Those who have nothing to do with their lives are the same people who spend most of their time spreading rumors and falsehood, mainly because their minds are devoid of beneficial thoughts:
They are content to be with those [the women] who sit behind [at home]. Their hearts are sealed up [from right guidance] so they understand not.} (Qur’an 9: 87)
When you find yourself to be idle, prepare for depression and despair, because idleness allows your mind to wander in the past, the present, and the future, with all of their difficulties. Therefore, my sincere advice to you is to perform fruitful acts instead of being idle, for idleness is a slow and veiled form of suicide.
Idleness is like the slow torture that is inflicted upon prisoners in China: they are placed under a tap, from which a drop of water falls only after every hour. During the period of waiting between drops, many of them lose their minds and are driven to insanity.
Being inactive means being negligent of one’s duties. Idleness is an expert thief and your mind is its victim.
Therefore get up now and say a prayer or read a book; praise your Lord, study, write, organize your library, fix something in your house, or benefit others so that you can put an end to your inactivity. I say this only because I sincerely wish for your betterment.
Destroy boredom by working. When you apply this simple precept alone, you will have traveled at least fifty percent of the way towards happiness. Look at farmers, carpenters, and the bread-maker, and observe how, when they are working, they recite words as melodious as the singing of birds, because they are content.
Wealth, appearance, children, house, and talents you must be content with your share in these things:
So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful. (Qur’an 7: 144)
Most Islamic scholars and pious Muslims of the early generations of Islam were poor; needless it is to say, then, that they did not have beautiful houses or nice cars. Yet, despite these disadvantages, they led fruitful lives, and they benefited mankind, not by some miracle, but because they used all that they were given, and spent their time in the correct way. Hence they were blessed in their lives, their time, and their talents.
On the contrary, there are many people who have been bestowed with wealth, children, and all forms of blessings, yet these blessings have been the very reason for their misery and ruin. They deviated from what their inborn instincts were telling them, namely, that material things are not everything. Look at those that have obtained degrees from world-renowned universities, and yet they are paragons of obscurity. Their talents and abilities remain unused. Meanwhile, others who are limited in the scope of their knowledge have managed to make mountains out of what they have been given, benefiting both themselves and society.
If you are a seeker of happiness, be satisfied with the looks Allah has favored you with, with your family situation, with the sound of your voice, with the level of your understanding, and with the amount of your salary. Certain educators go further than this by saying that you should imagine being contented with even less than you actually have now.
Here for you is a list of those who have shone from our Islamic heritage despite each being challenged by various disadvantages:
Ataa ibn Rabah was a world-renowned scholar of his time. He was not only a freed slave and snub-nosed, but he was also paralyzed.
Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays was famous among the Arabs for his singular level of patience. He achieved that fame despite being emaciated, humpbacked, with crooked legs and a fragile frame.
Al-A`mash was among the most famous scholars of hadith in his time. He was a freed slave, he had bad eyesight, and he was poor. His clothes were ripped, his appearance was disheveled, and he lived in straitened circumstances.
In fact, every Prophet was at one time or another shepherd. Dawood (David) was a blacksmith, Zakariah (Zacharia) a carpenter, and Idrees (Enoch) a tailor; and yet they were the best of mankind.
Therefore your value is in your abilities, good deeds, manners, and contributions to society. Do not feel grief, then, over that which has passed you by in life in terms of good looks, wealth, or family; and be content with what Allah has allotted for you.
It is we who portion out between them their livelihood in this world. (Qur’an 43: 32)
Remind yourself of Paradise, which is as wide as are the Heavens and the Earth.
If you are hungry in this world, if you are sad, ill or oppressed, remember the eternal bliss of Paradise. If you do this, then your losses are really profits and the hardships you face are really gifts. The most wise of people are those that work for the Hereafter, because it is better and everlasting. And the most foolish of mankind are those that see this world as their eternal abode – in it reside all of their hopes. You will find such people to be the most grief-stricken of all when faced with calamity. They will be the most affected by worldly loss simply because they see nothing beyond the insignificant lives that they lead. They see and think only of this impermanent life. They wish for nothing to spoil them in their state of felicity. Were they to remove the veil of ignorance from their eyes, they would commune with themselves about the eternal abode – its bliss, pleasures, and castles. They would listen attentively when they are informed through the Qur’an and the Sunnah about its description. Indeed, that is the abode that deserves our attention and merits our striving and our toiling, so that we may achieve the best of it.
