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Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts

Tuesday 19 September 2023

Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about As Salat - Prayers

September 19, 2023  Jalal HB  No comments

Since we started our exclusive page on Hadith, Sunnah and Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the pages have over swelled due to a large volume of substance available relevant to the subject. Therefore, we had to create separate reference pages about a specific subject related to the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Herein under the links to our Reference Pages on specific subjects already been separately created:
Since daily prayers form part of an important part of all Muslims, being the second important pillar of Islam, we hereby create a new page about the Hadiths attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about daily prayers / As Salat. We hope this would greatly assist our readers in knowing about performing As Salat and related matters.

Note: This page must be read with our specific subject Reference Pages, based on selected verses from Qur'an and viewpoint of eminent Muslim scholars.
This page is exclusive to Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about As Salat - Prayers:
As Salat al Tahajjad (The night prayer - Qiyam al Lail)
This is only the beginning. We will continue to update this page for helping our sisters and brothers in Islam to know more about As Salat and how best to offer these.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Saturday 12 November 2022

Compiled verses from Qur'an on Specific Subjects: As Salat (Prayers)

November 12, 2022  Jalal HB  No comments

After one pronounces the Shahada, the declaration to become a Muslim, the first obligation imposed on him is to offer five obligatory prayers between pre-dawn to later after dusk timeframe. This highlights the importance of As Salat, without observing which one's faith in Allah cannot be cemented. 
The observance of Salat is the key to other acts of worship. The Muslim worshipper, who observes the Salat at the right time and in the manner in which it has been stipulated or prescribed, positions himself for a series of blessings from Almighty Allah. In fact, Salat provides an excellent means of communication between a believer and God. Each word of Salat is in fact a form of a supplication to invoke countless blessings of Allah. During Salt, a believer opens up his heart to Allah and can make any legitimate request to Allah for realization. However, care must be taken not to address Allah during Salat to ask for anything which is not legitimate or calls for harming someone.

Thus, the goal of Salat is to bring the Muslims closer to Allah. By attending prayers in the masjid, one also gets closer to other members of the community which furthers add up to building of a bondage between believers and make them a useful member of community. By getting together, one can share each other's happiness and grief, and may come to know of suffering of someone who can then be helped through obligatory and voluntary charity, that is Zakat and alms.

The importance of Salat can be known from the fact that even during war believers are asked to make two groups: While one group offers Salat, the other guards them against any surprise by the enemy. And when one group finishes, they replace their positions so that the second group too gets to offer their prayers. 

Even during travel, one is not absolved of this obligatory act. However, due to discomfort of travel, the even number cycles of the prayer are cut to half.  

Throughout Qur'an, the emphasis on observing Salat, followed by Zakat, is in abundance. It has been amply highlighted that those who do not guard their prayers slowly and gradually drift away from remembrance and evil overshadows him from whose shackles it becomes difficult to free oneself. Thus, it is only adherence to Salat regularly five times a day that one can avert the enticement of the Evil and remain steadfast.

We have already compiled all matters related to As Salat in our Reference Page: As Salat (Prayers), which contains reference to posts already published on all queries regarding Salat and general information.

This reference page is a compilation of verses from Qur'an on the subject of As Salat. This is just the beginning and in time we add more verses to make it a comprehensive compilation and to serve as a ready reckoner:
We will keep adding more verses so as to make this collection wholesome.

For compiled verses for more specific subjects, please refer to our exclusive reference page: "Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about a specific subject."

In addition, for more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

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If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Thursday 15 April 2021

My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me

April 15, 2021  Jalal HB  No comments


There are many prayers and supplications in the Qur'an, generally attributed to the prophets and the pious, to show to the believers that whenever someone makes a mistake, even a prophet, they have instantly asked for forgiveness of Allah and repented their action. And as promised Allah forgave them for Allah has always advised His servants to repent if they make a mistake and ask forgiveness of their Lord.

The following invocation taken from 16th verse of Surah 28. Al Qasas is one such invocation attributed to Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him):

قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِىۡ فَاغۡفِرۡ لِىۡ فَغَفَرَ لَهٗ​ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 
(28:16) Then he prayed: "My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me," wherefore Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The background to this verses is when Prophet Musa entered into the city at a time when the people thereof were heedless, and he found therein two men fighting; the one of his own sect and the other of his enemies. And he who was of his sect asked his aid against him who was of his enemies. So Moses smote him with his fist and made an end of him. Said he, "This is of the work of Satan, for verily, he is an enemy that manifestly misleads."
What the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) meant by this prayer was: “O my Lord, forgive this sin of mine, which you know I have not committed willfully, and also cover and conceal it from the people.”

" Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful " This has two meanings and both are implied here: Allah pardoned Moses’ error as well as concealed his sin from the people so that neither any Egyptian, nor any official of the Egyptian government, passed that way at that time that he might witness the incident. So, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) got an opportunity to escape undetected from the place of the occurrence of murder.

Wiki Qur'an:
Prophet Musa goes on to show genuine regret for what his anger caused, acknowledging that by so doing, he had wronged himself, had burdened himself with such results. He appealed to God for forgiveness. God responded to his prayer, knowing that his repentance was genuine: “So He forgave him. He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

Read more about the two attributes of Allah mentioned in the above said verse:
  • Al-Ghafur (الغفور) - The Forgiving, The Pardoner
  • Ar Rahim (الرحيم) -  The Most Merciful
Please listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining this verse:
We should, therefore, never lose hope of mercy of Allah if we sin and  instantly repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. Rest assured we shall be forgiven provided we have make the invocation from a sincere heart with a pledge not to sin again. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Wednesday 3 February 2021

My Lord! Include me, out of Your Mercy, among Your righteous servants

February 03, 2021  Jalal HB  No comments


Quran guides those who read it and ponder over the Divine Commandments as how to supplicate and invoke Allah's countless bounties so that they are blessed, forgiven and included in the lot of his righteous servants. Most of these invocations are attributed to the prophets of Allah who prayed to be forgiven so that they are among Allah's righteous servants.

The invocation / dua chosen today is attributed to Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon, may peace be upon him) when he heard and an ant asking her lot to hide as the forces are Prophet Sulaiman are on their way and lest they be trampled down their feet [(one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman and his armies should crush you, while they perceive not.'') - verse 27:18].  When Prophet Sulaiman heard the ant, he smiled and immediately thanked Allah for His countless blessings on him and prayed that he may be included, out of Allah's Mercy, among Allah's righteous servants. This invocation appears in the 19th verse of Surah 27. An Naml (The Ant):

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّنۡ قَوۡلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ اَوۡزِعۡنِىۡۤ اَنۡ اَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ الَّتِىۡۤ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلٰى وَالِدَىَّ وَاَنۡ اَعۡمَلَ صَالِحًـا تَرۡضٰٮهُ وَاَدۡخِلۡنِىۡ بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِىۡ عِبَادِكَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏ 
(27:19) Smiling at the ant's utterance, Solomon burst into laughter and said: "My Lord! Hold me under (Your) control that I may render thanks for the favour which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may act righteously in a manner that would please You. Include me, out of Your Mercy, among Your righteous servants."

(My Lord! Hold me under (Your) control) “Bestow upon me that I may be thankful” means this: “O my Lord! The wonderful powers and abilities that You have given me are such that if I become even a little forgetful and heedless, I might transgress the bounds of service and be puffed up with pride and go astray. Therefore, O my Lord, bestow upon me so that I may remain grateful to You for all Your blessings instead of being ungrateful.”

“And admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous slaves” probably implies this: “I should be included among the righteous in the Hereafter and should enter Paradise along with them.” For a person who does righteous acts will automatically be righteous, but one’s entry into Paradise in the Hereafter cannot come about merely on the strength of one’s good works, but it will depend on Allah’s mercy. According to a Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, “Merely the deeds of any one of you will not enable him to enter Paradise.” It was asked, “In your case too, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Yes, I also shall not enter Paradise only on the strength of my deeds, unless Allah Almighty covers me with His mercy.”

This prayer of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) on this occasion becomes irrelevant if an-namal is taken to mean a tribe of human beings and namlah a member of that tribe. After all, there could be nothing extraordinary in the warning given by a member of a human tribe to the people of his tribe about the approaching troops of a powerful king that it should have induced the king to make such a prayer to Allah. However, a person having such a wonderful power of comprehension that he may hear the speech of an ant from a distance and also understand it, is certainly something extraordinary, which can involve a person in self-conceit and vanity. In such a case only the prayer of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) can be relevant.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: The first part of verse means `inspire me to give thanks for the blessings that You have bestowed upon me by teaching me to understand what the birds and animals say, and the blessings that You have bestowed upon my parents by making them Muslims who believe in You.'

