Rajab is the seventh month in the Islāmic lunar calendar. This month was regarded as one of the sacred months (Al-Ashhur-al-hurum) in which battles were prohibited in the days of the Holy Prophet. It is also a prelude to the month of Ramaḍān, because Ramaḍān follows it after the intervening month of Sha'bān. Therefore, when the Holy Prophet sighted the moon of Rajab, he used to pray to Allāh in the following words:

“O Allāh, make the months of Rajab and Sha'bān blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramaḍān (i.e. prolong our life up to Ramaḍān, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings).”

Yet no specific way of worship has been prescribed by the Sharī'ah in this month. However, some people have invented some special rituals or practices in this month, which are not supported by reliable resources of the Sharī'ah or are based on some unauthentic traditions. We would like to explain here the correct position about them.

1. Celebration of Lailatul Mi'raj

It is generally believed that the great event of Mi'raj (ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens) took place in the night of 27th of Rajab. Therefore, some people celebrate the night as “Lailatul- Mi'raj” (the night of ascension to heavens).

Indeed, the event of Mi'raj was one of the most remarkable episodes in the life of our beloved Holy Prophet. He was called by Almighty Allāh. He traveled from Makkah to Baitul-Maqdis and from there he ascended the heavens through the miraculous power of Allāh. He was honored with a direct contact with his Creator at a place where even the angels had no access. This was the unique honor conferred by Allāh to the Holy Prophet  alone. It was the climax of the spiritual progress which is not attained by anybody except him. No doubt the night in which he was blessed with this unparalleled honor was one of the greatest nights in the history of this world.

But, Islām has its own principles with regard to the historic and religious events. Its approach about observing festivals and celebrating days and nights is totally different from the approach of other religions. The Holy Qurʾān  and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet  did not prescribe any festival or any celebration to commemorate an event from the past, however remarkable it might have been. Instead, Islām has prescribed two annual celebrations only. One is 'Īd al-Fiṭr and the other is 'Īd al-Aḍḥa. Both of these festivals have been fixed at a date on which the Muslims accomplish a great 'ibādah (worship) every year. 'Īd al-Fiṭr has been prescribed after the fasts of Ramaḍān, while Eid-ul-Adha has been fixed when the Muslims perform the Hajj annually. None of these two 'Īd's is designed to commemorate a particular event of the past which has happened in these dates. This approach is indicative of the fact that the real occasion for a happy celebration is the day in which the celebrators themselves have accomplished remarkable work through their own active effort. As for the accomplishments of our ancestors, their commemoration should not be restricted to a particular day or night. Instead, their accomplishments must be remembered every day in the practical life by observing their teachings and following the great examples they have set for us.

Keeping this principle in view, the following points should be remembered with regard to the “Lailatul-Mi'raj”:

(1) We cannot say with absolute certainty in which night the great event of Mi'raj took place. Although some traditions relate this event to 27th night of the month of Rajab, yet there are other traditions that suggest other dates. Al-Zurqani, the famous biographer of the Holy Prophet  has referred to five different views in this respect: Rabī' al-Awwal, Rabī' al-Thāni, Rajab, Ramaḍān and Shawwāl. Later, while discussing different traditions, he has added a sixth opinion, that the Mi'raj took place in the month of Dhu'l-Ḥijjah.

Allama Abdulhaq Muhaddith Dehlawi, the well-known scholar of the Indian subcontinent, has written a detailed book on the merits of Islāmic months. While discussing the 'Lailatul-Mi'raj' has mentioned that most of the scholars are of the view that the event of Mi'raj took place in the month of Ramaḍān or in Rabī' al-Awwal.

(2) It is also not known in which year the event of Mi'raj took place. The books of history suggest a wide range between the fifth-year and the twelfth year after the Holy Prophet was entrusted with prophethood.

Now, if it is assumed that the event of Mi'raj took place in the fifth year of his prophethood, it will mean that the Holy Prophet remained in this world for eighteen years after this event. Even if it is presumed that the Mi'raj took place in the twelfth year of his prophethood, his remaining life-time after this event would be eleven years. Throughout this long period, which may range between eleven years and eighteen years, the Holy Prophet  never celebrated the event of Mi'raj, nor did he give any instruction about it. No one can prove that the Holy Prophet ever performed some specific modes of worship in a night calling it the 'Lailatul-Mi'raj' or advised his followers to commemorate the event in a particular manner.

(3) After the demise of the Holy Prophet also, no one of his companions is reported to celebrate this night as a night of special acts of worship. They were the true devotees of the Holy Prophet and had devoted their lives to preserve every minute detail of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet and other Islāmic teachings. Still, they did not celebrate the event of Mi'raj in a particular night in a particular way.

All these points go a long way to prove that the celebration of the 27th night of Rajab, being the Lailatul-Mi'raj has no basis in the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet or in the practice of his noble companions. Had it been a commendable practice to celebrate this night, the exact date of this event would have been preserved accurately by the Ummah and the Holy Prophet and his blessed companions would have given specific directions for it.

Therefore, it is not a Sunnah to celebrate the Lailatul-Mi'raj. We cannot declare any practice as a Sunnah unless it is established through authentic sources that the Holy Prophet or is noble Companions have recognized it as such, otherwise it may become a bid'ah about which the Holy Prophet has observed in the following words: “Whoever invents something in our religion which is not a part of it, it is to be rejected.”

Being mindful of this serious warning, we should appreciate that the 27th night of the month of Rajab is not like 'Lailatul-qadr' or 'Lailatul-bara'ah' for which special merits have been mentioned expressly either in the Holy Qurʾān  or by the Holy Prophet .

However, all the recognized modes of 'ibādah (worship) like salāt, recitation of the Holy Qurʾān , dhikr, etc. are commendable any time, especially in the late hours of night, and obviously the 27th night of Rajab is not an exception. Therefore, if someone performs any recognized 'ibādah in this night from this point of view nothing can stop him from doing so, and he will be entitled to the thawab (reward allocated for that recognized 'ibādah insha-Allāh.) But it is not permissible to believe that performing 'ibādah in this night is more meritorious or carries more thawab like 'Lailatul-qadr' or 'Lailatul-bara'ah', because this belief is not based on any authentic verse or on a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. Similarly, it is not a correct practice to celebrate this night collectively and to invite people to special ritual congregations.

(4) Some people suggest some special modes of worship to be performed in this night. Since no special mode of worship is prescribed by the Sharī'ah in this night, these suggestions are devoid of any authority and should not be acted upon.

