Optional Weekly Fasting

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Hadith on the weekly optional fasting for my own reminder:

1. Narrated from mother 'Aishah radhiallahu 'anha: "Muhammad s.a.w always fast in weekly Monday and Thursday". (Narration of Tirmidzie, hadith chain: hassan sahih).  

2. Abu Hurairah narrated that Muhammad s.a.w had mentioned: "The acts of worship will be presented to the Lord on Mondays and Thursdays. I would love my acts of worship being presented before Him while I am fasting". (Narration of Tirmidzie).

3. Abi Qatadah mentioned that Muhammad s.a.w had answered when being asked about fasting on Mondays. He answered: "That is the day where I was born. That is the day where I was appointed (with the seal of prophethood) and that is the day when Revelation descends upon me". (Narration of Muslim).

Starting this Monday I beg the Lord, please put me back on my nature. I am going to limit the consumption of the food even those prepared by Mutaslim (Islamisized) Malays or Indians especially in Penang Island. They indeed consumed filthy things but still looking at others as if they are holier. So, dear Lord please make me limit my consumption here and may it be my witness that protects me from Your torments in the hereafter. I need to also keep the lists of food which I was forbidden to take not only the food items but also how they are prepared and in what condition they were prepared. 

Emad, you made me a disobedient person!!! Because I listened to your comments on how tiny I was that I tried to keep a mass and tried to eat! I am a Mawladi Hadrami, not a Palestinian. Even if people tyrannize us, we don't show to people how we defend ourselves or trying to look strong or weak. We don't lament in front of people in media like Palestinians! We only depend on our Protector and King, Allah the Most Majestic.

Another two weeks to Rajab month, among the holiest months. I am aware about the status of the hadith. It is classified as weak sometimes due to the the narrators' status of the hadith. I would be fasting in the month according to the counting of Sunnah of Monday and Thursdays. It is not obligatory! Only applies on individuals and others may choose not to perform it or to perform it as Allah promised His servants that He will never let anything for Him goes in vain. We don't spread weak hadith to people. But we don't condemn people as if we are so knowledgeable. The Real Possessor of the Knowledge is our Lord, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. That is the morality and manner when we know something. We don't self-claim as if we are full of authority on the wisdom.

Need to buy some dates and spices from Arab stall near the masjid. I am not going to buy anything from the 7E with Malay cashiers down here especially if I see the poyo Malay guy in charge and limiting my time downstairs. Feel bored looking at people face after something happened last night.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love amin!

Tips on Memorizing Quran: Brother's Experience I

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Source: brother Ismail Z.D

Urmm, just a motivation for myself, haha. I also encourage brothers and sisters to memorize Quran. I regret my sisters are 'quite' stubborn. I cry for them every night and it's not easy to be only brother among sisters. I give supplication books not only to my friends but also to people at home pleading everyone to help me (actually help themselves). Dad is already an old man. It's not easy for an old man to memorize stuffs so we should benefit our time while we still have the opportunity. I just advise dad to recite whatever surah that he is able to recite and I praise the God because dad listens to me. Since he was attacked by strokes I always feel worried about him. Mum is also reciting the Quran and she would follow me if she saw me doing certain things but I advise her to also consult teachers and tell me whether I performed anything correctly. We could get along well only with Quran. Other than Quran, it is volatile kabooom... LOL. 

Well, at least mum tries to recite the Quran. I want everyone to receive Salvation from the God. Not only for myself since I am also not sure whether I could save my self or else. So, that's why when I see anyone that I see having the potential, I will expound whatever that I have in myself to them. Maybe some of them feel weird but I don't care if they don't understand it. It's not for me, but for my brothers and sisters which pragmatically refers to them, haha. I am not an easy friend and I don't talk with people easily as to say because it could be 'harmful'.

This brother has a good advise too regarding the Glorious Quran. His way to memorize is almost the same with mine. I use the method of listening and writing as well. I prefer listening to medium speed recitation. I am trying to save other videos from sisters and sheikhs as well as to see how they manage to memorize the Glorious Quran. Anyone passing by who are interested can also contact them by clicking their name as I put the link for their video in it. The video is not mine and I claim no right but credits to video maker. 

