Ramadan & the Forwarding Syndrome

This is a rant so I thought I’d better make that clear from the beginning.

Within the last few days have been bombarded with “Islamic” reminders, e-mails, text messages, facebook tags and all sorts of things since the start of Ramadan. I’m not knocking reminders or messages with Islamic content in any way. My issue is with people sending anything they get to everyone they know.

Reminders are good, by all means, however I think there’s a culture of guilt-tripping people into sending the messages to as many people as possible. I genuinely hope the motivation to forward such things isn’t derived from those bogus statements (usually found at the end of the e-mails) that claim that “if you send this to 7 people the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) will meet you smiling on the Day of Judgment” or some mess like that. The only way I can rationalize it is by people probably thinking “If I send this to loads of people, and a handful actually take some sort of action, I’ll get some good deeds for it.” That’s all well and good, but sometimes the stuff people forward is just nonsense. To make it worse, no one can even tell you where the e-mails and texts originated from because it’s been spread so far.

Some of these messages are truly rubbish, one that comes to mind (which infuriated me when I saw it), had images of Rachel Corrie’s friends crying and was labeled in Arabic, ‘Israeli woman cries for death of friend’ or something to that effect. Totally ignorant and utterly misinformed. Yet the person who forwarded it to me actually speaks Arabic and still sent it along anyway. Either they didn’t know who she was, which is a shame them being the diligent activists they are (although their activism is limited to spamming acquaintances with similar messages) or they didn’t read the thing in the first place. Not sure which is worse, but in both cases I think it’s apparent that we have an issue here.

The bottom line is that we need to reevaluate our perception of what it means to contribute to these causes in a meaningful and effective way. Forwarding images of bleeding Gazans may hurt and disturb the recipient for a few hours, or even the rest of the day if they’re really sensitive. But the real question is what really comes out of it at the end of the day? The best thing I can think of, is if someone were to see it and make sincere dua for them and the ummah, and how many people do that? Otherwise we just kid ourselves into thinking we’re doing something. When in reality, our little pity episodes don’t help the Palestinians or anyone hurting, in any meaningful way.

Again, I’m not scoffing at compassion, it’s the failure to follow it up with meaningful action that is getting to me.

There have been text messages going around urging people to protest and do this and do that. I’m all for protesting when it’s appropriate and when there’s no other viable plan of action. But in this case it isn’t the only option. Far from it, it’s the lack of leadership, insight, vision and direction on the part of local communities to address the issues. People choose to tag along and are told what to do by the anonymous creator of the text message, that spreads to hundreds of people within an hour. No one thinks to themselves, “Should I be sending this to people?” or “Is there a better way to handle this situation?”

Muslims shouldn’t be a bunch of easily provoked hooligans that jump at every opportunity to call themselves victims to others’ actions and injustices. Muslims need to think for themselves and be the ones making moves and not reacting to them. Even though in this case, unfortunately we are the ones that have to react (be it with silence, protest, counteraction, campaigning or whatever)that being said, we should make it’s done in an organized manner. Not as a mindless response to a text message from the invisible man with questionable content and reckless requests.

Be cautious of forwarding unverified, questionable or otherwise shady stuff. Even when things are legitimate, think about what you see coming from sharing it, if no benefit will come from it then don’t.

Establishing the Prayer

Introduction | Definition | Importance of Prayer I | Importance of Prayer II | Importance of Prayer III | Why Prayer is an Obligation | Establishing the Prayer

Starting where we left off, we’ll cover the meaning, conditions and exceptions that apply to Iqamul Salaah, which is literally translated as “Establishing the Prayer”. This entails performing the Prayer to the best of your ability, praying at regular times without shortcomings in the pillars and conditions. The Prayer must also be performed according to the Sunnah (way of life or practice) of the Prophet (pbuh).

The scholars have complete consensus that it is impermissible to delay the Prayer beyond its specified time. The reasons for this ruling are as follows:

1) From the Qur’an

Verily the Prayer is enjoined upon the believers at appointed times (An-Nisa’ 4 : 103)

2) From the Sunnah

Truly it is not sleep that is neglect. Rather, the neglect is that a person does not perform the Prayer until the time for the next Prayer enters ( Muslim no. 681)

3) Shaikh Ibn Taymiyyah

Intentionally delaying the Prayer until after the time has finished will never be accepted from a person, nor will it remove from him the sin of neglect, even if her were to do the qada – by complete consensus of the believers. (Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa 21/456)

Make sure if you ever miss a Prayer that it wasn’t intentional.