(and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You,) means, `deeds that You love which will earn Your pleasure.'

(and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants.) means, `when You cause me to die, then join me with the righteous among Your servants, and the Higher Companion among Your close friends.'

Muhammad Asad Explanation: In this instance, Solomon evidently refers to his own understanding and admiration of nature (cf. {38:31-33} as well as to his loving compassion for the humblest of God's creatures, as a great divine blessing: and this is the Qur'anic moral of the legendary story of the ant.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: The counterpart to the position of the humble ant is the position of a great king like Solomon. He prays that his power and wisdom and all other gifts may be used for righteousness and for the benefit of all around him. The ant being in his thoughts, we may suppose that he means particularly in his prayer that he may not even unwittingly tread on humble beings in his preoccupations with the great things of the world.

The righteousness which pleases the world is often very different from the righteousness which pleases Allah. Solomon prays that he may always take Allah's Will as his standard, rather than the standards of men.

In the Kingdom of Allah, righteousness is the badge of citizenship. And although there are great and noble grades (see iv. 69), the base of that citizenship is the universal brotherhood of righteousness. The greatest in that Kingdom are glad and proud to pray for that essential badge.
May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Tuesday 21 April 2020

Taraweeh Prayers - Salāt al-Tarāwīḥ: One of the Three Hallmarks of Month of Ramadan

April 21, 2020  Jalal HB  No comments


Alhamdolillah, the blessed month of Ramadan is about to knock our days just in a few days - a month that Muslims all over the world eagerly await all over the year for it is the month that brings unlimited blessings for the believers. The month has three hallmarks: Fasting during the day, offering Ramadan specific prayers called Taraweeh Prayers or the Salāt al-Tarāwīḥ " صلاة التراويح " after the Isha prayer at night, and spending last ten days in the masjid called "Aitikaf".

 Taraweeh is derived from the Arabic word meaning “to rest and relax”. Therefore after performing four rakat (cycles of movement involved in Islamic prayer), one sits for a brief period to rest before continuing. These special prayers involve reading long portions of the Qur’an, as well as performing many rakat.

 The commencement of Taraweeh prayer is attributed to the Prophet of Allah when on the first night of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) offered the Taraweeh prayer in his mosque and was joined by one or two people. On the following night he was joined by a fair-sized congregation. However, on the third night when a large number of believers had gathered, he did not come out. At the Fajr prayer, when he was asked why, he said:
“Nothing prevented me from coming out to you except the fact that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you.” (Muslim)
This shows how thoughtful the Prophet was about his community. Even in matters of worship, he always wanted what was easier for them. If he were to offer this prayer in the mosque every night, throughout Ramadan, people would over the years elevate it to the obligatory or semi-obligatory status. Therefore, he decided to offer it at home to retain its status as voluntary night worship, which we can do at any time.
The Prophet prayed 8 rak`at of Taraweeh and 3 rak`at of witr. `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about the Prophet’s night prayer; has been quoted as saying:
“He did not pray more than 11 rak`at [a night] in Ramadan or any other month. he used to pray 4 rak`at -don’t ask me about their beauty and length–and then he would pray 4 more rak`at-don’t ask me about their beauty and length–and then he would pray 3 rak`at (of witr).” (Al-Bukhari)
However, thereafter, the believers continued to offer Taraweeh prayers in small groups of up to 8 rak`at as was performed by the Prophet of Allah. It was in the time of second Caliph Umer who institutionalized the Taraweeh prayers as he thought that offering Taraweeh prayer in small groups suggested division within the Muslim community. Therefore, he told them to form one congregation and appointed Ubayy ibn Kaab (one of the best reciters of the Qur’an among the Prophet’s companions) to lead the congregation and they prayed 8 rak`at. Later it was increased to 20 rak‘at. Umar did not join because, as caliph, he led the obligatory prayers. Again he was keen not to give this prayer any impression of being obligatory.  

