Ok, so you parents have rights upon you while they live. Most of us know that. What about after they’ve left this life? Is it possible they might still have some rights due from you? The answer is a resounding yes! Their rights, after they die, are: Janaazah: That you (or someone in the community) washes their body, buries them, etc., and you pray their janaazah prayer with the community.

We’ve all been there…You’re just chillin’, chatting on MSN with your buddies, and then you take a look at the time. Its 12:13am and you still haven’t prayed Isha. O mannn! You get off MSN, go make wudoo, and then perform your prayer. However, as we all know, our laziness and tired state takes over us, and this reflects in our prayer. You finish praying at 12:17am and you find yourself in the same position you were no more than five mins ago, on MSN.

One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sat with his companions, early in the morning. He asked, “who among you is fasting this day?” Abu Bakr said “I am.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “who amongst you followed the funeral bier (i.e. a janaazah) today?” and Abu Bakr said “I have.” Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “who amongst you served food to the needy?” Abu Bakr said “I have.

Never, ever, EVER say such-and-such is haram/halal/fard/etc. without knowledge. To say so, is to sign on behalf of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). And who dares to do that without knowledge? This is the job of the mujtahiduwn — those who research fiqh issues and then issue fatawa. Notice, the best of them always say, “this is the final ruling, and Allah knows best.” Why? Because they are signing on behalf of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

Today I have learned a valuable lesson, and I believe its a lesson that all of you readers can benefit from. The lesson itself is very simple, but realizing the importance and understanding the implications it may have in one’s life is what matters the most. The lesson is: you can‘t please everyone. Sounds so simple, right? Many of us are reading this and saying, well duh! So then, if its so obvious why do we keep persisting in our efforts to doing so?

Anytime Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), or the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) mention Paradise for an action, it means that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) holds that action in high regard. So perform these activities regularly, and with ihsaan! Inshallah in the coming days, we will expound and narrate some instances where Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), or His messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم), promised paradise — keys that we can use to unlock the doors and, inshallah, enter!

Want to learn Arabic–or for that matter, any language–quickly? Transcend beyond what you learn in class? Fly past your peers in terms of knowledge and understanding? Want to achieve all this without spending hours of time or hundreds of dollars? Well, the solution is here–and it’s already available to you! All you need is a pen, some paper, and a mushaf (copy of the Qur’an)–and, most importantly, your brain! Read Read and recite the Qur’an.

We feel the pain. We are hurting. We are crying. Reality has kicked in. Up until a month ago, everything was just a blur, didn’t know the effect and seriousness of the situations around the world. Up until a month ago, don’t even know if I felt for those around the world. However, when it creeps up into your own country, your own city, your own community, your own _family_–you feel everything.

We all are sitting in a world in which the value of knowledge is at its all-time high. Many of us, or our parents, invest a good amount of income towards this so-called “educational system” entitled “University” or “College”. Many of us invest hours upon hours, days upon days, week after week indulged in books and lectures learning about Limits, Laws of Neutrality, Psychological Human Behaviour, or, my favourite, Pareto Optimal (:S).

For those who have a little bit of understanding about the Arabic language, or wish to deepen their understanding, you may wish to venture into the ArabicGems blog. This blog covers different gems gleaned from the Qur’an based on the Arabic language. Subhanallah, it really helps you realize the miraculous nature of the Qur’an–how every phrase or even word articulates waves of meaning, and how translations don’t even begin to convey everything.