In the name of Allaah, Most Compassionate Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the ‘Aalamiin (mankind, jinn, etc).
Glory be to Allaah, the Most High. We seek His Forgiveness and Guidance on all things. May He make us steadfast on the Straight Path.
Peace and blessings be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). Amma ba’du…
My brothers and sisters, presently we live in a world full of confusion. This confusion has been made to exist by the Shaythaan who whispers doubts and encourages human desires. It has been to an extent that even in our worship to Allaah, we are confused as to which path to follow as there are many ways. Some say this way is the best, some say that way is the best but which way is the RIGHT way?
The lines have been blurred and now it is getting harder to distinguish between what is haq (truth) and what is baathil (falsehood). However, for the true believer, the truth has always been clear as Allaah said in the Glorious Qur’an :
“There is no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.”
[Qur’an 2:256]
As to the answer as to which path to follow in terms of worship or everything else, who is more qualified then to tell you the answer if not Rasulullah (saw) himself when he said in a hadeeth :
The Prophet (saw) said,” I have left with you two things that if you adhere to them, you will never go astray : the Qur’an and my Sunnah.”
[Bukhari]
Therefore, let us look at the way our Prophet Muhammad (saw) practised the dzikr after shalat. Let us observe and practise what he (saw) taught his Shahabah by referring to the various Hadeeth regarding the matter. Any matter that has not been enjoined by the Prophet (saw) should not be practised for fear of bid’ah (innovation).
Seeking Forgiveness :
After finishing the prayer (ie: after saying the salaam), the Prophet (saw) seek forgiveness from Allaah three times. Evidence shows in the hadeeth of this Sunnah :
Thauban reported:
When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) finished his prayer, he begged forgiveness three times and said: O Allah ! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honor. Walid reported: I said to Auza’i: How Is the seeking of forgiveness? He replied: You should say: I beg forgiveness from Allah, I beg forgiveness from Allah, I beg forgiveness from Allah (Astaghfirullaah 3 X)."
[Sahih Muslim Kitab as-Shalat]
From the above hadeeth, we also know that after seeking forgiveness, the Prophet (saw) also said,”… O Allah ! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honor…” (Allaahumma antas-Salaam wa minkas-Salaam wa ilayka ya’udus-Salaam tabaarakta rabbanaa wa ta’alayta ya dzal-jalaali wal-ikraam)
Dzikr & Du’a:
After that, there are a number of adzkaar (dzikr) that we can make. Below are evidences and references to the Hadeeth of Rasulullah (saw) :
Reported by Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
“Whoever glorifies Allaah (says Subhaan Allaah) thirty-three times immediately after each prayer, and praises Allaah (says Al-hamdu Lillaah) thirty-three times, and magnifies Allaah (says Allaahu akbar) thirty-three times, this makes ninety-nine, then to complete one hundred says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god except Allaah Alone, with no partner, His is the power and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things) – his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.”
[Muslim, 939].
The hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
‘There are two qualities, no Muslim man acquires them but he will enter Paradise, and they are simple and easy. He should glorify Allaah (say Subhaan Allaah) ten times immediately after each prayer, and praise Him (say Al-hamdu Lillaah) ten times and magnify Him (say Allaahu akbar) ten times.’ I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) counting this on his fingers. He said: ‘That makes one hundred and fifty on the tongue, and one thousand five hundred (hasanaat) in the scales. [Translator’s note: each of three phrases repeated ten times makes thirty; multiplied by the number of daily prayers, which is five, makes one hundred and fifty. Each of these good deeds of the tongue will be rewarded with ten hasanaat which will be added to the total of good deeds to be weighed in the balance or scales on the Day of Judgement]. When you go to bed, glorify Him and praise Him and magnify Him one hundred times: that will be one hundred on the tongue and a thousand in the scales. Who among you does two thousand and five hundred sayi’aat (bad deeds) in one day?’ They said: ‘How could we not count (our sins)?’ He said: ‘The Shaytaan comes to any one of you whilst he is praying and says, Remember this, remember that, until he finishes his prayer and does not do (this dhikr), or he comes to him when he is lying down and makes him sleepy, until he falls asleep (without doing this dhikr).’”
[Abu ‘Eesaa said: This is a hasan saheeh hadeeth. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3332].
