Do not Be Sad.

Assalam Aleikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuhu

As I was sitting on my prayer matt feeling slightly down, thinking about my life and my challanges, a series of thoughts were running in my head . I could not stop my tears . I asked myself so many questions and found the answers flowing down my head one by one Subhana Allah! as if someone was talking to me. Each answer put me to shame and reminded me how small my problems were.  I am here to ask the same questions my dear sister and brother and help you find answers in shaa Allah.

Right now you might be sad or depressed or unhappy because of a certain thing or things in your life. What is it that is making you sad and depressed and is it affecting your imaan (faith)?
Let’s explore some of the problems you might be going through right now…

Are you looking for a job or suffering poverty? And maybe you feel you have tried many things find the solution but nothing is working and you are asking yourself why me?
Hold that thought my dear sister and brother and take a moment to think of your beloved Prophet peace be upon him.  He suffered extreme poverty to the limit he used to tie a rock on his stomach out of hanger.    Have you ever experienced that in your life?
If the answer is No then be sure that you are in a great blessing and if you are patient and continue to strive and make dua you will be very happy soon in shaa Allah. And if the answer is yes which I really doubt then be super happy because you have a share in the legacy of your Prophet peace be upon him.

Are you sad because you lost a loved one and you really miss them?
Let’s look at our beloved Prophet peace be upon him and how he lost both his parents by the age of six. Can you even comprehend how he was feeling!? If you have a young son or daughter, look at them and picture the situation. And in his adolescent age he also lost his uncle who used to defend him and protect him (who was a father to him) and his beloved wife in the same year when he needed them most as everyone was against him. Allah sometimes takes people and things away from us not to torture us but because we need to grow a thicker skin to survive what is coming.

Are you having a problem with your family or friends for any reason or are they cutting you off because of Islam?
No matter how hard it is, it will not be harder than what he went through peace be upon him. Imagine your family and community plotting and planning each day on how they are going to kill you and torture you and your loved ones!! 
Are you sad because you wish to get married and have children and that hasn’t happened yet?
The Prophet peace be upon him got married to the woman he loved but she died and left him. He had three boys but he lost them all and he had to start life all over again.  Don’t despair my dear sister and brother, anything which Allah decrees on you is what is good for you no matter how bad it looks or feels. And these are not my words but the words of Allah and the Prophet peace be upon him, so hang in there and wait for the khair (good) as it is coming soon in shaa Allah.
Allah says what can be translated as: But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. 2:216

Are you sad because you lost a child or lost someone dear to you?
The Prophet peace be upon him lost his three boys and not just that, his own family had no sympathy for him. As he was crying out of pain and sadness for his own baby, they were out making fun of him and mocking him, calling him abtar (the one who is crippled   because he did not have boys). How would you feel if you were in his situation?!
Remember the story of Musa and Al Khidr in surat Al Kahf. Allah might have taken that child to replace him with another pious child, just rest assured that Allah gives you only good and Allah gives only khair.

Are you feeling lonely or feeling unloved?
Think of him peace be upon him in his late fifties beaten up with rocks, running and trying to find a safe place to hide. His feet bleeding to the limit they were sticking to his sandals and he was the Prophet of Allah peace be upon him!! Sitting in a secluded area alone crying to Allah for what they did to him! But the question did Allah leave him?! Why are you despairing my dear sister and brother?  Go back to Allah, you will find Him. Allah never leaves a sincere caller.

If you are sad for any reason my dear sister and brother think of the following and remind yourself that it could have been worse and that your beloved Prophet peace be upon him had it worse than you and he was the messenger of Allah. He had it worse than you and he was the chosen one. He had it worse than you and he used to spend the night in prayer. He had it worse than you and he never mistreated a human being or a living thing. He had it worse than you and he never gave up. .He had it worse than you and he never stopped praying and making dua!!

But why do you think he had it worse than you?
Simply to teach you that Allah will never give you more than you can handle, Allah says what can be translated as: (Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. 2:286
He had it worse than you to teach you that these trials are to strengthen you, to give you a better status in the eyes of Allah and to grant you Jannah which you can never attain with your own deeds. So remember that promise.

