“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah (His covenant and the Qur’an) all together and do not become divided.”
Quran 3:103

“And indeed this, your nation, is one nation (in having a unified collective way of life and course of conduct), and I am your Lord, so fear Me.”
Quran 23:52

“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood. So make peace and reconciliation between contending brothers; and fear Allah that ye may receive Mercy.”
Quran 49:10

“O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it… But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”
Quran 49:12

“O you who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others for it may be that the (latter) are better then the (former); nor let some women laugh at others for it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former). And don’t defame or be sarcastic to each other. And don’t call each other by (offensive) nicknames; ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness (to be used of one) after he has believed. And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.
Quran 49:11

PS – There are 2 others quotes that were also popular: “Music* is haraam. Pictures** are haraam.”

* Including all nasheeds even voice only ones, LOL.
** He never liked taking pictures.

Related posts:

• Favorite Quranic Reciters?
• Why you should recite Ayat-ul-Kursi every night
• Surah Rum, Ayat 20 – 26

Praise be to Allah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing though which Allah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. (Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa’if, p.8)

The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty.” [al-Hijr 15:99] The mufassireen (commentators) said: “‘The certainty’ means death.”

Among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” The people asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2/457).

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, nor greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice.” He was asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 1/357; its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwaa’, 3/398).

These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadaan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr (“the Night of Power”), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. (See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412).

You should know, my brother in Islaam, that the virtue of these ten days is based on many things:

Allah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “By the dawn; by the ten nights” [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: “This is the correct opinion.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) testified that these are the best days of this world, as we have already quoted above from saheeh ahaadeeth.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) encouraged people to do righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place – for the Hujjaaj (pilgrims) to the Sacred House of Allah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh (“Subhan-Allah”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”) and Takbeer (“Allahu akbar”) during this time. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“La ilaaha ill-Allah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.” (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is saheeh).
These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.
These ten days include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj.
Question: What must the Muslim avoid during these ten days if he wants to offer a sacrifice?

The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must stop cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his skin, from the beginning of the ten days until after he has offered his sacrifice, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice.” According to another report he said: “He should not remove (literally, touch) anything from his hair or skin.” (reported by Muslim with four isnaads, 13/146)

The Prophet’s instruction here makes one thing obligatory and his prohibition makes another haraam, according to the soundest opinion, because these commands and prohibitions are unconditional and unavoidable. However, if a person does any of these things deliberately, he must seek Allah’s forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation; his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some hair, nails, etc. because it is harming him, such as having a broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, should do so, and there is nothing wrong with that. The state of ihraam is so important that it is permitted to cut one’s hair if leaving it will cause harm. There is nothing wrong with men or women washing their heads during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) only forbade cutting the hair, not washing it.

The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer a sacrifice from cutting his hair etc., is so that he may resemble those in ihraam in some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that he may draw closer to Allah by offering the sacrifice. So he leaves his hair and nails alone until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allah will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And Allah knows best.

If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides later, during the ten days, to offer a sacrifice, then he must refrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makes this decision.

Some women may delegate their brothers or sons to make the sacrifice on their behalf, then cut their hair during these ten days. This is not correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, whether or not he (or she) delegates someone else to carry out the actual deed. The prohibition does not apply to the person delegated, only to the person who is making the sacrifice, as is indicated in the hadeeth. The person who is sacrificing on behalf of someone else, for whatever reason, does not have to adhere to this prohibition.

This prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering the sacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is offering a sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to sacrifice “on behalf of the family of Muhammad,” but there are no reports that say he forbade them to cut their hair or nails at that time.

If a person was planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to go and perform Hajj, he should not cut his hair or nails if he wants to enter ihraam, because the Sunnah is only to cut hair and nails when necessary. But if he is performing Tamattu’ [whereby he performs ‘Umrah, comes out of ihraam and enters ihraam anew for Hajj], he should trim his hair at the end of his ‘Umrah because this is part of the ritual.

The things that are described above as being prohibited for the person who is planning to offer a sacrifice are reported in the hadeeth quoted above; the person is not forbidden to wear perfume, have marital relations, wear sewn garments, etc.

Concerning the types of worship to be performed during these ten days: one must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the Muslim’s duty to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His slaves, Allah has given us many ways in which to do good and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are:

Fasting. It is Sunnah to fast on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged us to do good deeds during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds. Allah has chosen fasting for Himself, as is stated in the hadeeth qudsi: “Allah says: ‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except for fasting, which is for Me and I am the One Who will reward him for it.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1805).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hunaydah ibn Khaalid reported from his wife that some of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, on three days of each month, and on the first two Mondays and Thursdays of each month.” (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 4/205 and by Abu Dawud; classified by al-Albaani as saheeh in Saheeh Abi Dawud, 2/462).
Takbeer. It is Sunnah to say Takbeer (“Allahu akbar”), Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillaah”), Tahleel (“La ilaha ill-Allah”) and Tasbeeh (“Subhaan Allah”) during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, may He be exalted.
Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)…” [al-Hajj 22:28]

The majority of scholars agree that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): “The ‘appointed days’ are the first ten days (of Dhu’l-Hijjah).”

