We all face difficulties in life. We all need help in life. Here is a dua asking for help!
“O The Ever-Living, The Ever-Lasting One, You Have Shown Us Your Power, So Show Us Your Forgiveness.”
ياحي ياقيوم قد أريتنا قدرتك فأرنا عفوك
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One of the duas that Ibrahim made is: “O Allah, do not let us be a trial for the disbelievers.” The Quran 60:5. This means that if the disbelievers are victorious over us they might take it that they are on something true and not us. The second meaning is that our behaviour shouldn’t be a reason why we repel people against us.
Our dawah that we do should be exemplified. When we make dawah we should do it with good character. Even if we do not talk to people about Islam, our bahaviour should show people are beautiful Muslims are in character. We need to think about our individual behaviour and how it impacts on people.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to think about every action that he did. And he was concerned about the perception of others and within the community. He didn’t want to give the Islamophobes ammunition against Muslims. We should have a high sensitivity that we are always paying attention to how we are reflecting our faith around us.
The post Living Ibrahim’s (AS) Legacy appeared first on About Islam.
Summer is a time to feel a bit free and to have a chance to do all the things you didn’t have time to do during the year.
For many people it is a time for sea, sun, and surf, or for bushwhacking, mountain climbing, canoeing, or hiking. But as a new Muslim woman what can you do in the summer?
New Muslims are going through many changes. They are making the transition from old habits to new, from old friends to new ones, and to old ways of enjoying their times to new ways.
Depending on where you live, there may be places you can go to enjoy swimming. For Muslim women, as long as they are dressed modestly they can swim with other women.
In many countries Muslim women can organize the local swimming pool to make a women-only day. In other countries there are beaches you can visit with your family where you can enjoy your privacy.
Hiking and bushwhacking, camping and canoeing are fine as long as the Muslim woman dresses in long, loose clothes. There are many styles of Islamic clothing and you can find one to suit the activity you want to do.
The other factor you have to keep in mind in such activities is safety. It is better to go in an organized group and take your husband, brother, uncle, or father along with you just in case. There was even a group of Iranian Muslim women who climbed Mount Everest! The sky is the limit!
But life for a Muslim is not just having fun and playing games. There is a time for everything, and a Muslim’s life should be balanced. The Muslim should always have a goal in mind for any activity in life. So if we keep the fundamental goal of life itself — to worship Allah the Almighty — then everything we do, with the intention to please Allah, is a form of worship and is rewarded.
Spend some time gaining knowledge. The first thing for a new Muslim to do is to memorize some Quran and the prayers in Arabic.
Find a place that teaches Arabic for beginners, or get a cassette or book to learn Arabic. Where there is a will there is a way, so be wise and use some of your time to learn.
I met a sister from a European country who had been very poor as a child and had never gone to school. She couldn’t read or write even in her own native language. However, she was able to memorize one juz’ (section) of the Quran simply by listening to a cassette over and over again.
There are many books available that provide information on the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the meaning of prayer, Islamic dress, the family structure in Islam, how people should deal with each other, among other things.
Get a hold of such books and enjoy the bounty of learning. There are also a lot of magazines and journals. In addition, the Internet has become a tool for learning as well as a way of meeting people and sharing experiences.
Make up your mind to learn something new or develop a skill you already have. Afterwards, give back to your community by teaching others.
Try to find a way to help the people around you and learn to empathize with others. Allah has given all human beings skills and abilities, so find what yours are and share them with others.
There is so much satisfaction in helping others when we do this for the sake of Allah and not to be thanked or acknowledged by people.
If you like gardening, there is a blessing in this too. If you plant a tree or something that benefits an animal or human being, you will continue to receive the blessing for that as long as the benefit remains.
The strong Muslim is better than the weak Muslim, so find ways to exercise and keep a healthy diet so your body will be strong and healthy.
To keep a healthy mind you must have a positive attitude toward life. Such an attitude comes about after you learn to surrender to Allah and trust Him, being ever-hopeful and ever optimistic. Whenever a calamity strikes, turn to Allah, ask for guidance and relief and trust in Him.
(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)
The post My First Summer as a New Muslim Woman appeared first on About Islam.
In the last article, we discussed the importance of self-confidence in the life of a Muslim, and that self-confidence isn’t contrary to tawakkul but rather branches out of it.