4) Ibn Uthaimeen

If he does not have any excuse, then his Prayer will not be correct, even if he were to pray a thousand times. The proof for that is in the statement of the Prophet (pbuh): ‘Whoever does an action which we have not sanctioned will have it rejected’ . (Fiqhul-Ibadaat p. 145)

This statement is indicating that since the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) never ordained the delay of Prayers, it is not acceptable.

These conditions apply to everyone, whether that person is healthy or sick, in a state of safety or in fear, busy working or not, fighting in battle or in the safety of their home – each of them must offer the Prayer upon its time irrespective of his situation. The person must struggle to abide by all the conditions of Prayer, its pillars, its obligations, its sunan (plural of sunnah) as much as possible. There’s a total consensus on this matter and the reference is from Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa 22/31.

Whatever he cannot do then he is excused from it, this is due to the verse that says:

So fear Allah as much as possible (At-Taghabun 64: 16)

To avoid over-complicating things it’s safe to say that you must try your absolute best to come up with the obligations. This is regardless of your excuse at the time. You’re the only one who knows if you’ve done the utmost to fulfill your obligations or not. So be fair to yourself and try your hardest.

Exceptions to the Rule

These two types of people are generally the one’s who are allowed to delay the Prayer from its proper time, according to many scholars:

A) The one who intends to combine two Prayers

Combining prayers is permissible for the one who is in difficulty. It is important to remember that shortening is only allowed for travelers. Joining, on the other hand, is permissible during difficulty as mentioned above. So it is incorrect to assume that whenever you are allowed to join prayers that you can shorten them as well and vice versa. Each has its own requirements and they aren’t automatically both applicable to a situation.

I’m going to go slightly off-topic and discuss the joining and shortening of Prayers briefly.

Shortening and Joining Prayers

Shortening is only allowed during travel. The instructor explained that the actual term travel refers to the time from when you leave the borders of your city of departure till the last house in that direction. Once you reach your actual destination, or the border of the city, you are no longer traveling. So at that point you would only be eligible for joining if you meet the conditions of joining.

Shortening is done to Duhr, Asr and Isha, which are normally 4 raka’at long and are shortened to 2 raka’at each. Maghrib is never shortened, and neither is Fajr (obviously).

Joining is allowed for the following reasons:

a) Serious sickness

b) Fear (of an enemy or wild animal)

c) Extreme heat (which can be relative, depending on what you’re used to)

d) Rain or snow

c) Difficulty (due to travel or profession)

With all of these conditions the boundaries aren’t set in stone and there is room for personal interpretation (such as the condition of extreme heat – I mean how hot is hot?) but it all goes back to your fear of Allah (swt), so if you think the situation was dire enough to join prayers, and you’re willing to witness in front of Allah that it was the case, then go for it.

Joining can only be done between Duhr and Asr and between Maghrib and Isha, by which both prayers are prayed at the same time. This can be at the time for either of the two. So if you’re combining Duhr and Asr you can pray them both as Duhr time or at Asr time all the same. Fajr is never combined with any other prayer.

B) The one who is busy with the performance of one of the conditions of Prayer

This is according to the latter Hanbali and Shafi’i schools of thought. However, the vast majority of the scholars of Islam are of the opinion that the person is not allowed to delay his Prayers, even if they are busy attending to one of the pre-conditions of Prayer (for example wudu or ablution).

Some scholars have reported a consensus of the Muslims before this difference in opinion took place (Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa 22/56) The latter opinion is the stronger opinion in the issue because the fact that the Prayer is limited by time, whereas the pre-conditions are limited by ability. So the timing is part and parcel of the Prayer.

The proof for this is that Allah (swt) has not allowed us to delay our Prayers to purify ourselves with water. Rather we are ordered to do tayammum (a form of purification using soil or dust) if water cannot be found within the time of Prayer.

The rest of the preconditions of Prayer are therefore similarly overlooked if leads to the expiry of the time of Prayer.

For example, a person who is a new Muslim and doesn’t know the Fatihah and tashahhud as yet, is not permitted to delay the Prayer until s/he has learned them. They are obliged to pray in their current situation, before the time expires. Another example is that of a woman in a state of irregular bleeding (non-menstrual), and the ruling is that she is required to pray in her current state before the Prayer time expires. Even if she can pray with full purity later, if the latter will mean delaying the Prayer until it expires.

What all this means is that the timings of Prayer are more important to abide by than the pre-conditions. If you’re short for time and there’s 2 minutes left till the next prayer comes in, you should make Tayammum and pray without wudu if need be. It’s also important to note that when the duration of a prayer starts and a woman is eligible to pray and she waits till some time passes and her period starts, she is required to make up that lost prayer because it was within her ability to perform it and she didn’t.

