Ilm Fruits

Israel Bombs Gaza Again

Israel is bombing Gaza. Again. In two days, there are 400 dead and 1400 injured. Hospitals overflowing, boycotts, blood, and dead bodies...

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said the Muslim ummah is like one body--if one part hurts, the whole body feels it and responds.

Do you feel the pain?

There are countless websites, emails, etc. that speak about this. We're not going to reiterate all the points. Read about it here. Those are your brothers and sisters, your mothers and fathers.

So what can we do? Surprisingly, a lot.

Action Items:

• Make Du'a. Learn about Allah's Grand Name and use it. Ask Allah, Al-Mujeeb, the one who answers all calls, to alleviate their situation.
• Donate. Whether you can afford $1000 or $100 or $10, whatever it is, just donate it. Every dollar counts. A good organization to donate through is Islamic Relief Canada; their donation page is here. (Can someone post comments to other reliable organizations inside and outside of Canada?)
• Tell Your Co-Workers. If you work in a medium-sized or large-size company, email your Human Resources department and ask them if they will match donations. Summarize the cause, and when they reply, forward it to as many people as you feel comfortable with. And just tell people by word of mouth what's going on!
• Donate Recurringly. Don't wait for Israel to bomb again. Decide how much you want to give, and give it--even $10--monthly, or quarterly, or whatever suits your budget. Put reminders in Google Calendar, if you need to--it will email you when you need to donate again (steps to setting up a reminder in the comments).
• Sign the Avaaz Petition. Politicians and groups do notice these kinds of things--and it just takes a minute to sign. Add yourself to the petition here.
• Boycott Israel. Israel is not even a legitimate state, to begin with; but I digress. Read this great site here, it summarizes how to identify (and thus, boycott) Israeli products. Economic pressure is one of the most powerful pressures we can apply today.
• Spread the Word. If you don't do anything else (except donate), do this. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: The reward of someone who calls to good is the same as the one who does it, without either of them being decreased in it.

We ask Allah to help alleviate the sufferings of the people in Gaza, to grant them (and their families) sabar, to admit into Al-Firdaus Al-'Ala those who have died, and to use this incident to revive the true Islamic spirit in the hearts of the Muslims.

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Forgiveness After Forgiveness After Forgiveness

There's a beautiful du'a that Allah mentions near the end of Surah Baqarah:

Translation: So do 'affuw on us. And forgive us. And have mercy on us. [Surah Baqarah, verse 286]

Allah mentions three things, in order:

1. 'Affuw 'annaa: Affuw linguistically means to erase something; to obliterate something; to completely destroy something and leave no traces of it whatsoever. This du'a is saying: make affuw of our sins. Remove them completely.
2. Waghfir lanaa: Ghafira linguistically means to protect--that's why a helmet is called a mighfaar. Read up about Allah's two names: Al-Ghafuwr and Al-Ghaffaar. Here, the du'a is saying: and if you do not 'affuw our sins, forgive us, and protect us from the consequences of them.
3. Warham naa: Rahmah is mercy; Allah has two names related to this quality--Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem. Here, the du'a is saying: and if you do not even forgive our sins, then have mercy on us! Subhanallah!

What an amazing du'a! Do affuw of our sins; and if not, forgive us and protect us from their effects; and if not, have mercy on us!

THAT'S your Lord!

Action Items:

• Memorize this verse. It's a bit long, but it's worth it. [link]
• Read up about the names of Allah. Read about Al-Affuw, Al-Ghafuwr, Al-Ghaffaar, Ar-Rahman, and Ar-Raheem.
• Use this du'a. Whenever you commit a sin, follow it up with istighfaar, and some good deeds, and use this du'a; recite it in your sujood, during tawarruk (sitting) after you've done all your other du'as, you can say ANY du'a you want (in Arabic only!). So memorize this du'a and use it!

Wallahu 'alim.

• Pure Forgiveness (Salat 101)
• “Do You Not Love that Allah Should Forgive You?”
• A River of Purity (Salat 101)
• Abu Bakr and His Request
• Sayyidul Istaghfar - The Chief of Prayers for Forgiveness

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The Terrible Consequences of not Praying Salah

Bismillah. Today, insha'Allah we're going to touch on a slightly different angle on the concept of salah. Now, you know that salah is fard--the 5x daily prayers--and that the reward of doing so is great, and the sin of doing so are terrible. Hellfire, punishment on the Day of Judgment, punishment in this life, all these things are but possibilities.