Have we reflected at length about the description of the inhabitants of Paradise? Illness does not befall them, grief does not come near them, they die not, they remain young, and their attire remains both perfect and clean. They are in a beautiful home. In Paradise is found that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has imagined. The rider travels under a tree in Paradise for one hundred years and yet he still does not reach its end. The length of a tent in Paradise is sixty miles. Its rivers are constant, its castles are lofty, and its fruits are not only close-by, but are also easily picked.
Therein will be a running spring. Therein will be thrones raised high, and cups set at hand, and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all] spread out. (Qur’an 88: 12-16)
The happiness of Paradise will be absolute. So why do we not contemplate this fact?
If Paradise is our final destination and we ask Allah for Paradise – then the hardships of this world are less heavy than they may seem, so let the hearts of the afflicted ones find solace.
You who live in poverty, or are afflicted with calamity, work righteous deeds so that you shall live in Allah’s Paradise. Peace is upon you, because you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the. Final hornet (Qur’an 13: 24)
There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Makkah. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.
Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.
The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.
The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.
Here are just a few things that most people may not know about the Kaaba:
10. It has been reconstructed several times
The Kaaba that we see today is not exactly the same Kaaba that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters.
Of course, we all know of the major reconstruction that took place during the life of the Prophet before he became a Prophet . This is the occasion when the Prophet averted major bloodshed by his quick thinking on how to place the Black Stone using a cloth that every tribe could lift up.
Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries. The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough, leading to the replacement of many of the stones and re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof. This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (inshā’Allāh) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before.
9. It used to have two doors … and a window
The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Kaaba only has one door and no window.
8. It used to be multi-coloured
We are so used to the Kaaba being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can’t imagine it being any other colour. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household colour was black) and before this the Kaaba was covered in multiple colours including green, red and even white.
7. The keys are in the hands of one family
At the time of the Prophet , each aspect to do with the rites of Hajj was in the hands of different sub-groups of the Quraish. Every one of these would eventually lose control of their guardianship of a particular rite except one. On the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet was given the keys to the Kaaba and instead of keeping it in his own possession; he returned them back to the Osman ibn Talha ® of the Bani Shaiba family. They had been the traditional key keepers of the Kaaba for centuries; and the Prophet confirmed them in that role till the end of time by these words
“Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.”
Whether Caliph, Sultan or King – the most powerful men in the world have all had to bow to the words of the Prophet and ask permission from this small Makkan family before they can enter the Kaaba.
6. It used to be open to everyone
Until recently, the Kaaba was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray. However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Kaaba is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.
Watch the video attached here to witness the doors of the Kaaba being opened (at 50 seconds) – and the simultaneous gasps of a Million people as they cry out at this auspicious moment.
5. You used to be able to swim around it
One of the problems with having the Kaaba situated at the bottom of a valley is that when it rains – valleys tend to flood. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Makkah and the cause of a lot of trouble before the days of flood control systems and sewage. For days on end the Kaaba would be half submerged in water. Did that stop Muslims from performing the Tawaf? Of course not. As the picture below amply shows – Muslims just started swimming around the Kaaba.
Modern adjustments to the surrounding landscape and flood prevention techniques mean we may never see such sights again. Or will we? Check out this recent video.
4. The inside contains plaques commemorating the rulers who renovated it
For years many have wondered what it looks like inside the Kaaba. Relying on second or third hand accounts from those who were lucky enough to enter just wasn’t satisfying enough. Then one lucky person who went inside took his camera phone in with him and Millions have seen the shaky footage online.
The interior of the Kaaba is now lined with marble and a green cloth covering the upper walls. Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the House of Allāh by the ruler of the day. Watch the video below of the only place on Earth that you can pray in any direction you want, the House of Allāh, the first place of worship for mankind – the Kaaba.
3. There are two kaabas!
Directly above the Kaaba in heaven is an exact replica. This Kaaba was mentioned in theQurʾān and by the Prophet .
