Imam Mahdi, Dajjal and Prophet Isa (as)

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The purpose of learning about this is that the knowledge about Qiyamah and the events leading up to it is one of the basics of our religion, and many Muslims don’t know them. When we learn them we should pass on the knowledge to our children and others. 

The Ahadith (Mishkat) have mentioned an incident that will take place before Imam Mahdi will be revealed. It says that before Qiyamah, Muslims will be ruling over Shaam and other places. There will be a huge war between the Muslims and the Christians.

During the war, a time will come when half of the Christians will come and join the Muslims, and they will both fight the other Christians. The Muslims will win, and they will be very happy.

The Christians who had joined them will say that we have won because of the blessing of the cross. But the Muslims will say that it was because of the blessings of Allah.

There will be a battle between these two groups, and the Christian armies will overcome the Muslims, and they will take control of the Muslim lands.

The Muslims will now wait for the emergence of Imam Mahdi.

Imam Mahdi

The Prophet (saw) was once in a gathering with his companions, and he mentioned some problems which will befall this ummah. "These atrocities will be such that no one will be able to find refuge from them. Then Allah will send a man from my family". Another narration says this person will come with so much goodness and benefit for this ummah.

This person will fill the whole world with justice and good conditions for this ummah, just as how we find that there are hardships for the ummah. He will be such in his justice that the inhabitants of the sky and every single being on the earth will love this person.

The Prophet (saw) said that Mahdi is from my progeny and he will be from the children of Fatima.

A Hadith says that this world will not come to an end until a time doesn’t come that a person will come and he will become the ruler of the whole of the Arabian peninsula.

His name is the same as mine – Muhammad bin Abdullah. We will refer to him as Imam Mahdi. He will take the ummah back to the highest status from the disgraced status.

At the time when there will be a ruler who dies in Madinah, Imam Mahdi will flee and go to Makkah. He won't want to take part in any feud and arguments.

Imam Mahdi will go to Makkah and he will be between the Black Stone and Maqaam Ibrahim, and people will recognise him to be Imam Mahdi, and they will say this is the person who was mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet (saw). He will be 40 years old at the time, and Allah will put the ability to lead etc into him.

The Hadith has given us the description – when he speaks, he will have a slight stutter. He will hit his leg out of frustration. Everything about him has been mentioned in the Ahadith.

He won’t claim it himself. He will not say I am the leader. People will force him to take the bay’ah – pledge allegiance and support to him.

An army will come to attack Imam Mahdi but it will be swallowed up by the earth before it reaches him. When the pious people of Iraq and Syria hear about this, they will come and pledge allegiance to him.

When it comes to taking over one particular city, he will advance with his army behind. They will not even need to fight. They will just say in one voice Allahu Akbar, and the whole city walls will fall down. They will then go and take over.

This is an example of the faith and Imaan of his army. Islam will dominate the earth at that time, and he will rule for 7 years.

After this, an announcement will be made that Dajjal has made himself present on the earth. First, the news will be false but when they arrive at the place, it turns out that it is true.

Dajjal

·       He is a human being whose right eye will be like a protruding out grape. Some say he will have no eye at all.

·       He will be short and will have curly hair.

·       It has also been ascertained from the Hadith that he will emerge from between Syria and Iraq, and his emergence will become known when he is in Isfahaan, at a place called Judea. He will be of Jewish origin and the Jews of Isfahaan will be his main followers and they will refer to him as the Messiah. As he goes on through the world, Jews and a great number of non-Jewish women will flock to him upon witnessing his false miracles. 

·       His name is derived from the root word Dajal which means to deceive or to lie. These two qualities will be in him.

·       He will be sent to mankind as a test, and will say to the people that he is God.

·       He will have with him a mountain of bread and a river of water, and people will be tested through this. Do they believe in Allah or Dajjal?

·       A Hadith says, “Those who hear about him should stay away from him. By Allah! A person will approach him thinking himself to be a believer. But on seeing his amazing feat, he will become a follower”.

