Easy guide for new muslims 2

[فداء الرسول]

Simple Explanation of Three Short Surahs of Quran

Surah Al-Ikhlaas

This short surah is equivalent in virtue to one third of the Quran, and is ideal to memorize for reciting in the salah. It is also recommended to say it after every prayer and before going to sleep at night.

Text, Transliteration, Translation, and Explanation

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

1. Qul huwallahu ahad

Say, “He is Allah, (who is) One.

Say, O Prophet, He is Allah, the only Lord, the only one Who deserves worship, and the only One who possesses Names and Attributes of beauty and perfection. No one shares with Him in these matters.

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

2. Allahus samad

Allah, the Eternal Refuge.

Allah alone is sought in times of need. Allah alone is the desire of the hearts. On Him all creation depends. This dependence is not reciprocal, however; He does not depend on His creatures.

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

3. Lam yalid walam yoolad

He neither begets nor is born,

He has no son or daughter, father or mother, or companion.

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

4. Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad

Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

Nothing in creation resembles Allah in any of His names, attributes, or actions.

Surah Al-Falaq

Surah al-Falaq is the second last chapter of the Quran. Both this surah and Surah an-Naas are man’s best protection against evil. It is also good to frequently recite them in salah. It is also recommended to say them after each obligatory prayer and before going to sleep at night.

Text, Transliteration, Translation, and Explanation

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ

1. Qul aaoothu bi rabbil falaq

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak

Say – O Prophet – I take the protection of the Lord of dawn.

مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

2. Min sharri ma khalaq

From the evil of that which He created

From the evil of every created being and its harm.

وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ

3. Wa min sharri ghaasiqin itha waqab

And from the evil of darkness when it settles

And from the evil of deep darkness when it settles and the creatures of the night.

وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ

4. Wa min sharrin naffathati fil uqad

And from the evil of the blowers in knots

From the evil of sorceresses who blow on knots to cast spells.

وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

5. Wa min sharri haasidin itha hasad

And from the evil of an envier when he envies.”

And from the evil of the envious when he envies people for Allah’s gifts, wishing they be taken away, and desiring to hurt people.

Surah Al-Naas

Read introduction to Surah al-Falaq.

Text, Transliteration, Translation, and Explanation

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ

1. Qul aaoothu birabbin naas

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

Say – O Prophet – I take the protection of the Lord of mankind from other people, who alone is capable of repelling their evil suggestions.

مَلِكِ النَّاسِ

2. Malikin naas

The Sovereign of mankind.

The King of mankind who is not in need of man, but man is in need of Him – He is in control of all human affairs.

إِلَهِ النَّاسِ

3. Ilaahin naas

The God of mankind,

The God of mankind, beside whom there is no deity, no god, and no object fit to be worshipped.

مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ

4. Min sharril waswasil khannas

From the evil of the retreating whisperer

From the evil of the sneaky devil who whispers temptation in moments of heedlessness and goes in hiding when Allah is remembered.

الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ

5. Allathee yuwaswisu fee sudoorin naas

Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind

Those who spread evil and sow doubts in the hearts of men.

مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَ النَّاسِ

6. Minal jinnati wan naas

From among the jinn and mankind.”

From the devils among humans and the evil spirits among jinn.

[فداء الرسول]

رد استفسار المهتدين الجدد
1-Keeping Good Company

One of the best ways that the Muslim can preserve and safeguard their religion is that they be selective of who they take as friends and company. Without great effort, one can see the amount of influence peers have on each other. Sufficient is that saying of the Prophet, may Allah praise him:

“A person is on the way of life (deen) of his close friend, so let people look into whom they take as close friends.” (Abu Daawood)

An obvious fact is that close friends usually are so because of the things they have in common. They share the same interests and hobbies, relate to each other well, and try to please each other by fulfilling those things their friends like. For this reason, they are on the same deen, or way of life. If a person is a crook, he will have crooks as friends; if a person devotes their life to science, they will have other scientists as friends; and if one devotes their life to Islam, they will choose other good Muslims as friends.

