Dua to say end of Salah before Salaam

 In the last Rakat, we recite Attahiyat:

Link

Then we recite Darood Sharif:

Link

Then we can recite "Dua Masura" that is basically Allah for forgiveness of our mistakes

Link

Also, make dua for seeking refuge for the following 4:

How to Pray in Islam ?

 I wanted to share this Video that explains how to Pray in Islam . Please take a look and insha-Allah, it will be benefit you and family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBC1x5UWvEI

The Duha Prayer

The Duha prayer (Arabic: صَلَاة الضحى‎, Ṣalāt aḍ-Ḍuḥā) is the voluntary Islamic prayer between the obligatory Islamic prayers of Fajr and Dhuhr. ... Salat al Duha is done to forgive sins and as a form of charity. Abu Dharr reports that Muhammad said: "Charity is required from every part of your body daily.

Duha prayer begins after sunrise and ends at meridian, and is generally thought to include at least two raka'ahs, though in some traditions the number is four or even twelve. It is generally prayed when one-fourth of the day has passed. According to the Sunni thought, performing this prayer is believed to be effective in seeking forgiveness for one's sins.

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

”.. The words ‘Praise be to Allah’ is a charity; the words ‘Glory be to Allah’ is a charity; the words ‘There is no god but Allah’ is a charity; the words ‘Allah is Great’ is a charity; enjoining the good is a charity; detaining from evil is charity. And a dukha prayer of two units substitutes all of these.” (Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, 81).

Aisha, wife of the Prophet, told:

“Once I saw the Prophet offering the dukha prayer, and I never left it out in my life afterwards.” (Bukhari, Muslim).

Short Prayer/Dua/Dhikr in Islam

There are so many Short Prayer/Dua/Dhikr in Islam. We should learn them , understand them and remember to say few times a day. As a kid, I learn few  that I want to share here. I hope to teach my family the same and hopefully someone who is reading at this blog entry will be benefited Insha-Allah. The prayer/duas are so beautiful and it's Allahs' mercy that it was provided to us to elevate ourselves to help to go Heaven insha-allah.

Islam 2nd Pillar : Praying 5 Times/Day

Islam has 5 Pillars. Second Pillar is Praying 5 times a day.

• Prayer is one way to directly connect to our Creator. We can do Wudu and pray in any place that is clean. 
• We pray with the understanding that God is in-front of us.
• We recite Sura Fatiha in every rakat in a prayer. God responds after each line we recite in Sura Fatiha.
• For non-arabic person, it is better if we can learn the meaning of Suras so that we know what we are saying during prayer.
• One of the closes moment to our God is when we touch our head on the floor. We should make duas and ask Allah for Saving us from Hell Fire and other duas.
• We should be humble in our prayer.
• We should have all the major feelings like this
• "Fear"
• We fear of doing wrong and worried of Hell Fire and only God can save us.
• "Hope"
• We try our best and hope that God accepts our prayer and good deed.
• "Love"
• We love our Creator and God loves us more than anyone can

What I want to do ?

What is the goal of life ? As a Kid, My goal was to go to school and study. Then later the focus was to get a job and live in own place independent. Then getting married, raising kids etc. Alhamdulillah, Allah (SWT) has provided me and made my life easier. Sadly, we humans don't say enough thanks to our God and we can never give enough Thanks to the almighty. 

Our goal in life is to follow Islam, live the way Allah wants us to live and follow Quran and Sunnah. Personally, I have some goals that can be summarized in 3 bullet points:

1. Find time to learn/understand Quran and help kids/Family.

2. Take care of Parents as much as possible. It is a challenge for me as my parents live in a different country. Calling them regularly is something I can do now but I need to more Insha-Allah, but I don't know how yet.

3. There are lot of poor/needy people and it is our obligation to help them financially. I really want to do it but need to make it happen Insha-Allah.

May Allah make it easy to work on my Goals Insha-Allah.

Islam : Teaching Kids Manner at Home

Raising kids now-a-days is different than how it was done for my parents or grand-parents. As parents, we have less help with regard to raising kids and they are also exposed to different culture/society outside home.

As a parent, we need to be setup good example that kids can learn/follow from very young age. Just telling them about good deeds/manners is not enough. For example, Parents should be putting best soft behavior towards the kids as much as possible. Yelling at the kids or being Rude is not teaching them good manners. They may get scared and listen to us, but they will NOT once they grow older. Worst case, they may do the same with their own kids. Is this what we really want ?