I purposely do this as to make sure everyone being connected from East to the West and North to South beside I can watch these in bus while returning home or going anywhere, hehe. May His sakinah (tranquility) descends upon all of the creatures. I don't know this is wrong or not. I envy those who fully memorized the Glorious Quran and practicing with it. I don't wish anything bad to them because I "love" them and I will kick those who hurt them if I see it as the effect that I "love" them. I feel bad for my self. It takes me long because I have to understand the verses that I memorize. I wish Quran to be my companion even after I return to Him. If I have nothing in this world, just let me have the hope for hereafter :'(

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Acts of Worship: Purification

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

Praise Allah, we are still breathing today as everyday that He gave us is actually a chance for us to repent and to prepare better to see Him. As in the end, we won't be ashamed to see His glorious appearance. That is one of His countless grace.

As for introduction on how we Muslims perform cleansing before prayers and acts of worship, we actually have three kinds of cleansing. All of them are for formal prayers and worship. 

Three Types of Purifications

1. طهارة taharah generally is the purity of body and clothes.

2. غسل ghusl or معمد ma'amad which is major cleansing.

3. وضوء wudhu' which is an act of rinsing parts of body with water, most common one.

So, this is some short introduction. We will try to go deep with our notes if Allah permits us, insyaallah. Thank you for passing by, this notes is for everyone, may everyone be blessed.

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love, amin!

Acts of Worship: Conditions to Perform Salat

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

Source picture from View Iran.

For compulsory salat, we must meet these conditions which are:

A Muslim

Those who believes in the six articles of the pillars of faith are bound to five articles of the pillars of the law of life.

Sane

Possess sound mind and aware of what he or she is up to. A drunk person can not perform salat because his or her mind is not sound. He or she does not know what is she talking about when communicating with the God in salat.

Meet the Age Requirement

A person who reached 10 years old are bound to this article of the law of life (salat). Seven years old age is a good time to teach children to perform salat.

Pre-Salat Conditions 

Confidence on the Time

We must have confidence that we meet the prayer time for five times daily prayers. We may check the shadows under the sun for Dzuhr and 'Asr prayer services. Nowadays we have announcements in TV and radio for those who live in majority Muslim countries like in Malaysia while for those who live in the country administrated by non-Muslims like in Thailand or any other place, they could get the information or taqwim (calender) from their associations, centers and councils. No confidence although the time is correct, our salat will be invalid.

Facing Quiblah

Turning our face and chest facing the direction of Ka'aba in the city of Mecca. Those who are unable to perform this because of troubles are given leniency to face any direction since East and West belongs to Him.

Covering 'Awrah

It is compulsory for a men to cover from his belly-button down to his knees. For women, covering according to what is prescribed in the scripture for example wearing reasonably loose-fitting garment. It is a common sense. We are summoning the God and not flirting around looking for a date, taking part in miss universe, or playing snooker while performing salat. I had talked about this with my Muslim European teacher in her room too, it is regarding fashion. I am a moderate person, I don't judge people based on their looks or attire but when we perform salat or prayer it is not a sin to follow the prescription of scripture. When we perform salat, we are communicating and summoning the God. So, we must make sure that we are in proper attire. When we meet royalties, or VIPs, or in formal occasions or to Halloween parties for example, we perhaps wear proper attire according to their dress code or theme. But when we summon Him who has the Dominion over the Universe, should we just wear skimpy, stinky, and filthy clothes without any dress code? Summoning Him is not like when we go for the Cannes Film Festival. He is more than that. 

Purity

Pure from feces and physically clean. It means clean clothes, clean body, and the place to prostrate is clean from ritual impurity mentioned in scripture. There are jurists who summarized these into their kitab (books) for practices as to make it easy for laymen who have no time to revise, studying the branches of religious science or analyze the scripture. For Hanbali jurisprudence, the impurity at the cloth is still tolerated but I don't recommend it to others if we are able to make sure that everything is clean. A woman who are in menstrual state are given the leniency not to perform salat or entering prayer hall. It is called as holiday for women here. Personally I don't like to be close to women in menstrual state, hormones imbalance and they are quite moody. I can sense that from far without having to ask them, lol.

Ritual Purification

There are three kind of ritual washing. The first one is ma'amad or ghusl. Ghusl means shower or ma'amad means we dip ourselves into the river if there is a river or pond. Ghusl is a major cleansing. Then we have tayammum, for those who can't find water such as when the area is in drought or in desert. The most common one is wudhu' or ablution which is minor cleansing. We always see people perform this at mosque too before performing salat or contact prayer with the God. After we perform this, it is the state of pure from hadath. 

