Taqwa...& Ramadaan

Have you ever wondered what the true purpose of Ramadaan is? Why do we really fast? What are we meant to gain from fasting?

Allah says in the Quraan: "O you who have believed, fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may attain Taqwa" [2:183].

But what is Taqwa?

Various translations of this aayah define Taqwa as: righteousness/piety, self restraint, fearing Allah and guarding oneself against evil.

If we think about this we do all of this in Ramadaan. We attain piety by increasing in ibaadat, making more dhikr, reading more Quraan etc. We restrain ourselves from eating even though the act of eating is halaal at other times of the year. Therefore we learn self restraint. We increase in ibaadat therefore we have a heightened awareness of Allah. People make a greater effort in Ramadaan, by wearing scarf, abstaining from watching TV and listening to music etc. thereby guarding ourselves against evil.

In this way we attain Taqwa, the true purpose of Ramadaan. So don't laugh and mock at those who practice more in Ramadaan. They actually have the right idea. The only thing is that we've got to carry these changes with us even after Ramadaan.

May Allah accept from us the efforts we make for His pleasure. Aameen

The Best of Women (Pious Women) ~ Sayyidah Maryam [‘alaihas salaam] – Part One

Sayyidah Maryam (‘alaihas salaam) was a woman who was honoured by Allah Ta‘ala in a unique manner – an entire surah of the Quraan Majeed is named after her, and she is the only woman whose name is mentioned, not once, but repeatedly in the Quraan Majeed.

In Surah Aal ‘Imraan (v42), Allah Ta‘ala mentions how He instructed the angles to announce to Sayyidah Maryam (‘alaihas salaam), “O Maryam (‘alaihas salaam)! Indeed Allah Ta‘ala has selected you, purified you and chosen you above all women.”

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) similarly attested to the great virtue of Sayyidah Maryam (‘alaihas salaam). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mentioned, “Khadeejah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) is superior in virtue to all the women of my Ummah, just as Maryam (‘alaihas salaam) was superior in virtue to all the women of the other eras.” (Tabraani and Bazzaar - Majma‘uz Zawaaid #15260)​

The life of Sayyidah Maryam (‘alaihas salaam) was entirely unique and has many important and beneficial lessons to teach us. By studying her life, we will identify the qualities and attributes which Allah Ta‘ala had blessed her with, for which He and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) praised her in these glowing words. After identifying these qualities, we will strive to inculcate them so that we too may gain the acceptance of Allah Ta‘ala ~ Aameen

In the parts to follow, we will insha Allah discuss the life of Sayyidah Maryam (‘alaihas salaam).

Qadhaa Salaah Rulings (Shar'ee Rulings)

The following are a few important masaa-il (rulings) that pertain to people who have many qadhaa salaah to perform.

1. If a person is unable to determine the exact number of salaah that he has missed, he should estimate a number that he is confident will cover the salaah that he has missed.  

2. When performing qadhaa salaah, it is necessary for one to specify which qadhaa he is performing. If it is difficult for one to determine the date of the specific salaah (e.g. The Zuhr missed yesterday or the day before) then one may make the following intention, “I am performing qadhaa of the last Zuhr Salaah I missed,” or “I am performing qadhaa of the first Zuhr Salaah from all the Zuhr Salaahs that I have missed.”

However, if a person merely makes the intention, “I am performing qadhaa of Zuhr Salaah” without any further specification of which qadhaa of Zuhr he is performing, the intention will be insufficient and the qadhaa will not be fulfilled. Rather, the salaah will be performed as nafl.

3. To make qadhaa for a Zuhr, ‘Asr or ‘Esha salaah that was missed while on safar (shar‘ee travelling), one will perform two rakaats (even if one is not on safar when performing the qadhaa). Similarly, to make qadhaa of a Zuhr, ‘Asr or ‘Esha salaah that was missed when not on safar, one will perform four rakaats (even if one is performing the qadhaa while on safar).

