hope that perhaps one day they will be able to enjoy a life of safety, reliability, predictability and protection from the horrors of Israeli air strikes, like everyone elsewhere in the world, living in their homes.

Her story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX8QvkYIBi4

His story: (English translation after opening scene)

Palestinian Children at Beit Jala

Dua: May Allah Subhana waataala give us strength and emaan to protect our children and guide our path so that we are neither opressed nor the opressor.

For more information contact the children’s medical rehabilitation unit of MECA or the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance at: www.mecaforpeace.org