The Messenger of Allāh said narrating about the journey of ‘Isra wal Miraaj
“Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma’mur (i.e. Allāh’s House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, This is Al Bait-ul-Ma’mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).”
2. The Black Stone is broken
Ever wondered how the Black Stone came to be in the silver casing that surrounds it?
Some say it was broken by a stone fired by the Umayyad army laying siege to Makkah whilst it was under the control of Abdullah ibn Zubair ®.
However, most agree that it was most damaged in the middle ages by an extreme heretical Ismaili group from Bahrain called the Qarmatians who had declared that the Hajj was an act of superstition. They decided to make their point by killing tens of thousands of hujjaj and dumping their bodies in the well of Zamzam.
As if this act of treachery was not enough, these devils took the Black Stone to the East of Arabia and then Kufa in Iraq where they held it ransom until they were forced to return it by the Abassid Caliph. When they returned it, it was in pieces and the only way to keep them together was by encasing them in a silver casing. Some historians narrate that there are still some missing pieces of the stone floating around.
1. It’s not supposed to be a cube shape
Yes, ladies and gentleman… the most famous cube in the world actually started out shaped as a rectangle.
I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaws off the floor.
Right, where were we?
Oh yeah, the Kaaba was never meant to be a cube. The original dimensions of The House included the semi-circular area known as the Hijr Ismail.
When the Kaaba was rebuilt just a few years before the Prophet received his first revelation, the Quraish agreed to only use income from pure sources to complete the rebuild. That meant no money from gambling, looting, prostitution, interest etc. In the ultimate sign of how deeply mired in wrongdoing the Jahili Quraish were, there was not enough untainted money in this very wealthy trading city to rebuild the Kaaba to its original size and shape!
They settled for a smaller version of the Kaaba and put a mud brick wall (called “Hijr Ismail” although it has no connection to the Prophet Ismail (A) himself) to indicate the original dimensions. Towards the end of his life, the Prophet intended to rebuild the Kaaba on its original foundations but passed away before he could fulfill his wish. Apart from a brief interlude of a few years during the reign of Caliph Abdullah ibn Zubair ®, the Kaaba has remained the same shape that the Prophet saw it in.
The history of the Kaaba is not just an interesting story from our past. The Kaaba is a real and present symbol that connects all Muslims together wherever they may be. It also connects us to our glorious and not-so-glorious past so that we may derive lessons and feel that we are a part of an eternal mission. In a day and age where Muslims are increasingly disconnected from our history,as well as each other, the Kabaa reminds us of our shared heritage and bonds. It is a symbol of unity in an Ummah sorely in need of it.
Open Day Every Sunday 3pm – 5pm For Non-Muslims, All Welcome
The open day provides a great opportunity for everyone to come into the MYF and have a look around at their own leisure. You can also listen to the short lectures in the tour which explain the basics of Islamic faith with the opportunity to ask questions.
The MYF also has a seated rest area where people can sit and chat with each other or chat with members of the Muslim community.
Refreshments Provided
Mosque Tour
Q & A Session
Most importantly, the open day provides an opportunity to mix and chat with the Muslim community and get an insight into their lives and beliefs. Its an opportunity for us all to forge bonds of friendship and respect within the many different communities within Manchester.
This is an open invitation so please pass on to all your friends, family and colleagues.
Free Admission All Are Most Welcome
Our Doors Are Open Is Your Heart?
An intelligent and skillful person transforms losses into profits; whereas, the unskilled person aggravates his own predicament, often making two disasters out of one.
The Prophet (pbuh) was compelled to leave Makkah, but rather than quit his mission, he continued it in Madeenah — the city that took its place in history with lightning speed.
Imam Abmad ibn Hanbal was severely tortured and flogged, and yet he emerged triumphant from that ordeal, becoming the Imam of the Sunnah. Imam Ibn Taymiyah was put into prison; he later came out an even more accomplished scholar than he was before. Imam As-Sarakhsi was held as a prisoner, kept at the bottom of an unused well; he managed therein to produce twenty volumes on Islamic jurisprudence. Ibn Atheer became crippled, after which he wrote Jam `ey al-Usool and An-Nihayah, two of the most famous books in the Science of Hadith. Imam Ibn al-Jawzi was banished from Baghdad. Then, through his travels, he became proficient in the seven recitations of the Qur’an. Maalik ibn ar-Rayb was on his deathbed when he recited his most famous and beautiful poem, which is appreciated until this day. When Abi Dhu’aib al-Hadhali’s children died before him, he eulogized them with a poem that the world listened to and admired.