The Takbeer may include the words “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaaha ill-Allah; wa Allahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise),” as well as other phrases.

Takbeer at this time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten, especially during the early part of this period, so much so that one hardly ever hears Takbeer, except from a few people. This Takbeer should be pronounced loudly, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent. There is sound evidence that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. The idea behind reminding the people to recite Takbeer is that each one should recite it individually, not in unison, as there is no basis in Sharee’ah for doing this.

Reviving aspects of the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten is a deed that will bring an immense reward, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 7/443; this is a hasan hadeeth because of corroborating asaaneed).

Performing Hajj and ‘Umrah. One of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days is to perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. The one whom Allah helps to go on Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals properly is included in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”
Doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allah, praying (salaat), reading Qur’an, remembering Allah, making supplication (du’aa’), giving charity, honouring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.
Sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allah. (more information to follow, in sha Allah).
Sincere repentance. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah loves.
If a Muslim commits a sin, he must hasten to repent at once, without delay, firstly because he does not know when he will die, and secondly because one evil deed leads to another.

Repentance at special times is very important because in most cases people’s thoughts turn towards worship at these times, and they are keen to do good, which leads to them recognizing their sins and feeling regret for the past. Repentance is obligatory at all times, but when the Muslim combines sincere repentance with good deeds during the days of most virtue, this is a sign of success, in sha Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [al-Qasas 28:67]

The Muslim should make sure that he does not miss any of these important occasion, because time is passing quickly. Let him prepare himself by doing good deeds which will bring him reward when he is most in need of it, for no matter how much reward he earns, he will find it is less than he needs; the time of departure is at hand, the journey is frightening, delusions are widespread, and the road is long, but Allah is ever watchful, and to Him will we return and render account. As the Qur’aan says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it,

And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”

[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]

There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good works, before death strikes, before one can regret one’s negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to a place where no prayers will be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before you are trapped with your deeds in the grave.

O you whose hard heart is as dark as the night, is it not time that your heart was filled with light and became soft? Expose yourself to the gentle breeze of your Lord’s mercy during these ten days, for Allah will cause this breeze to touch whomever He wills, and whoever is touched by it will be happy on the Day of Judgement. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his Family and Companions.

Source

Related posts:

• The 10 days that are better than Ramadan!
• Got 6 more to go! Fasting the six days of Shawwal
• Deeds are like Internet Cookies…

Amazing reciation by the official Qari of Al-Madina Institute

Click here to view the embedded video.

Quranic Recitation (part 2)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bilal’s Walkthrough

Bilal Atiya gives me a walk through of the Hyatt Dulles where the 3-day event took place.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bilal talks about Ice Cream and the Workbook

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ghydar singing “Ya Tayybah”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Personal Experience from an attendee

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related posts:

• Pearls of the Quran – 3-day Spiritual Retreat – AlMadina Institute – Yusuf, Shakir, Ninowy, Magid, Maghraoui
• Pearls of the Quran – Nov. 6-8, ’09 – H. Yusuf, Z. Shakir, M. Ninowy, M. Maghroaui, M. Magid, Z. Alwani – Dulles, VA
• Pearls of the Quran Retreat Limited Live Webcast this Weekend

Related posts:

• MR’s Online Qur’an Reading Contest Ramadan 2009/1430
• Global Dua
• Ramadan 2009 Pictures from “The Big Picture”

Ramadan will start in a week, inshaAllah. Like the previous three Ramadans I held a contest  to see who can read the Qur’an first. So I’m officially starting this contest which will begin on the 1st day of Ramadan 2009/1430 and end on the last day of Ramadan 2009/1430. Check out the standings for Ramadan 2008/1429, Ramadan 2007/1428 here and for Ramadan 2006/1427 here.

How do I join?

Simply comment with an anonymous name, nickname, your name, or whatever name you would like to go by. This name will be publicly desplayed a long with everyone else. If you have a website, blog or an organization you would like to represent or promote along with your name, just include that also.

Confused? Here is an example:

MR – mujahideenryder.net

(Note: Please enter a valid email address when you comment. Also make sure it is one that you check frequently.)

How does it work?

Very simple. You read the Qur’an. Keep track of the number of ayat (verses) you recite daily. Contact me and let me know how much you have done by emailing me, IMing me (if you have my screename) or calling me (if you have my number).