Today let’s look at that concept in a bit more detail. How does self-confidence branch out of confidence in Allah?
The more confidence we have in Allah, the more firmly we will believe what He says to us in the Quran. So when He tells us that a certain task is easy for us, we will firmly believe in our ability to do it (self-confidence). Once we accomplish that task, it will get easier the next time, and so on. It’s an ever-increasing cycle of tawakkul and self-confidence.
This applies more directly to our worship than our worldly tasks. When Allah commands us to pray five times daily, it means that we have the ability to do just that. If we didn’t, Allah wouldn’t have told us to do it.
“I used to be a very pious Muslimah,” a friend once lamented to me. “Now I just can’t do it anymore.”
Lack of confidence in the area of spirituality can be debilitating. It can stunt one’s spiritual growth and can even seriously endanger one’s Islam.
Lack of trust in one’s ability to be a good worshiper of Allah – it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. In a hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (peace be upon him) paraphrased Allah thus:
I am to my slave as he thinks of Me. (Al-Bukhari 7505)
Some Tips to Increase Self Confidence in Worship:
From all the creatures in the world, Allah chose you, the human being, to give the gift of intellect. From all the billions of human beings, Allah chose you, the Muslim, to give the gift of guidance, the ability to use your intellect.
Allah saw something special in you that maybe you yourself don’t see yet. You are a special choice of Allah. Have trust in Allah’s choice.
Allah says:
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. (22:78)
Someone once told me: “I pray all the prayers throughout the day, but I just can’t wake up for Fajr.”
Another person said: “I do pray all five prayers, but I pray them together at the end of the day. It’s not possible to pray them on time, my life’s so hectic.”
The thing is, Allah ordered us to pray all five prayers, and pray them within their proper times.
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times. (4:103)
Do you think that Allah told you to do something that’s impossible for you?
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned… (2:286)
When we have low self-confidence, even easy tasks can seem very difficult to us. That doesn’t make the task undoable; we have just tied our own hands, and all we need to do is untie ourselves.
Believe in Allah when He says you can do it. Believe Him when He says that He wants ease for you, not hardship. (2:185)
Be with people who have self-confidence, because it’s contagious.
In the Prophet’s words:
The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him. (Al-Bukhari 5534)
Whenever you have the thought “I can’t do it”, remember that it’s not really your mind that’s speaking it; it’s Satan. How do you like the idea of having Satan inside your head, continuously discouraging you? How do you like the idea of obeying what Satan says?
Fortify yourself against Satan. Connect to the Quran and increase remembrance of Allah, especially in the morning and evening.
“When I start wearing hijab, I will do it properly,” I have heard that excuse more than once.
“I will only give exam when I know I can get 100% marks,” if you’d decided that, would you even pass your first grade?
Does Allah want perfection from us?
So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah]; it is better for your selves…. (64:16)
When a child can’t swallow a whole medicine tablet, a wise mom breaks it into two or three pieces and makes him swallow one piece at a time. What would happen if she insisted that he’d grow up first so that he can swallow it whole?
It takes time for a seed to grow into a full-blown tree. Give yourself time. Just make sure that you’re making progress. Don’t compare yourself to other people, rather compare yourself to what you were yesterday.
Reference:
“Allah Chose You”, Khutbah by Nouman Ali Khan.
(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)
The post 5 Tips to Increase Self-Confidence in Worship appeared first on About Islam.
One of the best ways for children to learn about Islam is through stories.
Iqra Cartoon Network is dedicated to this task. From their series on the prophets, these videos on the Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (ra) are ideal entertainment on the days of Eid Al-Adha.
Carefully using Qur’an, hadith and Tafsir Ibn Kathir as resources, the videos also tastefully avoid depicting the prophets.
Enjoy.
The Iqra Cartoon Network also has the Prophet Series available for free download on their website, as well as videos about hadith, Ramadan and more.
The post Enjoy Cartoons on the Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail for Eid Al-Adha appeared first on About Islam.
Trouver le bonheur dans la réalité est en fait assez simple. Vous le trouvez dans les choses que vous ne pouvez pas acheter. Vous trouvez ces choses au niveau de votre cœur. La première chose qui apporte le bonheur aux humains, est la spiritualité.