In our next post we’ll discuss giving up the Prayer and the rulings for those who don’t pray.

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Just as a closing thought, I want you to make dua for me, that Allah (swt) accepts my deeds and makes me among the people who learn knowledge, apply it and teach it to others. I ask that you make dua that I’m not punished for being one of the people who order others to do good – and forget about themselves. I ask Allah for guidance and that He blesses us all with beneficial knowledge and the strength to apply it in our lives.

Ameen.

Why Prayer is an Obligation

Introduction | Definition | Importance of Prayer I | Importance of Prayer II | Importance of Prayer III | Why Prayer is an Obligation

We’ll jump right in and start by looking at the proofs for why Prayer is an obligation. Beginning with the Holy Quran, in the chapter of Al-Mudathir verses 42 and 43 where Allah (swt) quotes a conversation happening between those in Jannah and those in the Hell fire:

[And asking them], “What put you into Saqar?” – They will say, “We were not of those who prayed, (Al-Muddathir 74:42 -43)

The emphasis in these verses was on Prayer because although other sins are mentioned in the verses that follow, missing Prayer was the first reason in their response. The five daily prayers are an obligation on all Muslims unless they’re in the list of exceptions to the rule – which we’ll cover in a moment. In an authentic hadith reported by Imam Ahmed (no. 22704) and Abu Dawud (no. 425) the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says:

Five Prayers, Allah has obligated upon his servants in a day and night. So whoever preserves them has a covenant with Allah to admit him into Jannah, and whoever does not preserve them, then there is no such covenant. If He wishes He will punish him, and if He wishes He will forgive him.

In essence the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is telling us that by performing the obligatory Prayers we can enter Paradise. Neglecting our Prayers means we are no longer entitled to Paradise, and it is Allah (swt)’s choice to either punish us or forgive us. Who is willing to make that gamble?

Lastly, by Ijama’a or consensus of the scholars, the five daily prayers are compulsory on every sane Muslim who has reached the age of puberty except for a menstruating woman or one experiencing post-natal bleeding. The reference for this is in Bidayatul Mujtahid 2/252 as well as Al-Mughni 1/367-377 and Majmoo’al Fatawa 10/434 and others.

Who is exempt from the obligation of Prayer?

1) The disbeliever

Is not required to Pray while still a disbeliever, nor are they required to make up for the missed ones when they accept Islam. This is by complete consensus of the scholars and this is referenced from Al-Mughni 2/48 as well as Al-Muhalla 5/209. However he may be punished for non-performance of it in the hereafter, and Allah (swt) knows best.

2) The child

A hadith reported to be Hasan by Abu-Dawud (no. 490) and also reported by Imam Ahmed (no. 6689) narrates that the Messenger (pbuh) said,

Order your children to Pray at the age of seven and make it an obligation at the age of ten

The hadith refers to the end of their 7th year (almost 8 years old) and the end of their 10th year, (almost 11). Generally the ruling on having to perform obligations in Islam follows the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ premise. Meaning you are excused from the obligation until necessary.

3) The insane, mentally deficient and all that resemble their state

This group of people are not required to perform prayers because of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)’s hadith reported by Imam Ahmed (no. 24694) and Abu-Dawud (no. 4398) which is hadith Hasan.

These individuals are not required to make up any missed prayers after their excuse has been lifted. This is by consensus of the scholars as referenced in Al-Mughni 2/50 and Al-Majmoo’ 3/6. Conditions that fall into this category include Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Huntington’s etc. and people in this state should try to pray, but if not they aren’t punished for it.

4) The one in a coma or state of prolonged unconsciousness

This one is a bit tricky, but we’ll take it one at a time. First off, the stronger opinion is that they are not required to make up the Prayers missed while they were in a coma. This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars, including Imam As-Shafi’i and Imam Malik, may Allah’s mercy be upon them both. This is based on the case of the mad person, because they have both technically lost their sense of presence. (See Al-Majmoo’ 3/6 and Al-Mughni 2/51).

Based on this:

In the case of a person who loses consciousness for a permissible reason, such as general anesthesia for an operation, is not required to make up the Prayer that had been missed as long as they were unconscious for the whole duration of the prayer. So say you’re having an operation done at noon. At 12:15 pm you go under, and when you wake up its 5:00 pm. In your case, seeing that Duhr prayer came in at 1:00 pm and finished when Asr came in at 4:45 pm, you are not required to pray that missed Duhr.