Sutrah

What is this? It means barrier from people passing by in front of us while we perform salat. It is best to have a barrier when we perform salat alone. It could be a wall or simply blocking the way of passers with hands. It is forbidden to walk in front of a person who perform salat, or walking between the barrier and the person who perform salat. A person may pass in front of person who perform salat in congregational row, usually in the mosque.  

I guess this is it for our note regarding pre-conditions to perform salat.  May it benefits brothers and sisters. I apologize for false words if it happens to pop out in here. We are just ordinary human-being and no perfect but we try to do as best as we can, His Will. Thank you for passing by, may everyone be blessed.

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love, amin!

Salat: Concentration in Prayers III

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Salaat counts no percentage, but the God gives merits to His servants and slaves who are faithful and performing charity, it means the believers. Honorable Imam Syafi'ie says, iman is not in the feel or in the dream but it is in the heart and performed with body parts. It means that we must perform whatever is obliged on us by the God.

The analogy of five times daily prayers is like water rushing swiftly and kicking the door of our houses five times a day. If we shower five times a day in a river where the water flows heavily, thus our sins would be purified without any filth. Prayers cleaning our daily sins. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w says that a prayer to another prayer redeem the sins of a slave while there is no greater sins committed. Another hadiths mentions about other matters which eliminate little sins performed together with daily prayers. Please check them out because they are related to fasting, Friday, and others. Little sins will be redeemed through daily prayers and remembrance to the God while greater sins must be redeemed with repentance and submission to Him.

For example, we perform maghrib prayer, when we perform the prayer, our sins in between asr prayer to maghrib will be forgiven by the God. He will forgive us our past sins. If we are stuck with others, then we have to apologize to the particular person because that is counted as greater sin. If we perform ablution, the body parts where we wash during the ritual will be forgiven for sins committed by them. Here is a tip, perform ma'amad or angkat hadas besar or celupan together with ablution. All of your body will ritually be cleaned up.  

Abu Bakar may Allah be pleased with him says, "go to the fire where you had light it up and quickly quench it out." Fire means sins and the quencher is the prayer or salaat. If we perform daily prayers, the sins before each prayer will be forgiven. That is if the prayer is accepted by the God. If it is not accepted due to lack of concentration or careless in prayer, then there is no forgiveness but only sins. As to say, it is important to be focus in prayers and facing Him for charity.

Says Allah in surah Hud verse 114: "perform prayers at the two edges of the day and some times of the night, indeed charity vanquishes evil, and that is the reminder..." Prayers at the two edges of the day means fajar and asar prayers. Some times at night means maghrib and isya' prayers. Fajar and 'asar prayer times are crucial because the angels who take charge on the time will change their shift. They will report everything to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. If they witness a servant of the God is performing prayer at time they are leaving, they will say to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla that: "Your servant is praying and we are departing from them." The record will be kept as the witness in the Day of Judgement. The Lord knows everything but He only asks the angels as the witness because He is all Just.

This verse is descended on a case where a guy was kissing with a woman, but it does not reach the act of adultery. Then the guy feels guilty since there are some remnants of faith in his heart and he went to see the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w to get his punishment. This kind of act is actually prohibited by the God although it does not reach adultery as what has been mentioned in the scripture, "do not be close to adultery!" I can't remember which surah, please Allah forgive me my weakness. 

The noble prophet only kept his silence and waiting for maghrib prayer to be performed and the guy is invited to be in the congregation. Then, the revelation which is now included in surah Hud came down on the prophet Muhammad s.a.w heart and it says that the sin of the guy is forgiven by the God. The noble prophet said that the maghrib prayer is cleaning the sins which passed.

Prayers must be sincerely performed with concentration and tranquility. Our daily sins are also cleaned by our charity such as tributes and donations. Begin our day with good words and prayers, and keep it for the day long until we sleep because they are also apart of charity and tributes to the God. Good words are such as recitation of scripture which is Quran, dzikr or remembrance glorifying Him, seeking knowledge, and supplications. All of these banishing little sins and those charity would just clean the filth up without any postponement. 

Greater sins need repentance to be forgiven. We must repent our greater sins if we are not the chosen ones. Of course those chosen ones are His noble prophets and messengers. Even prophet Muhammad s.a.w who is free from the past, the present, and future sins also repents 100 times a day. We also have to be careful with little sins which we intentionally commit. 