·       He will cause droughts and famines to occur on those who don’t follow him. But when they remember Allah, they will be satiated.

·       He will be on earth for 40 days. The first day will be as long as a year, the second day as long as a month, the third as a week and the rest will be normal length.

         Dajjal will not be allowed to enter Makkah or Madinah. He will try but there will be angels guarding both cities.

·        A pious man will come to Dajjal at this point, and say, "I testify that you are Dajjal whose story the Prophet Muhammad (saw) told us". Dajjal will say to his people, "If I kill this man, and then give him life, will you have any doubt about my claim?" They will say "No". Dajjal will kill him and then bring him to life. The man will say, "By Allah, I recognize you now more than ever!" Dajjal will try to kill the man again but he will not be able to.

·       When he will go close to Madinah, there will be three earthquakes in Madinah, and every hypocrite and disbeliever will be thrown out of the city towards Dajjal.

·       All the prophets warned their people about Dajjal, but the Prophet Muhammad (saw) told us a new thing and that was: “Ad-Dajjal is one eyed whereas Allah is not”.

·       Dajjal will have water and fire with him. What will seem like water will be fire and vice versa. This will be a test of the belief of the people.

·       He will have the word Kafir (disbeliever) written between his eyes. Only true Muslims will be able to read it.

Prophet Isa (as)

Towards the end of the rule of Ad-Dajjal, which will have lasted for 40 days, his forces will be attacking the army of Imam Mahdi, which by that point has become very weak.

Everywhere Dajjal will have gone, he will have defeated the Muslims, and so the Muslims will be really less by now. They will have all withdrawn into their capital city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Imam Mahdi will order all the Muslims to come to Al-Quds for a final stand against Dajjal.

The Muslims will all go to Jerusalem, and they will lock and barricade themselves into the city, in order to stop the army of Dajjal from entering. The Muslims will be waiting in Jerusalem for the final attack to take place.

At that point, Allah will send help from the heavens. This will be the weakest point for the Muslims and the help of Allah will come, and He will send one of His great soldiers and warriors, who will descend from the heaven.

Allah will send the Prophet Isa (as). He will descend upon the city of Damascus (main mosque of Damascus on the east minaret), resting himself on the wings of two angels. Prophet Isa (as) will descend to earth and then go straight to Jerusalem, and when he reaches there, he will find the Muslims getting ready to pray Fajr salah.

The adhan for Fajr will have gone, and the Muslims will be standing to pray behind their Imam who is Imam Mahdi. Prophet Isa (as) will join the first row for salah.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “When you know he is here, go to him to give your bay’ah, even if you have to crawl over ice”.

But how many Muslims will there be behind him? Only 1200! Right now in the world we have about 1.7 billion Muslims, but after all the corruption, death and destruction, people following Dajjal, there will only be 1200 left!

800 men and 400 women! They will be the only true believers left on earth!

The jamat will start to read salah, and because its so small, Imam Mahdi will know all the people who are there. Just before he will begin the salah, he will look at the jamat, and see a face that he has never seen before. He will see the face of Prophet Isa (as).

At that point, he will realise that he is Imam Mahdi because he will recognise the Prophet Isa (as).

Imam Mahdi will then tell Prophet Isa (as) to come and lead the prayer. But Prophet Isa (as) will say, no the iqamah was made for you, so you must lead the prayer. Imam Mahdi will then lead Fajr.

What a blessed jamat this will be! The armies of Dajjal will be waiting outside the city to attack, and they will be praying salah!

After they have finished, Prophet Isa (as) will stand up and command the Muslims to open the gates of the city. The Muslims will be afraid and scared.

The Muslims will then have to open the gates, and the army of Dajjal will pour into the city. They will kill any Muslim in their way. At the head of the army will be Dajjal – he had been waiting for this victory.

This is the victory that he has been promising his believers. He has been telling them, if we kill the Muslims, the world will be ours! And they will have no doubt in their hearts because they believe that they are being led by God.

