Dua for Suhur

source : http://www.haqislam.org/dua-for-suhur/

When beginning the fast – Suhur (sehri)

وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ نَّوَيْتَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan
[Abu Dawud]

Transliteration:
Wa bi-sawmi ghadin nawaytu min shahri ramadan

Dua for Iftar

source : http://www.haqislam.org/dua-for-iftar/

When breaking the fast – Iftar
اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ امنْتُ [وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ] وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ 
O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You [and I put my trust in You] and I break my fast with Your sustenance.
["wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu" is quoted in some books of knowledge - but not all, hence it is in brackets]
[Abu Dawud]

Transliteration:
Allahumma Inni laka sumtu wa bika amantu [wa alayka tawakkalto] wa ‘ala rizqika aftartu

Tips for successfull Marriage

source : http://www.haqislam.org/recipe-for-a-successful-marriage/

“Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of You” (Furqaan 74).

Q: Every human being by nature has an instinct to dispute. This instinct becomes more manifest between the husband and wife, thus leading to marital disputes. How can this instinct be controlled?

A. Consider the following ten points to control the instinct of dispute and maintain a happy marriage.

1. Fear Allah: It was the noble practice of Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam to conscientise the spouses about the fear for Allah before performing a Nikah by reciting the verses (Nisa v14, Ahzab v69, Aali-Imraan v101) from the Quraan. All the verses are common in the message of Taqwa (fear of Allah). The spouses will be first committed to Allah before being committed to their partner. There can be no doubt in the success of a marriage governed by the fear of Allah.

2. Never be angry at the same time: Anger is the root cause for all marital disputes. One Sahabi came to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam and sought some advice. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam replied, control your anger. The same advice was rendered three times. (Mishkaat pg.433; HM Saeed)

3. If one has to win an argument, let it be the other: Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Whoever discards an argument despite being correct shall earn a palace in the centre of Jannah. (Ibid pg.412)

4. Never shout at each other unless the house is on fire: Luqman (AS) while offering advice to his son said: ” and lower your voice for verily the most disliked voice is that of a donkey”. (Surah Luqman v19)

5. If you have to criticize, do it lovingly: Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, ‘A Mu’ min is a mirror for a Mu’min.’ (Abu Dawud vol.2 pg.325; Imdadiyah) Advise with dignity and silently.

6. Never bring up mistakes of the past: Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Whoever conceals the faults of others, Allah shall conceal his faults on the day of Qiyaamah.” (Mishkaat pg.429; HM Saeed)

7. Neglect the whole world rather than your marriage partner:Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam confirmed the advice of Salman to Abu-Darda [RA] for neglecting his wife. “Verily there is a right of your wife over you.” (Nasai Hadith2391)

8. Never sleep with an argument unsettled: Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu resolved his dispute with his wife over-feeding the guests before going to bed. (Bukhari Hadith 602)

9. At least, once everyday, express your gratitude to your partner: Nabi [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] said, ‘Whoever does not show gratitude to the people has not shown gratitude to Allah.’ (Abu Dawud pg.662; Karachi)

10. When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness: Nabi [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] said, ‘All the sons of Aadam commit error, and the best of those who err are those who seek forgiveness.’ (Tirmidhi Hadith 2499)

The virtue of the hajj

source : http://www.haqislam.org/virtues-of-performing-hajj/

Hazrat Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(Sallallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said: “Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of pleasing Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall remain from it as free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.’

 

Hazrat Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said: “Verily there shall be no reward for a righteous pilgrimage except Jannah“

 

Hazrat Ayesha(radhiyallahu anha) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “There is no day in which Allah sets free more souls from the fire of hell than on the day of Arafaat. And on that day Allah draws near to the earth and by way of exhibiting His pride remarks to the Angels: “What is the desire of these servants of mine.”

 

“Hazrat Talhaa(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Apart from the day of the battle of Badr there is no day on which the Shaytaan is seen more humiliated, more rejected. More depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafaat, and indeed all that is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on that day) and Allah’s forgiveness of the great sins of the servants“. (Mishkaat)

 

Hazrat Ibn Shimaastah(radhiyallahu anhu) reports we were present around Hazrat Amr Ibn al-Aas(radhiyallahu anhu) before he passed away. He cried for a long time and then related the story of his embracing Islam. He said: “When Allah caused Islam to enter my heart, I came to Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and said: ‘O messenger of Allah, put forth your hand that I may swear allegiance. ‘When Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stretched forth his hand, I withheld mine. Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) inquired: “What troubles you ‘O Amr?” I said: I went to make a condition that Allah shall forgive my previous sins”. Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) replied: ‘O Amr, do you then not know that Islam washes away all sins committed in disbelief, and that the Hijrat (migration) washes away all sins committed before Hajj?”