Therefore, if you are afflicted with a misfortune, look on the bright side. If someone were to hand you a glass full of squeezed lemons, add to it a handful of sugar. And if someone gives you a snake as a gift, keep its precious skin and leave the rest.
And it may be that you dislike a thing that is good for you…
(Qur ‘an 2: 216)
Before its violent revolution, France imprisoned two brilliant poets: one an optimist, the other a pessimist. They both squeezed their heads through the bars of their cell windows. The optimist then stared at the stars and laughed, while the pessimist looked at the dirt of a neighboring road and wept. Look at the other side of a tragedy – a circumstance of pure evil does not exist, and in all situations one can find goodness and profit and reward from Allah.
Is not He [better than your gods] Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him… (Qur’an 27: 62)
From Whom do the weak and the oppressed seek victory? Who does everyone beseech? He is Allah. None has the right to be worshipped except Him.
Therefore it is most advisable for you and I to invoke Him during times of both hardship and ease, to seek shelter with Him in difficult times, and to plead at His doorstep with tears of repentance; then will His help and relief quickly arrive.
(Is not He [better than your gods] Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him… (Qur’an 27: 62)
He saves the one who is drowning, gives victory to the oppressed, guides the misguided, cures the sick, and provides relief to the afflicted.
And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only… (Qur ‘an 29: 65)
As for the various supplications one makes to remove hardship, I refer you to the books of the Sunnah. In them, you will learn prophetic supplications with which you can call to Allah, supplicate to Him, and seek His aid. If you have found Him, then you have found everything. And if you lose your faith in Him, then you have lost everything. By supplicating to Him you are performing one of the highest forms of worship. If you are persistent and sincere in your supplication, you will achieve freedom from worry and anxiety. All ropes are cut loose save His, and all doors are shut save His. He is near; He hears all and answers those who supplicate to Him.
If you are living through affliction and pain, remember Allah, call out His name, and ask Him for help. Place your forehead on the ground and mention His praises, so that you can obtain true freedom. Raise your hands in supplication, and ask of Him constantly. Cling to His door, have good thoughts about Him, and wait for His help – you will then find true happiness and success.
By brooding over the past and its tragedies, one exhibits a form of insanity – a kind of sickness that destroys resolve to live for the present moment. Those who have a firm purpose have filed away and forgotten occurrences of the past, which will never again see light, since they occupy such a dark place in the recesses of the mind.
Episodes of the past are finished with; sadness cannot retrieve them, melancholy cannot make things right, and depression will never bring the past back to life. This is because the past is non-existent.
Do not live in the nightmares of former times or under the shade of what you have missed. Save yourself from the ghostly apparition of the past. Do you think that you can return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, milk to the udder, or tears to the eye? By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a very frightful and tragic state of mind.
Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present. When Allah mentioned the affairs of the previous nations, He, the Exalted, said:
That was a nation who has passed away. (Qur’an 2. 134)
Former days are gone and done with, and you benefit nothing by carrying out an autopsy over them, by turning back the wheels of history.
The person who lives in the past is like someone who tries to saw sawdust. Of old, they used to say: “Do not remove the dead from their graves.”
Our tragedy is that we are incapable of dealing with the present: neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. If every man and every jinn were to try jointly to bring back the past, they would most certainly fail. Everything on earth marches forward, preparing for a new season and so should you.