Prophet Isa (as) will be waiting for Dajjal inside, and when Dajjal sees him, the fear within him will be so great that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, He will turn around and begin to run, and he will start to disintegrate. Prophet Isa (as) will chase after him, and he will kill Ad-Dajjal with a spear.

He will remove the spear, and hold it high so that all the people can see the blood of their “Lord”. The people will realise that he was false, and they will see that Prophet Isa (as) has killed him, and only he would have been able to.

Ad-Dajjal’s army will stop, they will lose hope and they will be confused and not know what to do.

The Muslims will have won! They will kill anyone who opposes them or fights them. The hadith says that, A Jew will hide behind a rock or tree, and the object will call out to the Muslims, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him! So all the armies of the non-believers will have been wiped out!

Prophet Isa (as) will anoint his followers faces, and he will tell them about their places in Paradise.

Imam Mahdi will pass away a year after. Prophet Isa (as) will rule the earth with justice and peace. He will destroy the cross and everyone will go to him to enter the one true religion, Islam. He shall live by the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Wasalaam!

Signs of the Day of Judgement

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

“Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its signs have already come”. (Surah Muhammad – Verse 18)

One of the major signs of Qiyamah is the appearance of Imam Mahdi. He will arrive at a time of immense corruption. He will spread peace on earth and rule with justice amongst the Muslims. Many signs have been mentioned in the Ahadith which will take place before Imam Mahdi will come. A few of them are:

·       Hazrat Anas has said: When people will regard these 5 things as permissible they will be destroyed: abuse and curse, men will wear silk garments, singing and dancing, liquor and homosexuality.

Shooting star (comet)

It has been narrated that:

A comet will be appearing in the east, giving out illumination before he arrives. The birth of that star will follow the eclipse of the sun and the moon.

This has already taken place in 1986 – the Halley’s Comet – a bright and shining star which soared across the night sky radiating its light from east to west. This event happened 5 years after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981 and 1982.

Big phenomena and appalling incidents

Big phenomena (appalling incidents) will happen in his time to come.

As time draws closer to when Imam Mahdi is revealed, these kinds of events will increase. They include huge fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, mass shootings, poisonous gas leaks, chemical attacks etc.

Modern technology

The sign of that day is that a hand will be extended in the sky and people will stop to look at it.

It doesn’t literally mean a hand – in the early days this Hadith may not have been understood. But in today’s day and age, technology is taking us forward in places that our minds cannot even comprehend.

Interpret hand as meaning power – what possible form of power could there be in the sky? It refers to the radio waves being transferred in the sky carrying signals to the TV, radio, mobile phones and internet.

Mobile Phones

“The Last Hour will not come before the end of a man’s whip speaks to him”. (Tirmidhi)

“... and his thigh informs him of what his family have done after him”.

The Prophet (saw) is making a comparison in appearance. Is there a modern device that talks and resembles a whip? The most logical explanation is the mobile phone with its antenna, a walkie talkie or similar communications devices.

The hadith says that the whip will inform him of his family’s actions. We will all agree that the most common and convenient form of communication is a mobile phone. Also the phone is mostly kept in a person’s pocket, side by side to their thigh.

We should now realise that even our day to day necessities are also a sign of the Day of Judgement. There is nothing bad about them but they should be seen as a sign to do good and prepare for that Day.

Time and Travel

“Great distances will be travelled in short spans of time”. (Ahmad)

Near to the end of time, great distances will be travelled in a small amount of time by means of vehicles such as aeroplanes, high speed trains, fast cars etc. Journeys that would have normally taken months now take a few hours in relative comfort.

International communication that would take weeks before is now done in a matter of seconds through the Internet. Everyday jobs have also been made easier for us through modern appliances.

“The Last Hour will not come before time contracts, a year being like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, a day like an hour, and an hour like the kindling of a fire”. (Tirmidhi)

“The Last Day will not be established until ... time will pass by quickly”. (Bukhari)

These things are not bad at all but they all serve as a reminder that time is slipping through our hands each day. We must prepare ourselves and gather our good deeds for the Final Hour.