C’est l’amour que nous avons pour les gens. C’est le sentiment de fraternité que nous éprouvons pour nos pairs que nous apprécions.
C’est la solidarité. C’est la famille. Toutes les choses que l’argent ne peut pas acheter. Ce sont aussi toutes les choses que nous, en tant que société, avons oubliées.
L’Imam Franck Amin partage son histoire de découvrir le bonheur à travers l’Islam. Avant de se convertir à l’islam, il n’a jamais pensé à la spiritualité. Lorsqu’il a découvert l’Islam, il a découvert ce qu’avait changé sa vie. Il n’aurait jamais pu imaginer ce que cela pouvait être.
Pour aider à donner un sens, personne aujourd’hui ne pourrait se passer de son téléphone portable. Nous pouvons oublier notre veste ou quoi que ce soit d’autre et continuer notre chemin. Cependant, si nous oublions le téléphone, il est impossible d’avancer dans votre journée. Au lieu de cela, nous nous arrêtons et retournons pour le récupérer.
L’islam est la même chose mais à une échelle encore plus grande. Pour ceux qui n’ont jamais goûté à l’islam, il est difficile de comprendre ce qui leur manque. Ceux qui l’ont goûté se demandent comment ils ne l’avaient pas découvert auparavant.
C’est ce que l’Islam lui a apporté et apporte à ses adeptes. Cela nous apporte un équilibre. Cela nous apporte une famille. Cela peut amener un merveilleux conjoint et des enfants à aimer. Une communauté à faire partie.
L’Islam l’a aidé à se développer dans ses études. Cela l’a aidé à devenir un vrai citoyen. Avant, il n’était pas intéressé par sa société. Lorsqu’il est devenu musulman, il a compris qu’il devait être actif dans sa communauté et sa société. En tant que musulmans, nous sommes la meilleure communauté lorsque nous nous réunissons pour élever notre communauté plus haut.
The post Le Bonheur: Où Peut-On Le Trouver? appeared first on About Islam.
It is Eid Al-Adha; Eid Mubarak! May Allah accept your good deeds.
Here are 7 Eid Al-Adha Sermons from different mosques in the United States, Canada and the UK.
Get inspired by the Imams reflections and insights in these Eid Sermons.
Happy Eid Al-Adha
The post Eid Al-Adha 1441: 7 Sermons from US, Canada and UK appeared first on About Islam.
اضحك
اضحك خل البسمة تنور قلبك
خل الفرحة تضوي دربك
ما في شي في الدنيا يسوى
تزعل روحك اضحك
اضحك مثل طفل بأول عمره
مثل بنية تقطف زهرة
مثل أم تبوس ولد راجع من بره
اضحك ما تدري وش جايب بكرة
كل شي صار البارح ذكرى
عيش اليوم وخل البسمة
في بالك فكرة اضحك
اضحك مثل طالب توه ناجح
أو عريس لبيته رايح
أو مشجع ساعة يدري
إن فريقه رابح
اضحك لدنياك اضحك لدنياك
اضحك لدنياك تضحك معاك
اضحك لدنياك اضحك لدنياك
اضحك لدنياك تضحك معاك
اضحك ولو صيفك حار
اضحك حتى لأبعد جار
اضحك ليل مع نهار
اضحك لو مهما صار
اضحك للي سايق جنبك
اضحك للي تقول له أحبك
اضحك للي يلعب ضدك
اضحك بس اضحك
اضحك لكل الناس
اضحك وعيش هالإحساس
اضحك لأن الأساس إنك تضحك
يا أخي اضحك
اضحك لدنياك اضحك لدنياك
اضحك لدنياك تضحك معاك
اضحك لدنياك اضحك لدنياك
اضحك لدنياك تضحك معاك
بس اضحك
The post نشيد اضحك لحمود الخضر appeared first on About Islam.
This Eid is the second Eid many of us spend in quarantine. While the precautions have relaxed in many places, we can expect the festivities to look very different from previous years.
Eid Al-Adha comes at the end of the ten best days of the Islamic calendar year; Dhul-Hijjah Days.
In usual times, millions of pilgrims struggle through the heat and crowds to fulfill their Hajj while the rest of us long to be in their place. Khutbahs (sermons) across the world recount the story of Prophets Abraham (Ibrahim) and Ishmael (Isma`il) (peace be upon them) in detail.
