Tag

Piety


Browsing
vintage brown wooden door
Deen (Religion)

TURNING FEARS INTO DUAS (PART 4)

By

To read part 3, kindly click here

Broken Homes

The Swahilis have a saying that goes like, ‘Ndoa ni kuingiza mkono gizani’ (Marriage is like putting your hand into darkness (let’s say like a dark hole of sorts). This is to mean that whatever comes after the nikah is done is totally uncertain and unknown. However much you might think you know a person before marriage, this new phase is something totally different. It is unpredictable. It is filled with surprises and sometimes shocks too. And a lot of patience is needed.

Marriage is not a bed of roses just like it isn’t an absolute nightmare. There will always be highs and lows. Yet if you ask anyone who is walking into marriage no one will ever tell you that they intend to get divorced after two or three years. No one wants that for themselves and no one even expects it. We all dream of happy, blissful homes, and despite the ups and downs, we want to stay with our partners until our hair turns grey and our faces are filled with wrinkles. We want to have children who will be brilliant in intellect and wonderful in character and who will serve us until our final breath. However, that is not always the reality.

How many times have we heard of cases of domestic violence or emotional abuse or infidelity among spouses? Of fathers raping their children and mothers forming romantic relationships with their sons? Of once very loving partners now dragging each other in courts of law and hanging their dirty linen outside? Of children attempting to kill their own parents or siblings? How many times? It is so easy for us to think, ‘that could never be me’ yet how many times have we witnessed the tables turn, and in the worst way possible?

Most of us fail to realize how fragile our fates are and how we are in desperate need of Allah’s mercy and protection. Don’t let it confuse you-not every spoilt, criminal child is a result of a poor upbringing, and not every divorced partner is a result of awful character. For how many times have we witnessed pious, humble spouses from good families having the cruelest children who were but a test to them? And how many times have we seen two good individuals who were better in their separate ways rather than in a marriage? And how many negligent parents have the most responsible and kind children?

Allah Subhanahu Wataala says in Surat Al Furqan, verse 20: ‘…And We have made some of you [people] as trial for others – will you have patience? And ever is your Lord, Seeing.’

Think about it- Nabii Lut’s wife, Nabii Nuh’s son, Nabii Ibrahim’s father were among the disbelievers. Nabii Yusuf’s brothers were the plotters against him, and Asiya’s husband, Fira’un, was the worst man to have walked this earth….

Think about the boy who was killed by Al Khidr during his journey with Nabii Musa aleyhi ssalam in Surat Kahf (verse 80 – 81) And Al Khidr explains to Nabii Musa why he ended the boy’s life in this verse:

“And as for the boy, his parents were ˹true˺ believers, and we feared that he would pressure them into defiance and disbelief. So we hoped that their Lord would give them another, more virtuous and caring in his place.”

This was a mercy from Allah to the parents-saving them from a child who was potentially going to mislead them. Yet sometimes Allah allows the child to live on and become a test to his parents.

Similarly, think of the case of Zaid ibn Harith (the adopted son of the prophet peace be upon him) who had to divorce Zeinab bint Jahsh because of the troubles in their marriage despite both of them being among the sahabas; good, pious people. And Allah Subhanahu Wataala revealed to the prophet peace be upon him to marry Zeinab after the divorce (And this was to show the validity of marrying an adopted son’s ex-wife).

…The list goes on and on. Weren’t these prophets and most pious individuals? Yet they too endured tests within their families Subhanallah.

'O you who have believed, indeed, among your spouses and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful. Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.'

(Surat At-Taghabun, verse 14 - 15)

When I was younger I used to think that if a spouse is pious and affectionate with their spouse, and they raised their children upon the deen then nothing could ever go wrong. But boy, didn’t life open up my eyes? It is very scary and sad when we look around our own families and friends’ marriages and see the kind of struggles people have to endure. And for every one person that I meet that says, ‘Get married, it is such a beautiful thing’ I meet four others who say, ‘Don’t rush. Take your time for what awaits on the other side is not a joke.’ It is even more heartbreaking to see what children have to endure as a result of broken homes or the kind of monsters created within them from the experiences they endure. Or sometimes we see parents violate and abuse their own children and vice versa, and it really terrifies me that none of us is guaranteed an upright spouse who will fear Allah on you and your children or children who will honour you after you gave them the best kind of upbringing.

It all goes back to what Allah has decreed upon us- and sometimes, these same people who are meant to be blessings, become the hardest trials upon us (May Allah protect us). I think it is timely to say that, the next time you see someone in a tough marriage, or who is divorced, don’t be quick to judge their character or religiosity. Just the same way when you see a child abusing drugs or harming his/her own family members, don’t be quick to point fingers at the parents for poor upbringing. And of course, these trials are not necessarily only within the direct family. Sometimes the in-laws are the test, or one’s parents or grandparents, or siblings or extended family.

Truly life is not simply black and white. If anything, whenever we see someone suffering at the hands of their own people, or when we see people harming their own loved ones, we should be quick to make dua for them and for ourselves, our children, and our families -for very very easily could we be tested the same exact way or worse.

*

Ya Allah, we come to you with our hopes and fears with regards to our homes.

