My faith~My style~My choice

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Eid Inspiration ~ What to wear for Eid

~Islam is style~

Monday, 13 August 2012

Tahajjud Prayer - Salatul layl -Night Prayer

“And (during part) of the night, abandon sleep and keep vigil to pray Salat, in addition to the regular obligatory prayer. Your Rabb (the Sustainer) may (as a reward) elevate you to the position of High Distinction, Glory and Praise.”[THE HOLY QUR’AN: 17:79]

TIME : The time for praying Salatul-Layl is from midnight (midnight is reckoned as the time which is exactly half the time between sunset and the actual dawn) to the time of Adhan for Fajr prayers. However, it can be prayed at any time after Isha prayers but it is better to pray during the last part of the night near to the time of Fajr prayers. If it is not possible to pray after midnight or before Fajr, then it can be recited in the morning or any part of the day with the niyyah (intention) of Qadha. It is better to recite with the niyyah of Qadha(faradh) during the day time than to pray in the early part of the night. More on Qadha of Tahajjud

Note: According to Ayatullah Seestani, the time for Salatul-Layl is from midnight to the Adhan time for Fajr prayers. However, it is better to pray near the time of Fajr prayers. Anyone who finds it difficult to pray Salatul-Layl after midnight can pray before midnight.

Salatul-Layl is made up of Eleven Rak’ats.

Ø The first 8(eight) Rak’ats are prayed as normal in pairs of two Rak’ats each with the niyyah of Nawafilatul-Layl.

Ø The next 2 (two) Rak’ats are prayed with the Niyyah of 'Salatul Shaf’a'.

Ø The remaining 1(one) Rak’at is prayed (as below)with the Niyyah of 'Salatul Witr.'

In the last one Rak’at, Qunoot(dua’) is recited before Rukuu and the Salat is completed as usual with Tashahud and Salaam.

The last one Rak’at of Witr is prayed as follows:

i)Make Niyyah and say Takbiratul Ihram.

ii)Recite surahs:- Surah Al-Hamd; Surah Qul Huwallahu Ahad - three times; Surah Qul-Audhubi Rabbil Falaq - once; Surah Qul-Audhubi Rabbin Naas - once.

Note: If one does not know the last two Surahs mentioned above, then it is sufficient to recite Surah Qul Huwallahu Ahad, three times.

iii)Say Takbir and raise hands for Qunoot.:-

You may recite any Dua. However, it is recommended to recite the following Dua

Laa ilaaha illallaahul Halimul Karim

لآ اِلَهَ اِلاَّ اللّهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ

Laa ilaaha illallaahul ‘Aliyyul ‘Azim

لآ اِلَهَ اِلاَّ اللّهُ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيْمُ

Subhaanallaahi Rabbis Samaawaatis Sab'

سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ رَبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ

wa Rabbil ‘Arzinas Sab'

وَ رَبِّ الاَرْضِيْنَ السَّبْعِ

wa maa fihinna wa maa baynahunna

وَ مَا فِيْهِنَّ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ وَ

wa Rabbul 'Arshil ‘Azim

رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ

Wal Hamdul lillaahi Rabbil 'Aalamin

وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ

There is none worth worshipping but Allah Who is Forbearing and Generous

There is none worth worshipping but Allah Who is Most High and Great

Glory be to Allah, Who is the Sustainer of the seven heavens and of the seven earth

And Who is the Sustainer of all the things in them, and between them,

And Who is the Lord of the great ‘Arsh (Divine Center of Authority & Power)

And all praise for Allah, the Sustainer of the worlds.

iv) You may hold Tasbih in the right hand if required ,for keeping count of the dhikr mentioned below to be recited. & raise your left hand in qunoot.

Then, pray for forgiveness of forty [40] or more Mu’mineen/Mu’minaat who are either dead or living in the following manner:

Allaahummagh Firli… (Name) اَللّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ ل...