When one chooses evil friends, they will encourage him to do evil deeds, or at the very least they will not encourage him to do righteous deeds. On the other hand, if a person carefully selects their friends and only accompanies the righteous, they will advise and enjoin each other with righteousness and piety, and prevent and warn each other from doing evil. A clear example of this is that if a Muslim who prays befriends a person who does not, when the time for prayer comes, their friend who does not pray will most likely not remind him that it is time for prayer. Rather, it may be that when the one who does pray wants to excuse himself to pray, their friend might even try to prevent him or tell him to pray later. Also, if one befriends a person that does not care much about committing sins, they might encourage their friends to commit the same sin. Allah mentioned what a person who had evil companions will say on the Day of Judgment in the following verse:

“And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands and say: ‘Woe to me! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Woe to me! If only I had not taken so-and-so as a friend!’ He has led me astray from this Reminder (the Quran) after it had come to me. And Satan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need.” (Quran 25:27-29)

The Prophet, may Allah praise him said in regards to the evil companion:

“The example of a righteous and evil companion is like one who carries perfume and another who is a blacksmith. As for the one who carries perfume, he will either give you some perfume, you might buy it, or [at least] you will find a pleasing scent with him. As for the blacksmith, either he (the blacksmith) will burn his clothes, or you will find a hideous odor coming from him.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

This is especially important to those Muslims who have recently embraced Islam, or those people born in Muslim families who have recently chosen to abide by the tenets of the religion. They may have many habits and may have become accustomed to various ways which are regarded as sins in Islam, and they need good company to help them in their struggle to put them aside. A good example may be smoking or drinking. If a person wants to “kick the habit” it would be detrimental for them to befriend those Muslims or keep company with previous friends who smoke or drink. Rather they should keep company with those who will remind them of Allah and involve themselves with learning and teaching the religion along with practicing its tenets.

Quite often, many of those who enter Islam face opposition, disagreement and harm, especially from those closest to them. You should keep this in mind and know that through this is an elevation of your level, a purification of sins, and a trial through which Allah is testing you, all to see the extent of your truthfulness and steadfastness on your religion. Having pious Muslims as friends will be an added support for you, and they will try to be there in your time of need.

There are many ways one can meet and befriend righteous people, and one of the best places is the mosque (masjid). There you will find the best of the Muslims. Allah said, describing those Muslims who frequent them often:

“The Mosques of Allah are frequented only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish the prayers, offer the obligatory charity (zakah) and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.” (Quran 9:18)

If your mosque has classes, be sure to attend them, as the best of gatherings are those in which the religion of Allah is discussed. If you are a university student, a good place to meet good people may be the Muslims Students Association. If there is no mosque in your area and you live far from Muslims, you might consider moving to an area which has more Muslims. If not, you can at least try to attend a mosque in a larger town once a week. In the meantime, there are some beneficial groups and study circles you may find on the internet. At all costs, you should try your hardest to keep good company; people who will encourage and help you to practice your religion.

One may think that it is acceptable to keep close friends with those who practice other faiths believing them to be good people. We should know that the worst sin in Islam is that one follows a religion other than it. There is much harm in associating with people of other faiths. It is obvious that they do not follow the religion of Islam due to the doubts and confusion they might have about it. These people may openly discuss their doubts and confusion with Muslims, or try to convert them to their religion, either in an outright or in a hidden manner. Muslims who do not have enough knowledge about Islam may themselves start to doubt about the issues they raise. This is only one of the many detrimental effects which might result in frequent association with people of other faiths. This is not to say that you should cut off from all your past relationships, bur that you should be careful in who you mix with and to what extent.

It is not enough, however, that you befriend just any Muslim either. Rather, you should seek pious knowledgeable Muslims who themselves are trying their utmost to adhere to the tenets of the religion. You may see many Muslims falling short in fulfilling the obligations and refraining from the prohibitions of the religion. The extent to which one falls short differs from person to person, but it is all due to the fact that the Shaytaan (Satan) is trying his utmost to misguide people. Allah says:

“[Satan (Iblees)] said: ‘By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all.’” (Quran 38:82)

Do not let this discourage you; rather, let this be your greatest incentive to try your hardest in serving this religion and calling to it.

It is also of utmost importance that you understand your religion from its proper and trusted sources – the Book of Allah and the authentic teachings (Sunnah) of His Messenger. Let the Messenger of the religion, Muhammad, may Allah praise him, be your role model and leader, and learn his biography so you can pattern your life after him. Try as much as possible to accompany the knowledgeable people, and other good practicing Muslims who practice what they preach, and know that not all of those who say they are Muslims should be trusted in knowledge. Rather, you must make sure and carefully examine those who you take your knowledge from or what you read by comparing them with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, Muhammad, and his rightly guided successors. Take whatever is in accordance with his Sunnah, and leave whatever opposes it.