 

Hazrat Sahl bins Sa’ad(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “When a Muslim shouts Labbaik, then verily every stone, tree and all the ground to his right and to his left recites the same, and this continues till that cry reaches the end of the earth“.

 

Hazrat Abu Moosa(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “The Hajji shall intercede on behalf of four hundred families or he said four hundred people from his family, and verily does he return from Hajj (sinless) as on the day his mother gave birth to him.”

 

Hazrat Ibn Umar(radhiyallahu anhu) report that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “When you meet a Hajji (on his way home) then greet him, shake hands with him and ask him to beg forgiveness of Allah on your behalf before he enters his home, for his prayer for forgiveness is accepted since he is forgiven by Allah for his sins.”

 

Hazrat Buraidah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “The expenses incurred during Hajj is like that incurred in Jihaad; rewarded seven hundred times.”

Hazrat Jaabir(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “A Hajji never becomes poor and destitute.”

 

Hazrat Aayesha (radhiyallahu anha) reports that she once sought permission from Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) to go for Jihaad. Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “You Jihaad is Hajj.”

 

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “Whoever desires to perform Hajj, should hasten towards performing it.”

 

Hazrat Abu Hurairah(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Whoever sets forth in a journey to perform Hajj and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Haaji until the day of Qiyaamah; and whoever sets forth to perform Umrah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mu’tamir until Qiyaamah; and whoever sets forth on a journey to fight in the way of Allah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mujaahid until the day of Qiyaamah.”

 

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that a Sahabiyah (a Muslim lady who saw Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) once said to Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam): “O Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam), the obligation of Hajj has come at a time now when my father is a very old and weakly man. He is unable to remain seated on a camel (or horse). Can I then proceed to perform Hajj on his behalf?”
Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “Yes, you can.”
Another Sahabi(radhiyallahu anhu) also came with a similar request: “O Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam), my sister made vow that she would perform Hajj. Now she has passed away. What should we do?”
Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “Should she have passed away while she owed someone something, would you have settled that debt?”
The man replied: “Yes indeed.”
Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said: “This is a debt due to Allah. Settle it.” (Mishkaat)

 

Hazrat Jaabir(radhiyallahu anhu) reports: “Verily Allah causes three people to enter into Paradise through one Hajj; The deceased, (on whose behalf this Hajj is being performed) the Haaji performing it and he (the heir or others) who makes possible its performance (by financial aid).”

Source: Al-Islaah publications

What characteristics of a pious wife ?

source : http://www.haqislam.org/characteristics-of-a-pious-wife/

A pious woman’s priority is to seek the pleasure of Allah. She tries acquiring the qualities of a good wife by following the examples of the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and obeying what is commanded in the Book of Allah. Complete obedience and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and Quran is the best of a woman’s qualities.

Examples:
A woman is married for four reasons: for her wealth, for her fame, for her beauty and for her religion. So marry one for her religion and you will win. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands) and guard in their husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their honor, husbands property, etc) [4:34]

An-Nasaii narrated that the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) was asked “Who are the best of women?” He replied, “The one who pleases him (her husband) if he looks at her, obeys him if he orders (her) and does not subject her honor or money to what he dislikes.”

Ibn Hibban narrated that the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, “If a woman prayed five prayers, fasted in Ramadan, protected her honor and obeyed her husband; then she will be told (on the Day of Judgment): enter Paradise from any of its(eight) doors.”

Reflect on:
If a woman harms (in any way) her husband, then his wife in Paradise tells her: “Do not harm him, May Allah fight you, he is only staying temporarily with you. Soon he will come to us.” [Ahmad & At-Tirmithi]

If a man calls his wife to bed and she refuses till he slept while angry, then the Angels will curse her till the morning. [Muslim]

Allah does not look to the woman who does not appreciate her husband while she cannot stand his departing her. [An-Nasaii].

