Sacred Month: Rajab

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just checked Hijriyah calender and I am so glad. We are in one of the sacred months, yaye!!!!! I am waiting for sacred months for long since my few disappointments and sadness after my end term exam for this year. Rajab is not the only month which is sacred and haraam. But also other three which I still remember until today. They are the Dzulqa'idah, Dzulhijjah, and Muharram. 

During these months we fast according to our capability due to that we need to respect the months. It is to avoid from being ill-tempered, from quarreling, and from picking fight with others. Some people like some of the wahhabis, who call themselves as salafis; I do not know what to say when I speak about them. They just criticize others without showing the proofs and later condemning others without asking what are the source and reasons for the person criticized doing certain acts. 

I am in one of the sacred months and in holy Friday so I would avoid criticizing them as to help everyone performing charity. We do not perform fasting only in Rajab to show that we are better than others but we perform it to purify ourselves from evil thinking like what the wahhabis did to us. Fasting in all of the months except for Ramadhan is not special but the month is sacred and we just perform it to protect ourselves from being drunken arabs. Respecting sacred months has historical value and not only religious.

Usually when we fast, we would perform them according to sunnah and not singling the fast only for Rajab. We would choose the same days like Monday and Thursday just like other normal months but we perform it more constantly in these sacred months or choosing the fasting days according to the sunnah of Daud (as). 

Sometimes, I just don't understand these wahhabis because everything that others did are wrong like we do not know about authentic sunnah and traditions of prophet and only they possess everything that make them having the rights to stamp others as ungodly. They had once made me feel afraid of purification of heart teachings too but later I began to find root sources and now trying to learn about matan (sources) of hadiths too.  Religious sciences indeed are important for everyone regarding what we are.

So, brothers and sisters in faith. To perform charity and purify ourselves. We need to check the sunnah first. As for the haram (respectable) months, Rajab is among the sacred months and others are Dzulqa'idah, Dzulhijjah, and Muharram. We are forbidden from evil thinking, evil acts, and everything evil. In other months which are not sacred too we still are forbidden from wickedness. 

No Hadith Saheeh concerning Rajab fasting but as for me, I would just perform fasting according to normal months way and whenever I feel free to perform it. The intention is for purification of heart and soul for Allah to be pleased with us not to please wahhabis, sunni, shi'ites nor any other creature who is not entitled for the rights to be pleased. It also makes the world a lot more better when we began to slow down from being ferocious, learn to be patient and nuclear bombs would never have to be invented if we purify ourselves as everyone would live in peace as this life is only temporary.

Avoid from criticizing others without asking others the reason why they are performing certain acts. And if they appear to perform other angle of the same sunnah which looks different from us because we do not perform it, we would be sinful for hurting their feeling and slandering the others. A faithful muslim is a brother to the other, when we hurt our brother; we are determining ourselves into destruction and disunity. 

May Allah protects my brethren in faith with peace and love in this sacred month. May Allah protect us from our enemies so that we would respect the sacred month and purify our heart and soul to see You dear Allah. May we recite salawat to prophet Muhammad (saw) everyday without having to wait for sacred months or certain occasions. May we praise You always for Your kindness to us Your unworthy creatures whenever and wherever we are. Amin!!! 

Ayatul Kursi

With the Name of the God, the Most Merciful the Most Beneficent!

Ayatul Kursi is another name for the verse 255 of surah al-Baqarah. We always recite this verse after al-Fatihah during ma'athurat recitation and supplications after salaat. How does it mean? To check the meaning, please click on the link given and we may also learn how to recite it and memorize it in no time. Don't wait, but quickly memorize the verse because it is very useful and beneficial for beloved brothers and sisters in faith.

Ayatul Kursi

When the verse is revealed to the holy prophet Muhammad (saw) in celestial form, angels of the God too following the verse due to its greatness and noble quality. The Devil and demons began to feel uneasy and they were so afraid of it because the verse is becoming the threat for their evil works in deviating the sons of Adam.