When the Prophet peace be upon him was praying at the Ka’bah while his enemies were watching his every move and action, one of his uncles put on his back the intestine and filrth of a slaughtered camel during his prostration. The Prophet did not react and stayed in the position of sujoud. His daughter, Fatimah, rushed to take the filth off his back and cleaned him up while crying. The Prophet peace be upon him said to her: Don’t cry ya Fatimah your father is on the haqq (The truth)

In the battle of Uhud, when his Makkan enemies attacked the Muslims, Prophet Muhammad suffered head injury and his front teeth got smashed and blood started to seep from his head.
Despite all this and more, he prevailed. They tried to humiliate him and they still try until this day but Allah honored him and promised to honor him until the day of Judgement. Allah says what can be translated as (Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers) 15:95
The door of heaven will not open to anyone before our beloved Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him as an honor to him. 
Muslim also reported from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:  "I will come to the gates of paradise and ask for it to be opened. The gatekeeper will ask, "Who are you?" I will say, "Muhammad". The gatekeeper will say, "I was ordered not to open the gate for anyone else before you"".  [Saheeh Muslim]

The result for all his struggles was for you to have this complete beautiful religion to practice it at ease. A religion of haqq (truth) which gives you peace and tranquility in this trying life and will give you eternal happiness where you will have and find everyone and everything you want and more. This deen which will bring you honor among all nations in shaa Allah.
Bukhaari, Muslim and an-Nasaa'ee report from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said:  "We are the last, but we will be the first on the Day of Resurrection. We will be the first of mankind to enter Paradise".

Now my dear sister and brother ask yourself!  How bad is it compared to what your beloved Prophet peace be upon him went through?  Let’s learn from him to be better believers. Let’s always remember his sufferings and compare them to ours. Let’s have strong faith and know that if Allah tested him peace be upon him then He will for sure test us also but not because He wants us to suffer but because He wants us to be better believers and have what it takes to survive this world and attain that level in Jannah.
Remember as long as the problem is not in your deen then you are good to go. If the trial is in your deen then that is when you should be sad and depressed because that is dangerous and may lead you to hell fire but if the trial is in the matters of this dunia, then let it be as the matters of dunia are always changing and Allah will guide you through them. Just hang in there and hold tight on to your deen and you will be minal faizeen (the winners) in shaa Allah.

Allahum Sall’I wa sall’im Ala Sayydina Mohammad

SUJOUD AL SHUKR.

Everything you need to know about Sujoud Al Shukr (prostration for thanks and gratitude to Allah)

What is sujoud Al Shukr?
Sujood ash-Shukr is a prostration which is performed for Allaah, in order to show Shukr (thanks and gratitude) to Him for a specific blessing.

When is it performed?
No doubt every blessing is from Allaah. He said,
{Whatever you have of blessing – it is from Allah} [16:53]

However Sujood ash-Shukr is not performed for blessings in general, rather it is only performed for a specific blessing at a specific time – such as a person being blessed with the birth of their child, getting a job or passing an exam. It can also be performed when a specific harm is alleviated from a person – such as being cured from an illness or being saved from  calamity.

Evidence from the Sunnah:
Upon the authority of Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him),
Whenever the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) was pleased by a matter or was given the glad tidings of a matter, he would go into prostration as a form of Shukr to Allaah. Collected by Abu Dawood & Ibn Maajah

Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq prostrated when news reached him that Musaylamah the Liar had been killed. Alee’ prostrated when Dhul Thadiyyah had been killed among the Khawaarij. The Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam)  also prostrated when Jibreel gave him the glad tidings that whoever sends salutations upon the Prophet once, Allaah will send salutations on that person ten fold…” Mentioned by al-Adheemabaadi in ‘Awnal-Ma’bood Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood

How it is performed:

As soon as a person hears of a specific blessing, it is recommended for him to immediately prostrate to Allaah. This is a prostration like any other prostration – in terms of prostrating on seven limbs [1] and saying:
سبحان ربي الأعلى
Subhana Rabil A’alah (Glorified is my Lord, the Most High)

A person should then also thank Allaah for the blessing.

