Decisions

One who seeks guidance from his Creator (istikharah) and consults his fellow believers and then remains firm in his resolve does not regret. For Allah has said :

"...and consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken your decision, put your trust in Allah..."

Istikharah
According to Quran and Sunnah

from

WWW.MUTTAQUN.COM

Hadith - al-Tirmidhi # 2151. [Classed as saheeh by al-Haakim, 1/699, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was classed as hasan by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 11/184]

The happiness of the son of Adam depends on his being content with what Allah has decreed for him, and the misery of the son of Adam results from his failure to pray istikharah, and the misery of the son of Adam results from in his discontent with what Allah has decreed for him.

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To make the prayer of Istikharah (say: iss-teh-KHAR-uh), one should pray two non-fard (non-obligatory) rakat (units) of prayer, even if they are of the regular sunnah prayers or a prayer for entering the mosque, and so on, during any time of the day or night.

One should recite in them whatever one wishes of the Qur'an, after reciting al-Fatihah. Then one should praise Allah and invoke blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him.

After this one should supplicate to Allah. Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah has reported the following supplication from the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he related, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us how to make Istikharah in all (our) affairs, just as he taught us various surahs of the Qur'an. He told us, 'If anyone of you considers doing something he should offer a two-rak'at prayer other than the obligatory prayers, and then say (after the prayer),

"Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika. wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azimfa-innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wala a ' lamu, wa anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub.

Allahumma, in kunta ta' lamu anna hadhaI-amra khairun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa'ajilihi) f aqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi, wa in kunta ta'llamu anna hadha-l-amra sharrun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa-aqibati amri (orfi'ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu anni was-rifni'anhu.

Wa aqdir li al-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi"

(O Allah ! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, and Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this thing is good for my din and my subsistence and for my Hereafter - (or say, If it is better for my present and later needs) - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me to obtain, and then bless me in it. If You know that this thing is harmful to me in my din and subsistence and in the Hereafter--(or say, If it is worse for my present and later needs)--then keep it away from me, and keep me away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, and make me satisfied with it)."'

The Prophet, may peace be upon him, added that then the person should mention his need."

There is nothing authentic concerning anything specific that is to be recited in the prayer nor is there any authentic report concerning how many times one should repeat it.

An-Nawawi holds that "after making istikharah, a person must do what he is wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the istikharah. And if his feelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, for otherwise he is not leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aid from Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice, means that one should completely abandon what one desired oneself."

Edgar Allan Poe

Dreamland (1844)

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule--
From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime,
Out of SPACE--out of TIME.

Bottomless vales and boundless floods,
And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods,
With forms that no man can discover
For the dews that drip all over;
Mountains toppling evermore
Into seas without a shore;
Seas that restlessly aspire,
Surging, unto skies of fire;
Lakes that endlessly outspread
Their lone waters--lone and dead,
Their still waters--still and chilly
With the snows of the lolling lily.

By the lakes that thus outspread
Their lone waters, lone and dead,--
Their sad waters, sad and chilly
With the snows of the lolling lily,--

By the mountains--near the river
Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,--
By the gray woods,--by the swamp
Where the toad and the newt encamp,--
By the dismal tarns and pools
Where dwell the Ghouls,--
By each spot the most unholy--
In each nook most melancholy,--

There the traveller meets aghast
Sheeted Memories of the past--
Shrouded forms that start and sigh
As they pass the wanderer by--
White-robed forms of friends long given,
In agony, to the Earth--and Heaven.

For the heart whose woes are legion
'Tis a peaceful, soothing region--
For the spirit that walks in shadow
'Tis--oh, 'tis an Eldorado!
But the traveller, travelling through it,
May not--dare not openly view it;
Never its mysteries are exposed
To the weak human eye unclosed;
So wills its King, who hath forbid
The uplifting of the fringed lid;
And thus the sad Soul that here passes
Beholds it but through darkened glasses.

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only.

Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have wandered home but newly
From this ultimate dim Thule.

