The Battle of Badr was fought in the 2nd year after the Hijra in the month of Ramadan (13 March 624 CE)in the Hejaz region of western Arabia.It was the first significant combat between the Muslims and Quraysh, the most powerful tribe in Mecca.

When Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) migrated with his companions to Madina, they left Makkah in secret, leaving behind their property and their money.

The Kuffar in Makkah were very annoyed by this successful migration. And in Madinah, the Muslims were thinking of a way to get their property back.

However, at that time, the Muslims were weak, and not well equipped to fight the Quraysh tribes. Moreover, the Prophet (pbuh) would not take such an action until Allah allowed him to do so. Then one day he received the revelation from Allah,
“Permission to fight is given to those, who are fighting them, because they have been wronged, and surely Allah is Able to give them victory.” (22:39)

Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) received information that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was coming with a large trading caravan belonging to the Quraysh from Syria to Mecca. The Muslims planned to raid the caravan in retaliation for Quraysh’s taking the property that Muslims could not take with them to Medina.

Abu Sufyan heard that the Messenger of Allah was coming towards him he sent to Makkah for help from the Quraysh to protect him from the Muslims. The people of Makkah prepared themselves quickly and departed.

The disbelievers came out of Makkah with 1,000 men, 100 horses, and 700 camels, greatly outnumbering the poorer Muslim army.The Muslims were materially unprepared for any large scale battle and they did not even intend to engage in a battle.

Now, Abu Sufyan’s caravan was able to escape, so it seemed that there may be no armed conflict.However, Abu Jahl, the leader of the Quraysh commented, “No, by Allah! We will not go back until we proceed to the Wells of Badr, slaughter camels there, drink alcohol, and female singers dance and sing to us. In this way, all the Arabs will always talk about us and what we did on that day.”

Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) consulted with his followers, telling them that Allah had promised them one of the two parties either the caravan or the army.

Muhaajiroon, stated: “O Messenger of Allah! March on as Allah guides you, and we are with you.I swear by the Being Who sent you with the truth, that if you order us, we will follow you to the extremity of the earth and fight with you until your goal is attained.”

After this Ansaar spoke: “We have believed in you and regard you as the true Messenger of Allah, and on this we have given you our binding promise, to hear and obey. March on as you desire and we are with you! We will be perfectly content with whatever may happen to us tomorrow, at the hands of our enemies for surely, we are patient in war, fierce in battle, and truthful in our company.”

Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) left Madina with a small band of men numbering between 313 and 319. There were roughly 80 to 100 Muhaajiroon. And the rest of the men were Ansar. They had only 2 horses, but some say that it was actually 3.

The Quraysh who had arrived earlier, had taken over the the main wells. The Muslims began to worry about how they would get water, so Allah sent down a heavy rain, allowing the Muslims to drink and use it for purity.

The battle began on Jumu’ah morning Allah sent down, in support of the Prophet and the Muslims, 1,000 angels! On one side, 500 angels were under the command of Jibreel, and on the other, 500 angels were under the command of Meekaa’eel.

Shaytaan as well as his devil army also came on the Day of Badr. Shaytaan appeared in the shape of Suraaqah Ibn Maalik, who was actually the Chief of a great and powerful tribe, Banu Mudlij and he said to the pagans, “None can defeat you today, and I will help you.”

When Shaytaan, who was holding the hand of a pagan man, saw Jibreel, he let go of his hand, and ran away with his soldiers.

That man asked him, “O Suraaqah! You claimed that you would aid us!!”

And Shaytaan said as he was running, ”Verily, I see what you do not see! Verily, I fear Allah for Allah is severe in punishment!”

When the disbelievers faced the Muslims, the Muslims attacked their faces with swords. When they fled, the angels smote their rear ends. In this battle, the greatest chiefs of the idolators was slain. The Muslims were victorious.

Abu Sufyaan returned to Makkah and told , “The fact is that we met our enemy and turned our backs. They made us to flee. And I cannot blame our tribesmen because they faced not only them, but also men wearing white robes riding horses, who were between the skies and earth. They spared nothing, and no one ever had a chance.”

The Prophet and the Muslims returned from Badr. About 14 or so Muslims were martyred on that day while many of the idolaters were killed.

This battle laid the foundation of the Islamic State and made out of the Muslims a force to be reckoned with by the dwellers of the Arabic Peninsula.

The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid Ul-Fitr. Eid Ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shaw’waal.”Eid” is an Arabic meaning “festival“, while Fitr means “to purify”. So Eid Ul-Fitr represents the purification after completing the fasting month.

History

According to hadith, Eid Ul-Fitr was instigated in Madinah. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) found some people celebrating two explicit days in which people used to entertain by Gaiety and playing. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) asked people regarding this at which people responded that these festivities were occasions of recreation and fun. At this point,
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) exchanged these days for the day of breaking the fast and the day of sacrifice, instead of these festivities for people. One is Eid-ul-Fitr and the other one is Eid-ul-Adha.

The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) with his friends and relatives after the victory of the battle of Badr.

Zakat ul-Fitr

Zakat ul-Fitr has to be paid by the end of Ramadan. Payment of Fitra becomes Wajib after sunset on the eve of Eid- ul-Fitr.

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) ordered to pay Zakat ul-Fitr before going out to perform the Eid prayer. If Zakat Ul-Fitr is paid after the Eid prayer, it will only be considered as regular charity.

Eid ul-Fitr Prayers

Eid prayer is mandatory for every male Muslim.

It consists of two Rakaat with six Takbirs. It must be offered in gathering. The prayer is followed by the khutba.

Eid prayer is different from other prayers. The Imam will head the prayers and there will be six sets of takbirs (Allah Akbar). Three of the takbirs will be in the start of the prayers. After each takbir, the hands are raised to the ears. At the start of the second rakat, after the Imam recites the Fatiha and a sura, additional three takbirs are recited.

Some mosques will do all six takbirs at once at the start of the prayers and then proceed with the prayer.

Khutba

Muslims should listen with reverence to what the Imam has to say. It is considered as a time to remember Allah’s blessings and to be thankful to be present in such an assembly.

Sunnah of Eid

• Wake up earlier than usual.
• Take a bath after Fajr.
• Be dressed in the best clothes available, whether new or cleaned old ones.
• Use Attar.
• Eat odd number of dates or anything sweet before the Eid prayer.
• Give Zakaat ul fitr to the needy.
• Perform Eid prayer at an open ground.
• Go to the place of Eid prayer early.
• Walk to the place of Eid prayer.
• Recite the following Takbir on the way to the Eid prayer:

                    “Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La Ilaha Ila Allah Wa Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Wa Lillahi Alhamd.”

• Use different routes to and from the place of Eid prayer.
• Read two rak’ahs Waajib Salaatul Eidain.
• The khutba of Eid is Sunnah but to listen to them is Waajib.
• Shake hands and hug one another on happy occasions.
• Read the two rak’ahs Nafl prayer on reaching home.

EID MUBARAK!

I`tikaf means ‘remaining’ somewhere.

In I’tikaf the bondsman cuts himself away from everything and throws himself at the threshold , or rather the feet oh his Lord and Creator. He remembers Him, exalts His name and offers earnest repentance to Him, cries over his sins and follies, entreats Him for mercy and forgiveness and seeks His countenance and propinquity. His days and nights are spent in that way.

I`tikaf is a means of great reward. It says in the Fatawa Hindiyya,

“Its excellence is obvious, for the one make such a spiritual retreat:

• Has submitted their entire person to the worship of Allah Most High;
• Seeks closeness;
• Distances themselves from the worldly distractions that prevent one from proximity;
• Drowning their entire time in actual or effective worship, for the basis of its legislation is to wait from one prayer time to the next prayer in congregation;
• It also makes the one is retreat resemble the angels who do not disobey the command of Allah and do what they are commanded, while glorifying Allah by night and day without tiring…” [1.212]

What to do during i`tikaf

One should busy oneself with the beneficial as much as one meaningfully can, such as:

1. Voluntary prayer,

2. Reciting the Book of Allah, with reflection, contemplation, and passion,

3. Remembrance of Allah, in all its forms,

4. Gaining beneficial knowledge, and listening to inspiring religious discourses (which is why it is wise to make i`tikaf in a mosque with people of learning, and good company to inspire one towards the good).

The following acts are permissible for one who is making I’tikaf:

(1) The Person may leave his place of I`tikaf to bid farewell to his wife and a woman  can visit her husband who is in I`tikaf

(2) Combing and cutting one’s hair, clipping one’s nails, cleaning one’s body, wearing nice clothes or wearing perfume are all permissible

(3) The person may go out for some need that he must perform

(4) The person may eat, drink, and sleep in the mosque, and he should also keep it clean. 

Messenger of ALLAH (Blessings of Allah and peace be on him) told us to search for Shab-e-Qadr in the odd numbered nights, in the last ten days of Ramdan. So, the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th night of Ramadan could be Shab-e-Qadr.

The prayers of one night of Shab-e-Qadr are stated to be better thatn the prayers of one thousand nights. It is the night during which the events of the next year are determined and Angels descend on earth thorughout the nigh and visit the Imam-al-Asr waz-Zaman Imam Mehdi(a.s.). Each momin and momina has been suggested to wake up and pray, recite the Holy Quran and ask for the betterment of the current and the life hereafter.

The night is so full of holiness that even the angels in the heavens see it as worthy of witnessing.

It is reported by Abi Hatim, Al Wahidi, and Mujahid, that the Messenger, salla Allahu alahi wa sallam, spoke of a man amongst the Israelites who devoted a thousand years of his life to the worship of Allah.

The Companions were amazed yet saddened because they knew that they could not attain such a level of devotion. So Allah, subhana wa talla, through His mercy, informed them of the Night of Power which is equivalent to a thousand months.

Qadr also means to maintain, appoint, assign, or decree an order. On this night, Allah, subhana wa talla informs the angels of His commands and orders for the universe.  This is also the night of honor and prestige which a faithful servant is rewarded with.

All his or her good deeds will be multiplied through the mercy of Allah.

In a hadith related by Abu Hurairah, radiua Allahu anhu, the Messenger of Allah, sala Allahu alahi wa sallam, said:
“He who spends the night in prayer on the Night of Power, as a sign of His faith, andseeking rewards from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
(Bukhari/Muslim)

This hadith indicates that whether a person is aware of the night or not, Allah will forgive him his past sins.

أَعُوذُ بِجَلالِ وَجْهِكَ الكَرِيمِ

أَنْ يَنْقَضِيَ عَنّي شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ

أَوْ يَطْلُعَ الفَجْرُ مِنْ لَيْلَتِي هذِهِ

وَلَكَ قِبَلِي تَبِعَةٌ أَوْ ذَنْبٌ تُعَذّبُنِي عَلَيْهِ

a`udhu bijalali wajhika alkarimi

an yanqadhiya `anni shahru ramadhana

aw yathlu`a alfajru min laylaty hadhihi

wa laka qibaly tabi`atun aw dhanbun tu`adhdhibuny `alayhi

2. In ’al-Balad al-Amin’, al-Kaf`amiy has mentioned that Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) used to say the following :

اللّهُمّ أَدّ عَنَّا حَقّ مَا مَضَى مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا تَقْصِيرَنَا فِيهِ

وَتَسَلّمْهُ مِنَّا مَقْبُولاً

وَلا تُؤَاخِذْنَا بِإِسْرَافِنَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا

وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ المَرْحُومِينَ

وَلا تَجْعَلْنَا مِنَ المَحْرُومِينَ

allahumma addi `anna haqqa ma madha min shahri ramadhana

waghfir lana taqsirana fihi

wa tasallmhu minna maqbulan

wa la tu´akhidhna bi-israfina `ala anfusina

waj`alna mina almarhumina

wa la taj`alna mina almahrumina

3. In ‘Iqbal al-A`mal’ Sayyid Ibn Tawus has narrated on the authority of Ibn Abi-`Umayr on the authority of Murazim that Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s) used to say the following at each of the last ten nights of Ramadhan:

اللّهُمّ إِنّكَ قُلْتَ فِي كِتَابِكَ المُنْزَلِ

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ القُرْآنُ)

(هُدَىً لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيّنَاتٍ مِنَ الهُدَى وَالفُرْقَانِ

فَعَظّمْتَ حُرْمَةَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

بِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ فِيهِ مِنَ القُرْآنِ

وَخَصَصْتَهُ بِلَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ

وَجَعَلْتَهَا خَيْراً مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

اللّهُمّ وَهذِهِ أَيَّامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَدِ انْقَضَتْ