There is no evidence however, for a person to say Takbeer at the beginning of the prostration, nor Tasleem after it.

Does a person have to be in a state of Wudhu?

“The correct opinion is that it is not obligated upon a person to be in a state of Wudhu when performing Sujood ash-Shukr. This is because the reason for performing it is due to an occurrence of a blessing or removal of a harm, and there is no specific time for this in which a person can prepare for it. In such a case, whenever a person is blessed, he should immediately perform Sujood ash-Shukr in whatever state he is in.”  Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen; Fataawa noorun alaa ad-darb http://islamport.com/w/ftw/Web/2190/2457.htmInnovations

There are a number of innovations and fabricated narrations which are occurring in relation to Sujood ash-Shukr:

1. Salaat ash-Shukr
It has not been narrated that the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) dedicated a specific prayer called Salaat ash-Shukr. The only act of worship established is Sujood ash-Shukr – as mentioned above.

2. Performing Sujood ash-Shukr after each prayer or after reciting Qur’an
As mentioned previously in the Hadeeth, the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) would only perform Sujood ash-Shukr on specific instances of good news or being saved from calamity. Therefore to introduce a new practice of performing a separate Sujood after each prayer is blameworthy and  is a Bid’ah (an innovation).

3. Saying Alhamdulillah 3 times, or Shukr Lillah 3 times
To specify a saying or Du’aa in Islaam requires evidence that it was done by the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions. It is not known that the above statements were specified to be said during Sujood ash-Shukr.

A Fabricated Narration:

There is a narration which is mentioned by people in relation to Sujood ash-Shukr. It is,
“When the slaves of Allah do Sajdah-ul-Shukr, Allah opens the hijaab between them & the angels. He says to the Angels, ‘look at my slave, he did his fardh, obeyed my teachings and then performed Sujood to thank Me for what I’ve blessed him with.
‘Oh My Angels what should he get?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabbana give him Your mercy.’
Then Allah will ask again, ‘and what else?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana give him Your heaven.’
Then Allah will ask again, ‘and what else?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana make his worries end.’
Then Allah Ta’aala will ‘ask what else?’
Every time Allah asks and what else?
The Angels will reply, something good to be given or be done to the person who does Sajdah-ul-Shukr.
Lastly the Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana we have no knowledge.’
Then Allah will say, ‘ I’ll thank him the way he thanked Me, I’ll give him My favour and show him My mercy’.” [End of narration].

Note: It should be known that this is a fabricated narration and has not been mentioned in the authentic books of Hadeeth and Sunnan. Rather it is a narration spread by the Rawaafidh Shee’ah in their books such as Bihaar al-Anwaar, Mustadrak al-Wasaail and others.
It is therefore not permitted to spread this hadeeth, rather this fabrication should be clarified and warned against.

Allaah knows best.

1] The seven limbs that must touch the ground when prostrating have been mentioned in the following Hadeeth: “I have been ordered to prostrate on seven limbs: the forehead – and he also pointed towards his nose, two hands, two knees and the toes of the two feet. [Narrated by Ibn Abbaas; Collected by Bukhaaree & Muslim]

When Giving Sadaqa.( What not to do)

Assalam Alikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatouh
Many of us have the habit of asking the poor to pray for us after giving them our sadaqa. Do you know that our mother Aisha may Allah be pleased with her used to hate that!! Why?
Allah says in surat Al Insaan what can be translated as: And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,76:8