As Muslim, we do our best to follow Quran and Sunnah. If we look at how our Prophet (Peace be upon Him) lived his life, we will see all the great examples of how we behaved with everyone including spouse, children, rich, poor or anyone. We try our best to implement his examples in our life and hopefully we can pass it to our own kids. This is our responsibility and it is also our Kid's right on us. 

Islam is the best religion and it is a complete religion from Allah (SWT). May Allah guide us to the straight path and help us to follow Quran and Sunnah. 

 Islam: What happens after Death ?

We all come to world for a short time, but sadly we don't want to think about Death as it is a tough subject. Remembering death often like daily is needed and it helps us to to stay in correct path and prepare us when death comes to us without any notice. I recently came across the following article and it gives the true picture on what happens after Death. Please take some time to read it and it is easy to understand. I hope it will benefit you and insha-allah we hope and pray to Allah SWT that we die as Muslim and do our part before death comes to us.

Click here: What happens after Death ?

Some Lessons from QURAN (#30) - PART 1

Quran is from our creator Allah (swt - Glory to Him, the Exalted.)  We try to read Quran in Arabic or using translations. It is also important to understand Quran is teaching us way of life and we are expected to follow or implement commands from Quran in our daily life.

Recently, I saw simple Facebook post and I want to share here. Please note the Sura # and Line# is here and you can check exact translation on your own. (i.e go to https://www.clearquran.com/ and look for Sura #3 and Line# 159 for the first lesson below)

01. Don't be harsh in the talk. (03:159)
02. Control the anger (03:134).
03. Treat good with others. (04:36)
04. Don't be proud. (07:13)
05. Forgive others for his mistake (07:199)
06. Speak slow to people and speak quietly. (20:44)
07. Don't speak loud. (31:19)
08. Do not laugh at others (49:11)
09. Act responsible for parents. (17:23)
10. Do not pronounce abusive words to parents. (17:23)
11. Do not enter the parent s' bedroom without permission. (24:58)
12. If you accept loan then write it. (02:282)
13. Don't follow anyone blind. (02:170)
14. Increase the payment time in the difficult situation of the loan applicant. (2:280)
15. Never get involved with interest. (02:275)
16. Never be connected with bribe. (02:188)
17. Don't break the promise. (02:177)
18. Have Faith (02:283)
19. Do not mix the truth with lies. (2:42)
20. Be just when you judge. (04:58)
21. Stand firm for justice. (04:135)
22. Distribute the wealth of the dead to their family members. (04:07)
23. Give the inheritance rights of women. (04:07)
24. Do not consume the property of orphans. (04.10)
25. Protect the orphans. (02:220)
26. Do not consume others's wealth injustice. (04:29)
27. Try for intimacy between people. (49:09)
28. Avoid doubt. (49:12)
29. Don't spy, don't say bad things about others. (49:12)
30. Judge according to the order of Allah. (05:45)

After a while...

Due to so many reasons, i was not able to update this Blog sadly in last few years. I will try to start publishing things that I will come across or learn and love to share with anyone out there.

For full disclaimer, my goal is to learn and share. Please double check other sources if I publish anything incorrectly. I am not a scholar and have minimum knowledge about Islam but do love to learn, follow and share.

Again, my goal is to keep posts simple and short so that anyone can follow insha-Allah (isA).

Some common mistakes in Ramadhaan

By Asma Bint Shameem

Taking Ramadhaan as a ritual

For many of us Ramadhaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning till night just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that it's a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire of Hell.  Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all. Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 
 
"Jibreel said to me, 'May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadhaan comes and his sins are not forgiven,' and I said, 'Ameen'...." (Tirmidhi, Ahmad, others. Saheeh by al-Albaani)
 
Too much stress on food and drink 

For some people, the entire month of Ramadhaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Qur'aan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD, so much so that they turn the month of 'fasting' into the month of 'feasting'. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. 
 
And remember, too much food is also a kind of waste & extravagance. 
 
".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)" [al-A'raaf :31] 
 
Spending all day cooking

Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraaweeh or Tahajjud; too exhausted to even read Qur'aan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness, dua and Ibaadah, to increase in your taqwa and to improve your relationship with Allaah. And how can you do that if you spend all your time in the kitchen cooking? So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!  
 
Eating too much
 
Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to 'make up for the food they missed.' However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Remember, moderation is the key to everything. 
 