After it was imparted into the heart and the soul of the holy prophet Muhammad (saw), he immediately ordered Zaid bin Tsabit to write it down when he recites it through his tongue and teaching it to every believer. Anyone who recites this verse with concentration after every five times daily prayer services, each time he went out or entering their houses or beginning their travel, the Lord will protect him from the whisper of satans, the Lord will protect him and his family from the tyranny of villains, He will protect he who recites this his possessions, and He will protect the person who invokes Him from being harmed by wild animals or climate, His will.

From Asraarul Mufidah, "anyone who practices the recitation of this verse 18 times in his daily life, the Lord would open up his heart and soul to various of wisdoms, his sustainance will be in every direction, the Lord will protect him in the society and safe from disaster, with His permission.

Abu 'Abbas explained that whoever recites the verse 50 times and blowing his breath to the rain water, later drinking the water, His will that the Lord will make it easy for him to receive knowledge and wisdom. For everyone to practice this very basic thing, we may also check the hadith by the holy prophet Muhammad (saw) where he said: "Anyone who returns home and reciting ayatul kursi, the God will help banish poverty in front of his eyes. Anyone from my nation (the nations of the end of the world) who recites it 12 times on Friday morning and prays two units optional prayer service, the God will protect him from the wickedness of satans and officials." 

The benefits of zealously reciting this verse with great concentration on the meaning are that:

1. The God would love him and protects him as it is amongst the sunnah of prophet Muhammad when it is mentioned in the hadith.

2. Those who practice frequent recitation of this verse will get the help of the God and protected from the whispers and disturbance of satans.

3. For safe journey and travel.

4. Chase away harmful evil spirits like demons or those creatures of the God whom are not visible to physical eyes.

5. Moving into new house, recite the verse at least 100 times for the God to bless the house and protecting it from possessed by the invisibles.

6. The God would send representatives whom are His two angels to protect a person who recites ayatul kursi before sleeping until the sunrise.

7. Those who recite the verse after every obligatory daily prayer will be protected from the time they recite it to another coming obligatory prayer service time.

8. The God would also protect the neighbor and people around those who recite the verse.

9. He will grant those who recite the verse a grateful heart of the righteous, the merits of the prophets of the God, and the God will grant His grace to them.

10. The God Himself will send 70,000 angels to pray for the sin of the person who recite the verse to be forgiven and pray for his well-being and He will help the person if he has difficulties in life if he recite the verse as a supplication.

As what had been reported by Abdullah bin 'Amr (ra): "spread my messages to others although it is just a word..." It is our responsibility to help spreading the message to others so everyone may receive protection and salvation of the Holy God. Please help teach others when brothers and sisters have free time and may everyone receive the merit from the God, amin.

May the God help us and make us easy in memorizing His beautiful words. May He grants us wisdom in the most fun and easy way. Sealed with prayers for peace and love, amin!

Al-Fatihah

In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Beneficent!

Peace be upon brothers and sisters in faith may everyone in good condition and health. In filling our times with beneficial activities, it is also best to be practiced where we try to translate the meaning of the verses in the glorious Quran and the we may memorize the verses with understanding. We may do it in our free time.

What is al-Fatihah? Al-Fatihah is the beginning of the glorious Quran and the opening of every session of the recitation. It is also an invocation to the Most Merciful Lord for healing when we are in illnesses and very basic. How does it mean?

"In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Beneficent 1 All of the praises belong to the God of the Universe 2 The Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent 3 The King of the Day of Religion 4 Only You that we worship and only You that we follow 5 Show us the straight path 6 The path where You had agreed upon and not the path of those who had caused Your wrath and the path of those who went astray 7 Aamin!"

So this is basically how it means. We recite this supplication and surah (divine letter) during our daily five obligatory prayer services and also in other optional prayer services before we begin with any other divine letters. Some people might also chant this supplication to heal diseases but the power of healing is not in the letter but depends on the God Himself where He is the One who heals. 

This is a very nice surah and we may also recite the surah seven times when we ask something from the Lord.  In prayer services, make sure that we memorize and recite the arabic text and understand the meanings in our own languages. 

It is so much fun, try it yourselves. You will see the difference although with hard works. I wish everyone good luck in the quest strengthening the faith and seeking knowledge, may He be pleased with everyone. 

May everyone receive the benefits from this simple surah (divine letter) and would practice it in the daily life. May He guide us always with His light. Aamin!  