This Eid offers us a unique spiritual perspective. So while we cope, let us not fail to take the opportunity to reflect on Prophet Ibrahim’s story.
Prophet Ibrahim also lived during a pandemic. It was not a pandemic of physical disease, but a pandemic of spiritual disease. His people disregarded the symptoms.
While Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to an upheaval of so many lives, the spiritual pandemic of Ibrahim’s time destroyed both the dunya (worldly life) and Akhira (Hereafter) of his people.
We read in the Quran what means:
{And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet. [Mention] when he said to his father, “O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?
O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path.
O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed Satan has ever been, to the Most Merciful, disobedient.} (Maryam 19:41-44)
Prophet Ibrahim witnessed the contagious ignorance of his people. Even as a young man, he called out the hypocrisy of his people. He would watch his very own father construct idols with his bare hands, only to sell them for people to worship.
His people were spiritually sick but refused to acknowledge the cure. Their excuse was simply that they found their ancestors doing the same. His attempts to contain this disease were through logical arguments; which the Quran clearly documented.
There is a reason why scholars use the word “disease” and “sickness” to describe a heart that is heedless of God. Just as physical disease has the capacity to impair every body system; spiritual disease wreaks havoc on a person’s reality.
Prophet Ibrahim’s people would perform actions like offering their wealth and food to stone statues. Imagine how many families went hungry, how many poor people lost their money and how many opportunities were lost waiting for an “answer” from stones that men carved.
Read Also: The Story of Sacrifice of Abraham in the Bible and the Quran
Prophet Ibrahim would continue to question these immoral practices, until his people would decide that a permanent quarantine was the only way to shut him up.
Many of us know the story. After Prophet Ibrahim destroys the idols of his people to prove that they are but an evil tradition passed on from their ancestors, his people decide to kill him. A raging fire is set; Ibrahim is chained and thrown into it. Little did his people know that their fire will be ineffective by the Will of God.
The post Pandemic of Prophet Ibrahim’s Time and Eid Al-Adha appeared first on About Islam.
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Today is the 10th Day of Dhul-Hijjah. The Prophet said: “The Day of Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice, and the Days of Tashreeq are all an Eid for us, the People of Islam.” (An-Nasa’i)
He also said: “They are days of Eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah.” (Muslim)
It is a day that allows you to remain in the state you were in these ten days. Some people make their day of Eid merely a day for enjoying material things.
Maymun al-Basri said: “When Allah destines good for his slave, he makes His remembrance beloved to him.”
Eid is the day that you remain in remembrance of him, even though you enjoy life around you. So take these next days and enjoy yourselves with your families. Allow yourself to revel the blessings that He has bestowed upon you.
But remember that “Remembrance of God is Greatest.” Ibn Umar was asked: “Did the companions of the Prophet used to laugh?” He replied: “Yes! With faith in their hearts greater than mountains!”
As we close out these ten blessed days, let’s take a minute to go back and remind ourselves every once and a while about what was special about them.
We are expected to engage with the world around us, with the people around, and enjoy the blessing that God gives us. What we cannot do is to lose our hearts to this lowly life. We cannot lose our hearts to celebration when the preparation to our ultimate celebration are still being made.
Eid is not the day you wear new clothes, but the day you are cloaked in forgiveness. Eid is not the day in which you display your fashion sense, but the day in which Allah accepts your repentance.
Our true Eid, our true celebration, is when we accept His bounty and couple it with His Praise. Let every day from now on be a day of Dhikr, where our actions are in line with his will, our regimen in line with the way of His messenger, and every moment is a run up to the ultimate Eid, the day we meet our Lord and Creator.
Eid Mubarak Sa`eed – Have a Blessed, Happy Celebration
Join Dr Joe Bradford to learn how to make today a real Eid.
The post Dhul-Hijjah 10: What to Remember on Day of Eid appeared first on About Islam.
Today is Dhul-Hijjah 10, the day of Eid Al-Adha.
This day is called the greatest day of Hajj, Yawm al-Hajj al-Akbar. On this day, pilgrims observe several rituals in Mina and Makkah.
As mentioned in this article about Dhul-Hijjah 9, you may leave Muzdalifah after midnight (on the eve of Dhul-Hijjah 10), especially if your family is accompanying you on Hajj.