It is believed by some that the Muslims should keep fast on 27th of Rajab. Although there are some traditions attributing special merits to the fast of this day yet the scholars of ḥadīth have held these traditions as very weak and unauthentic reports, which cannot be sufficient to establish a rule of Sharī'ah. On the contrary, there is an authentic report that Sayyidna 'Umar, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, used to forbid people from fasting on this day, rather to compel them to eat if they had started fasting.

It should be borne in mind here that a “nafl” fast can be observed any day (except the six prohibited days of the year); therefore, fasting on 27th of Rajab is not prohibited in itself. What is prohibited is the belief that fasting on this day is more meritorious than fasting in other normal days. One should not fast in this day with this belief. But if someone fasts therein, believing it to be a normal nafl fast, there is no bar against it.

Sacrifice (qurbani) in the Month of Rajab

In the days of ignorance (jahiliyyah) the Arabs used to offer the sacrifice of a goat in the month of Rajab. This sacrifice used to be called “Atirah' or 'Rajabiyyah'. This sacrifice was offered in the name of different so-called gods and their icons. In the beginning of Islām, this custom was retained, but the Muslims modified it by offering the sacrifice of 'Atirah in the name of Allāh instead of the false gods. But finally, this custom was abandoned and the Holy Prophet prohibited the offering of 'Atirah. In a tradition of Sayyidna Abu Hurayrah , raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, reported by both al-Bukhāri and Muslim, the Holy Prophet has said: “Fara' is nothing and 'Atirah is nothing.”

Abu Hurayrah , raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, has explained in the same tradition that 'Fara” was the first child of a she-camel. Whenever a she-camel delivered its first child, the Arabs used to sacrifice it in the name of their so-called gods, while the 'Atirah' was a goat used to be sacrificed in the month of Rajab. Since the Holy Prophet stopped both these customs, 'Atirah is no longer a recognized practice.

'Umrah in the Month of Rajab

Ibn 'Abidin, the well-known scholar of the Islāmic jurisprudence, has mentioned that the people of Makkah (in his days) used to perform 'umrah in the month of Rajab. Perhaps they believed that performing 'umrah in this month is more meritorious than in other months. Then Ibn Abidin himself has rejected the authenticity of this practice, because no tradition of the Holy Prophet is found to this effect. Conversely Sayyidah 'Aishah, radyAllāhu anha, has expressly negated the presumption by saying that the Holy Prophet  never performed an 'umrah in the month of Rajab (Sahih Muslim 1:409)

However, Ibn 'Aibidin has quoted a narration that 'Abdullah ibn Zubair, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, completed the renovation of Ka'bah shortly before 27th of Rajab, and as a sign of gratefulness he performed 'umrah and slaughtered some animals. But this report cannot form the basis of a recognized annual practice, firstly because the report is not very authentic, and secondly because it does not mention that Abdullah ibn Zubair, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, had adopted it as a continuing practice. At the most, he performed 'umrah once as a sign of gratefulness on the completion of Ka'bah. It does not mean that he performed it as a characteristic of the month of Rajab. Therefore, performing 'Umrah in this month is like performing it in any other month and no special merit can be attached to it merely because it has been performed in the month of Rajab.

The Ṣalāt of “Ragha'ib”

Another special mode of worship attributed by some people to this month is the Ṣalāt of Raghai'b. According to the custom of such people, this Ṣalāt is performed in the night of first Friday of the month of Eajab. The Ṣalāt of Raghaib is said to consist of twelve rak'ats to be performed in pairs with six salams, and in each rak'at the surah al-qadr is recited three times followed by the Surah-al-ikhlas. This type of Ṣalāt is also not based on any sound source of Sharī'ah. Therefore, almost all the jurists and scholars of Sharī'ah have held that the Ṣalāt of Raghaib is a baseless practice and it is not permissible to treat it as a recognized practice of this month. It is true that there is a tradition, narrated by Razin, the author of a book of ḥadīth, which attributes the origin of this practice to the Holy Prophet  but almost all the scholars of the science of ḥadīth have held it to be absolutely unauthentic. Therefore, no importance can be attached to it.

Distribution of Breads

Another baseless practice in the month of Rajab is that the people bake special types of breads and, after reciting some verses and prayers on them, distribute them among their friends and neighbors. This custom has two different shapes.

1). In some communities, this custom is celebrated on 17th of Rajab on the assumption that Sayyidna Ali, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, was born on 11th of Rajab and the 17th of Rajab is the day on which his 'Aqiqa (Shaving of his head) was performed. In order to celebrate this happy event, the breads of some special type are prepared and after reciting Surah Al-Mulk on them, they are distributed among the relatives and friends. These breads are generally called “breads of Tabarak” because Surah Al-Mulk is usually recited on them.

This practice is baseless because it is never proved that Sayyidna Ali, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, was born on 11th of Rajab or that his Aqiqa was performed on 17th of this month and, as explained earlier, even if these events are proved to have happened in those days, their commemoration through these specific rituals is not warranted by the Sharī'ah.

2). A more common practice of this type is observed on 22nd of Rajab whereby some breads and meals of a special type are prepared and distributed among the people. Since these special meals are usually placed in some bowls made of clay, the custom is usually known as “Koonda”, an Urdu equivalent of such bowls. It is usually believed that the custom is designed to make 'isal-al-thawab to the soul of Sayyidna Jafar Al-Sadiq who himself has directed his followers to observe this custom and has promised them that whoever observes it, his desires will be fulfilled.

All these assumptions also have no basis at all, neither historically, nor according to the principles of Sharī'ah. In fact, the date of 22nd of Rajab has no concern whatsoever with Sayyidna Jafar al-Sadiq, Rahimah-u-Allāh. According to the historians, he was born on 8th of Ramaḍān 80 A.H. and died in Shawwāl 148 A.H. No specific event of the life of Sayyidna Jafar al-Sadiq is proved to have happened on this date. The people believing in the custom refer to a coined story mentioned in an unauthentic book named “Dastaan-e-Ajeeb”.

