* The Qurʿān is an Attribute of Allah, and Allah's Attributes are all blessed, as has preceded.
Allah says regarding the Qurʿān:
{ وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكࣱ}
“This is a book that We have revealed, full of Barakah...” (38:29)
[Surah Al-An`âm: 155]
* Everything connected to the Qurʿān is blessed; the angel who brought it down (Jibreel) is the best angel, the Messenger to whom it was revealed…
* Sincere intentions increase the reward of deeds exponentially.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
((إِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ وَإِنَّمَا لاِمْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى))
“Deeds are based on intentions and everyone will be rewarded according to their intentions.” [Muslim]
What's more, good intentions can turn normal day to day tasks into mountains of reward. Let's take shopping as an example; the Prophet ﷺ said:
((إذا أنفق…
Barakah does not exist in anything except that it is increased beyond normal expectations.
If you are endowed with Barakah, you will accomplish a great deal in less time, achieve more with little/no resources, and endure laborious activities with minimal effort.
How do I attain Barakah?
Here are 12 ways to attain Barakah:
1⃣. Say بسم الله before starting...
* Allah is blessed in His Essence, so too are His…
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Yesterday evening, at approximately 7:45 PM, our Muslim Brothers and Sisters gathered at The Islamic Center of Oakland in order to break their fast and then pray the Maghrib Prayer at sunset.
After the prayer service, some of our beloved congregants went to the store and restaurant on the corner of Telegraph and 31st Street, located near the…
1⃣. The humility of the Prophet ﷺ, as he would visit his Companions in their own homes
2⃣. His visits were centred around knowledge
3⃣. Gentleness & wisdom in giving da'wah
4⃣. The permissibility for a woman to speak to a non-mahram man if there's a need; such as seeking clarification concerning a religious matter
5⃣. The prohibition of lying; whether that be by way of joking, in order to obtain some form of…
THE CORRECT OPINION
As a matter of benefit, it passed with us while studying with our Sheikh 'Abdur-Raqeeb Al-Kawkabani, may Allah have mercy on him, that numbers may be read from the right or the left, as both methods are authentically proven.
As for reading it from the right, this is supported by the hadith of Ibn 'Umar radhiyallahu 'anhu concerning the three men who were trapped in the cave; it came in the…
If you said No to a righteous brother simply because he:
- doesn't shape up his beard
- doesn't wear designer clothing
- doesn't want to remain in the lands of disbelief
- doesn't want you to continue with your uni studies due to free-mixing, students loans, etc.
- is not earning a six figure income
- is not athletically built
- is not from a noble tribe
- wants you to wear a face veil
....
I counsel you based on the hadeeth of Fatimah to reconsider your…
After listening attentively to what Fatimah had to say, the Prophet ﷺ addressed her problems and gave her a solution.
This part of the hadeeth serves as a perfect counselling session for anyone seeking marriage.
What did he ﷺ advise her with?
And more importantly, why?
The answers to these two questions are the key to benefitting from this counselling session
Q1. What was the Prophet's advice?
A1. He…
((فإذا حللت فآذنيني)) ‏
“When you are free to remarry (i.e. After completing your 'Iddah), inform me”
An-Nawawi rahimahullah commented:
“In this is permissibility for one to implicitly propose to a woman who has been issued an irrevocable divorce, and this is the correct view with us (i.e. The Shafi'ees).” [end of quote from Sharh Muslim]
NOTE: Don't go 'DM'ing sisters subliminal messages. If you are…
10. Why did the Prophet ﷺ instruct Fatima bint Qais to remain in the house of her cousin Ibn Umm Maktoom, while he is a non-Mahram?
An-Nawawi rahimahullah said:
“Some people have argued on the basis of this the permissibility of a woman looking at a strange man but not vice versa, and this is a weak view.