Around the Corner

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I am not really a poem type of person because my writing isn't so good. But sometimes I do love to browse on others' poem and reading them for pleasure. Although I do not really have close friends around in my neighborhood as I am a 'gypsy,' and I don't really mingle closely with people around me due to that I have this feeling where I am not going to maintain any close relationship with others due to that every meeting would also be accompanied with farewell.

I would assume the Lord as my foremost important friend amongst all. Our patriarch Abraham had also been known as the companion of the Lord, so we as his few thousand years descents would also try to approach the Holy Lord so may we get His assistance when we are in difficulties. However the Lord would never be a vanished friend because He is living without any changes.

This poem is titled Around the Corner written by Henson Towne. It tells us about a vanished friend. Let us enjoy his writing, maybe it could inspire us in our daily life. And if we have a good or close friend, be sure to appreciate him or her when they are around. We would never find such a good friend like him or her if we lose them.

Around the corner I have a friend
In this great city that has no end.
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face,
For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well
As in the days when I rang his bell,
And he rang mine.
We were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say "I will call on Jim."
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner!-yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir-"
"Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.  

This poem reminds me of my only friend during I was in standard four in Ahmad Tajuddin, and he is known as Saiful. He was the one who approached me and talked with a silent boy from KL who had just registered into the school and alone. I could say that he was my best friend after that but as I had implied before maybe time is changing us. 

This friend of mine is still alive anyway trying to establish connection with me again and maybe had been engaged to someone now because he messaged me last time. He even invited me to his engagement but I have no time to attend the engagement ceremony at his house.  I would like to express thanks to you for not forgetting me in your important matters.

And I am sorry friend for not congratulating you, even now I do not know what happened to myself after long. Maybe I am feeling down due to that I do not live like others and thinking that I am not normal. I had even thought that I had something wrong in my head too but I guess that, it is just us who makes it feels like that. 

Maybe it is the environment around changing me too or I am afraid of saying farewell to others so I would just feel comfortable not being attached to anyone except for the Lord. Many would say that this is an act of a coward, but I would never care now. There are many factors but what I could say if I hurt you, dear friend? It is my fault, not of anyone. I am just a guy feeling down of myself. Anyone would feel like this when they are facing unstable circumstances in life anyway. And I hate facebook or other social network sites.

May the Lord bless people around me no matter if they know me or not. No matter they are my fellow muslim brethren or non-muslims. Sealed with my prayers for peace and love.    

Four Characteristics

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

It is undeniable that a man undergoes the life in the earth are flawed by the sins no matter major or minor ones. That is the reason why we could see vices, evil, and disobedience happen around us. According to glorious Quran, human are generally weak and could naturally being conquered by their own desire. But that is not a practical excuse for human to continue committing sin.

A faithful servant of the Lord are obliged to comply within the orders of the Lord delivered through the tongue of His prophet and messenger. A faithful servant would strive hard refusing evil desires and trying to avoid committing sinful acts or disobedience. 

The glorious Quran has also describe that those who refuse to obey the Lord would always be doomed and condemned under His wrath. They would surely receive bitter punishment in the hereafter. It suits those who violates His rules and law since a faithful servant and slaves of Him should never breaking the boundaries set by Him. 

The Lord says in Surah Maryam 19:70-72 translated as: "And certainly we know best those who are the most worthy to be burned therein 70 None of you but will pass over it: this is with your Lord a decree which must be accomplished 71 But that We shall save those who protects themselves against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled down) to their knees 72"

According to honorable Imam al-Ghazali, sinful acts and disobedience happened due to four characteristics possessed by oneself summed as: 

I. Sifaat Rubbubiyah (Divine Characteristics)

II. Sifaat Shaytaniyah (Satanic Characteristics)

III. Sifat Bahimiyyah (Bestial Characteristics)

IV. Sifat Subu'iyyah (Ferocious Characteristics)

Divine characteristics happens when a person behave with the characters of the God. Human are slaves of the God and are not qualified to possess any of the divine characteristics such as takabbur (arrogance), longing for praises, or longing for being looked upon by the society. These characteristics in divine characteristics are only for the God not for human.

