Surah Al Mulk in depth

Bismillahir Rahmaneer Raheem 

In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful

Alhamdulillah our precious Ustadha Khadija has started the study of Surah Al Mulk in depth on Zoom . She has been running sessions for us since 2020 Covid lockdown through Deen for sisters (DFS). First Surah she started with was Surah Al Mulk. After five years, she has brought us the Surah Mulk again with new notes and new lessons in sha Allah . I look forward to her Sunday sessions at 10:30 AM. I have shared some of my notes here. Any mistakes are from myself (due to lack of my understanding), so please forgive me and anything khair (good) is from my Most Loving and Most Merciful Rabb alhamdulillah and His beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alhamdulillah we had four days of eating, drinking and praising/glorifying our Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala  alhamdulillah. May Allah (swt) accept our efforts during the great days of Dhul Hijjah 1446 , ameen!

There are different kind of hearts, i.e. diseased hearts, dead hearts and sound hearts. Some people have hearts devoid of remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Those hearts are spiritually dead. The best mode of remembrance is reciting, reading the Qur’an. Let's revive our heart with studying the Suratul Mulk in depth in sha Allah! We are about to start a new Hijri year, Hijri 1447 in sha Allah. Let us make intention to study the Words of our Rabb in depth in sha Allah!

We try to recite Suratul Mulk before going to sleep at night as one of the Sunnah of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam. We may think we know about the surah but every time we join a new tafseer/tadabbur class we learn new lessons. So keep on learning, sharing and improving together! Whatever you learn sisters, make notes and share the khair with others. Imagine someone learning something good from you and you receive mountains of good deeds on the Yawmul Qiyamah (The Day of Judgement) waiting for you in sha Allah! Come and join us and let's learn more about this beautiful Surah bi idnillahi ta'ala!

Surah Mulk is a Makki surah i.e. it was revealed during the first 13 years of prophethood in Makkah. It is the 67th Surah of the Qur'an (first Surah in Juz Tabarak).  The followers of Islam in Makkah were new reverts/converts. They didn't know about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They didn't have any revelations before the Qur’an. The surahs of Juz Amma (30^th part) and Juz Tabarak (29^th part of the Qur’an)  were revealed for new Muslims . They are the foundation of our faith. The concept of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah swt), Risaalah (prophethood) and Akhira (Life after death) were alien concepts to them. Most of them had no faith. Majority were of people of Shirk (paganism). They knew a bit about the Christians and Jews .

We may have read about the virtues of specific surah or chapters of the Qur’an. We may think about the reasons why virtues are so important. We live at a time when we hardly read, study and recite the Qur'an cover to cover. Sometimes we restrict our exposure to the Qur'an to only handful of surahs based on the virtues mentioned.  Unfortunately people tend to read same surahs like Ar Rahman, Yaseen again and again. But the Qur'an is not supposed to be approached in that way.  Every part of the Qur'an is special. Every ayah has a purpose and meaning. And every verse is connected to each other.

Surah Mulk is known to be a surah which will intercede for its reciter. But the question is whether is it the only surah which can intercede for us? Not at all. Our fasts and recitation of the Qur'an in general will intercede for us. Our recitation of the Qur'an will talk on our behalf saying "I am the one she was busy with (reciting, revising, reading, studying) the whole night. So any surah can have the potential to save us in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala at the hour of our need. Surah Al Baqara and Surah Al Imran will come as clouds to shade us when there will be no shades on the day of Judgment if we build a habit of reciting them frequently and live by the lessons . 

Sahabas (companions) used to call Surah Al Mulk Al Mania, the surah that protects us, shield us from punishment. In the grave, a person will visit from the side of the feet to punish the dead but it will be said that he can't punish him as he used to recite surah Mulk before sleep. We can also recite the surah in our Salah. If the Suratul Mulk is memorised by the person, the different parts of the body will testify for the person. May Allah (swt) enable us to keep the 30 verses of the Surah Al Mulk in our heart, ameen!

What is the relation between Suratul Mulk and punishment of the grave?

