Role of Mind

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Mind plays its role to analyze everything through the humanity source angle. It covers material realm and those with material characteristics. In other conditions, the role of mind is perceived from the divinity source angle. This refers to the revelation, which transcends the metaphysical realm where this realm is beyond the boundary of human mind. Therefore, the source and the role played by human mind is something which is limited and bounded by certain limitation!

Other than that, mind does not hold its sanctity and purity forever. For that, it needs to be guided with the divine revelation. For us who are the Muslims, we view the role of mind with the Quran, the Sunnah and through the studies of our philosophers.

A. Quran and Sunnah

From the Quran which is our scripture, I found that it stresses the mind is something which plays the role to assist human-being in their quest to study something in depth. The God the Highest mentioned through the Quran that we have to use our mind with an optimum usage. We are encouraged to grab the opportunity to acquire every knowledge that we found in our way to reach Him. 

Says the God the Highest

Indeed in the creation of heavens and the earth and the changing of the night and the day as the signs for those who possess the system of mind.

Surat Aali-Imran 3 v. 190

A such, our scripture itself opening up the space for human-being to find the knowledge and to study anything that they are curious to know. Whether it is in the form of those related to the daily life or the other knowledge related to our religious life and the hereafter.

Other than that, our mind is used to study, to analyze and to comprehend the revelation of the God. This is what that makes a human noble in his position and in the view of the God the Highest.

Says the God the Highest

O you who believe! When being said to you, "Give space in ceremonies", thus give the space may the God grants you more spaces. And when being said to you, "Stand up!", so stand you up may the God grants those who are faithful among you and those who are given the knowledge few levels above. And the God is the Most Proficient in what you are doing!

Surat al-Mujadilah 58 v. 11  

Mind is among the reasons that human being convicted for their crimes or being trusted for the execution of the tasks or commandments. The mind which is not correctly directed and used without the Divine Path framework in the execution of responsibilities commanded by the God the Highest will be the factor for one to be tormented in the bitterness.    

Says the God the Highest

And indeed We fill the abyss many of those among the genies and human-being who possess the heart but they do not comprehend with it and possessing the eyes but do not observe with it and for them ears but they do not listen with it. They are just like the cattle, even more strayed. They are among those who are negligent. 

Surat al-A'araf 7 v. 179  

As a point for the mind is a condition for conviction on crime or burden of responsibility, there was a saying from our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w recorded by imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and imam al-Tirmidzie...

The pen is lifted on these three people, "On he who is sleeping until he is awake and on the child until he achieve his puberty and a crazy person until he is sane".

This is how we decide on our judgement as Muslim jurists when we judge in our court, we have our reference from the Quran, the interpretations from our traditions, checking the way of life of people around, making researches or inquiries and also we use our mind and considerations. This actually could go side by side with the civil court but I do not know... Those who talk about Shari'a Islamiyya or simply the Divine Path of the God in negative sense perhaps do not even know about Legal Studies or maybe they know "a little" about it but their heart is not clean so they distort things or refuse to check further to discuss instead they love to argue, to debate and to prove their ego. They feel satisfied when they win. I always laugh at this kind of people because I found that they are pathetic. They argue like attorneys in the court but they are not even an attorney to begin with nor they study about crimes or law of acts and effects. Egoism, selfishness or self-center are the same trait that leads one into ignorance and spiritual darkness.

The mind is the source which plays the role for one to know his "True Lord", whether through His characteristics or through His creations. 

Says prophet Muhammad s.a.w...

Think with the creations of the God but never with His Essence since you will never reach its proportion!

For the people of Ancient India, those who knows the Supreme Authority are known as the Brahmanas. English translation always distort the sound of Brahmanas into Brahmins. A Brahmana is one who is free from illusions, free from the ordinary nature of births, free from material values and free from the effects of jealousy, boasting, arrogance, treachery and behave with 12 behaviors beginning with self-control or tranquility apart of it is a caste by family classification as everyone commonly gets the idea about. This one is from our philosophical studies were we open up the texts from the original sources and checking commentaries or interpretations. In Arabic, we have several terms too like 'Aleem, 'Ulama' and 'Areef. The third term is a a little to the portal of metaphysical world which I think is somehow closer to Brahmana in some parts of their connotation and yet I do not like to elaborate much about this as I think it is important to be clear with our basis. Just an idea which sparks out while checking the points...

Later on, the mind has a positive role where it helps a person to evaluate between good and evil. If one does not know on how to evaluate between the good and evil, then he needs to direct his own mind so he will have the effort to ask to those who are knowledgeable.

Says the God the Highest

And We never send any messenger before you, except that they are among the men whom We revealed to them. So, ask those who are knowledgeable if you do not know!

Surat al-Nahl 16:43

So, when we do not know, we go and see teachers. The same thing too, if we do not know about anything say about Islam and we wanted to talk like we know. First of all, we go and see teachers and get their feedback on what we are curious about. By relying on secondary resources only is not sufficient. It is like we are doing our inquiry for our academic research where we go and do some field-work, having some methodology in our research and curiosity and we never say that our findings are the most correct when we could only produce some writings out of things which we could not simply explain by words. How are we going to describe our feeling correctly in words? How about the touch or emotion? How about psychological condition of one? Even if we do some interviews, could we get sharp answers like we do simple mathematics?

B. Muslim Philosophers

We have both philosophers of different Islamic schools of thought. Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali who is a Sunnah Muslim and Ibnu Sina who is an Ismai'li Shi'a Muslim on the role of mind. Both of them agree that mind plays important role for those who are studying something or those who are curious about something. That is why mind plays a role as a source of knowledge. They both agree that mind has the role to elevate a human-being to a better and appraised position. This matter is in accordance with the fact and reality, where those who possess knowledge will be respected in a community or society.

Mind has the role to make human-being think and conducting research. Later, they could get ideas or differentiate on the positive and negative ones. The ability of the mind and its role should actually make the men administrating the Earth and to prosper with it. Not to kill each other. So, what happens in the Middle East? In Africa? In other regions in the world? Why is people killing among each other while they call themselves as Muslim? Is it because of egoism? Is it because of the lack of knowledge? Is it because of selfishness? Is it because people do not get even knowledge that there are many kind of interpretations? What happen with their "religion"?

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

Fasting

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is also a topic that I love to read about and love to practice. Some people might think that they are entertained with hobbies, meeting friends, watching television or stuffs. Others are also entertained by performing this kind of deed. I began to fast as early as four or five years old while I was following my parents religion, which is also Islam. Now, I am a Muslim but not a Muslim as a Muslim who is forced to be ones. I am a Muslim by my will and by His mercy.