وَلَيَالِيهِ قَدْ تَصَرّمَتْ

وَقَدْ صِرْتُ يَا إِلهِي مِنْهُ إِلَى مَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنّي

وَأَحْصَى لِعَدَدِهِ مِنَ الخَلْقِ أَجْمَعِينَ

فَأَسْأَلُكَ بِمَا سَأَلَكَ بِهِ مَلائِكَتُكَ المُقَرّبُونَ

وَأَنْبِيَاؤُكَ المُرْسَلُونَ

وَعِبَادُكَ الصَّالِحُونَ

أَنْ تُصَلّيَ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

وَأَنْ تَفُكّ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّارِ

وَتُدْخِلَنِي الجَنّةَ برَحْمَتِكَ

وَأَنْ تَتَفَضّلَ عَلَيّ بِعَفْوِكَ وَكَرَمِكَ

وَتَتَقَبّلَ تَقَرّبِي،

وَتَسْتَجِيبَ دُعَائِي

وَتَمُنّ عَلَيّ بِالأَمْنِ يَوْمَ الخَوْفِ

مِنْ كُلّ هَوْلٍ أَعْدَدْتَهُ لِيَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ

إِلهِي وَأَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ الكَرِيمِ

وَبِجَلالِكَ العَظِيمِ

أَنْ تَنْقَضِيَ أَيَّامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَلَيَالِيهِ

وَلَكَ قِبَلِي تَبِعَةٌ أَوْ ذَنْبٌ تُؤَاخِذُنِي بِهِ

أَوْ خَطِيئَةٌ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْتَصّهَا مِنّي لَمْ تَغْفِرْهَا لِي

سَيّدِي سَيّدِي سَيّدِي،

أَسْأَلُكَ يَا لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

إِذْ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

إِنْ كُنْتَ رَضِيتَ عَنّي فِي هذَا الشّهْرِ

فَازْدَدْ عَنّي رِضَىً

وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رَضِيتَ عَنّي

فَمِنَ الآنَ فَارْضَ عَنّي

يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

يَا اللّهُ يَا أَحَدُ يَا صَمَدُ

يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ.

allahumma innaka qulta fi kitabika almunzali:

(shahru ramadhana alladhy ‘unzila fihi alqur’anu

hudan lilnnasi wa bayyinatin mina alhuda wal-furqani)

fa-`a¨¨amta hurmata shahri ramadhana

bima anzalta fihi mina alqur’ani

wa khasastahu bilaylati alqadri

wa ja`altaha khayran min alfi shahrin

allahumma wa hadhihi aiyyamu shahri ramadhana slat a’ukhra qadi anqadhat

wa layalihi qad tasarramat

wa qad sirtu ya ilahy minhu ila ma anta a`lamu bihi minny

wa ahsa li`adadihi mina alkhalqi ajma`ina

fa-as’aluka bima salaka bihi mala’ikatuka almuqarrabuna

wa anbiya’uka almursaluna

wa `ibaduka alssalihuna

an tusalliya `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

wa an tafukka raqabaty mina alnnari

wa tudkhilany aljannata brahmatika

wa an tatafadhdhala `alayya bi`afwika wa karamika

wa tataqabbala taqarrubi

wa tastajiba du`a’y

wa tamunna `alayya bil-amni yawma alkhawfi

min kulli hawlin a`dadtahu liyawmi alqiyamati

ilahy wa a`udhu biwajhika alkarimi

wa bijalalika al`a¨imi

an tanqadhiya aiyyamu shahri ramadhana wa layalihi

wa laka qibaly tabi`atun aw dhanbun tu´akhidhuny bihi

aw khathyiatun turidu an taqtassaha minny lam taghfirha li

sayyidy sayyidy sayyidi

as’aluka ya la ilaha illa anta

idh la ilaha illa anta

in kunta radhita `anni fi hadha alshshahri

fazdad `anni ridhan

wa in lam takun radhita `anni

famina al-ana fardha `anni

ya arhama alrrahimina

ya allahu ya ahadu ya samadu

ya man lam yalid wa lam yulad

wa lam yakun lahu kufwan ahadun

4. Repeat the following invocation as many times as possible: 

يَا مُلَيّنَ الحَدِيدِ لِدَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

يَا كَاشِفَ الضّرّ وَالكُرَبِ العِظَامِ عَنْ أَيّوبَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

أَيْ مُفَرّجَ هَمّ يَعْقُوبَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

أَيْ مُنَفّسَ غَمّ يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ

صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

كَمَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ أَنْ تُصَلّيَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

وَافْعَلْ بِي مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ

.وَلا تَفْعَلْ بِي مَا أَنَا أَهْلُهُ

ya mulayyina alhadidi lidawuda `alayhi alssalamu

ya kashifa aldhdhurri wal-kurabi al`i¨ami `an ayyuba `alayhi alssalamu

ay mufarrija hamm ya`quba `alayhi alssalamu

ay munaffisa ghammi yusufa `alayhi alssalamu

salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

kama anta ahluhu an tusalliya `alayhim ajma`ina

waf`al by ma anta ahluhu

wa la taf`al by ma ana ahluhu

 5.Recite the following supplication:

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

وَاقْسِمْ لِي حِلْماً يَسُدّ عَنّي بَابَ الجَهْلِ

وَهُدَىً تَمُنّ بِهِ عَلَيّ مِنْ كُلّ ضَلالَةٍ

وَغِنَىً تَسُدّ بِهِ عَنّي بَابَ كُلّ فَقْرٍ

وَقُوّةً تَرُدّ بِهَا عَنّي كُلّ ضَعْفٍ

وَعِزّاً تُكْرِمُنِي بِهِ عَنْ كُلّ ذُلّ

وَرِفْعَةً تَرْفَعُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلّ ضَعَةٍ

وَأَمْناً تَرُدّ بِهِ عَنّي كُلّ خَوْفٍ

وَعَافِيَةً تَسْتُرُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلّ بَلاءٍ

وَعِلْماً تَفْتَحُ لِي بِهِ كُلّ يَقِينٍ

وَيَقِيناً تُذْهِبُ بِهِ عَنّي كُلّ شَكّ

وَدُعَاءً تَبْسُطُ لِي بِهِ الإِجَابَةَ فِي هذِهِ اللَيْلَةِ وَفِي هذِهِ السَّاعَةِ

السَّاعَةَ السَّاعّةَ السَّاعَةَ يَا كَرِيمُ

وَخَوْفاً تَنْشُرُ لِي بِهِ كُلّ رَحْمَةٍ

وَعِصْمَةً تَحُولُ بِهَا بَيْنِي وَبيْنَ الذّنُوبِ

حَتَّى أُفْلِحَ بِهَا عِنْدَ المَعْصومِينَ عِنْدَكَ

.بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَاأَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin

waqsim li hilman yasuddu `anni baba aljahli

wa hudan tamunn bihi `alayya min kulli dhalalatin

wa ghinan tasudd bihi `anni baba kull faqrin

wa quwwatan tarudd biha `anni kulla dha`fin

wa `izzan tukrimuny bihi `an kulla dhullin

wa rif`atan tarfa`uny biha `an kulli dha`atin

wa amnan tarudd bihi `anni kulla khawfin

wa `afiyatan tasturuny biha `an kulli bala‘in

wa `ilman taftahu li bihi kulla yaqinin

wa yaqinan tudhhibu bihi `anni kulla shakkin

wa du`a‘an tabsuthu li bihi al-ijabata fi hadhihi allaylati wa fi hadhihi alssa`ati

alssa`ata alssa`ata alssa`ata ya karimu

wa khawfan tanshuru li bihi kull rahmatin

wa `ismatan tahulu biha bayny wa bina aldhdhunubi

hatta a’ufliha biha `inda alma`sumina `indaka

birahmatika yarhama alrrahimina

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) described Ramadan as the month of patience (narrated by Nesa’ee). He also stated that being grateful to Allah is half the faith, and being patient is the other half of faith.

He said: “I wonder for the affairs of the believer, all his affairs is good for him; this fate only belongs to those who believe. If he is enjoying a blessing, he is grateful to Allah, and this is good for him; and if he is experiencing difficulty, he patiently persevere, and this is good for him”

In Ramadan, we go through a good training of patience. We experience high ethics in our own worlds. We accustom our stomach to patience by not eating anything though we are hungry, by not drinking even a sip of water though our throat dries out of thirst.

During Ramadan we must control our desire for food and drink and intimate contact, and we pray regularly and offer additional prayers, and we recite the Qur’an often, and we conduct ourselves properly and not harm anyone in word or deed, and we hasten in all good deeds.

All this requires patience, perseverance, determination and commitment. Our priorities change so that pleasing God and getting close to Him is our main goal, everything else becomes secondary. Because Ramadan requires patience and sacrifice, Allah promised a great reward for those who fast this month with devotion and conduct themselves properly.

On the other hand, if we happen to get angry, or if our souls force us to backbite or to tell lies and bad words, we instantly refrain and remember that we are fasting and thus show patience against such evils.

What leads man to certain mistakes, causes him to perpetrate certain crimes, and lies  on the grounds of many calamities that he is faced with is the patience that he could not show in the beginning. If he had shown patience in the first place and persevered,  he could have avoided that calamity. So, “The cure for impatience which doubles the
disasters humans encounter is fasting.”

This training of patience that we carry out during Ramadan makes us recall those whose circumstances are more straitened than ours. This is because however poor one may be, one can by all means still find others poorer and more in need than oneself.

The Prophet sallalahu aalyhi wa sallam would engage in different forms of fasting in the month of Ramadan. Every year, he would revise the Quran with angel Jibreel aalyhi sallam. He was a generous man on ordinary days, but when Ramadan arrived he became even more generous and gave much charity. He engaged in kind acts, recitation of the Quran, prayers, remembrance and retreat during this month.

The Worship and Remembrance of Allah

When the month of Ramadan approached Prophet intensified his efforts. Humbly supplicating to his Lord, he sought help, support, victory and guidance. It was his spiritual power that kept him strong and motivated throughout the day and night.

The Days of Rasoolullah

Prophet (pbuh) busied himself with da’wah in the scorching heat of Arabia. He met people and counseled them regarding their day-to-day affairs. Not only that but he also participated in jihad while fasting. The battle of Badr and Tabouk were fought during this blessed month.

Prophet’s Advice to Have Suhoor

Prophet (pbuh) used to encourage his companions to take meal before daybreak [Suhoor]. He said, “Eat suhoor, for there are blessings in it.”
[Bukhari]
The period before daybreak is considered blessed because it is in the last third of the night, the time of divine descent and forgiveness.

Hasten to Have Iftar

Understanding that our energy levels are depleted by evening, the Prophet (pbuh) practiced and advised his companions to hasten to have iftar.

It was also established that the Prophet used to hasten to have a meal after the setting of the sun.

Fasting While Traveling

Prophet Muhammad traveled during Ramadan fasting and then breaking his fast. In this regard, he gave the companions the choice of fasting or not while traveling.

Last Ten Days

The last ten days of Ramadan were the most beloved and significant to the Prophet(pbuh).Among his practices also was that of retreat and seclusion during the last ten days of Ramadan.

During this time, he limited his contacts with people and intensified his supplication and prayers to Allah, the Lord of all Majesty and Glory. This was his practice to attune his heart towards to Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“In Ramadan there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”

“Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.”

Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and  after it.

Take a vacation for Allah.

We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.

Do I’tikaf.

It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for I’tikaf.

Make this special Dua.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?’  He said: ‘Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.’

Recite the Quran.

Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran.

Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you’ve heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level.

Get your sins wiped out.

Don’t just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.

Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and  explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs.

Make long, sincere and deep Duas

One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.

Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation

Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights.

We need a Ramadan, a month of  Tawbaah.

We need a Ramadan, a month of  Maghfira.

We need a Ramadan to correct our behavior, to correct the differences & the difficulties and the envy / jealousies in our relationship between one another.

We need a Ramadan to understand that we have been committing injustice to one and another. And as the Prophet (pbuh) said :

‘Az-Zulm (injustice) . “Zulumaat yawmal Qiyaamah” we’ll be changed physically into darkness on the Day of Judgement.’

Ramadan is a month of Forgiveness.

Ramadan is a month of Rahmah.

Ramadan is the month of Generosity.

Ramadan, the month that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala accepts the Tawbah of the servants, and the month that Allah blesses His servants.

We are in need of Ramadan to correct ourselves, for we have forgotten Allah tabarak wa ta’ala for the majority of the year.

To correct ourselves for we have been neglectful.