Imagine the grave. My grave will be just one grave with no room for others. My grave will be only mine. One compartment. Six feet under. Our graves are already dug while we are going around busy in life, completely oblivious of our imminent departure from this temporary world at any time. 

There are four concepts of grave mentioned through Qur'an and Hadith literature which are darkness in the grave, squeezing of the grave, Fitna (trials) of the grave and punishment (adhaab) of the grave.

The last experience people will have in this dunia (planet earth) is the footsteps that they hear, loved ones burying them and leaving them behind all alone in the grave. They can't hear or know what's happening above them anymore. The only connection dead people have to this world is the sadaqa jaariya (ongoing charity) they have left behind. We can only pray for them and do good deeds through Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, hoping He (swt) accepts from us on their behalf in sha Allah. Imagine I am dead, so no more connection with dunia, no more relation with my loved ones. I become the person of Akhira, the Hereafter, the other world.

There was a female Sahabiya who was the cleaner of the masjid of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam in Madina Munawwara. What a blessed sahabiya (RadiAllahu anha ) she must have been subhanallah! When she passed away, the sahabas buried her at the night and did not want to disturb the beloved Rasulullah (saw). In the morning, he (saw) noticed her absence and asked about her! He was told about her death. He (saw) went to visit her grave and pray for her. He (saw) told the companions that his du’a is a blessing for her. Through this story we can learn the importance of praying for our dead in sha Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala enable us to pray for the dead of our Ummah, ameen!

A beneficial supplication that can be said for both the deceased and the living is:

اللَّهمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا، وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيْرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا. اللَّهمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَه ُُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِه ِِ عَلَى         الإِسْلامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَه ُُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّه ُُ عَلَى الإِيْمَانِ، اللَّهمَّ لا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ، وَلا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ

Allahumma-ghfir lihayyina wa mayyitina wa shahidina, wa gha'ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi 'ala al-Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fatawaffahu 'ala al-iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu, wa la tudillana ba'dahu.

O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whom among us You keep alive, then let such a life be upon Islam, and whom among us You take unto Yourself, then let such a death be upon faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward and do not let us stray after him (Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 1498).

Graves are very dark so make du'a for them so that it can be full of light. Ya Allah please make the place full of light. Illuminate the dark grave! What will make it illuminous? The Qur'an, the recitation of the Qur'an. We live in the age of screens. Always glued to the blue screens of different gadgets. Our youth are busy playing, browsing, doomscrolling social media in the depth of the night. We adults are guilty too. But the brightness of the screen of this world won’t illuminate our graves! Let us strive for the light for Akhira through attaching our hearts to the Qur'an in sha Allah !

Squeeze of the Qabr Dammatul Qabr 

The graves will squeeze its new arrival just like a mother hugs her child after a long break. The believers will be hugged too. The nonbelievers will be squeezed so hard that it will crush the bones. Allahul musta'an! We seek Allah swt's help!

Saad Ibn Muadh RadiAllahu anhu was one of the greatest companions. When he (ra) died, Rasulullah (saw) told the companions that seventy thousand angels came to take part in his janaza so he (saw) felt so squeezed by their divine presence. He could feel the tightness of the space due to so many angels coming to receive Saad Ibn Muadh (ra)! The heaven’s doors were opened to welcome him! Rasulullah (saw) predicted Saad (ra) may have been saved from the squeeze of the grave.

Fitnatul Qabr The trials of the grave

The Fitna of Qabr will be like Fitnatul Dajjal, the trials of Antichrist. We make dua for protection against four things before completing the Salah. Our beloved Rasulullah (saw) taught us a very comprehensive dua regarding the trials (fitna ) so please learn it, use it and help others to learn it. One of my beloveds Ustadha Uzma Jung taught us this beautiful du'a ages ago and she would urge us to teach to our precious children and youth in general. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive her and bless her with Jannatul ferdous Al A'laa, ameen! 

Sisters, keep learning extra dua for sitting and Ruku position in the prayer, get the Hisnul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim). Why should we learn more dua? Because dua (supplication) is the essence of worship. Why is the Fitna of grave equivalent to the Fitna of Dajjal, the Antichrist? We may think we may be lucky enough to escape Fitna of Dajjal but every one of us will experience death and the entrance to the grave.  When angels come to the grave for the first time, they will come in a deceiving way, trying to shake us to the core! It is those who are steadfast will be saved from the fitna of the grave.