Warrad, the scribe of Mughira b. Shu’ba, reported: Mu'awiya wrote to Mughira: Write to me anything which you heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). So he (Mughira) wrote to him (Mu’awiya):
I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) uttering (these words) at the completion of prayer: "There is no god but Allah. He is alone and there is no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and to Him is praise due and He is Potent over everything. O Allah ! no one can withhold what Thou givest, or give what Thou withholdest, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee."
(transliteration of the du’a in Arabic – Laa ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu laa syariikalahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wahuwa ‘ala kulli syai-in qadiir. Allaahumma laa maani’a limaa a’thaita wa laa mu’thiya limaa mana’ta wa laa radda limaa qadhaita wa laa yanfa’u dzal jaddi minkal jaddu )
[Sahih Muslim Kitab as-Shalat]
Glory be to Allaah!! These are some of the common dzikr and du’a of the Prophet (saw) after fard shalat. Be rest assured that if you follow these, you will not go astray for it is the Sunnah.
Ayaatul-Kursi :
“Allaahu laa ilaaha illa huwal hayyul qayyuum, laa ta`khudzuhuu sinatuw-walaa na-um, lahuu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-ardh, man dzal-ladzi yasyfa’u ‘indahuu illa bi idznih, ya’lamu ma baina aidiihim wa maa khalfahum wa laa yuhiithuuna bi syai-im-min ‘ilmihii illa bi maasyaa`, wasi ‘a kursiyyuhus-samaawaati wal-ardh, wa laa ya-uuduhuhuu hifzhuhumaa wahuwal-‘aliyyul ‘azhiim”
[Suratul-Baqarah 2:255]
(translation -
Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). )
Another Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) after fard shalat is the recitation of Ayaatul-Kursi. He (saw) had, a number of times, mentioned the benefits of this practice :
Hadhrat Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) says: Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked; "Do you know which Ayat in the Qur'aan is most lofty? " I said, Allaah and his Rasul know more." Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said,” Ayatul Kursi “
Hadhrat Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) said that Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The one who recites Ayatul Kursi after every fard Salaat will be protected until the next Salaat and this is constantly done by a Nabi or a Siddiq or a martyr.
Hadhrat Muhammad bin al Saumi bin Al Salsal bin Damasc narrates from his father, who in turn, narrates from his father that Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: " Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every fard Salaat, there is only death between him and Jannat", he will enter into Jannat immediately when he dies
Hadhrat Ibne Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) says that Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The one who recites Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salaat, Allaah Ta'aala will grant him a gratifying heart, actions of the truthful and reward like the Ambiyaa .Special mercies will descend upon him, and death is the only barrier from his entrance into Jannat. On dying he will enter Janaat".
In addition to the above, you can find numerous hadeeths about the benefits of reciting Ayaatul-Kursi in other situations and time. From blessing the food to protecting one’s property and wealth, this ayah is very beneficial to the believer.
The Prophet (saw) never raised his hands to make du’a after fard shalat :
There have been no reports in the sahih books of hadeeth to show that the Prophet (saw) did raise his hands to make du’a after fard shalat. Some scholars even pass fatwas categorising it as bid’ah to do so.
Although raising the hands to make du’a is one of the criterion for the supplication to be answered by Allaah at other times but not after the fard shalat because the Prophet (saw) never did it as such and neither did his closest Shahabah.
To raise our hands making du’a after fard shalat and considering it waajib to do so when the Prophet (saw) never did it is like showing that we have discovered a better way to worship than what the Prophet (saw) had taught us.
The Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is the best of examples and no other example is better. We follow what he did and we ignore what he ignored and we leave what he left and so on and so forth.
The Sunnah is, however, to make du’a during the shalat itself when we are directly communicating with Allaah. This shall be further explained in another article.
May Allaah reward both you and me for our efforts in upholding the truth and may He grant us forgiveness and guidance in all that we do. Ameen ya Rabbal-‘Aalameen.
Jazak Allaahu khayr
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Allah’s Mercy and Protection: How I Have Always Felt Him Watching Over Me
Assalamualaikum. This article is not originally from me. it was my fren's that i think a good think for all of us to read. Enjoy reading..
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Has anybody ever had something so miraculous happen to you that it could only be attributed to Allah? Something that had it not been for the Will of Allah you certainly would have been doomed (and we know that everything happens by His will, but you know what I mean)?
I have had so many moments in my life, where I have felt the presence of Allah as The Watcher, The Protector, The All Powerful, All Knowing, All Seeing, Most Merciful! If All-Mighty Allah wishes to protect and help us than nobody can harm us. He has shown me this in my life on many occasions.
