\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n| \r\n QURAN \r\n |
Translation:
\r\nSurah \r\n al-Mu'minoon
\r\nThe \r\n Believers (23) - Ayahs 1,2
\r\nIn \r\n the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
\r\n \r\n \r\nCommentary:
\r\nShaytan \r\n is after your Khushu'
\r\n- \r\n
- \r\n \r\n\r\n
Salah (prayer) is the greatest of the practical \r\n pillars of Islam, and khushu’ \r\n [concentration and humbleness] in \r\n prayer is the heart of your worship and \r\n your relationship with Allah. \r\n
\r\n - \r\n \r\n\r\n
No wonder, when Shaytan, the enemy of Allah, vowed to mislead \r\n and tempt the sons of Adam (as) \r\n and said, 'Then I will come to them \r\n from before them and behind them, from \r\n their right and from their left' [7:17], \r\n one of the plots he devised was to divert \r\n people from prayer by all possible \r\n means. Thus, he whispers to us during \r\n our Salah diverting our attention, \r\n depriving us of the joy, love, and sweetness of \r\n this worship, and diminishing our reward \r\n for it.
\r\n \r\n
Khushu' \r\n : The First Blessing to be Taken Away from \r\n People
\r\n- \r\n
- \r\n Khushu’, \r\n as important as it is, is easily lost \r\n and rarely observed, especially in our present \r\n times. According to the Prophet (peace be \r\n upon him), with the passage of time, 'The \r\n first thing to be lifted up from this Ummah will \r\n be khushu’, until you will \r\n see no one from among you who has it.’ \r\n [al-Haythami, al-Tabarani]\r\n \r\n
How \r\n to Achieve Khushu'
\r\n- \r\n
- \r\n
Remember that khushu’ \r\n comes from the heart, and only its effects \r\n are manifested in the physical body. The \r\n various faculties follow the heart. So if one's \r\n heart is corrupted by negligence or whispers \r\n from Shaytan, the worship of his body will \r\n also be corrupt.
\r\n - \r\n
To perfect khushu' \r\n in prayer, one should have a conscious fear \r\n of Allah, pray in a calm and collected manner, \r\n perform every act and movement with humility \r\n and full awareness of its significance, \r\n and take time to experience the serenity \r\n and tranquility.
\r\n - \r\n
Ibn Kathir says: Khushu’ \r\n in prayer is achieved when a person empties \r\n their heart for it (prayer), focuses on \r\n it and prefers it over everything \r\n else. Only then do they find comfort and \r\n joy in it.
\r\n - \r\n
This is also the cure to \r\n feeling lazy, monotonous and a lack of motivation \r\n in acts of worship, since Allah says: \"Verily \r\n it (the duty of prayer) is heavy, except \r\n on those who have khushu'.\"
\r\n \r\n
[compiled \r\n from \"33 Ways of Developing Khushu' in Salah\" \r\n by Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid,
\r\ncomplete \r\n book available online at http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/ \r\n ]
\r\n\r\n
\r\n \r\n
| \r\n THREE \r\n MEANS TO NOURISH THE SEED OF IMAN \r\n \r\n |
:!: \r\n The Qur'an :!:
\r\nIt is a treasure-house of soul-stirring inspiration and wisdom. \r\n We can and should spend hours in understanding \r\n the Quran. Those who truly listen to the Quran, \r\n their eyes begin to well up with tears which \r\n trickle down their cheeks. We should always \r\n study the Quran as if it is being revealed \r\n today. One of the greatest injustices we do \r\n to the Quran is that we read it as if it was \r\n something of the past, and of no relevance \r\n to the present.
\r\n\r\n
& \r\n Brotherhood &
\r\nThe Quran says, \"bind yourself with those who call upon Allah \r\n morning and evening.\" As soon as you \r\n have planted the seed of Iman in your \r\n own heart, and you have recognised it in someone \r\n else and you find that he agrees with you, \r\n you feel ten times stronger. It has been proven \r\n experimentally that the group life is one \r\n of the most powerful forces to stimulate and \r\n inspire humans.
\r\n\r\n
~@ \r\n Da'wah @~
\r\nIf \r\n the faith is there inside you, Da'wah is a \r\n necessary outcome of it. As Iman increases, \r\n you get motivated and you want to go out and \r\n tell everybody about what you know to be the \r\n truth and call upon them to join your mission. \r\n
\r\n[compiled from \r\n \"Revival of the Individual\" by Ustadh Khurram \r\n Murad in \"Journey Through Islam\" p.72] \r\n
\r\n| \r\n Islamic Vocab. \r\n |
Qalb
\r\n- \r\n
- \r\n
refers \r\n to the heart, both the physical and \r\n spiritual; the inner-most part of one's \r\n being of whose condition only Allah \r\n is aware; the center and source of human \r\n consciousness, spirituality, intentions, \r\n emotions, and morality
\r\n - \r\n
derived \r\n from the root letters q-l-b meaning \r\n to change, vary, or turn about since \r\n it is a special characteristic of the \r\n heart, e.g. \"uqallib ul Allahu layla \r\n wan nahaar\" translated as \"it is \r\n Allah Who alternates the night \r\n and the day
\r\n \r\n
\r\n
\r\n| \r\n Quotes to ponder over \r\n |
Gheebah \r\n (backbiting and gossip) is the easiest way \r\n to lose one's good deeds and
\r\nbenefit the one you \r\n are speaking against. Here are three interesting \r\n sayings about this:
\r\n- \r\n
- \r\n
Someone \r\n was told: 'fulan ibn fulan has \r\n gossiped about you' so he sent him a \r\n dish full of dates, with the message: \r\n 'I heard that you had given me your \r\n hasanat (good deeds) as a gift, \r\n and I want to return the favour. Please \r\n excuse me for not being able to pay \r\n back in full!'
\r\n - \r\n
If \r\n you are unable to do three things, then \r\n you must do three (other) things: if \r\n you cannot do good, then stop doing \r\n evil; if you cannot benefit people, \r\n then do not harm them; and if you cannot \r\n fast, then do not eat the flesh of the \r\n people (by backbiting).
\r\n - \r\n
Ibn \r\n Mubarak (rahimahullah) said: \r\n 'If I were to gossip about anyone, I \r\n would gossip about my parents, for they \r\n have the most right to my hasanat!'
\r\n \r\n
[compiled from \"Gossip and its Adverse Effects\" \r\n by Shaykh Husayn al-'Awaaishah]
\r\n