A note on this point is that a doctor should try his level best to avoid giving drugs that render patients unconscious until the patient is able to perform their Prayers (as in right when prayer time is approaching). Obviously this condition shouldn’t be a priority over the patient’s safety and well-being. (See Majmoo Al-Fatawa Ibn Baz 12/251)

The caveat here is that if someone were to lose consciousness due to an impermissable reason like passing out after getting drunk or intoxicated due to substance abuse (taking drugs) then they are required to make up the prayers they missed. This ruling is by complete consensus of the scholars. (See Al-Mughni 2/52 and Al-Insaaf 3/9)

The opposing opinion that argues for making up the missed prayers, compares a coma to sleeping. So if you had actually slept through prayer time you would have to make up what you missed. This opinion isn’t a solid one because technically someone in a coma can’t just wake up when they like.

That’s it for today’s post, next time inshallah we’ll cover Establishing the Prayer and what that means and entails.

Importance of Prayer III

Introduction | Definition | Importance of Prayer I | Importance of Prayer II | Importance of Prayer III

21) Prayer is a knight

Prayer will come as a knight in your grave and protect you from the punishment of the grave. This is similar to fasting which is also said to protect the believer in their grave. Without going too far off track I want to mention a handful of things that will either be a witness for your or against you when you have to answer for your deeds.

Witnesses Against You:

• Angels that write your deeds (Raqeeb & Ateed)
• People who were with you.
• Your book of deeds as verse 49 in the chapter of Al-Kahf (The Cave) discusses

And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one. (Al-Kahf 18:49)


• The Earth as stated in verse 4 in the chapter of Az-Zalzalah (The Earthquake):

That Day, it (the earth) will report its news (Az-Zalzalah 99:4)

• The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as mentioned in the chapter of Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), verse 78:

…Allah named you “Muslims” before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (Al-Hajj 22:78)

• Your body parts will witness against you and the proof for this is in

And they will say to their skins, “Why have you testified against us?” They will say, “We were made to speak by Allah, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned. (Fussilat 41:21)

Witnesses For You

• The Quran
• People affected by your good deeds
• Your Children
• The Angels
• The Earth
• Your Book of deeds
• Your worship, prayer and charity

22) Intercession

The Prayer will intercede for your on the Day of Judgment

23) Prayer is Eman (Faith)

The only act that Allah (swt) referred to as Eman in the Quran is Prayer. Again, this shows the importance of prayer.

24) Angels praying all the time

In every hand-span of the heavens and the earth, Allah (swt) has created angels that have done nothing but pray all day and all night since they were created, and will continue to do so until the last day. The point here is that these angels were created to worship Allah (swt) in the best possible manner, and of all acts of worship, prayer was chosen for them.

25) Utmost Peace in prayer

It was said that the Salaf (the people that came immediately after the messenger and the early generations of Muslims) would find complete peace and relaxation in prayer. This was so much so that some would not even notice arrows during battle because of prayer. Others were said to have had surgery performed on them while in prayer, and because of the extreme level of concentration they felt little or no pain. Lastly, Abdullah Ibn Omar would be flushed when the time for prayer approached because he knew he was going to meet Allah (swt).

26) Prayer is spiritual purification

Prayers wipe out our bad deeds just as if we were having a bath to wash away your sins, five times a day. How clean would you be then?

27) Prayer is ascendancy

The best and most knowledgeable become the leader (Imam) in prayer.

28) Can’t revolt against a leader that prays

We’ve been forbidden from rebelling against a khalifah (leader) that prays. ‘Ubadah bin Samit narrates:

the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) called us, so we gave him our covenant. Among the things that he took our oath upon was that we would not struggle to remove a man of authority from his position; he said unless you see from him a clear and open kufr, which will be a defense for you with Allah – Sahih Bukhari & Muslim

29) Fire for those who don’t pray

The Prophet (pbuh) wished to burn down the houses of those who do not attend the Prayer, but he didn’t because there were women and children in these homes. The emphasis here is on the fact that missing Prayer angered the Messenger (pbuh) so much that he wanted to destroy the home of the one who leaves it.

30) A valley in Jahannam

Allah (swt) has promised a special valley in Jahannam called “Ghayy” which is the depth of 70 years’ travel, for the ones who miss their Prayers. Allah (swt) says in verse 59 of the chapter of Maryam:

But there came after them successors who neglected prayer [until the time ran out] and pursued their desires; they will be thrown into the [valley of] Ghayy  (Maryam 19:59)

This is to say that missing a prayer intentionally is severely punishable, and we should remember that Qadaa or making up missed prayers, was made for people who genuinely forgot or couldn’t catch the time, not for laziness.