Moderate, Fundamentalist or Liberal(ly stupid)

I came upon this comment in Tun's blog on his Kartika/Merdeka post. I like it. Sums up exactly how I feel about all the fears about perception and labelling.

By prof_ridcully on August 25, 2009 11:55 PM

Friends,

Many say that we should be a moderate Muslim country as in the quotation below:

//Najib should interfere and commute the sentence to a simple fine and assuring the world that we are still a moderate Muslim country//

I don't think it's as simple as that. Islamic matters are the prerogative of the Sultan.

At any rate why be unduly concerned about our being known as a moderate Muslim country, a liberal one, or even a fundamentalist Muslim country for that matter? What do these labels mean from the point of view of Islam? As a Muslim, what value do these labels, moderate, liberal or fundamentalist, place on me? I say none.

The reason I say 'none' is that I'm a Muslim. Full stop. I may be a pious or a not-so-pious Muslim but these states do not equate to my being a moderate, liberal or fundamentalist Muslim. In fact, if people insist of using these labels, I'd say the best Muslim is a fundamentalist Muslim.

Tun himself once said that he's a fundamentalist. Now, before you go shouting 'Taliban' or 'As-Shabab' please remember that 'fundamental' means a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system -- in our case, Islam.

Moderate, liberal and fundamentalist are labels stuck on Islam and Muslims. In the history of Islam there were never 'moderate' or 'fundamentalist' Muslims until very recently. No history book has described the early Muslim community in Madinah or the various caliphates under the four Rightly Guided Caliphs, when Islamic fervour was at its greatest, as fundamentalist. There were good and bad Muslims, pious and impious, even secular and religious ones, yes, but no moderate or fundamentalist ones. As a matter of fact, 'Fundamentalism' was used to describe a Christian movement in the early 20th century, and 'Puritanism' even earlier. [I include Puritanism because now certain Muslim communities have been described as practicing 'puritan' Islam, whatever that means].

These are powerful words giving the connotation that being 'liberal' is good and being 'fundamentalist' bad. The danger is, when we buy into this labelling, when we accept it, we're obliged to fit into the mould of a moderate, liberal or fundamental Muslim, a mould which Muslims didn't make. We're allowing others to dictate to us what a Muslim should be. Shouldn't it be the other way round? Shouldn't we decide what we should be? And if we do decide what we should be, must we fit into boxes labelled 'moderate', liberal' or 'fundamental' -- boxes made by others?

When we accept these terms as being descriptive of Muslims, we in effect look at ourselves and Muslims everywhere through the lens of others. And therein lies the problem.

It's fine if a Muslim who says the Friday prayers regularly, for example, is called a 'moderate.' But what if he is labelled (pejoratively) as a 'fundamentalist,' [which is what he is, actually] and one who doesn't pray is called 'liberal' or 'moderate'? Does he give up his prayers in order to be accepted as a 'moderate'? What if others decide to call a Muslim lady, who is otherwise moderate in her manners, but who wears a scarf, a fundamentalist? Does she then remove her scarf in order to fit into others' perception of what a moderate Muslim should be? Does a Muslim who drinks alcohol and then decides to turn teetotaller without changing anything else in his life go up the scale from liberal to fundamentalist?

So I say let's practice Islam the best we can and judge ourselves using the yardstick used by Islam all this while -- the degree of piety, because Allah SWT certainly will. And ignore the labels attached to the religion by others. These labels change like the wind.

In between...

vacuuming rooms...

I just had to say...hasn't it been such a glorious couple of days? Deep blue skies with huge billowing white, heavy (looking) white clouds, highlighted with varying shades of greys...seemingly trying hard to bring the rains but gently and insistently pushed away by the strong, soothing breeze. What dazzling contrasts, what a dazzling spectacle to behold.

Reminds me of Penang in Decembers through Februarys. Back at my childhood home.

The nights....these nights are made for long evening walks with a beloved and gazing with such sweet longing at the heavens for The Beloved, transfixed by the flickering diamonds in the velvety night skies.

Searching for a way. An answer. A sign. Undisputable truth.

And rest. For the restless.