Meaning even the captive who comes to kill you and you hold them captive, you must feed them.
Then Allah continues in the following ayah saying what can be translated as: "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9
Meaning we do not wish from you any reward (like Dua’a) or gratitude (A thank you). So when you give sadaqa do not ask the poor person to pray for you, this is a very important matter my dear sister and brother and if you have been doing it, you must stop.
Our mother Aisha may Allah be pleased with her used to send the messengers with sadaqaat (money as charity) to different locations and when the messengers come back, she used to ask them, what did they pray for me? The messengers would say, they prayed for you such and such, she will say I will pray for them the same so the reward remains with Allah!! Why is that?
Because when the poor person prays for you, they have already rewarded you for your kindness and good deed!.
So for example If I gave a poor person $20 and told them: “ pray for me to be cured, and pray for my children and my husband” this means if this person prays for me then they have already rewarded me. The question, is this the reward I was looking for?
That is why Allah said in the above ayah: "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9
So when you give that sadaqa, you give it for the sake of Allah and Allah will reward you for it and you and I know that no human can reward us better than the Most Generous Subhanahu wa Ta’alah
If the poor person prayed for you without you asking that is fine but you do not give a $50 and say please pray for me to get married, get a job, have children…etc.
Give the sadaqa. What do you want? Nothing, “We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9”
Sadly, many of us do not realize this. We give and say do not forget to pray for me.

Give the sadaqa and the reward is from Allah, if the poor person prayed for you, that’s fine and if they didn’t then the reward remains with Allah.

Al Man'n

Assalam Aleikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuhu

I want to cover today a very fatal mistake most of us fall into. We commit it because we do not know the gravity of it and what will it cost us!!!
I know that you and I always try to strive to help others and do good so that we can get the reward for those deeds but some of us lose all the reward by doing a very simple action.. Sometimes we do this action without thinking……what is it?
It is what we call in Arabic Al Man’n
Al Man’n means, giving something to the person then saying: I gave you, or telling someone I did this and that for you and look at how you are paying me?!! Phrases like this which many of us use especially when someone hurts you after you being good to them.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَى كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْداً لا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ) (البقرة:264)
Translation:
O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. 2:264
The minute you utter that word my dear sister and brother, you have lost all the deeds you did for that person no matter how big or many they are. This is very common with us, especially with our families and friends. When we do good to someone, we say: I did this and that and I gave them and look at how they are treating me ??!!
Why my dear sister and brother? Why waste all your efforts and your deeds? Look back into your life and see how many deeds you have wasted by committing Man’n?
Let me ask you; Who are you giving?
You need to understand that when you give, you are giving Allah from the provisions of Allah!!!
When you give something, you are not giving it to the person, but your sadaqa or your charity falls on the hands of Allah first before it falls on the hands of the needy so have manners with Allah and look at how you are giving!! When you did what you did, did you do it for the sake of Allah or because you expected a pay back in return?
The Prophet peace be upon him said:
وعن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله يوم القيامة ولا ينظر إليهم، ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم" قال: فقرأها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلاث مرار. قال أبو ذر: خابوا وخسروا من هم يا رسول الله؟ قال: المسبل، والمنان، والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذب" ((رواه مسلم)).
Translation:
Abi Thar may Allah pleased with him said, the Prophet peace be upon him said: There are three types of people to whom Allah (swt ) will not speak and neither will he bless them and for them is a severe torment” Abu thar said : The Prophet peace be upon him repeated it three times. I said: They are the losers Oh Messenger of Allah, who are they? The Prophet peace be upon him said: The Musbil (the man who lets his garment too long on the floor, The mannan (the one who gives and reminds those he gave) and the one who swears lying to sell his product. (Narrated Muslim)
Man’n is even worse when it is done to a relative or a family member, like a brother or a cousin or an uncle…etc.
You say: I did this and that for them and look at what they did to me or you say I covered for them and they exposed me and other phrases similar to this, disclosing the good you did.
The minute you open your mouth and say what you did, you should know that everything you did is down the drain and you simply got nothing from it. You might even suffer from it on the Day of Judgment as per the above hadith. So be careful my dear sister and brother, this is a big deal. Control your tongue and watch out what you say. One word could cost you a great amount of good deed and might make Allah angry with you.
Do good for the sake of Allah and hide it as much as you can because you only expect the reward from Allah and not from any human being.
The Prophet peace be upon him exaggerated in the hadith when he said your left hand should not know what your right hand has given!! This was to emphasis on the importance of hiding your good deeds and your charity.
May Allah grant us tawfeeq (success) to do good for others and avoid Man’n