Rather the correct view held by the majority of scholars and most of the Companions is that it is forbidden for a woman to look at a strange man just as it is forbidden for him to look at her, due to the statement of Allah Almighty:
{قل…
1. Allah legislated divorce just as He legislated marriage. Divorce is not a crime, so we should not treat those involved in divorce cases as criminals (husband and wife alike). And just as it is not a crime if there's grounds for its issuance, divorce should not be misused (especially by us men). Not every marriage is bound to work out; the two parties may be good people individually, but as a couple they may not…
Marriage & Divorce are two major topics in many counselling sessions
Let's see how the Prophet ﷺ dealt with these two sensitive matters by reflecting over the following hadeeth, reported by Muslim (1480):
Fatima bint Qais radhiyallahu anha reported:
“My husband Abu 'Amr ibn Hafs ibnil Mugheerah sent 'Ayyaash ibn Abi Rabi'ah to me with a divorce, and he also sent through him five Aasu' (20 double palmfuls) of dates and five Aasu' of barley. I said: Is there no maintenance allowance…
After considering the qualities of a good Counsellor, it's safe to conclude that the Prophet ﷺ was the best Counsellor to have walked the earth; because his legislation is the most superior of legislations and because he himself embodied all the above mentioned traits and much more.
For this reason, we should take him ﷺ as our example, just as Allah tells us:
{ لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِی رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ…
They are not ones who set up a counselling service seeking praise or material gain. Also, how can one charge his fellow Muslim for fulfilling a right that he owes to them?!
The Prophet ﷺ said:
((حق المسلم على المسلم ست))
“A believer owes another believer six rights”, and he ﷺ mentioned from them:
((وإذا استنصحك فانصح له))
“when he seeks counsel, give him advice.” [This is the wording of Muslim]
Therefore, your fellow Muslims have a right to your free, confidential advice.
This question crossed my mind while discussing some issues with a dear brother last night.
I think most would agree with the following attributes:
1. A good Counsellor must be approachable and gentle in the way they deal with others, or else people would flee from them, as Allah said:
{وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِیظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ}
“Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly…
After removing your kids from the school system, you sense a feeling of regret and begin questioning your decision; have I done the right thing? Am I ruining their future? Are they missing out? Maybe I should've tried a different school?...
But when you see school kids their age out on the streets, dressed inappropriately, free-mixing, using the most obscene expressions, discussing issues that are way above their…
Ibnul Mubarak reported from Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said,
((مَثَلُ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ لَهُ ضَرَّتَانِ إِنْ أَرْضَى أَحَدَهُمَا أَسْخَطَ الأخْرَى))
“The example of this world and the Hereafter is like that of a man with two wives. If he pleases one, he displeases the other.”
[Az-Zuhd war-Raqaʼiq libnil Mubarak (582)]
"Rarely would the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) get up from a sitting until he supplicated with these words for his Companions...
(and part of this supplication was his saying ﷺ)
((وَلاَ تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلاَ مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا))
“...do not make this Dunya our greatest concern, nor the limit of our knowledge.”
[Tirmithi (3502); authenticated by Sheikh Albāni in 'Ṣaḥīḥ At-Tirmithi]
Imam An-Nawawi rahimahullah mentions in his famous book, 'Riyadh As-Saliheen':
باب فضل الزهد في الدنيا و الحث على التقلل منها وفضل الفقر
Chapter: Excellence of Leading an Ascetic Life, and Virtues of Simple Life
عن عمرو بن عوف الأنصاري، رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، بعث أبا عبيدة بن الجراح، رضي الله عنه ، إلى البحرين يأتي بجزيتها، فقدم بمال من البحرين ، فسمعت الأنصار بقدوم أبو عبيدة، فوافوا صلاة…
--------------------------------
From the Royal Palace to a six foot ditch; how true is the statement of Allah!
{ أَیۡنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ یُدۡرِككُّمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِی بُرُوجࣲ مُّشَیَّدَةࣲۗ}
“Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!”
[Surah An-Nisâ': 78]
Al-A'mash rahimahullah said:
كنت عند إبراهيم فحدثني بستة أحاديث فحفظتها فجئت البيت فقالت لي الجارية: يا مولاي ليس في البيت دقيق...قال: فنسيتها!!
“I was with Ibrahim (An-Nakha'ee), so he narrated six hadiths to me and I memorised them, then when I came home, the maidservant said to me: 'O my master, there is no flour in the house', so I forgot them (all)!”
[Al-Mukhallisiyyaat (1606)]