But let's take a look at a slightly different angle: scholars. What's the position of the scholars on someone who doesn't pray?

The position of all four madhaahib--Maliki, Shafi'ee, Hanbali, and Hanafi--with no difference of opinion--is that a person who does not pray, ever, is not a Muslim.

Think about that. Not a Muslim. Not anyone who has a chance of Paradise.

Why? There's a very explicit hadith on this--the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم):

The contract between us and them is salaah. Whoever leaves it is not one of us. [Source?]

This is a very direct, explicit hadith--salaah is the contract, part of the mithaaq, the original contract, with Allah that all humans took.

What's more, it was inconceivable in the time of the sahaba that someone could be a "Muslim" and not pray. It just doesn't make sense.

...

Scared yet?

...

No? Well, there's more. What is the position of the scholars of Islam on someone who doesn't pray, today, who lives in that now-extinct species of Islamic State? Then what happens?

Again, there's no difference of opinion on this.

The position of a Muslim in an Islamic state, who doesn't pray, is to be jailed.

And once they're in jail, they should be advised. That what they're doing is haram. That prayer is so, so important. That it is a major sin. That it just takes five minutes, five times a day--less than one sitcom.

And if they don't repent? Keep advising them for a day. Then, a second day. Then, a third day.

And if they still don't repent?

Then they are executed.

So think about that, next time you feel like skipping a salah. Honestly, it just takes five minutes. Don't let your lame excuses side-track you. Just do it.

Action Items:

• Hit the Minimum 5x/day. If you don't pray your 5x daily prayers, start. Right now. Today. Praying is difficult at first, but over time, it becomes easier. Pick up prayers one at a time, whatever you can do, until you're at least covering the daliy five consistently.
• Add Sunnah/Nafl Prayers. If you already have your five covered, alhamdulillah, start adding the sunnahs--starting with the two before Fajr, and with salaat-ul-Witr. Those are the best. Then gradually add more. Add Tahajjud, if you're already praying all the sunnah prayers. The sunnahs are like a shield that protect your fard prayers; if you always pray them, in the worst case, you might skip one or two--but if you only pray fard, those are the first to go.
• Reflect on the Reward and the Punishment. If you didn't know, for every fard action, Allah rewards you. Think about THAT. You're actually getting some ajr! And reflect on the punishment of not praying, ever--capital. YOU might be praying, but you probably know someone in your family (near or extended), who doesn't. Advise them gently.
• Read. Islam QA has a great eBook on 33 ways to increase khushoo' in salah. When you get khushoo, you actually enjoy salah! So read it, and apply one or two of those techniques daily.
• Make Du'a. 'Aishah said: "You will not even get a shoelace without the permission of Allah." So ask Allah to help you pray regularly and in the best way.

We ask Allah to make us among the musalleen, those who pray regularly and on time and have their prayers accepted. This, if this is the only good thing you do with your life, is a great success that many people the world over have not achieved.

Note: We're NOT saying that you should go around killing people. Nobody's going to be executed for not praying--there IS no Islamic state in our time. But if there was, and if a Muslim living there didn't pray, then the punishment is capital. It's something to think and reflect over--the seriousness of salaah. It IS the contract between us and Allah.

• Ramadan Mubarak!
• The Role of the Masjid
• Praying Isha While The Imam Prays Taraweeh
• The Prayer, The Prayer …
• Purification of Salaah

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Become a Sadaqa Millionaire

How would you like to give sadaqa? You might say "sure, I'd like to do it--but I have no money!" What if I told you there's a way to give sadaqa that doesn't require money? That, in fact, you could even out-class the rich people in their sadaqa! All it takes is a little time and effort!

Would you be interested?

One of the things the companions used to do is compete with each other in good deeds. Even if they were doing more good deeds than the majority of companions, if there were a few people (or even one person) doing more than them, they would strive to beat that person in good deeds. (And among other things, they used to ask frequently: Which is the MOST beloved deed to Allah?)

You bet they'd be interested.

Recorded below is one such hadith, where the poor people complained to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم). Complained that they were poor? No! Complained they didn't have a BMW, a five-story house? No! Complained that they couldn't donate as much for the sake of Allah as the rich people! Subhanallah! (That's one of the qualities that made them so much more better than us.)

And that's precisely what we're discussing!