Satanic characteristics happens when feeling such as jealousy and hoax acts exists in one self. These feelings and characters could determine one self into disobedience and committing evil. As an example, Adam (as) was cast out from the paradise to being hoaxed by the Devil.

Bestial characteristics is signified by sub-characters such as greedy, conquered by the desire of stomach, heaping wealth according to desire, and others. Ferocity characteristics created acts such as irritability, vengeance, killing, violating, or cursing others.

All of these are the summary of the sifat mazmumah (evil characteristics) that we had discussed earlier. They are the factors that determines a man toward committing sinful acts and disobedience. If he leaves it without being cured, then his own evil characters would destroy him. Sin is like the poison and toxic in a human body. It would dissolve the whole body and could be fatal without any curing steps.  

If a person does not repent to Him from his sin, the sin would spread wide and become dangerous to his faith. It certainly would threaten his safety in the hereafter. A faithful servant and slave of the Lord must always observe and obey the order and the prohibition of the God. The God supports human with senses that could be used in order to think on their own and choosing either to perform righteousness or committing sin.

It should also be taken to the note that sinful matters are not those that could be underestimated by everyone of us. In fact, it needs us to be really careful in our daily acts and speeches. We certainly do not want them to haunt us in the hereafter. The whole short human life is a golden opportunity for human to perform charity and righteousness as many as possible before the death comes knocking the door. So, we should not always being in the comfort zone thinking that if we could escape earthly punishment and there would be no other punishment waiting for us. There still are torments and punishments waiting us in the hereafter.

The world is just a temporary stage for us to perform obedience to Him through His mercy which are the messengers of Him. We are responsible in avoiding defaults and other adverse actions. Pray for forgiveness from Him and repent while accumulating boons as they are those which could save us when we are assembled for the judgement in the hereafter. 

Says the God further in Surah Maryam 19:80-87

"To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone 80 And they have taken (for worship) gods other than the God, to give them power and glory 81 Instead, they (those gods) shall reject their worship but will become adversaries against them 82 Don't you see that We have set the evil ones on against the non-believers to incite them with fury 83 So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days) 84 The day We shall gather the righteous to (the God) the Most Gracious, like a band presented before a King for honors 85 And We shall drive the sinners into the hell like thirsty cattle driven down into the water 86 None shall have the power of intercession but such one who has received permission (promise) from the God the Most Gracious 87"

Allah please forgive us our sins, and our parents, and for the muslims male and female. And forgive the sins of those faithfuls to You dead or alive. With Your grace the One who is full of Grace! Sealed with prayers for love and peace, amin!

Surah Luqman: Resurrection and Burden of Sins

With the Name of the God, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent!

The Lord says: "And those who reject (the faith) thus do not you grieve (dear Muhammad) due to his rejection. To Us is their returning place and We shall tell them the truth of their deeds: for the God knows well that is in men's hearts." (Luqman 31:23)

The verse is about the reality that everyone shall be resurrected. Every human, genie, and animal shall be resurrected by the God and they will bear the burden of their deeds on their own shoulder. The resurrection in the day of judgement is a reality but it is beyond the reach of any scientific experiment. The experiments for this are not important due to our curiosity. 

We have faith in this since it is mentioned by the Lord through revelation in His verses since there are matters that could not be proven through scientific experiments but there are also some which could be experimented through scientific approaches. The resurrection and the day of judgement is beyond the universe.

Prophet 'Uzair (Ezra) had once asked the archangel Gabriel may the Lord be please with them both, whether a saint could help his brothers who are cruel to others and himself during the judgement of the Lord? It was narrated that the noble archangel replied that nobody would be pleased to bear the burden of others' sins during their life. So, could anyone of us bears the burden of his brothers and sisters sins?!!!

Thus said prophet Muhammad (saw): "a person who guides others toward righteousness, his merit would be available ever since those persons guided practicing his teachings. While those who taught others evil, his sins will keep flowing to the resurrection without any deduction." And the Lord knows well!

O Lord our God, You are the Most Merciful lift us up from the torments. We are just Your weak creatures dependent to You. Forgives us our sins please let us have the chance to purify ourselves. Glorious be the Lord of the Universe, the Most Compassionate above all forever, amin!!!