To correct ourselves for we are not upon the remembrance of Allaah.

To correct ourselves because our hearts have gotten hard, some hearts are dead, some hearts are sick , some hearts are stone-cold, some hearts are black, getting no benefit whatsoever. Some hearts are so bad, and so ill that they see a good as a Munkar, (as an evil), and they see an evil as a good. These are not as they should be.

We need a Ramadan because our connection with Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala is not correct.

We need a Ramadan because we do not have any Khushoo or devotion in our Salaah.

We need a Ramadan because our Qura’an has dust and is sitting o­n a shelf.

We need a Ramadan because we never read the books of Sunnah.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t fast, and if we fast physically without food or drink, we don’t fast with our eyes by lowering them and our tongue by not slandering and our tongue by not lying and back-biting. We need a Ramadan to get ourselves back in order, to work for the Hereafter, to connect ourselves to Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

We need a Ramadan because relationships brother to brother and sister to sister is in a miserable condition.

We need a Ramadan because we have bad thoughts about o­ne another.

We need a Ramadan because there is backbiting, there is envy, there is jealousy, and there is slander.

We need a Ramadan because we are despicable, because we are sick.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t believe in the promise of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala, or if we do, we do not implement it.

We need a Ramadan because it is time for us to change and become something better then we are now.

We need a Ramadan because we don’t have unity, there’s no brotherhood

We need a Ramadan because there’s no respect for elders.

We need a Ramadan because there’s no real love between us.

We need a Ramadan, full of love and the Mercy of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

A Ramadan like we come in, like in a clinic or a hospital, trying to solve our illnesses, trying to come out of there without the disease we came with, trying to be better than we went in with.

We need a Ramadan, that we come in the Masjid and we face the Qiblah and we say “Allahu Akbar” and we stand in qiyamah a long time until those diseases, that filth, that sickness, that hardness the heart goes away.

We need a Ramadan that reminds us of the Hell-fire.

We need a Ramadan that lets us known that we are servants of Allah tabarak wa ta’ala.

We need a Ramadan and it is clear.If there is any fear of Allah left in the hearts of ours and if there is any hope of Janah left in us, and if there is any desire to change and to be better and to be righteous and to come to the level of Ihsaan, to come to the level of a Mumim, to have taqwa, to fear Allah

… we need a Ramadan.

Ritual acts of worship, as fasting, are deemed invalid, and are not accepted unless we act correctly. Thus:

Fasting and Perjury:

“Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting by it; then Allah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink.”

“How much of the fasting is not from his fast, except hunger and thirst.”
(Narrated by  Abu Hurayra)

Verily, the fast of common people is to abandon food and drink, ant the fast of believers is to abandon sins and wrongdoings, while the fast of righteous worshipers is to abandon everything except Allah.

“All the works of Adam are for him, but fasting is for Me and I shall reward him for it.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

Piety:

“Piety”, broadly speaking, means obedience to Allah. Actually, when you ask Allah His forgiveness, repent to Him and perform righteous deeds, you are close to Allah during your salah. Then, what are the results of this salah? It is that Allah Almighty will cast a light in your heart that shows you the righteous things as righteous and the wrong things as wrong.

“O you who believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). “
(Al-Hadid, 57: 28)

This light shows you the righteous things as righteous and the wrong things as wrong. Verily, this light is piety.

“O you who believe! Observing as-saum (fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqun (those who fear and practise  self-restraint).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

Piety, as it was defined by Imam al-Ghazzali, may Allah Almighty grant mercy upon his soul, is: “A light that Allah casts in your heart.” It shows you good and evil as they are. In fact, in regard to those people who commit sins and wrongdoings, what did they see before they committed them? They saw them as achievement and pleasure. So whoever disobeys Allah has a wrong vision (a false perception) and there is blindness in his heart. Allah the Almighty says:

“But whosever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and  We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment. He will say: O my Lord, why have You raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)? (Allah) will say: Thus did you…”
(Taha, 20: 124-126)

Which means: thus you were blind (to the truth) in the worldly life, because:

“Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but the hearts which are in their breast.”
(Al-Hajj, 22:46)

Verily, just when you are away from Allah (when you disobey Him), you will lose that light; you see the good as evil, and the evil as good. You will see spending on sadaqah as foolishness; stinginess as prudence, satisfying illicit lusts as intelligence, and
avoiding them as stupidity.

Therefore, in order to see good and bad as such, Allah obliged us to fast in the month of Ramadan.

“O you who believe! Observing as-saum (fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become al-muttaqun (those who fear and practise self-restraint).”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

“(Observing saum) for a fixed number of days…”
(Al-Baqarah, 2: 184)

What is Allah’s wisdom behind fasting?

• The first wisdom:

To feel that we are in need of Allah. We are prevented from eating and drinking, there is no prohibition on days other than in the month of Ramadan, so when you feel hungry and thirsty you realize that you are a servant of Allah, and you are in need of a sip of water. Actually, the more you feel that you need Allah, the more will Allah raise your station. As the poet said:

I have no way (to be close to You) except my dire need of You; By my need for You I push away my poverty (my need for other things).
There is no door to knock except Yours (I ask no one but You). But if you drive me away, on which door shall I knock! (there is no other one to help me)

So first, it accustoms us to feel the dire need of Allah.

• The second wisdom:

Fast convinces us that we are loyal to Allah (we are doing righteous deeds only for His sake ) because no law of the world will call you to account if you eat during the day in Ramadan. It is specifically related to the deen. You may come home ( while you are fasting) feeling extremely thirsty, while there is cold water in the refrigerator, and there is no one else in the house, i.e. no one is watching you, nevertheless you never put a drop of water in your mouth (because you believe that Allah watches you).  So:

“Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward him for it.”

Verily, fasting is worshiping with devotion.

• The third wisdom:

There is another thing: fasting strengthens the will, i.e. if you avoid permissible things during the days of Ramadan, that is all the more reason to abandon the illicit  ones. you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you lie; you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you fill your eyes with the beauty of a woman who is not permitted to you; you go against the very bases of the spirit of Ramadan when you refrain from eating and drinking, nevertheless you swear a false oath while buying or selling! Actually, when Allah deprives you of the licit during your fast, that is all the more reason to abandon the illicit. It seems as if Allah wanted to strengthen your will and your determination in this noble month.

• The fourth wisdom:

There is something else; Allah wants us to experience the situation of the poor. In fact, you either face the reality or perceive it by your mind, and there is a big difference between the two cases. Just for clarification, if a friend of yours had a quarrel with his wife and consequently she has left home and went to her parent’s  house, you’ve got a notion that your friend’s wife has abandoned him. Your own wife is at home (you have a successful marriage), your food is ready, your children are well looked after, their food is good, their clothes are clean, all your needs are taken care of, and your house is clean. So you do not live the reality of being without a wife, but you realize that your friend’s wife has left him. Thus, perceiving reality is totally different from experiencing it. As the saying goes:

No one knows the feeling of yearning except who has experienced it; and no one knows the burning love except who has experienced it.

Thus, in Ramadan, Allah the Almighty wants us to experience the suffering of the poor.  On ordinary days (other than the days of Ramadan), we eat and drink, and we do not appreciate the value of cold water, and hot (good) food. We always eat and drink, while the poor have nothing to eat.

By Allah, one of my friends told me that he went to the house of one of his relatives,  and he swore that he opened the fridge and found it completely empty, there wasn’t a piece of bread to eat in that house. Hence, when you become hungry (due to fasting) you should remember that there are those who have nothing to eat.Once a woman went to a shop and bought chicken legs, which are only given to dogs. So due to her severe poverty, she bought those chicken legs, and cooked them in order to give just the taste of meat to their food.

One of Ramadan advantages is that it is the month of generosity Brothers, Ramadan is the month of spending on the poor, of righteousness, of  benevolence, of sadaqah, and of zakat. Moreover, the Self-Sufficient and the Judge (Allah the Almighty) never accepts fasting unless zakat al-fitr is paid. Actually, Imam Shafi’i has established that it is preferable to pay zakat al-fitr starting from the first day of Ramadan, because it is food for the poor and an expiation of sins. So Allah wants everyone to give sadaqah in Ramadan, even the poor, i.e. it is imposed upon whoever has his daily food, the food that is sufficient just for one day, so that the poor man may enjoy the taste of spending even if only once a year.

Dear brothers, fasting in Ramadan remains suspended between the heaven and earth (is not accepted) unless zakat al-fitr is paid.

Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah (radhiallahu `anhu) reported that two men came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them  used to partake in Jihad more-so than the other, and so (one day) he fought in a battle and was martyred therein. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he passed away.

Talha said, ‘I saw in my dream that I was at the door of Paradise when behold, I was with both of them (the two men). Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’

Talha woke up and began to inform others about this and they were all surprised. This reached the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).

Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) said, “What are you surprised about?”

They said, “O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one was entered into Paradise before him.”

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Did he not remain behind him for one year?”

They said, “Yes he did.”

He said, “Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?”

They said, “Yes.”

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.”

Make the most of Ramadan, we seriously don’t realise its greatness, worth and reward.

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Zakat (alms) is the name of what a believer returns out of his or her wealth to the neediest of Muslims for the sake of the Almighty Allah. It is called Zakat because the word Zakat is from Zakaa which means, to increase, purify and bless.

The obligation is to give 2.5% of one’s wealth to those in need. Zakat is essentially an act of worship through which Muslims can purify their wealth, cleanse their souls and benefit themselves as well as others – it is a symbol of Islamic social justice.

The obligatory nature of Zakat is firmly established in the Qur’an, the Sunnah (or hadith), and the consensus of the companions and the Muslim scholars.

Allah states in Surah at-Taubah: “O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty – On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- “This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!”

(The Holy Qur’an 9:34-35).

Who should pay Zakat?

Every sane, adult Muslim who possesses equal to or more wealth than the Nisab for one lunar year is eligible to pay Zakat.“Nisab” is an Arabic word which means the minimum value of wealth that one must own to become eligible to pay Zakat; in its current monetary value is equal to 87.48grams of gold or 612.36grams of silver.

Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab.

How To Give Zakat?

Make a record of all money earned, either daily or monthly, which has reached the nisaab and remains in the treasury. The Zakat of that money would be due one year later on the same day the money was earned and reached nisaab. This means every month’s income must be set aside and assessed for Zakat and so will be the case for the rest of  the months.

The best way is to set a day or a month, preferably Ramadan, for your annual Zakat return calendar, say Ramadan 1st. One year later on the same day of Ramadan, your Zakat is due and payable. Whatever is in the savings is due for Zakat, regardless of whether all the amount in the savings reaches a year or not. This method is the best because it is easy to assess, meets one’s obligation and relieve one’s conscience.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS IMPOSED:

• Gold and silver, in any form.
• Cash, bank notes, stocks, bonds etc.
• Merchandise for business, equal to the value of Nisaab.
• Live stock.
• On income derived from rental business.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS NOT IMPOSED:

• On any metals other than gold or silver.
• Fixtures and fittings of a shop, car, trucks or any delivery vehicle etc., which is used in running business.
• Diamonds, pearls, other precious or semi precious stones which are for personal use.
• There is no Zakat on personal residence, household furniture, pots and pan, personal clothing, whether they are in use or not.
• There is no Zakat on a person whose liabilities exceed or equal his assets.
• Home Mortgage is not to be counted as personal liability for the Zakat purpose.

Who is eligible to receive it?

Knowing who qualifies as recipient of Zakat is an important aspect of Zakat collection in Islam. Fortunately, Allah (SWT) has been merciful to us in that He Himself spelled out the people eligible to receive Zakat.

In Surah Tawbah He stated:
“Alms are for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer (the funds); for  those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.”

(Surah 9: Verse 60 )

• People who are in complete poverty and have nothing.
• People who have some wealth, but not enough to meet their basic needs.
• The people who collect Zakat to distribute to the poor and needy.
• People who are sympathetic towards Islam or wish to enter to Islam, and are needy.
• Zakat may be used to free a person from slavery.
• Zakat can be given to those who are in debt and unable to pay off their debt.
• The people who work in God’s way and strive to give Dawah.
• Travellers and/or wayfarers who are needy.

It is, however, permissible to give Zakat to a wife or family member, provided it is not part of their daily living expense money, but is needed to pay off a debt for one’s wife if she can not pay it. So is the case for one’s parents if they can not pay their debt.

PUNISHMENT FOR NOT GIVING ZAKAT:

Allah says in the Quran: “And there are those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, announce to them a most grievous penalty (when) on the Day of Judgment heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of Hell. Then with it they will be branded on their forehead and their flanks and backs. (It will be said to them) This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves, taste then the treasure that you have been hoarding.”