We can find in the Qur’an about the special people who will be steadfast, having Thabat. The biggest explanation of the Qur'an is the Qur'an itself.

In Surah Ibrahim, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, Allah makes the believers steadfast with the firm word of faith in this worldly life and the hereafter. And Allah leaves the wrongdoers to stray. For Allah does what He wills.  Surah Ibrahim: 14:27 Kalimah Tayyibah (There is no one worthy of worship except Allah )  is the firm word of faith it is referring to. A good word is like a good tree. The testimony that there is no one worthy of worship other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is a like a deep-rooted tree. The deeper the Kalimah shahadah rooted in our heart, the richer the quality of life it will be as a believer in sha Allah.  

Surah Mulk is the surah of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah swt). It teaches us the Kalimah Shahadah. Believers will be challenged in this dunya as it is the Darul Imtihan the abode of tests and trials. Dunya is our exam hall. The more we establish the lessons of surah Mulk in our life, the more steadfast we can be in sha Allah. 

The more we study surah Mulk, the more we understand the Rububiyyah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is the creator of everything and everything belongs to Him. Should we not be worshiping the One who created everything? In the Qur’an we are taught to worship our Rabb through Taqwa (Allah consciousness). Sayyidina Ibrahim Alaihes salam was a Haneef, constantly seeker of the truth. He submitted to Islam completely. Given his family and his people were pagans, he never ever accepted Shirk (associating partners with Allah swt). He never compromised his values as a believer.  Ibrahim Alaihes salam asked his people why they worship something which can't hear or see or benefit them! He AS introduces his Rabb in Surah Al Shu’ara. “He is the One who created me and it is He who guides me and He who gives to eat and drink and when I am sick , it is He who heals me and He will cause me to die and then He will bring me to life and who, I hope will forgive me my sins on the Day of judgement. My Rabb! Grant me wisdom and join me with the righteous.” Surah al-Shu’ara:78-83

We must teach ourselves and our children to ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. No one else is worthy to be asked! In Surah Luqman we find the conversation of Luqman (as), a person of wisdom (hikmah) with his beloved son. He taught his son that the worst oppression is Shirk ie associating partners with our Rabb.  

Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for everything. When you drink, ask Him and thank Him for the water . He is the source of water. Do we show proper etiquette when we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Whole dominion is in His Hand. Surah Mulk teaches us Tawheed ar Rububiyyah and Tawheed al Uloohiyyah. We as believers direct all our devotion to Him only. Throughout the surah He challenges us with questions on who is in charge. We hope to carry on learning the surah in depth in sha Allah.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to learn deeply and improve our understanding and enable us to live by this beautiful surah, ameen!

I have shared the details about the DFS sessions here. Please spread the link in sha Allah. Jazakallah Khairan Kathiran. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revive Our Hearts

Surah Al-Mulk:67

Don't forget to join our Flagship Tafseer Class with other like minded sisters 10.30 am 

Every Sunday morning  inshaa'Allah

Deen For Sisters Tafseer Class, in English, open to all ladies on Zoom insha'Allah

Read & Reflect

Surah - Al- Mulk:67

Join live on  Zoom 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9125927619?pwd=bDVVSTRLUytHeFBlN3h0LzUwMkg5dz09

Meeting ID: 912 592 7619 

Passcode: DFS2020

Please save the Meeting ID and the passcode . Every time same link is used. 

So don't forget to set your alarms dear sisters & share the link .

https://instagram.com/deenforsisters.uk

Today's Jumuah Tadabbur class at Fitya

 Bismillah... In the Name of Allah , The Most Merciful

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah dear readers,

I hope this post/reminder finds you in best of health and Imaan in sha Allah .