31) Angering Allah (swt)

It has been authentically narrated that Ibn Abbass that he said,

Whoever misses a Prayer intentionally will find Allah (swt) angry with him on the Day of Judgment

We should be extremely careful with this because the statement above says “a prayer” meaning just one is enough, so what about all the one’s we’ve missed? I ask Allah (swt) to forgive myself and all the Muslims. Another point about angering Allah (swt) is that in the chapter of Al-Maun the people who are careless about their Prayers are warned very strongly about praying at the last minute and being neglectful of Prayer:

So woe [the valley in Jahannam called Wayl] to those who pray – being careless in offering their prayers [by praying at their last times] (Al-Maun 107: 4-5)

32) Missing prayer nullifies all deeds

A person may do good deeds all his life, but if he leaves his Prayers intentionally, then he’s voiding all his good deeds. If he resumes his prayers after that and comes back to Islam, the scholars differ about whether he will get the rewards of those deeds back or not. (Allah knows best).

These points bring the section of the importance of prayer to a close. Inshallah in the next post we will cover the proof for the obligation of prayer.

Importance of Prayer – Part II

Introduction | Definition | Importance of Prayer I | Importance of Prayer II

11) Leaving it is Disbelief

Prayer is the only act that all of the companions of the prophet (pbuh) agreed that leaving it would be disbelief. The reason for this is the hadith below:

In a hadith narrated by Muslim, Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Between a man and disbelief and paganism is the abandonment of Salat (prayer)”

This hadith points out the importance of prayer and the significant role it plays in the life of the Muslim. It’s as though a person that leaves Prayer is demolishing the wall that separates Islam from Kufr.  I’m not here to get into it with you about what ruling applies to the person who doesn’t pray, but just FYI, some `Ulama’ are of the opinion that this injunction is for the one who believes leaving Prayer is permissible, whereas the one who leaves it because they’re slacking off is not Kafir, and Allah knows best.

12) Adhan Would Prevent War

Before the Muslims engaged in battle with the residents of a city they would wait in the morning to hear if they called to Prayer (athaan). If they heard it, they wouldn’t attack and if they didn’t they went on with their military operation. The lesson here is that they were cautions as not to hurt or harm other Muslims. Just on the basis of their call to prayer they are regarded as believers and that protects their blood and wealth. This is a gorgeous point, because around the world today, so much injustice is being done to Muslims by other Muslims and a simple tradition like this point would clearly show how wrong what they’re doing is.

13) Divides Between Islam and Disbelief

This point refers to the same hadith mentioned in point #11 and it goes to say that prayer is like a physical barrier between Islam and disbelief (kufr). It’s as though the last thing a man would abandon from his religion is his prayers. The instructor commented on this hadith, saying  that the term (Shirk), meaning paganism, is preceded by the article (Al-) which indicates that this is the greater shirk, which is unforgivable in the sight of Allah.

14) Protects us from Evil Deeds

Prayer protects us from evil, immoral and unethical deeds (Fahishah and Munkar). This is discussed in the verse from surat Al-Ankabut:

Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

(Al-Ankabut 29:45)

The important point behind this verse is that Prayer is almost a reflection of our current state. If we’re falling into excessive haraam or making loads of mistakes then we should look at the state of our Prayers.

15) The Closest to Allah

The closest we can get to Allah (swt) is in Prayer. Once again, it’s as though we’re having a direct conversation with Him.

16) Final Advice

When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was in the final moments of his life he warned those around him about the Prayer, by saying, “The Prayer, The Prayer!” This shows yet again, the prominence of prayer and its importance. If the Messenger of Allah was passing away and he thought to mention something in his last moments to benefit his followers and he chose to mention Prayer, then what does that tell you?

17) Those Who Don’t Pray Will be Blind

The ones who don’t pray are promised a difficult life in this world and will be resurrected blind on the Day of Judgment. Being blind indicates that they will be forbidden from seeing Allah (swt) for eternity. These people will ask why they are blind in the hereafter when they had their sight in the past, and they will be told that it is because they turned away from the signs of Allah (swt) and they will be forgotten today just as they forgot before. The proof for these points is in surat Ta-Ha:

And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. – He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” – [Allah] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.”

Ta-Ha (20: 124 – 126)

Is that something you’re willing to gamble on? Getting to the Day of Judgment where no one has any helper or intercessor or friend or family, getting to a day where no one cares to listen to or worry about anyone but themselves, and all you have is Allah (swt) knowing that you’ve angered Him. That’s the worst possible situation to put yourself into.

18) Fire Will Not Touch

The parts of your body that touch the ground during Sujood or prostration will never be touched by the fire.