We ask Allah that He keep our hearts firm upon the religion, and not lead us to misguidance after Guidance has been granted to us. May Allah make us see the truth as the truth and grant us the guidance to follow it, and may He make us see falsehood as falsehood and grant us the guidance to avoid it.

[فداء الرسول]

2-أين الله
Where Is Allah?


Meaning and Significance

The divine attribute ‘Uluw means Allah is above His creation, and nothing is above Him. He is neither within His creation, nor part of His creation. Creation cannot encompass Him. The Creator is completely separate and distinct from His creation.

Before Islam, Hindus believed God resided in animals, human beings and countless idols. The Jewish scripture stated that God came to earth in the form of a man and wrestled with Prophet Joseph who defeated Him (Genesis 32:24-30). Christians have claimed that God became flesh and came down to earth in the form of a man to be crucified. Some heretics also brought such ideas into Islam. For example, Hallaj, a deranged mystic, openly claimed he and Allah were one. These deviant ideas have become so widespread that if someone were to ask many Muslims today, ‘Where is Allah?’ they will say that He is everywhere.

The main danger of this thought is that it opens the door to the worship of creation. If God is everywhere, it means He is in His creation. If that is true, then why not worship the creation itself? It becomes especially easy for people to start saying God is in their own souls and accept worship. Countless kings, ordinary individuals like the Pharaohs of Egypt and Jesus were so worshipped, though the latter did not accept being worshipped by his followers.

The Evidence

Allah is not everywhere. There are five main proofs for it:

(1) Islam states that every human being is born with certain tendencies that are not the result of his environment. Human beings are born with a natural realization of a Creator who is separate and above His creation. The mere thought of God being in places of filth, which would be a natural consequence of God being everywhere, is repulsive to human nature.

(2) The salah prayer must be offered in a place clear of pictures or statues. A Muslim is forbidden to bend or prostrate in worship to any creation. If Allah were everywhere and in everything, people could worship other people or themselves. There would be no sense to bend or prostrate to creation if God were inside it.

(3) Two years before the Prophet, may Allah praise him, migrated to Medina from Mecca, he was taken on a miraculous journey to Mecca to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem up beyond the seven heavens to meet Allah. Allah spoke directly to Prophet Muhammad. There would have been no need for him to go up beyond the seven heavens to meet Allah if He were present everywhere.

(4) Many verses of the Quran tell us clearly that Allah is above His creation.

The Quran speaks of the angels rising up to Allah:

“They ascend up to Him in a day whose length is like a thousand years by your reckoning.” (Quran 32:5)

Prayers also rise up to Allah:

“Every good saying goes up to Him.” (Quran 35:10)

Allah describes Himself as above His servants:

“He is the Irresistible One above His creation.” (Quran 6:18, 61)

He describes His worshippers as:

“Those who fear their Lord who is above them.” (Quran 16:50)

One of Allah’s beautiful names is al-Aliy which means, ‘The Most High’; nothing is above Him.

(5) A companion of the Prophet, may Allah praise him, named Ibn al-Hakam had a slave who used to tend his sheep. One day, he came to see her and found out that a wolf had eaten one of the sheep from the flock she cared for. Learning this, he got angry and slapped her in the face, but later regretted doing so. So he came to Allah’s Messenger and told him the story, upon which the Messenger asked him to bring her.

When she came, the Prophet asked her, ‘Where is Allah?’ She answered, ‘Above the sky.’ The Prophet asked her, ‘Who am I?’ She said, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Free her, for she is a believer.’[1]

Here, the Prophet affirmed her statement that Allah was above the sky. Had Allah not been, the Prophet would have indeed reproached her as he reproached other false beliefs.

Is Allah Detached From His Creation?

Allah’s being above His creation does not mean He is isolated from His creation. He is aware of all that happens in the universe. Nothing escapes His vision, hearing, power, and ability. The following verses should be understood in this context:

“And We are closer to Him than his jugular vein.” (Quran 50:16)

“Be aware that Allah comes between a man and his heart.” (Quran 8:24)

These verses do not mean Allah is inside a man. They simply mean that nothing escapes Allah’s knowledge. He knows even the most innermost thoughts of man, as Allah says in another verse in the Quran:

“Do they not realize Allah knows what they hide and what they expose?” (Quran 2:77)

In summary, based on the Quran and Sunnah, Allah is above the universe in a manner befitting His greatness; the creation is not in Him, nor is He contained by His creation. However, He is all Aware and Able in His knowledge, power, and ability operate within every single particle of the universe.