Briefly stated, the gist of the story is that a poor woodcutter lived in Madīnah in the days of Jafar Al-Sadiq. He went abroad to earn his livelihood. His wife was employed in the house of the Prime Minister. Once she was cleaning the courtyard of the Prime Minister when Sayyidna Jafar al-Sadiq passed by her. It was 22nd of Rajab. He advised her to bake some breads of a special type and make 'isal-al-sawab to him. According to this story, he promised her that if her desire is not fulfilled after this practice, she can catch hold of him at the doom's day. On hearing this, the woman made a vow that if her husband will come back with a considerable wealth, she will observe the custom of “Koonda”. On the same day her husband, who was in another country, found a valuable treasure in the earth and came back with it to Madīnah where he established himself as a rich man and started living in a magnificent castle. When his wife told the story to the wife of the Prime Minister, she disbelieved her and because of this disbelief, she and her husband, the Prime Minister, were punished by Allāh. He was removed by the king from the prime minister-ship and was imprisoned in a jail and was ordered to be hanged. While being in the prison, the wife of the Prime Minister remembered that she had disbelieved the story of Jafar al-Sadiq told to her by her maidservant and their misery might be the punishment of their disbelief. On this point, she and her husband repented before Allāh and made a vow to observe the custom of “Koonda”, if they are released from the jail. After they made such a vow, the whole scenario of the events changed suddenly. The king released the Prime Minister from the jail and reinstated him on his former position.

As it can be seen by any reasonable person, this story is totally forged on the face of it. The person who has coined this story did not even know that Madīnah had never a king nor a Prime Minister. All the Muslim rulers were named as caliphs and had no Prime Minister at all. In the days of Umayyads, their capital was Damascus and in the days of Abbasids, their permanent seat was in Baghdad.

It is ironical that the story of such a woodcutter is not even known to anybody in Madīnah, nor in any city of the Arab countries. No Arabic book has ever referred to it. It has no mention except in an Urdu book 'Dastaan-e-Ajeeb', the author of which is unknown. One can easily see that a custom based on such a fallacious and mythical story can never be an Islāmic custom. Islām has always been far away from such superstitions.

Therefore, this baseless custom should completely be avoided by the true Muslims. Some historians have opined that in fact, this custom has been coined by some Shi'ites because the date of 22nd of Rajab is the date of the demise of Sayyidna Mu'awiyah whom they take as their biggest enemy. They took that date as a happy occasion and made the Sunni Muslims also to celebrate it on the pretext of the above mentioned story.

Be that as it may, it is evident that such customs have crept into the Muslim society by their long association with Hindus who commemorate different historical events of their religion in the like manner. The Muslims must be careful about these customs, because they are not only an invention of ignorance but also the imitation of non-Muslims in their religious rituals. No doubt the “'isal-al-thawab' to the soul of a deceased Muslim, and particularly to a pious person is not only permissible but also a commendable practice but the Sharī'ah has not prescribed a particular date, nor a particular mode to do so. If someone wants to make “'isal-al-thawab” to Sayyidna 'Ali, raḍyAllāhu 'anhu, or to Ja'far al-Sadiq, he can do it any day and by performing any act of worship, like Ṣalāt, fast, Sadaqah, dhikr etc. There is no reason why it should be restricted to a special type of meal or bread distributed on a particular date. What makes this practice worse is the fact that the people accustomed to this practice deem it as necessary as a fard (obligation); rather they treat it as more necessary than fard because they do not care to perform the obligatory Ṣalāt or to fulfill the rights of men obligated on them, but they are very strict and punctual to perform these activities. Moreover, if a person does not observe this practice, they reproach him and call him with bad names. Such behavior makes this custom a bid'ah which is condemned by the Holy Prophet  as a misguidance. Therefore, the Muslims must abandon all such practices and should not cling to it only because it has been the practice of their society for many years. A Muslim is supposed to follow the dictates of Sharī'ah and not the practice of the society, if it violates any of its principles.

Conclusion

The upshot of the above discussion is that the Sharī'ah has not prescribed any specific way to observe the month of Rajab or to perform a specific mode of worship or a ritual in any one of its dates. However, being a prologue to the month of Ramaḍān, it should be availed of for preparing oneself for Ramaḍān and one should pray Allāh to make him reach the blessed month and to benefit from its unique merits.

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Today's Episode:  Gratitude Part 1/2

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Islamic finance over the last three decades or so has grown into a huge industry. It is huge both in the sense that vast sums of money are handled by Islamic finance, and also in the sense that a great many scholars have been attracted to it, and they have helped to invent or justify financial instruments which claim to make it lawful for Muslims to do things with their money very similar to the things that non-Muslims do with theirs. Yet, if using the word 'Islamic' before 'finance' is to mean anything at all, it should mean the kind of finance that belongs in Islam, the kind that Muslims acting specifically as Muslims engage in when they are producing and exchanging goods and services, and generally building up their individual and collective means of livelihood.

Most ordinary Muslims are, I think rightly, suspicious and cautious about accepting the permissibility of many of these instruments. It does not help matters that banks and investment companies run by and for non-Muslims are happy to use these same Islamic financial instruments because it helps them to attract and keep Muslim customers.

That sounds very similar to, for example, a supermarket stocking halal meat in the hope of attracting the business of the Muslims in its neighborhood. It is indeed similar, but it is not the same. There are known and clear procedures that must be followed before meat is called halal, and perhaps it does not matter that, at the final point of sale, the retailer is a non-Muslim – provided those procedures have been correctly and fully observed. It is not at all so clear-cut with money. Money is something abstract and symbolic as well as real and concrete. It is not just a store and physical sign of value; it is also a means of assigning and exchanging the values of different goods and services. Accordingly, it permeates all human relationships that are connected in any way to the exchange of goods and services.

That is why it matters very much to Muslims to know that the money that is circulating among and around them is, from an Islamic point of view, sound and safe, and that the transactions being done with that money are also sound and safe. The scholars engaged in developing, and justifying, Islamic financial instruments are engaged in the effort to provide Muslims with the assurance that those instruments are sound and safe from an Islamic point of view.

In order to judge whether and how far those scholars have succeeded in achieving this goal, it is necessary to step back and ask how we can know if a practice is sound from an Islamic point of view. Before we can do that we need to take a further step back and ask whether and how far such a task is possible at all. In other words, before I get into a discussion of particular instruments and contracts now being offered as Islamic finance, I want to establish as clear a framework as possible for this discussion. This is a necessary prelude to reaching a balanced judgment about these instruments and contracts based on a sufficient appreciation of the external necessities and the internal assumptions and arguments (some persuasive, some not) which have led Muslim scholars to seek out some sort of Islamic rationale for various modern financing techniques.