19) Recognition

Allah’s messenger and the angels will recognize a person on the Day of Judgment by the signs of their Wudu (ablution or preparatory wash for Prayer). Just imagine when the Angels come and line up in rows, and they are ordered to come take the disbelievers and chain them up to be thrown into Hell fire (Jahannam) as described in surat Al-Fajr and Al-Haqqah,

And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank, – And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell – that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance? – He will say, “Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life.” -So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment

(Al-Fajr 89:22 – 25)

[Allah will say], “Seize him and shackle him. – Then into Hellfire drive him. – Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him.” – Indeed, he did not used to believe in Allah, the Most Great,

(Al-Haqqah 69:30 – 33)

20) Forgiveness

If you pray attentively after perfecting your wudu Allah (swt) will forgive all your sins. It would be as though the sins fall off with Prayer. The catch here is that we can’t ever guarantee Allah’s acceptance of our Prayers or any good things we do, so it’s our job to continually try to improve as Muslims and do better.

Where is the Money Going?

Receiving multiple e-mails and newsletters from mosques collecting donations to cover the basic bills and utilities, and repeatedly being badgered by marketing spam from other institutes selling Islamic knowledge to the desperate, I thought enough is enough.

I’ve been doing some thinking about the current state of affairs and I am so sick of this mismanagement of funds, lack of transparency, unprofessionalism and straight milking the community for every penny.

What makes matters worse is that when I brought my concerns up to students of these so-called institutes, they don’t seem to even care about where their money goes. They just want to sit in a class and listen to someone preach to them so they can feel better about themselves.

In an attempt to clarify the situation, I went as far as e-mailing (multiple times) the institute’s officials to ask for some answers as to why :

1- They feel like they’re entitled to take money from these people for courses that don’t add up to an actual degree accredited by any body or board.

2- Instructors teaching university-level courses only have Bachelors degrees. On what planet does someone with a BS teach undergrad classes? And why is it that students wouldn’t invest a penny in secular education at a school that wasn’t accredited or recognized, but would pour thousands into Islamic knowledge that is backed by no one?

3- So much of the leg work of these institutes is done by volunteers, they handle marketing, logistics, booking and even get access to free venues through their colleges and universities. Again, raking in that kind of cash and running the program with mainly volunteers, where on earth is the money going?

4- Students treat these instructors with cult-like followings as though they’ve crossed the desert on a camel with no water to bring them the knowledge of the religion from Madinah, as though they aren’t getting paid for what they do.

5- There are now all sorts of gimmicky programs coming out that just ask Muslims for more money, life coaching, business help, self help blah blah blah. Who went to school and studied psychology or organizational behavior so they could qualify to teach this course? Let alone give their even less qualified students the right to charge others for the service?

This is just absolute nonsense and I’m really disappointed that by the students being so caught up in the dream of becoming scholars from taking weekend courses. It’s simply the case that they can’t see what’s happening right in front of them, or see and don’t care. Imam Suhaib Webb said it clearly, when he said these courses don’t build scholarship they are for literacy.

I was going through my RSS feed and I came across this post by Seth Godin. Just to explain briefly, he’s talking about when companies want to hire people that are submissive and do what they’re told. They focus on people that are easily bossed-around and can’t really think for themselves. Seth makes a great point that I think unfortunately, is applicable to many of the students of these institutes as well as the management I’ve been exposed to; from Mosques to Weekend Schools to Summer Camps etc.

That is essentially what were seeing, someone thought up the idea to make themselves the shepherd to all the thoughtless sheep out there. It almost seems as though they were thinking, “let me sell Islamic knowledge to people who think they can’t access it on their own. Not just to cover my expenses but extortionate pricing and since they don’t use their minds, they won’t object or question our authority on the topic.” and it worked.

What’s the solution to all this? Some transparency, I just want to know where the money goes. I have a nagging suspicion that someone is getting or got rich off these kids’ money and it’s just going on and on, and no one seems to care. All of this in the name of spreading Islamic knowledge, so a simple reply or response or report or even statement that explains what’s happening would solve the problem.

It has nothing to do with covering expenses, because I know for sure that there are times when venues are 100% free, volunteers do everything except teach the course really and print the booklets. So the cost of course material and the instructor’s flight and accommodation don’t add up to the thousands they are collecting each course. I’m sorry, no one here is stupid.

Al-Kauthar institute has Mercy Mission, which is a charity sub-division that is run with the funds from the educational program. That is beautiful, Mashallah. I plan on taking more course with them, because I know where my money is going. Other institutes claim to be applying for non-profit status and claim to be in the process of getting accredited, but still take money and teach courses with unqualified instructors and charge premium prices for it.

It’s not clever marketing, its disgusting.