(Al-Quran 9:34-35)

THE concept of charity assumes new dimension in the blessed month of  Ramadan, especially because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to be most  generous during this month.

Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the most generous of the men; and he was the most generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril visited him every night and recited the Qur’an to him. During this period, the generosity of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) waxed faster than the rain bearing wind.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Imam Ahmad added to this narration, “And nothing he was asked for but he would give it.”

Furthermore, Al-Bayhaqi reported that ‘Aaishah, may Allah be pleased with her, had said, “When Ramadhan would start, the Prophet would release all prisoners of war and  fulfill the need of every person who would ask him for something.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Spend and don’t count lest Allah counts for you, and don’t hoard up lest Allah withhold from you. Spend what you can.”

If you keep strict account of your charity, Allah will also keep strict account of  His gifts and wealth on you. This principle applies everywhere.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “The Almighty Allah says: O son of Adam! Spend, you will then be spent for.”

You will be given wealth and rewards from the treasures of Allah, in case you give away  in charity, because a cistern when vacated is usually filled up and that which remains filled up without consumption is not at all filled up. The Qur’an says: “And whatever thing you spend, it will be given in exchange.”

Abu Omamah reported that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: “O son of Adam! That you spend wealth is good for you and that you withhold it is bad for you, and you should not be backbitten for miserliness. Begin with those who are in you family.”

First of all, every man should provide the necessities to his family members and then there is the question of charity in case of surplus. In such a case, a gift to family members will bring greater rewards than a gift to strangers.

For Muslims the joy of giving in this holy month knows no bound. And it is during this month that the obligatory charity, called Zakat, is distributed to the poor and needy. It enables them to spend the fasting month in peace and comfort.

Spending out of whatever has been given to man stands for charity in a broad sense, i.e., for acts of benevolence to humanity in general. For what Allah has given to man is not only the wealth, which he possesses but all the faculties and power with which he has been gifted.

The most frequently recurring words for charity in the Holy Quran are ‘Infaq’, which means spending benevolently, ‘Ihsan’, which means the doing of good, Zakat which means growth or purification, and ‘Sadaqah’ which is derived from the root ‘Sidq’, meaning truth, and comes to signify a charitable deed.

Charity, in the sense of giving away one’s wealth, is of two kinds, voluntary and obligatory. Voluntary charity is generally mentioned in the Quran as ‘Infaq’ or ‘Ihsan’ or ‘Sadaqah’, and though the Holy Book is full of injunctions on this subject, and hardly a leaf is turned which does not bring to mind the grand object of the service of  humanity as the goal of man’s life.

A charitable deed must be done as a duty which man owes to man, so that it conveys no idea of the superiority of the giver or the inferiority of the receiver. Love of Allah should be the motive of all charitable deeds, so that the every doing of them fosters the feeling that all mankind is but a single family. Only good things and well-earned money should be given in charity.

Charity has value only if something good and valuable is given, which has been honorably earned or acquired by the giver or which is produced in nature and can be referred to as bounty of Allah.

Charitable deeds may be done openly or secretly, although the latter form is better.  Those who do not beg should be the first to receive charity.

Zakat is wealth which is taken from the rich and given to the poor, being so called because it makes the wealth grow, or because the giving away of wealth is a source of  purification. In fact, both these reasons hold true.

It is however, true that the same stress has not been laid on this principle in previous religions, and, moreover the institution of charity, like every other principle of religion, has been brought to perfection, along with the perfection of
religion, in Islam.

A woman who has reached the age of puberty, but is too shy to tell anyone, so she does  not fast, has to repent and make up the days she has missed, as well as feeding a poor person for each day, as an act of expiation for delaying her fast, if the following  Ramadan comes and she has not yet made up those days. Her case is like that of a woman  who fasts the days of her period out of shyness, and does not make them up later.

If a woman does not know exactly how many days she has missed, she should fast until she is fairly certain that she has made up the days she had missed and not made up from previous Ramadans, and offer the expiation for delaying for each day. She can do this at the same time as fasting or separately, depending on what she is able to do.

A woman should not fast – except during Ramadan – if her husband is present without his permission, but if he is travelling then it does not matter.

When a menstruating woman sees the white substance – which is discharged by the uterus when the period is finished – by which a woman knows that she has now become taahir (pure), she should have the intention to fast from the night before and should fast. If  she does not have a time when she knows she is taahir, she should insert a piece of
cotton or something similar, and if it comes out clean, she should fast, and if she starts to bleed again, she should stop fasting, whether the blood is a flow or just spotting, because it breaks the fast as long as it comes at the time of the period.

If the cessation of bleeding continues until Maghrib, and she has fasted with the intention from the night before, then her fast is valid. If a woman feels the movement of menstrual blood inside her, but is does not come out until after the sun has set, her fast is valid and she does not have to make the day up later.

If a woman’s period or post-natal bleeding ceases during the night, and she makes the  intention to fast, but dawn comes before she is able to do ghusl, according to all the scholars her fast is valid.

If a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still continue her  intention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast until she actually sees the blood.

It is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept what Allah has decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent her from bleeding. She should be content with what Allah accepts from her of breaking her fast during her period and  making those days up later. This is how the Mothers of the Believers and the women of
the salaf were. Moreover, there is medical evidence to prove that many of the things used to prevent bleeding are in fact harmful, and many women have suffered from irregular periods as a result of taking them.  However, if a woman does that and takes something to stop the bleeding, then fasts, this is OK.

Istihaadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) does not have any effect on the validity of  the fast.

If a pregnant woman miscarries and the foetus is formed or has a discernible outline of  any part of the body, such as a head or hand, then her blood is nifaas; if, however,  she passes something that looks like a blood clot (‘alaq) or a chewed piece of meat  that has no discernible human features, her bleeding is istihaadah and she has to fast, if she is able, otherwise she can break her fast and make it up later on. Once she becomes clean after having an operation to clean the womb (D&C), she should fast. The scholars stated that the embryo is considered to start taking shape after 80 days of pregnancy.

If a woman becomes clean from nifaas before forty days, she should fast and do ghusl so  that she can pray.  If the bleeding resumes within forty days after the birth, she should stop fasting, because this is still nifaas. If the bleeding continues after the fortieth day, she should make the intention to fast and do ghusl (according to the majority of scholars), and any bleeding beyond  the fortieth day is considered to be istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) – unless it  coincides with the usual time of her period, in which case it is hayd (menstrual
blood).

If a breastfeeding woman fasts during the day and sees a spot of blood during the night, although she was clean during the day, her fast is still valid.

In the case of a woman who is obliged to fast, if her husband has intercourse with her during the day in Ramadan with her consent, then the ruling that applies to him also applies to her. If, however, he forces her to do that, she should do her best to resist him, and she does not have to offer expiation. Ibn ‘Aqeel (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“In the case of a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in  Ramadan whilst she is sleeping, she does not have to offer expiation.”

But to be on the safe side, she should make up that fast later on.

A woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away from him and not adorn herself during the day in Ramadan.

Women have to make up the fasts that they miss during Ramadan, even without their husbands’ knowledge. It is not a condition for an obligatory fast for a woman to have the permission of her husband. If a woman starts to observe an obligatory fast, she is not allowed to break it except for a legitimate reason. Her husband is not permitted to order her to break her fast when she is making up a day that she has missed; he is not allowed to have intercourse with her when she is making up a missed fast, and she is not allowed to obey him in that regard.

In the case of voluntary fasts, a woman is not permitted to start a non-obligatory fast when her husband is present without his permission, because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“No woman should fast when her husband is present except with his permission.”

Niyyah (intention) is a required condition in fasts, because the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“There is no fast for the person who did not intend to fast from the night before.”

The intention may be made at any point during the night, even if it is just a moment before Fajr. Niyyah means the resolution in the heart to do something; speaking it aloud is bid’ah (a reprehensible innovation), and anyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadan and wants to fast has made the intention.

If a person intends to break his fast during the day but does not do so, then according  to the most correct opinion, his fast is not adversely affected by this; he is like a person who wants to speak during the prayer but does not speak. Some of the scholars think that he is not fasting as soon as he stops intending to fast, so to be on the safe side, he should make up that fast later on. Apostasy, however, invalidates the intention; there is no dispute on this matter.

The person who is fasting Ramadan does not need to repeat the intention every night during Ramadan; it is sufficient to have the intention at the beginning of the month. If the intention is interrupted by breaking the fast due to travel or sickness – for example – he has to renew the intention to fast when the reason for breaking the fast is no longer present.

If a person embarks on an obligatory fast, such as making up for a day missed in Ramadan, or fulfilling a vow, or fasting as an act of expiation (kafaarah), he must complete the fast, and he is not permitted to break it unless he has a valid excuse for doing so. In the case of a naafil fast, “the person who is observing a voluntary fast  has the choice either to complete the fast or to break it” – even if there is no reason to break it.

If a prisoner or captive knows that Ramadan has begun by sighting the moon himself or by being told by a trustworthy person, he has to fast. If he does not know when the  month is beginning, he must try to work it out for himself (ijtihaad) and act according  what he thinks is most likely. If he later finds out that his fasting coincided with Ramadan, this is fine according to the majority of scholars, and if his fasting came after Ramadan, this is fine according to the majority of fuqahaa’, but if his fasting came before Ramadan, this is not acceptable, and he has to make up the fast. If part of his fasting coincided with Ramadan and part of it did not, what coincided with it or came after it is fine, but what came before is not OK. If the matter never becomes clear to him, then his fasting is fine because he did the best he could, and Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope.

Amongst the special Ibaadah of the month of Ramadan are the fasts and the Taraweeh.  Taraweeh is the special evening prayers are conducted during which long portions of the  Qur’an are recited.

Taraweeh prayers are prayed in pairs of two and can be prayed 20 rakat. Some believe  that 8 can be read. A break is taken after every 4 rakah.

It is customary to attempt a khatm “complete recitation” of the Quran as one of the  religious observances of Ramadan by reciting at least one juz’ per night in Taraweeh .  Taraweeh prayers are considered optional, not mandatory.

Once, in the holy month of Ramadan, the Prophet (PBUH) came out of his home and led  Salat Al-Taraweeh. The Sahabah (R A) who were present at the time, prayed behind him in congregation. The second and the third nights, a larger number of Sahabah (R A) came and performed Salat Al-Taraweeh behind the Prophet (PBUH). On the fourth night,  an even larger number of Sahabah (R A) showed up in the Masjid expecting to pray this new salat behind the Prophet (PBUH). But, he did not come out to lead Salat Al-Taraweeh that night. The Sahabah (R A) waited all night. When the Prophet (PBUH) finally emerged for the Fajr prayer he told them:

“I knew you were waiting for me, but I did not come out to lead Salat Al-Taraweeh last night because I was afraid it might become an obligation (Fard) on the Ummah which they might find difficult to fulfill.”

The great muhaddith, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Rahmatullah ‘Alay), who is well-known for his interpretation of Sahih Al-Bukhari has reported in his book Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer on the authority of ‘Aisha (Radhiallahu anhaa) that the Prophet (PBUH) performed twenty  raka’at Taraweeh on those three nights (Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer, h540).

Imam Ibn Habban (Rahmatullah ‘Alay), on the other hand, has reported a hadith in which it is asserted that the Prophet (PBUH) performed eight raka’at of Taraweeh on those three nights. However, this hadith is extremely weak because one of the people in the chain of narrators is a person named Isa Ibn Jaariyah. Imam Nasa`i (Rahmatullah ‘Alay)
and Imam Abu Dawood (Rahmatullah ‘Alay) have strongly questioned the authenticity of  this narrator. Consequently, both of these Imams of hadith concluded that ahadith narrated by Isa Ibn Jaariyah must never be accepted.

However, even if the hadith narrated by Isa Ibn Jaariyah was not weak, it would still not be adopted because it goes against a clearly established practice and consensus of Sahabah (R A). As a rule of Islamic jurisprudence, any hadith that goes against the clearly established practices and consensus of Sahabah (R A) will not be adopted for practice.

Contrary to many misconceptions, there is no valid evidence that any of the following  acts invalidate the fast (even though some of them might reduce the rewards of  fasting).