In the topic, I simply put it as fast. But in our language which is Arabic, it is known as Sawm. This term is also used by Hebrew speaking people to indicate the same thing as us. It is also a term in Aramaic which is used by some Eastern Christians in their liturgy. The meaning of this word is to hold. By technical jurisprudence term, it means holding one self from anything which could annuls the fast with certain conditions.  

The fasting time begins after the calling for Subh prayer service or after the sun rise a little bit up to the sun sink down or the Maghrib time. 

Conditions

Conditions to begin our fast is actually very easy....

1. It involves the intention as always.

For e.g if it is in Ramadan month, everyone who fits the requirements must perform the fast. We say our intention mentally or maybe together with family members which means, "I am performing the fast tomorrow for the month of Ramadan which is a commandment for me in this year only for Him". Intention is not so precise because one knows what he will do for the next move. But it is safer to declare the intention as to stay in awareness.

2. For optional fasting, the intention for one is before the sun rises which is before twelve o'clock in the afternoon. 

Say if one eats nothing, drinks nothing nor smoking and we wanted to fast while that is before 12 p.m, it is not a sin. The ruling is that it is a must but not an obligation. Usually I am also doing like this. In the time before 12 p.m and if some friends asking me to have some food with them then I will break my fast as not to let them know that I am fasting. But after 12 p.m and if someone ask me to join them in meals then I would have to reject the invitation with various reasons. An optional deeds if performed without others knowing it will receive 25 meritorious deeds as compared to only one when people know about that. This is a sunnah...

3. There are many kinds of optional fasting for e.g...

a. the Syawwal six days fasting just after the 'Aid al-Fitr.

b. the weekly fasting in Monday and Thursday.

A particular person would make his intention with a particular intention...

4. Those who are fasting should hold himself or herself from several things which could annul his or her fasting in the period after the Subh prayer calling up to the Maghrib prayer calling.

Prohibition to Fast

There are several people who are prohibited from fasting....

1, Menstrual woman
2. Woman who delivers baby

Detestable to Fast

People who are not performing janaba ghusl after sexual conduct before the sun rises...

Neutral to Fast

Those who are religiously neutral to fast are...

1. Little children but they are encouraged to perform it only as a training.
2. Sick people.
3. Worn-out old folk
4. Pregnant woman
5. Woman who breast-feed her baby
6. Traveler
7. People who work as hard labors

Days Prohibited to Fast

Maybe we do certain deeds without knowing our own calender... Try to use our own calender when talking about our daily routine because we need to count everything by using our lunar calender.

1. The 'Aid al-Fitr which occurs in the first of Syawwal.
2. The 'Aid al-Ad'ha which falls in the 10th of Dzulhijja.
3. The Feast Days which follow the 'Aid al-Ad'ha on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dzulhijja.
4. Suspicion Day where the astronomers are checking the first crescent of Ramadan.

Annulation of Fast

1. Eat and drink in the fasting time which is after the Subh prayer service calling up to Maghrib prayer service.

2. Intentionally poking something in holes of body for e.g in the nose, ears, mouth, bottom hole and others. This is not effective to those who have to do that because of medical means. The Divine Path is for human to live and not to kill!

3. Intentionally vomiting which means one makes himself to vomit.

4. Nifas, haidh and wilada for female and this is the responsibility of sisters to explain to each other.

5. Sexual intercourse or intimate relation while fasting in the prescribed hours.

6. Losing mind or turning crazy.

7. Drunk or passed out for the whole hours.

8. Turning to be a non-Muslim at the fasting hours.

There are several things not to do which are considered as part of our traditions and others which are detestable....

Respectable friends and fellow brothers and sisters may check them in few articles that I had already wrote by just clicking on the specific topic below....

1. Optional Fasting
2. Inner Secret of Fasting      
3. First Friday in Ramadan 2011
4. Optional Weekly Fasting
5. Fasting in the Rajab Holy Month

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad...

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

Funeral Salat Service

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This salat service is called as the salat al-mayyit or the salat for the janaza which is performed to ritually send a person who passed away into another realm. Basically this is our funeral rites and a responsibility for family members, friends and the parish members of the dead person's in the neighborhood or vicinity. This topic is very important though some people never experience death in their house. I experienced this at home twice and I visited other Muslims who passed away as well.

Conditions for a Valid Salat

1. The congregation members should be clean from any impurity and occurrences.

2. Facing quibla direction.

3. Covering 'awrat for both males and females. In our country females may perform prayer service at home or behind the curtain in the mosque or musalla as we have a special closed area for ladies to perform prayer service together with men.

4. The dead is ready with ritual cleaning and shrouding.

5. The dead will be placed in front of congregational members who are facing the quibla.

6. The salat for the dead who passed away in other places can also be performed where there is no dead body in the prayer service.

Pillars of the Salat Service

1. Intention which means... 

I am performing the salat service for the specific dead person with four takbirs as a follower of the imam which is a responsibility as a sacrifice for the God. 

2. Standing straight for those who are capable.

3. Four takbirs including the takbiraat al-ihraam.

4. Recite the mother of the scripture, al-Fateha for the first takbir.

5. Recite the salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w with the full salawat where it also includes our patriarch, father Abraham a.s.

6. Recite supplication dedicated for the dead person at the third takbir. 

For the follower behind of the imam we can recite the supplication by mental in whatever language that we speak but not by oral as it will invalidate the service...  The imam would recite it in Arabic maybe loudly as for congregation member to hear and to pray together...

A suggestion might be.... Dear the Lord please forgive this person and have mercy upon him or her and grants him or her with safety and salvation. And honorable be his or her place of burial and make it as wide as possible. And please shower him or her with the water from snow and dew. Sanctify him or her from sins like a white cloth being washed clean from dirt. And replace for him or her with a better residence, so does his family members, wife, husband and everything better and blessed than he or she has before. Please enter him or her into the paradise. Protect him from the torments of the underworld and from the bitterness of the hell.  

A suggestion for a dead child to be prayed upon with the prayers.... 

Dear the Lord make this child a preparation for his or her parents, a lesson, an investment and savior for the parents. Help the parents of this particular child to get their scale of deeds heavier at the charity and chastity one. Fill their heart with patience and please do not test them after this child's death. Please do not close for them the effects of the meritorious deeds done by this child, amin!    

7. The fourth takbir is optional but recommended... After the takbir say the prayer for e.g....

Dear the Lord please do not prohibit us from sharing the meritorious deeds of this person and please do not test us after his death. Forgive us and forgive him and please forgive and have mercy to our brothers and sisters who had long gone before us too. Please do not make our heart filled with envy and jealousy toward those who have faith to You. Dear the Lord, You are indeed the most Merciful the most Compassionate.

