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1.Punishment of a Liar. Narrated Anas: There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).
Source: Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814
Once Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was taking rest under a tree when he was returning from an expedition and hung his sword from the tree. A Non-Muslim person came quietly, took hold of the sword and, addressing the Prophet said to him: "O Muhammad! now who will save you from my hand?" The Prophet heard it, rose up from his seat and said: "Allah will save me." Hearing the name of Allah, he was overawed and the sword slipped from his hand. The Prophet rose up from his place, took the sword into his hand and questioned him: "Now who will save you from my hand?" He felt sorry and begged apology. The Prophet forgave him. He was so impressed by this kindness that he embraced Islam. He then went to his tribesmen and expressed that he never found a man better than Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Source: "The Miracles of the Prophet" by Shaikh Ahmed S. Dehalvi; also related in Bukhari and other sources with slight variations.
Related to the protection of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah has mentioned in the Quran "O Apostle! proclaim the message which has been sent to you from your Lord. If you do not do it, you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed this mission. And Allah will defend you against men who mean mischief. For Allah guides not those who reject faith." (Al Quran 5:67). Shaikh Khidir from Toronto, Canada once gave a very beautiful example on the importance of following the ways (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said that sunnah is like medicine. Usually, when we visit the doctors for treatment, they write on the prescriptions the medicines we need. We take these prescriptions to pharmacists who then sell the medicines to us. Sometimes these medicines are bitter and hard to swallow, but we still consume them as we know that the cure is in them. Similarly, each and every sunnah has physical and spiritual cure for us in this world and in the hereafter. Even if some of sunnah are hard to follow, we should still follow them as the cure is in them.
"...So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you..." Al Quran 59:7 The following story is about a brother from Guyana who became a Muslim from being a Hindu and Christian Priest for 10 years.
His current name is Ahmed Tabarani. He was born in a poor Hindu family in Guyana. However, he used to dislike worshipping statues since his childhood. As he grew up, he became connected with the local Church because they worshipped three divine beings (God, Jesus and Holy Spirit) rather than worshipping hundreds of idols. Eventually, he became a Christian and studied for many years to become a Christian priest. The Church hired him and paid for all his travelling and living expenses. His family became very pleased to see that because he became a Christian, their poverty was removed. As a result, the whole family became Christians. During the 10 years of serving as a Priest, he always used to wake up at night and meditate. He used to ask God to show him whether he was following the truth. In one such nights, he had a vision. He saw that three people dressed in white long throbes, wearing turban and beard are walking towards him and these people are to show him the true religion. After seeing this vision, many years passed by but he didn't see such a thing happening. But one day, a group of Muslims (part of Tabligh Jamah) visited a Masjid near his place to call people towards Allah. That afternoon, as he was going to the Church, he saw three of these Muslims are coming towards him. Immediately, he remembered his vision. These three Muslims resembled exactly what he saw in the vision. Then he approached them and asked what religion they follow. The Muslims told him about Islam and he became a Muslim on the spot and quit being a priest. Poverty again took over his family as he quit his job. All his family members, especially his mother, became angry at him for becoming a Muslim. But he said the following words to his mother, "Dear mother, I could give you a new pair of shoes, but they will become worn out. I could give you a new dress, but that too will become old and ripped. But I can give you something that will never finish. My mother, say 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.'" The mother was really touched by this statement and became a Muslim. Following her, everyone else in the family also became Muslims. For 15 years, Ahmed Tabarani is a practising Muslim serving Islam with his total energy. He is currently living in Canada. Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "We complained to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was reclining on his cloak in the shade of the Ka'bah. We said to him: "Why do you not ask Allaah to help us (grant us victory)? Why do you not pray to Allaah for us?" He said, "A man from the people before you would be placed in a hole dug for him, then they would bring a saw and cut his head in two, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. They would use an iron comb to drag the flesh and nerves from his bones, yet that would not make him renounce his faith. By Allaah, this matter will be completed (i.e. Islam will be perfected and will prevail) until a rider travelling from Sana' to Hadramawt will fear nobody but Allaah or the attack of a wolf on his sheep, but you are too impatient." Source: Sahih Bukhari.