"Nay. Allah is your Protector and He is the best of helpers.”
(Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 3:150)
All of the following incidents happened to me in my jahaliyah (Pre-Islamic days of ignorance). I can not praise Allah enough for saving me from what could have been a terrible fate. I was not always a ‘religious’ person, but I was always very spiritual (I hate hearing that term now used by people who do not believe in Allah or in ‘organized’ religion). I spoke directly to Allah as if He were my confidant. I told Him everything (even though He already knew it!). At the time I was not making salah (the 5 obligatory daily prayers), but I supplicated and called on Him often and nobody could have ever told me that I was not close to Allah. I was ignorant of my duties to Him as a Muslim, but I have always loved Allah more than anything. Praise be to Allah for guiding me to Islam and the Sunnah.
There were two separate incidents where I was nearly abducted and Allah Knows Best what else, that He saved me from. The first one happened my senior year in High School. My mother has never allowed me to work and go to school at the same time, not even in College. “Education is a MUST”, was her slogan and she never wanted anything to interfere with that even if that meant she had to break her back to provide for us all the little extras we wanted. Well, she finally agreed to let me get an after school and weekend job my last two months of school, to help me enjoy all the upcoming senior events. The job was with my Uncle’s insurance company and it was far away from the city limits of Chicago. It was out near O’hare airport in a town called Cumberland. Getting there was not a problem after school. I would catch the train there and my Uncle would bring me home. On the weekends it was a problem, because the trains did not go there and my Uncle did not work on the weekends. The problem was not even a problem for me, because one of my male co-workers kindly offered to pick me and take me home. We were both new to the company and had been in training for a week before we were to work our first weekend. He seemed nice enough. Quiet, well mannered, his cubicle was next to mine.
The day Allah saved me, I’ll never forget. He picked me up on time and we headed to what I thought was the direction of our job. We drove out of the city of Chicago and since I was not a driver I really paid no attention to where we were going, plus the route I assumed was different than my train route. I thought to myself at one point that this seemed far and even asked him if he was lost and he assured me that he knew where he was going. I do not recall him talking much, I probably did all the talking because I am a bit of a motor mouth and never found it strange that he was so quiet because he seemed like the shy type anyway.
I remember passing Brookfield Zoo and thinking, “Wow! I didn’t know we worked near Brookfield Zoo” DUH! We were the only car on the rode, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the Forest Preserve. I still suspected nothing, even though we were going deeper and deeper into the forest and there was no sign of commercial or resident property anywhere in sight. Then all of a sudden, his car spun completely out of control and he was knocked unconscious. After the police and ambulance arrived (I have no idea how long it was cuz I was dazed), they questioned me. They wanted to know what we were doing all the way out there. I told them that we were on our way to work and told him where. He showed me a map and pointed to where we were and where my job was. They were in completely opposite directions. He asked me how did I know him and I told him. He said you are very ‘lucky’ because this guy had no intentions at all to take you to where you say you were going. There is nothing out here but Forest for miles and miles. He went on to tell me how he suspected foul play, as there was no other expplanation for why he was taking me where we were going, espcially considering he claimed we were not lost. in hindsight the guys behavior was really creepy!
After the police dropped me off at the train station, I cried. I could not believe what could have happened. I was in shock. He never came to work again, not even to pick up his pay check. I often wonder if there were other crimes in that area that they may have linked him to…ones that Allah saved me from. Verily, All The Praise is due to Allah!
Say: “Whether ye hide what is in your hearts or reveal it Allah knows it all. He knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth. And Allah has power over all things.” (Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 3:29)
We should remember that Ar Raqeeb (The Watcher) is mentioned in the Qu’ran three times and that He Watches both evil and good deeds. Allah himself watches us wherever we are, whatever we do, and whenever we do it. He even knows our unspoken intentions. Knowing this name of Allah can help us keep our intentions pure and our deeds righteous. As in the next case not only was Allah Watching over me, He was also Watching the wrongdoers that He saved me from.