8. Peace greeting as a conclusion.

For peace greeting, perhaps those who follow the Hanbali jurisprudence would say that those who do this twice as wrong. There are actually few ways to perform this service as according to those teachers of jurisprudence. By simply saying that it is wrong to others' we are showing the lack of knowledge or showing that we are some "Salafi" wannabes who wanted to be seen as different from others or trying to show off.

Those who conclude their salat service with two salams or peace greetings like in other salat services among the Shafi'ie and Hanafi jurisprudence are not wrong either! They performed another angle of sunnah as they have got the report from Abdullah bin Awfaa r.a. The reference is in the Sunan al-Kubra by Imam al-Baihaqi and the Litanies of Imam al-Nawawi. 

Abdullah bin 'Awfa r.a reported that the salam in this prayer service is similar to other salat services. Some scholars mentioned that the second salam is uttered not as loud as the first one and this is why some companions of prophet Muhammad s.a.w conclude it with only one salaam whether in other prayer services or in this prayer service. 

This simply means that the first salam is the main salam and it is uttered loudly in the conclusion of the salat service while the second one is the follow-up salam. It is uttered not as loud as the first one. For Hanbali school which is also followed by some "wannabes" without they realize it, the preferred way is only one salam on the right side. However, those who conclude the prayer service with two salams are not wrong either. 

For Maliki school of jurisprudence, they are also the same like us in term of concluding the prayer service with only one salam on the right side during funeral service. For this small matters, one may check the Jurisprudence of the Four Schools by Imam Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri.

9. After the peace greeting, maybe recite the supplication for e.g....

Dear the Lord, You are his Lord and You are his Creator and You are the One who Guides him toward Islam. You are the One who took away his soul and You know every secret that he has. And we come to You to ask for Your salvation for this person. Thus please forgive us and for him with Your mercy. O, You are the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate. And please be in contact with our prophet Muhammad s.a.w and also with his family members and peace to all. And praises only due for the God the Lord of the universe, amin!    

Location while Performing  Service

For this particular service, there are differences as to indicate the gender of the deceased person so the congregation members will know what prayers they should say for the deceased person.

For male deceased person, the location of imam is that he stands a step in the opposite of the body's head. For the female deceased person, the imam stands a step in the opposite of the deceased person's lower back. For the congregation members, they stand closer to each other as there is no prostration or bowing. At least forming three lines. 

This service may be performed in musalla, in the house of the deceased person or in the mosque. Usually in our country, member of the parish who always perform daily prayer services at the mosque or musalla are well-known by other members though they never talk with each other. People may notice his or her face and will notice his absence if he is not there. This will make them trying to trace other member as to check whether the person is well or not. This is just a normal reaction of members in the parish. I am also feeling like that if I notice that a brother is not there and will feel sad if I cannot see him praying together.

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

Salat Services

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Basically, people would translate salaat as prayer services as what we could see in English. While in our national language, we use the native word which sounds like semahiyang where I could loosely translate it as honoring or hailing the Heaven. I have both etymology of the word and also the definition by the standard of our Divine Path whether by linguistic definition or technical definition. Please let me know either by mail or just by the comment box if the explanation here is difficult to be understood. I would amend everything until it becomes simple. 

Through Arabic phonology, the sound of the same root word could actually changes and it also changes the meaning. The meaning would never go far from the root word. They will still be related to each other. The word salaat came from the word which could also means to connect, to communicate, to contact and others. Why it is important to know this matter although it is quite fussy and just related to linguistic studies? Because it will bring us understanding and we could feel that we are not doing those acts in salat services for nothing. There lies significance for everything. It also tells us that salaat is not only a form of worship, but also a way for us to get divine inspiration or motivation when we connect ourselves with our Creator at certain prescribed times. 

By linguistic definition, salaat means praying to the Supreme Authority which refers to the God the Most Highest who puts the universe into its order. By technical definition as according to the law which develops from our Divine Path, salaat refers to certain words and certain acts with the beginning of the magnification of the Lord the Most Highest and finalized by the peace greetings and according to certain conditions and terms. The Lord the Most Highest says as recorded in the Glorious Quran which means, "And perform your salaat services, as it prevents you from disobedience and disgusting characteristics" - Surat al-'Ankabut vs. 45. 

Other word which is derived from the root word of salaat is salawat. Salawat basically refers to a prayer or supplications by people for the God to be in contact with the soul of a deceased person, family members and others. Basically, people would translate the salawat as invoking blessings from the God for a certain figure for e.g for our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions. But we also have another term which sounds like birkah or baraka and it specifically refer to invoking blessings from the God the Most Highest.  

The rishis of ancient India have got their inspiration on yoga tapa or meditation in various forms to tranquil themselves and to be connected to the God. While Muslims and the followers of patriarch Abraham who lives longer than established Hindu traditions like we see today have this form of meditation in order to be in connection with the God. We perform salaat which consists of various acts, speeches and focusing our mind to the Lord the Highest whose image is not in our imagination. 

The Conditions for Salaat

The conditions which obligate us to perform salaat are...

1. A Muslim

2. Reaching puberty

3. Mindful and Sane

A non-Muslim are not obliged to perform the salaat as he is not a believer of the Divine Path. This makes sense as they believe in their own paths. Sometimes, I found some stupid arguments from people who think that they are generating some kind of intelligent ideas from their debates. They perhaps would say, why non-Muslims are not allowed to be in mosques? 

First that I would answer and it is only once...! Non-Muslims may visit the mosque but they are not allowed to enter the main prayer hall where the people congregate to perform prayer inside. They are not prohibited to enter the general areas of the mosque. The comparison for our prayer hall is like the vimana and mandapam for Hindu or Buddhist temples. Vimana means the closed hall where sacred relics are placed while mandapam means the general pavilion area which consists of stambhas or pillars. For Buddhist monasteries, there are some areas which is not opened for general public in which non-Buddhists or even public Buddhists are not allowed to be there. 

I think I had made a lexicography studies for our final undergraduate studies for lexicon subject where I made a list of terms with pictures about Buddhist monasteries' architectural terms. Some I had made without any references because I know them by experience. Secondly, a non-Muslim has nothing to do with Muslims' salaat services and they may perform the worship of their own belief in their premises, their temples, their churches and in their holy lands. 

Most of all, I found that people who love to debate are bunch of show off, narrow minded, maybe some Western Orientalist wannabes and are not practicing any discipline of life be they the revealed ones or in the form of philosophies. To talk about Islam, is also to talk about the history of Noah a.s and the history of his sons down to Abraham a.s and Isma'el a.s. The Divine Path comes in a chain of teaching transmitted by prophets of the same family tree.

A Muslim who reaches his puberty either males or females are obliged to perform the salaat service. It is for their own benefit and not for others as it has to do with psychological terms and self connection with the Creator of the universe. And of course a person must be sane to perform the salaat as an insane person are not facing any burden of consequences for his or her speeches or acts. Please refer to logic treatise that I had provided for more information.   