The conditions of Muslims may go up and down but Islam will always remain on top. We should never lose hope even during the most difficult times as Allah is always in control. Surely, Allah helps those who are patient. The following incident has been narrated by Colonel Amir Uddin who originally heard it from his wife. Colonel Amir Uddin is a well known caller to Islam through whose effort over 6,000 people have accepted Islam all over the world. He is 86 years old and have been to over 56 countries to call people towards Allah.
During one such journeys to invite people to Islam, his wife met a woman who was a new Muslim. While travelling, they came to know how she became a Muslim. The woman said that she was originally a Christian but her husband was a Muslim. Her husband used to tell her about the oneness of God everyday. One day while she was in the Church, she asked the Priest whether the Muslims' cocept of oneness of God was correct or the Christians' concept of Trinity was correct. The Priest told her that the Muslims are correct and he also advised her to keep this matter secret. She became very confused after hearing this. At night when she went home, she prayed to God to show her which path was the truth. She started reading the Bible thoroughly to search for answers. One night after she prayed to God to show her the truth, she opened the Bible and to her amazement, the entire Bible appeared to her as Arabic text! She mentioned this to an Imam who told her that this was a sign from Allah to accept the Quran as her guidance instead of the Bible. She became Muslim there and then.
Dear readers, such incidents are nothing new. These incidents happen on a daily basis to those who are searching for the truth. We did not come to this world with our own will. We will not leave this world with our own will. Then why live this life according to our own will? A Muslim is that person who submits to the will of Allah. Let us all submit to Allah, Who is the Lord of everything in and out of this universe. "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." (Al Quran, 3:85) There lived an idolator in the past who made an idol out of stone and would worship it everyday. He would call it upon it by saying "Ya Sanam." For seventy years, he worshipped this idol. One day by mistake he uttered "Ya Samad" instead of Ya Sanam. Samad is a name of Allah which means The Self Sufficient Master. Allah Ta'ala immediately replied back to this idolator by saying "I am present oh My slave." The angels asked Allah why He replied to him since he didn't even call upon Him intentionally. Allah told the angels that for seventy years I have been waiting for this servant of mine to turn towards Me!
If a mother has only one child then how much would she love him? He would be the coolness of her eyes and the comfort of her heart. But if this son calls her saying "Mommy" more than four or five times, she would get irritated eventhough she loves him more than her ownself. On the other hand, when we call Allah once, He replies back to us 70 times by saying "Labbaik Ya Abdi (I am here oh My slave)." How unfortunate we are that we have not recognized our Allah who is so Kind, Merciful and Forgiving.
Source: Extracted from the lecture by Shaikh Tariq Jameel. The following story is about how Taraweeh salah changed the life of a person during the month of Ramadan.
About 20 years ago, brother Khawaja used to live with his family in an apartment building in Toronto, Canada. During the month of Ramadan, the local Muslims would get together and arrange a small room in that building to offer Taraweeh prayers. Brother Khawaja states, "I wasn't that particular about offering prayers so I didn't show much interest in going to Taraweeh which was Sunnah and not even Fardh." His wife would constantly tell him to go but that didn't change his mind. However, she would prepare her two small sons and send them to the prayer. One day, his sons returned back from Taraweeh with tears in their eyes. Brother Khawaja became concerned and asked why they were crying. They replied, "Everyone's father goes to Taraweeh but our father doesn't go." This really touched his heart and he promised his sons that he will go with them to Taraweeh the next day. It so happened that there was a speech on that day after listening to which Brother Khawaja decided to change his life. Since then, he has been actively participating in many Islamic activities and have built and supported various Masjids.