O Allah, forgive … giving the names of Mu’mineen/Mu’minaat. (In each case saying, Allahummagh Firli …….) U may include Ulamaa names

v) Continuing with the Qunoot, while still raising the left hand, recite the following Istighfar seventy [70] times:

Astaghfirullah Rabbi wa Atuubu Ilayh اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَ اَتُوْبُ اِلَيْهِ

I seek forgiveness of Allah my Lord and I turn to Him

vi) Still continuing further while raising the left hand, recite the following Dua seven [7] times:

Haadhaa Maqaamul 'Aaidhi Bika Minannaar هذَا مَقَامُ الْعَآئِذِ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

This is the position of one who seeks refuge in You from the fire [of Hell]

vii) Continuing yet further while still raising the left hand, recite three hundred [300] times: -

Al-'Afwa (I ask for) forgiveness اَلْعَفْوَ

vii) Following this, the following should be said once: " Rabbigfirli warhamni wa tubalaiyyi,Innaka tawwaburrahim"

“Lord, please forgive me and have mercy upon me and turn back towards me. Verily You are the Oft-Turning back, Most Merciful”

Finally, complete the Salat in the normal way by going to Rukuu’ followed by Sajdah, Tashahud and Salaam, ending Salatul-Layl.

As a 'Ta’kibaat' after the Salat, recite:

-Tasbih of Syeda Fatemah Zahra (a.s.), 34 times -Allahu Akbar; 33 times -Al-Hamdu Lillah , 33- times Subhanallah,

-followed by Sajdah of Shukr. (reciting 5 times 'Subbuhun quddusun Rabil Malaekatil wa ruhi' Holy and most Holy is the Lord of the Angels and spirits)

-Next, recite Ayatul Kursi.

-Finally, for the second time, perform Sajdah of Shukr (reciting 5 times 'Subbuhun quddusun Rabil Malaekatil wa ruhi' Holy and most Holy is the Lord of the Angels and spirits),

completing the Salat.

-Recite Dua Hazeen /Grief

The blessed month of Ramadhan offers a good opportunity and convenient time to pray Salatul Layl, especially when the time of commencing the fast is favorable.

Allah [swt] gives abundant reward for all our acts of worship during this blessed month, therefore, we need to make special efforts to pray the Salaat and keep it up for the rest of the year to raise our level of spirituality.

Please do not forget all of the believers throughout the world in your Salat al-Layl especially those downtrodden and oppressed Muslims all over the globe.

“Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months”

So valuable is this Night of Qadr that the Quran devotes a special surah to

it “Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months” [97:3]

This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The most authentic account of the occurrence of the Night indicates that it can occur on any one of the last ten, odd numbered nights of Ramadan, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29.

We should strive to stay up at least on the odd numbered nights of the last ten days. If we can't manage that then let us pray at least on the 27th night. If one prays on all of the last odd numbered nights then there is more chance that one may have caught this most powerful night and the reward is of over 83 YEARS OF WORSHIP! Subhanallah! Most will not even live upto that age!

It is a night that we CANNOT miss out on so here is how we can maximize this blessed night:

1. Recite the Qur’an abundantly

Az-Zuhri used to say upon the coming of Ramadan, “It is only about reciting the Qur’an and feeding the poor.”

Abdur-Raziq said, “When Ramadan came, Sufyan Ath-Thawri would give up all acts of (voluntary) worship and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur’an.”

Laylatul Qadr is the night the Qur'an was revealed so we should spend much of the night reciting it for we will gain 700 hasanah or more by reciting each letter!

2. Strive to gain forgiveness

One should strive and do their utmost to gain the mercy of Allah especially in the odd numbered nights of the last ten days. If one leaves Ramadan without gaining the mercy of Allah then surely they are the most unfortunate ones and are the biggest losers in this world and the next.

The main Dua for Laylatul Qadr is the following:

Aisha (Ra) said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' “

"Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee" (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).

Gaining forgiveness on laylatul Qadr

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

We should sincerely repent for past and present sins with the intention of not repeating them again and ask of Allah Ta’aala to help us prevent ourselves from doing them again and ask Allah to perfect our characters and to help us improve ourselves in every way possible.