In fact, there is no limitation punishment or hudud law on the guy who had kissed the woman who has no marriage relationship, cuddling, or palpating at the time he met the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. There is no 100 times of whipping for such acts like what is prescribed on the adulterer who is not married or stoning to death for those who are married (male and female both, not only female!). 

The guy feels so afraid of the little sins committed although there is no limitation punishment on such acts such as kissing or touching the woman of no marriage relation. The Hadith Qudsi mentions that Allah 'Azza wa Jalla says: "dear sons of Adam, whoever committed sins and he realizes that it is a sin but still committing it, I shall cast him into the hell!!! He will scream an unimaginable scream!" Committing sins although without any worldly punishment, will still get the charge in the hell. The God and His messengers knows more about this.

Finished on our part of tama'ninah and tranquility in prayers. Hopefully ladies and gentlemen including myself who jotting down this note could concentrate more in prayers. Check out the surah al-Mu'minun. Pillars of religion begins with the testimonies and it is related to prayers because testimonies are the speech in prayers posture. 

There are 10 kinds of people whose prayers are rejected are the people who orally recites nothing while praying alone, a person who prays but pays not zakat, and many others please check them all. 

Whoever does not performing whatever prescribed in surah al-Mu'minun will risk themselves to be the enemy of the God! Those who perform and obeys everything prescribed with devotion to Him will inherit His kingdom the Firdawsi and will never taste death in it forever and ever :') That is the greatest and eternal success. - notes of 31st March 2009

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love for brothers and sisters in faith, amin!!!!!

Salat: Concentration in Prayers II

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Our prophet Muhammad, may Lord grant him peace says: "the time will come where my nation will be seen like they are praying but actually they're not." There are many things that could include us into the category mentioned by the noble prophet. Perhaps our acts pillar, or speech pillar are not according to the manner which could brings concentration to us. For example, we might also mispronounce the ه as ح in our Quranic recitation during salaat.  

I had few times talked about pronunciation of divine letter recitations with a Tabligh karkon who was in charge in prayer services in musalla. It is actually for his own benefit because I only talk when I care and love my faithful brothers and sisters. I don't usually pointing errors in front of people because I care about people's around dignity. It's not that I want to teach him or anyone. I don't really pay attention to people around, even looking at people's face would be a big problem for me unless if I feel it is a need to display His love and mercy on others. I actually hope that people around would also do the same to me if I did anything wrong in my practices and other rituals. 

If we are among those mentioned by the prophet in the hadith, then our asset (of the merits) would be in doom since the first would be repeatedly asked to us in the judgement is regarding salaat. If we passed the salaat chapter, then other chapters of ritual would be accepted too. This is only regarding those who perform salaat, while those who leave salaat has another story.

Those incidents happened to our salafi brothers of the past because they understood the levels of salaat in Islamic teachings. Salaat is a pillar of the law of life. Many of us think that salaat has no value at all in our life. In a hadith, there is a mention about salaat is the line which differentiate us with non-Muslims. It's not at our name, ethnicity, racial background, or anything. Whomever leaves salat without any sensible reason, he or she is already a disbeliever. I didn't really perform salaat or pray when I was in lower secondary school as I didn't believe in the God and followed others' way of life, so technically it is counted as infidelity toward the pillars of faith which also ruined my pillars of religion. I recompense them again after my repentance but yet I don't know whether He accepts them. However, honorable Imam Syafi'ie have no courage to put the infidelity stamp on those 'Muslims' who do not perform salaat due to that it is a heavy charge. He only states that those who do not perform salaat as hypocrites. However the real hadith says that those who do not perform salaat are infidels and disbelievers. This is how the good salafi brothers of the past analyze the role of salaat according to the teaching of His path.

When we leave salaat, we are also falling into disgracefulness. Like the ustad said, "nak kata lembu, bukan lembu tetapi orang jugak." In a narration, it says that Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has divided the motions of salaat into 40, 000 lines of angels. It means each line has 70, 000 angels with 10, 000 of them only stands straight without any bowing in their line, 10, 000 others bowing while others glorifying the God in another line but do not prostrate, and 10, 000 others are prostrating without rising up their heads.

Angels of the God have intelligence but they have no lust or physical feelings. So, they won't feel tired in those acts of prayers. Human like us if we stand for long, we would feel like we are going to pass out. Then many things appear in our mind such as, "this imam isn't going to pass out??? why is he bowing so long without prostration???" The God is standardizing our acts of prayer with the act of prayers of the angles. However, we do those four acts of prayer alternately in a unit of prayer and with rests because the God knows that we are limited and can't do prayers exactly like those angels. Angels never disobey the God. They will remain like the acts of prayer such as prostrating, bowing, glorifying Him or standing straight in their lines where they are ordered to be in until the Resurrection. This is different from the TV serials like Supernatural jah. We have no time to mock metaphysical matters like the movie makers in the States.