Many days of Ramadan has already passed by. Let us spend our time properly to obtain as much as we can from this Ramadan. Be generous in this month and increase your acts of worship. The following is a touching story about a new Muslim and his mother. Before he was a Muslim, he lived with his mother until he was about 18 years old. Then he moved out of his home and lived in a different place on his own. During those days, he met some Muslims and became a very close friend of them. Eventually he himself became a Muslim after learning about the beautiful religion of Islam from them. He made an effort every day to learn more and more about Islam. One day, he came to learn about the benefits of being good to one's parents. He learned that a person who looks at his parents with the eyes of obedience gets the reward of one accepted Hajj! (The reward is mentioned in an authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim). After knowing this, he decided to visit his mother whom he did not visit for many years. He bought some flowers and fruits for her on his way. His mother was very pleased to see him after so long. He started spending lots of time with his mother on a regular basis. During his visits, he would stare at his mother and tears would roll down from his eyes. The mother noticed this happening many times and asked him one day the reason why he visits her so much all of a sudden and why he cries. He told her about how he became a Muslim and that the position of a mother in Islam is very high. He also told her about the reward he gets for looking at her. But while looking at her, he cries because the mother is not a Muslim and would not be able to save herself if she dies in this state. The mother immediately recognized the beauty of Islam and became a Muslim.
There was a little girl (six years old) who was fasting in Ramadhan, even though it is not obligatory on people below the age of puberty. She was in school, and at lunch time, when all the other children went out to eat and have lunch, she sat in the classroom, because she was fasting. Her (non-muslim) teacher thought that she was too young to fast, and so said that it was not necessary, and she could eat a little. The girl still didn't eat. Then the teacher said: "Your parents are not here, it doesn't matter if you eat a little". The girl replied: "I am not fasting for my parents, I am fasting for Allah". This simple statement had such a profound effect on the teacher, that later she accepted Islam.
Submitted by an anonymous visitor to the Islamcan Forum. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates: Nabi (peace be upon him) said: A person set out to visit his (Muslim) brother in another village and Allah sent an angel to wait for him on his way. (When this man reached the angel) the angel asked: Where are you heading? He replied: I am heading for a brother of mine in this village. The angel asked: Does he owe you something, which you want to get back? The man replied: No. I just love him for the sake of Allah. The angel said: I am Allah's courier (informer) to you, to inform you that Allah loves you just as you love him for His sake.
Source: Sahih Muslim.
Eid is just around the corner so visit your friends during this happy day for the sake of Allah Once Abdullah Bin Jafar (ra) was passing through a forest when he went by an orchard where an Abyssinian (Ethiopian) slave was working. Someone brought him his food and, at the same time a stray dog came into the garden, and stood by the slave, who threw a loaf of bread to the dog, which ate it but did not go away. The slave-boy threw it a second loaf and a third one, thus letting it eat the whole of his daily provision of food, keeping nothing back for himself. Abdullah bin Jafar, who had been watching this, said to the boy, "How much bread do you get as your daily ration of food?" The boy said, "I get three loaves everyday, as you have just seen." Ibn Jafar asked, "Then, why did you prefer a dog to yourself and feed it all the three loaves?" The boy said, "There are no dogs living round here. The poor creature must have travelled a long distance to reach here and it must be feeling very hungry. So, I felt ashamed to send it away, without serving it any food." Ibn Jafar said, "What will you have for food today?" The boy said, "I shall go without food for a day, which I don't mind." Ibn Jafar said to himself, "People criticise you for spending too liberally, but this slave-boy is far more generous than you." After this he came back to the town and, after purchasing the slave-boy, the garden and all the other effects therein from the owner, he set free the slave-boy and gave him the garden as a gift.
Source: It-haaf; also found in Virtues of Charity Part II, translated by Abdul Karim.
Islam is the religion of mercy towards the creations and obedience towards the Creator. Let us practise it fully. Imam Bukhari, who was one of the greatest compilers of ahadith, became blind at a young age. He had recourse to many famous and skilled doctors of his time but their treatments made no difference. His mother was a pious worshipper and a righteous woman. She cried out for help in the court of Allah the Almighty, for her child and begged for the restoration of his eyesight. At last, "the river of mercy flowed over her," and Almighty Allah accepted her invocation. One night, she visited Ibrahim alayhis-salam in a dream and was told, "Allah has restored the sight of your son because of your intense and beautiful invocations." In the morning, as Imam Bukhari got up from his bed, glimmers of light reached out into his eyes. That is, his eyesight was fully restored.