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then, keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. Saheeh by al-Albaani). 
 
Besides, too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless.
 
It was said to Imam Ahmad: "Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full?" He said, "I do not think so."

Sleeping all day
 

  

 
Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) 'sleeping away their fast'. 
 
Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people are also missing the purpose of fasting and just falling prey to laziness and lethargy. All it needs is to exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing, but negligence on his part.  
 
Wasting time
 
The month of Ramadhaan is a precious, precious time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyaamum Ma'doodaat" (A fixed number of days) (Surah Baqarah: 184). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music.
 
Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him! 
 
Fasting but not giving up evil
 
Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, committing fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.
 
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)" [al-Baqarah 2:183] 
 
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari) 
 
Smoking
 
Smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadhaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaa'ith (evil things). And this includes ALL kinds of 'smoking material' whether it is cigars, cigarettes, pipes,'Sheesha', hookah or even worse than that. May Allaah protect us from all that is evil. Ameen.
 
"He allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things) [al-A'raaf :157]
 
Smoking is harmful, not only to the one smoking, but also to the ones around him. It is also a means of wasting one's wealth. 
 
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "There should be no harming or reciprocating harm." 
This is especially true during fasting and it invalidates the fast. (Fatwa -Ibn 'Uthaymeen) 
 
Skipping Suhoor
 
 
Some of us are too lazy or sleepy to eat Suhoor or just don't think it's important. Even if you don't feel like having a lot of food, just eat something little; a few dates, even a glass of water. That's because the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 
 
"Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."(Bukhaari, Muslim). 
 
And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim) 
 
Stopping Suhoor at 'Imsaak'
 
Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier than the time of Fajr to observe 'Imsaak'. They think they cannot eat beyond that time and that it would be wrong if they did.  
 
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: "This is a kind of bid'ah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to do the opposite. Allaah allows us to eat until dawn: "and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)" [al-Baqarah 2:187] 
 
And the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said: "....eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes." (Bukhaari)
 
This 'imsaak' which some of the people practice, is an addition to what Allaah has prescribed, so it is false. It is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
 
"Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed." (Muslim) " (Islamqa: question # 12602)
 
Not fasting if they missed Suhoor
 
Sometimes, our alarm doesn't go off on time and we miss the time for eating, just barely waking up with the adhaan. I'm sure this has happened to all of us one time or another. In this situation, there are some people who are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. They think they will feel too weak during the day or that, by default, missing Suhoor automatically means NO fast that day. But, if you think about it, unless a person has a genuine health problem, it is not such a big deal after all. What if you missed a few morsels of food? You'll be fine insha Allaah. Alhamdulillaah most of us have enough fat stored in our bodies to keep us going for several days without food! Remember, obedience to Allaah takes precedence over everything. 
 
Saying the intention to fast 'out loud' or saying a specific dua to start fasting
 
The intention is an action of the heart. We should resolve in our heart that we are going to fast tomorrow. That is all we need. It is not prescribed by the Shari'ah for us to say out loud, "I intend to fast", "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been innovated by some people. Also, there is no specific dua to be recited at the time of starting the fast in the correct Sunnah. Whatever 'dua' you may see on some papers or Ramadhaan calendars, etc. is a Bid'ah. 
 
Delaying breaking fast 
 
Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be 'on the safe side'. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aa'ishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to do. (Muslim) 
 
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim) 
 
So, determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.


Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up        

 

 
Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. That is obviously not right. The Sunnah of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, them he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish.
 
Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted
 
The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast. 
 
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father (parent), the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani). 
 
Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying 'samosas', talking, setting the food, filling their plates and pouring drinks into their glasses and they lose this golden opportunity. Think about it....
 
Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas?
 

Fasting but not praying

 

Realize that the fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim) 
 
In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled. The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said:
 
"Whoever does not pray 'Asr, his good deeds will be annulled." (Bukhaari) 
 
Fasting and not wearing Hijaab 
 
Not wearing the Hijaab is a major sin as it is obligatory for Muslim women. (See Surah Nur, Surah Ahzaab). So fasting and not wearing hijaab certainly takes away enormously from the rewards of fasting, even if does not invalidate it. 
 
Not fasting because of exams or work
 
Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shari'ah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than 'good grades'. Besides, if you will fulfil your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do.
 
"Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)
 
Mixing fasting and dieting
 
DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make, especially the sisters. Fasting is an act of worship and should only and only, be for the sake of Allah alone. Otherwise, mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of (minor) Shirk. Sure, there are always added benefits of obeying Allaah, one of them being, losing weight while fasting. That comes in automatically, so reap the benefits but don't make it part of your intention. If the side benefits come, they come. If they don't, that shouldn't stop you from obeying Allaah and fulfilling your duty. 
 
Fighting over the number of Raka'ah of Taraweeh
 
There is no specific number of rak'ahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (raka'ah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah." (Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/407) 
 
What is really important, my brothers and sisters, is the command to observe night prayers during Ramadhaan, which is encouraged without specifying a particular number. As long as we are praying our Taraaweeh, it shouldn't be a matter of dispute or disunity whether it is 8 or 20 or even more. And of course, what really counts is that Allaah accepts it from us, even if it is two rakaat, right?
 
Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th  
 
Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadhaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim). 
 
Wasting the last part of Ramadhaan preparing for Eid
 
Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadhaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibaadah and Lailatul Qadr, although, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadhaan in worship and not in shopping. 
 
Aa'ishah (RA) said: "When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family." (Bukhaari and Muslim). 
 
Lavish Iftaar parties
 
Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some p
to extremes with lavish 'Iftaar parties' with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah and Taraaweeh, to even music and dancing. May Allaah guide us. Ameen.

The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "Allah has forbidden you
(1) to be undutiful to your mothers
(2) to withhold (what you should give)
(3) demand (what you do not deserve), and
(4) to bury your daughters alive.

And Allah has disliked that
(A) you talk too much about others
(B),ask too many questions (in religion),
(C) waste your property."

Bukhari Vol. 8 : No. 6

Insha-allah, we should try to understand this Hadith and implement in our daily life.

Muslims 'must' follow both Quran and Hadith

As Muslims, we need to follow both:
1. Quran : Holy book from Allah
2. Hadith : Describes how Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu Alaihi Wa-Sallam) lived his life which is what Muslims should follow.

There are some people who will 'reject' Hadith but accept Quran. May Allah guide these people.

In Quran, there are few places where Allah commanded us to obey Allah and  the Messenger (Sallahu Alaihi Wa-Sallam). Few Verses from Quran:

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah ; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian. (Sura An-Nisa : 4:80)


And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away - then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification. (Sura Al-Maidah: 5:92)

Another example is Quran commands Muslims to Pray, and Hadith will  how Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu Alaihi Wa-Sallam) prayed.

So basically, Muslims must follow both Quran and Hadith. May Allah bless us and guide us insha-allah.

2 Rakat in Masjid

Narrated Abu Qatada Al-Aslami (Radi Allahu 'anhu):

Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "If anyone of you
enters a mosque, he should pray two Rakat before sitting."

Bukhari Vol. 1 : No. 435

Lottery Tickets Haram ?

Muslims today are lacking "knowledge" in Quran and Hadith and following the people/culture around us. Many of us committing "Major Sins" without even knowing about it. We personally don't try to gain the knowledge even though it is much easier to learn Quran and Hadith in this 21st century. This is our own fault. May Allah bless us with the right path, help us to gain knowledge and follow it properly. Ameen.

Let's see what we have regarding "lottery" in Quran:

Lotteries and raffles are other names for gambling, which is haraam according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.), and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?

And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al Ansaab, or Al Azlaam) and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way” [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]

This gambling – which is any transaction in which a person may win or lose, and he does not know whether he will be a winner or a loser – is all haraam. Indeed, it is one of the major sins, and its abhorrent nature is no secret when one realizes that Allaah mentions it in conjunction with idol-worship, alcohol and azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision). Whatever benefits may be hoped for from gambling pale into insignificance beside the harm that it causes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: ‘In them is a great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.’”

[al-Baqarah 2:219]

Dua before and after Wudu

As Muslims, we Insha-Allah pray 5 times a day. And we perform Wudu for each Prayer.
We need to say Dua before/after Wudu according to Sunnah.
There is NO dua during wudu that I have found authentic. It is very important to find out which is authentic before doing Duas, else we might fall into Bida (Innovation that is very serious in Islam). May Allah help us to properly follow our beloved Prophet (peach be upon him). Ameen.

