Lady Fatimah, the unique sample for human being-3

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The life of Lady Fatimah is a sample for us from every side and dimension. One of the dimensions of that is her relation with her husband Imam Ali. She was in the house of Imam Ali for nine years till the time in which she got martyr at the age of eighteen.

Imam Ali said: She never made me angry and never disobeyed me and verily when I was looking at her my sorrow and sadness were being removed.

This good relation was from both sides. Imam Ali said: I swear by Allah I never made Fatimah angry until the time that Allah took her (i.e. she got martyr) and I never caused her to be unpleasant in any matter.

This couple was so much appropriate and compatible with each other. The holy Prophet of Islam said:

If Ali was not, there would not be any match for Fatimah.

The deep love between these infallible spouses was not just because of their marriage, but rather it was because of the great position that each had before Allah. After the departure of the Prophet, Imam Ali was the Imam of the time of Lady Fatimah.

So we see that she was protecting the Imam of her time in different situations. When after the departure of the Prophet, Imam Ali was deprived from his right of governing; Lady Fatimah was supporting Imam Ali through different ways, like going to the houses of people and reminding them of the sayings of the Prophet about Imam Ali as his successor. So her supports were not because of the marital relation with Imam Ali but rather were for the very important base in Islam i.e. the divine leadership and governing by the infallible person who was the collection of all virtues and good characteristics.

Through these three posts we mentioned a drop from the ocean of the virtues of Lady Fatimah, a Lady about whom Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his reappearance) said:

The daughter of the Prophet of Allah is a good sample and role model for me.

Lady Fatimah, the unique sample for human being-2

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Lady Fatimah got married to the first Imam i.e. Imam Ali peace be upon them both. The day after the night of wedding ceremony the holy Prophet of Islam asked Imam Ali: How did you find your wife? The Imam replied: She is a good assistant in the way of the obedience of Allah.

This answer can help us to find this important point that the spouses must be as an assistant in the way of Allah.

Lady Fatimah was very generous. It is narrated in the history that in the night of her wedding a poor woman came to her and asked her for help. It is so interesting that Lady Fatimah gave her own wedding dress to that poor woman.

She herself said: Three things are beloved to me from your world; reciting the Quran, looking at the face of the Prophet and giving charity in the way of Allah.

Lady Fatimah was one of the unique worshipers throughout the history. She had a specific place in her house in which she was performing prayer. It is narrated that she was performing prayer so much to the extent that her legs were inflamed out of standing so much while prayer. It is clear that her prayers were not like our prayers that usually are performed without deep noticing to Allah, but rather her prayers were full of the presence of heart and humility before Allah.

The Prophet of Islam introduced the amount of love of Allah that Lady Fatimah had. He said to Salman (one of the companions of the Prophet and Imam Ali):

O Salman, faith is penetrated extremely in the heart of my daughter Fatimah to the extent that she evacuates her heart from everything for worshiping Allah (meaning her main goal in life is the satisfaction and pleasance of Allah). Allah has filled all being of my daughter full of faith and certainty.

Imam Hassan the son of Imam Ali and Lady Fatimah narrated: I saw my mother in a night of Friday that she was worshiping Allah till the dawn and I heard that she prayed so much for the believers, men and women by mentioning their names, but she did not pray for herself. I asked her: O my mom, why don’t you prayer for yourself just like you pray for others? And she replied: O my dear son, first, the neighbor and then the house.

One of the titles of Lady Fatimah is “Zahra”. In Arabic, Zahra means something that shines so much. Imam Sadiq peace be upon him was asked: Why was Lady Fatimah called Zahra? And the Imam replied: Because when she was standing in her Mihrab (the specific place for prayer) her light was shining for the inhabitants of the heaven just like the stars which shine for the inhabitants of the earth.

To be continued.