Ya Allah, please grant us peaceful homes that will be filled with Your remembrance. Please grant us spouses, children, families and in-laws who will be huge blessings to us, and us to them. Ya Allah, please do not test us with our spouses, children, parents, siblings, families or in-laws. Ya Allah make our families have the fear of You with regards to us and enable us to be among Your most beloved worshippers.

Ya Allah, please grant us spouses who will bring us closer to you. Who will be merciful, kind and compassionate towards us throughout the highs and lows of life. Ya Allah make them fit in well with our families and let us fit well with their families. Ya Allah make our spouses honour our parents like their own and make us do the same for their parents. Ya Allah grant us an understanding of one another, patience towards each others’ shortcomings and love and mercy that lasts till Jannah.

Ya Allah grant us offsprings who will grow up in Your remembrance; who will love You and dedicate their lives to your worship. Ya Allah make Your book, the Qur’an, beloved to them and to us, and make them among those who not only recite it beautifully but memorize it and apply its teachings to their lives.

Ya Allah, if you have written for us spouses and offspring who will be a test for us, we beg You to change that fate for us and grant us in their place spouses and offspring who will be a huge blessing to us.

Ya Allah make our spouses, children, and families feel most safe with us, and may we feel most safe with them. Ya Allah protect us from divorce, and unhappy marriages that can only be survived and endured, and lifeless marriages that lack love and compassion, and ungrateful children and displeasure of parents and cruelty of in-laws.

Ya Allah please bless our homes and protect us from all evil, conflict, ayn, hasad and sihr.

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

‘Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.’

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

‘My Lord! Bless me with righteous offspring.’


رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ

‘My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.’

رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةًۭ مُّسْلِمَةًۭ لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

‘Our Lord! Make us submissive to You and make out of our descendants a community that submits itself to You, and show us the ways of Your worship, and turn to us in mercy. You are Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.’


رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين

‘My Lord! Inspire me to ˹always˺ be thankful for Your favours which You blessed me and my parents with, and to do good deeds that please You. And instil righteousness in my offspring. I truly repent to You, and I truly submit ˹to Your Will˺.’

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ

‘My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.’

اللَّهُمَّ أَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِنَا وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِنَا وَاهْدِنَا سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ وَنَجِّنَا مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَجَنِّبْنَا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِي أَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُلُوبِنَا وَأَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ وَاجْعَلْنَا شَاكِرِينَ لِنِعْمَتِكَ مُثْنِينَ بِهَا قَابِلِيهَا وَأَتِمَّهَا عَلَيْنَا‏.‏

‘O Allah, join our hearts, mend our social relationship, guide us to the path of peace, bring us from darkness to light, save us from obscenities, outward or inward, and bless our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our wives, our children, and relent toward us; Thou art the Relenting, the Merciful. And make us grateful for Thy blessing and make us praise it while accepting it and give it to us in full.’

Ameen ameen ameen!

***

Alhamdulilah we are blessed to be alive within the last ten days of Ramadhan. May Allah grant us the chance to experience laylatul qadr while in worship. May He grant us redemption, accept our good deeds and elevate our status, ameen!

Kindly subscribe below to stay tuned with part 5 of this series: ‘Getting attached to the Dunya’ in Shaa Allah. And please share the link to your networks, shukran! Stay blessed in shaa Allah 🙂

by
Keep Reading
Deen (Religion)

TURNING FEARS INTO DUAS (PART 2)

By

To read part 1 of this series, click here.

Misguidance, Humiliation, and Death Upon Them

One of the most striking stories for me is Barsisa’s; the man who was known for his spirituality, piety, and dedication to the religion yet he ended up being a fornicator, a murderer, and just before he died, a mushrik (for he bowed down for Shaitan). I think about Barsisa a lot. I talk about his story to anyone who cares to hear about it. I ponder on it because it gives me a reality check. None of us is safe from the whispers of shaitan. None of us is guaranteed to die upon guidance and on the straight path. His story (among many others) terrifies me. If this man who loved Allah Subhanahu Wataala deeply and was devoted to his worship had such a humiliating end, who am I to feel confident about my own religiosity?

Think about it; how many times have we witnessed the humiliation of prominent people; individuals known for their da’awah or charity work or whatever good they are known for? How many hijabis were we following and saw them as our role models and very heartbreakingly, we saw them remove hijab bit by bit as they gained popularity? Please don’t get me wrong. I do not look at them with the eye of judgment but rather, that of extreme fear. For myself. For my loved ones. That could be me. It could easily be me or you or your sister if Allah Subhanahu Wataala doesn’t protect us from our own selves and the whispers of shaitan.