Conditions for a Valid Salaat

There are few conditions for one to meet when performing a valid salaat service...

1. Knows the time when the salaat service will be performed.

2. Covering the 'awrat or the parts which should be covered for both males and females.

3. Facing the quibla or the direction of our holy city.

4. Clean from any filth such as feces or urine whether at the body, the cloth or the place to perform it.

5. Free from major or minor occurrences that we call as hadat.

Pillars of Salaat

What we have in our salaat services? There are about 13 acts in form of speeches, thought, verbal acts and others:

1. Intention

2. Takbeerat al-Ihram or honoring and magnifying the God the Highest.

3. Standing straight for those who are able.

4. Reciting the mother of the scripture known as the al-Fateha.

5. Ruku' and tama'neena which refers to the act of bowing and tranquility.

6. I'tidal or returning to the straight posture after bowing.

7. Prostration.

8. Sitting between two prostrations.

9. Reciting the salutation words and greetings for fellow creatures for e.g our selves and other slaves and servants of the God who lived in charity and chastity.

10. Tahiyyat al-Aakhir or the final salutation posture in a certain sitting posture.

11. Salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w as the transmitter of the Divine Path chain.

12. First peace greeting.

13. Step by step.

Annulation of Salaat

There are things which could annul our salaat services such as...

1. Intentionally talking or speeches which is not prescribed in our liturgy for the salaat services.

2. Moving which is not prescribed in the liturgy where we move more than three times.

3. Occurrences whether minor or the major one such as pooping or pissing while performing salaat.

4. Tainted with non-pardonable filth such as of pig or dog.

5. 'Awrat exposed.

6. Changing the intention such as having the intention to leave the salaat service while it is still on.

7. Chest moving from the quibla direction whether to the left or right.

8. Intentionally eating while performing salaat.

9. Intentionally drinking while performing salaat.

10. Laughing.

11. Becoming a non-Muslim by mental or heart, speeches or acts.

Types of Salaat Services

We have obligatory and optional salat services. The obligatory ones are those five times daily salaat service prescribed in the revelation as highlighted through the sacred hadith. The optional ones, one may perform them as many as they please. 

There are four types of salat services with different units....

1. Two units with one final peace greeting.

2. Three units with two salutations and two peace greetings.

3. Four units with two salutations and two peace greetings.

4. One unit with one salutations and two peace greetings usually performed as witr or closing of salaat services.

For salaat practical, try to find a practicing brother or sister closer to your location. They might be your close friends or best friends. For those who are already Muslims, we are still learning and we never stop from trying to get a near perfect salat service and trying to increase our understanding in our Divine Path. Those who claim themselves as ex-Muslims perhaps were non-practicing or non-committal Muslims or perhaps are just lying to impress people to praise them as professors. That is not impressive but lame as I view these kind of people as trendy asshole. This style of people are people with backward mentality while others are ministering their path to the future - check the lyrics of Offspring song titled Smash.... LOL

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

Adzan & Iqamat

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

A. Adzan

This means that the voice of someone being send to the ears of the listeners. Basically, this means the calling to prayer through the proclamation words. This is practiced by Muslims during the first period of Hegira in Medina.  

History

The hadith in Imam Bukhari and Muslim compilation came from Ibnu 'Umar r.a which says that in the beginning of Meccan Muslims' migration to Medina, they had assembled and waiting for the time to perform daily prayer services. At that time, there was no adzan yet. However, one day our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w had called upon all of his companions into a meeting. They were discussing on how to tell the people that our daily prayer service is on the time and for them to come to the mosque. Some suggested for the flag to be shown up so the people who see it will come to the mosque. But, this is not effective as people who stay far in hidden places could not see the flag. Others suggested the horn to be whistled like our Jewish brethren doing to call people to the synagogue. Some suggested bell like the Christian brethren.

The companion, Umar al-Khattab r.a feels that it would be beneficial for everyone, natural and appropriate by just using human voice as the announcement and he suggested that announcer just shouting "it is now the time for salat service." Prophet Muhammad s.a.w agreed with the suggestion but he changed the wordings with "let us perform prayer and charity services".    

One night, a companion who is known as Abdullah Bin Zayd r.a had dreamed about a better way to announce the prayer times with good words which sounds like some of the words that we listen today. The next morning, he went to see prophet Muhammad s.a.w and talked about it in their meeting. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w attested that the dream is the true one. He then ordered another companion, Bilal Bin Rabah to proclaim the herald. The same day, Umar bin al-Khattab r.a also mentioned that he dreamed the same thing.    

Another report by al-Bazzar said that, "The messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w during the night of Isra' had been shown and listened to the adzan at the seventh heaven. Then the archangel Gabriel a.s came to him and he became the leader for a service conducted by dwellers of heavens. Among those dwellers of the heaven are sage Adam a.s and sage Noah a.s. The God had completed the noble value of noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w on the inhabitants of heavens and earth".

Condition for Adzan

There are few things to be done by one who is going to call for prayer service. These are just optional but it will increase the meritorious deeds for one who performs them...

1. Performing the ablution, according to Shafi'ie jurisprudence it is not favorable to perform it without ablution.

2. Standing and facing the quibla direction.

3. Chanting the litanies which means, "Glory be to the God, and praises be only to the God and there is no gods except the God and the God is the Greatest and there is no other might effective that He the Most Highest permits it to be effective".

4. Recite the salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w which means dear the Lord please be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and with his family members, his ancestors and his companions may peace be with them".

4. Put the forefingers into the ears.

5. Then chant these words like the audio as these are the adzans...

 

Sorry, I am lazy to type in Arabic, hehehe... Basically they means...

The God is the Greatest.... The God is the Greatest... I testify that there is no gods except the God.... I testify that there is no gods except the God.... I testify that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... I testify that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... Let us go for the salat service.... Let us go for the salat service... Let us achieve the success... Let us achieve the success... The God is the Greatest... The God is the Greatest... There is no gods except the God...

The way we answer or accept the sentences are just the same except for the sentences beginning from "Let us perform the salat service.... to....  let us achieve the success". We answer them as "there is no other might effective except if He the Most Highest the Most Mighty permits it to be effective". Usually I will do these in Arabic because I am familiar with Arabic.

For Subh prayer service, there is an addition after the "Let us achieve the success..." Where we add, "The salat service is better than continuing sleeping". Because after we perform the salat service, we would commence our day with daily activities like preparing to go for the office. If we sleep again, the result would be a bad mood and temper as it takes us time to be awake again. 

B. Iqamat

 

Iqamat means that everyone will be standing to perform the salat service. It is maybe after 10-15 minutes the adzan being aired by the caller who we call as a muadzin. Usually in between the adzan and iqamat, people would make supplications or praying optional services depending on the time. The sound is just the same like the adzan except that everything is chanted only once. The meaning is also the same.

