Ramadhaan Notice

BIsm Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I have previously posted questions for each day's juz of Qur'aan during Ramadhaan. I didn't, however, find time to post answers to them all. Al hamdul'Illah for that, as Allah has saved both you readers and me. We have been using the Sahih International English translation of the Qur'aan for our children this past few years, due to it's ease of reading. However, my husband's friend and colleague is just embarking on a PhD dissertation on the mistakes in that translation of the Qur'aan...maashaa Allah. It was done by an American revert sister, who made a very good attempt but missed some key grammatical points that change the meanings This is a good reminder for us all that just because something is published in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and has been checked by certain institutions, doesn't mean it is completely correct or free of mistakes.  May Allah guide and protect us all - ameen!

As for the questions I posted, most certainly you can use the questions and find the answers in The Noble Qur'an by Hilali-Khan, inshaa Allah. However, I will not post the answers from the Sahih International translation. I will edit the posts, replacing the reference to the most unanimously approved Hilali-Khan translation, inshaa Allah.

As for the Ramadhaan program this year, we will be at our farm, Healing Earth, bi idhn Illah ta'ala. We should have another family with us for much of the summer, so al hamdul'Illah this will be our first year of including others in our lessons.

As many of you are aware, Ramadhaan is a very intense month for us, where we focus the majority of our time on ibaadah in its different forms. This year we will be covering the following: bi idhn Illah, ta'ala.

• Reading the Qur'aan tranlation in English - one juz per day (for each individually) with a few questions to be answered on the daily juz.
• Reading the Qur'aan in Arabic - one juz per day (for those who can do so) and for the younger members of the family then a goal such as reading Surat-ul-Baqarah and the last two or three ajzaa.
• Lessons read each day from Shk Uthaymeen's Daily Sittings for Ramadhaan.
• Lessons read each day from Ramadhaan 2011 Bitesize Articles
• Fasting from Alif to Ya for the younger children 
• Tahajjud/Qiyaam ul Layl

I am posting about this now to encourage you all to get your Ramadhaan program organized if you haven't already done so inshaa Allah. Inshaa Allah, I will be posting again before we leave on 10 June for the summer, but over the summer if I do post it will be mainly on Healing Earth, bi idhn Illah, ta'ala.

Barak Allahu feekum!

Your Day in a Nutshell

Bism Illah wa assalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 "My day is ruined!"

Ever hear someone say that, or say it yourself?

No.Your day isn't ruined. You ruined your day.

Your day is entirely in your control. It is all in how you act, think about things, and understand them.

There are two things that can ruin your day: your ignorance or underestimation of Allah, subhaana wa ta'ala and your sins (which includes any disobedience to Allah or doing things He dislikes).

What about if someone is unpleasant to you, with no wrongdoing or provocation on your part? Can't that ruin your day? Not if you know that Allah is Al-Hakeem (The All-Wise), As-Samee' (The All-Hearing), Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing), Al-Haseeb (The Reckoner), Al-Hakam (The Judge), and Al-Adl (The Just). In such a case, the one who harmed you has given you a gift; either they have given you some of their good deeds or taken some of your sins - a perfectly good deal. Sit calm and say alhamdul'Illah.

What about if you fall sick, are hurt, or suffer some difficult test? Can't that ruin your day? Not if you know that Allah is Al-Wudood (The Loving), Al Hafeedth (The Guardian), Al-Wakeel (The Disposer of Affairs), Al-Qabid (The Taker) and Al-Baasit (The Extender). In such a case, you know that Allah loves you and is reminding you to return to Him in repentance and prayer. He is expiating your sins, elevating your ranks in Jennah, and guiding you call on Him, alone, for help.

What about if your children behave as though they never learned manners, respect, or morals? Can't that ruin your day? Not if you know that Allah is As-Salaam (The Peace), Al-Qawiyy (The Strong), Al-Mateen (The Powerful), Al-Jabbaar (The Compeller), Al-Musawwir (The Shaper), Al-Mujeeb (The Answerer), Al-Haadi (The Director), Ar-Rasheed (The Guide). Throw your hands up in du'a and keep on doing what your doing to guide them to righteousness. Leave the rest to Allah's Perfect Plan.

What if you are feeling unappreciated? Can't that ruin your day? Not if you know that Allah is Ash-Shaakir (The Recognizer and Rewarder of good) and Ash-Shakoor (The Appreciative). and Al-Kaafi (The Sufficient). Why worry when the only One Who can recompense and reward is appreciating you?