Posted on October 24th, 2012 · Filed under MYF News
The Reward Of Hajj Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messsenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said: One Umrah is an expiation for the sins commited between it and another Umrah and an accepted pilgrimage has got no less a reward than paradise. (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Best Jihad for Women is Hajj Narrated mother of faithful believers, Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): I said, “O Allah’s Messenger! We consider Jihad as the best deed.” The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said, “The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj-Mabrur.” (An accepted Hajj) (Bukhari)
Ask the pilgrim to Pray for You
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Allah’s Apostle (May the blessings of Allah be with him) say: When you meet one who has made pilgrimage, greet him, shake hands with him and tell him to ask forgiveness for you before he enters his house, for he has been forgiven. (Ahmad)
Performing Hajj on Behalf of Another Person
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a woman of Khashama (tribe) enquired: O Messenger of Allah! The obligatory injunction of Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) over His servants regarding pilgrimage had come when my father was very old and could not sit firmly over a conveyance. May I make pilgrimage for him? “Yes” said he. And that was at the Farewell Pilgrimage. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Taking Provisions on Hajj
Narrated Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): The people of Yemen used to come for Hajj and used not to bring enough provisions with them and used to say that they depend on Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted). On their arrival in Madina they used to beg the people, and so Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) revealed, “And take a provision (with you for the journey), but the best provision is to be dutiful to Allah.” (2:197) (Bukhari and Muslim)
Talbiya
Hadrat Abu Sa’eed-al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We came out with Allah’s Apostle (May the blessings of Allah be with him) for pilgrimage, proclaiming LABBAIK loudly. (Muslim)
Narrated Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Talbiya of Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) was:
Labbaik Allahumma labbaik, Labbaika la sharika laka labbaik, Inna-l-hamda wan-ni’mata laka, wal-mulk, La sharika laka’
(I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no parter, I respond to Your call. All the praises and blessings are for You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You have no partners with You). (Bukhari)
Miqat
Narrated Nafi: Hadrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “A man got up in the mosque and said: “O Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him)! ‘At which place do you order us that we should assume the Ihram?’ Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) replied, ‘The residents of Madina should assume the Ihram from Dhil-Hulaifa, the people of Syria from Al-Juhfa and the people of Najd from Qarn.'” Hadrat Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, “The people consider that Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) had also said, ‘The residents of Yemen should assume Ihram from Yalamlam.” Hadrat Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, “I do not remember whether Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) had said the last statement or not.” (Bukhari)
ZamZam is Shifa (cure)
Hadrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) say: ‘Zamzam is a cure for any purpose for which it is being drunk.’ (Ibn Majah)
Hajar-al-Aswad
Narrated Abis bin Rabia: Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said, “No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) kissing you I would not have kissed you.” (Bukhari)
Mina
Mother of faithful believers, Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: We asked: O Messenger of Allah! Shall we not build a structure for you which will give you shade at Mina! He said: No; Mina is the halting place of those who proceed. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)
Arafat
Narrated Muhammed bin Abu Bakr Al-Thaqafi: I asked Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) while we were proceeding from Mina to Arafat, “What did you use to do when you were with Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him)?” Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Some of us used to recite Talbiya and nobody objected to that, and others used to recite Takbir and nobody objected to that.” (Bukhari)
Muzdalifa
Narrated Hadrat Abdulla Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) offered the Maghrib and Isha prayers together at Jam’ (i.e. Al-Muzadalifah) with a separate Iqama for each of them and did not offer any optional prayer in between them or after each of them. (Bukhari)
Stoning the Jamarah
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from Fadl-bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who was riding behind the Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) that the Prophet had said during the night at Arafat and the morning at Muzdalifa to the people when they were returning: “March on with peace.” And he was (at that time) holding back his camel, until he entered Muhasser which is a part of Mina. He said: You should take small pebbles of Khazf for being thrown at the Jamarah. And he said; Allah’s Apostle (May the blessings of Allah be with him) did not stop saying ‘Labbaik‘ till he threw pebbles at the Jamarah. (Muslim)
Shaving or Cutting of Hair
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) had his head shaved in the Farewell Pilgrimage and so also did some of followers; and some had their hair clipped. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said; There is no shaving for women. There is only clipping (of hair) for women. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
Merits of Makkah and Madina