AT-TARIQ (THAT WHICH COMES IN THE NIGHT)

THE EIGHTY-SIXTH SURAH
Total Verses: 17
MECCA PERIOD

Muhammad Asad

Introduction

REVEALED at a comparatively early date (probably in the fourth year of the Prophet's mission), the surah takes its name from the noun at-tariq in its first verse.

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE:

(1) CONSIDER the heavens and that which comes in the night!*

* Some commentators assume that what is described here as at-tariq ("that which comes in the night") is the morning-star, because it appears towards the end of the night; others - like Zamakhshari or Raghib - understand by it "the star" in its generic sense. Now if we analyze the origin of this noun, we find that it is derived from the verb taraqa, which primarily means "he beat [something]" or "knocked [at something]"; hence, taraqa 'l-bab, "he knocked at the door". Tropically, the noun signifies "anything [or "anyone"] that comes in the night", because a person who comes to a house by night is expected to knock at the door (Taj al-Arus). In the Qur'anic mode of expression, at-tariq is evidently a metaphor for the heavenly solace which sometimes comes to a human being lost in the deepest darkness of affliction and distress; or for the sudden, intuitive enlightenment which disperses the darkness of uncertainty; or, finally, for divine revelation, which knocks, as it were, at the doors of man's heart.. and thus fulfils the functions of both solace and enlightenment. (For my rendering of the adjurative wa as "Consider", see surah 74, first half of note 23.)

(2) And what could make thee conceive what it is that comes in the night?

(3) It is the star that pierces through [life's] darkness:

(4) [for] no human being has ever been left unguarded.*

* Lit., "there is no human being without a guardian [or "without a watch being kept] over it". See in this connection note 7 on 82:10-12.

(5) LET MAN, then, observe out of what he has been created:

(6) he has been created out of a seminal fluid

(7) issuing from between the loins [of man] and the pelvic arch [of woman].*

* The plural noun tara'ib, rendered by me as "pelvic arch", has also the meaning of "ribs" or "arch of bones"; according to most of the authorities who have specialized in the etymology of rare Quranic expressions this term relates specifically to female anatomy (Taj al-'Arus).

(8) Now, verily, He [who thus creates man in the first instance] is well able to bring him back [to life]

(9) on the Day when all I secrets will be laid bare,

(10) and [man] will have neither strength nor helper!

(11) Consider* the heavens, ever-revolving,

* Sc., "And, finally, in order to grasp more fully God's power of creation and re-creation, consider. . .", etc.

(12) and the earth, bursting forth with plants!

(13) BEHOLD, this [divine writ] is indeed a word that between truth and falsehood,*

* Lit., "a decisive word", or "word of distinction", i.e., between the true and the false - in this case, belief in a continuation of life after "death ", on the one hand, and a denial of its possibility, on the other. (Cf. 37:21, 44:40, 86:13 and 38, and 78:17, where Resurrection Day is spoken of as "the Day of Distinction"; see also note 6 on 86:13.)

(14) and is no idle tale.

(15) Behold, they [who refuse to accept it] devise many a false argument* [to disprove its truth];

* Lit., "devise [many] an artful scheme (kayd)"; see note 41 on 34:33, where "the almost synonymous term makr is used in the same sense.

(16) but I shall bring all their scheming to nought.*

* Lit., "I shall devise a [yet more subtle] scheme", sc., "to bring theirs to nought". The paraphrase adopted by me gives, according to all the authorities, the meaning of the above sentence.

(17) Let, then, the deniers of the truth have their will: let them have their will for a little while!

(Cross references in text from here: The Message of the Quran)

Marhaban Ramadan

Realities and Obligations in Ramadhan

From Sunnah.Com

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During this Ramadhan do not let the sweetness of our deeds vanish into the night, leaving only emptiness. When one contemplates the texts on fasting, its wisdom and goals in Shari'ah, and looks at the reality of the Muslim communities, one realizes a wide gap between the reality and our obligations. Remember that Ramadhan is a bounty that Allah blessed His servants with, to strengthen their faith, and increase their piety (taqwa). Allah said:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious." [Al-Qur'an 2:183]

This article is an attempt to present the essential causes of this gap, and to offer some remedies. The primary reason for the gap is ignorance about the goals of fasting and the wisdom behind it. Many Muslims ignore the purpose and wisdom of fasting. Fasting is done merely to conform to the social environment without contemplation. If one is not aware of the divine wisdom of Shari'ah and its fruits in this world and in the hereafter, one will not apply it in the right way.