C. Supplication

After the adzan of iqamat we usually....

1. We recite the salawat first.

2. We recite the suggested supplication which sounds like....

 أللهم ربَّ هاذِهِ الدعوةِ التامةِ والصلاةِ القائمةِ آتِ محمدانِ الوسيلةَ والفضيلةَ وابعثهُ مقامًامحمودًانِ الذى وعدتَه إنكَ لاتخلفُ الميعاد يا أرحمَ الراحمينَ

It means.... 

Dear the God our Lord, this is the perfect calling and the prayer service is valuable. Please grant to prophet Muhammad s.a.w the salvation and goodness. And please raise him up with the appraised position as You have already promised. Indeed You never goes against Your promises. O, the Most Merciful over all.    

Wishing brothers and sisters who celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year with warm greeting. Wishing that everyone enjoy the joyful festivity spirit. For those driving for reunion dinner please be careful and make sure to drive safe. Those who are not returning home for whole year, please return home if you still have parents. They might be waiting for your return to celebrate it together. 

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

Tayammum

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

All praises to the God, we have the opportunity to perform Friday prayer service. I love Friday the most among all the days. This is the time where we are going to be separated from secular daily conducts as the evening marks the changing of the time for us in the Earth.

This post is about Tayammum. This is an alternative method for us to perform ablution if we have no water for e.g if we are in a dry desert or while we cannot touch the water because of injuries. This term refers to the act of wiping the dust basically from clean sand on some exposed body parts. Tayammum only involves the face and hands. I was fortunate to see this while my maternal grandfather was hit with an accident. He went up the hill to take clean soil in the form of stone and filtering it to be dusts to make him able to perform the salat service. Then he keeps the dust in the cloth and wrap it nicely to use it in the next time to come.

We also used clean dust to pray where we prostrate with our forehead on the dust just like the Shi'a Muslims using their namaz-e-turba but we do not use the dust in the form of stone. We constantly changing the dust once we use them. Sometimes, we were also mistaken as the Shi'a Muslims because some similarities in the angle of Sunnas performed while in fact we are the Orthodox Sunnah Muslims. We wrap the dust in a handkerchief and it is just a "sunnah" as some people from Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence always wiping their face with the hand after the salat service session ends. The way that the prophet s.a.w prayed in the mosque for e.g in the Quba' Mosque as according to Medina tradition is that he prayed with his companions on the clean dust as there was no paved floor in the mosque. Once we finished the prayer service, we will wipe our face after it is covered with the dust. And we gain a meritorious deed for practicing an angle of sunnah. We love Medina so much just like we love Holy Mecca...

Pillars of the Tayammum

Only two of them... First say, the intention for this act which means like... "I am performing the act of applying the dust to make me eligible to perform the salat services". 

Second, applying the face with the clean purified sand just like we do in the ablution for the face section no. 5.

Steps

1. I saw my maternal grandfather did it like this. He pour some of the clean sand on a clean tray until it covers the tray surface before leveling it.
2. He made two lines and divided the surface of the sand covered tray with his right hand's forefinger into four parts.
3. Then, face the quibla direction and say the prayer, "In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate".

Apply the Dust for Face

4. Spread both of the palms and touch them on the sand in the tray. Use the first two parts above the others that we had drawn the line to divide them during the preparation.
5. Make sure to tap the hands a little bit by tapping the right forefinger on the left thumb and so do the left forefinger on the right thumb.
6. Apply the dust from the sand at the face from the top of the forehead to the left and right of the border of the ears and then bring both hands to both of the cheeks and this will end when the forefingers touching each other at the nose. It is like we make a half circle from the forehead to the nose.
7. We just perform the application of the dust once for the face, not like when we perform the water ablution.

Apply the Dust for Hands

8. Spread both of the palms and touch them on the sand in the tray, use the other two parts that we have not touch yet.
9. Put the left hand fingers under the right hand finger but leave behind the thumbs.
10. Rub the left hand until the elbow then turn the arm over and from the elbow continue to rub until it reaches the palm.
11. Then, bend both of the palms but do not let the thumb have any contact with other parts.
12. Rub the left palm of the thumb on the back of the right thumb.
13. Just do the same from 8-12 for the right hand. 

Anullation of Tayammum

1. Among things that annuls the Tayammum is one becoming a disbeliever. Because the reason why perform all of these is based on our Creed and our Path which come from the basis of Quran and the Sunnah. This also applies to other subject matters within our Divine Path.
2. All of those that annul the water ablution.
3. Once a person reaches a place equipped with water or cured from his or her injuries, it is an obligation to perform the water ablution to validate the prayer services and this convenience is annulled. 

Propagating the Sunnah

I think I had mixed the obligatory ones with the optional or sunnah ones. I am not good in explaining this in written form, hahaa. The best way is by looking at the way a person perform this. I learned these by imitating my late maternal grandfather, other teachers among our "people" and by memory while I was a little child. I am not learning these from any Islamic movement be they from Indian sub-continent, Saudi Arabia or from Egypt. I am just opening up my mental files by recalling what I have learned.

Among the Sunnah we call the people toward the God the Highest, the highest sentence and charity or virtues. We also have the approaches and angles when performing the da'awa. I know some people might come closer to me when they see me did not joining their movements' activities. I consider myself as a Muslim and I do not like fractions though I believe in the unity of brotherhood and sisterhood. While we practice, we also put before us the manner and practicing step by step. It is not favorable to make a person change his mind or his lifestyle only in a day. This has to do with psychology and states of mind which a person possess. It also involves the worldview that some ustads or those who speak with smattering Arabic call it as tasawwur. I love the approach of step by step and with manner. Try to approach people with manner and love. You'll receive manner and love as that is how you would love to be treated, right?   

If brothers and sisters find this as interesting, try to learn this with teachers and apply this in your life or try to practice them. If not interesting, it is up to everyone. One is subjected to his or her opinion and interest. I am just propagating the sunnah like others are doing but not forcing anyone to follow or to do so. Have a nice Saturday and make sure to fill it with litanies, remembrance or learning together with family members, friends, or the ones that we love : )

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

Ablution

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

In Arabic, we have the term wudhu' which means ablution. In Persian basically we call this as aab dast while in Malay simply as ayer semahiyang. Before we perform our salat services, we have to be in good shape and pure condition. So, it is necessary for us to wash or expose the parts of our body which are generally exposed to dirt, smokes, smog or dust to the flowing water or water saved in the bottles.

There are about five  steps while we perform the ablution...

1. Intention

First of all we would say the prayer which means, "In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate". Some scholars such as Imam al-Shafi'ie consider this as very important. Because this is good so I am following this suggestion.

