Fatwas

Fajr prayers on Fridays


Q- Is it permissible to habitually recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Insan in the Fajr prayer on Friday?


A – It is prescribed to recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Ad-Dahr (i.e. Al-Insan) in the Fajr prayer on Fridays, and there is no objection to one habitually doing so. However, if it is feared that some of the people will think that it is obligatory to do so, then it is lawful for him (i.e. the Imam) not to recite it sometimes.

– Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 2, pg. 458

For more read here.

Winning gold through intentions

1. Intention before the act: Use the golden touchDaily acts can be converted into acts of worship by making our intentions pure for the sake of Allah’s pleasure. This is Ikhlas (doing our deeds sincerely for the sake of Allah).



2. Intention during the act: Spend it wiselyThis means accomplishing our acts of worship in the right manner, i.e. as per the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).Scholars say the above two are conditions for any act of worship to be valid, i.e. Ikhlas and having been done according to Sunnah.


For more read this.

The Pearl Necklace – I: ‘I cannot accept your reward’

Qazi Abu Bakr Muhammad Bin Abdul Baqi Ansari is an illustrious personality of Islamic history. He was one of the most pious persons of his time. His biographers tell a number of stories about his honesty and reliability but the one that affected his whole life is full of strange and unique events. He has narrated this story in his own words and it adorns the pages of history books:


IN the middle of the 5th century Hijrah, I was a student of the Qur’an and Hadith in Makkah. I once became jobless and my means of income came to an end. I managed to subsist for a few days but soon it became hard to obtain even two square meals. My studies were discontinued and I had to sell a few of my books to support myself. I was at the edge of starvation but self-respect did not allow me to borrow or beg.


One day, hungry as usual, I went to the Ka’ba to pray to Allah to save me from my sad plight. On my way back I saw a velvet cloth pouch lying near the road edge. I picked it up and looked around to find its owner but the road was deserted and nobody was in sight. I carried the pouch to my house.


I was curious to know its contents. As I untied the silk cord, a very precious necklace of pearls slipped into my hand. The luster of the spotless pearls almost lit my room. It was a radiant beauty and I was thrilled to hold the valuable ornament. My thoughts went to the unfortunate owner who had lost the precious jewelry. He must be sad and very worried. The course of action which I instantly decided on was to look for the owner and give him back his necklace to relieve him of this mental suffering. Leaving the bag behind, I went straight to the place were it was found. For more read here.

Who’s afraid of learning Arabic?

EVER wonder how many of us offer our prayers perfunctorily, or even incorrectly, barely understanding what we say? Ever notice how many of us aren’t interested in picking up and reading the Qur’an in our moments of solitude and despair to gain solace and comfort from it, simply because “we don’t understand it.” Ever wonder why things are this way?



This lack of spiritual connection with the Salah and Qur’an in a large chunk of our Ummah is one of the penalties we are paying for neglecting Arabic, the language which holds the key to understanding, and consequently, implementing the Qur’an.



The enormity of this omission is especially glaring in non-Arabic speaking Muslim communities – more so, since they have enthusiastically embraced the teaching and learning of English, with great success.



Having made the connection between acquiring English language skills and worldly progress, most of us are willing to jump through a lot of linguistic hoops to acquire the perfect pronunciation, the trendiest turn of phrase, the most effective presentation.



What prevents us from putting in the same efforts towards learning Arabic, in pursuit of success in the Deen? For the answer please go here.

Making use of leftovers

MY mother never throws away leftover or old bread. The idea of food landing in the bin is heartbreaking to us all. We would rather that it be consumed by any living creature than go to waste.


Every day my mother collects the stale bread, tears them into small pieces or crushes the hard ones into crumbs, places them in flat open containers and carries them out in the back yard along with a water can. She pours water in the tray containing bread pieces to let them soak and soften. The dry crumbs are left as they are. Along side these two, she places a bowl of water.


This is food for the birds. And this has been regular practice for years. As a result, everyday literally hundreds of birds visit us in two-shifts to partake in the feast. The Laughing Doves relish the big moist pieces while the flocks of House Sparrows peck on the crumbs. The Red and Blue Vented Bulbuls stake claim to both ‘dishes.’


Occasionally, the Hoopoe, Parakeet, Common Myna and Tree Pipits also drop by to grace the banquet with their presence, if only for the water.Our mornings and afternoons are infused with the chirps and twitter of ‘mum’s birds’, as we call them. By evening, the trays are empty. For my mother, this is her way of earning ajr (reward) from Allah. Any deed, however small, that serves or benefits the creatures of God is reward-worthy. For more read here.

Joining ties of kinship

RELATIVES are those who are related to you through blood and close ties; such as the brother, the uncle, the aunt, or their children. Everyone who has a tie of relation with you has certain rights upon you in accordance with how closely they are related to you. Allah said regarding this: “And give to the relative his right.” (Qur’an, 17:26). Allah also said: “And worship Allah alone, and do not setup any partner to Him in worship, and be kind and good to the parents, and to the relatives.” (Qur’an, 4:36)


So it is obligatory upon everyone to treat his relatives in the best possible manner, and to support them in accordance with their needs, and what they seek of help and support. And this is what is enjoined by the Shariah, the ‘Aql (sound reasoning) and the Fitrah (natural disposition).


There are several textual evidences encouraging and urging Silat-ur-Rahim (joining the ties of kinship). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him keep the ties of kinship.” (Al-Bukhari, no. 6138). For more read here.

Preparing nutritious and delicious food for babies

With young babies, every day brings new joy and surprises. We eagerly watch them accomplish new developmental milestones each month, fall in love with that first smile and our hearts flutter with delight when we hear their first coos.



As babies grow every mother look forward to feeding them solid foods for the first time. The perfect food for an infant in the initial stages of life is breast milk, as it contains the right quantities of amino acids and fats for growth, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, and C for energy, and iron. The mother also passes on protective antibodies to her child through her milk.



Ideally breast milk (or infant formula) should be the only source of nutrition for babies for the first five to six months. Many parents mistakenly try to feed solids to their babies at four months. This is too soon as the baby’s digestive and immunological systems have not yet fully developed. Early feeding can result in poor digestion, allergies, and obesity. Approximately six months is the best time to begin feeding your little one solid food. Excellent nutrition is key to your baby’s mental and physical development. The following guidelines can help you in shaping the healthiest diet for your baby:



Cereal
Start your baby on iron-fortified rice cereals which is the easiest type of cereal to be digested. Wheat cereal should not be introduced until after seven months because it is likely to cause allergies. Infant cereals supply B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. In the beginning, only provide one meal of solid food a day as the baby’s diet should still mainly consist of breast milk.



For variety, add a little blackstrap molasses to the rice cereal to boost its nutritional benefits. Blackstrap molasses is very rich in iron and calcium. Other ways to vary the taste and nutritional value of your baby’s cereal include: soaking two dried apricots or two prunes or two dates or several raisins in warm water. Then mix the dried fruit with the grain cereal in a blender until smooth. That way you naturally flavor your baby’s cereal and you add fiber and vitamins and iron. Make sure the cereal with fruit has no chunks to avoid choking. For more read here.