Competition and Fame

“There will be no Judgement until very tall buildings are constructed”.

“The Hour will not be established until the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings”. (Bukhari)

If we look at history, we see that multi-storied buildings only began to be built at the end of the 19^th century. Skyscrapers are now part of the 20^th and 21^st century landscape, and have become a symbol of prestige.

The words of the Prophet (saw) have come true. People are always competing to build the tallest building and tower etc. It is sad to see that this is occurring in many Muslim countries too. 

The main objective of a Muslim should be to work towards elevating his rank in the eyes of Allah for the Hereafter.

Decline of Religious Values

According to the Quran, on the Last Day, the Prophet (saw) will say that his own people will have abandoned the Quran:

“My Lord, my people treat this Quran as something to be ignored”. (Surah Furqan – Verse 30)

It is said in the Hadith that during the end times, the Quran’s guidance will be disregarded and people will stray from it.

“There will come a time upon the Ummah when people will recite the Quran, but it will not go further than their throats, (into their hearts).” (Bukhari)

Despite the fact that the Quran is recited in our mosques and homes, the knowledge it contains is not considered. As the words flow from our lips, its greatness is not felt in our hearts.

The Prophet (saw) spoke of something and said, “It will happen when knowledge will be no more.” The companions asked, “Allah’s Messenger (saw), how will knowledge vanish despite the fact that we will be reciting the Quran, and teaching its recitation to our children, and our children will teach its recitation to their children up to the Day of Judgement?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “Do these Jews and Christians not recite the Torah and the Bible but not act according to what is contained in them?” (Tirmidhi)

Muslims today have fallen into the traps of Shaytan, because he has made the lives of the non-Muslims look good to us and made us weak in our religion.

“Near the establishment of the Hour, good deeds will decrease.” (Bukhari)

We should ask ourselves: How often do we pick up the Quran and recite it with value, thinking about the meaning of its verses? Or has it just become an ordinary book left to gather dust on the highest shelf of the bookshelf? Or maybe the Quran has just become a book that is only noticed and recited during Ramadan?

Indecency

“There will be prevalence of open illegal sexual intercourse” (Bukhari)

There are many examples of the morals of society going down – homosexuality, prostitution, pre-marital relationships, adultery etc.

Muslims now think these things are normal because they have become so common in society.

This is all a wake up call for us to realise that the Last Day is closer than ever.

Earthquakes

“The Hour will not be established until .. earthquakes will be very frequent”. (Bukhari)

Major earthquakes have increased, and they are the thing that many countries fear the most.

There is a chapter in the Quran called Surah Zilzaal (the Great Shaking or Earthquake), and it describes the violent shaking of the earth, and says that following it, the Day of Judgment will arrive when we will all be held accountable for our actions, even for the smallest of things:

“Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it”.

We have mentioned only a few of the signs – there are many more, and there have been countless books written about them.

We need to realise how merciful Allah has been by actually giving us all these signs, and giving us the time to repent and do good deeds.

Allah has sent a teacher to this world as a gift. He was the Prophet Muhammad (saw), and we need to embed his teachings into lives in order to be successful. 

May Allah make us all successful in this world, but most importantly, the Next - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

What is Alhamdulillah?

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

We are the people of Alhamdulillah.

 What does Alhamdulillah mean? It is two things:

1. That you thank Allah

2. Appreciation and praise is for Allah

Thanks and praise are two separate things. You can see a beautiful building, and you will praise it but you will not thank it. You will see a beautiful car, and you will praise it but you won't thank it. 

Sometimes the opposite happens. You may thank someone but you won't praise them. 

Allah says that the Muslim has to be grateful to his parents no matter what, even if his parents are not Muslim. Even if they want you to leave your faith, you still have to be grateful to them. You will not praise their shirk (non-belief), but you will still thank them. 

So, sometimes in life, you can have praise without thanks. And, sometimes in life, you can have thanks without praise.