We human are so banyak srongeh lah (fussy). If we are in charge as imam, we must be fair with modest acts of prayer. Before we raise up for takbeeratul ihram or respecting the Lord the Greatest, we must look at the people who follows us in the acts of prayer. Whether there are elders who can't stand long, whether there are travelers who can't stay long because they are in rush, or whether there are breast-feeding mothers. Don't be like... we are memorizing the divine letters until we care less about people behind us by reciting like three pages of divine letter. Simplify the salaat and prayers as possible if there are elders and other disables in the congregation behind as the ma'mum (followers). 

to be continued, inshiAllah...           

What does it mean to be Muslim for a Family?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I manage to retrieve back some of these notes that I jot down from last month. I went to Sultan Mizan Zainal Abiddin mosque and listened to a lecture on a chapter from the book written by Fathi Yakan in the gap time before Isya' prayer. This book is quite famous in Malaysia with the title "Apa Ertinya Saya Menganuti Ajaran Islam?"

The ustad had mentioned where Fathi Yakan highlighted six matters. That day, they talked about the fifth matter and I was so unlucky as I had missed few matters earlier and also the last matter highlighted. They talked about being a Muslim from the aspect of family, creed, worship, and morality. Why do Mr. Yakan choose this topic for the discussion? Because we want a society that reflects Islamic characteristics which could be seen in the soul of everyone.

How could we call non-Muslim toward the God if we are showing bad examples to them? If we want to establish a sanctified nation, we should have a model to be seen by others. For example, before we begin our meals, we would recite supplications to the God or begin our meal with manners. Muslim family must be a model and guidance for others. If a house is in chaotic situation, what can we show to others? Thus, we must try to be Muslims in family angle and have to be caring to the community and taking the responsibility to be in service to others.

  

Says the messenger of the God may the God be in contact with him: "whomever ignores his brothers and sisters in faith, they are not apart of the Islamic nation." - narrated by Bukhari. 

As for example, how many persons before fallen into their sleep are thinking about the problem faced by the nation or how many of us had been thinking about our parents? How about people who are close to us? Remembering parents is a responsibility of every Muslim. Everyday, we must recite al-Fatihah for them no matter they are alive or had already returned to Him and protected under His mercy. Parents are the reason where we are here. Without them as the reason, we are nothing in the Universe. When our life growing better, we tend to forget our parents until we have no time to return home and see them whether they are in good condition or else?   

The responsibility of every Muslim is to prohibit vice and performing charity. Our responsibility had already been performed when we asked others to be together in charity and chastity even though those whom we are calling toward charity refused to follow. When we had already knocked the door and they refused to open it up, we are free from the sins and responsibility.  Our role is only to prohibit vice and promoting charity. Being in accordance with the glorious Quran and Sunnah. We perform our responsibility by telling others about what is Islam to the society and trying to establish it in our society or community.

Then Muslims are responsible to form a family with Islamic values. Establishing Islam in the house begins with the education where parents must teach their children to respect the teachings of the God which is Islam and the values in the teachings. The parents are responsible to bring everyone in the family to Him for example making the five obligatory salaat times as the time to remember Him without any interference. 

Muslim parents have the responsibility to ask the people in the family to protect their 'aurah (modesty) as what had been mentioned in surah an-Nur verse 53. An example in asking others to protect their 'aurah and in the same time teaching the family members about the way of life through presents according to sunnah such as veils or beautiful muslimah or muslim dress. A husband are obliged to ask his wife to change her skimpy clothes to better ones if she happens to wear it since she would be working 8 hours with male non-muhrim colleagues.   

Convey Islam to family members and to our selves as what had been mentioned by the God in His holy verses: "never call to the worship of other than the God for you will be dipped into the bitterness" (surah ash-Syuraa'). Teach our close family members and relatives about His Oneness, never proclaim that there are other power with the authority as possessed by Him. We must help and have the care in preserving the creed of our family member. When they are deviating, we would advice them to return to Him.