The world as we find it has in it three distinct orders that overlap and interpenetrate. The largest order encompasses all creatures, living and non-living, human and non-human, Muslims and non-Muslims, all together. We can call it “the natural order”. It is perceptible and intelligible to human beings; to some extent they can work out how it operates and, in some measure, influence and control what happens around them. This order includes the boundaries of time and space, and what modernists in the West call the laws of nature, to which everyone and everything is subject, involuntarily. Within that natural order, there is “the religious order” of divine commands communicated to human beings through God's prophets and messengers. This order is addressed specifically to human will, and demands a conscious, consenting, voluntary obedience. Finally, there is “the Islamic order” of divine instructions that bind specifically Muslims, commanding or commending them, through the Book and the teachings of God's Messenger to live in certain ways and to avoid certain other ways.

Because these three orders exist together in the one same world, it is sometimes the case that the approval of a certain way of acting as Islamic, as conforming to the Book and Sunnah, does not at all contradict its being approved by non-Muslims as “practical' or “useful” or “sensible” or “healthy” for the individual or for society. Non-Muslims just like Muslims get hungry and need food; get ill and need medical attention; get attacked and need to fight; get curious and need to explore and travel. Then, if Muslims find notably effective ways of serving these needs, we cannot be surprised if non-Muslims adopt those ways. That is obvious. It is also obvious that the converse applies: to serve their basic wants and needs, Muslims can in principle adopt ways that are or were the ways of non-Muslims. That is surely true. But it is also true to say that, in some instances, no matter how “useful' or “efficient” certain means are for the achievement of certain ends, Muslims as Muslims will reject them as unIslamic. How do they decide when they may and when they may not adopt the ways of non-Muslims? This is not an easy question. For the time being, let us note that if we are going to refuse certain financial instruments or transactions as unIslamic, we cannot do so simply on the basis that they are of “Western” or non-Islamic origin. We must have a better reason than that.

When we try to implement the rules and norms that constitute the Islamic order, we are not exempt from the conditions that obtain in the natural order. Accordingly, those Islamic rules and norms must be implemented with a measure of flexibility. For example, in a situation of necessity, where Muslims have no freedom of action or choice, what is normally prohibited is considered lawful for the duration of the necessity. This indulgence is intended to be temporary, exceptional. It is conditional on Muslims not desiring that which is normally prohibited. The only reliable proof that Muslims are not desiring what is normally prohibited to them is that they are striving to remove themselves from the situation in which they have no freedom of action to a situation where they do have such freedom. So, even if we are forced to adopt novel kinds of financial instruments or transactions on the basis that Muslims are so powerless in the world that they have no choice but to submit to the global financial order, there is, nevertheless, no compulsion whatever to legitimize such instruments or transactions by calling them “Islamic finance”.

All humans in the normal state of things have a measure of freedom of action. What distinguishes Muslims as Muslims is that, in the normal state of things, they strive to use that freedom of action in obedience to the will of God insofar as that is known to them through the teachings of Islam. To the extent that they consciously strive to do that, their lives fulfill the purpose for which the Book tells us they were created, namely to worship God. For believing, practicing Muslims, the natural order of this world, its being perceptible, intelligible, useful, beautiful, etc., is the wide space, provided by the Creator, within which human freedom of will and action are experienced as a reality. If the natural order were not as reliable as it is, freedom of will would not be experienced as real. But the natural order is there, real and reliable. That is why human life in this world can function as an enabling test, a test through which Muslims learn to perfect their obedience to God's will and so earn the promised recompense hereafter. Thus, we should expect from Islamic finance and the financial instruments it invents or justifies that they help Muslims to (at least) avoid doing what God has prohibited, and (ideally) help them to do more easily and conveniently what God has permitted. This is not a matter of clever word games, clever labeling. Surely Muslims will not accept as permissible the kinds of transaction they had long believed to be prohibited, even if Islamic economists find clever ways to label them as permissible.

But, you will ask, how are things known to be permitted or prohibited; how do they get entered into one or the other category? The answer is that we find out by referring to Islamic teachings on the matter in question. But then we must ask: how do Islamic teachings decide the matter in question?

In answering that, people often confuse two things – they confuse the authoritative sources of Islamic teachings, the Qur'an and Sunnah, with the rulings derived from those sources by Muslim scholars. The confusion leads to very serious difficulties for Muslims if, in principle or in practice, they accord to the derived rulings the authority of the primary sources. For reasons that will become clear later, I will use for the derived rulings the term “doctrines”. For the teachings in the primary sources, I will use the term “guidance”. Now, we can and do refer to the doctrines that constitute the Islamic legal and cultural tradition that we have inherited. We study and respect those doctrines; we learn from them; if we don't know any better (and 99.9 per cent of the time we really don't know any better), we follow them to the best of our ability in our circumstances. But the promised recompense hereafter for obedience to God's will does not depend on our following the derived doctrines; it depends for sure on our following the guidance in the primary sources. Of course, for most of us most of the time, because of our deficiencies in 'ilm and taqwa, in our knowledge and wariness of God, following the doctrines is the best way we know of following the guidance.

Abu Bakrah ath-Thaqafi (may Allāh be pleased with him) reported – The Prophet said “If two Muslims meet each other with their swords, then both the killer and the killed will be in the Hell-fire.” I said, “O Allāh's Messenger, that is the case for the killer but why should that be the case for the killed?” He answered, “Because he wanted to kill his companion.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allāh have mercy on him), in his explanation of this hadith says that the condition of the sentence “When two Muslims meet with their swords” does not exclusively refer to a sword; the term applies to any weapon with which two Muslims intend to cause harm, leading to death for the other. Any weapon such as, a sword, rifle, rock, etc. that is used intentionally to cause damage to another Muslim is prohibited in Islam. The reference to two Muslims spells out the nature of the meeting – they both have the intention to do harm to one another. If any Muslims meet with a method by which they can kill, and one of them is successful in killing the other, then both, the killer and the killed shall be in the Hell-fire.

Abu Bakrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) said to the Prophet , “This is the killer” This type of statement, the repetition of the announcement as a fact, is known in the field of discussion as an agreement to what was said. Allāh says,

“Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, he shall abide therein forever. The wrath and the curse of Allāh shall be upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him” [93, Al-Nisa'a].

This makes it clear why the killer shall be in Hell, but what about the one killed?

Upon Abu Bakrah's questioning about the killed, the Prophet said, “He was eager to kill his companion” This shows that even though he was killed, this individual will abide in Hell because of his intention and actions. The result, his failure and subsequent death, does not absolve him of the sin. Intention alone, however, is not the only determining factor. The fact that this man brought a means — a weapon, to fulfill his intention is what sealed his fate in Hell. His bringing a weapon shows that he was, “eager to kill his companion.” Success and failure are insignificant because both men are destined for the Hellfire.