With the kind of fitna we have right now, evil has become so popularized and romanticized to the extent that we don’t even realize when we start going the wrong way. And when we do, unfortunately, our friends and family would rather look from afar rather than reach out to us before worse gets to worst. When we finally have our downfall and public humiliation, we become ‘teaaaaa’ followed by laughing emojis among the social media citizens. We love the drama. We love the ‘I knew he/she was too good to be true’. We love the ‘She/He’s always been a hypocrite’. And yeah, perhaps they were truly hypocrites, and Allah Subhanahu Wataala finally exposed them. Or perhaps they lost control over their nafs and lost their way…who knows perhaps they will repent and be forgiven? How do we not take a moment to think about our own shortcomings and ponder our own direction? How confident are we that the same thing could never happen to you and me? So in our excitement, we retweet, we quote tweet, we share the videos and screenshots. We make jokes and create memes, because…it could never be you? We forget that we have our own skeletons in our wardrobes that Allah Subhanahu Wataala has skillfully concealed from the world.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some things that people have to be called out for; like when a person in da’awah is intentionally misleading people, or a person has been redirecting charity funds to their own accounts…you know, things that we would say that people NEED to know about because otherwise, it can be detrimental to the Muslim community. Yet when it is individualistic sins, how are we so quick to humiliate and shame others when Allah Subhanahu Wataala has concealed our own? How are we so sure that we would never fall into a similar sin? Subhanallah.

Such thoughts absolutely terrify me because what if I became misguided? Would anyone care enough to correct me? Guide me? Would anyone pray for me? Or would people wait to rejoice and make fun of my misguidance?

Sometimes I think people are not scared enough. And of course, I am not saying I have no hope in Allah’s mercy upon me or upon us all, but it just shocks me how comfortable people get seeing others fall into misguidance and the best they can do is gossip and humiliate further the individuals at wrong. It shocks me that we are not busy thinking of our own piles and piles of sins and begging Allah to protect us from a disgraceful and humiliating end Subhanallah. That we do not take that moment to make dua for them and for ourselves and our loved ones. Guaranteed Jannah much?!

Not for me at least. I realize how weak, flawed, and vulnerable I am. I realize that I am never better than the next person. I have no guarantee nor confidence except in the mercy of Allah Subhanahu Wataala.

Shahr bin Hawshab said: “I said to Umm Salamah: ‘O Mother of the Believers! What was the supplication that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said most frequently when he was with you?” She said: ‘The supplication he said most frequently was: “O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion (Yā Muqallibal-qulūb, thabbit qalbī `alā dīnik).’” She said: ‘So I said: “O Messenger of Allah, why do you supplicate so frequently: ‘O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.’ He said: ‘O Umm Salamah! Verily, there is no human being except that his heart is between Two Fingers of the Fingers of Allah, so whomsoever He wills He makes steadfast, and whomever He wills He causes to deviate.’” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3522)

So here I am…asking you to join me in asking Allah Subhanahu Wataala for His protection and guidance.

Ya Allah, please forgive us; both our private and public sins. Ya Rahman, have mercy on us. Grant us Your love and allows us to die upon firm faith. Please grant us good companions who will always remind us when we err and who will pray for us even after our death. We beg you Ya Allah, please conceal our shortcomings and guide us upon the truth. Grant us sincerity in all our actions and purify our souls.

Ya Muhaymin, be our Guardian and protect us from misguidance and humiliation. Protect us from the fitna of our times. Strengthen our imaan and make us among your most beloved servants.

Ya Al Haadi, when you see us deviating and going the wrong path, please bring us back to you in a beautiful way. Please bring us back to you in a beautiful manner. Please bring us back to you in a beautiful manner and allow us to die in a beautiful manner as well, ameen.

Here are some more duas from the sunnah and pious predecessors:


رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

“Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower”.

اللهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي، وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ

“Oh Allah, rectify for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs, and rectify for me the affairs of this world wherein is my sustenance, and rectify for me my Hereafter to which is my return, and make life for me an increase for every good, and make death a relief for me from every evil.”

اللهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي

“Oh Allah! Guide me and set me on the straight path.”

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ‏‏

“Oh Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.”

اللّٰهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ القُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ

“Oh Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.”

للَّهُمَّ اقْسِمْ لَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ مَا تَحُولُ بِهِ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ مَعَاصِيكَ، وَمِنْ طَاعَتِكَ مَا تُبَلِّغُنَا بِهِ جَنَّتَكَ، وَمِنَ الْيَقِينِ مَا تُهَوِّنُ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا مَصَائِبَ الدُّنْيَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَتِّعْنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا، وَأَبْصَارِنَا، وَقُوَّاتِنَا مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا، وَاجْعَلْهُ الْوَارِثَ مِنَّا، وَاجْعَلْ ثَأْرَنَا عَلَى مَنْ ظَلَمَنَا، وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى مَنْ عَادَانَا، وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مُصِيبَتَنَا فِي دِينِنَا، وَلَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا، وَلَا تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُنَا

“Oh Allah, apportion to us such fear as should serve as a barrier between us and acts of disobedience; and such obedience as will take us to Your Jannah; and such as will make easy for us to bear in the calamities of this world. O Allah! let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our power as long as You keep us alive and make our heirs from our own offspring, and make our revenge restricted to those who oppress us, and support us against those who are hostile to us, Let no misfortune afflict our Deen; let not worldly affairs be our principal concern, or the ultimate limit of our knowledge, and let not those rule over us who do not show mercy to us.”