Comment


Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Muslim

[فداء الرسول]

3- كيفية تحقيق محبة الله
Love of God and How to achieve it

Love is such a rich phenomenon that some scholars suggest that it has no definition, it is known only by its effects. Love is categorized into different types in Islamic worldview. Some forms of love are healthy and encouraged, yet others are blameworthy. Some people or things we love are natural and we have no control over, whereas others build over time and develop into strong relationships.

The first type of love is emotional love, such as the love for one’s parents, children, and spouse. However it may vary in a sense, for example, the love of a mother for her child will be different from the love one has towards his or her spouse. In married couples, the love will be stronger if the spouse has qualities valued by the other like beauty, wealth, stability, or religious commitment. This type of love is not within one’s control. One is not responsible in front of Allah for loving one child more than the others.[1]

Love for one’s parents is also natural since a child has an innate inclination to love his parents. A child gets love and security from them and realizes the hardship they went through to raise them. By extension, one also loves his relatives and family members.

The second type of love is romantic love which can further divided into two types. The first type is when someone is in love with another person, yet the person fears Allah, and does not indulge in anything Allah has forbidden and remains chaste. The best solution for someone genuinely in love is to get married to the person if possible. If it is not meant to be, one must turn away from them for fear of falling into something forbidden by Allah.

The second type is when romantic love turns into an obsession. Obsessions in most cases take control of the person and become their main purpose of existence. Thus obsessive ‘love’ is forbidden and sinful. Scholars consider it to be an ailment of the heart that afflicts a heart empty of Allah’s love. Islamic Law has laid many safety nets to protect people from such destructive emotions that they themselves can not control.

The last category is the most sublime and pure form of love, the love of Allah. A Muslim should keep a few simple points in their mind:

First, love of Allah is not optional; it is required of every Muslim. It is an integral component of one’s faith as Allah states in the Quran:

“…But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)....” (Quran 2:165)

Second, love of Allah is different from all the above categories of love. Love of Allah is not a claim to be made; it is something that resides in the heart. The learned scholars of Islam consider love to be an ‘action’ of the heart, something that actually motivates the heart and moves a person to obey Allah and leave sins. Love of Allah is strongly related with the concept of worship in Islam and one’s faith. Worship is the fruit of a person’s love of Allah, and love of Allah in reciprocate is its aim Love is the fuel behind worship that keeps it from becoming a habit. ALL acts of devotion, worship, and obedience spring from its fountain. The very definition of worship states that it is everything Allah loves and is pleased with. Love enters every good work we do. When we offer salah, read Quran, fast, perform Hajj, give charity, or remember Allah, His love should be part of it.

Third, love of Allah is different from natural, emotional types of love described above. True love of Allah is always combined with a feeling of awe in front of divine majesty and glory, a feeling of insignificance in front of divine might. On the other hand, love for one’s spouse or child is not coupled with such feelings of awe. What this means is that a person does not just say, ‘I love God’ and leave it there, but actually carries out what Allah loves and leaves what Allah has forbidden, because a person realizes Allah’s might and ability to punish.

Fourth, love of Allah supersedes love for anyone else. Whenever there is a conflict between the two, a person must give precedence to what Allah loves.

Fifth, the more a person obeys Allah and worships Him the more his love for Allah will grow.


Footnotes:
[1] The parent is not, however, allowed to favor one child over another in terms of gifts or treatment. Islam requires that all children must be treated equally. Loving one child over another is simply a matter of the heart that one has no control over

[فداء الرسول]

Love of God and How to achieve it

Sixth, love of the Prophet, may Allah praise him, is part of loving Allah. All the world’s treasures and riches can not match the love for the Prophet. It needs to be discussed separately.

Seventh, following Prophet Muhammad is a true sign of loving Allah as He says in the Quran:

“Say [O Prophet]: ‘If you love Allah, follow me, [and] Allah will love you.’” (Quran 3:31)

A new Muslim should learn as much as possible about how the Prophet worshipped and prayed to Allah, his guidance and Sunnah in all matters of life and lovingly imitate him to earn divine love. There is nothing that Allah loves or with which one can come close to Allah, except that the Prophet of Mercy has informed us of it.