• Involuntary ejaculations, like wet dreams.But he should hasten to do ghusl so that he can pray and so that the angels will draw close to him.
• Involuntary vomiting
• Excessive washing of the nose and mouth during wudoo.
• Things that one cannot avoid swallowing, like one’s own saliva, or dust from grinding flour, do not break the fast.
• Tasting food (when cooking), without swallowing.
• Taking a bath or swimming.
• Involuntary, forced or forgetful eating or drinking.
• Using siwaak (toothbrush without tooth paste).
• Using eye-shadows (kuhl), and applying or smelling perfumes.
• Eating before Maghrib (sunset) or after fajr (dawn) because of mistake in time recognition.
• Drawing out blood from the body.
• Having the ears syringed; nose drops and nasal sprays – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• Tablets that are placed under the tongue to treat angina and other conditions – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• Medically required injections and medications placed on wounds.
• Using henna, kohl or oil does not break the fast. This also applies to creams used to moisturize and soften the skin.
• Dental fillings, tooth extractions, cleaning of the teeth, use of siwaak or toothbrush – so long as one avoids swallowing anything that reaches the throat.
• The asthma sprays are permissible to use as it goes to your lungs and not to your stomach and it is a necessity.
• If a person suffers from a nosebleed, his fast is still valid, because this is something that is beyond his control.

There are many things that the fasting person must avoid because if he does them during the daytime of the month of Ramadan his fast would be void, and he would have increased his sins. The following are things that break the fast:

• Eat, drink or indulge in cohabitation intentionally.
• If water goes down the throat while gargling.
• Deliberate inhalation of smoke.
• Vomit mouthful intentionally.
• Any injection which has some nutritional value.
•  Eating deliberately after having eaten mistakenly.
• To swallow something edible, equal to or bigger than a grain of gram, which was stuck between the teeth. However, if it is first taken out of the mouth and then swallowed, it will break the fast whether it is smaller or bigger than the size of the grain.
• Swallow the blood from gums with saliva. However, if the blood is less than the saliva and its taste is not felt then the fast will not break.
• Breaking (iftar) fast without the intention of doing so.
• Lustful kissing of ones spouse.
• Ejaculation, either by masturbation or any other method of ejaculating short of  intercourse, whether the cause was kissing the wife, or hugging her, or by use of the hands, etc.
• Remaining in the state of janabah (uncleanliness due to seminal discharge) till dawn.
• Menstruation and post-partum bleeding. Even if the bleeding starts just before the sun sets.

Other things that break the fast are only considered to do so, if the following three conditions apply:

• If a person knows that it breaks the fast and is not ignorant
• If he is aware of what he is doing and has not forgotten that he is fasting
• If he does it from his own free will and is not forced to do it

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise until sundown abstaining form eating food, drinking and having sexual relations. There are many reasons why Muslims fast during  Ramadan.

• Fasting in Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, constituting one of the most important spiritual practices designed to empower a human being in overcoming the self  and transcending the ego, the one true veil between a human being and his or her Creator.
• The purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God- consciousness, compassion, the spirit of caring and sharing, the love of humanity and the love of God.
• By fasting in Ramadan, we develop the holy qualities of empathy and compassion, becoming more aware of our intrinsic connection and oneness with all human beings  regardless of borders or labels that create artificial separation among the citizens of  the human race.
• Fasting indoctrinates us in patience, unselfishness, and gratitude. When we fast we  feel the pains of deprivation and hunger, and learn how to endure it patiently.
• Fasting in Ramadan enables us to master the art of mature adaptability and Time- Management. We can easily understand this point when we realize that fasting makes  people change the entire course of their daily life.
• Fasting elevates the human spirit and increases our awareness of God. It strengthens our will-power as we learn to rise above our lower desires.
• It cultivates in us the principle of sincere Love, because when we observe Fasting, we do it out of deep love for God. And a person, who loves God, truly is a person who knows what love is and why everyone on this Earth should be loved and treated justly, for the sake of God.
• In the month of Ramadan, many Muslims try to avoid watching TV, listening to music, and some other leisure activities, which spares them more time and energy to be spent on more productive activities such as intense study of Islam, voluntary prayers, social and humanitarian causes, and a quality time with the family, to name a few.
• One of the greatest benefits of fasting in Ramadan is renewing solidarity and cultivating relationships with one’s family and community. Only one who observes fasting in Ramadan can truly know the beauty and joy of breaking fast with others, celebrating the gift of life daily for thirty days with loved ones.
• Fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health and mental well-being. The time, length and nature of the Islamic Fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. Fasting in Ramadan keeps the body healthy and youthful (provided one does not overindulge when breaking fast).
• Fasting makes us realize how dependent our lives are on things that we often take for granted, such as food and water. It makes us think about our dependence on God and God’s mercy and justice.
• Fasting inculcates a spirit of tolerance in man to face unpleasant conditions and situations without making his fellow-being the victim of his wrath on account of his adverse conditions, such as deprivation of his basic needs of life, which constitutes the common cause of dissension among men.
• Fasting affords lessons in punctuality through man’s strict adherence to various time schedules in the observance of fasts and offering of prayers.
• Fasting enforces in man rigid discipline mental, spiritual and physical a trait of  character which forms an essential ingredient to success in human life.

The opportunity to observe fasting in Ramadan is a gift from God, allowing us to grow and develop as human beings, enabling us to become more compassionate, caring, kind and grateful.

By observing fasting in Ramadan, a Muslim has a profound and unique opportunity to become more peaceful, present and spiritual — the very goal of Islam.

Ramadan the blessed month is a great opportunity for forgiveness, blessing, worship and obedience towards Allah. Muslims should use the period of Ramadan to seek forgiveness from Allah and also forgive those that have offended them in order to gain from the salvation of the Almighty Allah. This makes it a great time to ask God for His Forgiveness. It’s also a wonderful time to open our hearts and cleanse them of grudges and bitterness by forgiving others.

“The smart man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good deeds).”

Allah says,

“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).”

“Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers).”

“And those who, when they have wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:133-136]

“And seek forgiveness of Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate.”
[Al-Muzzammil 73: 20]

“Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:53]

“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Nisa’ 4:110]

“The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers.”
[Ash-Shura 42: 40]

Allah being Al-Ghafour (the All-Forgiving) promises that He will forgive those who ask forgiveness. Part of being human includes committing wrongdoings and incurring sin.The fact that God talks about forgiveness shows how deficient human beings really are. Humans do commit error and do engage in wrong doings, but there is an important facet to this flaw in our own beings, that we may be completed by turning back to God and asking for His forgiveness.

Forgiveness is letting go of the need for revenge, any sense of bitterness or resentment and to let go of the past. While God does this with Perfection, it is in fact harder for us to forgive.

Another dimension of forgiveness is to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness too. Ramadan is the perfect time to do that as during the days of forgiveness, saying sorry becomes more light weight than usual.

The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: Musa, the son of Imran once asked, “Oh my Lord! Who is the most honorable of Your servants? And He replied, the person who forgives even when he is in a position of power” (Baihaqi). Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet.

You may be right. You may be in that position of power mentioned in the Hadith above. But forgiving others, apart from positively affecting our health (less stress) and our minds (one less negative thing to focus on), is a necessary step to closeness to God.

Is there not something strange about asking for God’s forgiveness of our sins while withholding our forgiveness from someone who has hurt us?

So, O slaves of Allah, be among the people of good, following the path of your righteous forebears who were guided by the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so that we may end Ramadan with our sins forgiven and our righteous deeds accepted.

Let us use this Ramadan to open our hearts to those who have wronged us and forgive them as we beg Allah to forgive us.

Black magic (sihr) is something that definitely exists and causes harm to people.  The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was also afflicted with black magic.

Harut and Marut (mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah) were two angels who are known to be behind bringing black magic to this world.

Allah had bestowed King and Prophet Sulaiman(pbuh) with certain powers over mankind, Jinn and all other living creatures. Satan wanted to deprive him of this power.

When Sulaiman wanted to answer the call of nature or to make love with any of his wives, he used to give his ring to a woman called Al-Jaradah. Once satan took advantage of this opportunity, came in the form of Sulaiman, and took the ring from her and put the ring on. As Allah had decreed to bless the holder of the ring to have many powers, all mankind, the jinn and devils submitted to Satan.

Then, Sulaiman came seeking his ring from her and she said: “You are a liar, you are not Sulaiman”.  Sulaiman was exiled from his own land and nobody recognized him to be the very King and Prophet. Thus, Sulaiman knew that it was a test from Allah the Almighty.

With Satan having new powers, the devils were now free to do whatever they wished.During these days Satan wrote several books on witchcraft. The Jinns used typical and treacherous ploys to convince people that Sulaiman, derived power and kingdom by ‘witchcraft’. Thus the people were interested in magic; they thought they would be master of their fate by going through witchcraft and that ultimate power would be invested to them.

Satan spread corruption and discordance among the people. Only a few of them were God-fearing ones, but it was not an easy work for them to make such a people return to the path of success.

when the angels saw men committing wrong they said: “These humans you created with your hand, to whom you made the angels prostrate, to whom you taught namesof everything are committing wrong.”

Allah said to them, “But if you were in their place, you would be doing the same thing.” In another source and tradition, it is said that Allah said to the angels, “I gave mankind ten carnal desires and it is through these they disobey me.”

So, Allah challenged the angels to do better and commanded to choose one who would be sent to Earth and finally chose Harut and Marut. Allah said to them, “Go down, I have given you ten carnal desires so judge between the people.” So the two angels, Harut and Marut were sent to the earth.

Harut was sent as a Judge whereas Marut as a scholar with the instructions to avoid the grave sins. They lived, and consumed food as human beings. Their judgement were appraised.

Then one day a woman named Zuhra appeared to them, she was wondrously beautiful. Zuhra knew that the two men were no ordinary persons. She thought that they must be other creatures in human forms who have got secrets. Therefore she tried her best by means of her beauty and tricks to bring out the secret.

Zuhra wanted at all costs to know the secrets of  Harut and Marut; so she invited them to her place, served them with the best food. Now, they wanted to comimit adultery with her as they were captivated by her beauty, but she said. “No, not unless you associate ‘partners’ with God, consume wine, murder somebody and prostrate before idol.”  They said, “we cannot associate anything with God.” Then one of them said, “Return to her”. But she said “Not until you drink.”

They forgot their mission and commited several sins in order to win her favors. In state of inebriety they disclosed their greatest secret which Allah has vouchsafed to them. Thus Zuhra came to know the greatest name of Allah!

Zuhra once uttered the name and she disappeared from the surface of the Earth, and she was never seen again. But she could not enter Paradise and was turned into a star.

The two angels were put in fetters from their ankles to their neck and they were placed in a certain well in the Babel.

Harut and Marut were placed in the well and all those who were keen to learn magic, flocked to them for instructions. The two angels started to teach them magic or witchcraft and they became great teachers of magic. The two angels taught men magic, sorcery but after they had warned the would be student of magic, “We are only a temptation, therefore, disbelieve not in the guidance of Allah.”

Later, when Allah restored to Prophet Sulaiman (pbuh) his kingdom, and all those who had strayed away came to follow the straight path once again, Allah the Almighty informed Sulaiman about the magic that had become commonplace among his people.

Sulaiman quickly seize and gather all these writings and put them in a chest and bury them under his throne. All the devils who tried to even approach the chest were burned alive. Prophet Sulaiman (pbuh) took an even harder stance declaring that he would behead anyone who claimed that the devils knew the unseen.

After Sulaiman’s death, a devil came in the form of a human being to the people and said: “I will lead you to an everlasting treasure that will never run out.” He was referring to the writings that were buried under the chest. After the people dug out all the writings,the devils altered these books by adding magical and blasphemous writings. The devils wrote about different types of sorcery meant to fulfill different desires.(For example, how people could get some wishes fulfilled by standing facing the sun and saying some words)

They wrote this in a book and sealed it with a ring bearing the inscription found on Sulaiman’s ring and buried it under Sulaiman’s throne.

It is said that Harut and Marut are strung up by their feet every day between Maghrib and Isha, such will be their punishment until the day of judgement. They will then be forgiven and will obtain their angelic nature and abode.

‘Last Age’ in reality stands for the age which would culminate in the end of the world— when the true Messiah, Esa, the son of Mary (not son of God), would return to rule the  world with justice and ‘eternal’ rule.