Today at our Qur'an Tadabbur class (Reflection of the Qur'anic verses) , our precious teacher Umm Anas focused on ayah (verse) 41 to 45 of Surah Maryam (Surah 19 of the Qur'an). I love the sessions and learn a lot from her precious efforts alhamdulillah. The sessions help me to study and reflect more on the Qur'an. I have shared some of the notes here . I hope my Generous , Most Appreciative Rabb accepts my efforts in sha Allah . Enjoy the read! I hope you find it helpful bi idnillahi ta'ala!

19:41 And mention too in the Book ( the Qur'an), the story of  Ibrahim . He was a man of truth, a prophet.   Innahu kaana Siddiqan Nabiyyaa 

Sayyidina Ibrahim Alaihes salam ( Peace be on him) was a person of strong and firm faith. He was a person of SIDQ meaning he always affirmed the truth and lived by it. There was no doubt in his heart. He had the Qalbus Saleem, the sound heart. A heart completely submitted to its Rabb. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala appointed him as a prophet. He was also given the role of a leader ie imama. We Muslims follow his teachings. In fact , our beloved Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) is the answer to his prayers for the humanity. We follow his Millah. ( Millata Abeena Ibrahima Haneefa...) 

In these verses, we get to see how he invited his father to the truth. His manner was gentle and loving. He used endearing words to address his father ( Yaa Abati... O my beloved father! O my darling dad! I love you so much!) . We can't really translate the Arabic expressions in English. Arabic is a very rich language so the translation of the Qur'an cannot do justice to the divine Book gifted to us. 

Given he was a man of great love and empathy, he approached his father with utmost affection. He wanted his father to think for himself. That's why he said , "O my father! Why do you worship something that can neither hear nor see nor benefit you in any way ?" 19:42 

Through these questions he wanted to encourage his father to think deeply about his action ie the pagan practices he was involved in. He also told his father the reason why he was having the much needed conversation "Father! Knowledge that has not reached you has come to me: I will guide you to an even path." 19:43 

Here we see his humility as a son. He is gently requesting his beloved father to accept the truth and he offered to help him to follow the path of guidance. He did not attribute the knowledge to himself . Every blessing is from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is just conveying the truth to his father. Prophets convey the message to us and help us to follow the straight path but they are not in position to convert/revert us. Guidance is only from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That's why we are taught to ask for guidance through reciting Surah Al Fatiha ( The Opening) in our daily prayers ( Salah). Our prayer is not even valid without reading the Surah Al Fatiha. It is called the mother of the Qur'an. 

He carries on... 19:44 "Father! Do not worship Shaitan (Satan) - Shaitan has rebelled against the Lord of Mercy  ( Ar Rahman). 

Here we can learn a very important concept of our core belief (Aqeedah) as Muslims. Life without Tawheed (Belief in Oneness of Allah swt) is in essence a life spent in worshiping Shaitan. Please read it again and let it sink! When we do not obey Allah as our one and only Rabb, we end up obeying the Shaitan, the self-proclaimed enemy ( 'aduu'm mubin). Sayyidina Ibrahim AS is warning his father not to worship Shaitan. He was a pagan, he worshipped idols. By worshipping idols , he was in reality obeying the devil. So what is the consequence of disobedience to our Most Generous Rabb, Ar Rahman ?

19:45 "O my father! I fear that a punishment from the Lord of Mercy may afflict you and that you may become Shaitan's companion (in Hell)". 

The worst sin is to associate partners in worship with our Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala which is called Shirk. It is the worst form of oppression (zulm). When someone commits Shirk, he/she separates themselves from the mercy of Ar Rahman. And mercy of our Rabb is what we desperately need to enter Jannah . Hell is the permanent address of people who reject the truth and follow anything other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. By doing so, they are depriving themselves of the mercy ( Rahma) of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. 

May Allah, Al Haadi (The Guide) guide us to His straight path and bless us with His Jannatul Ferdous al'A'la , ameen ! May Allah , Ar Rahman ( The Lord of Mercy), shower us with His immense mercy in every aspect of our life and reunite us the Ummah in Jannah, ameen! 

Learning surah At-Takasur

Alhamdulillah we have been memorizing the suah at-takasur. When kids are memorizing a new surah, we go through the meaning and tafseer i.e explanations (according to their level). I was listening to the tafseer today so that I can learn about the surah and pass it on to our kids.