This hadith proves that actions are according to their intentions, and that when this man intended to kill his companion, it was as if he actually did kill him.  There is, however, a stark difference between these men and martyrs. The Prophet stated, “Whoever is killed protecting himself is a martyr, whoever is killed protecting his family is a martyr, and whoever is killed protecting his wealth is a martyr, [and whoever is killed protecting his deen is a martyr]” [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]

One who is being attacked and acts in self-defense is not the aggressor; therefore if in the course of defending himself, a man kills an aggressor he is no punished for the act. The Prophet stated that one who comes to take another's wealth by force, “If you kill him then he shall be in the Fire, and if he kills you then you are a martyr” [Muslim]

The person who is defending his wealth, family, self and honor is only warding off an aggressor, one who is not repelled except by fighting (him off). If he kills the aggressor, the aggressor shall be in the Fire, and if he is killed in self-defense then he shall be a martyr in Paradise.

There is proof of the graveness of killing in this hadith it is from the reasons of entering Hell, we seek refuge with Allāh. There is also proof in this that the companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) used to mention (any) lack of clarity (regarding a matter) to the Prophet , and he used to answer them. That is why we do not find anything from the Qur'ān and Sunnah that really contains any lack of clarity, except that the answer to it is known.  Either the answer is known through the Qur'ān and Sunnah without having any questions being brought up (by the companions), or through having a question brought up (by the companions) which is answered (by the Prophet ).

Another example of that is when the Prophet foretold about the Dajjal (Antichrist) and that, He shall stay on earth for forty days, the first day (shall be) like a year, the second day (shall be) like a month, the third day (shall be) like a week, and the rest of the days (shall be) like our days. The companions asked him, “O Messenger of Allāh, that day which is like a year (in length), would it be sufficient if we only offered (during it) the prayers of a single day?” The Prophet said, “No, [but rather] estimate the times [for prayer]” [Ṣahīh Muslim]

In this there is the clearest proof and praise, that there is nothing in the Qur'ān and Sunnah which is not clear and does not have an answer.  It is the lack of understanding that leads to the inability to know the answer, or the unwillingness of a person to seek (knowledge), nor ponder, nor review (knowledge); this is what keeps the matter unclear to him.

-  Why am I blogging?

-  I have a lot on my mind. I have too many things to accomplish. I don't have forever.

I wanted to write about USA politics, a departure from the old days of “politics=haram”. But, I was still very much into the Muslim conflict politics. So, my focus was raising the “orthodox voice” or at the time “not-salafi but salafi voice” because the blogosphere was dominated by what I preferred to call, “pro-regressives”, a term that may have been coined by the illustrious, in-your-face, “Dr. M”.

My personal blogging journey quickly introduced me to some of the more popular Muslim bloggers of the time, Tariq Nelson and Umar Lee. I struggled to figure out what end of the “manhaj spectrum” they sat on, because it wasn't quite obvious from their postings. Soon I was talking to both of them offline and extending the blogging relationship beyond. As a fan of their work, and also (to be honest) to expand my own reader-base, I joined their “niche” to some extent.  I also discovered (hard not to) “Mujahideen-ryder”, the salafi-turned-sufi-turned-soup bro, and I still remember having my first 100+ comments post arguing about something as petty as what was a better Islamic conference: RIS or TDC. This was also the time when Imam Hamza Yusuf was slowly becoming palatable to me… it took a little while longer before I first found courage to promote his work.

Not long after I started blogging, I realized that many of my firmly-held, deeply-set religious beliefs had a hard time standing up to public scrutiny. It is one thing to believe what you believe in the safety of your own mind and home, but it is another to take it public and let the people test you for it. So, blogging became a positive experience for me. From arguing for hate, I started learning how to discuss how to love. From enmity to brotherhood. From manhaj-wars to wars for the good.

I remember checking my blog's stats every day – one hundred to two hundred hits. I had set blogspot settings to receive an email for each comment, and each comment was a small victory. People who have blogged or worked hard to get a following, whether on facebook, twitter, or on a blog, know what I am talking about. You can put tens of hours into a post, but if no one reads it or engages with it, you feel like a complete failure. It's like the tree that fell in the forest, did it make a sound if no one heard it? That's the same with a blog-post, did it really mean anything if no one read it?

Around this time, we had a particularly bold blogger, “Ali Eteraz”, an excellent writer, but with a habit of writing what I found terribly offensive. I still remember one of his post's titles, “How to Denude a Niqabi,” I think.  I could not stand for this nonsense and eventually got banned on his site! In retrospect though, I think he had a lot of depth to offer, and he had his own style of doing so. Also around this time altmuslim was doing remarkably well and I felt that someone had to stand up to these “proggies”.  Who would have guessed that only a few years later, I would write a piece for altmuslim, and be friends with Shahed Amanullah!

The lessons I have learned are simple yet so profound – people make contributions towards the purification of the ummah in different ways and with different styles. In general, the vast majority of Muslims who are doing Islam's work are sincere, even if they make mistakes. So, I now tell new internet cowboys to chill out and get to know others before jumping to conclusions.

Back to early 2007 then…

On the one hand, I had a driving force to “fight those soiling Islam”, and on the other, just a plain desire to raise the voice of the Islam that I knew and practiced, and fill what I believed was a big void in the blogosphere.

After a few months of struggling with bringing people to my blog, and noting the tendency of readers to jump from one blog to another, the solution seemed obvious: Bring together the various voices of Islam, mostly like-minded, under one umbrella and add a cornerstone Shaykh.

With this mission in mind, I contacted my college-mate, friend, and Shaykh, Yasir Qadhi, who was quick to latch on to the idea. Shaykh sahib (as I fondly call him) did not want his own site because he felt uncomfortable with the idea of a yasirqadhi.com site. He did not want something that he had to carry by himself. He was looking to be part of  a website that provided him an official platform but not something that was “his 100%”. Also, interestingly, this is the first time many of you may have heard this, he thought that I should NOT be part of it! He told me frankly that I could be divisive and hard-nosed and that it may affect the overall site, including him. And to be quite honest, he was not wrong about the “old Amad”.  However, after some thoughts and prayers, the website needed a driving force, someone who took personal ownership, and wrongly or rightly, that someone became me.

Having secured Shaykh Yasir's okay, I proceeded to collect a diverse, “A-team”. To be honest, I don't quite recall the order of how all this happened, but that is not really relevant anyway. There was “lotaenterprises” run by Omar, or otherwise fondly known as ibnabeeomar. Lotaenterprises was charming, witty and had the right sort of “which-shaykhs-does-he-follow pedigree”, so an obvious choice.