Hadrat Abu Sa’eed (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) who said: Verily Sayyidina Ibrahim (peace be upon him) sanctified Makkah and he made it sacred but I have sanctified Madinah, making unlawful what is between its surroundings, not to shed blood therein, not to carry arms therein for fighting and not to cut a tree except for forage. (Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said: Nobody shall bear the trials and hardships of Madina out of my followers but I shall become for him an intercessor on the Resurrection Day. (Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said: There are angels over the mountain roads of Madina. Neither epidemics nor Dajjal shall enter there. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Ziyara of Rasulullah(May the blessings of Allah be with him)
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Rasulullah (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said: ‘Whoever visits me after my death is like he who had visited me during my life.’ (Tabarani, Dar-Qutni)
The Superiority of the Place Between the Pulpit and the Rawda of the Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him)
Narrated Hadrat Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mazini (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said, “Between my house and the pulpit there is a garden from amongst the gardens of Paradise. (Bukhari)
Forty Salah in Masjid Nabawi
Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Rasulullah (May the blessings of Allah be with him) said: “Whoever performs forty salah in my Masjid, not missing one salah in the Masjid; for him is granted exemption from the fire of Hell; and the exemption from punishment and he shall remain free of hypocrisy.” (Ahmad, Tabarani)
How the Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) Performed The Hajj Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah’s Messenger (May the blessings of Allah be with him) stayed at Madina for nine years without making pilgrimage. Then in the tenth year it was proclaimed among men that the Messenger of Allah intended pilgrimage. Thereafter many people assembled at Madina and we came out with him till we came to Zul-Halifah. There Asma’a, daughter of Umais, gave birth to Muhammad, son of Abu Bakr. She sent (news) to the Prophet: What shall I do! He said: Take bath and bandange private parts with a cloth and make Ihram.
The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) then prayed in the mosque and next he rode on Qaswa’ (she-camel) till when it took him up to Baida’a, he uttered Talbiya with Tauhid and with ‘O Allah! Labbaik Labbaik; Thou hast no partner.Labbaik, all praise and grace for Thee and the dominion. Thou hast no partner.
Hadrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We did not intend but pilgrimage. We did not know Umrah, but when we came to the House (the Ka’ba) with him, he touched the corner and made seven rounds, three rounds by mild running, and four by walking. Then he proceeded to the place of Abraham and recited: Take the place of Abraham as a praying place and keep the place between him and the House.
In a narration: He recited in the two rak’ahs: Say, He is Allah [surah Ikhlas] and, Say, O you unbelievers! [Surah Kafirun]. Afterwards he returned to the corner and then touched it.
He then came out by the door Safa. When he came near Safa, he recited, Safa and Marwah are the signs of Allah. He said: I began with what Allah began. He began with Safa and ascended thereon till he saw the House. Then he turned his face towards the Ka’ba,declared the Unity of Allah, glorified Him and said: There is no god but Allah, He is One, there’s no partner for Him, the dominion is His, and all praise is His and He is Powerful over all things. There is no god but Allah, the Single. He fulfilled His promise and helped His servant and routed the Allies.
Then he made supplication in the midst of that, uttering similiar words thrice. Then he got down and walked to Marwah, till when his feet touched the bottom of the valley, he ran, and when he ascended, he walked till he came to Marwah. He did on Marwa just as he had done on Safa, till when the last of his rounds was on Marwah, he proclaimed while he was on Marwah and the people were behind him.
He said: Had I known my affairs as I came to know them after, I would not have brought sarcrificial animals, but made it an Umrah. If there is any of you with whom there is no sacrificial animal, he may take Ihram and treat it as an Umrah. Hadrat Soraqah bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and asked: O Messenger of Allah! is this for this year of ours or forever? The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) intertwined his fingers and said: Umrah has entered unto Hajj; no, rather for ever.
Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen with the camels of the Prophet and said: What did you utter when you made pilgrimage compulsory? He (the Prophet) replied, “O Allah, I make Ihram just as Thy Prophet made”. He added: “There is sacrificial animal with me. So don’t put off the Ihram”. (Hadrat Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said): The total of sacrificial animals which Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) brought from Yemen and which the Prophet brought with him was one hundred.
Then all the people removed the Ihram and clipped their hairs except the Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) and those with whom there were sacrificial animals. When there came the 8th day of Dhul Hijja, they turned towards Mina and made Ihram for pilgrimage. The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) rode on. He prayed there Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr. Then he stayed for a while till the sun rose high. He then ordered for a tent of fur to be pitched at Namerah. The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) then made the journey while the Quraish did not doubt that he would stay at Mash’arul Haram as the Quraish in the Days of Ignorance used to. Then the Messenger of Allah went on till he came to Arafat. He found a tent pitched up for him at Namerah. He got down therein, till when the sun inclined towards the west, he ordered for his she-camel Qaswa which conveyed him.