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الثَّبَاتَ فِي الْأَمْرِ، وَالْعَزِيمَةَ عَلَى الرُّشْدِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ شُكْرَ نِعْمَتِكَ، وَحُسْنَ عِبَادَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قَلْبَاً سَلِيمَاً، وَلِسَانَاً صَادِقَاً، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا تَعْلَمُ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا تَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا تَعْلَمُ، إِنَّكَ أنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ

“Oh Allah verily I ask of You for steadfastness and consistency in all my affairs; and I ask You for the resolve to adhere to the path of guidance. And I ask of You for that which obligates Your mercy and resolutions for Your forgiveness. And I ask of You for the capability to be thankful for Your blessings and to worship you in a correct and good way. And I ask of You for a heart which is purified in belief and free from desires and a truthful tongue. And ask of You for the best of what You know, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of what You know and I seek forgiveness for that which You know. Indeed You are the One who knows the unseen.”

اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ إِيمَانًا لاَ يَرْتَدُّ، وَنَعِيمًا لاَ يَنْفَدُ، وَمُرَافَقَةَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلى الله عَلَيه وسَلم فِي أَعْلَى جَنَّةِ الْخُلْدِ

“Oh Allah! I ask you for Iman that does not retrogress, bounties that do not deplete and the companionship of Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the highest levels of the eternal Jannah.”

اَللّٰهُمَّ اَرِنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّا وَّ ارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهٗوَ اَرِنَا الْبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَّ ارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَه

“Oh Allah! Enable us to see the Truth as Truth and give us the ability to follow it. And show us the falsehood as false and give us the ability to refrain from it.”

Other duas from the pious predecessors:

“Oh Allah, do not make a lesson out of me for others, and do not let there be anyone who benefits more than me from what You have taught me.” By: AlMutarrif ibn ‘Abdullah

“Oh Allah, veil us with your beautiful veil and place beneath that veil what will please You from us.” By: Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah

And I am going to end this piece with a beautiful dua taught by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:

“Oh Allah, Originator of the heavens and earth, Knower of the seen and unseen, I testify in this worldly life of mine that if You leave me to myself, by that You are bringing me closer to harm and distancing me from good. I have no confidence except in Your mercy, so let that be a covenant that you deliver to me on the Day of Judgment-for You never break promises.”

***

Till next time in shaa Allah, stay blessed!

If interested in hearing the story of Barsisa, please watch the video here

Also, please subscribe and stay tuned for Part 3: ‘Turning Fears into Duas: Losing of Loved Ones.’

by
Keep Reading
Deen (Religion)

WOMEN OF JANNAH: FATIMA BINT MUHAMMAD (S.A.W)

By

To read the third part of this series, click on the following link:  https://lubnah.me.ke/women-of-jannah-khadija-bint-khuwaylid/

#The love and compassion between father and daughter

Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her was only 5 years old when the first revelation occurred. She therefore grew up in Islam. She was the 5th child of the prophet and his last daughter (according to some narrations). There was once, when Fatima was still very young, the prophet peace be upon him was praying in front of the Kaabah and Abu Jahl, Shaybah and Uqba Ibn Abi Mu’ayt were nearby watching him. Abu Jahl then asked one to volunteer to pick the guts of a camel and all of its filth and dump it on the prophet’s back while praying, just to humiliate him. Uqba ibn Abi Mu’ayt volunteered and brought all that filth and dumped it on the prophet’s back while in sujood. Fatima, this very young, tender girl, seeing her father in this state while the people around laughed and cursed him, goes to him. She starts scraping all of the filth on his back while crying. The prophet peace be upon him then said to her: ‘Do not cry oh my daughter. Allah will help your father and give him victory.’ And this is when the prophet started cursing the individuals who had taken part in the humiliating action. It is narrated that these same individuals were among the first to be killed during the battle of badr.

The love and compassion between father and daughter was so vivid that Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her was nicknamed ‘Umm Abeeha’ which means ‘The mother to her father’. This was due to how much she took care of her father, as if she was his mother rather than his daughter.

When Khadija peace be upon her died, Fatima was the one who comforted him and handled the home affairs. Fatima was also nicknamed ‘Al Zahraa’ to mean ‘the illuminated one’ or ‘the shining one’ due to her radiant face as the prophet’s was. In fact it was well known how the two resembled each other so much, even in the manner of speaking and walking. And the prophet peace be upon him was never hesitant to show his love for her. Whenever Fatima came to him, he stood up, welcomed her, kissed her hand and made her sit in his place. And when the prophet peace be upon him went to her, she would do the same for him.

Whenever the prophet came back from a journey, he would pray two rakaahs in the masjid as is the Sunnah then go to Fatima’s house before going to see his wives.

How beautiful is this kind of relationship? Don’t we all wish we had such connections with our fathers? Unfortunately very few men adopt the prophet’s way of living with his women, and some feel it makes them seem weak if they showed affection to their children publicly or even privately. But here was the prophet, treated his daughter like real royalty despite the jahiliya culture of the Quraysh to belittle their women.

#Jannah is the goal

Now despite the prophet treating Fatima, may Allah be pleased with them both, as royalty, she and her husband Ali may peace be upon them lived a very simple life.