4. There is no qadhaa for the sunnah and nafl salaahs. However, it is necessary to make qadhaa for the Witr salaah. Hence, for each day, a person will have to perform six qadhaa salaah (Fajr, Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Esha and Witr). However, if a person missed the Fajr Salaah and is performing the qadhaa on the same day, then he should perform the sunnah as well as the fardh if it is before zawwaal. If zawwaal has already passed, he will not perform the sunnah. Rather, he will only perform the fardh.

Below is a qadhaa salaah chart that will assist one in completing one’s qadhaa salaahs. 

       

The Powerful Product of Purity (Pious Women)

Among the prominent rulers of Afghanistan during the 1800s was a man named Dost Muhammad Khan who passed away in 1863.

At one point during his rule, he appointed one of his sons as his successor. After some time, when an enemy force attacked his kingdom, he dispatched this very son to defend the kingdom and recover the territory that was lost to the invading forces. On the instruction of his father, the son set out with an army.

Later on, Dost Muhammad Khan received the news that his son had been defeated and had fled from the battlefield. Extremely pained, grieved and disappointed, he entered his home and addressed the boy’s mother saying, “Our son has turned out to be weak and cowardly! He has suffered defeat and is fleeing the battlefield, whereas this is the time for him to show his courage and bravery! Furthermore, I have appointed him as my successor. The people will now tell me that I have appointed a weakling and a coward as my successor. This has caused me immense grief and disappointment.”

When the boy’s mother heard this, she confidently remarked, “The news that you received is incorrect. It is not possible for my son to have been defeated.” Dost Muhammad Khan was astonished and said, “I received this information through official, authentic channels. How can you sit here, in this home, and tell me that this reliable information is incorrect?”

After a period of time had passed, Dost Muhammad Khan received the information that his son had actually won the battle and was now returning home victorious! Dost Muhammad Khan was overjoyed and rushed home to inform the boy’s mother. After telling her the news, he asked her, “Tell me, how were you able to say with such conviction and certainty, while seated within your home, that the information was incorrect?”

The mother replied, “I would not have normally revealed this to anyone. However, because you have instructed me to tell you the reason, I will do so. When I conceived and I was carrying the prince, I decided that let alone haraam food – I would not even allow a single morsel of doubtful food to pass my lips. I understood that haraam food weakens the heart, causing a believer to lose his courage, strength and bravery. I thus ensured that I ate only halaal food so that he would be blessed with bravery and strength. After taking this decision, I complied with it completely, ensuring that I only ate halaal. After the boy was born, I decided to adhere to two things. The first is that I would never suckle the child when I was in the state of impurity (needing ghusal). In fact, over and above being in a state of purity, I would also make wudhu. Furthermore, whenever I was able to, I would recite Surah Yaseen while suckling him. The second is that I continued to ensure that I consumed only halaal food so that the suckling child would not be affected by the ill effects of haraam food through the milk he drank. When he marched to combat the enemy, then on account of my adhering to these actions, I had complete conviction that he would return victorious. That is how I knew that the information which you received was incorrect.”

(Islaahi Bayaanaat - Mufti ‘Abdur Raoof Sukkharwi vol. 2, pg. 109-111)

Lessons:

1. When a person eats food, then the nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc., assist his body positively. Similarly, any contaminants that may exist in the food such as pesticides, chemicals, etc., affect his body negatively. In exactly the same manner, when the food is halaal, it assists his imaam in a positive manner, and when the food is haraam or contaminated with haraam, it affects his imaan in a negative manner. As a result, the food that we eat has great influence over our motivation to carry out good deeds and refrain from haraam. Hence, when the prince was a ‘product’ of piety and purity, his imaan gave him the courage to stand and fight against the invaders.

2. As parents, what we put into our children, both literally (food and drink) and figuratively (values and morals), is what we will get out from our children. The need of the hour is thus for us to feed their bodies and souls with only that which is pure, and avoid exposing them to things that are evil and impure.

May Allah (swt) make us from amongst the pious, Aameen!