 Since then Taraweeh prayers have become one of the hallmarks of the month of Ramadan and believers flock the masjids to offer isha as well as Taraweeh prayers. However it must be understood that it is not obligatory. Anyone can offer it at home, with his family or friends, or even alone. It is all acceptable. However, in congregation it earns a greater reward. Any prayer offered in congregation is rewarded at 27 times its normal reward when offered alone. In many countries, every country, a little more than one complete Juz / part of Qur'an is completed so that the entire is Qur'an is read over by 27th of Ramadan, a night generally agreed to be the one in which the revelation of Qur'an was completed.  

 Under the present pandemic coronavirus conditions, almost all Muslim countries have advised the believers to offer prayers at home for the fear of transmission of virus to others as masjids are more than over crowded in Ramadan.

May Allah help us to understand the simple and most practical religion of all - Islam and allow us to take advantage of concessions given to us in difficult time. Aameen.

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

 May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

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If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Sunday 19 April 2020

Q & A Related to Prayers / As Salat: Congregational Prayers at Home

April 19, 2020  Jalal HB  No comments

The Corona virus pandemic has altered the way of living of the people around the world to a great extent. Suddenly, people who once embraced each other, walked hands in hands and went to partying and travelling have been confined to their homes - locked down from every type of social activity.

It has also affected to a great extent the religious activities, whether in masjids, churches or synagogues. There are no more weekly congregations in the religious centres anymore. So much so that two main pillars of Islamic congregational activities, that is Bait al Haram at Makkah and Masjid e Nabavi, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina have been closed for public. 

And after many centuries, it would be the first time that these two prime holy places of Muslims will not see the second largest congregation during the Ramadan after the Hajj. Even holding of Hajj this year seems uncertain.

Under such trying times, the activities of masjids all around the world have been almost scaled down. Such restrictions have been allowed by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his times when pediments broke out or severe weather conditions did not allow the believers to reach the masjid.

However, there is one beautiful thing about Islam is that unlike all other religions where the followers have to attend a church or a synagogue for their religious rituals, Islam does not restrict its followers to offer prayers in masjids only. In fact believers can arrange congregational prayers in their home even if there or two or more than two people are at home.

In the diagrams given below, the procedure for holding the congregational prayers is given with self explanatory notes. Any male can lead the prayer of male only or mixed male/female gathering, while in the absence of any male in the house, female can lead prayers of females only.

May Allah help us to understand the simple and most practical religion of all - Islam and allow us to take advantage of concessions given to us in difficult time. Aameen.

For more Q &A about understanding prayers / As Salat, please refer to our reference page: Q & A Related to Prayers / Salat.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

 May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

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If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Monday 25 November 2019

Selected Verses from Quran: All Prayers to be Addressed to Allah Alone - No One Else

November 25, 2019  Jalal HB  No comments


Qur'an lays down clear instructions at many a places that it is Allah Alone, and No One Else to whom all prayers should be addressed for it is He alone Who can redress grievances of man and grant them happiness when in distress. And a true believer must have firm faith in this for unless he believes firmly in the Divine Wisdom and Commandments, he can never be assured of his prayers being addressed positively.

 In many countries, specially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where the hold of Hindus was so strong that when Islam reached this part of the world, a section of reverted Muslims still remain chained to Hindu traditions of calling on the saints and pious men so that they should pray to Allah on their behalf. This is exactly what Allah has forbade Muslims and to stay clear of all such deities and strictly refrain from addressing Him through them. Allah listens to everyone who has faith in Him and delays do not upset them. And even if some of the prayers remain unanswered they should have firm belief that whatever has not be given to them, was not intended for them, and something better will be forthcoming.

 Allah tells the believers in verse 14 of Surah 13. Sr Ra'ad:
لَهٗ دَعۡوَةُ الۡحَـقِّ​ؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ يَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖ لَا يَسۡتَجِيۡبُوۡنَ لَهُمۡ بِشَىۡءٍ اِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيۡهِ اِلَى الۡمَآءِ لِيَبۡلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِـغِهٖ​ؕ وَمَا دُعَآءُ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ اِلَّا فِىۡ ضَلٰلٍ‏ 

 “To Him alone should all prayer be addressed, for those to whom they do address their prayers beside Him are altogether powerless to respond to them. The example of praying to any other than Allah is that of a man who stretches out his hands to water, asking it to reach his mouth, although water has no power to reach his mouth. The prayers of the unbelievers are a sheer waste." [Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd: 14]

 “For Him is the supplication of truth,” for Allah alone has the power and the authority to give help and remove difficulties.