Then there was a young 15 or 16-year old sister in Canada, who I had recently discovered with an eerily similar named blog to mine, “Musings of a Muslim Mouse”. She called herself “AnonyMouse”. This teenager remained anonymous for many years, until she revealed her identity as Zainab. You will be surprised to know how many stalkers an anonymous voice can have; the curiosity of who this anonymous sister was led to Zainab's author profile of “AnonyMouse” getting the second highest hits after Shaykh Yasir's. Thanks to all the freaks out there!

From local connections in Houston, I knew of Ruth Nasrullah, a convert to Islam who was trained in journalism, which would help the professionalism of our site. And finally we had Sam Zamanian, or Ahmad al-Farsi (many still don't know what his official name is), an Iranian-origin convert to Islam, who was studying at MIT at the time.

Once we got the team's initial okays, we started having an email conversation about the new blog. What to name it? But more importantly what its purpose was. And some would say that they still don't quite clearly know MM's purpose, but sometimes vague visions can lead to fantastic goals because they permit a lot of flexibility and malleability.

The question of “why this blog” was never fully answered. We went in circles and the only clear idea we could all agree upon was that we needed a voice for “mainstream”, “average” Muslims on the blogosphere. We also agreed that a group blog would provide much more exposure and many more readers than individual efforts. Having Shaykh Yasir's name attached to the blog would give it credibility and take it off quicker than any of us individually could expect.

The naming of the blog was harder. There was “saheefa.com” and a variety of other names. I also remember seeing a website “othermatters” or something to that effect, and “matters” rang a bell. We wanted a name that would immediately mean something in English. Something easy to remember and neutral. And so we landed on MuslimMatters.org and the rest is history.

In order to beef up our Islamic scholarship and get some popular names on-board, I contacted Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury, someone I had the pleasure of doing hajj with when he was still a young student at University of Madinah. Additionally, we got Abu Bakr on-board, a friend of Omar, and someone who was already writing Islamic material at islamicsciences website. Finally, we got a nod from Muslim intellectual Amir Butler from Australia. For the most part, most of these personalities did not quite latch on to MuslimMatters and only one still remains nominally with us.

On March 10, 2007, I announced that I was to stop writing on my personal blog and jump on to MuslimMatters. You can still see this posting here. And the rest, as they say, is history :)

He has had a very difficult day with a lot of questions echoing in his head, but he did not complain to anybody, as he knows there is only One who can assist him. The One who ordered him to seek assistance through prayer and patience, so here he is, seeking assistance through prayer, while many others sleep.

He raises his hands above his shoulders and proclaims the greatness of his Creator “Allāhu Akbar!”, then folds them on his chest. Quietly, he seeks protection from the accursed Satan, and begins in the name of his Lord. He recites The Opening Chapter in beautiful rhythmic tones. He takes his time, knowing that after every verse, his Lord replies. “All praise is for Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds,” he begins. He can feel the response within him, “My slave has praised me!”

“Most Gracious, Most Merciful,” he continues. “My slave has glorified me!” is the response. “Master of the Day of Judgment,” he affirms. “My slave has related all matters to me,” Allāh responds. “You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help,” he attests. Allāh's reply fills his heart with hope and joy, “This is between me and my servant and my servant will have whatever he asks for!”

At this point, he breaks down into tears as he asks Allāh for the most important thing in his life, “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those who have earned your favor, not of those who have earned your anger or have gone astray!” He feels peace as he internalizes Allāh's response, “This is for my slave and my slave will have what he asked for.”

He then recites further and feels Allāh's guidance in every verse he recites. For whichever chapter of the Qurʾān he chooses to recite from, he is assured that he will find guidance as Allāh has testified, “this is the book in which there is no doubt, it is a guidance for those who are conscious of Allāh.” After completing his emotional recitation in which he pondered over Allāh's wise and reassuring words, he bows in rukū' and glorifies his Lord for His guidance and mercy.

He then stands up straight and praises Allāh as he prepares for his favorite part of the prayer: the sajdah! He proclaims the greatness of Allāh and goes straight down into prostration, indicating his full submission to his Creator. It is a position which signifies complete obedience and humility and it is the position in which a person is closest to their Lord.

He stays in sajdah for a long time with no intention of getting up soon. He glorifies his Lord, The Most High, multiple times then breaks down into tears and begins to ask for everything he needs. He stays like this for several minutes with only Allāh knowing what he is saying. He is praying; praying for everything he needs, praying for everyone he knows, praying for people he doesn't know, praying for people who might even hate or harm him. He prays and prays, in complete submission to his Lord.

He then sits up to take a short break and seeks forgiveness for any shortcomings in his prayer, then goes back into prostration to glorify His Lord more and ask Him again for His endless bounties. After a few minutes, he stands up and repeats the entire cycle again.

Several minutes later, the humble slave returns to his bed at peace with his Lord, and at peace with creation. He recites his dua before sleeping and closes his eyes for a short nap, ready to tackle the challenges of life in the morning with full faith in his Lord.

This is ṣalāh, true ṣalāh. Ṣalāh based upon understanding, concentration, sincerity and submission. It was never meant to be a ritual, but rather a means of communication with our Creator and spiritual revival. May Allāh grant us all the ability, guidance and commitment to pray like this every day in all our prayers.

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Today's Episode:  Altruism Part 2/2

Pay it forward and see how quickly you can improve the quality of your life and make the world a better place by doing random acts of kindness to strangers without expecting anything in return.

In this age of ours, we see that usage of the internet has become widespread. This (internet) has granted people a means through which they write without being known.  Yet, the fact that a person can write while remaining hidden in name and person may cause them to develop the feeling that they are not under watch. And consequently, they cannot be called to account by any ruler, judge or police.

Here, the reality of one's iman is truly revealed. As for he who fears Allah, he would never be audacious enough to write something that he knows will anger Allah , such as attacking the honor of a believer and recklessly speaking according to one's whims.

At this point, the extent of one's fear of Allah is also shown because if you write whatever you like to write, the leader, ruler, judge or security personnel will not be able to reach you if they actually wanted to. So the only remaining matter here is that which is between the slave and his Lord. So if the slave desires to know their level of fear of Allah, then this is one of the times in which true fear of Allah, ta'ala, can be tested.

So the slave should be cautious that he is exposed to the honor of the believers, or that he says a word or a statement about a Muslim that spreads among the people, until he faces its evil consequences, maybe even earning him a bad end to this life.