A woman does not fast while her husband is present without his permission, except in Ramadan. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Any woman who asks her husband for divorce for no reason will not smell the fragrance of Paradise. [Sahih Al-Jamii]

The Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, “If I were to order anyone to bow down to other than Allah, I would order the wife to do so for her husband. By the One who owns the soul of Muhammad,if a wife does not fulfill her obligations towards her husband, then she will not have fulfilled her obligations towards Allah.” [Ahmad]

What characteristics of a pious husband?

Source : http://www.haqislam.org/characteristics-of-a-pious-husband/

On the Day of Judgment :Allah will ask men if they fulfilled their obligations towards their families. They who fear Allah will do their best to direct the way his wife and children live by educating himself and his family to living according to the Sunnah of the Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and the Holy Qur’an, the final word of Allah.

The Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, “The best of you is the best one to his family.” [Al-Tabarani]

To share food with her, to provide her with (decent) clothes as he provides himself, to refrain from smacking her, and not ignoring her but in the house. [Ahmad]

One should not hate his believer wife. If he dislikes some of her attitudes, he would (surely) like others (attitudes). [Muslim]

Woman was created from a bent rib and will not be made straight for you on one way (that you like). If you want to enjoy her, you enjoy her while she is still bent. If you want to straighten her up, you will break her. Breaking her is divorcing her. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Do (volunteer) fasting (some days) and do not fast (in other days), pray at night (some nights) and sleep (in other nights). Your body has a right on you (to rest), your eye has a right on you (to sleep), and your wife has a right on you. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Fear Allah in (treating) women. [Muslim]

Be advised to treat women righteously. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing that Allah brings through it a great deal of good. [4:19]

The Prophet (Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said,”A Dinar (a currency) that you spend on your family, a Dinar that you spend on a poor person and a Dinar that you spend in the sake of Allah. The one that carries the most reward is the one that you spend on your family.” [Muslim]

The Prophet(Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said to Saaid ibn Abi Waqqas,”Know that no charity that you give whether small or large, for the sake of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it, even the bite (of food) that you put in your wife’s mouth.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

What is Salat-ul-Istikhara ?

source : http://simplyislam.blogspot.com/2006/03/salat-ul-istikhara.html

The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said:

"If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two Raka'aats (cycles) of voluntary prayer." Then he should say the following Du'aa:

اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أستَخيرك بعلمكَ، و أستقدرك بقُدرتك، و أسْألك مِن فضلك العظيم،
فإنّك تَقْدر و لا أقْدِر، و تعلم و لا أعلم، و أنت علاَّمُ الغُيوب.
اللَّهمَّ إنْ كنتَ تعلم أنَّ هذا الأمْرِ خيرٌ لي في ديْني و معَاشي و عاقِبة أمري
– او قال عاجِل أمري و آجِله –
فاقْدِرْهُ لي و يسِّرْه لي ثمَّ بارِك لي فِيه،
و إن كنتَ تعلم أنَّ هذا الأمرِ شرٌّ لي في دِيني و معآشِي و عاقبةِ أمْرِي
– او قال في عاجِل أمرِي و آجِله –
فاصْرِفْه عَنِّي، و اصْرفْنِي عَنه، و اقْدِر لِيَ الخيْرَ حَيْثُ كان ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِه.


Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power; I have none. And You know; I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things.
Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge this matter is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.

Salatul Istikhara

We all turn to Allah during times when we are in need, and one of the most common methods and reasons for turning to Him is to seek His guidance through the Salaah of Istikhara.

Istikhara, in reality, means “to seek goodness from Allah” according to some Ulamaa and according to some it is “to seek guidance from Allah”. Whichever meaning we take, it is a prayer and supplication which is made by a believer to His Lord to help him in the time of need and confusion.

However, it is also a known fact that many people experience confusion about this particular prayer. The main reason for the occurrence of confusion is because the person who is offering this prayer is expecting divine guidance from Allah Ta'ala and therefore has this belief in this heart that whatever result and path he is shown to take will be the correct path and the most beneficial path for him chosen by Allah Himself.

However, when people offer this prayer, it is witnessed that the confusion of a person is not removed. Furthermore, the path that one appears to have been told to take is sometimes not a smooth and clear path; instead, the person apparently faces more difficulty in taking that path.

It is for this reason that it is vital to clear a few misconceptions and furthermore present a wonderful insight of a great scholar from the followers of Imaam Shafi'ee Rahimahullah.