3. Do much Superogatory Prayers (Nafil)

Rabi'ah ibn Malik al-Aslami reported that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Ask (anything)." Rabi'ah said: "I ask of you to be your companion in paradise." The Prophet said: "Or anything else?" Rabi'ah said: "That is it." The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said to him: "Then help me by making many prostrations (i.e., supererogatory prayers)." (Muslim)

The Prophet peace be upon him said: “Whoever draws near to Allaah during it (Ramadaan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” – Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887.

In this most blessed month of Ramadhan all good deeds are multiplied by 70 or more. Every Nafil one prays one will gain the reward of a Fard Salaah and every Fard Salah is the reward of 70 Fard salaah. Subhanallah what other time of the year is this possible? NONE! So let us make the best of these precious seconds and pray as many Nafil prayers as is possible!

Here are some Nafil prayers we can pray on Laylatul Qadr:

1. Two Rakat after performing Wudu (Ablution)

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): “Tell me about the best of your deeds (i.e. one which you deem the most rewarding) since your embracing Islam because I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “I do not consider any act of mine more rewarding than that whenever I make ablution at any time of night or day, I perform Prayer for as much as was destined for me to do.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)”

2. Tahajjud

Imam Abu Sa'id al-Khadimi said,

"There is scholarly consensus (ijma`) that among the best of virtuous acts is the night vigil prayer." [al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya Sharh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya]

The scholars derived the following in regards to Tahajjud from the Qur'an and prophetic hadiths:

1. The minimal night vigil prayer is 2 rakats. [Hindiyya, quoting Fath al-Qadir]

2. Its optimal recommended amount is 8 rakats, because this was the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions). [Hindiyya, quoting Fath al-Qadir]

3. Lengthier recitation is superior to a larger number of rakats prayed. [Durr al-Mukhtar, Radd al-Muhtar]

4. It is recommended to start the night vigil with two short rakats, because of the hadith of Abu Hurayra that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "It you get up for night prayer, start with two short rakats." [Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud]

Ibn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him) was asked, "I cannot pray at night." He said, "Your sins have prevented you."

4. Increase in Dhikr (Rememberance of Allah)

We should glorify Allah night and day, especially in the last odd nights.

Here are some easy and very beneficial Dhikr and glorification we can do throughout the blessed nights:

1. Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee

2. Subhanallah

3. Alhamdulillah

4. Allahu Akbar

5. Laa ilaha ilallah

6. LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH

7. Asthaghfirullah

8. SUB-HAN'ALLAH HIL AZEEM WA BI-HAM'DIHI,

9. Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm

10. Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr

Or the shortened version:

11. Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer

One can also recite the durood that one recites in one's Salaah or a Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim

5. Make much dua.

We should be very busy in Dua as much as we can especially in the last 10 odd numbered.

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an:

"When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me." [2:186]

The place of duaa is so high to Allah, that the Prophet(Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim) had said: "Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than du`a." [Sahih al-Jami` no.5268].

Almighty Allah also said: "The most excellent worship is du`a." [Sahih Al-Jami` no. 1133]

Therefore let us devote much of the night of Qadr in dua asking of Allah for his mercy and forgiveness for all of our past sins and making firm intentions to Allah that we will change for the better and strive to become closer to him as well as make our deen a FULL part of our lives and not just a little part of our life as Allah says:

Allah tells us In the Qur'an to enter fully into our deen and not partly:

O believers enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your clear-cut enemy.... (Surah Al-Baqara, Ayah 208-210)

So then will we not make Islam a FULL part of our lives? This is our best opportunity and if we don't take it and death comes to us then surely we will regret it for ETERNITY!

And Allah knows best in all matters.

Friday, 10 August 2012

Dua' for the last 10 days of Ramadhan

In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Peace be with you السلام عليكم

Day 21

O Allah, on this day, show me the way to win Your pleasure, do not let Shaytan have a means over me, make Paradise an abode and a resting place for me, O the One who fulfills the requests of the needy.