For, by Allah, if the living were able to see the state of the people of the graves, many of them would turn away from what they are upon (of sinful deeds). Allah has told us about the state of the people in their graves  – and even then, it remains a fact that the being told about something is not the same as living of facing it. But, there are slaves of Allah who – may Allah make us among them – when they read the Quran, they know with certainty that what Allah informed about is true. For them, the Quran serves as a warner as well as a barrier that stands between them and the limits of Allah. Does Allah not say:

“Then in what statement after Allah and His verses will they believe?” (Al-Jāthiyah 45:6).

And Allah also said:

“So in what statement hereafter will they believe?” (Al-A'rāf 7:185)

 So he who knows that one day, he will be an inhabitant of the grave and face questioning, his limbs will desist from disobeying Allah.

The sins are 3 (types):

1. Shirk: and this is not forgiven by Allah.
2. Something between you and Allah, and this is closer to forgiveness.
3. Something that has to do with the rights of the creation. As for this, Allah does not let it go, so much so that the sheep without horns is allowed to take revenge from even the horned sheep.  Although, in the end, they will both be reduced to dust.

How then is the case of a Muslim who prays, fasts and remembers Allah, yet his honor was attacked and his status was lowered through injustice and aggression?

Whoever desires to remind and awaken himself, then he should read the ahadith of the Prophet wherein he describes the life of the barzakh (afterlife). For, in them there are from among the lessons and reminders, those which cause one to fear Allah and be conscious of Him in secret and in public.

One of the righteous (whose name I cannot recall now) advised one of the khulafaa of Bani Ummayyah reminding him that, “if so and so your brother (meaning the khalifah before you) could inform you of what he is facing now (in the grave), you would cease from what you are doing now.”

The khuṭbah had already started. She knew that she was late, but she wanted to attend the Jumu'ah prayer anyway. She quickly picked up her baby and stepped anxiously into the masjid, looking to the left and the right. After all, this was the first time she was here; she had just moved to the area and didn't know anybody. As she sat down in the Sister's Prayer Hall with the baby in her lap while her heart was thumping in her chest. She could feel curious eyes turn in her direction, but she stared hard at the ground, too nervous to meet their gaze and tried to concentrate on what the Imam was saying.

But her baby was nervous too. He didn't know this new place…all these new faces and all the curious eyes. He had never been in a masjid before. He wanted to go home. She knew her baby would be uncomfortable in the new setting, but she thought she could manage. She herself had not been very 'practicing' all her life, but now that she was a mother herself, she felt the importance of an Islamic upbringing. She was determined to teach her baby all about this religion right from the very beginning, but first she had to work on herself. She wanted to learn, she decided that the best place to start learning about Islam would be the masjid and this was her first visit to a masjid.

But the baby was getting restless and she could see that he had already started to whimper. Yet, she hoped she could console him long enough to last through the Prayer. However, much to her dismay, just as the Imam finished the khutbah and said, “Allaahu Akbar,” her baby started crying. At first it was low wail and a whine, but then he let it all out. And she was certainly not prepared for the ear-splitting howl that followed, or the hysterically loud sobbing that accompanied it. WAAWWW!!!

Oh my GOD! What a terrible noise he was making! What should I do?

She thought to herself, panicking. She didn't want to break her prayer. She tried to pick him up, but he was squirming too much. She realized that he was wailing loudly, but there was nothing much she could really do. “After all, he was a baby!” she said to herself. ”I am sure they all understand.”

She wished that the prayer would be over quickly so that she could console her baby. But before the Imam had hardly finished saying the 'Salaam', that they all jumped on her!

“WHY DON'T YOU KEEP THE BABY QUIET!”, they screamed! “DON'T YOU SEE WE ARE PRAYING?”

“Why did you come to the masjid?” Someone muttered, grinding her teeth.

“Stay Home, Next Time!” Another one hissed.

“Bb…But…umm…I…uh…I'm so sorry.” she whispered.

With her head bent low, her eyes downcast, she blinked hard to fight back the tears that suddenly welled up in her eye as she tried so hard to swallow the huge lump in her throat. She thought this was the masjid. This was the place where she and her baby would be welcomed; this was the place she wanted to be, to learn Islam and to teach it to her child.

How can they be so mean to her like that? Didn't they realize that it wasn't her fault that the baby started crying!

Without saying a single word more, she hurriedly gathered her things, picked up her baby and quickly left the masjid, without even looking back once.

Now let's go back to another scenario, 1400 years ago, in a better time, in a better place, in another masjid…by relating to this hadith:

A bedouin urinated in the mosque, and the people rushed to beat him. Allah's Apostle ordered them to leave him and pour a bucket or a tumbler (full) of water over the place where he has passed urine. The Prophet then said, “You have been sent to make things easy (for the people) and you have not been sent to make things difficult for them.” [Bukhaari]

This illustrates for us the perfect example of how our behavior should have been. It shows us an unwavering principle of Islam, that is, if in our social life, when any unpleasant incident takes place, we should keep our cool and show tolerance and patience. We should concentrate on finding a solution to the problem and not just think in terms of what punishment to hand out to the problem-maker. We should find means that would alleviate rather than aggravate the problem.

Where is our sense of tolerance and patience? Where is our feeling of compassion and mercy? When and where will we show it, if not in the masjid, of all the places? The Prophet (saw) said:

“He, who does not show mercy to others, will not be shown mercy.” [Bukhaari]

Did the sisters forget the time when they had little babies of their own and they cried too?

The Prophet (saw) understood the agony that a mother goes through at such times. That's why he (saw) said:

“When I enter the prayer I intend to prolong it. Then I hear the crying of a child, so I shorten it knowing the difficulty his mother will have with him crying.” [Bukhaari]

And aren't we supposed to warmly receive a newcomer, and make them feel wanted and welcomed…especially one who is just coming back to Islam? Isn't being kind and tolerable, the very basis of our deen…the very essence of our Da'wah?

As Allāh says to the Prophet (saw):

“By the grace of Allāh, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and ill-tempered, they would have dispersed from round about you” [159 Al-'Imraan]

Aren't we supposed to behave courteously towards one another? Didn't the Prophet (saw) tell us:

“He is a bad person in the sight of Allāh who does not behave courteously and people shun his company because of his bad manners.” [Bukhaari]

SubhanAllah!

Was this the way to behave with the new sister?

Why weren't we gentle and merciful to her?

Why couldn't we be patient with her and her little baby?

Couldn't we have dealt with the situation better?

Were we a means of pushing her away from coming to the masjid?

These are some of the questions that we seriously need to ask ourselves.