Lady Fatimah, the unique sample for human being

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Throughout the history there were some women that they had good characteristics and they can be as a role model and sample for other women and even sometimes for the men. In the holy Quran in chapter Tahrim verses 11-12 we see that Allah mentioned two examples from the women for the believers. These two samples are the wife of Pharaoh and Lady Marry the mother of Prophet Jesus. The Quran did not state that these two are the samples for the women but rather it said that Allah has given examples for those who believe.

The great and high personality of Lady Fatimah peace be upon her is so much clear for all branches of Islam. The very shocking features that are narrated from the holy Prophet of Islam about this great Lady are so much to the extent that no Muslim can deny them. The history bears witness that this Lady had many good features like knowledge, infallibility, having the very high position before Allah, modesty, worship, helping poor, being very appropriate wife and mother etc.

The holy Prophet of Islam was respecting her so much. The sayings, in which the high characteristics of Lady Fatimah are mentioned, show that the deep love which the Prophet of Islam had toward his beloved daughter was not just a love which is common between fathers and daughters.

When the holy Prophet of Islam wanted to go out of his city, Lady Fatimah was the last one for the Prophet to say goodbye and when he was returning the first one to visit was his beloved daughter. When Lady Fatimah was entering in the house of the Prophet, he was standing and going toward her and kissing her hand out of love and respect.

The infallibility of this Lady was to the extent that the holy Prophet of Islam said to her:

O Fatimah, verily Allah gets angry because of your anger and gets happy because of your happiness.

If we deeply ponder upon this meaningful saying we see that how a Lady reaches to a position that she becomes the orbit of anger and pleasance of the Lord of the world. It means that she was in a very unique position of sincerity and spiritual nearness to Allah.

To be continued.

How can we adopt a child Islamically?

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Question: My wife is sterile, and I love children very much. I do not want to die without leaving righteous descendents after me. I spoke with my wife about marrying a faithful girl who would be as her friend and assistant so that Allah may grant me good offspring, but she refused and was about to attack and kill me. Several weeks passed until our relation was restored to its natural state. I then suggested to her that we might look for an orphan and adopt him as our son, if it was acceptable to her. She accepted, but I do not know whether she was sincere or she just accepted out of courtesy. Nevertheless, how should we go about finding an orphan? How can we be sure that he is not illegitimate?

The answer: In the first part of the problem, the wife should understand the truth and submit to the verdict of the Sharia, which is the verdict of Allah, Who has given man the right to marry two, three, or four wives (on condition that he will treat them all fairly and equally) in normal cases, then how about if the first wife is in a state like that of your wife?

Let this wife be sure that when Allah sees her submit to His judgment, He will grant her goodness that will make her happy in this life and in the afterlife. If her husband does get married, whether she agrees to it or not, let her beware of the whispering of the Satan, who is the bitterest enemy of man.

In the story of Sara, the wife of Prophet Abraham (a.s.), there is a big similarity to the story of this tried wife. Sara was sterile. Prophet Abraham (a.s.) got married to Hagar. Sara became jealous of Hagar with the jealousy of unfaithful women. Therefore, Allah punished Sara by granting Hagar a good son whose name was Ishmael (a.s.), who was the forefather of our Prophet Muhammad (S) and the millions of sayyids throughout these past fourteen centuries after hijra, whereas Sara has gone without any mention.

As for the second part of the problem, if you agree on adopting an orphan, this will be a great deed if you carry out its conditions.

The Prophet (S) said, as narrated by Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), ‘Whoever adopts an orphan until [the orphan] becomes secure from his needs, Allah will assure Paradise to him for it just as He assures Hell to the eater of an orphan’s property.’

The Prophet (S) also said, ‘The best of your houses is a house in which there is an orphan treated kindly, and the worst of your houses is a house in which there is an orphan treated badly.’

He also said, ‘Whoever shares his food and drink with an orphan so that the orphan becomes secure from his needs will be in Paradise.’

As for the matter of looking for an orphan who is not illegitimate, this matter has its own method that requires personal efforts and great accuracy, and in some countries, certain official places can help you out. I pray to Allah to make you and your wife successful in doing good deeds.

FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Free Islamic Clinic Thrives in South Carolina, USA

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Providing a free medical help for vulnerable and uninsured Americans in South Carolina, an American Muslim organization is offering free medical service for people of all faiths, setting a role model for American Muslims.

“When people walk in and say, ‘This place is a blessing that touches my heart,’ it melts everything,” Dr. Reshma Khan, who works in the Shifa Clinic, said.

“There’s no better place I would be, just to see the smile on people’s faces and every day we touch so many lives.”

Dr Khan, a local Veterans Affairs doctor, managed to establish her free clinic in Mount Pleasant in January 2012.

The Muslim doctor got help from the Islamic Circle of North America Relief USA, which is paying the rent on the three-room clinic located in an office building on Lowcountry Boulevard.

The free clinic offers a full range of gynecology services to the uninsured and underinsured Americans, regardless of the faith.

Khan, 42, runs the clinic with about 20 volunteers and companies that donate medical services.
Her husband, Dr. Ahsan Khan, a nuclear medicine specialist, serves on the clinic’s board.

“Everybody that works here, they have a heart to serve others and they make a big difference by working together,” Rosalinda Loredo, a volunteer at the clinic who acts as a translator for their Hispanic patients, about one-third of their patient population, said.

When Shifa opened in 2012, it was only open four hours a week. Khan ran everything herself.
“We used to see four or five patients a week,” Khan said.

“I was the only one person doing everything. I was the provider. I was the person taking messages. I was the person doing photocopies.”

Now, the gynecologist said they see about 40 patients a week and it’s her full-time job.

Though she doesn’t get paid, she left her job at the VA to run Shifa full-time as a volunteer.

“She has a passion for what she does,” Loredo said. “She works 60 to 80 hours [a week] to continue to help those people in need.”

Fulfilling the needs of the poor people in her society, she enjoys giving as part of her Islamic beliefs.

“This is the face of Islam. Charity is very, very much in Islam and mercy and compassion and love and peace. That’s what I’m trying to do here,” she said.

This is not the first time Muslim doctors provide free medical help for poor Americans.

In January 2012, a group of Muslim doctors volunteered to open the Rahma Health Clinic to provide free medical services for poor residents in New York’s Syracuse city.

Earlier in 2011, a free clinic was established by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America to provide dental, ophthalmologic, pediatric and pain-management services on Sundays at the Balal Mosque on St. Louis University’s campus.

Another clinic was opened by the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, in partnership with Volunteers in Medicine in October.

ISIS a blot on Islam: Indian Muslim leader

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Indian Muslim parliamentarian and President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that terror group ISIS is a blot on Islam and everybody needs to condemn its activities.

The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad said ISIS should not be linked with religion and the world should unite to fight it. Owaisi said Islamic scholars belonging to all schools of thought have given a fatwa against the ISIS.

“We all need to condemn ISIS activities and world should understand that it has nothing to do with Islam,” Owaisi said when reporters sought his reaction to a controversial statement by Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan on Paris terror attacks.

“Azam Khan may be an expert on terrorism but I am not. I only believe that ISIS are a blot on Islam. All scholars have condemned them and I also condemn,” Owaisi said.

How to Go to the Mosque?

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mosqueإِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

 Almighty Allah (swt) says in the Holy Quran: ”Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques, who believe in Allah and Last Day, and establish prayer and give zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided.” (9:18)

Mosque is a holy place and in Islam it is also called Allah’s house. Needless to say, for going to the Allah’s house we need to observe some etiquette before, within and after our departure as following:

  1. When leaving your home, work or business, go toward the mosque with eagerness and enthusiasm for you would be meeting fellow believers who have come to worship Allah.
  1. Demonstrate your eagerness by wearing perfumed, good and neat clothes.
  1. Ensure that your body and clothes are all pure and clean (tahir/pak). Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) says: ”One who goes to the mosque with (physical & spiritual) purity, Allah purifies this person from sins and includes him/her from the pilgrims of the mosque.”
  1. Do not carry any unclean & impure items (najasat) in your pockets to the mosque.
  1. If you have eaten garlic, onions, etc… do not go to the mosque, until the odor from your mouth has vanished.
  1. It is forbidden for the one who is in the state of janabat and haydh to enter the mosque. Only after having performed the required ghusl (major ablution) can such a person enter the mosque. Sisters who are in the state istihadha can enter the mosque for prayers or otherwise.
  1. At the first entrance of the Center, you would find the following verses from the Holy Qur’an. Read these with understanding and enter the precincts under Divine safety:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. أُدْخُلُوهَا بِسَلاَمٍ آمِنِينَ، فَاللٌّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرٌّاحِمِينَ

”In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Enter it with peace and safety; for Allah is the best of protectors and the most merciful of the merciful ones.” (Holy Qur’an 15:46 & 12:64) 

  1. Use the right foot to enter the Center, reciting the following Du’a:

أَللٌّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لَنَا بَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ وَ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ عُمَّارِ مَسَاجِدِكَ، جَلَّ ثَنَاءُ وَجْهِكَ

”O Allah, open for us the doors of Your mercy and make us amongst those who frequent Your mosques. Exalted is the praise of Your countenance.”

  1. Please switch off or mute your cell/mobile phone. Experience has shown that phone rings irritate other worshippers and can sometime take away the concentration of worshippers including that of the imam.
  1. At the door of the mosque, recite this Du’a taught by Imam Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Mujtaba (as):

إلٌـهِـي ضَيْفُكَ بِـبَابِكَ، يَا مُحْسِنُ قَدْ أَتَاكَ الْمُـسِيـئُ فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ قَبِيـحِ مَا عِنْدِي بِجَـمِيلِ مَا عِنْدَكَ، يَـا كَـرِيـم

”My God, Your guest is at Your door. O the All-Beneficent, the sinner has come to You; so overlook what is ugly with me with that which is beautiful with You. O the All-Generous.”

  1. Enter the mosque with humility and submissiveness for it is the house of Allah (swt) frequented by angels and believers.
  1. It is forbidden to bring any inherently impure (najisul-`ayn) things into a mosque. Therefore, clothes containing blood, urine, semen, flesh of a dog or swine, etc. cannot be worn or carried when entering a mosque.
  1. Greet the believers and angels with the best of greetings and a smiling face. Please note that if the believers are engaged in the Salat, it is not advisable to greet them.
  1. Recite two rak’at prayer as a gesture of greeting and respect to the mosque.
  1. While in the mosque keep your focus on none other than Allah (swt) , as He says in the Qur’an:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

”Surely the mosques are for Allah (alone); so do not pray to anyone with Allah.” (72:18)

  1. Keep the mosque clean, tidy and fragranced.
  1. Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) has recommended that we say many prayers and recite many supplications in mosques:

فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهَا مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ وَالدُّعَاءِ.