Check in surah at-Tahreem verse 6th where it mentions that hell fire would be ignited with stones and human, so we must be really careful with our daily conduct. We always think that it is easy when we perform salaat, the God would forgives us our sins just after we perform the salaat. But are we sure that our charity and salaat performed are accepted by the God? We should stop blaming our environment. We must first begin with our selves living our live as Muslims and playing our roles in our family. 

Everyone dreams of a good nation and receiving His forgiveness. This is a general matter, and family institution role is crucial in forming an Islamic family. A husband has a heavy responsibility. The sins committed by children will also be the share of the sins to the parents. The responsibility of promoting charity and prohibiting evil and vice is a very heavy responsibility. 

The glorious Quran shows the way to achieve the goal according to His teachings where it focuses on the family. When a couple get married, their marriage should not only about beauty or how handsome is the groom. The intention must be rightful because of the God and not because of the beauty of the girl or the guy that we want to get marry to. Nikah (marriage) is a reason and a sunnah for the establishment of a good and blessed family. 

When a couple entering the marriage contract, they must be readily to bear the trust from the God in the upbringing of the future generation and soul as what had been mentioned in surah az-Zumaar (I can't recall the verse, I am sorry). Everything that we do in our daily life is actually because of Him. After that, the couple would be stepping into the establishment of a society who understands the way of life according to His teachings. It is not merely a marriage contract where a man and a woman are willing to share their life but more than that where they are responsible in the establishment of a Muslim family. No need for an overly "bersanding" ceremony after the marriage contract and it would be best if the feast for marriage reception being done without waste. As to say, our acts must be viewed through religious rites perspective.

I'm going to print this version of notes typed in our national language and giving it to my newly-wed sister and her husband. I don't want them to just get away without revising their responsibility toward our Islamic society although they had already going to marriage courses before their marriage!!!! 

May Allah be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companion. Allah please bless our society no matter whatever we are. Bless us with Your boundless mercy and forgiveness. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith, amin.  

Matan Arba'in Hadith: First Hadith

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Today we learn about the matan hadith arba'in or the forty root hadiths. This is the first hadith of the matan (source) where I still can recall its original Arabic. It is a very interesting hadith and it is related to tasawwuf dimension of Islam. I'm not going to put the Arabic text nor sound but only the meaning in English.  I would like to apologize if the explanation is a bit clumsy because the source text is in classical Malay.

This is for our beloved brethren in faith who are interested to learn some basic hadiths for Islamic jurisprudence or daily life but finding it hard to check the Arabic text.  It would be best for brethren to check it with teachers who speaks in English for better understanding. If you have teachers speaking in your mother tongues, it would be better for you.

I assure brothers and sisters that this is also important and we are lucky if we can memorize these hadiths in any language that we understand because they could be useful in our daily life. Important thing is not in our certificates but the faith in our heart, understanding and its implementation in our daily life. May everyone receives salvation from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. 

We would just share with anyone who are willing to learn in order to please our beloved Lord, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and I also need to remind myself to only be devoted to Him because He is my beloved Friend may He not leaves me. If He leaves me, it would be the real death for me :'(

Reported by 'Umar b. al-Khattab may the God be pleased with him: "I heard that the messenger of the God, Muhammad peace be upon him had said; indeed that the act is determined by your intention. And indeed for all of the matters done by a person is based on his or her intention. Whomever migrate to other place for the sake of the God and His messenger, his migration is counted because of the God and His messenger. And those who migrate for the sake of worldly matters or the woman that they want to marry, thus his migration is for the sake of what he is pursuing for. - narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim

Explanation of the Hadith:

1. This hadith shows on the importance of intention in the validity of certain act (religious or worldly). 

2. If the intention for certain act or practice are good, then the act and the practice performed are also good.

3. If the intention for certain act or practice are evil, then the act and practice performed are also evil.

For the practices or the act of worship accompanied with intention there are few categories:

1. The act of worship performed by a person due to his fear to the God the Most Highest is counted as the worship of every slave.  

2. A person who performed a certain act of worship due to the merits and paradise promised by the God is counted as the worship of merchants.

3. A person who performed the act of worship because he is shy to the God and fulfilling the rites of slaves and the servants of the God or being a thankful slaves. He realizes that he could be reckless in his worship or not sure that his act of worship is accepted by the God so he performs it with sincerity and with all of his heart and soul devoted only to the God. This act of worship is counted as the act of worship of the people who are free from the worldly slavery. He is not a slave of anyone but only the slave and the servant of the God. A life of a Muslim is a life of a worshiper of the God.