The Importance and Status of Prayer

Introduction | Definition | Importance of Prayer I

In this post I’m going to cover the first 10 points that emphasize the high status of Prayer as an obligation and act of worship. My hope is that you will think over some of these ideas and that they will help you shape your own understanding of what makes Prayer important as well as  how you discuss Prayer with others in the future.

1) A Direct Link

Prayer is a direct link between you (the servant) and Allah (swt) and it’s an act that Allah (swt) answers directly. This is discussed in the hadith recorded by Muslim where Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

“Allah, the Exalted, said, ‘I have divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My Servant shall have what he asks for.’ If he says, ‘[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds’ Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When the servant says, ‘The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,. Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ When he says, ‘Sovereign of the Day of Judgment.’ Allah says, ‘My servant has related all matters to Me.’ When he says, ‘It is You we worship and You we ask for help.’ Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.’ When he says, ‘Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.’ Allah says, ‘This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for’.” Muslim (1:296)

So as the hadith states prayer is like have a discussion with Allah (swt) and we should regard it as such. If I told you that you were going to be meeting the president of your country tonight, you would make sure you were dressed in your best outfit, arrive early and pay full attention to every moment. Meeting Allah (swt) is the most important occasion we can experience, and it deserves far more attention and concern than we currently are giving it. Think about this hadith, and try to keep it in mind the next time you stand up to pray.

2) We were given a direct order

In the chapter if Taha verses #14 and #15, Allah (swt) says,

“Verily I am Allah, there is no God but Me: so worship [and obey] Me and establish the Prayer [properly] for My Remembrance” (Taha #14)

In this verse the order to perform Prayer comes immediately after Allah (swt) proclaims His Unity. So after believing in Allah (swt) as the one God, Muslims are ordered to pray (in the same sentence). This emphasizes that believing in Allah alone (Tawheed) has to be backed up by Prayer.

3) It was the first act of belief

Early in the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh) the chapter of Al-Muzzamil came down and in the second verse of that surah, Allah (swt) orders the messenger (pbuh) to pray.

“O you who wraps himself [in clothing] , Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little –” (Muzzamil #1 – 2)

4) Obligated in Al-Isra wal Miraaj

During the messenger of Allah’s night-journey above the seven heavens in a place where even the angels were forbidden to enter, the order to perform prayer was revealed. This order was not revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) through an angel, but directly. The way the order was revealed emphasizes how important Prayer is.

5) 5 Prayers = 50

Initially 50 daily prayers were obligatory, but then the number was brought down to five. This not only shows us the value of Prayer but its importance as well.

6) Obligated even in battle

The Prayer is so important that it may not be left or overlooked even on the battlefield while facing the enemy. This is in contrast to giving Zakaat (Obligatory Charity) or Fasting, Prayer is still required even under those strenuous conditions, although they aren’t required to face the Qiblah (The direction Muslims pray towards – Makkah) at that time.

7) Fire for those who made him miss it

The prophet (pbuh) made a Dua’a (supplication) to Allah (swt) to fill with fire the graves of those who made him miss his Asr Prayer (During the Battle of the Confederates). There were many instances where the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was harmed by people and he still prayed for them, like when he went to At-Ta’if and the people there mistreated him and humiliated him, but when he had the option of having them punished, he asked that they be spared, because they may become Muslims in the future (which they did).  My point is that the messenger of Allah (pbuh) took extreme caution when dealing with Prayer and this story shows how much it means to him.

8 ) Praying until his feet bled

The Prophet (pbuh) would often pray until his feet bled, and when people asked him about it, he would reply, with a question and ask, “Should I not be grateful to my Lord?” That was the messenger of Allah, what about us? We spend our days and nights doing things we have no business doing and making mistakes and we hardly get our 5 Prayers a day done. Let alone praying  Sunnah (additional) or Qiyam (during the night). This point shows how the Prophet (pbuh) understood the true value of prayer and treated it accordingly.

9) Soundness of Prayer affects other deeds

The first thing to be judged on the Day of Judgment is the Prayer. If your Prayer is good, the rest is good if it’s weak then the rest are weak too. This is explained in the hadith below narrated by Imam Ahmed, An Nisai’i and Abu Dawuud The messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

The first thing people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is Prayer. Allah will say to His angels (even though He already knows), “Look at My servants’ Prayers. Were they complete or not?” If they are complete, they will be written as complete. If they are not complete, Allah will say, “See if My servant has Voluntary Prayers.” If he has them, Allah will say, “Complete his Obligatory Prayer shortage with his Voluntary Prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner.