It was summer time and I was home from College. a group of friends and I went to The Midnight Ramble at the skating rink. We left after 2am. We were riding in a caravan but the friend I was riding with left the caravan and pulled over into a dark parking lot to make a ‘bootie call’ on a pay phone. She was dressed in ‘Daisey Duke’ shorts and a leather bustier (bra like top). As she was hanging up the phone, I noticed a small white car with four men inside turn extremely fast into the parking lot. The driver jumped out and I got nervous, my friend was walking towards the car still oblivious. I turned and locked my door and unlocked hers so that she could hurry and get in. I calmed down when it appeared that all he wanted to know was the time. As she looked at her watch to tell him the time, he grabbed her and led her towards his car (while feeling her up), at that same time two other men got out of the car. One jumped into the drivers seat of the car I was in and the other one sat behind placing me in a choke hold and covered my mouth as I attempted to get out of the car. I panicked. It was impossible to fight him off from my position. Everything seemed bleak and I couldn’t believe I was in a situation like that. I was so scared for my friend and I was scared for me too. For some reason I was more scared for her,because she was being taking away and I was still in her car. The man in the drivers seat started the car and then screamed, “Oh Sh*t this is a stick (manual)! Can you drive a stick man?” The other guy could not drive a stick and there was no room for both of us in the other car, so they settled on robbing us and left us alone!
All Praise is due to Allah for saving me from such a calamity. Only Allah Knows what their intentions were. We should never forget that Allah Almighty is always with us through His Knowledge
“He (Allah) said: Fear not, verily I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing.” (Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 20:46)
Alhamdulillah (Praise Be To God), our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has given us the prescription for our security and safety. Amongst other Duas (supplications) and Ayat (verses from the Qu’ran), he has taught us to read the following Dua when leaving the home:
Bi ismillaahi tawakkaltu alal laahi walaa hawla walaa quwwata illaa billaahi
Trans: In the name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah and there is no power nor any strength except with Allah.
The reciter of this simple Dua derives three benefits:
1. He gains protection against his enemies
2. He receives Hidaayat (guidance) from Allah
3. His requirements for that day will be met.
Let us learn this Dua, teach it to our families and recite it whenever we leave home. Insha Allah, our lives will be protected despite the ongoing turmoil in this world.
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Has anybody ever had something so miraculous happen to you that it could only be attributed to Allah? Something that had it not been for the Will of Allah you certainly would have been doomed (and we know that everything happens by His will, but you know what I mean)?
I have had so many moments in my life, where I have felt the presence of Allah as The Watcher, The Protector, The All Powerful, All Knowing, All Seeing, Most Merciful! If All-Mighty Allah wishes to protect and help us than nobody can harm us. He has shown me this in my life on many occasions.
"Nay. Allah is your Protector and He is the best of helpers.”
(Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 3:150)
All of the following incidents happened to me in my jahaliyah (Pre-Islamic days of ignorance). I can not praise Allah enough for saving me from what could have been a terrible fate. I was not always a ‘religious’ person, but I was always very spiritual (I hate hearing that term now used by people who do not believe in Allah or in ‘organized’ religion). I spoke directly to Allah as if He were my confidant. I told Him everything (even though He already knew it!). At the time I was not making salah (the 5 obligatory daily prayers), but I supplicated and called on Him often and nobody could have ever told me that I was not close to Allah. I was ignorant of my duties to Him as a Muslim, but I have always loved Allah more than anything. Praise be to Allah for guiding me to Islam and the Sunnah.
There were two separate incidents where I was nearly abducted and Allah Knows Best what else, that He saved me from. The first one happened my senior year in High School. My mother has never allowed me to work and go to school at the same time, not even in College. “Education is a MUST”, was her slogan and she never wanted anything to interfere with that even if that meant she had to break her back to provide for us all the little extras we wanted. Well, she finally agreed to let me get an after school and weekend job my last two months of school, to help me enjoy all the upcoming senior events. The job was with my Uncle’s insurance company and it was far away from the city limits of Chicago. It was out near O’hare airport in a town called Cumberland. Getting there was not a problem after school. I would catch the train there and my Uncle would bring me home. On the weekends it was a problem, because the trains did not go there and my Uncle did not work on the weekends. The problem was not even a problem for me, because one of my male co-workers kindly offered to pick me and take me home. We were both new to the company and had been in training for a week before we were to work our first weekend. He seemed nice enough. Quiet, well mannered, his cubicle was next to mine.