 Another example of this is Firown. He raised the Prophet Musa (as) in his home. Many years later, Prophet Musa (as) came back to him, and Firown reminded him, saying, "Didn't you live many years here? Didn't we raise you as a newborn in this house?" He was reminding Prophet Musa (as) of his favour. And, obviously, when someone does you a favour, you owe them thanks. Prophet Musa (as) realised the favour, and he did thank him. He thanked Firown but he never ever praised him. 

When we say Alhamdulillah, then we are praising Allah for whatever He is doing, and we are also thanking Him for doing it. There are people of other religions who believe in God, but they don't have Alhamdulillah. Some Muslims don't understand Alhamdulillah. When we say it, we should be grateful from the bottom of our hearts. For all the things that are going wrong in your life, there are more things that are going right. There are so many other things that could be wrong with you. 

Being people of Alhamdulillah, we are constantly grateful and we are constantly positive. If we understood Alhamdulillah, we would never be depressed. A Muslim cannot be depressed. Muslims themselves complain about the state of the Muslims. Allah is the One who can change our circumstances. All we need to do is turn to Him and say Alhamdulillah, and be positive.

May Allah make us the sincere people of Alhamdulillah - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

Ijtihad and the Four Schools of Thought

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

For 23 years, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) ruled with justice and spread peace, love and harmony. After he passed away, his companions came into succession, and conquered many countries around the world.

Great and noble companions were sent out to govern these lands. As governors, they came across many issues in their day to day lives for which the public needed answers. 

So, these pious rulers would carry out the process of Ijtihad, which was also done by the companions of the Prophet (saw) during his lifetime.

What is Ijtihad?

Ijtihad is the reasoning process through which Islamic laws are deduced after thorough research from the Quran and Ahadith.

Ijtihad is only carried out in debatable texts of the Quran and Ahadith.

If the verse or Hadith was too brief to understand, if they contained more than one meaning or other text from the Quran or Ahadith seemed to contradict it, then the process of Ijtihad was applied.

As many years passed by, these rulers lived and then departed from this world. During this time, the process of Ijtihad was still fully established.

The answers to the many questions posed by the people would be brought together and would be recorded along with the answers.

Then, on 5th September 699 CE or 80 Hijri, a boy named Nu'maan bin Thabit was born. He lived in the city of Kufa in Iraq. This boy grew up to become a great scholar of Islam - Imam Abu Hanifa (ra). He became a leader and also applied the process of Ijtihad. 

One day, this wise Imam decided to compile all the Islamic law (Fiqh) together for others to benefit from and to share his knowledge. He also wished to eradicate all those governors and judges who were taking advantage of different opinions and principles in the process of Ijtihad and using them in the wrong way.

Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) chose 40 of his most intellectual students. These pupils had such intellect that each one was a Mujtihad (he carried out Ijtihad) within himself. Some of these illustrious souls were Imam Muhammad (ra), Imam Abu Yusuf (ra) and Imam Zufar (ra).

They were posed with hypothetical issues (issues that had not yet occurred) to tackle. People disapproved and said, "Why tackle issues that have not yet happened?" But Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) answered, "A scholar should always be prepared in advance".

The students were given questions to investigate. They did the research by using sources such as the Quran, the Sunnah, general and individual opinions of the Sahabah (ra), analogical deductions, preferences as well as local customs. 

Through this process the Islamic law (fiqh) of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) was formed.

Many years passed, and another scholar was born in the city of Madinah. His name was Imam Malik bin Anas (ra) and he was born in 711 CE or 93 years after the Hijrah. He was alive in the time of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra), and he also applied the process of Ijtihad. 

The question may come that why was the rulings and the Ijtihad of these two Imams different although they lived during the same time period? The answer is simple. It is because of the different situations in the cities in which these respected Imams lived. In Madinah, there was less corruption when compared to Kufa, as this was the core of the eruption of the different sects of Islam.