When he first wanted to come to propose to the prophet for Fatima’s hand, he came while being very nervous. He sat by the prophet but couldn’t say a word, so the prophet asked him if he had come to propose for Fatima’s hand and Ali said yes.

At that time Ali had nothing apart from a shield. So the prophet asked him to sell the shield and give the amount as dowry to Fatima. The prophet could have chosen any wealthy sahaba to marry him off to his most beloved daughter. Yet he accepted Ali’s proposal for he knew him to be a great man and an appropriate husband for his daughter. Their home was so humble and they slept on sheepskin.

“In another occasion, it is reported on the authority of Ali that Fatima had corns in her hand because of working at the hand-mill. There had fallen to the lot of Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) some prisoners of war. She (Fatima) came to the Prophet (ﷺ) but she did not find him (in the house). She met A’isha and informed her (about her hardship and wanting a servant). When Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) came, she (A’isha) informed him about the visit of Fatima. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to them (Fatima and her family). They had gone to their beds. ‘Ali further (reported):

We tried to stand up (as a mark of respect) but Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Keep to your beds, and he sat amongst us and I felt the coldness of his feet upon my chest. He then said: May I not direct you to something better than what you have asked for? When you go to your bed, you should recite Takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) thirty-four times and Tasbih (Subhan Allah) thirty-three times and Tahmid (al-Hamdu li-Allah) thirty-three times, and that is better than the servant for you.” (Sahih Muslim)

From this narration, we also see that despite the prophet’s ability to provide for Fatima a servant and make her live like real royalty with great comfort, he chose to teach them what is better i.e. what will be of benefit to them in the hereafter. In these several occasions, we see that the prophet, despite his grand love for his daughter, still chose to nurture the love for the akhera within her rather than for this dunya. And this is definitely something worth pondering for us. It is not impermissible to want to be wealthy and comfortable in life, but remember not to seek the dunya so much, instead, let Jannah be the goal.

#Standing for one another

So in different occasions whilst the prophet was at Aisha’s house (it was her turn to be with him), the sahabas would bring gifts to her house more than any other wife’s house. The other wives of the prophet were not happy about this so they sent Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, to talk to the prophet on their behalf. In short, the wives wanted the prophet to put a stop to this matter for it seemed unfair. But this was not the prophet’s fault or any injustice from him. The people themselves preferred to do that. So when Fatima went to the prophet while he was with Aisha, she said to him: “Your wives have sent me to you in order to ask you to observe equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafa (Aisha).’ Aisha kept quiet and the prophet then said to Fatima, ‘Oh my daughter, don’t you love whom I love?’ She said: ‘I do.’ The prophet said: ‘I love this one’ (meaning Aisha). So Fatima stood up and went back to the other wives and told them what had ensued. They told Fatima: ‘We think that you have been of no avail to us. You may again go to Allah’s Messenger and tell him that his wives seek equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafa.’ Fatima said: ‘By Allah, I will never talk to him about this matter.’ (Sahih Muslim)

From her love for her father, Fatima decided not to pursue anything that would go against him and we can see the prophet doing the same for his daughter in another occasion when Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him when he wanted to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, wanted to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl. When Fatima heard about this, she went to the prophet saying: “Your people think that you do not become angry for the sake of your daughters as `Ali is now going to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl.” When she said that, the prophet stood up, said the shahadah then said, “I married one of my daughters to Abu Al-`As bin Al- Rabi` (the husband of Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet before Islam and he proved truthful in whatever he said to me. No doubt, Fatima is a part of me, and whoever makes her angry, makes me angry. By Allah, the daughter of Allah’s Messenger and the daughter of Allah’s Enemy cannot be the wives of one man.” So `Ali gave up that engagement. (Sahih Bukhari)

It should be noted that the prophet didn’t just stop Ali from marrying another wife alongside his daughter. This was the daughter of the enemy of the prophet and the enemy of Islam and it wouldn’t befit that Fatima, be in such a situation (of co-wifing the daughter of an enemy of Islam) so please don’t use this hadith to prevent polygamy 😀

#Piety and Modesty

Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her was known for her piety and modesty like her mother. This is the woman that the prophet peace be upon him named, ‘sayyidat nisaa’ al-jannah’ to mean, ‘the queen, the leader of the women of paradise’. Fatima is among the four women who perfected their faith alongside her mother (as we mentioned in the previous parts of this series). She was held in high esteem due to her character and imaan.

According to some opinions is that surat Insan was revealed concerning Fatima and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them. The family had fasted for 3 days to fulfill a vow they had made. In each evening, during iftar, someone knocked on their door asking for food. Once it was a prisoner of war, then an orphan then a poor person. In all three occasions, they gave out their food and were left with barely anything for themselves. And it is because of this selfless act that Allah subhanahu wataala revealed surat insan and He says:

“And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive. [Saying], “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful.” So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness. And will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments]….” (Surat Insan: verse 8-12) And Allah goes on to give an in-depth description of jannah and what will be available for them therein.