New Hijri year 1435 and the day of Ashoora

Bismillah In the Name of Allah (The Most Merciful)

Alhamdulillah the new Hijri month has just started . The month of Muharram is a very special month. Some hadith mentions that it is named as the month of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Today is 9th of Muharram. Tomorrow is the day of Ashoora, 10th of Muharram. A very important day for us Muslims. InshAllah we will be fasting today and tomorrow. And some people will fast tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to follow the sunnah of our beloved Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. When he (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) moved to the city of Yathrib (Medina) , he saw the Jews of Medina fasting on the day of Ashoora. The Jews used to fast to celebrate the victory of Musa (Moses) Alaihis salam over the Pharoah with the Help of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Our prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) said that Musa Alaihis saalam is more beloved to us so we will also fast on this day but to be different from the Jews we are recommended to fast one extra day, either the day before (9th of Muharram) or the day after (11th of Muharram). He also told us that this is indeed a special fast with great reward. 

 Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) was asked about observing As-Saum (the fast) on the tenth day of Muharram, and he replied, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year."

Sahih Muslim Vol. 3, The Book of Fasting, Hadith no. 2427

Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of 'Ashoora', and this month, meaning Ramadhan." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 1867]

Also, fasting as a form of worship , is highly recommended through out the year. This is one special act which will be rewarded by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala personally, subhanallah! Who wants to miss this great opportunity! Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is Al-Kareem, the most Generous. He doesn't expect a lot from us. One fast to do for the day of Ashoora and so much reward to gain, subhanallah! How can we not love Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala! 

The Prophet said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) 70 years.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The story of Musa alaihes salam is a fascinating story mentioned so many times in the Qur'an. There are also so many hadith about this great prophet of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because of his advise, we pray 5 times a day and still are promised to get reward of 50 raka' by the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He alaihis salam had a super-tough people to manage, the Bani Israel , the children of Israel. He knew what a hard job it was to convey the divine message. He never seen us, but he loves us so much and care so much. That's actually one of the amazing fact about our prophets ( starting from our father Adam aalaihis salam to Muhammad sallallahu alaihe salam). I hope that one day I can meet all the prophets bi'idnillahi ta'ala. 

As the day of Ashoora is near, it is also very timely to learn about the history of the massacre of Karbala, the brutal murder of our beloved prophet's grand son Husayn radiallahu anhu and lots of other innocent people. Lots of us are totally ignorant about this incident. Knowing the history of our Ummah is really crucial to understand our own existence and how to live our lives as good Muslims. The whole Qur'an is full of history. And the purpose is not to 'entertain' us but to educate us and prepare us as better Muslims who in return can hope to gain mercy of our Creator Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and live in eternal bliss after death. There is an excellent talk done by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi on this topic of Karbala, produced by Al-Maghrib institute. Do listen and take notes inshAllah ans spread the link.

The Massacre of Karbala: A historical analysis

Knowledge is power, or I should say, it's life! Without the proper knowledge we can never understand and love our beautiful faith. Only through seeking knowledge we can follow our faith with conviction. It's also very important for us as parents to educate our children with the proper knowledge of our faith. Our children love stories (and the horrible history series). I tell them stories of the prophets based on the Qura'n on a regular basis. And we discuss about it on a regular basis. I keep reiterating to them that  these are not fairy stories, these are our history and there is a lot to learn from our history. Alhamdulillah they do think about it and love discussing about all sorts of issues. As parents, we must have patience and ability to deal with their inquisitive minds. Just listening to them makes me wonder how close they are to the fitra. Children teach us so much about the faith and life in general i.e how to live life with contentment and happiness. 