And then say the intention maybe just mentally. No need to be so specific like reciting it in Arabic as it is outside of the salat services acts. We only recite everything in Arabic while performing salat services be they obligatory or optional. The intention proposed is like, "I am performing the ablution as a sacrifice to be closer to the God the Highest". The intention defines the purpose of our act and why we are doing so.

2. Wash Hands

Wash our hands maybe like making it wet so it would make us easier to wash other parts with already wet hands. This is optional.

3. Rinsing the Mouth

We may rinse it once, twice or thrice depends on the condition of our mouth. Rinsing the mouth is not mandatory as it is only optional. One may leave this without any sin or if he or she is fasting. 

4. Rinsing the Nostrils

It is not mandatory but optional. Usually we are doing like this when we are waking up for morning prayer services as to clear up our respiratory system. This also has spiritual meaning but I am not talking too deep about this. Once would be enough but it is not a sin to do it more than once up to thrice. As long as it is not wasting the water. Snuff the water

5. Washing the Face

For Shafi'ie school, one may say his intention while washing his or her face. Washing the face is obligatory. Wash the whole face with whole hands, from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin and from ear to ear. If one has beard at his face so he must also wash his beard. Once up to thrice depends on a person.

6. Wiping Head

Wipe our whole head once with wet hands. I just hold my head down the pipe and let the water flows until my whole hair turns wet. This is mandatory but it depends whether one would do it once, twice or thrice. Usually I am just doing it once as my head will be all wet.

7. Wiping Ears

Wipe the inner sides of the ears with forefingers and their outer sides with thumbs. Make sure the fingers are wet. This is optional part of ablution. If one is leaving it, no sin for that. The ablution is still going on.

8. Wash Feet

Washing two feet up to the ankles, once each or up to thrice for each. Begin with the right foot. This stage is obligatory.

The ablution is complete at the 8th stage. The person who has performed this may get ready to start his salat service or prayer service. The ablution is valid as long as it does not meets the matters that nullify it. He may pray as many prayer services as he wishes while it is valid. It will be more better for one to renew his ablution as often as possible but avoid from wasting the water. Doing everything as according to chronological order is preferable. Those who fail to keep the order but does it completely are not sinful. Their ablution is valid as long as he keeps the obligatory ones with him.

Supplication After Ablution

Once the ablution is complete, face the quibla direction and say the prayer preferably with hands a little bit raised or just point the forefinger of one's right hand to signify the Oneness of the God.  Recite...

أشهدُ أنْ لاإلهَ إلاالله وأشهدُ أنَّ محمدً عبدُه ورسولهُ أللهمَّ أجعلني مِنَ التوابين واجعلني من المتطهرين واجعلني مِنْ عبادِكَ الصالحينَ وصلَّى اللهُ على أهلهِ وسلَّم والحمدُللهِ ربِّ العالمينَ

The supplication means...

"I bear the witness that there are no gods except the God, and I bear the witness that Muhammad s.a.w is messenger of the God and His servant. Dear the God, please place me together among the people who seek Your forgiveness and make me person who is constant in cleanliness and make me a servant who strives in goodness and charity. And please be in contact with the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and with his family members and peace. All praises due only to the God the Lord of the universe, amin!".

One may say this supplication in whatever language that they use. It is not strictly in Arabic as we are not performing the formal salat service yet. Please respect the prayer, thank you.

Nullification of Ablution

Actually many things depending on a person and what is his school of jurisprudence. The general ones according to my school of jurisprudence are:

1. Natural discharges for e.g pissing, pooping, gas, and others.

2. Flow of blood or pus or such from any part of the body.

3. Throwing out.

4. Falling asleep which means sleeping soundly.

5. Losing sanity by taking drugs or intoxicating stuffs.

6. Losing sanity or go crazy.

7. Touching private parts with the palm of hands.

After the occurrence of any of these, the ablution must be renewed for another valid prayer. After natural discharges, water should be applied as toilet paper is not sufficient for the purpose of purity and worship. Some people also have to renew ablution or even perform ghusl if having the contact with some seafood for e.g squid, shrimp and others like Hanafi school of jurisprudence. That is why I am trying to avoid taking seafood. Some who follow the Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence would have to renew his or her ablution if they touched people of different gender. 

Benefit of Ablution

Some of them are...

1. Helping us to counter diseases.

2. Refreshing our physical body.

3. Tranquilizing our soul.

4. Removing our sins as according to hadiths of prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

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

Najis

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Basically, this word refers to excrement or filth which prevents one from a valid salat service. Contact with it would bring a person into a state of ritual impurity. It requires one to undergo purification process before performing religious obligations and duties for e.g salat services.

Different school of jurisprudence have their own system on classifying the condition that a person would be regarded as impure. I am quite familiar with Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence classification on what kind of najasa or najis that requires different way of cleaning them. Shafi'ie school is not so much different to Hanbali school of jurisprudence in classifying the najasa. Types of najas would be subject to the studies of hadith in all school of jurisprudence. 

In our school curriculum generally based from the Shafi'ie jurisprudence, I found that we have three types of najasa. This basically comes from a systematic book of imam al-Nawawi rahimahullah known as al-Minhaj. Then, they are followed with the method to clean them. These are the basic ones for Sunnah Muslims and they are....

1. Mukhaffafa

2. Mutawassita

3. Mughallaza

1. Mukhaffafa

This refers to the impurity caused only by the pissing of little baby boy below two years old and only depends on his mother breasting feed. In order to clean it whether it messed the floor where people is going to perform worship or on the cloth that people use to perform worship, just remove the filth by wiping it and then splash some clean water on it. Then dry the place or wipe it clean. 

2. Mutawassita

This refer to something which comes out from human body or animals but in liquid form. Once it comes out of a human body, he has to perform ablution, no need for full dipping into the water. The e.g are...

a. All types of poops or feces except of the dog and pig as both animals are included in the list to come.

b. Vomit.

c. Pus.

d. Pissing except of the dog and swine as these animals are in the list to come.

e. Blood.

f. Bile liquid.

g. Milk from non-halal animals which consist of several different kinds of animals mentioned in Quran.

h. The madzi or wadi liquid (please refer to specific teachers for definition).  

To clean these, remove the excrement or filth from the infected area and wash it until the smell, color and the feel are not there no more.

3. Mughallaza

This refer to subject matters which is najas in all of the cases. They are...

a. Dog, its offspring and every part of the animal.

b. Pig, its offspring and every part of the animal.

c. Alcohol.

d. Carcass

To clean ourselves or area contaminated with the mentioned subject matters, first of all remove the najas for example if our cloth was contaminated with pig's feces or dogs' licking by wiping them clean with other cloth or toilet paper which would be thrown away. Then wash with the water mixed with clean soil once. Later, it must be followed by six times splashing of clean water.