Dua before starting Wudu:
بِسْمِ ال
(Bismilllah)

Meaning "In the name of Allah"


Dua after completing Wudu:

Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no one amongst you who does wudoo' and does it properly and does it well THEN he says,

ash-hadu an laa ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu, laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan a'abduhu warasooluhu

Except the gates of Paradise will be opened to him and he may enter through whichever of them he wishes." (Muslim)

Meaning: (I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, and i bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.


Another dua,

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
allahummaj 'alni, minuthawaabeena waj'alnee, minal mutathahireen.

O Allah, make me of those who return to You often in repentance and make me of those who remain clean and pure.

Stages of the revelation of the Quran

The Qur'an is a Message from Allah (swt) to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Quran was revealed in 3 stages :

1. Stage #1:

Allah (swt) had The Quran written before any creation. And Quran was put in Preserved Tablet (in the Seventh Heaven). The Quran mentions the Preserved Tablets in the verse (which means):

"Nay! This is a Glorious Quran, inscribed in a Preserved Tablet" [Quran 85:21-22]

2. Stage #2:

In this stage, the Quran was brought by Jibreel (as) from the Preserved Tablet (in the Seventh Heaven) down to the First Heaven (sky) and placed in the 'Place of Power or Honor'.

Quran tells of the fact that it was sent down during a specific night, in the verse (which means):

"By the Book that makes things clear; - We sent it down during a Blessed Night: for We (ever) wish to warn (against Evil). In the (Night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom." [Quran 44:2-4]

And (which means):

"We have indeed sent down this during the Night of Power." [Quran 97:1].

These two verses indicate that the Quran was revealed in a single blessed night in the month of Ramadhaan that is called the 'Night of Power, or Decree'.

3. Stage #3:

This stage of revelation lasted for about 23 years in which the Quran was sent down in response to the development of events and in accordance with the sequence needed to complete the delivery of the Message.

The Quran, the last of Allaah’s Scriptures, is divided into 114 'Surahs' (Chapters) of unequal length. It is the first fundamental source of Islamic Sharee’ah (Islamic Law). Allaah, Most High, Says (what means): "… A Quran which We have given seriatim (separated out) in order that you may recite it to the people at intervals and We have caused it to come down successively (by stages)." [Quran 17:106]

May Allah guide us to read/understand/teach Quran and implement our life based on Quran and Sunnah. Ameen

Love for Our Prophet (salla-hu-alaihi-wa-sallam)

As Muslims, we can't be true believers unless we love our Phophet (salla-hu-alaihi-wa-sallam) more than anything, even then ourselves.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him that his father, his child and all the people.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 15; Muslim, 44)


Now, is it enough just to say I love our beloved Prophet (salla-hu-alaihi-wa-sallam)?
No, we need to prove it in our action, specially in our daily life.
His life, saying, actions are preserved as Sunnah/Hadith. It is obligatory on every muslim to make effort to learn hadith, follow it as much as they can.

By following the Sunnah, we can show how much we love our Prophet (salla-hu-alaihi-wa-sallam).

More detailed response:
http://islamqa.info/en/ref/2431

Rizk

Allah swt provides us Rizk. We don't have any option either to increase it or decrease it.

Let's use a simple example. Say a Person named "A" is destined to have 1 million as income in his lifetime by Allah's will. Now Person "A" do have the "free will/choice" how he will make this money.

• He can earn it in sinful ways like using riba/interest, selling harm like Alcohol, stealing from others etc..... or

• He can earn it in the correct way.

Either way Peason "A" will not be able to earn more or less than 1 Million unless Allah let's him.

So why do we try to earn money in harm ways ? Why we think we will loose income if we don't sell alcohol, or try to get interest from CDs in Bank etc... It is not worth it once we realize that Allah provides us Rizk and we don't want to be sinful by earning the Rizk in Harm ways.

May Allah protect us and family from any Haram ways to earn money. Ameen.

Topic: Good deeds vs Following Islam

Some Muslims don't follow Islam properly, for example they don't pray five times, don't pay Zakat etc. When you talk to them, they will say that they are doing good/noble deeds, helping others, not lying etc. So basically, this is how they are following what Islam wants them to do.

How do you respond to them?

There are Two types of Good Deeds:
1. Wordly Good Deeds : Example, Help Poor, Speak the Truth...
2. Spritual Good Deeds : Example, Pray five times, Perform Hajj...

Just choosing one type of Good Deed is not enough in Islam. One type of Good Deed doesn't replace the other.

Insha-Allah, we Muslims will understand this and educate others to fulfill our responsibility as the follower of Islam.