First View

The first and most common view of Istikhara is that it is a prayer through which one seeks the guidance from Allah Ta'ala. It is a prayer that removes the confusion a person is experiencing in a matter he wishes to undertake; be that matter should you marry this certain person? Should you attend this graduate school? Should you take this job offer or that one?

Therefore, the person who performs this prayer does so in order to seek guidance from Allah Ta'ala and hopes that his heart will be inclined towards one of the two matters thus enlightening him as to what decision to make.

However, as mentioned before, we sometimes see that we do not receive any sort of inclination after the Istikhara, or that once the decision is made we go through difficulties in the option we followed due to the Istikhara.

Explanation

Primarily, it should be understood that, according to this view, we are seeking Allah's complete knowledge to guide us and therefore we should understand that whatever path we take is the right path for us and no matter what apparent difficulties we go through there is some benefit for us within this path that Allah has inclined our hearts towards.

Furthermore, if we feel that there is no inclination towards a certain matter then the scholars have mentioned that we should perform the prayer several times until we do receive an answer from Allah Ta'ala.

Second View

Istikhara rather than being a prayer for guidance it is a supplication (Du'aa) to Allah Ta'ala and a prayer to seek goodness from Him. It is through this prayer that a person asks Allah Ta'ala to put goodness in whatever he decides to do and a supplication to Allah asking Him to guide him towards that in which there is goodness for him and keep him away from that which has no goodness for him.

(The explanation of the Imam that is given is very lengthy and takes a great effort to explain. Alhumdulillah I am in the process of completing the translation of this article which I will post in the near future, Insha Allah.)

In brief, the scholar mentions that if one is to believe that this prayer is that of guidance that it deems necessary to believe that Allah's guidance is always correct as He has complete knowledge. However, we see many a times that the confusion still remains after the prayer and therefore it means that the promise from Allah was not fulfilled and through Istikhara one did not achieve what one was promised; and it is impossible for Allah to command of something and then not have that order achieve its results.

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi recalls one pious saint from the Shafi'ee group (which the author cannot recall) who mentioned an amazing insight about Salaat-ul-Istikhara. Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, after mentioning this scholar's amazing explanation, says himself that he is more inclined towards the Shafi'ee explanation of Istikhara and that this is the more correct opinion.

Explanation

With this view if we take into account the above issues and confusion that often occurs, the confusions still remaining and facing difficulties in the path the one took, we can say that Istikhara is a Du'aa and all Dua'aas are accepted by Allah but it is not necessary that it be in this world or immediately. Therefore, not receiving clarification would mean that Allah has accepted our Dua'aas (as He has promised to do so) but He has not answered it immediately, or that He will give us a greater reward for this supplication in the Hereafter.

Similarly, if we face difficulties in a chosen path it could have the same explanation as above or that Allah will shortly give us goodness in the matter we have chosen.

Benefits of this Second View

If one takes this second view into account then one will be able to make use of worldly means in able to make his decision and remove his confusion regarding the matter. Istikhara will be a supplication from Allah Ta'ala to help him in his decision and to give him goodness it whatever he chooses to do, whilst taking aid from the mediums will help resolve his confusion and assist him in making a decision.

Conclusion

We have been instructed by the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam to perform the Istikhara prayer whenever we make decisions in our life, especially when we make some major decisions in life. Therefore, we should always make an effort to perform this prayer of Istikhara, whether we see it as a way in receiving guidance or whether we perform it as a supplication.

Furthermore, we should always use the mediums that Allah has placed in this world to aid us with removing our confusions. The world has been referred to as “Darul Asbaab” (the place of mediums) and it is the wisdom of Allah that in order to acquire anything or even receive anything from Him we need to use the means and mediums that Allah has placed within this world.

Finally, we should always trust in the decisions that we take through the guidance of Allah and those that we take after supplicating to Him; His mercy is infinite and though Allah may shower His mercy with delay upon us, through His own wisdom, but He will surely guide us and aid us through those matters that we have taken with hope of His help and guidance. As the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam advised us in the final words of the Du'aa, "and make me content with it", we should remain content with the decision we took with trust in Allah.

May Allah bless us with divine guidance from Himself and may He give us the understanding to make the correct decisions and may He put goodness in whatever He chooses for us to do. Aameen.