GOALS OF FASTING

Achieving taqwa: This is one of the most important wisdoms of fasting. Fasting brings on taqwa as it lessens the desire of the stomach and mutes the sexual appetite. Whoever fasts frequently would be able to overcome these two desires more easily. This deters against the committing of abominations and sins and assists in controlling one's life ultimately leading to taqwa.

Strengthening willpower and acquiring patience: The Prophet, upon whom be peace, called Ramadhan the month of patience as it increases one's will power to control his desire and the selfishness of his soul. This training allows him to be strong in following Allah's commands. The most important being to carry the Message and propel it forward. The person trains himself to be patient in obeying Allah by stopping at the limits set by Allah both by way of action and abstention. Allah said:

"These are the limits set by Allah, so approach them not." [Al-Qur'an 2:187]

Fasting is pure worship: The fact that one is abstaining from food and drink both in public and in secret shows his honest faith and strong love of Allah, and his knowledge and feeling that Allah is All-Knowing. For this reason Allah has made the reward for fasting greater than for any other type of worship. Allah said in the hadith qudsi:

"Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied [in rewards], the good deed by ten of its like, up to seven hundred times, up to whatever Allah wills, except fasting, it is for Me and I will reward it. He abandons his desire and his food for My sake." [Related by Muslim]

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

" ... and people may see that a person is not eating in front of them, but the fact that he is really abandoning his food and his desire for the sake of God is a thing that nobody can find out about, and that is the essence of fasting." [Za'ad al-Ma'ad 2/29]

Relieving Muslims from life's distractions: Eating, drinking, and socializing all distract a person and weaken ties with Allah. It is by the Mercy of Allah that Muslims are ordered to fast so as not to be bothered by the intrusion of these activities. Nor by the thought about them nor the anticipation for them when devoting themselves to the all types of worship. Either reading the Qur'an, offering additional prayer or making i'tikaf. For this reason the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Fasting is a shield, and a secure fortress against the Fire." [Related by Ahmad]

Discovering Allah's blessings: A person experiences the hardship of the poor. He should then be thankful to Allah Who has blessed him with His bounty while others are deprived. This should make him more sympathetic and willing to share this bounty. The poor rediscovers that fasting helps a person be more devoted to worship and that he is more able to concentrate and meditate. He should then be able of this devotion all year long, a blessing he should thank Allah for.

Acquiring strength and endurance: It has been discovered that depriving the body of food for a period of time helps its defense and endurance mechanism. This in turn this protects the body from certain diseases.

Remember that fasting is not only dependent on abstentions: Many believe that fasting consist only of certain abstentions, forgetting that Allah established certain acts of worship with fasting. Amongst which are:

Qiyamul-layl: The Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:

"Whoever performed the night prayer during Ramadhan out of belief and anticipating God's rewards, will be forgiven his previous sins." [Related by Muslim]

Performing 'Umrah: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"'Umrah during Ramadhan is like making Hajj with me." [Related by al-Hakim]

Offering iftar to those who fasted: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Whoever feeds a fasting person has the same reward as him, except that the reward of the fasting person will not be diminished." [Related by Ahmad]

Reading and completing the Qur'an: The Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to recite the whole Qur'an to Jibril each Ramadhan. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Fasting and [reading the] Qur'an will intercede for the person: fasting will say: O Lord I forbade him eating and drinking so let me intercede for him, and the Qur'an will say: I deprived him from his night sleep so let me intercede for him." He then said: "So they will intercede." [Related by Ahmad]

Giving charity: Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, was the most generous among people, and he was more generous during the month of Ramadhan." [Related by Muslim]

