10 Sickness of Our Hearts

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Often we all feel that our Eeman gets low due to several reasons. Everyone of us try to get a solution to it. However, can we know the cure before knowing the real disease? Here we go on with some sickness which we have in our hearts, which leads to so many dangerous, really dangerous problems which leads us to lose both this world and the hereafter. Let us together find what are these sicknesses.

1. You believe in the existence of Allah swt, but, you do not fulfill His Commands.


2. You say you love the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but you do not follow his Sunnah.


3. You read the Holy Qur'an, but you do not put it into practice.


4. You enjoy all the benefits from Allah, but, you are not grateful to Him.


5. You acknowledge Shaitan as your enemy, but, you do not go against him.


6. You want to enter Paradise, but, you do not work for it.


7. You do not want to be thrown into Hellfire, but yet, you do not run from it.


8. You believe that every living thing will face death, and you are not prepared for it.


9. You gossip and find faults in others, but, you forget your own faults and bad habits.


10. You bury the dead, but, you do not take a lesson from it.

May Allah (subuhaanahu wata'aala) make our hearts and our actions pure, and grant us Jannah.

Wassalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh  
  

Letters of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the leaders - Part 5

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

The Envoy to Caesar, King of Rome



This might seem a bit longer than the previous posts, but I assure you all that this will be one of the Most Interesting part of our ongoing series of posts inshaAllah.

Al-Bukhari gave a long narration of the contents of the letter sent by the Prophet to Hercules, king of the Byzantines:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

From Muhammad, the slave of Allâh and His Messenger to Hercules, king of the Byzantines.

Blessed are those who follow true guidance. I invite you to embrace Islam so that you may live in security. If you come within the fold of Islam, Allâh will give you double reward, but in case you turn your back upon it, then the burden of the sins of all your people shall fall on your shoulders.
"Say (O Muhammad [pbuh]): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ " [The Noble Qur'an 3:64] [Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/4,5]

The Muslim envoy, Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalbi, was ordered to hand the letter over to king of Busra, who would in turn, send it to Caesar.

Incidentally, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who by that time had not embraced Islam, was summoned to the court and Hercules asked him many questions about Muhammad and the religion which he preached. The testimony which this avowed enemy of the Prophet gave regarding the personal excellence of the Prophet’s character and the good that Islam was doing the human race, left Hercules wonder-struck.

May I borrow $25 please?

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?' 

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

Where is the Proof of "That Huge Importance of Salah"???

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

We often talks about Salah and tells "Oh! It is very important!" Shall we have a quick look how important it is?

Firstly, we should know how Salah is given to this Ummah. In the night of Isra-wal-Mi'raj, Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) was ascended to Allah (subuhaanahu wata'aala). Salah is the only act of Ibadah which was revealed directly, without any messenger in between. Why? Because it is so special and it is the one which is most beloved in the sight of Allah (subuhaanahu wata'aala).

Allah (subuhaanahu wata'aala) says in Surah al-Baqarah, Verse Number 238, "Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind)."

Did you think about this my beloved brother??

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

We all know that Silk is prohibited for men in Islam and if someone wears Silk, then he will not get Silk cloths in the eternal life. There are several Hadiths regarding this matter.

`Ali (radiyallahu 'anh) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) took some silk in his right hand and some gold in his left, declaring, "These two are haram for the males among my followers." (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Hayyan, and Ibn Majah, who reports the additional phrase, "but halal for the females.")

`Umar (radiyallahu 'anh) reported that he heard the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) say, "Do not wear silk, for those who wear it in this life shall not wear it in the Hereafter." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

On another occasion, referring to a silken garment, he said, "This is the dress of a man who has no character.'' (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Okey so we know this is Haram for men in Islam. But what I am going to highlight is something most of us might not be aware of.

Letters of Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Leaders - Part 4

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

With the mercy and blessings of Allah, now we are going to learn the 3rd Letter of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in his mission of sending letters and notes to the Kings and Rulers beyound Arabia.
 