Who wins? And what’s the prize?

Everoyne wins, because everyone is rewarded with blessings from Allah! That is the prize. For Ramadan 2008 the prize was a free class from Seekers Gudiance. For Ramadan 2007 we had Phatwa Factory sponsor the contest and award the top winners with free t-shirts.  For Ramadan 2006 there was a surprise donated gift to the winner.  Only Allah knows what the prize will be this year.

Rules

• Anyone can join.
• You can use anonymous names or your real names.
• I will not reveal anyones real identity.
• Contest officially begins on the first day of Ramadan, whatever day that you start.
• No lying. If you lie, you got some serious issues with yourself.
• Recitation in prayer doesn’t count. You must actually read from the Qur’an during your free time when your not praying salah.
• You must read the Qur’an in Arabic only. (English doesn’t count towards the contest, but you should still read the English).
• You must calculate the number of ayat including Surah al-Fatiha which is 7 ayat.
• Only include the number of ayat you read from the front to the back. (Example: Do not include the number of ayat if you read Surah Yaseen every day or Surah Kahf every Friday. They do not count.)
• Holding the Qur’an in Taraweeh salah and following the Hafidh does not count.
• You must recite out loud or enough so that your lips are moving and your ears can hear. No silent reading or reading from you mind.
• I have the right to change the rules anytime I feel like to.

So join already! Here is a list of people who have joined already.

Related posts:

• MR’s Online Qur’an Reading Contest Ramadan 2008/1429
• MR’s Online Qur’an Reading Contest Ramadan 2006/1427
• MR’s Online Qur’an Reading Contest Ramadan 2007/1428

The Islamic Center Of Irvine

Presents

1st National Quran Competition

Judged By World Renowned Qari Sheikh Mishary Al-Afasy (Kuwait)

PRELIMINARY Round Deadline: Fri, August 20th, 2009
(Preliminary round will be conducted by submitting a video of participants recitation online)

FINALS: Sunday, September 6th 2009
(Top 5 finalists will be flown to Irvine, California for Quran Competition Finals)

Finals Location: Islamic Center Of Irvine (Irvine, California)

For competition rules or to register for the competition please visit www.ICOI.net

For questions please email Mohammad.Harake@gmail.com

If I had a voice, I’d do this. Details here.

Related posts:

• Mishary Rashid al-Efasy to lead Taraweeh this Ramadan in California!
• Mishary Rashid al-Efasy in America (2007)
• Pearls of the Quran – Nov. 6-8, ’09 – H. Yusuf, Z. Shakir, M. Ninowy, M. Maghroaui, M. Magid, Z. Alwani – Dulles, VA

“For him (each person), there are angels in succession before and behind him. They guard him by the command of God.” (13:11)

I knew we had two angels with us that recorded our actions and that we had a jinn with us as well but I didn’t know we had two angels guarding us. Thank you God for the personal bodyguards. Devil be afraid! Angels got my back!

Seriously I need to read the Quran more. I’m pretty dumb. May God increase our time with Quran. Ameen.

Related posts:

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• The Joker reminds me of the Devil
• Joke: Blair, Sharon & Bush in Hell

In this unique three-day retreat, explore the miracles of the Qur’an, from the miracle of its historical revelation and compilation, to the miracle of its infinite guidance and wisdom for all peoples and all times.

Join six of our greatest scholars as they examine both the external and internal dimensions of the Qur’an and share their reflections and commentary on many verses that now, more than ever, require a renewed understanding and application.

Register today, and immerse yourself in the ocean of the Qur’an, as our beloved teachers draw out from its blessed waters some of its finest pearls…

Click here for details and registration.

Related posts:

• Pearls of the Quran – 3-day Spiritual Retreat – AlMadina Institute – Yusuf, Shakir, Ninowy, Magid, Maghraoui
• State of the Union: The Muslim Experience with Sh. Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Imam Mohammed Magid and Hadia Mubarak
• Muslims United for Change Against Malaria – HD Promo Video – S. Wahhaj, H. Yusuf, Y. Qadhi, Z. Shakir, M. Ninowy & F. Rabbani

Bayyinah Dream

Related posts:

• Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan – Quranic Riddle
• Nouman Ali Khan – Why Study Arabic & How?
• Al-Baqarah: Grammar & Translation, Taught by Nouman Ali Khan

Update: this is from the 2008 Spring Edition of Zaytuna’s “Seasons” Journal (paid, not free). It was only recently released for free this week and is currently on Zaytuna’s homepage.

Related posts:

• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Shaykh Suhaib Webb on MBC (Arabic w/ English Subtitles)
• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on President Barack Obama
• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf – The Dangers of Heedlessness