If you are strong and young, you may follow the Prophet’s Sunnah, spending the whole night in Muzdalifah and praying the Fajr Prayer there.
After Fajr of Dhul-Hijjah 10, the Prophet headed to Al-Mash`ar Al-Haram, supplicated Allah until the twilight became clear, and then moved to Mina before the sun rose.
After arriving at Mina, there are four rituals to do:
1- Throwing the pebbles
2- Slaughtering the hadi animal
3- Shaving or cutting the hair
4- Making Tawaf Al-Ifadah
The first ritual on Dhul-Hijjah 10 is to throw pebbles at Jamrat Al-`Aqabah, also called Al-Jamarah Al-Kubra.
Seven pebbles (not bigger than beans) should be thrown into the Jamrah basin. You may collect the pebbles from Muzdalifah or from wherever you like, but do not use the pebbles thrown by other pilgrims.
It is a good idea to collect all the pebbles you will use throughout the three or four days (Dhul-Hijah 10-13). If you intend to spend three days in Mina after the day of Eid, then you will need 70 pebbles. If you intend to spend just two days after Eid, then you need only 49 pebbles.
The Prophet threw the pebbles when he reached Mina after sunrise of Dhul-Hijjah 10. Women and weak persons are allowed to spend half the night in Muzdalifah and then go to Mina, where they are allowed to throw the pebbles when they arrive, even if it is before the Fajr Prayer of Dhul-Hijjah 10. The time of throwing pebbles extends until the Fajr Prayer of Dhul-Hijjah 11.
When throwing the pebbles, make sure that they fall in the basin of the Jamrah. The pillar of the Jamrah is merely a sign indicating the throwing place. So hitting the pillar is not required. Actually, a pebble hitting the pillar and not falling in the basin is not counted. It is recommended to say “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” when throwing each pebble.
The post With Pilgrims Day by Day – Dhul-Hijjah 10 appeared first on About Islam.
This is something so powerful and emotional listening to the words Labbaik Allahhumma Labbaik!
Labbaik Allahhumma Labbaik.
Labbaik laa shareeka laka labbaik
‘innal-hamda, wanni’mata,
laka walmulk, laa shareeka laka.
I am at your service o Allah, I am at your service.
I am at your service. You have no partner. I am at your service.
Verily all praise, blessings
And to you is all sovereignty.
There is no partner to you.
Eid Mubarak everyone!
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Ibrahim (AS) cared so much about the succession of faith in this world. Even when he is in the 7th heaven he was concerned about this.
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) said to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) when they met in the 7th heaven: “O Muhammad! Send my salaam to your Ummah!.” Jami At-Tirmidhi. He also told Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to tell us about the sweet soil of Jannah. He said that the plants and trees grow with the words subhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La, ilaha, illallah, Allahu Akbar.
This advice will allow us to rise in the ranks of paradise. SubhanAllah! This is beautiful.
The post Send My Salaam to Your Ummah appeared first on About Islam.
Wishing everyone a very blessed and happy Eid al-Adha 
Listen to Eid songs by Irfan Makki with you loved ones and feel the joy of Eid!
Click here for more Eid songs by a group of Muslim singers.
The post Lift Your Mood with Eid Songs appeared first on About Islam.
Food is an integral part of celebration, when it comes to any festival! And Eid Al Adha, which literally means the “sacrifice feast”, is celebrated across the world by Muslims preparing traditional Eid Al Adha food.
During Eid Al Adha, meat lovers will enjoy a vriety of tasety dishes and amazing smells!
We bring to you 7 mouth-watering traditional Eid dishes from around the world.
The post 7 Traditional Eid Dishes From Around The World (Videos) appeared first on About Islam.
My experience in human resources has led me to study various aspects of the human personality, including the theoretical frameworks that define the characteristics of effective leaders.
Research has established that the most effective of leaders are those who consider themselves to be catalysts and servants to their followers, and whose leadership styles are to support and to advocate.
These leaders believe in their people and communicate that belief to them; they are visible and accessible; they empower, increase participation, support, and share their knowledge (Bolman and Deal 1991).
“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”
As I read this description, I realized that effective leaders are those who work for their people. They are humble, and neither flaunt their status nor exploit their power.