Miscellenous

1. Semen

Some schools of jurisprudence consider semen as ritually impure. It is ritually impure if a person is ejaculating the subject matter and one needs to perform ritual dipping. But it is not ritually impure for both Hanbali and Shafi'ie jurisprudence if one unintentionally touched the subject matter or if it sticks at ones' cloth. Just enough by washing it with clean water. One does not have to perform the ablution as it does not invalidate his ablution only having a contact with it. The evidence for this as according to Imam Nawawi of Shafi'ie school comes from the hadith reports by Imam Ali r.a, Sa'ad bin Abi Waqas r.a and our lady 'Aisha r.a.

2. Dead Body

For some school of jurisprudence such as Hanbali school there is an opinion that the dead body of a non-Muslim would cause one to face ritual impurity or najas. This is a minority opinion by Ibnu Qudama al-Hanbali. Other than that, Shi'a Muslims and some minority of Muslims like myself also consider dead body as ritually impure whether of Muslim or non-Muslim but also with terms and conditions which I am lazy to state here as people are free to follow their school of jurisprudence as long as they are "recognized" by the majority and makes our life easy.

3. Non-Muslims

Twelver Shi'a Muslims and the Zaydi Shi'a Muslims who are closer to the Kufa Twelver Shi'a Muslims consider non-Muslims will cause them ritual impurity. However, there are some terms and conditions related to this subject matter where some of the Twelver Imami Marjas consider people of the scriptures such as the Jews and Christians or even the Zoroastrians who possess scriptures as clean and ritually clean. For Shi'a Muslims, they can get the help from their own Marjas or jurisprudence scholars. I have several books and notes about Shi'a jurisprudence too but I am not a Shi'a. This is only for the conduct of respect when visiting Shi'a Muslim brothers' mosques as I sometimes walked by their area like in Thailand.

For a Hanbali Sunnah Muslims like myself, everyone are human-being. So, we can touch or having contact with them without having to perform ablution or performing ghusl after the conduct. The conditions are just the same like those applied to Muslim fellows. 

Opinion of People of the Books

As for people of the books, I personally consider Orthodox Indian Brahmins as resembling the people of the books. They posses the Vedas as according to their clans' adherence and Puranas just like Zoroastrians of Persia who posses Avestan scriptures. They also perform dipping in the water almost the same like us. Regarding civilization, Middle East Civilization is far more earlier in its development than Hindu Civilization and I am not surprised with parallel conducts within our traditions or customs. I read Hindu scriptures as well as I studied history subjects while I was a form six student. I also believe in the prophethood of prophet Noah a.s, the ancestor of all nations.

Close

Those mentioned methods and the classification are just the studies of scholars. It is not by any way intended to make ones life in a burden but to make our life easy. So, if there are some differences here and there. Please be tolerant and do not force what we had learned on others. Just respect our fellow Muslim brothers as long as we have basis on every deeds. If there are no basis, just tell them but if they do not want to listen just do not argue or quarrel. It is not the manner to be a follower of Muhammad s.a.w and his traditions.

This post is just a basic reminder of a fellow Muslim to himself and to others who stepped by. It is not a complete lesson from a qualified teacher! To know in detail, there are specific teachers for this topic of cleanliness. Never stop at one point once we already know but further it as we are trying to reach perfection. Cleanliness is among the branches of the faith.

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

Qualities of a Believer

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Praises only due to the God the Most Highest. I managed to establish my relation with the mosque again after thinking on where to stop by as there were many traumas which makes me exhausted when thinking about them. It is quite tough for someone who is not stable in term of life like others to stay in a proper place. As for me now, I regard myself as a traveler who is in a journey to return to Him. I am just staying at the house of my parents because of their mercy-compassionate to provide me with shelter to continue this chaotic life and I own nothing. 

I always tell my sisters that I don't care about possessions because I do not regard my father property as mine. That possession came from his own effort and I have no right to claim the credit from his sweat and tears. The same thing also to my grandfathers possessions. We own no rights but only the rights to accept the Divine Path of our ancestral lineage. I am fortunate enough that our parents raised us up and we do not die due to famine though there might be some loopholes such as the lack of love due to the pressure of surviving in the city since the 90s until now. Parents are human-being and we must accept the fact that human are not perfect just like us. Only the God the Highest is Perfect. 

I do not know whether my sisters understood me but I really wish they understood me. I try to tell them about Him and to return together to Him with me. I also try to do so with my parents and preventing them from taking part in "public" sustenance as they do not know. I am aware about that and I checked everything again until the root, so I tried to prevent our selves from further defilement. I wish them to understand me but as always I am also labeled like what those Tabligh kids talked with me. I am also facing the same thing though I am not a member of that particular movement. I cried alone before Him and it is more painful when we are called names and misunderstood by our own family members.

Importance to be Grateful

I will continue with other notes once I record this note as I did not bring any pen or note book to the mosque this evening. I only brought with me a part of Quran which is the surats that I try to put into my heart through His permission. The lecture about Divine Path occurs in the mosque in the time that we expect the least about it. It will be a regret for me if I forgot these valuable teachings. Weirdly, I found that the ustad told the same thing which I am currently practicing. He mentioned about the importance of appreciating the grace of the God. The greatest grace of His graces is the grace of Islam and faith. This is greater than the grace of sustenance or luxuries of this illusory world. 

This question always struck me when I am applying for the job when I am annoyed with the pressures such as housing bills, loan payment, taxes, how to survive in this period or when people asking me what am I doing right now while I am jobless. I have nothing to brag to others and I am forbidden to accept the zakat by ancestral inheritance... Even if I try to do so, there would be many problems hitting my application. I checked my account and it scares me too but I try to convince myself that I can go through this time with His support. 

Perhaps my faith is not as great as the companions of prophet Muhammad s.a.w among the people of Medina as I am just a lowly follower among followers. I am envious to them as some of them were willing to die for the faith. There is a story about one of them which is an anonymous figure had met the prophet Muhammad s.a.w in order to pray for them for the cure of cholera infection. The prophet s.a.w said that he can pray for them and they will be cured once the God the Highest accept his prayers but if they hold on patiently, the reward is greater than they could imagine. The guy who heard this thinking for a moment and later return home without being prayed upon by the prophet s.a.w as he wishes to receive forgiveness for his sin. He later died because of cholera together with his family as unknown martyrs.

I wish I know his name and each of his family name, they would be those saints that I will specifically include in my humble prayers. I am so ashamed of myself as I almost cried in the mosque while listening to the sermon. The ansars or the people of Medina were well-beloved by prophet Muhammad s.a.w and they were the people who have preserved the traditions as transmitted again through prophet Muhammad s.a.w. I am bursting in tears while typing this. Anyway, nobody could see how ugly I am now or thinking that I am a nut because I am not living a "normal beautiful life" like them... haha...