  1. Sending Salawat on Prophet Muhammad (S) and his family (as) is the most effective supplication that the Muslims are blessed with.
  2. Spend as much time in the mosque as possible as the Noble Prophet (S) said to Abu Dharr: ”As long as you are seated in the mosque, for every breath you take Allah will give you a rank in the paradise and the angels are praying for you.”
  1. It is recommended to say various prayers at different places or sites within the mosque. Therefore, for e.g., say Maghrib Salat at one place, nafilah of Maghrib at another place, and ‘Isha prayers at yet another place. Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) has stated: ”Say your prayers in the mosques at different sites, for every site would witness for the person saying prayers on the Day of Resurrection.”
  1. Ensure not to contaminate any part of the mosque, for it is forbidden (haram) to do so and goes against the sanctity of the mosque.
  1. If any part of the mosque is contaminated it is obligatory for all those present and those who have the knowledge of it to immediately purify it (make it tahir/pak).
  1. When bringing young children who cannot discern right from the wrong, into the mosque, ensure that they are under your continuous care – both for the respect of the mosque and for those present in it.
  1. When inside the mosque, you are a guest of Allah (swt). Additionally, you are in the presence of angels and believers. Beautify the environment with continuous remembrance of Allah (swt) and pleading for His forgiveness (Istighfar).
  1. Avoid worldly talks, discussion and recitations (e.g. non-religious poetry) while you are inside the mosque.
  1. Carrying out business transactions in the mosque is abhorrent (makruh).
  2. Playing board or computer games, hide and seek, or any sport in the mosque is abhorrent (makruh).
  1. Raising one’s voice for reciting or talking in the mosque is detestable. Of course reciting adhan, du’a, etc. for congregation is exempt from this rule.
  1. When you take an item for use, (e.g. Holy Qur’an, book of Du’a, prostrating tablet (turbah) take care of it and return it to its original place (e.g. book case).
  1. Do not remove or take away anything belonging to the mosque. If you need to borrow an item temporarily then ensure that you have sought permission from the trustee or a keeper of the Center.
  1. When exiting the mosque, step out with the left foot and recite the following supplication:

بِسْمِ اللٌّهِ. أَللٌّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَاغْفِرْ ذُنُوبِي وَافْتَحْ أَبْوٌابَ فَضْلِكَ.

”(I exit) In the Name of Allah. O’ Allah! Send your prayers upon Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and forgive my sins and open the doors of Your grace (to me).”

The Four main stages of Performing Wudu (1)

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The manner of performing wudu as explained below is based on the Qur’an and the authentic sunnah of the holy Prophet as narrated by his Ahlu ‘l-bayt and his most reliable companions. The relevant verse of the Qur’an and the ahadith will be discussed in section J.Wudu is done in the following four stages :

IMG17490424

1. Washing the face
After doing the niyyat [Intention], pour water over the face from the top. Then using the right hand, wipe the face from the top to bottom, in such a way that the water reaches all parts vertically from the hair­line to chin, and every place horizontally within the reach of the span of the hand from the middle-finger to the thumb.

It is not obligatory to wash the parts which do not come within the middle-finger and the thumb; however, there is no harm in including those parts to ensure that all the necessary parts have been washed.

It is not obligatory to wash the inside of the eyes, the lips, the mouth, the nose, and the eyelids. If one has beard or mustache, it is enough to wash the hair which are apparent; it is not necessary to make the water reach the inside of the hair or to the skin. However, if the hair are so sparse that they do not hide the skin, then one should make the water reach the skin.

Bald person or those with receding hair-line should wash their face as if the hair were growing normally. If someone’s face is larger, or smaller, than normal, then he should wash the part which comes within his middle­ finger and the thumb.

Google embraces Islam by releasing a tool for Ramadan

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Ramadan-2015

Today Google is specifically embracing Islam by releasing a tool for Ramadan. The unimaginatively named ‘My Ramadan Companion’, which will help Muslims to observe this very holy month.

“To help you get the most out of Ramadan, we’ve launched My Ramadan Companion (g.co/Ramadan), which gives you customized and locally relevant information, tips, and other content highlighting the richness of what the web can offer during Ramadan around you. You can find out the sunset time in your location, plan your day accordingly, check out the traffic in your area, navigate to the closest charity Iftar, find and share recipes, enjoy Ramadan content on YouTube ranging from drama series and comedy sketches, health tips to stay fit during the 30 days of fasting”, says Zain Kamal Masri, associate product marketing manager, Middle East and North Africa, Google.

Masri further explains, depending on your location Google now will show you a range of relevant cards with popular YouTube videos, latest Ramadan news and information, and recommendations for apps that alert you to wake up for Suhur, enable you to design greeting cards for Ramadan to share with the family, find Halal restaurants around you, and countdown to Iftar time”.

Google already makes a big deal about Christmas with its Santa Tracker apps and websites, so it is nice to see the search-giant focusing on Muslims too. Even if you are not Muslim, this tool may be a great way to learn more about the religion and its traditions.