I'tikaf: Which is to confine oneself in the masjid for prayer and invocation leaving the worldly activities. It is surprising that many people have abandoned i'tikaf though the Prophet never abandoned it from the time he arrived to Madinah until he died. Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to perforrn i'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadhan." [Related by Muslim]

Supplication: Allah said:

"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then answer them, I am indeed near to them. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me." [Al-Qur'an 2:186]

This is an encouragement for the fasting person to increase his invocation. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Three invocations will be answered: The invocation of the fasting person, the invocation of the oppressed, and the invocation of the traveler." [Related by Muslim]

Repentance: Ramadhan is the time of repentance and return to Allah, for it is a time when the devils are chained, and when many people are saved from hell fire every night by the grace of Allah.

Applying oneself in all good deeds in the last ten days of Ramadhan: Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

"When the last ten days come, he would pray most of the night and wake his family, and apply himself, and tighten up his loincloth." She also said:

"The Messenger of Allah used to strive in the last days of Ramadhan more than he did during the other days." [Related by Muslim]

Abstaining from vain talk: Sins decrease the reward of fasting although they do not annul it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Fasting is not [only] abstaining from eating and drinking, but abstaining from vain and obscene talk, so if someone insulted you or wronged you say: I am fasting." [Related by al-Hakim] He also said:

"Whoever does not abandon lying, then Allah does not need him to abandon his food and drink." [Related by al-Bukhari]

COMMON ERRORS DURING RAMADHAN

Excessive spending: Ramadhan should be a time to avoid being wasteful, and learning to be prepared in facing harder times by distinguishing the needs from the luxuries. Unfortunately, many people go beyond their limits to spend during Ramadhan. Whether in the varieties of food that they savor each night, or by the other types of spending.

Staying awake during the night and sleeping during the day: Some people sleep during most of the day when they are fasting. Ramadhan is not a time of being lazy, and this do not allow the full benefit from the experience of fasting. It is as if they have only inverted their nights into days and vice versa. In addition, some may spend a great portion of the night indulging in eating and drinking and socializing.

Spending more time socializing: Because people invite each other more often during Ramadhan they do tend to spend more time socializing with friends, and relatives. While it is a good deed to feed the fasting person, this should not result in precious time lost in vain talk. Use the occasion for remembering Allah and offering additional prayers, and for da'wah to Allah.

Insisting on performing a certain number of raka'at during the tarawih prayer: to the point of not praying behind the Imam and thus forfeiting the benefit of congregational prayer. This might also bring hatred and disagreement between the Muslims of one community.

Reading the Qur'an too fast: Some insist on finishing the whole Qur'an once or more, even if they have to read very fast. Although reading the Qur'an many times is desirable, this should not be done hastily, especially during the tarawih prayer without pondering upon its meaning. Allah, the Most High, said:

"This is a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses." [Al-Qur'an 38:29]

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"Those who read the Qur'an in less than three days do not grasp its meaning"

Socializing in i'tikaf: Many people are eager to do i'tikaf but some confine themselves in the masjid not to pray and worship Allah but to talk and socialize.

The ways of doing good are numerous in Ramadhan. Many people try to perform more than they are able to. By going beyond their capabilities, they end up not performing any deed in the desired way. Scholars and du'at should assume a more prominent role in educating the people - both by talking to them and by giving the best example in their behavior which should comply to the Shari'ah and following the Sunnah. The Muslim should realize that his priorities dictate that he does what benefits him in the Hereafter and should not put worldly interests first.

The Muslim should apply himself to deepen his sense of following the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in every aspect of his life, at all times and especially during the month of Ramadhan. This necessitates seeking more knowledge about the Fiqh of fasting and its etiquette, assimilating the wisdom and goals of fasting, and facilitating the means that allow all the Muslims to benefit from their fasting.

We ask Allah to accept our fast and our good deeds.

Gelama
lendir
balgam
pekat
hitam
melekit
jelek
yang merangkak
kembali
ke tekak yang mual
berdahak-dahak
menjeluak
sedaya upaya
membuangnya
melemparkannya
jauh
dari jasad
yang tidak sanggup
menjadi tuan rumahnya
lagi.

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