It would be ‘eternal’ in the sense that history would end with that event. Life on earth beyond that event, and after Jesus dies a human death would not qualify as history.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prophesied of the Last Age that:

• “People would follow a way of life other than mine, and give guidance other than mine”
• “When the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, and the most worthless member of a community becomes its leader, and a man is respected through fear of the evil he may do, and leadership is given to people who are unworthy of it, expect the Last Age”
• “Women would arrange their hair to look like the hump of a camel”
• “Women would dress like men”
• “women would be dressed and yet be naked”
• “Men would dress like women”
• “Homosexuality would become commonplace”
• “Children born outside of marriage would become commonplace”
• “Fornication and adultery would become commonplace”
• “Universal consumption of alcoholic beverages”
• “Religious knowledge would disappear”
• “Extravagant mansions will be constructed”
• “Singers will be considered respectable”
• “War shall be prevalent”
• “Gambling will be prevalent”
• “A killer would not know why he is killing and the one who is killed would not know why he is being killed”
• “Time would move swiftly—a year passing like a month—a month like a week—a week like a day”
• “Earthquakes and Volcano’s and other natural disasters shall be common”
• “Good deeds will be few and far between”
• “Mosques will be decorated profusely but urge towards adoration will be absent”
• “The rate of accidental deaths will be on the rise”
• “The rich will become godless and the devout will become sinful”
• “False witnesses will be accepted and true ones rejected”
• “A person spending money on sinful purposes will not be criticized”
• “Human beings will be followers of selfish desires”
• “A wealthy person will command more respect then a pious person”
• “Children will curse their parents and will pray for their early death”
• “There will be two eclipses in the Month of Ramadan”
• “ Universal consumption of Riba (i.e, money lent on interest, and transactions which ‘rip off’ people through deception in business, etc.) ”
• “The Last Hour would not come until there issues from the land of the Hejaz (which is in Saudi Arabia) a fire which will illuminate the backs of the camels in Busra”

So many of these Signs have already occurred in the modern world

Here, then are the major Signs of the Last Day

• Dajjal — the false Messiah

Dajjal the false Messiah or Antichrist would have been born into the world of Jewish parents, would have risen to become ruler of Israel and, hence, would have completed his mission to rule the world from Jerusalem.

• Yajuj and Majuj

Wall of Dhul Qarnayn will collapse, and Yajuj & Majuj will rush out in all directions spreading violence, uprooting plants, killing people and no one will be able to resist them.

• Smoke

Smoke will rise and cover the whole world. The smoke will affect both the believers and non-belivers alike remaining for a period of 40 days and night.

• The Beast of  The Earth

The beast will appear very near the end of time. When disintegration, corruption, kufr and evil prevail, commands of Allah are ignored, the Deen changed and made a mockery of, it is then Allah will take out the Beast from the earth.

• The sun would rise from the west

The sun will rise from the west; and when the people see it, then whoever will be living on the surface of the Earth will have faith, and that is (the time) when no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before.

• Earthquake/Landslides/Sinking of the earth

There will be three landslides before Qiyamah like never seen before.
One in the East,
One in the West and
One in Arabia.
The Earth will swallow everything above it and as a result, many people will die.

• A fire that will drive the people to their gathering place

The fire which will come out from the Yemen and gather the people in the place of their assembly.

• The Return of the True Messiah, Esa

When Prophet Esa he descends on the Earth for the second time, he will destroy the Dajjal. He will protect the Muslims from the barbarous tribes of Yajuj and Majuj, Praying for their destruction.

Yajuj and Majuj were two two disbelieving  tribes of  Turks, descended from Yafith (Japheth), the father of Turks, one  of the son of Noah. According to the descriptions they have small eyes, small, flat noses and wide faces. Their faces look like hammered-out shields.They were t0o powerful but barbarous tribes causing prejudice and chaos on the Earth , killed God-fearing men and devastated all their provisions and plantation.

At the time of Ibrahim(pbuh) there was a king called Dhul Qarnayn. He performed Tawaf around the Kabah with Ibrahim(pbuh), when he first built it; Dhul Qarnayn believed and followed him. Dhul Qarnayn was a good man and a great king. Allah gave him great power and he ruled the east and the west.

He was travelling towards east, he reached a pass between two mountains, through which people were coming out.They did not understand anything, because they were so isolated.

Yajuj and Majuj were spreading mischief on earth and were harming people. So the people sought help from Dhul Qarnayn.

They said: ‘O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily! Yajuj and Majuj are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?’

He said: ‘That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier.’

So Dhul Qarnayn built a wall by mixing iron, copper and tar. Thus, Dhul Qarnayn restrained Yajuj and Majuj behind the wall.

They tried to penetrate the wall or to climb it but they could not succeed as the wall was so huge and smooth. They began to dig and they have been digging for centuries. They will dig the wall every night trying to escape, only to find each morning that the wall has been restored by Allah. They will continue to do so until the time when Allah decrees that they come out.

At that time the wall will collapse, and Yajuj & Majuj will rush out in all directions in large numbers,spreading violence, uprooting plants, killing people.

They will spread mischief on earth and no one will be able to resist them. Their appearance will be one of the signs of the end times.

Yajuj and Majuj will shoot at the sky, hoping to destroy heaven. When Esa(pbuh) prays against them, Allah will send a kind of worm in the napes of their necks that will fill their ears and noses and they will be killed.

Muslims have been fasting in Ramadan for more than 1430 years since they were ordered by God Almighty through the Glorious Qur’an:

Oh you who believe! Fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you, so that you may learn self-restraint
(2:183).

The purpose of the fast is meant to purify oneself from thoughts and deeds that counter Islam.

Allah prescribed fasting on many nations before Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet.

The Qur’an tells us that when Zakariyah (pbuh) prayed and asked Allah to give him offspring, he was commanded to fast three days by abstaining from talking.
Likewise,Maryam the mother of Esa(pbuh) was also ordered by Allah to fast the same way when she became pregnant.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told us that Daud (pbuh) used to fast every other day.

Ramadan has a number of significant relations to the Muslims in general.

For it was in Ramadan that the Holy Prophet was first informed of his prophethood

The first revelation of the divine book Al Quran came down in the month of the month of Ramadan wherein the Sura ”Iqra’ bismi Rabbikalla thee khalaq” was revealed .

The connection we have with the month of Ramadan other than fasting is the illustrious battle of Badr which was fought in this month. The first formal military confrontation took place between the idol worshipers of Mecca and the Muslims in Medina.

Before  Hijra, when fasting was practiced by the Prophet in Makkah, there was no such thing as Ramadan. The only kind of fasting that the Holy Prophet and his Meccan companions performed during that period was the ancient form of fasting that had been enjoined upon all the prophets that had come before him namely, to fast three days in each of the twelve months of the year.

Upon his Hijra to Madinah, the fast of Ramadan was made compulsory on the believers in the second year of the Hijra in the form of the ayah that was initially recited.

In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we’ve got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

• Try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
• Open your hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year.Whatever you can give, it’s the intention that counts.
• Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites.Try to memorize new Surahs. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you’ve started, you’ll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one.
• Try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. The community spirit is part of Ramadan’s blessings. Don’t miss it this year.
• It’s hard not to shut our mouths off when someone upset’s us. Stop Swearing And Backbiting.
• Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with.
• After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.
• Even if you feel you’ve got absolutely no time, you can read a page of the Quran you open. The point is simply to connect with God through His evelation in the month of the Quran.
• Go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is great for the soul.
• Keep away from debates and arguments.
• Be nice to those around you, even if you don’t know you. Just smile to people.
• Help someone across the road, carry the groceries for your neighbor.
• Think outside of the box, help a couple to get married, help someone out of debt, buy translated Qurans for new converts.
• Tie your yearly Zakat with Ramadan. Any money or gold that has been in your possession for a year has zakat which should be paid. It might be easier to tie your zakat with Ramadan because it is a memorable date.

Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done.

Remember that Allah is watching during Ramadan and After not Only during Ramadan.

Shaddad was historical king of lost Arabian city of Iram of the Pillars. Various sources suggest Shaddad was the son of Ad.

Allah took away the life of Shaddad’s mother in a boat where no one else was there but  He sustained him even there. Shaddad became the foremost ruler of the world. He was mighty king and his conquests extended to Syria, Iraq and the frontier of sub-continent of  Indo-Pakistan. He gained such power that the east and the west paid obeisance to him.

He was an avid reader of books. When he came across the description of Paradise, the inlaid rubies and pearls and other bounties, he wanted to construct a Paradise at par with the Paradise of Allah.

Thus he appointed one hundred people for building the ‘Paradise’. And under each one of  them he deputed a thousand workers. Then he ordered them to look for a vast tract of  land in the wilderness and construct a city of gold, silver, rubies, emeralds and pearls. To construct pillars of emeralds. To construct palaces and fix windows to them and windows upon these windows. Below the palaces, they should plant fruit orchards and make streams flow underneath.

Then for three hundred years continued the construction of the palatial city.Its four sides were one hundred and twenty miles long. The bricks of the buildings were of gold and silver. The trees were also made of silver and gold. Diamonds and precious stones were fixed in the place of fruits. The upper surface of soil was made of pieces of  coral and pearls. They were spread as this way that soil was not seen.

Iram, the city was built by King Shaddad as an imitation of the Earthly paradise and was truly the most splendid and magnificent city ever seen on Earth. It was known as the Garden of Iram.

When Shaddad was informed that his heaven is completed, he went to enjoy himself inside but he could not enter, one step in side and his last time approached and he died. The total age of Shaddad was 900 years.

The lineage of Prophet Hud is as follows: He is Hud, the son of ^Abdullah, the son of Rabah, the son of al-Jalud, the son of ^Ad, the son of ^Aws, the son of Iram, the son of Sam, the son of Noah.

People of Ad were skillful masons and were mostly well off. Having abundant wealth as well as a long life made them proud of their achievements and considered themselves to be invincible. The people of the tribe of  Ad were very tall and strong. The tallest among them was 100 cubits in height and the shortest was 60 cubits in height (~90 feet).

Since Hud was a man from amongst them, it was certain that they would be more inclined to listen to him.He was enjoying a great patience in guiding people.

“To the ‘Ad People (We sent) Hud, one of their own brethren. He said: “O my people! Worship God! Ye have no other god but Him. You are only forgers. “O my people! I ask of you no reward for this (Message). My reward is from none but Him who created me: Will ye not then understand? “And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you skies pouring abundant rain, and add strength to your strength: So turn ye not back in sin!” They said: “O Hud! No clear (Sign) hast thou brought us, and we are not the ones to desert our gods on thy word! Nor shall we believe in thee! “We say nothing but that (perhaps) some of our gods may have seized thee with evil.” He said: “I call God to witness, and do ye bear witness, that I am free from the sin of ascribing to Him, “Other gods as partners!”
(11:50-55)

He then stood up and prayed: “Give me victory on what they called me a liar.” Then the order of God came – The punishment of no more rain. There was a terrible drought for three years. The grass and cattle were destroyed. Then a huge black cloud appeared. The people of ‘Ad were very happy when they saw this cloud because they assumed that it contained much rain. They declared that this cloud would bring back the land and the rivers would flow again. Little did they know what was in store for them. Instead, this black cloud brought a terrible wind that would lift men up and then drop them with such force that they would crush. Many men even tried to escape this wind by hiding in the mountain caves. However, there was no escape from this wind. This wind would even follow them in the caves.

The people of ‘Ad used to boast that there was none stronger than they. God surely proved them wrong for their disobedience. God destroyed not only the people of ‘Ad, but the entire city as well.

They did not heed the warnings and were punished with hurricanes so fierce that nothing could withstand it. The people of Ad were punished with the severest of hurricanes, which was unrelenting and smashing their cities for 8 days and 7 nights, continuously!

Afterwards the remnant who survived established themselves in Yemen.

The Story of Prophet Hud (as) is a major lesson for all of us. It is a prime example of  how civilizations grow arrogant, haughty and proud and then are brought down with the severest of punishments.

Idris is the third of the Prophets.He was the 5th generation of the Prophet Adam. He was born and raised in Babylon following the teachings and religion of Prophet Adam (pbuh) and his son Seth (pbuh). Then God made him a Prophet and Messenger.

Prophet Idris called the people to be good Muslims, following all the rules of the Religion revealed to him. He told them to perform the prayers and showed them how to pray. They were ordered to fast certain days every month. He called the people back to his forefathers religion, but only a few listened to him, while the majority turned away.

Idris was directed to migrate to Egypt and settle on the bank of the river Nile. He preached the religion of Allah among various tribes and admonished them to be good and civilized.

He was the first to warn people that a flood would come as a punishment (as it did come in the time of Noah).

God revealed 30 short booklets (suhuf) to Idris. God gave him the knowledge of  Astronomy and Arithmetic. It is reported that he was the 1st to invent the basic form of writing.