To celebrate the day of Ashoora and the month of Muharram as a family, we are doing story sessions after school about prophet Musa alaihis salam. They actually want to fast, mashAllah. I told them they can fast half a day inshAllah. When we learn about Musa alaihis salam, we are not just learning about him. We are also learning about his great mother who had so much tawakkul on Allah to leave her baby in basket in the river, his sister who was so clever to approach the Queen and suggest her mother as a potential nurse for baby Musa, his loving foster mother, Queen Aasiya ( one of the greatest women in our faith), his supporting brother and prophet Harun (Aaron), prophet Shu'aib alaihis salam and his intelligent daughters, cruelty of Pharaoh, the bravery of the magicians in the palace of Pharaoh, characteristics of children of Israel (Bani Israel) and so on. So much to think and learn inshAllah! Let us study the chapters of the Qur'an which deals with Musa alahis salam and ponder upon them and derive some lessons to follow in our own life, bi'idnilillah ta'ala. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept our fasts and all the ibadah we are doing to sincerely please Him, only Him, ameen! 

Qur'an time: Surah Al-Insaan

I hope to keep studying the Qur'an through out the year, not just in Ramadan. Everyday I hope to read one surah (one chapter) of the Qura'n and try to study/listen to the explanation bi'idnillah. Today it's going to be surah Al-Insaan.

Tafsir of surah Al-Insaan

This is a surah revealed in Makkah before prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihe Wa Sallam's migration to Madinah. The Theme of the surah is to inform us the mankind, our true position in the world and to tell us that if we really understood our true position rightly and adopted the attitude of gratefulness, we would meet with such and such good end. Some amazing facts about jannah are mentioned in this surah. And the people who will not be grateful, for them awaits a great punishment. [ "Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chain and shackles and a blaze."76:4]

In this surah, first of all man has been reminded that there was a time when she was nothing; then a humble beginning of her was made with a mixed drop of sperm and ovum of which even her mother was not aware. 

"Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?

Indeed, We created man from a sperm drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing. Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be ungrateful." [Surah 76:1-3]

I found some beautiful description of Jannah. May Allah subhananhu wa ta'ala give us the tawfeeq to get there with family and friends and all the Muslims, ameen!

"Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup of wine whose mixture is of Kaafuur (a sweet-smelling spring in Paradise). A spring of which the righteous servants of Allah will drink; they will make it gush forth in force and abundance." [Surah 76:5-6]

So, who are the people Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions here?

"They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. And they give food in spite of love for it (the meaning may be, out of love for Him) to the needy, the orphan and the captive, (saying) "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful." [Surah 76:7-10]

So these are the qualities of people of paradise. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala promises them to reward them on the Day. "So Allah will protect them from the evil of the Day and give them radiance and happiness and will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden in paradise and silk garments.

They will be reclining therein on adorned couches. They will not see therein any [burning] Sun or [freezing] cold. And near above them are its shades, and its fruits to be picked will be lowered in compliance. And there will be circulated among them vessels of silver and cups having been created clear as glass. Clear glasses [made] from silver of which they have determined the measure. And they will be given to drink a cup of wine whose mixture is of ginger. [From] a fountain within it[ i.e, Paradise] named Salsabeel. 

There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them , you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls. And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion. Upon them [i.e, the inhabitants] will be green garments of fine silk (in layers) and brokade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver and their Lord will give them a purifying drink."  [76: 11-21]

All of these are rewards from our Lord. "[And it will be said, "Indeed, this is for you a reward and your effort has been appreciated." " [76:22]

Then, our Rabb mentions what a great Book He has blessed us with! Indeed, it is We have sent down to you [O Muhammad], the Qur'an progressively." [76:23]

This is indeed a huge blessing for us. Without the Qur'an we would have been totally lost. We wouldn't have had any clue of why we are here and what is the way forward for us. But this Book  also comes with a heavy responsibility. This is not just an ordinary book! It's a Book of guidance from our Lord and we are obliged to follow it on a daily basis. We are not even allowed to pick and choose from the rulings of this Book. We have to follow all of it wholeheartedly. And that's not an easy task. Allah tells us in this surah how we can cope with this huge responsibility. We must have sabr (patience) and always be conscious of our Lord through prayers especially during the early morning and the evening. 

"So be patient for the decision of you Lord and do not obey from among them a sinner or ungrateful disbeliever. And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening and during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him a long part of the night. [76: 24-26]

As we can see, night prayers are very crucial part of our faith. It's not just for Ramadan in the form of taraweeh prayers. We really need to strive to get up at night and pray for our Lord's Pleasure, bi'idnillah. The imam I was listening to mentioned that this also means that we need to do our daily dua/supplications after dawn prayer and the night prayers before going to sleep. 'Fortress of the Muslim' is a great book in this regard. 