The next question for is, ‘how can I achieve the love of Allah?’

(a) the first and most important way to achieve the love of Allah is to understand the meaning of the Testimony of Faith and to commit oneself to live by it. Laa ilaha ill-Allah is the purpose of your creation, the definition of your relationship with Allah, and the key to Allah’s love and entry into Paradise. Anyone’s whose last words are Laa ilaha ill-Allah in this life will enter Paradise. One must also try to learn Allah’s beautiful Names and sublime Attributes. One cannot truly love someone they do not know.

(c) the second most important way to achieve the love of Allah is to perform the obligatory duties followed by voluntary ones. The most important of the obligatory duties is to learn the salah and to pray regularly. This is followed by fasting, paying zakah, and performing other obligations. Some scholars say that there is a Paradise on earth, if someone does not enter it, he shall not enter it in the afterlife. A person enters the Paradise on earth by enjoying God’s worship and obedience. With time, understanding the spiritual significance, and patience one will reap the greatest spiritual benefit of carrying out the obligations of Islam: the love of Allah. The Prophet, may God praise him, related:

“Allah the Mighty has said: ‘Whoever shows enmity to a beloved slave of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My slave does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. And My slave continues to draw near to Me by voluntary works till I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give and were he to seek refuge in Me, I would surely grant it.”’ (al-Bukhari) [This Prophetic narration is not to be taken literally, rather what is meant is that the person will act according to that which pleases God. For example, he will not look at impermissible things, will only listen to that which is useful and beneficial such as listening to the Quran, Islamic lectures, etc.]

(d) to enjoy being alone with Allah in prayer, salah, reciting Quran, and meditating in isolation with the Creator. Call out to Allah by presenting your problems, ask for His assistance, and supplicate to Him in those specific areas in the prayer where this is to be done, such as the prostration. One does not reach this level immediately with the first prayer. A person has to struggle with distractions, one’s self, and the devil and patiently practice being attentive to reach the state in salah where she finds comfort in it.

(e) a person can achieve the love of Allah by developing the qualities Allah loves and avoiding those things he dislikes. These qualities are found in the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet, may Allah praise him. Some of them are:

Patience in face of religious prejudice and persecution:

“And Allah loves the steadfast.” (Quran 3:146).

A new Muslim should be patient when they face ridicule, lose friends, or are mocked for accepting Islam. They should endure in learning Islam and practicing it.

Doing good:

“Surely, Allah loves those who do good.” (Quran 3:134, 148).

Controlling your anger, spending more in charity, and learning the etiquette of supplicating to Allah all fall under this category.

Taqwa:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him.” (Quran 3:76).

Taqwa is to obey Allah’s commandments and to stay away from His prohibitions in dress, diet, behavior, personal relationships, and other aspects of life.

Continuously repenting to Allah and maintaining proper Hygiene:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Quran 2:222, 9:108)

Trusting Allah in all affairs especially in decisions made after consultation:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” (Quran 3:159)

Being fair:

“And if you judge, judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Quran 5:42)

Allah does not love:

Arrogance like rejecting the truth even after it has become clear:

“Indeed, He does not like the arrogant.” (Quran 16:23)

Transgression like speaking about Allah and His religion what one does not know:

“Surely, Allah does not love transgression.” (Quran 2:190, 5:87)

Wronging others:

“Indeed, He does not like the wrongdoers.” (Quran 3:57, 42:40)

Being excessive in eating, drinking, and clothing:

“And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.” (Quran 6:141, 7:31)

Spreading corruption like inciting wars:

“And Allah does not like corruption.” (Quran 2:205, 5:64)

Breaking treaties and covenants:

“Indeed, Allah does not like traitors.” (Quran 8:59)

Sins:

“And Allah does not like every sinning disbeliever.” (Quran 2:276)

Disbelief:

“Indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.” (Quran 3:32)

Boasting and stinginess:

“Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful, who are stingy and enjoin upon [other] people stinginess and conceal what Allah has given them of His bounty.” (Quran 4:36-37)

Deceiving Allah and people:

“Indeed, Allah does not love one who is a habitually sinful deceiver. They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech.” (Quran 107-108)

Mentioning evil:

“Allah does not love the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged.” (Quran 4:148)