In another narration is that, when Fatima was on her death bed, she looked up in the heavens and smiled. She then called for Asmaa bint Umays who was the one going to wash her body. Fatima then requested Asmaa that after doing her ghusl upon her death, that her janazah be done at night so that there aren’t many people and also, she will be concealed. In another narration, Asmaa had mentioned of a tradition she had seen in Abyssinia where the dead are covered in a bier with a cloth on it whereby the body is concealed and cannot be seen. So Fatima requested that this same bier is used for her burial so that people will not see her body curves.

# ‘After You’

“Narrated `Aisha: Mother of the Believers: We, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) were all sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) and none of us had left when Fatima came walking, and by Allah, her gait was very similar to that of Allah’s Messenger.’ When he saw her, he welcomed her, saying, “Welcome, O my daughter!” Then he made her sit on his right or his left, confided something to her, whereupon she wept bitterly. When he noticed her sorrow, he confided something else to her for the second time, and she started laughing.

Only I from among the Prophet’s wives said to her, “(O Fatima), Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) selected you from among us for the secret talk and still you weep?” When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) got up (and went away), I asked her, “What did he confide to you?” She said, “I wouldn’t disclose the secrets of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)” But when he died I asked her, “I beseech you earnestly by what right I have on you, to tell me (that secret talk which the Prophet had with you)” She said, “As you ask me now, yes, (I will tell you).”

She informed me, saying, “When he talked to me secretly the first time, he said that Gabriel used to review the Qur’an with him once every year. He added, ‘But this year he reviewed it with me twice, and therefore I think that my time of death has approached. So, be afraid of Allah, and be patient, for I am the best predecessor for you (in the Hereafter).’ “Fatima added, “So I wept as you (`Aisha) witnessed. And when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw me in this sorrowful state, he confided the second secret to me saying, ‘O Fatima! Will you not be pleased that you will be chief of all the believing women (or chief of the women of this nation i.e. my followers?”) (Sahih al-Bukhari) It is also at this point that he confided in her that she would be the next companion to die right after him, which is what made Fatima laugh from joy, knowing that she would join him soon enough.

On her death bed, Fatima shared some moments with her husband Ali and asked him to marry Umamah after her death, the daughter of her sister Zaynab to take care of her children. Fatima is said to have died in the month of Ramadhan, 6 months or less after the prophet’s death. She was just 29 years old and left behind 4 children; Hassan, Hussein, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum. According to some narrations, her fifth child Muhsin had died before her. All in all, Fatima was known for her purity, piety and chastity. Moreover she was known as being the Prophet’s big supporter and caretaker.

#Ahlul Bayt

“Many came to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, asking whom he loved the most, including Ali (ra) and Fatima (ra). He had the most eloquent answer, while maintaining his character of honesty. Even though Fatima was very dear to him and his heart was very attached to her, he didn’t want to answer in a way that would hurt Ali, whom he loved as his own son. He looked at Ali and said, ‘She is more beloved to me than you, but you are more precious to me than her’, making them both very happy.”

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel’s hair that there came Hasan b. ‘Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came ‘Ali and he also took him under it and then said:

“Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying).”

(Sahih Muslim 2424)

And indeed, Allah purified them and elevated their status.

May Allah grant us an opportunity to be with them in Jannah. Ameen.

***

Alhamdulilah this brings us to the end of our Ramadhan series, ‘The women of Jannah’, the four women who perfected their faith (May Allah be pleased with them). Thank you so much for joining me for the entire month and for taking your time to read. May Allah accept our fasts, our ibadah, our duas and our tawbah. Ameen. Taqabala Llahu minna wa minkum. Eid Mubarak my good people 🙂

SOURCES:

https://sunnah.com/

Women Around The Prophet ﷺ‎/Part 14/ Fatima Bint Muhammad, Daughter of Prophet ﷺ‎- Assim al hakeem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04w-IgujIYU

Role Model for Modesty (Fatima bint Muhammad) – Women of Paradise – Omar Suleiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXi0xqfiBfk

Fatima Bint Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) ᴴᴰ ┇ Must Watch ┇ by Sheikh Dr. Tawfique Chowdhury : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG0VIR2dWSg

https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-19/surah-al-insan-chapter-76

by
Keep Reading
Deen (Religion)

THE GREATNESS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H) [PT. 2]

By

You may read the first part here:  http://lubnah.me.ke/the-greatness-of-prophet-muhammad-p-b-u-h-pt-1/

In our current times, once someone acquires high status and recognition within their respective communities, most people become rigid and serious with no time to have fun and enjoy with their wives or children. But it is well known that the prophet peace be upon him was very romantic and always made the time to entertain, relax and enjoy with his wives.

 Once the Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) was sitting in a room with Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) and fixing his shoes. It was very warm, and Aisha looked to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. She became overwhelmed by the majesty of that sight and was staring at him long enough for him to notice.
He said, “What’s the matter?” She replied, “If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, “What did he say?” She replied, “Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everyone to see.” So the Prophet, peace be upon him, got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said, “By God, O Aisha, you are like that to me and more.”

 Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) relates the following about her husband, the Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him Upon):
I swear by Allah that I saw Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) standing at the door of my room while the Abyssinians were engaged in spear play in the mosque of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). He screened me with his cloak so I could watch them perform. He stood there for my sake until I decided that I had had enough. Now just imagine how much time a young girl eager for entertainment would stand there watching. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

 ‘A’ishah radiallahu ‘anha said: That she accompanied the Prophet on a certain journey. At that time she was a mere girl and was neither fat nor bulky. The Prophet asked the people to move on, and they marched ahead. Then the Prophet said to me, “Come on, let us have a race.” ‘A’ishah says that she ran and remained much ahead of him. The Prophet kept quiet for some time. Later on when ‘A’ishah grew fat and loose bodied, and she forgot the previous incident. Again she accompanied the Prophet on some journey. The Prophet again asked the people to march ahead, and they moved ahead. Then the Prophet again asked her to have a race with him. This time the prophet defeated her and she lagged behind. Now the Prophet laughed and said, “This is in reply to our previous defeat.” [Ahmad, Safwat as-Safwah, vol. I, p. 68]

 Aisha (May Allah Be Pleased With Her) would often seek reassurance from The Prophet (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him) that he loved her.
“How is your love for me?” she once asked.
“Like the rope’s knot,” he replied, meaning that it was strong and secure.
Many times after that she would ask, “How is the knot?” and he would reply: “Ala haaliha” meaning “The same as ever!” [Hilya al Awliya]

MUHAMMAD (S.A.W) AS A ROLE MODEL

Muhammad (S.A.W) was known for his compassion, kindness and love for children. He would play around with them and teach them in the most wise and beautiful ways. We get to learn from the best of mankind how to treat and nurture children without aggressiveness or anger, how to influence positive behaviour on them, how to grant them higher self-esteem and make them better and eager learners and Muslims.

 Anas said: The Apostle of Allah was one of the best men in character. One day he sent me to do something, and I said: I swear by Allah that I will not go. But in my heart I felt that I should go to do what the the Messenger of Allah had commanded me; so I went out and came upon boys who were playing in the street. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah, who had come from behind, caught me by the back of the neck, and when I looked at him he was laughing. He said: Go where I ordered you, little Anas. I replied: Yes, I am going, the Messenger of Allah! Anas said: I swear by Allah, I served him for seven or nine years, and he never said to me about a thing which I had done: why did you do such and such? nor about a thing which I left: why did you not do such and such? [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 3, #4755]

 Narrated by Umar ibn Abi Salma (May Allah be please with him): I was a boy under the care of Allah’s Messenger and my hand use to go around the dish (as I was eating) so Allah’s Messenger said to me, ‘Oh boy, Mention the Name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you.’

 Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said to me, “Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and he will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to benefit you, they will not benefit you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gathered together to harm you, they will not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” [Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2516]

 Narrated by Anas: The Prophet (S.A.W) was the best of people in character. I had a brother whose name was Abu ‘Umayr. He said, I think he was weaned, and when he (the Prophet (S.A.W) came he would say, “O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr (a small bird that he kept as a pet)?” [Narrated by Bukhari, 5850; Muslim, 2150.]
Abu ‘Umayr was Anas’s younger brother and Nughayr was his pet that he loved dearly. Unfortunately, Nughayr died and Abu Umayr was really saddened by the event. When the prophet peace be upon him came to visit them, he tried to lift his spirits up by joking with him about his little bird.

 It was narrated that Aisha, said: “Some Bedouin people came to the Prophet(ﷺ) and said: ‘Do you kiss your children?’ He said: ‘Yes’. He said: ‘But we, by Allah, never kiss (our children)’. The Prophet(ﷺ) said: ‘What can I do if Allah has taken away mercy from you?'” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3665]

 Narrated Sahl bin Sad: A tumbler (full of milk or water) was brought to the Prophet who drank from it, while on his right side there was sitting a boy who was the youngest of those who were present and on his left side there were old men. The Prophet asked, “O boy, will you allow me to give it (i.e. the rest of the drink) to the old men?” The boy said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I will not give preference to anyone over me to drink the rest of it from which you have drunk.” So, the Prophet gave it to him. [Sahih al-Bukhari Book 40 Hadith 541]

PROPHET MUHAMMAD AS A DAEE’ AND LEADER

“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.”
[Surat Ahzab: Verse 45]

The prophet peace be upon him was the best, most tactical daee’ there ever could be. He was known for his outstanding way of doing da’awah and convincing the people that Islam is the true religion.

There are some stages that the prophet peace be upon him went through in his da’wah:

1. Khalwah (Isolation) to worship: Before prophethood, Muhammad (S.A.W) used to isolate himself for several days up to one month at Cave Hira, far away from idolatry and the vices of the Quraish.

2. Revelation: This is the first time Jibril aleyhi ssalam was sent to prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and asked him to read.

3. Ba’ath wal Irsal (delegation and being assigned as a messenger): Muhammad (S.A.W) is given the duty as a messenger of Islam to spread the word of Allah (S.W).

4. Start of da’awah: There were two phases here; secret and open da’awah. First, the prophet started with secret calling to Islam whereby forty people reverted including Abubakar, li, Khadija, Uthman and others (Allah’s peace be upon them all). Then came the verses: “Then declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists.” [Surat Hijr: 94] and “And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred.” [Surat Ash-shua’ra: 214] That’s when the prophet peace be upon him started openly calling to Islam to his relatives, at the market, to the pilgrims at the Kaabah and any chance he got.