A Letter to Chosroes, Emperor of Persia

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allâh to Chosroes, king of Persia.

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance, believes in Allâh and His Messenger and testifies that there is no god but Allâh Alone with no associate, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I invite you to accept the religion of Allâh. I am the Messenger of Allâh sent to all people in order that I may infuse fear of Allâh in every living person, and that the charge may be proved against those who reject the Truth. Accept Islam as your religion so that you may live in security, otherwise, you will be responsible for all the sins of the Magians."

‘Abdullah bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi was chosen to carry the letter. This envoy carried it to the king of Bahrain but we do not know as yet if the latter despatched to Chosroes by one of his men or chose ‘Abdullah himself.

The proud monarch was enraged by the style of the letter as the name of the Prophet had been put above his own name. He tore the letter into shreds and forthwith dictated a command to his viceroy in Yemen to send a couple of troopers to arrest the Prophet and bring him to his presence. The governor, Bazan by name, immediately sent two men to Madinah for the purpose.

As soon as the men reached Madinah, the Prophet was informed by a Divine Revelation that Pervez, the emperor of Persia, had been murdered by his son. The Prophet disclosed to them the news and they were stunned. He added asking them to tell their new monarch that Islam would prevail everywhere and outstrip the sovereignty of Chosroes himself. They hurried back to Bazan and communicated to him what they heard. Meanwhile, Sherweh, the new monarch sent a letter to Bazan confirming the news and bidding him to stop any procedures as regards the Prophet till further notice. Bazan, together with the Persians in Yemen, went into the folds of Islam, and gladly signified his adhesion to the Prophet. [Fath Al-Bari 8/127,128]

InshaAllah in the next post we will learn the letter of Prophet (peace and mercy be upon him) to Caesar, King of Rome.

Wassalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Letters of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the Leaders - Part 3

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Letter to the Vicegerent of Egypt, called Muqawqas

The Prophet wrote to Juraij bin Matta [Rahmat-al-lil'alameen 1/178; Dr. Hamidullah said that his name was Binyamin], called Muqawqas, vicegerent of Egypt and Alexandria saying:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

From Muhammad slave of Allâh and His Messenger to Muqawqas, vicegerent of Egypt.

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Thereafter, I invite you to accept Islam. Therefore, if you want security, accept Islam. If you accept Islam, Allâh, the Sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if you refuse to do so, you will bear the burden of the transgression of all the Copts.

"Say (O Muhammad : ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ " [Al-Qur'an 3:64]

Hatib bin Abi Balta‘a, who was chosen to communicate the message, requested an audience with Muqawqas before imparting the contents of the letter. He addressed Egypt’s vicegerent saying:

"There used to be someone before you who had arrogated the status of the Supreme Lord, so Allâh punished him and made an example of him in the Hereafter, and in this life; therefore, take warning and never set a bad example to others."

Muqawqas answered: "We are in no position to relinquish our religion except for a better one."

Hatib resumed: "We invite you to embrace Islam, which will suffice you all what you may lose. Our Prophet has called people to profess this Faith, Quraish and the Jews stood against him as bitter enemies, whereas Christians stood closest to his Call. Upon my life, Moses’s news about Christ is identical to the latter’s good tidings about the advent of Muhammad; likewise, this invitation of ours to you to embrace Islam is similar to your invitation to the people of Torah to accept the New Testament.

Once a Prophet rises in a nation, he is eligible for positive response, hence you are subject to the same Divine Law. Bear in mind that we have not come to dissuade you from religion of Christ but rather bidding you to adhere to its tenets."

Muqawqas meditated over the contents of the letter deeply and said: "I have come to the conviction that this Prophet bids nothing abominable; he is neither a straying magician nor a lying soothsayer. He bears the true manifest seeds of Prophethood, and so I will consider the affair deeply."