 Haqq=truth; right; what is due, befitting, proper. All these meanings are to be understood here. If we worship anything other than Allah (whether it is idols, stars, powers of nature, spirits, or deified men, or Self, or Power, or Wealth, Science or Art, Talent or Intellect), our worship is both foolish and futile.

 Without Faith, it is obvious that prayer or worship has no meaning whatever. It is but an aberration of the mind. But there is a deeper meaning. You may have false faith, as in superstitions or in worshiping things other than Allah, as explained in the last note. In that case, too, you are pursuing mere phantoms of the mind. When you come to examine it, it is mere imbecility or futility. Worship and prayer are justified only to Allah, the One True God.
May Allah help us understand Qur'an and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an

 You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
Photo | 
Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

 An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the Sūrahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. 
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given in each page. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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Saturday 29 December 2018

The Benefits of Ablution (wudu) - The Science now Understands

December 29, 2018  Jalal HB  No comments


Prayer (Salah) is the second most important pillar of Islam. It is obligatory five times a day on all able bodied Muslim men and women. When a Muslim stands to offer the prayer, he/she in fact is standing in front of Allah and is in direction communication to one's true Creator. Therefore one has to be in highest state of purity for one may not dare taking to one's Creator with a soiled body and clothes.

 The washing of body parts is called "wudu" or the ablution is thus mandatory before one stands to offer one's obligatory prayers.  Wudu involves washing the hands, mouth, nostrils, arms, head and feet with water. The detailed procure to perform wudu has already been explained in one of our earlier posts "How to perform Wudu (Ablution) before offering prayers (As salat).
O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body. But if ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete His favour to you, that ye may be grateful. [Surah Al-Ma'ida, Sura 5, Ayah 6]
Although Muslims have been performing wudu since it was first taught to the newly Muslims through a Divine commandment in the Holy Quran as quoted above, it is not until recently that scientist have started to understand the philosophy of wudu and its impact not only on human body but its deep rooted purification of soul and effects that it creates.


The importance of ablution is so much important that even if there is not water available or those who are unable to perform wudu with water, due to skin disease, a disability or lack of clean water, etc. are recommended to perform "tayammum", or the "dry ablution", using sand or dust instead of water. Such an alternative form of ritual purity may also be accepted in cases where one fears the acquisition of hypothermia in cold weather.

 Please watch the video below and see the health and spiritual benefits of wudu, which have a telling effect on the human mindset other than purification to offer As Salah:
You may have now realized after watching this video that nothing in Islam is meaningless and all commandments and directions given out by Allah Almighty in the Holy Qur'an have a definite meaning and effect that not only Muslims, but even the non Muslims too have started to understand and emulate in their daily lives.

Photo | References: | 1 | 
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Saturday 24 November 2018

A beautiful short message for Parents

November 24, 2018  Jalal HB  No comments


Most of the parents are always worried about adequate sleep of their school going children and urge them to go to bed early so that they get up fresh and are not late for the school. This is because of the fact that we are more worried about the school education of our children while totally disregarding their spiritual education and training.

 While surfing messages and posts on Twitter today, I came across a beautiful short but mind boggling message. It hit me so deeply that I thought of sharing it with my brother and sisters for it may invoke a new direction in their thinking, specially if they are a parents and have school going children.
The message read:

اپنے بچو کو یہ کہہ کر نہ سُلاٶ کہ بیٹاسو جاٶ کل سکول جانا ہے
 اس طرح ان میں دنیا کی طرف رغبت اور محبت زیادہ ہوگی
 بلکہ انھیں یہ کہہ کر سلاٶ کہ بیٹا سو جاٶ فجر بھی پڑھنی ہے
 اس سے دین سے محبت پیدا ہوگی۔
 الفاظ بدلو سوچ بدلے گی۔




For those who do not understand Urdu text / language, here is the English translation of this beautiful message:
"Do not ask your children to go to bed early for they have to go to school in the morning, for it would invoke in them the love for the world"
Instead tell them that they should go to the bed early for they have to offer the Fajr prayer early in the morning - this will invoke in them love for Deen and Islam"
Change your approach - it will affect a change in the perception of your children.

 A simple message that may change the thinking of your children and would regulate their timings to offer prayers in time side by side going to the school in time and finishing home work early to hit the bed to get up early to offer Fajar prayers. Please ponder over it.

Photo | References: | @EParray  |
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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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