5. Hijrah to Madina: The prophet and his sahaba were granted permission by Allah (S.W.) to migrate to Madina after the suffering and endless torture from the Qureish.

6. Acquiring support of the Ansar of Madina: The Ansar of Madina helped the prophet and his sahaba; they welcomed them, offered them their homes, food and clothing and pledged to support Muhammad and the flag of Islam to the very end.

7. Allah’s support: Allah (S.W) granted his prophet support and help during the different battles that he fought i.e. battle of Badr, Uhud, Ahzab, Conquest of Makkah etc and He made large numbers of people convert to the true religion.

To be continued…

P.S I am not a scholar and this is my little effort in spreading the knowledge therefore in case of any mistake/correction/addition needed in this article about the prophet (p.b.u.h) and his life, kindly email me at: info@lubnah.me.ke.

***

Assalam aleykum everyone,

In the previous post I mentioned about a fundraising we are conducting for a lady struggling with endometriosis. She is in chronic pain and every coin we donate and every time we share this message, you are helping her immensely. So please don’t hesitate to help in any way you can.

We are currently at 35,683/= with the fundraising. Please let’s all join hands and assist her with whatever small we can afford. 

To contribute Mpesa: 0700892829

Kindly do share this message and remember her in your duas.

May Allah bless you all and easen all your battles. Ameen.

 

by
Keep Reading
Deen (Religion)

NO ONE IS ACTUALLY SAFE

By

Photo Courtesy: www.ayeina.com

Angel? Pious? Sheikh with the longest beard? Muslimah with the longest jilbab? Innocent? Too holy? Sweetheart, no one is actually safe from hellfire. NO ONE; not even that sheikh you really admire or that lady who is the kindest on earth. We are all to live in that kind of suspense till the end of times so the question here is, are we ready?

One thing you should keep in mind is that you are no more pious than anyone else. I’ve met people who barely know what deen really requires from them yet they have best of manners, pure souls and very kind to humanity. However still, i’ve met people with so much knowledge of deen such that if you drank from their wells of knowledge it is like a drop of the ocean subhanaAllah, you can never get their full cup yet when you look at their character, you will wish you never knew about them.

We all do mistakes and we sin and we cry to Allah for mercy and He forgives us then we sin again. The cycle of sinning goes on like that. That is why we are called ‘insaan’ for we keep forgetting that without Allah’s mercy upon us we would all perish. Imagine how life would be if we are to be punished for all our mistakes including the slip of the tongue…and the punishment comes immediately. If you look at the wrong thing Allah takes away your sight right there and then. If you go to a wrong place, you lose your legs. Just imagine if it were so…would any one of us be alive still? All of us would have lost all our body parts and at the very end lose our hearts too except the prophets that is. But Allah Subhanahu wataala is Merciful that’s why He has given us countless chances to cry and repent to Him.

We live in this world yet we don’t know what will be the reason for us to go to jannah or even hellfire. It could be the duas of that lady you helped during hardship that will make Allah to send you to jannah yet it could be that with all the deen you have, go to hellfire because of someone you wronged and never forgave you.

Who are we to be arrogant over others really? What guarantee does any of us have of where their place will be? And sadly, we have several pious men and women who think so highly of themselves such that when they see you they already judge you and stigmatize you because ‘you are not one of them’. You know them right? They consider themselves ahlul jannah…so they look at you, size you up and just decide, ‘this is a jahannam material.’ Seriously?? How does someone ever have such confidence on such issues? Haven’t we seen so pious people dying at kuffr while so evil people turning tables and being so close to Allah?? Shaitan’s example is the best whereby he used to be very pious such that they used to call him ‘abu ssajda’ due to his frequent sujuud yet he ended up being the greatest enemy of Islam because of his arrogance when he refused to make sujuud for our father Adam Aleyhi ssalam. So how do you rise your nose with arrogance yet none of us knows how our end will be? Allah S.W. says in the qur’an: ‘So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him (Surah An-najm: 32)

Hear what we are told of the hellfire: In a hadith (saying of the Prophet) the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that the heat of the Hellfire is multiplied 70 times compared to the fire of this world (Saheeh Bukhari). If right now we are complaining of the sun heat and can barely touch the stove flame, aren’t we scared of this inferno? The food of the people of Hell will be from the tree of Zaqqum, which will boil the intestines like scalding water. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned that if a drop of Zaqqum would have fallen on this Earth, it would ruin every provision on earth. Now, how about those who will have to eat from it? The drink of the inhabitants of hell will be boiling water, and a disgusting boiling fluid made of pus and blood. Allah S.W. says: ”O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” (Qur’an 66:6)

The descriptions of hellfire go on and on and subhanaLlah how can we even be comfortable with our lives when all we do is point fingers at who is not as pious as we consider ourselves?? Again, NO ONE is safe dear brother and sister. Not me, not you. We are all under the mercy of Allah who has the choice of forgiving us or sending us to hellfire. May Allah guide us Ya Rab. May He guide us always and may he grant us his jannah and protect us from hellfire in shaa Allah!

by
Keep Reading

Powered by WordPress