But what about if you commit a major sin? Can't that ruin your day? Yes, it can, if you don't repent for it with sincerity and heartfelt regret. Even with a complete and true repentance it can cast a shadow on your day. However, for the true believer the answer is still no, because you know that Allah is At-Tawwaab (The Oft-Returning), Al-Afuww (The Pardoning), Al-Ghafoor (The Forgiving), Al-Ghaffaar (The All-Forgiving), and Ar-Raheem (The All-Merciful). He created us to err and turn to Him in repentance, thereby learning a lesson and not wanting to commit that sin again. Crying to Allah in sorrow, regret, and repentance is an excellent thing. It confirms that you have eemaan and taqwa - hardly something to ruin your day. More like something to give you hope and something to build on, maashaa Allah.

So, I say to you, if you have correct understanding of Allah, your Creator, and true taqwa and eemaan, then nothing and nobody can ruin your day - not ever.


Resources: The Explanation of The Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allah (subhaana wa ta'ala)  by Abdur-Rahman bin Nasir as-Sadi (raheemahUllaah)

Sorry, I'm not a Poet

Freedom

How I envy the prisoner
Living by rules
Forced to comply
No opportunity for the fallible mind
Or foolish thoughts to govern actions
Weaknesses troubleshot
Taken into account and included in The Plan.

How I pity the free man
Left to his own devices
His whims and desires fighting on the front line
Against practicality, morality, and reason.
Surrounded by rules to pick and choose as he likes
Weaknesses laid bare, open sores to fester and spread
Rotting from the outside in

We have been given free will
But it is the truly gifted of us
Who realize that to be free is to live in a prison
Within the golden bars of compliance
And to be safe is to be a prison
Locking submission firmly inside us.

Just thinking...

that love born from desire is like a puddle - shallow and quick to evaporate in the heat of passion.

But love born from love of Allah and all He Loves, is like the ocean - fathomless. It gets deeper and deeper as our love of Allah grows, and fills the heart to near bursting. Al hamdul'Illahi Rabb il aal ameen!

Be Real with Yourself

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Every action has an intention. Just read the first hadith of An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith and ponder for a minute it's meaning.

On the authority of Ameer ul-Mu'mineen (the Commander of the Faithful), Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab radhi Allahu anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say:

Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. 

Thus he whose migration (Hijrah to Madeenah from Makkah) was for Allaah and His Messenger, his miration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.

(Agreed upon)

 عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: ” إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ“.

رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدِّثِينَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيل بن إِبْرَاهِيم بن الْمُغِيرَة بن بَرْدِزبَه الْبُخَارِيُّ الْجُعْفِيُّ ، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمٌ بنُ الْحَجَّاج بن مُسْلِم الْقُشَيْرِيُّ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي صَحِيحَيْهِمَا اللذَين هُمَا أَصَحُّ الْكُتُبِ الْمُصَنَّفَةِ.

It is easy to say, "I don't know," or, "Because I wanted to," or even, "Someone else made me do it," when being asked why you did something, However, not one of these answers is the truth or the whole truth.

When words come out of your mouth, contemplate why you say them. Try it for at least a day and see if your words were all helpful, beneficial, guiding to the good, and loving the good for those being spoken to. Consider if those words are sitting on your right hand side, recorded in Illiyyeen. Did you really say them with a clean heart and intentions? Or did you say them with the underlying desire to hurt, insult, put down, make fun of, condescend to, cajole, or manipulate?

So much is said and done without thought, but not without thought about why we did it, but more about what the result is of us doing it. What reward will we get for it - good or bad? It is easy, when being examined by others, to come up with an altruistic reason for our actions and speech. However,  it is the truth within us that we will answer for - the truth behind the reason for our actions and speech, not what we say in retrospect or try to convince ourselves or others of.

We, as human beings, will always have to fight our nafs and the incessant whispers of shaytaan feeding our base thoughts and desires. The only way we can truly address and correct ourselves for the good is if we are honest with ourselves about those negative and evil feelings that drive us to do or say bad or negative things.It is in being real with ourselves that we can pinpoint the things we need to rectify in our hearts and humble ourselves before our Creator. It is in being real with ourselves that we can cry in desperation to Allah for His Forgiveness and Help. It is in being real with ourselves that we stand a chance of true success in this life and the next, bi idhn Illah ta'ala.

Kudos

Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Just wanted to let you know that my husband has started a new blog for open discussion of matters for consideration and improvement. It's aimed at brothers, but anyone can read it...and perhaps if there is something pertinent, sisters can nudge their husbands to read it (SMILE). The blog is Naseeha4us. May it be a benefit to all who read it and draw them ever closer to Allah's Pleasure and success in this life and the next - ameen!

Also, a dear sister, who holds two ijaazas to teach Qur'aan maashaa Allah, is putting great effort into bringing us a website to learn tajweed - the correct way to recite the words of Allah in the Noble Qur'aan. This entails careful translation of the lessons and covers everything from basics for the beginners to higher level issues that can benefit us all, bi idhn Illah ta'ala. The website is: The Rightful Recital. May Allah shower His blessings upon all involved in this beautiful effort and reward them richly - ameen!