Mosque View: Masjid Jami' ash-Shihab

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Quite exhausted today. I didn't do any reading nor noting today because my sister had asked me to company her to watch movie at Alamanda and she was alone so I would also watch her out rather than leaving her alone because we do not know what would happen if we leave youths today without any supervision. 

Many people there as it is also semester break for schools. She planned to watch Kung Fu something Panda. But I don't know, maybe the tickets were sold out, so she just opted for Pirate of the Carribeans: On Stranger Tides in 3D versions. 

I don't feel any different watching the movie with the spectacle or without it. It just making my eyes more blurry. I can't remember anything except for a cathechist on board trying to convert pirates losing his virginity to a mermaid cause he kissed her and faithful spaniard catholics destroying the place where the blackbeard pirate is trying to get the water of youth to get few years of age from others. It's just a movie, I do not learn much from it like I learned from Telugu movie that I watched in Vaanavil channel in the evening before we went out to the shopping complex for the cinema. I guess the title of the movie is Ankit, Pallavi and Friends.   

Just found few pics in the older file. These pictures was taken around February last year. I and my parents were on our way to Kuala Sanglang in Perlis to attend a walimah (banquet for wedding) of my auntie's relative. I don't really know them because we are the relative of my uncle and not my auntie but as long as they are muslims and inviting us so I guess it is not a sin to join them. 

We also tried arabian style rice I mean the ones in the tray with beef. I don't eat beef so much because I had long avoided it due to my previous belief in my confusion. It is almost the same concept with Tablighi way where four persons sit at the table and began eating in the tray. They also have ayer asam (tamarind mixed with chillie cuts and shrimp paste) and I have to avoid those all. I just eat a little but I enjoy seeing their way of serving the banquet in different style.

The sun shines so bright and I guess the temperature around northern area at that time must be around 36 degree celcius because when I walked in the paddy field I could feel it was burning and the straws of the paddies look so crispy. 

This mosque is basically a Jami' mosque which is a big mosque where all of the congregations being assembled during communal prayers and festivities although it is not really huge. It is located in Kepala Batas just before we arrive Jitra town and after we were out of Alor Setar.

This is the front gate of the mosque, it has a unique style for the roof there at the front entrance. 

The minaret of the mosque, I noticed that there is only a minaret there.

The square in the mosque compound. Under the roof there, they have rooms for classes and also a places for ablution for both male and female in separate sides. It seems like being influenced by Mediterranean architecture.

This is under the roof from inside at the side of the prayer hall. In contrast to outside, it is a bit cooler than outside with marble floor.

The other ablution pool at the front entrance of the mosque if there are parishioner from the front gate entering the mosque. Those under the roofs are additional to this because it's serving many people for ritual cleaning.

 

The podium is attached at the wall and we can read some portions of Quranic verses on the wall written in gold paints. In every mosque, we can typically see mihrabs (semicircular niche at the wall) where imaam leads the prayer services in congregational prayers.

Fences for ladies to pray in the same prayer hall during congregational prayer services. Ladies may also pray above the mosque where we can see above surrounding the prayer hall. In mosques in South Asia or some in the Middle East, ladies are not praying in the mosque at all but just praying at home.

This is the dome of this mosque from inside.

This is among amazing mosques for me that I had ever been. I had actually been to this mosque several times but only on that February of 2010 that I managed to keep it as apart of visible memory. Anyway, how the mosque looks like is not important. But how we benefit the usage of mosque as the place where we seek knowledge, building congregation and relationships among brethren instead of only being a place of worship for maybe once a week on Friday or place for elders to continue their balance of life that they have. Everyone must also be involved in this institution and making it as a center for everyone seeking knowledge, strengthening imaan (faith), and performing 'amal (practices) and khidmah (services) to the Lord and community. 

So, when we visit a mosque although at that time there is no prayer service due to that it is not the prayer service time, we may perform salaat tihiyyatul masjid or the prayer to respect and paying homage to the Lord of the House where we prostrate. And after that we may also supplicate to Him with best of prayers that we have in humility. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures.

Chant salawaat to prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family and his companions. Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim. Sealed with prayers for love and peace.