He took the parchment and ordered that it be kept in an ivory casket. He called a scribe to write the following reply in Arabic:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

From Muqawqas to Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah. 

Peace be upon you. I have read your letter and understood its contents, and what you are calling for. I already know that the coming of a Prophet is still due, but I used to believe he would be born in Syria. I am sending you as presents two maids, who come from noble Coptic families; clothing and a steed for riding on. Peace be upon you."

It is noteworthy that Muqawqas did not avail himself of this priceless opportunity and he did not embrace Islam. The presents were accepted; Maria, the first maid, stayed with the Prophet and gave birth to his son Ibrahîm; the other Sirin, was given to Hassan bin Thabit Al-Ansari.

Letters of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the Leaders beyond Arabia - Part 2

Reply of Negas, the King of Habasha (Abyssinia)

When ‘Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari communicated the Apostolic letter to Negus, the latter took the parchment and placed it on his eye, descended to the floor, confessed his faith in Islam and wrote the following reply to the Prophet :

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 

From Negus Ashama to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allâh. Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allâh! and mercy and blessing from Allâh beside Whom there is no god. I have received your letter in which you have mentioned about Jesus and by the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus is not more than what you say. We fully acknowledge that with which you have been sent to us and we have entertained your cousin and his companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allâh, true and confirming (those who have gone before you), I pledge to you through your cousin and surrender myself through him to the Lord of the worlds."[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/61]

The Prophet [pbuh] had asked Negus to send Ja‘far and his companions, the emigrants to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), back home. They came back to see the Prophet [pbuh] in Khaibar. Negus later died in Rajab 9 A.H. shortly after Tabuk Ghazwa. The Prophet announced his death and observed prayer in absentia for him. Another king succeeded Negus to the throne and another letter was sent to him by the Prophet but whether or not he embraced Islam is still a question not answered yet. [Sahih Muslim 2/99]

Letters of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the Leaders beyound Arabia. - Part 1

Assalam 'Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

In these posts, inshaAllah we all will be able to learn about the letters of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), to the Leaders of different nations at that time. Let us together see the real fruitful words, and the great wisdom behind the “short and sweet” words of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

Late in the six year A.H., on his return from Hudaibiyah, the Prophet Muhammad , decided to send messages to the kings beyond Arabia calling them to Islam. In order to authenticate the credentials of his envoys, a silver seal was made in which were graven the words: "Muhammad the Messenger of Allâh" 
[Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/872,873]


Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), his name was Ashama bin Al-Abjar, received the Prophet’s message, despatched by Amr bin Omaiyah Ad-Damari, which At-Tabari referred to, either late in the sixth year or early in the seventh year A.H. Deep scrutiny into the letter shows that it was not the one sent after Al-Hudaibiyah event. Wording of the letter rather indicates that it was sent to that king when Ja‘far and his companions emigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the Makkan period. One of its sentences read
"I have despatched my cousin, Ja‘far (may Allâh be pleased wth him) with a group of Muslims, to you. Do be generous towards them and give up haughtiness."

 Al-Baihaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq, gave the following narration of the Prophet’s letter sent to Negus:

"This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Negus Al-Ashama, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allâh and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allâh Alone with no associate, He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety,
"Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ " [The Noble Qur'an 3:64]
Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all the evils of the Christians of your people." 

Dr. Hameedullah (Paris), a reliable verifier, has adduced a version of the above letter disclosed only a short time ago and identical to Ibn Al-Qaiyim’s narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means of modern technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows:

"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

From Muhammad the Messenger of Allâh to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Salutations, I entertain Allâh’s praise, there is no god but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety. I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allâh and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allâh created him from His spirit and His breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allâh Alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allâh. I invite you and your men to Allâh, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance." 

[Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/60]

Thats the Letter from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Negus. InshaAllah in the next post, we will see the reply of King Negas, and a new letter of the Prophet (pbuh) to another Leader.