Another crucial lesson I have learnt from this surah is the fact that guidance only comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He is in control and can shower His Mercy to whoever He wants. There are some people who think that everything is in our hand and we can do whatever we want. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says at the end of this surah: 

"Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way. And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers- He has prepared for them a painful punishment." [76: 29-31]

The translation is shared from The Qur'an : Saheeh International Translation [The Qur'an Project]

I have been listening to the explanation of surah Al-Insaan by Imam Abdul Qaiyyum of East London Mosque. It's in Bengali . So much to learn from this amazing surah! 

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3   Part 4

Ramadan Reflections: Day 9

Bismillah

Assalamu alaikum my dear readers,

Alhamdulillah we have just completed the 9th fast of Ramadan. I feel sad as almost one third of this magical month is gone! The weather in London is quite hot and that's why I try to avoid going out as much as possible. I am getting quite hungry and thirsty by 12. I feel like sleeping most of the time! But my kids keep me busy, alhamdulillah. They are at that age, where you love exploring . They have been upto quite a lot of cheeky stuff. I try to control my reaction thinking once upon a time I was in that stage too. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala reward my parents especially my mum for having patience with me. Most of the time, it is the mum who has to deal with daily cheekiness! May Allah subhana wa ta'ala reward them and make it easy for them and the kids, ameen!

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. For me during Ramadan, praying taraweeh (night prayer) is really difficult. I try but feel quite guilty with the quality of my prayer. Most of time, I am sleeping. I am trying to concentrate more on reciting the Qur'an , alhamdulillah. The whole point of Ramadan is to gain Taqwa - Allah consciousness. I don't think I am really getting anywhere spiritually through the taraweeh apart from feeling exhausted. But I do love reading the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah last year, I started an intensive Arabic course through Quranic gems. It has been really intensive for me and I have decided to give up learning through the course. Alhamdulillah I have learnt some good rules and it has definitely made me understand the Qur'an more. As the course is too intensive for me, I hope to learn at my own pace inshAllah through brother Nouman Ali Khan's Arabic with Husna, bi'idnillahi ta'ala. 

Just to motivate me and you all to read, recite, study, ponder upon the Qur'an with the only goal to gain taqwa of our Rabb, I have gathered some beautiful hadith of our beloved prophet Muhammad Sallalhu alaihe wa sallam. 

Umaamah (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: 

"Recite the Qur'aan for indeed it will come on the Day of Judgement as an intercessor for its Ashaab (those who read, memorize and implement it)." [Saheeh Muslim]

An-Nawaas Ibn Sama'aan (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say: 'The Qur'aan will be brought on the Day of Judgement as well as the people who used to act upon it. Surat-ul-Baqarah and Aal 'Imraan will then approach them.' The Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) likened them to three examples, which I have not forgotten afterwards. He (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: 'As if they were two clouds or two dark black canopies with light between them both or like two flocks of birds stretching their wings in the air pleading for the one who recited them.'" [Saheeh Muslim]

'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr (radyAllaahu ‘anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "The fast and the Qur'aan will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgement. The fast will say: 'My Lord, I restricted him from food and drink, so allow me to intercede for him.' And the Qur'aan will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night, so allow me to intercede for him.' So they will be allowed to intercede." [Saheeh Muslim]

Subhanallah these couple of hadith is enough to understand how essential it is for us who are fasting to recite the Qur'aan much during these blessed days and sacred nights. For indeed, there is a special virtue for the abundance of recitation in these days, which is not found in any other month. We should take advantage of the nobleness of time during this month, in which Allah subhanau wa ta'ala revealed the Qur'an. 

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give us the tawfique (ability) and tayseer (easiness) to read, study His Book during this great month and let us become the people of the Qur'an, ameen! ameen! ameeeen!

Warming up for Ramadan inshAllah

I have been listening and re-listening some excellent talks to get me into Ramadan mode bi'idnillah. I hope to share some of the talks through my blog. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala give us the tawfique to do our best, ameen!