Further explanations:

We have to avoid feeling that we are holier than others only because we had done certain act of worship more than others, while in the same time we only perform that to show off to others. We are not doing the same act while we are alone and vice versa. That is not the act of worship to the God, but counted as the act of worship to others. This is what we call as riyaa'. It means showing off. The act of worship is performed because of human. Not because of the God. 

From a report of the mother of the faithfuls, 'Aisyah may the God be pleased with her, she saw that the messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w stands up for prayer service until his two legs shivering because of he stands too long. She later asked the messenger of the God. "O messenger of the God, why are you burdening yourself with this long prayer service while the God had already promised you that your sins in the past or in the future had already be forgiven by Him?" He answered: "I just wanted to be a grateful slave of the God the Most Highest." The answer spontaneously popped out implies that the worship is done because of the devotion to the God and it comes out of sincerity to Him.

According to some scholars' fatawa (guides), when a person who does his act of worship with the intention for worldly matters and the hereafter, his acts of worship will be rejected by the God and will not be accepted. They have this fatawa based on a Hadith Qudsi (announcement from the God), where the God says: "I am richer than all of the gods (taken by human to be their god). Those who perform their act of worship while associating me with others, I will leave them to what they are eager to take as their gods!!!"

From the Hadith Qudsi, al-Harith al-Muhasibiy in his book, ar-Ri'ayaat had issued a guideline that the sincerity begins with the obedience is performed solely for His sake and not because of others. In relation to showing off, it implies that the intention for the act of worship and obedience must be purely because of the God. Never mix the intention because of the God with other intentions.

Says as-Samarqandi may the God be merciful to him: "as many as the obedience of a slave for the sake of the God being accepted  and as many obedience done because of human will be rejected." For example, a man who performed prayers because it is his responsibility, but he bows and stands nicely in front of others because he feels shy to others if his prayers is incomplete. Thus his prayer service is initially accepted by the God but the acts such as bowing and standing because of other fellow human are rejected because he is doing it because of his fellow human and not because of the God. So, it is important to check the intention when we do something even in prayers as to make sure that we are devoted only to the God and not to other gods.  

How about leaving the acts of worship because afraid of being accused as showing off? Says al-Fadheel: "Whoever leaves the act of worship because of human is counted as showing off and whoever performs the act of worship because of human is counted as a polytheist. Beginning sincerity is when the God cures you from both of those diseases."

There are many other explanations for this hadith regarding sincerity. It is important for us to understand that we have to be devoted only to the God the Most Highest in obedience and services to Him. How is it? It is through our intention or niyyah. Everything that we do in our life is counted as the worship to the God if it is good. Thus, when we do that, we must be sincere to Him. When we are doing our job, we must begin with the intention because of Him and with His holiest Name. Our life is only because of Him as what we recite in our prayer services, "indeed our life and death is only because of the God, the Lord of the Universe." 

This hadith applies in every aspect of our life as a Muslim and a faithful servant of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. It also could be applied to determine criminal cases. Please help me brothers and sisters if you come across this humble sharing in this post, please chant salawat to prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions and his nation of this period of near resurrection, may you be blessed by Allah 'Azza wa Jalla.

May Allah be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family. May Allah cure us from evil diseases and purify our heart and soul. May Allah bless my brothers and sisters in faith with His love and always be with my brothers and sisters. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith, amin!!!

Knowledge which leads us to the act of worship!

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullah!

I'll have to present my mini-thesis topic next week's Tuesday in a mock circumstance. I met a lecturer today and I listened to him for about three hours, hehe. It's not just about my thesis but he also talked about few matters including Palestine-Israel issue. 

Well, that issue really makes people around the world go crazy, either in Jews' side or Arabs' side and not to forget the people in our Malaya too. I'm not going to elaborate more about Palestine-Israel issue. It's not my first intention to create this post.

I just want to drag back my attention to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. I'm still feeling weak and restless. Even I notice that I have veins protruding out of my head. That is not good. The sign of tensity. I better not taking this task too serious and trying to enjoy life without forgetting Allah 'Azza wa Jalla but this is not easy too. I tried many ways including meditating in the musalla (surau). But I guess I might did something wrong until these meditations didn't come to work.