Then he came to the foot of the valley and addressed the people and said:
“Verily your lives and your property are sacred to you like the sacredness of this day of yours in this month of yours and in this city of yours.
“Behold! everything of the Days of Ignorance has been destroyed under my feet and the blood claims of the Days of Ignorance have been remitted. The first murder of the murder of ours which I remit is the murder of Ibn-Rabiyah, son of Hares, who was nursed among Banu Sa’ad, killed by Huzail.
And verily all usury of the Days of Ignorance is forbidden, and the first usury of our usuries that was forbidden was the usury of Abbas, son of Abdul Muttalib, and that is entirely forbidden. Fear Allah abut women, because you have taken them with the trust of Allah and made their private parts lawful with the Word of Allah. You have taken with them with the word of Allah. You have got right over them that they shall not entertain anybody on your bed. If they do that, scourge them without being oppressive. And they have got rights over you that you shall clothe them and feed them in a just manner.
And I have left among you a thing which if you adhere to, you will never be misguided after me, the Book of Allah. You will be asked about me. So what will you say? They said: We shall testify that you have certainly communicated and fulfilled the messsage, and given admonition. Then he said with his forefinger raised up towards heaven and pointing towards men: O Allah, be witness [thrice].
Afterwards Hadrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) proclaimed the Azan, then he read the Aqamah and prayed the Zuhr prayer. The he read Aqamah and prayed Asr without praying anything between them. Then he rode on till he came to the halting place (Arafat). He turned the back of his camel Qaswa towards the rocks and kept Habul Mushat in his front and faced the Qiblah. He continued to stay till the sun set in or the reddish colour went a little, till the disc of the sun disappreared.
He took Hadrat Osamah (may Allah be pleased with him) back on his riding animal and marched on till he came to Muzdalifah. He prayed Maghrib and Isha prayers there with Azan and two Aqamahs without any Tasbih between these two. Then he slept till there was dawn. He prayed Fajr when it was early dawn with one Azan and one Aqamah.
He rode on Qaswa till he reached Masharul Haram. He then turned towards the Qibla, invoked Allah, glorified Him, recited Tahlil and declared His unity. He continued to stay (there) till it was very clear.
Then he began to march before the sun rose and took Hadrat Fadl bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) behind, till he came to the valley of Mohasser. He halted a little and then threaded the middle way which comes out over the greater Jamarah, till he came to a Jamarah near the tree. He threw seven small pebbles like the pebbles of Khazf uttering takbir at each throwing. He threw from the foot of the valley and then departed to the place of sacrifice. He sacrified with his own hands 63 camels and gave (the rest) to Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who sacrificed what remained. He made him (Sayyidina Ali) a partner in his animals. Then he ordered for some meat of every camel. It was then put in a kettle and cooked. They both partook of its meat and drank some of its broth.
The Prophet (May the blessings of Allah be with him) afterwards rode, hastened towards the House, prayed Zuhr at Makka and came to Banu Abdul Muttalib who were in charge of Zamzam well. He said: Take water from the children of Abdul Muttalib. But for the people who might overcome your right in your giving drink, I would have drawn water with you. They then gave him a bucket of water and he drank there-from. (Muslim)
If you hear the beating of resentful words in your ears, do not worry jealousy is not something new. As a poet said: “Devote yourself to the gathering of virtues, and work, and turn your back on someone who cools his jealousy by giving you censure, Know that your life’s-span is the season of good deeds, in it, they may be accepted, and after is death, when all jealousy ceases.” A wise person said:
“When facing criticism or the unjust rebuke, those who have sensitive feelings must pour a certain amount of coolness into their nerves by force.” Another said:
If Allah wishes good for one of His slaves, He covers him with slumber as a security, as occurred to Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) before the battle of Uhud. A short time before the battle, while the disbelievers waited in nervous apprehension, he was covered with a slumber that made him, on a few occasions, drop his sword, so serene and calm did he feel.
