Ibadah

In Suratul-Furqaan (Surah 25), ayah 63, Allah begins a description of what is translated as “the slaves of Ar-Rahmaan (Allah)…” …عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ In ayah 64, He describes these “slaves” by saying: َالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّداً وَقِيَاماً … This is translated as: those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating (in sujood) and standing. Tafsir ibn Kathir explains this ayah, and compares it to ayahs 17-18 from Suratuth-Thaariyaat (Surah 51):

Bismillah ‏حدثنا ‏ ‏سويد ‏ ‏أخبرنا ‏ ‏عبد الله ‏ ‏أخبرنا ‏ ‏أبو العلاء ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏عطية ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏أبي سعيد ‏ ‏قال ‏ ‏قال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏كيف أنعم وصاحب القرن قد ‏ ‏التقم ‏ ‏القرن واستمع الإذن متى يؤمر بالنفخ فينفخ فكأن ذلك ثقل على ‏ ‏أصحاب النبي ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏فقال لهم قولوا حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل على الله توكلنا The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, “How can I feel comfort while the angel responsible for The Trumpet has placed The Trumpet to his mouth and lowered his forehead, awaiting when he will be commanded (by Allah to blow in it)?

Arafah: the main day of Hajj. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said in one hadith: “Hajj IS Arafah.” [Sunan Abu Dawud, book 10, #1944] How true that is–if you go to Arafah, but miss everything else, your Hajj is sound; and if you do everything else, but miss Arafah, your Hajj is not valid. How much more important can you get than that? Arafah, the day when millions of poeple gather in one place at one time to praise and supplicate to Allah.

Bismillah. Check out this hadith: ‏إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَّامِكُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَأَكْثِرُوا عَلَيَّ مِنْ الصَّلاَةِ فِيهِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعْرُوضَةٌ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ تُعْرَضُ صَلاَتُنَا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَرَمْتَ ‏- ‏قَالَ يَقُولُونَ بَلِيتَ ‏قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَرَّمَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَجْسَادَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Surely, among the best of your days is Friday; so increase in (invoking Allah’s) salaat upon me during it, for your (invocations for Allah’s) Salaat (upon me) will be displayed to me.

Take a look at the following picture. What do you see? Most people will say they see the black dot. Not the whole field of white dots. That’s people for you! Despite all the white dots around us–our health, wealth, youth, our household, our family, our fine clothing–we only see the black dots. That guy at work who’s always talking on the phone. That punk at school who keeps stealing your cookies.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the first few verses of Surah Mu’minoon: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ Translation: Successful are the Believers! Those who establish their salaah with khushoo. [Surah Mu’minoon, verses 1-2] Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) carries on to mention many other characteristics of the believer in this surah–however, the thing to focus on, the thing to ponder about, is that the FIRST characteristic that Allah chooses to describe a believer by–a person who establishes the salaah.

Bismillah How many times have we heard this duaa in our lives: Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qinaa athaban naar. Have we ever contemplated how complete this duaa is? Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاَقٍ وِمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ Translation: And among the people is he who says, “our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share.

The word “khamr” in Arabic refers to intoxicants (in general), but also specifically to alcohol. We all know drinking alcohol is haraam–but is alcohol itself najas? People use alcohol in medicine, in lens-cleaners, even in foods. What have scholars said about this? Summary: Allahu ‘alim, both sides–those that say alcohol is najas, and those that don’t–have strong proofs. Having said that, all four madhahib say alcohol is najas. The main proof–and there are a few proofs–is the ayah:

What is tawaf, how do you do it, and what’s the best way to go about it? Tawaf, Islamically, means circling around the Ka’bah for Hajj in the way the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) did and told us to do. The requirements of tawaf are simple–be in a state of wudoo. The mechanics of tawaf are: You walk around the ka’bah, seven times Start at the Black Stone corner (from outside, it has a green light); raise your hand towards the Black Stone and say “Allahu Akbar” (or, if you can reach it, touch the black stone and say Allahu Akbar) For men, if possible, you walk quickly (raml, in Arabic) the first three times Make du’a, recite Qur’an, or make dhikr as you walk.

We go through life praying, giving to the poor, fasting, and other forms of worship which are prescribed by Allah. However, when was the last time we sat back and really tried to understand what it means to worship Allah? Why do we worship Him? Listen to the podcast for more details on this crucial aspect of Islam–worship.