Prophet Idris was friend of one of the angels of heaven. At the age of 365 years the angel friend took Idris up into the heavens and when they arrived in the fourth heaven, they met the Angel of Death. The Angel of Death said: Where is Idris because I have been commanded to end his life. Prohet Idris (pbuh) then stayed in the fourth heaven and died in the wings of his angel friend.

Some of his wise sayings,

“None can show better gratitude for Allah’s favors than he who shares them with others. Do not envy people for what they have as they will only enjoy it for a short while. He who indulges in excess will not benefit from it. The real joy of life is to have wisdom.”

“Happy is he who looks at his own deeds and appoints them as pleaders to his Lord.”

“Do not feel jealous of the prosperity of others.”

“He who has unlimited desires, is deprived of the wealth of contentment.”

“One should be sincere in acts of devotion.”

“It is an act of grave sin to take false oaths.”

“Being patient, while believing in God, leads one to victory. “

“He who controls his passions, is fortunate. Only a good act will be a living intercessor before Allah on the Day of Judgment.”

“One who is desirous of attaining perfection in knowledge, should have no concern with immoral acts.”

Sheth was the third son of the Prophet Adam (pbuh). When Sheth was born, his father, the Prophet Adam (pbuh), had attained the age of 130 years.

Sheth was born five years after the death of Habil. Prophet Adam (pbuh) was very sad that Habil was dead. But Allah, in great mercy and kindness, gave Prophet Adam another beloved son. Allah told Prophet Adam (pbuh) that he would have a son and from the decedents of this son would come Prophet Muhammad. This made Prophet Adam very happy. Allah’s mercy was so great to Prophet Adam that Allah made Sheth look like his father. Prophet Adam loved Sheth very much. Prophet Adam taught Sheth the hours of the day and night and told Sheth of a flood that was to come.

When Prophet Adam (pbuh) was on death bed, he appointed Sheth (pbuh) as his successor and advised his descendants to follow him and live peacefully in perfect harmony.

Sheth conveyed the message of Islam to the people, telling the people the correct belief  in God and the way to perform acceptable worship. All the humans were Muslim at that time, but still God gave the Revelation to Seth, and he taught and reminded the people.

It is said that The Almighty revealed to him fifty small portions of the Scripture.

Seth received a new ruling from God, different from the time of Prophet Adam. This ruling was that it is forbidden for the brother to marry his sister, whether she is his twin sister, or his sister who is not his twin.

He tried to guide his followers on the right path, but some of them were strayed by the Satan. They began to worship Satan’s self-made portrait. Prophet Sheth (pbuh) passed away at the age of 912 years.

Ramadan is just around the corner! We should start to plan and prepare ourselves for the holy month and get the most out of the blessed days. But, we forget one main concern: food. As with anything important, it is always good to be prepared.

Make Your Weekly Ramadan Meal Plan

Thinking of what to cook takes about as much time and effort as the actual task.Make a schedule for one or two weeks and rotate it during the month, or make it for all 30 days! Put it up on the fridge so you see it constantly, are prepared and in the mindset of what needs to be done, rather than scouring through your recipe books trying to
locate your menu at the last minute.

Stock Up on Dry Groceries

The whole process of making a grocery list, going to the store, shopping and then putting them away is more time and energy consuming than most of us realise. This includes doing the bulk of grocery shopping for things that can be stocked up. Narrowing the list down to just perishables every week,means that the chore of doing groceries does not seem like such a big task anymore and can be done in minimum time.

Share the Workload

Division of labor is a wonderful thing. This applies to making all the samosas/other snacks before Ramadan or even the chores of the house during the month itself. Get your kids involved in cleaning up after themselves, setting the table and helping you around the house within their capacity.Let them know the amount of reward they get with the right intention is multiplied during Ramadan.

Manage your time to Finish your Kitchen Work

This will greatly help maintain your routine. It will ensure that you are not cooking right up until the adhan for the Maghrib prayer. Make sure you start early in order to be done early to make the most of the blessed time before iftar.

 Eat Healthy

• During Ramadan it’s important to eat healthy and stay healthy.
• Drink lots of water. Proper hydration is essential.
• Replace sugar with fruit when possible, Sugar robs our bodies of minerals and vitamins.
• Try eating whole wheat bread and unpolished rice.
• Avoid foods high in salt such as pickles, salty crackers and nuts, and canned foods.
• Do not over eat. This might cause indigestion.
• Choose fresh vegetables as they contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals.
• Use fresh fruits to prepare juices and serve them in moderation.
• Use low fat milk and other low fat dairy products.
• Avoid using butter and ghee in cooking and substitute them with vegetable oils in small amounts.
• Try using lean meat, fish and skinless chicken, and prepare them by grilling, boiling and baking rather than frying
• Try and avoid having a large quantity of starters and sweets which will lead to weight gain
• Walk or participate in some kind of physical activity.

Health FAQs

Should a person with diabetes fast?

• People who have their diabetes under control, either by their diet or using tablets, may fast. However, their GP may require them to change their medication to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Those who need insulin to control their diabetes should not fast

I get severe migraines when I don’t eat and they get worse when I fast. Should I fast?

• People with uncontrolled migraines should not fast. However, managing your migraines is possible with the right medicine and with changes to the person’s lifestyle. Ask your GP for further advice on controlling your migraines.

Should a person with high or low blood pressure fast?

• People with well-controlled high blood pressure may fast. Their GP may require a change to their medicine to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Someone with low blood pressure who is otherwise well and healthy may fast. They must drink enough fluid and have enough salt.

Is fasting harmful when a woman is expecting a baby? Must pregnant women fast?

• There’s medical evidence to show that fasting in pregnancy is not a good idea. If a pregnant woman feels strong and healthy enough to fast, especially during the early part of the pregnancy, she may do so. If she doesn’t feel well enough to fast, Islamic law gives her clear permission not to fast, and to make up the missed fasts later. If she is unable to do this, she must perform fidyah (a method of compensation for a missed act of worship).

Is Ramadan a good time to quit smoking?

• Yes. Smoking is wasteful and seriously bad for your health. Ramadan is a great opportunity to change many unhealthy habits, and smoking is definitely one of them.

Can I use an asthma inhaler during Ramadan?

• Muslim experts differ on this issue. Some say that using an asthma inhaler isn’t the same as eating or drinking, and is therefore permitted during fasting. In their view, people with asthma can fast and use their inhalers whenever they need to. But other scholars say that the inhaler provides small amounts of liquid medicine to the lungs, so it breaks the fast. They say that people with poor control of their asthma must not fast until good control is achieved. Some people with asthma may opt for longer-acting inhalers so that they can fast. See your GP for further advice.

Can a person fast if they are getting a blood transfusion in hospital?

•  No. A person receiving a blood transfusion is advised not to fast on medical grounds. They may fast on the days when no transfusions are required.

Could dehydration become so bad that you have to break the fast?

• Yes. You could have harmful levels of water loss if you were poorly hydrated (not drinking enough water) before the fast. Poor hydration can be made worse by weather conditions, and even everyday activities like walking to walk or housework. If you produce very little or no urine, feel disorientated and confused, or faint due to dehydration, you must stop fasting and have a drink of water or other fluid. Islam doesn’t require you harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, it will need to be compensated for by fasting at a later date.

Can I fast while I have dialysis?

• People on peritoneal dialysis must not fast and should perform fidyah. Haemodialysis is performed about three times a week, and causes significant shifts of fluids and salts within the body. Such patients must not fast and should perform fidyah.

Do people normally lose weight during Ramadan?

• Some people do lose weight, but others may not. It is recommended that meals eaten during Ramadan be light, but most people can’t resist sampling special sweets and foods associated with Ramadan.

I am on regular medication. Can I still fast?

•  If the medicine needs to be taken during fasting, do not fast. If this medication is required as treatment for a short illness, you can compensate for missed fasts by fasting on other days when you are well.If you are on long-term medication then you could talk to your GP whether to change your medication, so that you can take it outside the time of the fast. If your disease is unstable or poorly controlled, do not fast. Those who are unable to do the missed fasts later, due to the long-term use of medication, should do fidyah.

Does a breastfeeding woman have to fast?

• No. Islamic law says a breastfeeding mother does not have to fast. Missed fasts must be compensated for by fasting or fidyah once breastfeeding has stopped.

Allah made the mountains, the seas and all the animals. He made the heavens, the stars, the sun and the moon. And he made the angels. The angels were like Allah’s servants and did everything He ordered.Then Allah decided to make a man. He called this first man Adam.

Allah sent Gabriel onto the earth to get Him clay therefrom. The earth said: “I seek refuge in Allah from your decreasing my quantity or disfiguring me.” So Gabriel returned and did not take anything. He said: “My Lord, the land sought refuge in You and it granted.” So Allah sent Michael and he too said to Allah what Gabriel has said before him. Then Allah sent the Angel of Death, and the land sought refuge in Allah, the angel said: “I also seek refuge with Allah from returning without carrying out His command.” So he took clay from the face of the earth and mixed it. He did not take from one particular place, but rather he took white, red, and black clay from different places.

Allah soaked the clay till it became sticky. Then Allah said to the angels: “Truly, I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him.”

Allah created Adam from dust after He mixed the clay and left him for some time until it became sticky mud,making him 60 cubits(This is 30 meter) tall. When He created him, He said to him, “Go and greet that group of angels.”So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, “As-salamu Alaika WA Rahmatul-lahi” (i.e. Peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon you). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam’s creation.

Allah breathed His spirit into Adam and when it reached his head Adam sneezed. The angels said: “Say all praise belongs to Allah.” Adam repeated: “All praise belongs to Allah.”

And then: The angels prostrated themselves all of them together. Except Iblis, he refused to be among the prostrators. He was a jinn(demons), and as such he was supposed to be inferior to the angels.

Iblis tried in vain to justify his refusal: “Shall I prostrate to one whom You created from clay?” Iblis said: “If You give me respite (keep me alive) to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his offspring (by sending them astray) all but a few!”

Allah knew that Iblis was not going to obey Him in prostrating before Adam. Allah could have totally annihilated him. Yet, Allah gives His commissioned creatures absolute freedom even to the extent that they can refuse Allah the Almighty’s commands. He grants them the freedom of denial, disobedience, and even disagreement with Him.

Adam sometimes talked to the angels, but they were preoccupied with worshiping Almighty Allah. Therefore Adam, felt lonely. One day he slept and when he awoke he found near his head, a woman gazing at his face with beautiful tender eyes whom Allah had created from his ribs.

Adam and Hawa were admitted to Paradise and there they lived the dream of all human beings. Allah permitted them to approach and enjoy everything except one tree, that might have been the Tree of Pain or the Tree of Knowledge. Allah forbade them they were give abode in Paradise.

Adam was however a human being and man tends to forget. His heart changes and his will weakens.Iblis started to whisper to him day after day “Shall I guide you to the tree of Immortality and the Eternal Kingdom?”

Years went by, and Adam and Hawa were preoccupied with thoughts of that tree. Then one day they decided to eat of its fruit. They forgot that Allah had warned them not to approach it and that Iblis was their sworn enemy. Adam stretched out his hand, picked one of the fruits and offered it to Hawa. They both ate of the forbidden tree.

Allah the Almighty addressed Adam: “Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily Satan is an open enemy unto you?”

“Get down, one of you an enemy to the other (Adam, Hawa, and Satan etc). On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment, for a time.” He said: “Therein you shall live and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected).”

They left Paradise and descended upon the earth.On earth he had to face conflict and struggle.He also had to toil to sustain himself.

Adam also understood that Allah punishes disobedience and that the way of Paradise has to be through submission to the will of Allah. And he learned from Allah Almighty to ask for forgiveness.Allah accepted Adam’s repentance and forgave him. He then sent him to the earth as His first messenger.

The pinnacle of earthly bliss was reached when Adam and Hawa witnessed the birth of their 1st children, a set of twins. Adam was a devoted father and Hawa a contented mother. The twins were Qabil and his sister. Later Hawa gave birth to a second set of twins, Habil and his sister.

Qabil tilled the land while Habil raised cattle.The time arrived when the two young men desired life partners. This was part of Allah’s plan for mankind, to multiply and form nations with different cultures and colors. Allah told Adam that he should marry each son to the twin sister of the other. Adam instructed his children according to Allah’s command, but Qabil was displeased with the partner chosen for him, for Habil’s twin sister was not as beautiful as his own.

It appears that since the beginning of time, physical beauty has been a factor in the attraction between man and women. This attraction caused Qabil to envy his brother Habil. He rebelled against Allah’s command by refusing to accept his father’s advice. Qabil threatened his brother. “I will kill you! I refuse to see you happy while I remain unhappy!”Habil did not fear his brother’s threats, but neither did he want his
brother to be hurt, Allah had blessed Habil with purity and compassion.

