Monday, January 16, 2012

‎7 Habits of Highly Effective Muslims


1. They Remember Their sins


Some people fall into the habit of judging others by their sins while forgetting their own. They may not even think the sins they’ve committed are all that bad. This is a sign of weak Muslim.

A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may fall on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this.

Related in Bukhari

2. They Mind Their Business


How do people fall into gossiping and backbiting? By not minding their own business. These people hear a rumour or a tale, and before the next prayer comes in, they’ve spread it to a dozen other people. And then those people turn around and do the same thing.

If only we would remember what Allah says in His book:

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer.

(And) scorner going about with malicious gossip.

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful.

Chapter 68 verses 10-12



3. They Say What is Good


This goes hand in hand with the previous habit. Whereas Habit #2 was just to mind your own business and not say evil, Habit #3 is encouragement to say good.

Anyone who believes in Allah and the last day, should speak good or keep quiet.

Related in Bukhari


4. They Keep Good Company


If you want to fulfill the previous three habits, you should be around people who want the same. You’ll find yourself very ineffective if you’re always surrounded by people who think they’re better than others, are always minding other people’s business, and cannot say good.

Consider the following Hadith:

A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.

Related in Bukhari


5. They Do Not Procrastinate


How many people owe days of fasting from the last Ramadan but put them off for months? Some people have to rush to get these days in just weeks or even days before the next Ramadan begins.

How many people have money and the health to make Hajj but wait years and years to make it? Some people wait until they reach old age and have to to visit the Kaaba with multiple illnesses and difficulties.

How many people routinely procrastinate in making their daily prayers? The best of these procrastinators rush to get their prayer in before time is out. The worst completely miss the prayers due solely to procrastination.

Procrastinating in your daily duties is bad enough. Please don’t procrastinate with the orders of Allah.


6. They Put Their Trust in Allah


There are many verses in the Quran instructing us to put our trust in Allah. But I’m going to only quote one of them:

And (Allah) will provide for him from where he does not expect. And puts their trust in Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a (decreed) measure.

Chapter 65 verse 3

We often fall into the trap of putting our trust in the creation. We ask help from people who cannot help us. We complain to people who have no authority. Instead, we should seek help and complain to Allah Almighty.


7. They Remain Mindful of Allah


This is the most important habit of them all.

If you do not remember Allah, you will not think of your own sins and seek repentance for them.

If you do not remember Allah, you will not try to avoid His punishment by minding your own business without falling into backbiting and slander.

If you do not remember Allah, you will not try to seek His favor by saying what is good.

If you do not remember Allah, you will not seek out good company who are also focused on remembering Allah.

If you do not remember Allah, you will never be able to put your trust in Him and will always look for help from those who can do you no good.

These are not the only things we can do to become effective Muslims. I’m sure you can think of many more habits that will bring you closer to Allah and improve your daily life. But these seven habits of highly effective Muslims is a great place to start.


May Allah make it easy for you and me to implement these habits every day of our lives.

Ameen.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

PROPHET’S(SAW) PRAYER


Every act of worship in Islam is accepted if it is based on two criteria:

**Quran- The obligation of Allah regarding it.
... **Sunnah- The way Prophet SAW performed it.

Muslims today have modified the prayer of Prophet Muhammad SAW into so many types based on their creeds and sects.

(1) DOES PERFORMING SALAH VARY WITH THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT?

Answer: Definitely NO!!! We had one Prophet Muhammad SAW and thus one way to follow….

He SAW commanded us very clearly;

“Pray as you have seen me praying”
(Sahih Bukhari,Book #91, Hadith #352)

The four Madhabs vary in their level of understanding and ability to derive rulings from the evidence and None of them called people to follow his madhhab, or was partisan in following it, or obliged anyone else to act in accordance with it or with a specific madhhab. Rather they used to call people to follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah. And that is supposed to be our ultimate goal. Follow Quran and sunnah strongly.

(2) DOES THE PRAYER OF MEN AND WOMEN DIFFER?

ANSWER: The general principle is that women are equal to men in all religious rulings, because of the hadeeth

"Women are the twin halves of men" (Reported by Imaam Ahmad )

EXCEPT when there is evidence (daleel) of a specific ruling which applies only to women.

With regard to the way women should pray:

All that has been mentioned of the description of the Prophet's prayer (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) applies equally to men and women, for there is NOTHING in the Sunnah to necessitate the exception of women from any of these descriptions; in fact, the generality of his statement (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Pray as you have seen me praying’, includes women” If there was a need for a women to pray differently then Prophet Muhammad SAW would have told so.
The acts regarding prayer which are different for Women are:

--- They do not have to give Adhaan or Iqaamah.
--- There is no obligation for congregational prayer on women.
--- All her body is AWRAH and has to be covered except her face. (Hands and feet have different scholarly opinions).
--- Friday prayer is not obligatory for her.

And rest we do not find any authentic shari’i evidence to differentiate the way a man and woman prays.