It is hard to come by such individuals in real life, and you rarely come across the perfect combination of humility, knowledge, and charisma that is required of the perfect leaders.
I sat back looking out into the garden and tried to identify an individual who fitted this role. I thought for a while and then slowly smiled to myself; and I had found the perfect leader!
I thought of a man who rose to be the initiator of a new way of life that today has about 1.8 billion adherents spread across the world, a man who at the height of his success maintained the humility displayed in his youth.
His wisdom, he asserted, was never his own but rather was divine revelation; at the height of his success, he proclaimed, “I am but an ordinary man.”
Let me introduce you to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet of Islam.
Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, a French political philosopher and social critic, said, “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”
This reminded me of the building of the first mosque in Madinah: The Prophet had recently completed a tiring and stressful journey, but when he saw his people enthusiastically laying bricks for the mosque, he insisted he would join them; thus laying the foundations of a society in which nobody’s status was too high and no work was too menial.
Through his actions that day, he taught his people enduring lessons on equality, companionship, and respect:
Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous of you (Al-Hujurat 49:13).
The Prophet ate with his people, he shared the same bread and drank from the same flask. When his people went hungry, he starved too.
He lived with his Companions as one of them and their problems were his own: He laughed with them when they were happy, and he cried with them when they were sad.
On the battlefield, he was always with his soldiers, and at home he helped his wives with their chores.
He could have had luxury yet he slept on a crude straw mat and prayed on the bare earth.
The Prophet was once traveling with a group of people and it was time to rest and cook food. As work was divided and everybody was assigned a task, the Prophet insisted he would contribute too and began to collect firewood.
His Companions argued that there was no need for the Prophet to work; after all, he was the Prophet of God, how could they let him collect firewood!
But he remained adamant saying that since he was part of the traveling party, he too would participate in the work to be done, for he hated to be privileged (Al-Mubarakpuri, 1979).
For most of his followers, the high status of the Prophet is unquestionable. While he lived, he was considered even by his detractors to be a man of truth and honesty.
The genuineness of the message he bought was authenticated by the millions who accepted the new faith he preached with such great passion, willing to sacrifice all they had for their religion and for the man who led them to it.
He was their leader not just in all spheres of life in this world but in the life of the hereafter too, a man of religion, a general, a father, an elder brother, a husband, a friend, and also a Prophet of God.
He could have used this passion that his followers had for him in whatever manner he pleased. And he could have had luxury and deserved it too.
Yet he slept on a crude straw mat that left his back marked, he prayed on the bare earth which left his forehead stained, and he wore clothes that had torn many times over and that he himself had mended. (Al-Bukhari).
The post Prophet Muhammad: The Humble Leader appeared first on About Islam.
Eid ul Adha is Here. We should make the occasion of Eid a time to set aside our pains and our sorrows. We should take a holiday from our worries and our woes.
Indeed, let’s make it a long vacation from our woes, and in doing so, we will show our appreciation for why we celebrate Eid. We are celebrating nothing less than Allah’s grace.
For the Eid of Ramadan, we are celebrating the completion of a whole month of fasting for Allah’s sake. Likewise, for Eid ul Adha, we are celebrating the rites of Hajj and of the sacrifice.
In both cases we are glorifying Allah in celebration of the guidance that He has blessed us with. Indeed, this is something to rejoice in.
We should therefore celebrate the Eid by visiting our friends and family, and by spreading goodwill to our fellow human beings. And we should let joy enter our hearts and spread that joy to others.
We must therefore act fast to cleanse our hearts of resentment, anger, and enmity. We can neither feel joy ourselves nor spread happiness to others when our hearts are tainted.
So we should make our outlook optimistic, and hope the best for ourselves, our families, our communities, our fellow Muslims, and humanity at large.
Let’s make this Eid a real occasion and take the first, necessary step towards ridding our hearts and minds of discontent. Let us strive to rectify our relationships with others and improve the way we conduct our affairs.
For husbands and wives whose marriages are strained, the Eid is an opportunity to make it special. Let it be a time of happiness, like it is for newlyweds, so together they can set aside their differences.
For brothers and sisters who have let worldly interests drive a wedge between them, the Eid is a golden opportunity for them to make their parents happy by embracing each other and reconciling their differences. Even if their parents are deceased, they should renew their bonds of affection in honor of their parents’ memory.