Source: From the biography of Imam Bukhari (ra) located in the beginning of Sahih Al Bukhari 9 Volume English Translation. Additional details were provided by Shaykh al-Hadith Allama Ghulam Rasul Sa`idi.
Make use of salah and dua to solve any problem that even the best experts of this world cannot solve. Unfortunately, the Muslims are turning away from these deeds today when they need them the most. We pray for Allah to give us the true understading of Islam. During giving a lecture to the youths in March 2002, brother Nakuda (an Imam of Makki Masjid located in Brampton, Canada), mentioned the following story: A Muslim brother bought a house in the neighbouring city and moved in it with his family. All day they were busy in placing things here and there. In fact, they bought the house with much effort and now they could finally enjoy it. But, they had no idea what was to come on the next day. In the following morning, the brother and his wife were going to work with their car. On their way, they got into a terrible car accident. The husband died and the wife survived. Death took over the husband and not the wife even though they were seating side by side. Brother Nakuda did his Janaza on the day he had to give the lecture to the youths.
We are all aware of our birth dates but we do not know when our death dates will be. Rather than thinking back and enjoying the day we were born, we should realize that the day to leave this world is coming nearer. How strange is a human being that the hereafter comes closer and closer to him yet he moves further and further from the obedience of Allah! The following story was narrated to us by brother Mahmud from Preston, England. Once, he along with a group of Muslims were visiting a city for inviting others to Allah. They happened to pass by a group of youths who were Muslims by birth but became gang members. The brothers didn't give those gang members the negative attitude that others give while passing by them. Rather, they went and hand-shook with them out of brotherhood. With love and affection, the brothers invited the youths to come to the Masjid. Not being familiar with such kindness, the gang members were surprised and decided to come to the Masjid for once. These youths were so much away from Islam that they were smoking in the Masjid and doing a lot of other disrespectful acts. However, brother Mahmud and others were discussing with them about the Greatness of Allah with patience and endurance. A time came when the brothers had to return to their homes and before leaving they advised the gang members to turn towards Allah.
After several years, brother Mahmud was attending a large gathering of Muslims when suddenly someone called him from the back. There were few people dressed in sunnah standing behind him. They asked brother Mahmud if he recognizes them. They told him, “We are those gang members whom you visited few years back. We decided to go out and learn more about Islam and eventually changed our lives.”
Dear readers, we should never underestimate certain people because of the way they are as every individual has the capacity to become a friend of Allah. It is only Allah who guides; we can only try with kindness to reach out to their hearts. Ibne Abbas (RA) narrates: Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) sent Abdullah ibne Rawaha (RA) with a Jamaat (expedition) on a Friday. His companions set off in the morning, but he decided to stay behind and catch up with them after offering Salat-ul-Jumah (Friday Prayers) with Rasulullah (Peace be upon him). When he did so, he was spotted by Rasulullah (Peace be upon him), who inquired: What prevented you from going out in the morning with your companions. He replied: I wanted to offer Salat-ul-Jumah with you and then join them. He said: If you spend all that is present in the world, you will still not be able to attain the reward and virtues of those who left in the morning.
Source: Hadith from Tirmidhi.
Whenever the opportunity comes to help Islam, we should not delay and immediately take part in helping. Allah has promised great rewards and forgiveness for those who are always the first to sacrifice for Islam. Qasim Rahimahullah narrates: A man passed by Abu Darda (RA) in Damascus when he was planting a tree and said to Abu Darda (RA): Are you also doing a (worldly) work, though you are a Sahabi (companion) of Rasulullah (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said: Don't hasten to blame me; I heard Rasulullah saying: Never did a man plant a sapling (a young tree), and then a man, or any other creation of Allah Glory to Him, ate (or benefited) from it, except that it becomes a Sadaqah (charity) for the planter.