Qualities of the Believer

In the surat al-Mu'minoon 23:1-18... The God the Highest has mentioned to us about the qualities of the people who are well beloved and enjoying the sweetness joy of faith. It is the highest quality in our Path and looks quite easy but actually requires us concentration and focus especially this period is the dark period of the universe. Being a Muslim is one thing but being a believer Muslim is another different thing. It is about being a Muslim by heart and not only by physical. 

A believer who submits himself to his Lord will be a successful person whether in this present life or in the other life. The word in the beginning of the surat actually denotes that the God is promising us something and His promises are all the truths and facts of the life. Maybe many other sites had also talked about this or perhaps I had posted about this too but I will put them always as reminders. It is important for us to repeat things not because we wanted to be boring but to stay in awareness. The highlights to us eight points for a person to be a believer although he is already a Muslim:

1. A person who is full of concentration in his salat services is a believer person. The first step to be a consistent and a focus person is to prepare early for the salat services. The key word that I have is preparation to see Him as salat services also means that we are in contact with the Creator.

2. A believer is a person who keeps himself or herself away from worthless words and acting in vanity. This is a trait of a dweller of the paradise and we can see it while we are in this world. 

3. A believer keeps his property and possession in purified condition through the prescribed zakat as what I had put in place in the introduction treatise. If we are not a fortunate person, it is enough to donate whatever that we have or sharing it with others who are unfortunate. 

As for myself, I just could just share these posts for the time-being. Say if we have RM1, so perhaps we just donate 10 cents to the donation box as it means one tenth from 100 cents. This is my personal logic based from the hadith narrated by Jabir bin 'Abdullah r.a. where prophet Muhammad s.a.w says that the crops watered by the rain and river water, the tithe would be one tenth of it and those by the camel; the tithe is one twentieth - Muslim. Since I cannot pay the proper zakat, so I am doing as this hadith proposes me because I might also had tyrannized others. It does not have to be strictly like the hadith but the principle matters. I received the support from my father and sisters while studying as undergraduate translation and interpretation student but I did not use them wholly for myself. Some, I donated to unfortunate brothers and to non-Muslim friends as a way to introduce my Path to them without having to to tell them anything or offend them with unwise attitude. They will come and ask me themselves why am I donating them with those things while I eat nothing from them. I managed to explain them about some principles of the Path and we became friends. This is also a practice of Orthodox Indian Brahmins and the Brahmins among Buddhist monks.

4. A believer must keep his or her genitals away from whatever is illegal to them. He or she must only stay in legal marriage condition as it is holy for them. The verse also mentions about genitals are only permitted for one's owned slave servants but nowadays the war principles are not the same as previous days. Nobody is the slave or serving others without any payment or binding contracts of employer and employees. One possess his mind to think and ponder on what is suitable with the principles around through the guide of Quran and Sunnah so use it wisely.

5. A believer must keep himself or herself away from committing adultery and other acts caused by the flesh desires. When we mention flesh desires here, it means that they are things that contradict the spirit. Those who are finding the ways as according to his or her evil desires are those who exceed the limit as a civilized human-being. Our Path is the Middle Path, we must be within the track and not outside of the track.

6. A believer is a person who is committed to his or her promises and trusts. Among the promises and trusts are the promises to be within the commandments and to hold higher the Covenant of the Lord. In our daily services, we actually make promises with Him so if we wanted to live for eternity, this is among the way that the God highlighted in the scripture for our convenience. The same thing also goes to other businesses, trusts and contracts that he or she holds. A believer also acts with this attitude.

7. A believer is a person who keeps his salat services and always learning about how to perform it nicely only for the pleasure of the God the Highest. This also refer to the litanies and remembrance that we chant for e.g the highest sentence which refers to the "there is no gods except the God; only Him with no partners to be worshiped;only for Him the Kingdom and Praises; He raises the soul into life and He put the soul into the death;and He is all-Powerful!".

I do not really like to put it here because I personally think that it is enough for a person to perform the basic things mentioned in the pillars of Islam. But I cannot hide this too. This has to do with our practices and also mentioned by the ustad. I guess he is from traditional circle because the reference books he use for the sermon and lecture is the books written by people of traditional circles. It takes times for one to perform this and I was also asked by a freshman undergraduate student while chanting this alone. I do not like people asking me this question because I do not like people relating this practice with mysticism. This is not a magical chanting word!

I am not so much traditional in approaches because we can conduct practices whether in private or in congregation. We emphasize on the Quran, the Sunnah and the wisdom of Ahl Bayt. Some traditional people say that we need to perform chantings of the highest sentence with teacher everyday and alone. It is up to people, the religion is very flexible. I chant without any teachers too while walking, while laying down or while I have no friends for conversation. I am communicating with the God, souls around and angels. Maybe next time I will share what I recite everyday. It is just the same with other people and I also perform tahlel for souls of faithful martyrs. Please some people do not mistook those chantings as magical.  

8. Once a person fulfills these integrated qualities, he or she will reach the Eternal Kingdom as promised by the Lord. One who sells everything that he posses which also includes his soul for His cause and the Lord is paying him with an extremely high price. I am not sure whether I have these qualities. I pray to him may everyone including myself acquire these traits. Please help me to pray together, amin!

 

Judging Faith 

So, these are the parameter of our Faith for Him. No need to see it in other people but try to put a mirror in front of ourselves and ask ourselves whether we hold these qualities? This is better than we label others as kafeer or with other unpleasant names. It should be imprinted in our heart...

After the 'Isha' prayer service, I just went to the nearby 99 Mart and I could see that I have some papers left in my wallet. I just used those papers to buy some vegetables like the lady's fingers and eggplants. I wanted to fast tomorrow and see if I will die because of hunger. No meat and no beautiful food, just enough with simple food to survive as fasting is a training for spiritual enlightenment. Not to demand the God the Highest to grant us any material reward. Just enough to receive His Merciful Love.

Next morning I would have to purify myself with turmeric as people at home began to take forbidden things like seafood and shrimp paste in the kitchen. I have told them many times a wara' person will never touch those matters. I am not a wara' person myself but I am trying to hold the codes as fast as I can and promoting them to everyone other than to myself. This is some influence that we have to encounter when we are melting in the receiving society...

It is up to them or anyone to take it or to leave it. I will stick to whatever I believe and I believe those subject matters will slow my effort to grab the Quran while it is for everyone benefits. It is a very painful process especially to maintain awareness about Him and not to fall again into darkness.... I am apologizing to everyone which also includes my parents. I am such a burden and a useless son. I am also a useless friend and could provide nothing for friends as offerings. I wish that I could do something as a favor for everyone... Ya Allah....

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