Allah, the Almighty, said:
Say: Do you wait for us [anything] except one of the two best things [martyrdom or victory]; while we wait for you either that Allah will afflict you with a punishment from Him or at our hands. So wait, we too are waiting with you.) (Qur’an 9: 52)
And no person can ever die except by Allah :c Leave and at an appointed term.
(Qur’an 3: 145)
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Which of the two days of death do I fear? The day in which it was not decreed for me to die or the day in which death was preordained for me. As for the former, I fear it not. And as for the latter, it is destined to happen, and even cautious ones cannot be saved on that day.”
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Seek out death (i.e. be brave) and you shall be granted life.”
Do not be sad, for Allah defends you and the angels ask forgiveness for you; the believers share with you their supplications in every prayer; the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) will intercede for the believers; the Qur’an is replete with good promises; and above all is the mercy of He Who is the Most Merciful.
Do not be sad: the good deed is increased so that its value is multiplied tenfold or seven hundred fold or even much, much more.
Meanwhile, the evil deed is valued without increase or multiplication, and your Lord can forgive even that. How many times do we witness Allah’s generosity, generosity that is unmatched by any! And benevolence from any one else cannot reach even near His Benevolence.
If you do not associate partners with Allah, if you believe in the true religion, and if you love Allah and His Messenger (bpuh), do not feel sad. If you feel regret for your bad deeds and you rejoice when you do a worthy act, do not feel sad. You have much good with you that you do not perceive.
If, in your life, you are able to establish the state of balanced harmony that is referred to in the following hadith, do not feel sad:
“How wonderful is the state of the believer. All of his affairs are good for him! And that is not so, except for the believer. If he has cause to be happy, he is thankful, and that is good for him. And if he is afflicted with hardship, he is patient, and that is good for him.”
Do not be sad: forbearance in times of distress is the path to both success and happiness.
And endure you patiently; your patience is not but from Allah. (Qur’an 16: 127)
So [for me] patience is most. Fitting. And it is Allah [Alone] whose help can be sought against that which you assert. (Qur ‘an 12: 18)
So be patient, with a good patience. (Qur’an 70: 5)
Ore ace be upon you for that you persevered in patience! (Qur’an 13: 24)
And bear with patience whatever befalls you. (Qur ‘an 31: 17)
Endure and he more patient [than your enemy], and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you… (Qur’an 3: 200)
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Through patience we have now achieved a good life.”
For the people of the Sunnah, there are three things that they resort to when faced with calamity: patience, supplication, and waiting with expectation for a good outcome. A poet said:
“We have poured them a glass and they have similarly poured one for us (alluding to the blood enemies draw from each other in battle),
But in the face of death, we were the more patient.” In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“There is none who is more patient when he hears something offensive than Allah. They claim that He has a child and a wife, yet He gives them health and provision.”
The Prophet (bpuh) also said:
“May Allah have mercy on Moosa (Moses)? He was tested with more than this (i.e. than what I have been tested with), and he was still patient.” And he (bpuh) said:
“Whoever is patient, Allah will give him further strength to continue to be patient.”
A poet said:
“I have crawled my way to distinction, and those who have striven have reached it,
With the toil of labor, and the sparing of no small effort, many have tried to reach it, and most became bored or tired during their journey, And they embrace distinction that remain true and are patient, Do not consider distinction to be an apple that you eat, you will not achieve distinction until you beat hardship with your patience.”
Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing; they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
Do not grieve over how people treat you. And learn this lesson by observing how they behave with Allah.
Imam Ahmad reported a hadith in the book of Zuhd, in which the Prophet (bpuh) relates the following saying from Allah: “Strange are you, O’ son of Adam! I have created you and you worship other than me. I have provided for you and you thank those besides me. I show you love by giving you blessings and I do not need you. While you show me animosity through your sins and you are to me poor. My good is descending to you and your evil is rising to me.’
It is mentioned in the biography of Prophet Eesa (Jesus) (may peace be upon him) that, by the permission of Allah, he healed thirty sick people and cured many who were afflicted with blindness. Afterwards they turned on him as enemies.
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Calm people and do not arouse their aversion.”
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: يَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا، وَسَكِّنُوا ولا تُنَفِّرُوا.
Reference : Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 473
In-book reference : Book 26, Hadith 12
English translation : Book 26, Hadith 473
and Ismail 