Day 22

O Allah, on this day, open for me the doors of Your Grace, send down on me its blessings, help me towards the causes of Your mercy, and give me a place in the comforts of Paradise, O the one who answers the call of the distressed

Day 23

O Allah, on this day, wash away my sins, purify me from all flaws, examine my heart with (for) the piety of the hearts, O One who overlooks the shortcomings of the sinners.

Day 24

O Allah, on this day, I ask You for what pleases You, and I seek refuge in You from what displeases You, I ask You to grant me the opportunity to obey You and not disobey You, O One who is generous with those who ask.

Day 25

O Allah, on this day, make me among those who love Your friends, and hate Your enemies, following the way of Your last Prophet, O the Guardian of the hearts of the Prophets.

Day 26

O Allah, on this day, make my efforts worthy of appreciation, and my sins forgiven, my deeds accepted, my flaws concealed, O the best of those who hear.

Day 27

O Allah, on this day, bestow on me the blessings of Laylatul Qadr, change my affairs from (being) difficult to (being) easy, accept my apologies, and decrease for me [my] sins and burdens, O the Compassionate with His righteous servants.

Day 28

O Allah, on this day, grant me a share in its nawafil (recommended prayers), honor me by attending to my problems, make closer the means to approach You, from all the means, O One who is not preoccupied by the requests of the beseechers.

Day 29

O Allah, on this day, cover me with Your mercy, grant me in it success and protection, purify my heart from the darkness of false accusations, O the Merciful to His believing servants.

Day 30

O Allah, on this day, make my fasts worthy of appreciation and acceptance, according to what pleases You, and pleases the Messenger, the branches being strengthened by the roots, for the sake of our leader, Muhammad, and his purified family. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

Islam is Peace~ Allahu Akbar!

Assalam aleykum brothers and sisters,

Please watch this amazing sound of Azan (Calling for a Prayer in a church near USC uni of Southern California, USA when three religion gathered in one place MashaAllah!. Bless this Man.

May Allah's mercy be on Ummat Muhammad (s.a.w) ~ Ameen.

Maximize the last 10 days of Ramadhan(LAYLATUL QADR)

Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr.

Allah's Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time." (Muslim). Allah's peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet.

Aisha, May Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th & 29^th)

The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).

Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it.

1. Take a vacation for Allah.

We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.

If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day. It will also facilitate doing Itikaf.

2. Do I'tikaf.

It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for I'tikaf.

Those in I'tikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs. I'tikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.

3. Make this special Dua.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).

The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee"

4. Recite the Quran.

Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite.

If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice.

5. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran.

Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.

6. Get your sins wiped out.

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven. [Bukhari and Muslim).

Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.

Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs.

This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted.

7. Make a personal Dua list.

Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things:

Ask Allah to give you those things

Think about what actions you have taken to get those things

Develop a work plan to get those things in future.

8. Evaluate yourself.

Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above.

9. Make long, sincere and deep Duas

One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim).

That means for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction.

10. Memorize a different Dua every night

They don't have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don't know the exact translation in English.

You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practice them at night in prayer.

11. Have Iftar with the family

If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you'll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely.

12. Take the family to Tarawih

Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren't there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do all of yourselves a favour and bring everyone for Tarawih in these last ten nights.

13. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation

Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night's Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you can attend different Masjids' Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran.

14. Finish reading a book on the Prophet

Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice.

15. Plan for the next year

Once you've done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you'll Insha Allah, be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night of power for evaluation and one night for planning for the next year.

16. To do list for the Night of Power

Make a to do checklist for each Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months, to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. This will help you avoid wasting your time in unproductive chats which common in the festive atmosphere of Masjids at the Night of Power.

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

Islam is Style~ Beautiful Architecture

Mosque is a Holy place for Muslims. It refers to its Arabic name Masjid. A Mosque is a place for worship for all the followers of Islam.Mosques around the world are well known for the general importance to Muslims as well as for Islamic architecture and representation of Islamic culture. Although mosque is the place where all the Muslims of the community come together and have their prayers, Mosque can be the place of beautiful architecture that is famous all around the world.

Here are few among the Most Beautiful Masjid in the world.

Masjid al-Haram (The Holy Mosque) – Madina-Saudi Arabia.