Source: Sahih Muslim.
Islam considers the slightest acts of helping others as charity! Even smiling at others to make them happy is counted as charity. It is due to our selfishness that mankind suffers. Let us give more and take less. A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled,his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
Allah mentions in Surah Bani-Israil 17:23-24
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.
And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small." The following incident was mentioned by brother Aslam Nakhuda during a lecture that he gave on 24/1/2004. Brother Aslam is an Imam of Jame Masjid Brampton in Canada.
He said that three years back a group of eight brothers, including him, set out to Texas, USA for dawah. They spent sometime there to remind the residents about the reality of this life. On their way back, they stopped by a service station beside a highway to perform the Magrib prayer. One of the brothers gave the Adhan (Call to prayer). Two Non Muslim men were passing by when the Adhan was being called. Being curious, they came to the brothers and asked them who they were, where do they come from and what they were doing. The brothers told them that they are Muslims who are coming from Toronto, Canada with the glad tidings of Islam. A scholar, who was with them, discussed about Islam with the non-Muslim men for 2 or 3 minutes. Then the brothers prepared to offer the salah. The non Muslims who were standing by asked what they should be doing now. The brothers told them to join the prayer and just follow along. The two men decided to join the prayer. The imam recited Surah Fatiha and another surah after it. Then he went to Ruku' and both the Non Muslims did the same. When time for sajdah (prostration on the ground) came, the Non Muslims started hesitating and didn't know whether they should also prostrate on the ground as they never did this before. One of them decided not to do so and he left the prayer. However, the other one just went to sajdah. After the prayer, this person who agreed to prostrate to Allah was blessed with iman. He accepted Islam from the brothers.
Dear readers, this is what we have to do. We have to submit to the will of Allah and in return He will bless us with iman. On the other hand, a person who is arrogant and decide not to submit to the will of Allah may just be deprived of iman. It was the day of celebration and a day of rejoicing. There was an air of festivity in the streets of Madinah. All the people, both young and old were dressed in their best clothes, especially for this special day of Eid.
As it was time for early morning Eid prayers everyone made their way to an open piece of land on the outskirts of the city. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) arrived and led the prayers. After they had finished they all greeted each other and everyone was walking back home. The children running and playing in excitement, smiling and laughing, without a care in the world. As the Prophet (pbuh) walked back home, he suddenly became aware of a little boy (Zuhair Bin Saghir) sitting by himself on the side of the path. The little boy was crying and looked very sad. The Prophet (pbuh) bent down and patted him on the shoulders and asked 'why are you crying?' 'Please leave me alone' sobbed the little boy. The boy didn't even see who was talking to him. The Prophet (pbuh) ran his fingers through the boy's hair and very gently and kindly asked him again why he was crying. This time the boy said, 'My father was martyred fighting, and now my mother has married again and my stepfather does not want me to live at home any more. Today is Eid and everyone is happy. All the children have new clothes and nice things to eat, but I don't have any clothes except what I am wearing. I have no food and I don't even have a place to live.'
The Prophet (pbuh) said to him, 'I know how you feel, I lost both my mother and father when I was a little boy.' The boy was surprised to hear that it was an orphan who was comforting him, and when he looked up to his great surprise it was the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and he immediately jumped up to his feet out of love and respect.
The Prophet (pbuh) said to him 'If I were to become your new father and Ayesha you new mother, and Fatima your new sister, would that make you feel better?' 'Oh yes, that would be the best thing in the world!' The boy started smiling. The Prophet took him home and gave him new clothes and good food on this beautiful day of Eid. The boy indeed had a wonderful Eid that day.
We should think of others that are less fortunate than ourselves on this beautiful day of Eid. Not everyone has such a wonderful day. It is a day of celebration, but take a moment to stop and think of those who are less fortunate than ourselves. |
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