The day Allah saved me, I’ll never forget. He picked me up on time and we headed to what I thought was the direction of our job. We drove out of the city of Chicago and since I was not a driver I really paid no attention to where we were going, plus the route I assumed was different than my train route. I thought to myself at one point that this seemed far and even asked him if he was lost and he assured me that he knew where he was going. I do not recall him talking much, I probably did all the talking because I am a bit of a motor mouth and never found it strange that he was so quiet because he seemed like the shy type anyway.
I remember passing Brookfield Zoo and thinking, “Wow! I didn’t know we worked near Brookfield Zoo” DUH! We were the only car on the rode, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the Forest Preserve. I still suspected nothing, even though we were going deeper and deeper into the forest and there was no sign of commercial or resident property anywhere in sight. Then all of a sudden, his car spun completely out of control and he was knocked unconscious. After the police and ambulance arrived (I have no idea how long it was cuz I was dazed), they questioned me. They wanted to know what we were doing all the way out there. I told them that we were on our way to work and told him where. He showed me a map and pointed to where we were and where my job was. They were in completely opposite directions. He asked me how did I know him and I told him. He said you are very ‘lucky’ because this guy had no intentions at all to take you to where you say you were going. There is nothing out here but Forest for miles and miles. He went on to tell me how he suspected foul play, as there was no other expplanation for why he was taking me where we were going, espcially considering he claimed we were not lost. in hindsight the guys behavior was really creepy!
After the police dropped me off at the train station, I cried. I could not believe what could have happened. I was in shock. He never came to work again, not even to pick up his pay check. I often wonder if there were other crimes in that area that they may have linked him to…ones that Allah saved me from. Verily, All The Praise is due to Allah!
Say: “Whether ye hide what is in your hearts or reveal it Allah knows it all. He knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth. And Allah has power over all things.” (Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 3:29)
We should remember that Ar Raqeeb (The Watcher) is mentioned in the Qu’ran three times and that He Watches both evil and good deeds. Allah himself watches us wherever we are, whatever we do, and whenever we do it. He even knows our unspoken intentions. Knowing this name of Allah can help us keep our intentions pure and our deeds righteous. As in the next case not only was Allah Watching over me, He was also Watching the wrongdoers that He saved me from.
It was summer time and I was home from College. a group of friends and I went to The Midnight Ramble at the skating rink. We left after 2am. We were riding in a caravan but the friend I was riding with left the caravan and pulled over into a dark parking lot to make a ‘bootie call’ on a pay phone. She was dressed in ‘Daisey Duke’ shorts and a leather bustier (bra like top). As she was hanging up the phone, I noticed a small white car with four men inside turn extremely fast into the parking lot. The driver jumped out and I got nervous, my friend was walking towards the car still oblivious. I turned and locked my door and unlocked hers so that she could hurry and get in. I calmed down when it appeared that all he wanted to know was the time. As she looked at her watch to tell him the time, he grabbed her and led her towards his car (while feeling her up), at that same time two other men got out of the car. One jumped into the drivers seat of the car I was in and the other one sat behind placing me in a choke hold and covered my mouth as I attempted to get out of the car. I panicked. It was impossible to fight him off from my position. Everything seemed bleak and I couldn’t believe I was in a situation like that. I was so scared for my friend and I was scared for me too. For some reason I was more scared for her,because she was being taking away and I was still in her car. The man in the drivers seat started the car and then screamed, “Oh Sh*t this is a stick (manual)! Can you drive a stick man?” The other guy could not drive a stick and there was no room for both of us in the other car, so they settled on robbing us and left us alone!
All Praise is due to Allah for saving me from such a calamity. Only Allah Knows what their intentions were. We should never forget that Allah Almighty is always with us through His Knowledge
“He (Allah) said: Fear not, verily I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing.” (Qur’an: Translation of the meaning, 20:46)
Alhamdulillah (Praise Be To God), our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has given us the prescription for our security and safety. Amongst other Duas (supplications) and Ayat (verses from the Qu’ran), he has taught us to read the following Dua when leaving the home:
Bi ismillaahi tawakkaltu alal laahi walaa hawla walaa quwwata illaa billaahi
Trans: In the name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah and there is no power nor any strength except with Allah.
The reciter of this simple Dua derives three benefits:
1. He gains protection against his enemies
2. He receives Hidaayat (guidance) from Allah
3. His requirements for that day will be met.
Let us learn this Dua, teach it to our families and recite it whenever we leave home. Insha Allah, our lives will be protected despite the ongoing turmoil in this world.
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