Years later, the third legendary scholar was born. His name was Imam Muhammad bin Idrees As-Shafi (ra). He was born in 767 CE or 150 Hijri. He gained his knowledge from teachers such as Imam Malik (ra) and the students of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra), as Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) had passed away. After acquiring his knowledge, Imam Shafi (ra) used the method of Ijtihad, in accordance to his principles and formed his own set of rulings.

The fourth and final noble Imam was Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (ra). He was born in 780 CE or 161 Hijri. He gained his knowledge direct from Imam Shafi (ra), and the students of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) and Imam Malik (ra). Imam Ahmad (ra) also carried out rulings regarding the issues in accordance with the situation at the time. However, his book was not compiled by him but rather by his son. 

All of these four Imams progressed and benefited Islam greatly. The coming of the new centuries brought the biggest changes to the Islamic law - Fiqh, leaving the great works of Ijtihad behind. This happened gradually as the new generation of students studied the Quran and the Ahadith.

However, instead of applying Ijtihad, they began to study the books of the previous great scholars in detail and the methods that the scholars used to derive these laws. 

They realised that these gifted and wise scholars had answered all the questions in the best possible manner, and it was pointless for them to go back and unravel them again. 

The four illustrious Imams had never thought that such a day would come when people would be fully dependant on them and other scholars. 

However, as time passed, this is exactly what happened. Within 150 years, the Islamic law (Fiqh) of these four Imams became famous, and spread across the world shaping the Four Schools of Thought that are known today as - Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki and Hambali.

Wasalaam!

The Month of Shawwal

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

When Ramadan ends, the month of Shawwal begins – on Eid ul Fitr day! When Shawwal begins, our test begins. We have just spent a whole month boosting our Imaan - it is up to us now to continue performing these good deeds throughout the rest of the year.

The scholars say that the sign of acceptance of good deeds in Ramadan is that we remain firm and regular on our good actions after this month is over – our connection with Allah should be stronger than ever!

We should ask ourselves: does Allah deserve to obeyed properly only in this one month? Does Allah deserve to be worshipped properly only in this one month? He looks after us during the rest of the 11 months so we owe Him at least this much.

Some Advice to help maintain an Islamic lifestyle after Ramadan

·       Keep up with the recital of the Quran. Keep your target small but consistent. A Hadith says that the most beloved deed to Allah are the regular ones, even if they amount to little in quantity. Why are the Muslims in such troubles today? Because they have left the greatest gift of Allah, and so they have lost the help of Allah.

·       Keep listening to Islamic lectures online etc – these are very beneficial and will give your Imaan a boost!

·       Study Islam and increase your knowledge about your religion and the Shariah. Try and learn the simple rulings, improve your tajweed or read the life story and sayings of the Prophet (saw). The more we learn about our religion, the more we will begin to recognise our creator and realise what He expects from us. This will help us to do things which please Allah and keep away from those things that anger Him.

·       Finally, the most important, regular 5 times Salah and to make dua at least once a day! Salah when performed 5 times a day will prevent you from almost every major sin: Indeed the prayer wards off indecency and lewdness (Surah Ankabut).

Stay firm on salah in times of happiness and fear, day and night, when free and when busy.

With salah comes dua! What can be said of the person who makes dua to Allah 5 times a day after each salah? You will find that all your worries and troubles will be gradually eased. You will become happy and content for you will come to appreciate and see that Allah does everything in His own time, according to his own wisdom and always does things which are best for us!

There is a saying: When Allah answers your dua straight away, it is because He is testing your faith. When Allah does not answer your dua straight away, it is because He is testing your patience. When Allah does not answer your dua at all, it is because He has something better for you. Those who happily leave everything in Allah’s hand will see Allah’s hand in everything.

Remember, regardless of your past, your mistakes and your ignorance, it’s a new start for all. If the likes of Hazrat Umar (ra) were transformed from the strongest of enemies to the 2^nd greatest companion, and was buried next to the Prophet (saw), then there is hope for us all. As long as we are willing to take advantage of Allah’s mercy by repenting over the past and making firm good intentions for the future.

A verse in the Quran reads in Surah Nisaa Verse 147:

What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.