Abu Hurairah narrated that Abu Dharr said to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم): "The wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and they have surplus wealth which they give in charity; but we have no wealth which we may give in charity." Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: "Abu Dharr, should I not teach you phrases by which you acquire the rank of those who excel you? No one can acquire your rank except one who acts like you. [...] Say Allahu Akbar thirty-three times; and say Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; and say SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times; and end it by saying, Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yomeetu wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shayin Qadeer. (There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due and He has power over everything.) Your sins will be forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea." [Recorded in Abu Dawud, #1499]

That's it. It's that easy! Give your excuses a black eye, and start donating. In fact, people in our communities today don't do this; so you can beat them all, in the sight of Allah--all of them. By applying this hadith consistently.

And after this hadith was narrated, the rich people mentioned in it ALSO heard this hadith. And THEY started doing this too! Subhanallah, that's stiff competition! So the poor people came back and complained again to the Prophet; and he said: "Haadhaa fadlullahi, yu'tiyhu man yashaa." (This is the bounty of Allah, He gives to whom He wishes.)

And the Messenger of Allah told us that sadaqa does not decrease wealth. So you can bet you'll get this back--every bit of it.

So what are you waiting for?

Action Items:

• Pick a Time to do Dhikr. If you do it consistently, you will be successful, insha'Allah. Pick a time like: walking to your car; before you reach the highway; on the bus; while standing in line for food; after salaah; WHATEVER time works for you--just pick a time, and be consistent in it. Day after day, month after month, you'll rack up the ajr.
• Tell three people this hadith. For every subhanallah and alhamdulillah and allahu akbar they say, you get a copy of the reward too!
• Make Du'a. Ask Allah, Ar-Razzaq, Al-Ghani, to make you rich if it is better for you, and to remove any stinginess from your heart, and to make you amongst the sincere ones.
• Donate Your Dollars! If you are amongst those blessed with some level of wealth, realize that you can be amongst those with the highest reward if you spend it for the sake of Allah. So spend it! Even if you're not rich, spend a small portion of what you have.

21 Teaching Techniques of the Prophet, by Muhammad Alshareef.

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What Made the Companions Special

In a report by Abdullah bin `Amr bin `Aas (radiallahu 'anhu), he related that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah with her daughter. On the daughter's wrist were two heavy gold bracelets. The Messenger asked her, "Do you pay Zakaat on this?" She replied, "No." The Messenger said: "Would it please you that Allah will encircle you with two bracelets of fire?" The reporter commented that she took them off and threw them down in front of the Messenger, and said: "They are for Allah and his Messenger." [Recorded in Ahmed, Tirmidhi]

Think about this for a second--fiqh of zakah aside. Imagine, if you will, yourself in this place. The Messenger of Allah comes to you, and says, "you need to pay zakah on those two gold bracelets."

What would you do? Probably hum and haw, then get them weighed, calculate the value, and leave your zakah with the masjid to distribute.

But what did this sahabi (in similar narrations, Asma the daughter of Abu Bakr) do? She gave the ENTIRE bracelets, both of them, as charity! Not just paid zakah--2.5% of of the value--she actually donated the whole thing feasabilillah!

And this is what makes companions so special! (And so much better than us!) We do the bare minimum, enough to just scrape by; but they go for the MAXIMUM reward.

And that's the lesson of this hadith--and what a valuable lesson it is!

Action Items:

1. Read about Ihsaan. Learn about it. Ask yourself frequently: "What would it mean to do ihsaan in this thing I'm doing right now?"
2. Aim for the gold medal. Don't be satisfied with memorizing only half of Juz Amma. Memorize the entire Qur'an! (Step by step, of course.) Or if you've studied one area of fiqh (like the fiqh of salah), learn what the different scholarly opinions are (like study fiqh from a different madhab).
3. Give a Little Extra. If someone asks you for help--with some project, essay, exam, task, chore around the house (parents?), don't just do the bit they ask! Throw in a little extra, do a little extra. As Allah says, "Is there any reward for ihsaan other than ihsaan?" [55:60].

We ask Allah to help us learn the lessons from these great companions and to help us implement them in our lives (ameen)!

What examples come to your mind that you can personalize with? Post them in the comments insha'Allah! If other people benefit, you get the ajr too!

• The Assassination of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab
• The Status of the Sunnah
• Light of Eman Session 3
• ar Rahman and ar Raheem
• The People of the Ditch (13): Your Purpose on Earth

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Eid 101

Below is a fantastic presentation on Eid, based on the sunnah. It outlines the dos and don'ts of Eid. Learn it, share it, and enjoy!

Eid mubarak to you and your families, on behalf of Ilm Fruits!