Revive the true spirit of Islam through the 3 P's

PRACTICING – PRODUCTIVE – PROSPEROUS

At the time when Muslim achievement is in a relapse, there is a need for change of Muslim attitudes. The prophetic teachings demonstrate Islam as a way of life. The discharging of religious obligations should increase your productivity in all aspects of life. Being practicing and productive are the two key ingredients to prosperity in the courtyard of Allāh , The Most High. The predominant factor, which dictates the essence of achieving these three P's, is a sound heart that is home to pure intentions. The acquisition of a pure heart is a gift from Allāh , which will enable a person to maintain a balance in all walks of his life.

Islam is a living dimension encompassing the affairs related to all aspects of life, importantly: theology, worship, financial dealings, social etiquette, and purification of the heart. This automatically removes the implication normally associated with religion; that it is restricted to rituals, days and certain seasons of the year. It is clear that Islam is neither time-restricted nor bound to a place of worship; rather it is a complete system that deals with anything you will encounter in your life from the moment you enter until the time you depart from this world. The present situation invites Muslims to be religiously practicing and productive so as to become prosperous. This is especially relevant to the pursuit of further education where it is commonly thought that these elements are distinct; rather they are intertwined.

As Islam is a complete way of life, it has to be understood that the time spent at University is very much a part of your Islam and worship, as long as is it is undertaken with the right and good intention – seeking the pleasure of Allāh . The transition from college to university can be a daunting experience. The concept of individual learning, the requirement to adjust to new teaching methodologies and a greater sense of independent study can leave you feeling lost. Student life is filled with new prospects and opportunities; more often then not the question arises, 'How do I fulfill all my aspirations and ambitions whilst acquiring prophetic excellence in all my pursuits?'

To overcome the hurdles that you face in order to see the light of success, and to achieve your aims you must have to maintain equilibrium in all aspects of your life to seek the pleasure of Allāh as Islam is a religion of moderation.

Allāh says in Qurʾān:

“…Thus have We made of you an Ummah (Nation/Community) justly balanced That ye might be witnesses over the nations and the Messenger a witness over yourselves…” [143 Al-Baqarah]

Here is some advice for achieving the 3 P's: 

1. Become Practicing – Enrich yourself with knowledge:

Aim to study Islam & your degree to a very high standard and to convert all the information you obtain into knowledge. Knowledge is the culmination of acting upon and utilizing the information that has been obtained regardless of whether it has been imparted through a teacher, books or any other means.

You must have a hybrid education of Islam and your degree as this will permit you to become a practicing Muslim without transgressing any limits set by Allāh , in your affairs. If you are aware that you are a Muslim student, then you will easily know how to use your intention to make the best use of your degree in the Islamic way of life.  You will no longer have to draw a distinction between your Islamic and secular life as they will become harmonized. Islamic sciences should be studied alongside your degree to know how to correctly discharge your obligations. Also, you should seek advice and knowledge from the knowledgeable pertaining to your field of study or Islam, for that too is an Islamic way.

Allāh , The Most High says:

“Say, 'Can those who know and those who do not know become equal?' It is only the people of understanding who are receptive of the advice.” [9 Al-Zumar]

Practicing upon what you learn is essential, otherwise the information delivered to you will not be evolved into knowledge but remain as information which could be of no use. Knowledge can only be that information on which you act and that leads you to the guidance.

Everyday, we seek the guidance from  Allāh , reciting Surah Fatihah in our 5 time prayers:

“You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help. Take us on the straight path.” [5, 6 Al-Fātiḥah]

 Action Point: Enroll into a part-time Islamic course online or in your local area. Aim to read and listen to authentic books and lectures discussing the lives of famous Islamic historical figures. This will inspire you to follow in the footsteps of the great personalities that have enriched Muslim heritage.

2. Become productive – The change starts with you:

The times of the Messenger , the Companions (Allāh be pleased with them) and the early generations of Muslims was the most successful and productive in the history of Islam. Muslims made new discoveries, invented new machinery and were coveted by other communities. But the present condition of the Muslim Ummah is in sharp contrast to this and predominantly lacks productivity although Muslims are more in number.

The next duty is to appreciate the value of time by avoiding procrastination and laziness, if you want to be productive.

You must plan your day, make targets and be consistent. As a Muslim student, you must strive to excel in all that you do. Excellence is achieved through being consistent in action. The Messenger said:

“The most beloved deeds to Allāh are those that are done consistently, even if they are few.” [Bukhari]

To become productive, you must ensure that you maintain a routine whereby you set yourself a time and a place for everything. Do not sign up to so much that you cannot cope, conversely,  do not restrict yourself to so little that you are not  utilizing the spare time that you have, but try to optimize your capability and resources.

A few tips to cut on your waste of time are : avoid spending excessive time indistinctly surfing the internet, text messaging, and unnecessary engagement with gadgets; these will prevent you from becoming productive by keeping your mind engaged in them even when you are not really doing it. The heroes of the past knew the importance of a sound heart and how to keep it pure. Allāh says in Qurʾān:

“Success is really attained by he who purifies it [i.e. – the soul], and failure is really suffered by he who corrupts it.” [9, 10 Al-Shams]

With a pure heart, your love, trust, patience, and gratitude in Allāh will increase, and He will Help you in becoming more practicing – productive – prosperous. Not only it will benefit you, but also encourage others to traverse the same, and this will become the “ERA OF REVIVAL” starting with you!

 Action Point: Draft a routine and commit to it. Make long and short-term targets to achieve your objectives and be consistent in meeting your personal goals. Always supplicate to Allāh , especially after the obligatory prayers, that He blesses you with a sound heart and for Him to remove anything that will lead to its corruption.

 3. Become prosperous – Be a beacon of light:

Seeking knowledge is an endless endeavour, as the saying goes, 'the pursuit of knowledge is from the cradle to the grave'. Likewise, self-rectification and purifying the soul is a lifelong struggle. Prosperity in this world is becoming practising and productive, using every moment in your day to draw closer to Allāh . Prosperity in the hereafter is to be blessed with the countenance of Allāh and His everlasting pleasure.

Action Point: You must exert yourself to achieve the prosperity of both worlds to become a beloved servant of Allāh . When Allāh loves you, the people of the world embrace you and you have the opportunity to become a beacon of light in your community.

The Messenger said:

“When Allah loves a slave, He calls Jibra'il (Gabriel) and says, `I love so-and-so; so love him.' And then Jibra'il loves him. Then he (Jibra'il) announces in the heavens saying: Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; then the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him; and then people on earth love him.”  [Bukhari and Muslim]