Ramadan, A gift for Muslims - Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan

So what did I learn?

In this talk, Ustadh went through the verses of the Qur'an which deals with Ramadan. 

Ramadan is referred to in verse (2:185) of chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The Cow):

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. 
So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. 
Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

The verse is in Surah Baqara and the topic is mentioned only once through our the Qur'an. Ramadan is a month of celebration as a new nation. Allah subhana wa ta'ala changed the direction of prayer (kibla) for Muslims from Jerusalem to Makkah. The Jews of Madina were furious. There are so many lessons to learn from the children of Israel. Allah subhana ta'ala has mentioned about them several times in the Qur'an. The Qur'an is sent as guidance for the humanity, not like other previous, divine scriptures revealed to their respective communities. 

With any profession which involves risk, regular training is very crucial for the employees. Ramadan is the training for us as Muslims. This is a very important time to re-connect to our Lord. And to do so, fasting is a must for every healthy and able Muslim. And reciting and studying the Qur'an is highly recommended. 

O Allah , make the month of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us and let us reach the month of Ramadan ( so that we can gain blessings from it), ameen! 

Jumuah (Friday) reminder

Assalamu alaikum my precious readers and fellow bloggers,
Jumuah Mubarak!
Alhamdulillah Allah subhana wa ta'ala has blessed us with another Friday. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with His book to please Him.
Reciting and reflecting upon Suran Kahf is highly recommended during Friday for Muslims. I remember when I first recited the surah , it took me one and a half hour to complete the recitation. I thought it is going to be a very daunting task for me to recite the surah every Friday! But alhamdulillah I carried on and I must tell you, trust me, if we try and our intention is pure ( just to please Him) Allah subhana wa ta'ala makes it very easy for us. He is indeed very Gentle and Kind to us. Now a days, it takes me almost 45 minutes reciting the whole surah, given kids are not in need of my attention :-) alhamdulillah. When you start reciting the Qur'an, first make as much intention as possible, so that you can get more ajr (reward) bi'idnillah. For example, intentions can be to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala, following the sunnah of our beloved Rasulullah  Sallallahu Alahi Wa Sallam, being a role-model for our children ( if they get into a habit of seeing us reciting the Qur'an on a regular basis, they will hopefully pick up the habit, in future, bi'idnillah), getting baraka, practicing our tajweed, memorizing the ayat and list goes on and on...
Having said that, I think it's very important for us to also read the meaning and if possible, the explanation of the surah too. Because the whole point of reciting the Book is to reflect and to implement the lessons in our daily life, bi'idnillah. If you are not able to read the meaning and the explanation, then listen to talks based on surah Kahf. Do we really have any valid excuse not to understand the Qur'an, given all the excellent resources available to us, thanks to the internet ? 

Even if we are struggling to recite the surah Kahf, we can listen to some wonderful videos to help us get into recitation mode, bi'idnillah. Try listening to Sheikh Mishary Al-afasy's recitation of Suran Kahf.  It's very beautiful mashAllah. I like the way, his tone changes according to the verse he is reciting. 

For understanding the surah , listen to the great video below:

Surah Kahf Better than a 3D movie by Sheikh Aslam AbuIsmaeel

MashAllah a beautiful explanation. Most of us are kind of obsessed with movies. The way he compares the story of the surah with modern day movies is brilliant. And listening to this talk, you will be able to relate to the surah. I also love Sheikh Aslam's accent :-) 

I hope you all have a lovely and very productive Jumuah today. Please keep us in your precious duas. Jumuah Mubarak :-)

Angels by your side & good news of Paradise

"And those who disbelieved will [then] say, "Our Lord, show us those who misled us of the jinn and men [so] we may put them under our feet that they will be among the lowest."41:29

"Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allah " and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], "Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised." We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish].

As accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful." 41:30-32

Explanation of these verses by Ustadh nouman Ali khan 

Are You Abandoning the Quran?

Explanation of ayah 27 to 30  of Surah Al-Furqan done by Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan.
"And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.
Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.
He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."
And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned." Surah Al-Furqan 25: 27-30