Qabil struck his brother with a stone killing him instantly. This was the 1st death and the 1st criminal act committed by man on earth.

Qabil did not know what to do with his brother’s corpse. Allah sent two ravens that began fighting, causing the death of one. The victorious bird used its beak and claws to dig a hole in the ground, rolled its victim into it and covered it with sand.Witnessing this, Qabil was overcome with shame and remorse. “Woe unto me!” he exclaimed. “I was unable to do what this raven has done, that is to hide my brother’s
corpse.” Qabil then buried his brother. This was also the 1st burial of man.

Adam was utterly grief stricken by the loss of his two sons. One was dead, the other was won over by the devil.

When Adam’s death was near the angels entered his room and surrounded him. When he recognized the Angel of Death among them, his heart smiled peacefully.Angels took his soul, embalmed and wrapped him, dug the grave and laid him in it. They prayed on him and put him in his grave, saying: ‘O Children of Adam, this is your tradition at the time of death.”"

Before his death Adam reassured his children that Allah would not leave man alone on the earth, but would sent His prophets to guide them.

After Adam’s death, his South Seth (Shiith) took over the responsibilities of prophethood, Allah sent down one hundred and four psalms, of which fifty were sent down to Seth.” When the time of his death came Seth’s son Anoush succeeded him.

• Science clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’, the result of what is known today as the ‘Big Bang’.This is one of the undisputed principles of modern cosmology.

God said in the Quran:

Then He turned to the heavens when it was smoke.
(41:11)

• As the whole universe was created from same smoke,we conclude that the earth and the heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke’, they formed and separated from each other.

God said in the Quran:

Do not the disbelievers realise that the heavens and earth were one connected entity,
then We split them asunder, and We made from water every living thing?
(21:31-34)

• The Universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate say astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

God said in the Quran:

The heavens, We have built them with power. And verily, We are expanding it
(51:47)

• According to the scientists Water vaporizes from the oceans and rivers forming tiny clouds. The small clouds join together and the updrafts within the larger cloud increase.The cloud body stretches into cooler regions of the atmosphere where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc.

God said in the Quran:

Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then
makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it.
(24:43)

• Scientists believe life originated in an aquatic environment full of inorganic compounds, and when struck by high amounts of energy(lightning) this produced organic compounds, the first basic building blocks of life.

God said in the Quran:

We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
(21:30)

In the peaceful conditions of Medina Muslims had religious freedom. They had to figure out how to summon the Muslims to the Mosque.

The jews summoned their congregations to the temple by blowing trumpets, the Christians by striking gongs. Mahummad(peace be upon him) felt that human voice could better communicate the emotion and inspiration which should be dedicated to the solemnity of the occasion.

When this problem was discussed, one day Abd Allah b. Zayd came to Holy Prophet and related to him a dream in which some one had taught him the way of calling people to prayer. It was:

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!

Ash hadu Al-la-Ilaha il Lallah

Ash hadu Al-la-Ilaha il Lallah

Ash hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah

Ash hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah

Hayya ‘alas-salah

Hayya ‘alas-salah

Hayya ‘alal-falah

Hayya ‘alal-falah

Allahu-Akbar Allahu-Akbar La-ilaha il-Lallah.

i.e.

(Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great!

I bear witness there is none worthy of worship except Allah.

I bear witness there is none worthy of worship except Allah.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.

Come to prayer.

Come to prayer.

Come to success.

Come to success.

Allah is Most Great! Allah is Most Great! There is none worshipable but Allah.)

The Holy Prophet Said “Your vision, by grace of God, is true. Go to Bilal and communicate it to him so that he should call to prayer accordingly.” And ordered that before every prayer a man should repeat these words with a loud voice standing on a high place so that Muslims should know that the hour for prayer had come.

15th Night of Shaban (Shab-e-Barat) is one of the blessed nights in the Islamic calender,which is next to Lailatul Qadir (27th night of Ramadaan) in auspiciousness.

On this night,Allah, the almighty takes the account of His creation and decides the fate of all beings for the coming year taking into account their past deeds.

AMAL NAMA of a person containing all his deeds of the past year are closed and new Record books are started. Also the various angels in charge of various duties like births, deaths, etc, are assigned and instructed by ALMIGHTY ALLAH -the names and number of births, deaths,etc and the dates and times they are to take place during the coming year.

Blessing, Benefit, Pardon and Forgiveness that descends upon the people of the earth. On this great night, Allah Ta’ala descends to the first heaven and proclaims, “Is there anyone who seeks forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone who seeks sustenance so that I may grant him sustenance? Is there anyone who seeks freedom from his problems so that I may remove his problems?”

• Allah has granted us this night to get in touch with him personally and individually. We should value this opportunity.
• Make sure that you offer all the prayers in the Masjid with Jamat.Farz is of much greater importance than any Nafl Prayer.
• After sunset recite “La Hawla walaa Quwwata illa Billahil-aliyil Azeem” forty times with three times Durood Shareef before and after.
• Involving your self in recitation of quran, any zikr, nafl salah and most importantly, Dua!
• Make as much dua as possible for the Ummah and for yourself.
• Pray as much as you can conveniently. After that go to sleep and make sure you offer Fajr Salah in time in the Masjid.
• Visit the graves of your loved ones, as it was done by our beloved Prophet(SAW) as well.
• Dua is the true essense of this night. Involve yourself in as much dua as you can.

Prophet Noah called his people to return to the worship of the One True God. He preached the message of Islam among his people for nine hundred years.But in those days when the kuffar passed away, they would instruct their children not to believe in Prophet Noah. In this manner, every generation exhorted the next to commit kufr against Allah.

Allah decided he had to wash the earth clean of humanity’s prevailing sinful nature. Allah then revealed to Prophet Noah that none of his people was going to embrace Islam, except those that already have done. So he was commanded to build a ship.As commanded, Prophet Noah now set upon the task of building the Ark with the help of the small group of believers.

The ship was built according to exact measurements Allah provided him. He built it from teak wood and was coated with a layer of tar. The ship was about 138 metres in length, 23 metres wide, and 14 metres high. It had three decks. The lower deck was for animals, the middle for human beings, and the top deck for birds. It also had a flat roof, and several windows and a door on the side.It took him fifty years to build this ship.

Alla ordered Noah that when he saw a sign to start loading the ark. The sign was seeing water flowing out of an oven made of stones.

It started to rain, and then Noah wife salam noticed water flowing out of the clay-oven. The flood started on 10th Rajab, which was the day they all embarked on the ship of Noah. As a result God made the beasts gathered near the ark.Prophet Noah took a male and female pair of each kind of animal. The believers also went on the ark. The sea rose quickly and covered even the highest mountains – all drowned except for those in the Ark. After forty days Allah commanded the waters to recede and the great ship came to rest “on the mountains El Judi”.

Who could be more conscious than Muhammad(peace be upon him) of the universal nature of the teachings of Islam and the responsibilities that fell on the Prophet for spreading its message in the whole world.

The God of Islam is Rass al’-Aalmin, the Lord of the universe: He is the Rabb al-nas, Malik al-nas, Ilah al-nas-, the Lord, the King and God of men: not only of Muslim, Jews or Christians, alone but the Lord of all the creation ; the Creator and Sustainer of all man kind, and not a tribal deity who is pre-occupied with the destinies of one particular tribe or nation, adjusting all the people to the requirements of a chosen few.

Just as God is the Lord of the whole universe, similarly His last Prophet(peace be upon him) is the Mercy for all the worlds:

We have not sent thee save as a mercy to all the created beings.

(xxi: 107)

So is the case with the religion that has preached. Its message is universal and transcends all barriers of caste and color and those created by geography:

Blessed is He who hath sent down al-Furqan upon His servant, that he maybe a warner unto all created beings.

(xxv: 1)

It is significant that while at mecca , the Holy Prophet(may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray with his face turned to holy mosque at Jerusalem, but when he came to Medena, he was directed by Divine revelation to turn his face to the Ka’bah as his qiblah.

This was a change of far-reaching importance, and it had different reactions in different circles. It strengthened the loyalty of the Muslims to Islam and the Holy Prophet. They expressed their implicit faith in Muhammed( peace be upon him) as the recipient of Divine revelation and acepted this change most willingly.

The Holy Qur’an refers,
And We appointed not the quibla, which you have had, but that We mightdistinguish him who follows the Apostle from him who turns back upon his heels, and this was surely hard except for those Allah has guided aright.

(ii: 143)

The change of direction had a deeper significance than might appear at first sight. It established Ka’bah at Mecca as a religious center for all Muslims, just as from time immemorial it had been a place of pilgrimage for all the tribes of Arabia.

Sha’ban is the month before the blessed month of Ramadan. There are many practices amongst Muslims related to the month of Shaaban that are not supported by any authentic hadith of Prophet(s) . This post summarizes some of those misconceptions of Shaban.

Here is an explanation of some of the misconceptions ,

Fasting on 15th of Shaban is a deed of great reward.

The reality, however, is that the hadith literature lacks the evidence of any authentic ahadith related to this topic.
- Fasting ONLY on 15th of Shabaan is an innovation and not according to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Thus should be totally avoided. Fasting frequently in Shabaan was the Sunnah of Rasool Allah However; Rasool prohibited his ummah from fasting after 15th of Shabaan due to fear of becoming too weak to be able to fast in Ramadan.

Rasool Allah Sallaalahu alayhe Wasallam said :
“When half of shaban has passed, do not fast”
(Abu Dawood Bab 12: Hadith 2337- Classed Hasan Sahih by Albani)

Fasting on the last day of Shaaban is not allowed

There are a number of ahadith and scholarly opinions on this issue some of which are as follows:

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: “It was understood from this that it is haraam to fast the day of doubt, because the Sahaabah would not say such a thing based on personal opinion, so a report such as this has the same status as a marfoo’ hadeeth.

The Prophet (S) said: “Do not anticipate Ramadaan by fasting one or two days before it begins, but if a man habitually fasts, then let him fast.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1914; Muslim, 1082. So if a person is used to fasting on Mondays, for example, and that coincides with the last day of Sha’baan, then it is permissible for him to observe that as a voluntary fast and it is not forbidden for him to do so.

The scholars have stated concerning the day of doubt, “The Sunnah indicates that it is haraam to fast this day (last day of Shaaban).” (Fataawa al-Lajnah, 10/117).

Shab e Baraat i.e. the 15th of Shabaan is a Special Night for prayers in Islam.

The middle of the month of Shaaban should not be singled out for special worship.There is no such thing as Shab e Baraat. Word Shab e Baraat never appears in the Quran or Hadith. Shab e Baraat is infact NOT an Arabic Word. In this context, the scholars have stated the following:

… if a person wants to pray qiyaam on this night as he does on other nights – without doing anything extra or singling this night out for anything – then that is fine. The same applies if he fasts the day of the fifteenth of Shaaban because it happens to be one of the ayyaam al-beed, along with the fourteenth and thirteenth of the month, or because it happens to be a Monday or Thursday. If the fifteenth (of Shaaban ) coincides with a Monday or Thursday, there is nothing wrong with that (fasting on that day), so long as he is not seeking extra reward that has not been proven (in the saheeh hadith texts).” (islamqa.info)

On this blessed night Allah Tala descends down to forgive people

Allah Tala descends down EVERY night to forgive the people who repent.

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said,
“When it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, ‘Is there anyone who invokes Me (demand anything from Me), that I may respond to his invocation; Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give (it to) him; Is there anyone who asks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?’“
[Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 333]

This is the blessed night on which the taqdeer is decided.

Who will live…who will die. Who will get how much rizq. The following verses of the Quran are presented as evidence stating that this verse is talking about a blessed night on which everything is decreed and that night is 15th of Shaban.

Veriy We Sent it down on a blessed night Verily, We are ever warning. There in is decreed every matter of ordainments. As a Command from Us. Verily, We are ever sending, (As) a Mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
[Surah Dukhaan Chapter 44 Verse 4]

The verse is being misquoted. This Verse is about a Night in Ramadan NOT Shab e Baraat. The verse is talking about revelation of Quran on a blessed Night. Read the first 2 ayats of Surah Dukhaan again!

Indeed we sent IT (i.e. The Quran) on a blessed Night (Lailtul Qadr in Ramadan) Allah has informed us in Surah Baqarah that the Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an. (Surah Al Baqarah. Chapter 2:185)