10) The most beloved act to Allah (swt)

In a hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari the messenger of Allah (pbuh) tells us that the most beloved act to Allah (swt) is for a person to pray on time. Why? This is because it shows that you put Allah (swt) before everything else. When the call to prayer is made you get up and give it the priority over everything else. As we say several times during prayer and in the call to prayer itself “Allahu Akbar” – Literally God is the Greatest, meaning the most important and actions speak louder than words. So try your absolute best to pray on time, every time.

Introduction to Prayer: Definition

Introduction | Definition

We’ll start our series on Prayer by defining it both Linguistically and Legally (in Arabic and Islamic terms).

Linguistic definition: The Arabic word for prayer is Salaah, which means supplication or Dua. This is referenced in the Quran in surat At-Tawbah, verse 103 “…and pray for them; indeed your prayer is tranquility for them.

Legal definition: A term for a set of well-known actions that starts with Takbeer, or the action of saying ‘Allahu akbar’ which means ‘God is great’ and ends with Tasleem, or saying ‘assalamu alaikum’ which means ‘peace be upon you’.

Ibnul Qayyim explains that servitude to Allah (swt) is only truly realized by the Prayer.  This is because among all of the acts of worship, prayer is where we achieve true sincerity and humility. It’s nourishment for our soul and it teaches us the discipline we need to preform our obligations and avoid doing what we’re prohibited.

Our Prayer is when we as servants of Allah stand in front of Him, we turn to Him and seek His guidance and help. Prayer is our chance to have a one-on-one with Allah (swt). We ask for Allah’s help and commit to worship Him several times a day, when we recited the verse in Surat Al-Fatihah that says, “It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” verse #5.

This Prayer serves as a light to guide us through life, it helps us have the resolve to do what’s right avoid what’s wrong. As Muslims we have been instructed to pray in a certain way, shown to us by the Prophet (pbuh) as he told us in a hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari (#631) “Pray as you have seen me pray.”

Fiqh of Salah Series

Long time no post. I know.

The good news is that I am officially done with school!

Alhamdulillah. I’ve literally gone through all my notes (and scraps of paper with ideas on them) and compiled them into a list of projects and ideas I want to work on. So I should be staying busy for the near future.

Inshallah I’m going to publish a series of posts about the Fiqh of Prayer. Which are primarily based on my notes from the Al-Kauthar class I took a while back. The instructor told us that if we don’t teach what we learned to others his Dua was that we loose the knowledge. (He wasn’t messing around) Besides, I could do with some revision myself, so this is the perfect opportunity to do both.

Inshallah through this series we’re going to gain a better understanding of the following:

• The importance and value of Prayer.
• The actions before Prayer (The Call (Athaan & Iqamah)) as well as walking to the Prayer.
• Achieving deep Khushou (Concentration) in Prayer.
• The fiqh of Prayer and how to determine the rulings when we make a mistake.
• The prostration of forgetfulness & following the Imam.
• Mistakes we make in Prayer and how to compensate for them.

Obviously I’m no scholar and I will try my absolute best to cite all my sources just in case you wanted to verify anything. That being said, I’m stoked to be writing again, and Inshallah we will all benefit from this knowledge and use it to improve our Salaah.

Ameen.

Where I’ve been

For Mrs. Ahmed and anyone else that wondered.

I’ve been busy with school and trying to learn more about design and illustration. I really have been overwhelmed, and the reason I don’t write is because I’ve lost it. No inspiration to write anymore.

Everything just came to a screeching halt.

I’m busy doing nothing and it’s sort of frustrating since I am a results oriented person. I like seeing the final product to reassure me that I haven’t been wasting my time. Everything that I’ve been up to is a long-term endeavor and I’m looking at a couple of months before anything materializes and it’s hard for me to stay focused on what seems to be going nowhere.

I guess this is what Dr. Suess was talking about when he wrote about the waiting place in “All the Places You’ll Go.” You just have to bear with it till its over. You can’t go any faster or just bounce. It’s part of the journey.

On a more positive note, I am learning loads about Design principles, typography, layouts and grids, HTML, CSS, Photoshop and mostly Illustrator. It’s great in a way, but even with the change in daylight savings time, I still run out of time too fast. I look and its 1 pm then it’s 11:55pm and Mohamed is starting to look sleepy.

I know it’s because I am trying to do so many things at once, but it’s impossible to isolate one from the others because they all fall under design. Anyway enough about that, my design work is on flickr and my design blog is here.

I have my final exam for 2 courses next week and inshallah next term is my last one. So I need to really just focus and graduate already.

I listened to some episodes from Amr Khaled’s “Akhlaq” – manners – series today, I found a couple of them on my ipod. Ihsan and Amanah, really important stuff.  Check them out if you get the chance, Ihsan and the other was Amanah.

I apologize for being away for so long.

Make dua for your girl