In whatever things that we do in our life. We need to always be confident that Allah 'Azza wa Jalla is monitoring us. He is watching us. Whatever we learn too must reflect remembrance to Allah 'Azz wa Jalla. I somehow feel it is still my fault that I had diverted from my previous destiny. I supposedly to be in religious studies but it turns out to be like I am today. I don't know, it could be written in His tablet too that I will be like this since the who knows except Him. 

I listened to a religious lecture from radio Kedah by an ustad that I can't barely remember his name. That is because I was like between asleep and conscious. I was so tired after my class in the afternoon. Not because I have to walk here and there to different schools but because I feel that I am not fit in the field that I am studying right now.

However I managed to capture some of the ustad's lecture into the paper that I hold in my hand before I fall asleep. I seek forgiveness before Allah, if there are flaws in my notes. The flaws indeed are from my recklessness.  I'm afraid that I'll lose it so I wanted to record it here.

It says, the splendour of knowledge learned should be assured that it brings us to be closer to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. When we do charity, we are doing charity to ourselves. When we do evil, then evil will come to us. In the summary of surah al-Hujurat verse 17th, Allah says that He has nothing to lose when we do not perform observances to Him. Neither does He gain anything from our observances nor worship. Our observances, our worship are for our own benefit.  The same things goes to knowledge which is His grace toward us.

This quote reminds me of what I learned from Buddhism lectures that I listened and read when I was a Buddhist. I believed almost the same thing. What goes around comes around. Any bad luck that strucked me down is due to my paapa (sins). When I did charity, I accumulated bunniyam (merit) and it helps prolong my life and my future. It's more to Karmma (acts' law). I also believed that our Karmma affects others around us. Sometimes, it is quite confusing for a revert like me. Because these old values still mingling within me and I can't forget it just easily.

Then, in surah al-'Alaq. Allah 'Azza wa Jalla says that He taught human with pen (al-'Alaq vs 4). To learn something we need to have a pen. It means that we need to jot something down from the lecture. Which is what I was doing before falling asleep and lost everything after that. 

We have to realize that wisdoms and knowledge come from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. The knowledge and wisdom that we have is not ours but they are from Him. And further, He taught human on what they do not know (al-'Alaq vs 5). When we are grateful to Allah 'Azzza wa Jalla, He will surely increasing His blessings to us through the increasing of knowledge and wisdom. When Daud (as) and Sulaiman (as) received knowledge and wisdom from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla, they said : "Glorified be Allah 'Azza wa Jalla for His blessings on us over others."

Last two nights I had sent a phone messages to a Tabligh brother who was in charge to be an Imam in musalla at this hostel where I am living. I am not a member of Tabligh Jama'a anyway. I am just a lay Muslim not of any affiliation. I found that he has a very nice recitation with his vowels are according to the sound approximation in tajweed which is quite nice. But he seems confused in pronouncing alphabet sounds. The ones which came out from the middle of adam's apple and mouth cavity. He had mistaken in pronouncing some parts such as when it should be ع but he pronounced it with ا and also in the opposite way. Also ح and  ه.  I believe that this is one of a problem for most Malay speaking people but for us, we used to recite everything according to Arabic dialect since our childhood. We began our Quranic learning when our mother teaches us the alphabets at home. Later only we went to state's government's evening religious school and learning them again in national school's Islamic knowldge subject. So, when we read the Quran we will put emphasize on the sound first before memorizing anything from the suras.

I was afraid that it is like too fussy and annoying for him but when I saw tajweed books, they are called as lahnun jaali which means the obvious mistake. I'm just reminding him for his own benefit. I have no other intention at all and that is why I just sent him a message and not talking about it in the midst or people or even in the musalla so that he will feel comfortable. I just hope that he thinks out of it positively and never mistook me. It's not like I am in a position to teach anyone because I am also learning. It will always be like that. 

Anyway, I love to see enthusiastic youngsters like this guy who became the imaam. I love listening to his recitation and also to others because I will visualize the alphabets in my mind. I am myself not a good imaam and and not a good example. So they really impress me for their spirit. Usually I will pray to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla for their consistency and may they become good example for me and others. I also hope that my reminders didn't make them feel jaded nor irritated because that will be a sin for me. 

As to say, wisdoms and knowledge in this Universe are His belongings. We have no right to claim them as ours copyright. It should be spread to others for the benefit of our nation in order to be close to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. Thus, I pray to Allah please keep our creed purified forever, make our life as a worship itself to You, please grant us Mercy and make us grateful servants and slaves o Allah, blessed be prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family, his companions and his faithful followers!