SWF from: http://www.outstandingmuslim.com/Eid101/engage.html

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Allah’s Knowledge

We take it for granted that Allah has infinite knowledge. But what does this mean? Let's take a "tour," if you like, of some of the things Allah knows.

There are 6-8 billion people on the face of the earth. That's 6 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000. That's a lot of people! Can you imagine learning 6 names? Or 60? Or 6000? But Allah knows their names--all 6,000,000,000 of them. And He knows everything they're going to do today. And tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after THAT.

And the day after THAT. In fact, every day, up to the end of their life. If they live ~63 years, that's about 23,000 days. Multiplied by 6 billion people, that's a lot of days!

And that's just humans! Allah knows every creature on the face of the earth--every squirrel running in a tree, every bird soaring in the air, every fish, worm, turtle, squid, octopus, and even things we don't know about, in the ocean! Wow! How many is that? A lot!

What about weather? Every snowflake is unique! How many snowflakes do you get in a snowstorm? Billions! Each created, crafted uniquely; each flying through a particular path and landing in a particular place. How many times does it rain or snow all over the world in a day? A lot!

Not to mention He knows every plant--every leaf of every plant or petal of every flower; every root of every tree!

Translation: And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record. [Surah Al-An'aam, verse 59]

This is Allah! This is our Lord--Al-'Aleem and Al-Khabeer! Subhanallah!

And subhanallah, Allah's knowledge is even more than this. Check out these two verses:

Translation: If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers." But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars. [Surah Al-An'aam, verses 27-28]

What does this have to do with Allah's knowledge? And why is Allah calling them liars? Because Allah knows everything that WOULD happen, if it DID happen, and how it would happen!

What does that mean? It means Allah knows, if they sent them back, what they would do--down to every second, down to every atom that moves, He knows. He could send them back--and He knows that if He did, they wouldn't do what they said--they would just deny Allah again!

Subhanallah! Can anyone know what Allah knows? No! So can anyone be as wise as Allah? No! Because wisdom comes from knowledge, and nobody can match Allah's knowledge!

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Light Upon Light: Fundamentals of Faith 102. Metro Toronto Convention Center, July 2007.

• How to Receive Allah’s Special Mercy
• Six Stages of Knowledge
• Knowledge, Practice, Da’wah
• Seek Knowledge from the Best Sources
• Lessons in Arabic Language

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Qur’anic Oath: Tallahi!

Bismillah

Aqsaam (oaths) in the Qur'an are a very fascinating subject that we should study and focus on more. There are a few components needed for a qasm (oath) to occur. One of them is the harf qasm, a letter that shows there is an oath being taken.

There are a few letters in the Qur'an that are used as harf qasm, for example, Allah ta'ala says "wal 'aadiyaati dhabhaa". The harf qasm in this oath is the letter wow (و).

Another harf qasm which does not appear very much in the Qur'an is the letter 'taa' (ت). The unique aspect of this letter is that it is only used for Ismul Jalaalah. You will never see the letter 'taa' being used to swear by other than Allah azza wa jal.

What is the difference between the harf wow and taa?

The harf taa is only used in very unusual circumstances, while harf wow is the standard harf qasm--the one that appears most in the Qur'an, and harf wow is used to swear by things other than Allah ta'ala.

The harf taa is used in a state of strong and overwhelming emotion, such as astonishment, anger, frustration and amazement.

Harf taa appears a total of nine times in the Qur'an: twice used by Allah azza wa jal (to swear by Himself), once in the speech of Ibrahim alayhi salaam, four times used by the brothers of Yusuf alayhi salaam, and twice in the speech of people in the hereafter.

Here are some examples:

When Ibrahim alayhi salaam was so angered and upset by his people worshipping the idols, he said:

تَاللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَامَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا مُدْبِرِينَ

"by Allah! I will definitely plot a plan (to destroy) your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs." (21:57)

When the brothers of Yusuf alayhi salaam were just shocked that their father alayhi salaam would not forget and "get over" the alleged death of their brother--in their amazement they said:

تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّى تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ

"By Allah! You will never cease remembering Yusuf until you become weak with old age, or until you die!" (12:85)

The people of hell-fire, in their complete regret and anger with themselves say:

تَاللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ  إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"By Allah! We were truly in a manifest error, when we held you (false gods) as equals with the Rabb of all that exists!" (26:97-98)

The Qur'an tells us of a future event, when a companion of Jannah begins to reminisce about a friend he had in the dunya that did not believe in the resurrection. Then a voice calls out and says:

هَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُطَّلِعُونَ

'Will you look down? ' (37:54)

فَاطَّلَعَ فَرَآهُ فِي سَوَاءِ الْجَحِيمِ

"So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the fire," (37:55)

In his gratefulness to Allah, his happiness and relief he says:

تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ وَلَوْلَا نِعْمَةُ رَبِّي لَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ

"By Allah! You have nearly ruined me! Had it not been for the Blessing of my Rabb, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell)." (37:56-57)

SubhanAllah.

• Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences
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A Concise Du’a for Guidance

Bismillah.

One of the things I decided to blog about is my own personal du'a--it's not lifted straight from the pages of the Qur'an or Sunnah, but it draws from them. My goal was to have a du'a that:

• Is short, so I can recite it in sujood every rakah or every salah
• Is encompassing--covers every aspect (in this case, of the akhirah)
• Is easy to remember, so I can remember it as needed!
• Is easy, not full of hard-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember words.

The du'a is:

اللهمَّ إجعَلنِي مِن المَقَرِّبِينَ وَ مِن المُخلِصِينَ وَ مِن الصِدِّقِينَ وَ مِن المُحسِنِين

Allahumma ij'alnee min al-muqarribeen, wa min al-mukhliseen, wa min al-muhsineen, wa min as-siddiqeen.

What does this du'a mean? It means, "O Allah, make me from among the muaqarribeen, and the mukhliseen, and the muhsineen, and the siddiqeen." Let's break down these four groups to see who they are:

1. Al-Muqarribeen: Linguistically, it means something like "those who are close." Islamically, it means those closest to Allah in the hereafter. There is no reward greater than seeing Allah's Face, and no people will see it more than the muqarribeen. (Search the Qur'an, there are lots of references to them.)
2. Al-Mukhliseen: These are the sincere ones--because your years
   of salah, or sawm, of Qur'an, mean nothing if you are insincere. Also, Shaytan promises that he will misguide every last human--except the mukhliseen.
3. Al-Muhsineen: These are the ones who do ihsaan, excellence, in every aspect. They are praised in many places of the Qur'an. It's a great quality to have.
4. As-Siddiqeen: Of the four levels mentioned in the Qur'an (prophets, siddiqeen, and two others), this is the highest level that we, today, can theoretically reach.

Obviously, you're free to use (or not use) this du'a, or mix it up and make your own; I find it useful because it's concise, it covers a lot of traits, and it's pretty easy to remember.

Wallahu ta'ala 'alim.

• Productive Meetings: Two Cents and Two Sentences
• Light of Guidance
• Sins: Tawbah and Repetition
• Have you Established the Salaah?
• Naseeha From Our Brother Sa’ad Gaya

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Creative Qiyaam-ul-Layl Alarms

Bismillah.

We all know that we should pray tahajjud, aka qiyaam-ul-layl. It's well established in the deen that this is a very, very rewarding thing to do (but it's not fard, so don't sweat it if you're not doing it). Some motivational factors for this include:

• The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) used to pray Qiyaam-ul-Layl until his legs swelled. When asked why--since Allah has forgiven all his past and future sins, he said: Should I not be a grateful slave? [Agreed Upon]
• Do you have goals you're trying to achieve? Is there something you really, really want? Are you willing to pray Qiyam and cry in front of Allah for it? Because nothing will turbo-charge your success like Qiyam.
• On the day of Judgment, Allah will ask about YOUR salah. If it's not 100% perfect, He will not even LOOK at your other deeds. BUT! If your Fard salaah is not perfect, Allah will patch it up with your nafl and sunnah prayers--including Qiyaam-ul-Layl. [There's a hadith related to this recorded in the collection of At-Tabari]

So what are some creative, unorthodox, unusual timers you use to wake you up? Share it in the comments! Some of the one's I've seen (that are effective) are:

1. Crying Babies: If there's a young child in your family (under two years), chances are they wake up crying in the night. Take advantage of this--get up and pray!
2. Bad Dreams: In one narration, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said that if you have a bad dream, you should wake up and pray. Shaytan will get discouraged from sending you more bad dreams--because it's resulting in you doing MORE good deeds!
3. Drink Water: Drink lots of water--about a liter. You will FOR SURE have to wake up to use the washroom in the night. Make wudoo' while you're at it!

What are some other creative, useful, effective methods you use to wake up for Qiyaam?

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• Ramadan: The Excuse-Killer

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