Those whom Allah has blessed with wealth can take the opportunity to increase their bounty and bring joy to others by giving to the orphans, the poor, and needy.
When we bring joy to others, we receive much more than what we give. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed us that Allah says:
O children of Adam! Give others and I will give to you! (Sahih al-Jami` (4317))
We need to show others that we care about them, love them, and respect them. We should make an effort to help them through their difficulties and ease their sorrows. Even if we cannot give any money or material assistance to give, we can still show kindness.
We should never succumb to pessimism and despair. These destructive tendencies are to be dispelled by our trust in Allah and the hopes we have in Him. We must make it our habit to beseech Allah in prayer and express our hopes to Him in our supplications.
We will realize the benefits forthwith, for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed us that Allah says:
“I am what my servant thinks of Me, so think of me as you wish.” (Musnad Ahmad)
We should therefore think of Allah with the expectation of His forgiveness and mercy. We should be confident that he answers the prayers of those who beseech Him, and that He is the best of whom we place our hopes and our trust.
May Allah bless us this Eid and every day thereafter. Ameen.
Source: Islam Today.
The post Eid Al Adha – Time Off from Our Sorrows appeared first on About Islam.
Muslims across the globe continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the US, cases increase with over four million to date. Individual states instituted varied restrictions that include limitations on public gatherings, presenting challenges to Muslims engaging in `Eid congregational prayers.
Read Also: All About `Eid Al-Adha 1441/2020 (Special Collection)
American Muslims have had to deal with masjid closings due to social distancing restrictions as early as March in some states.
Pandemic quarantines affected congregational worship during the holy month of Ramadan and threatened to make it necessary to cancel `Eid prayers.
Community leaders planned alternative means to accommodate worshippers and adhere to state guidelines, reducing capacity.
“We had to limit our `Eid capacity by twenty-five percent,” Mehdad Islam, assistant imam at the Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley, told AboutIslam.
The small New York community has a facility that can accommodate over two-hundred people. Islam explained the how the mosque will extend `Eid Al-Fitr arrangements to service `Eid Al-Adha attendees.
“We will conduct four separate `Eid sessions at 60 attendees each, which allows the full crowd to enjoy `Eid at different times. The Islaamic Center required people to register for `Eid salah. “We implemented and rolled out an Eventbrite [to] prevention of overbooking.”
“We will hire security guards, who will enforce the registration process which will include: temperature checks, ticket scanning, making sure attendees wear masks, check if attendees have individual prayer mats, and asking attendees if they washed up prior to coming.”
The Islaamic Center’s efforts to have safe `Eid prayers reflect those of Muslim houses of worship across the country.
Parishioner Inshirah Abdel-Jaleel told AboutIslam that the Masjid Al-Qassam (Alqassam Masjid) in Tampa Fl. will have “three separate prayer areas, six-foot distancing , face masks and temperature checks.”
Despite precautions implemented at pray places, some Muslims in the US have decided to stay home.
Many Muslims in high-risk categories also opt to stay home. While her husband is weighing his options, breast cancer survivor decided not attend `Eid services in Florida, one of the hardest hit states. Nadiya Ali, who has a pre-existing condition, will also remain home.
“It is just too much of a risk,” she told AboutIslam.
“I will not be attending `Eid prayer, Shariea Shoatz [Pennsylvania] told AboutIslam. I have not seen many of my brother’s and sister’s in quite a while. I’m sure I will be tempted to hug many of my friends. I’m sure my children will do the same and even want to remove their masks.”
“We do not feel comfortable attending any gathering with large crowds, especially if it is not outside,” said Nadiah Mohajir, who lives with her family in Illinois.
“My son will be leading us in prayer at home,” said Texas resident, Nahela Morales. “The pandemic has prevented us from participating in our weekly prayers and annual (`Eid Al-Fitr and `Eid Al-Adha prayers) rituals.”
With the persistent spread of COVID-19, how long Muslims will have to endure modified congregational worship remains uncertain.
The pandemic’s long-term impact on Muslim culture and how people engage in acts of communal faith remains unforeseeable.
The post Masjids Plan for `Eid Al-Adha, Muslims Stay Home Amid Pandemic appeared first on About Islam.