This verse shows us that the way to Allah is simple - we must be grateful to Him and believe in Him. This means that we should act upon all His commands and follow the way of His beloved - the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Six Fasts of Shawwal

Shawwal is the first of the 3 months named Ashur – ul – Hajj – the months of Hajj. We should try and keep 6 optional/nafl fasts in this month.

“Whoever completes the fasts of Ramadan, then adds to them the fast of six days in the month of Shawwal, it will carry the reward of fasting the whole year” (Muslim)

How does this work? Ramadan was 30 fasts, if we add the 6 fasts of Shawwal that is 36. Every good deed in Islam is multiplied by 10 and 36 multiplied by 10 is 360. There are 365 days in a year but fasting on 5 of these days is forbidden so that equals to 360!

In the Hadith, it mentions that anyone who does this always it’s as though he has fasted his entire life!

It’s better to keep any qadha fasts of this Ramadan first, then these six fasts. The six fasts do not have to kept straight away but in any order – as long as they are in Shawwal.

May Allah accept all our worship during Ramadan, and give us the ability to carry on worshipping Him properly throughout the rest of the year - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

Eid - ul - Fitr

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

One of the biggest examples of Shaytaans deception is on the day of Eid. We try our utmost best during the whole month of Ramadan yet after all that worship, all that hunger and namaz, our duas and worship on the odd nights and the 27^th night, we wash away our good deeds with the wave of sins committed on the day of joy – the day of Eid.

This day of Eid is our test from Allah. We should remain fearful and scared of Allah on this day more than any other. Remember, that if we stay strong and refrain from sins, then perhaps others too will see the light. Invite towards good and stop people from evil!

Eid is and should be a day of happiness and joy, but our happiness and celebrations should lie within the boundaries of Shariah. Give in charity especially the Fitranah before the Eid prayer, and remember those less fortunate than us in your prayers. There are so many Muslims in the world who are suffering and don’t even have enough food in Ramadan let alone for Eid!

Sunnats of Eid ul Fitr

·       To awaken earlier than usual

·       To brush the teeth with miswaak

·       To have a bath (ghusl)

·       To be well dressed in an Islamic manner

·       To dress in ones best clothes (not necessarily new)

·       To use itr

·       To perform Eid salah at the place of prayer

·       To eat an odd number of dates or anything sweet before Eid salah

·       To go to the place of salah early

·       To walk to the place of Eid salah (if within distance)

·       To read the takbeerat silently and frequently on the way to Eid salah

·       To use different routes to and from the Eid salah

·       To say Eid Mubarak is permissible but shouldn’t be done as a strict ritual

Wasalaam!

The Night Before Eid

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Abu Hurayra (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said, “My Ummah were given five things for Ramadan which were not given to anyone except them. For them, the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is sweeter than the fragrant smell of musk. The fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting persons until they break their fast. Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in Paradise everyday and then says to it, “The time is near when My faithful servants shall cast aside the great trials of the world and come to you”. In this month the evil minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan. On the last night of Ramadan, they are forgiven”.

The Companions (ra) asked, “O Messenger of Allah, is the last night Laylatul Qadr?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “No. But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his service”. (Bayhaqi)

This is why the night before Eid is called Laylatul Jaaizah – the Night of Prize Giving.

We learn from the Hadith that:

·       the last night of Ramadan holds a special virtue over its previous days and nights

·       The coming of Eid is a great happiness to the Muslims, so in order to increase the joy, why not end the blessed month with a bonus earning of reward?

·       This doesn’t mean that we have to spend the whole of the night in worship, but we should at least try to perform extra nafl salah, read a few extra tasbeehs, recite extra Quran and make heartfelt dua.

     Inshallah, by doing even a little extra worship, we will be included in the Hadith where:

The Prophet (saw) said, “Whoever stands up in worship in the nights preceding the two Eids, expecting reward from his Lord, his heart will not die when the other hearts will die i.e. on the Day of Judgement”. (Ibn Majah)

Wasalaam!