Halaqa # 27

Asma ul Husna Part 9

Library Blog Launch

Year 2

Attendance:

• 7  Sisters  
• 2  Junior Sisters
• 1  Junior Guest

Location:  Headquarters (upstairs)

Agenda: (please note, we have included many links where you can read in detail more on each subject)

• OPENING DUA

اللهم انى أسالك علماً نافعاً و رزقاً طيباً و عملاً متقبلاً

Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘Ilman naafi’an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan

O Allah! I ask You for knowledge that is of benefit, a good provision and deeds that will be accepted.

[Ibn Majah and others]

To watch a video of a little girl trying to learn this dua: Click here

• QURAN RECITATION

We read Surah Fatihah aloud altogether, then sisters individually read aloud a few letters/words, ayahs (according to her ability and with the help and encouragement of her fellow sisters).  We read Surah Ali-Imran from Ayat 154  till Ayat 186.  In sha Allah, this will be an ongoing part of our halaqa and one day in sha Allah, we will have Khatam Quran and begin again.

• SISTER’S TALK

Sisters shared their research on the names of Allah chosen previously. Click on each name to read more.

Al-’Azim	Sister Nissa
Al-Fattah	Sister Rim
Al-Haadi (part 1)	Sister Sara
Al-Qabid	Sister Lamiaa

Afterward we chose new names to research.

?	Sister Nissa
?	Sister Rim
Al-Haadi (part 2)	Sister Sara
?	Sister Lamiaa
Al-Mujib	Sister Yasra
?	Sister Ilham

• LEARN A DUA

Dua upon entering the mosque #2    Dua No: 265

السَّلامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ، اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ

Translation

Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, Open for me the gates of Your Mercy.

Transliteration

As-salaamu ‛alaa rasoolillaah, allaahum-maf-taḥ lee abwaaba raḥmatik

Sources: Abu Dawud No# 465

Above taken directly from Duas.com website

To listen to this dua. Click here

• TECH  TALK

Sister Winnie presented a few free Smartphone apps to aid in  learning Allah’s names. Click on each logo to learn more about the app.

For iphone:
For Android:

• OUR NEW LIBRARY  BLOG

Sister Winnie introduced Amanah Sisters New Library Blog.  This blog will contain a detailed listing of all the books, CD’s, etc in our library in sha Allah. New book listings are being uploaded weekly in sha Allah.  

Notice that when possible there will be links provided where you can read the book online, download it or at the least read more about it.  If you wish to borrow one of the books you can fill out the “Book-a Book” form which is conveniently located on the blog.  

Although this blog currently does not contain a search box, you can read through the numerous categories located on the left-hand side of the blog to help you locate a book.  

As always your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.  We have provided a “Get in Touch!” box on the right-hand side near the bottom of the blog.  Also, you can leave comments directly under each book listing if you would like to share your thoughts on a particular book with our members.

• VIDEO

Miracle of Ayat ul Kursi | Linguistic Miracle Nouman Ali Khan 14:13

Allah is Calling You Nasheed  4:40

• CLOSING DUA

For the expiation of sins, said at the conclusion of a sitting or gathering

To listen to this dua click here

196 - "How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. I bear witness that None has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance."

سُبْحـانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمدِك، أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَـيْك

Subhânaka l-lâhumma wa bi-hamdika. Ash-hadu an lâ ilâha illâ anta, astaghfiruka wa atûbu ilayka.

If any of this information was good and true, know that it comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.  If there are mistakes we ask for Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy.

Ar-Razzaq

Presented by: Sister Rim

Ar-Razzaq الرزاق. The Provider

Quran

• ان الله هو الرزاق ذو القوة المتين    "Indeed it is Allah the provider the firm possessor of strength" (51:58)   
• ... Allah provides means of subsistence to whomsoever He pleases without a measure. (2:212)
• Allah is Benignant to His servants; He gives sustenance to whomsoever He pleases, and He is the Strong, the Mighty One. (42:19)
• ... and whoever fears Allah, He will make an outlet for him and give him sustenance from whence he does not expect. (65:2-3)
• ... these are the believers truly; they shall have forgiveness and an honourable provision. (8:74)
• ... and the sustenance (provided) by your Lord is better and more abiding. (20:131)
• Most surely this is Our sustenance: it shall never deplete. (38:54)
• Say: The (blessing) from the presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain. (62:11)
• ... surely the things you worship besides Allah cannot sustain you. (29:17)

What is Rizq?

In order to understand Allah’s Name ar-Razzaq, we need to know what rizq means. Rizq is what has been apportioned for you which benefits you. So Allah (swt) is ar-Razzaq—He is the One who creates your rizq, and takes it upon Himself to deliver what He has apportioned to His servants. And because He is ar-Razzaq, and not ar-Raaziq, He provides this sustenance to everyone: Muslim and non-Muslim, woman and man, humans and animals and plants. It encompasses everything on earth. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

“And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision [rizq], and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.” (Qur’an, 11:6)

The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that a soul will not die until it gets all of the provision that has been apportioned for it (Ibn Hibban). Just looking at the heavens and the earth, and the way that rain falls and plants grow should be enough proof for us. We take it for granted, that this is the natural course of things. But Allah (swt) determined the course that nature will take. So if He created the system in which the rizq of all of the creatures is made, how will He not provide for you when He has said of human beings,

“We have certainly honored the children of Adam,” (Qur’an 17:70).

So even if you feel that your provision is slow in coming for you, remember that whatever is written for you will come. What rests on you is how strive for it.

Striving: A Condition of Rizq

This is the crux of our lesson today: the lesson of striving. Your rizq will not come to you if you do not work for it. That is the essential difference between hiba—a gift—and rizq. Your rizq is written for you but in order for you to unlock the door, you need to work as if your rizq depended on how hard you try, but in your heart, you know that nothing will come to you except what Allah (swt) has written for you.

The example of Hajar alayha as-salam (peace be upon her) perfectly shows this. In the midst of the desert, she is stuck. Her infant is crying because he is hungry, and her food supplies have run out. She runs up and down Safa and Marwa 7 times, searching for something, anything. And Allah (swt) rewards that striving with the well of Zamzam that we still benefit from today. When we go on Umrah or Hajj (pilgrimage), we perform the “sa`y”, which means striving, emulating the footsteps of Hajar (as), so we never forget the lesson of working hard with the means around us. And the way that this perfectly illustrates the concept of rizq is that it came from where she did not imagine. She fulfilled her part—and Allah (swt) gave her what He apportioned for her. This is especially a lesson for those of us who say there is nothing for us to do—but there is always something to do. Even working to seek the means to be productive is something we will be rewarded for because it shows we are serious in our striving. And Allah (swt) may give it to you through the channels that you sought or through something completely different. It is simply to show you that your rizq is in His Hands.

It may be easy for someone to believe that Allah (swt) does not provide. We see pictures of children freezing in Afghanistan and starving in Somalia. “Where is their rizq?,” someone might ask. Yet we need to understand that there are consequences for our actions. Allah (swt) reminds us that if we do not rule with justice then there will be corruption on earth. Overusing resources, abusing human beings and hoarding wealth are things that are despised in our religion and Allah (swt) warns us severely against them. We cannot blame Allah (swt) when we have created a system which goes precisely against the way Allah (swt) has ordered us to live. So their test is this hardship in this life, though ar-Razzaq may manifest Himself in ways that we cannot imagine, and our test is failing to help them out of it.

One of the things that prevents our rizq from reaching us is our sins. But some may say that many seemingly sinful people appear to receive rizq, so is there even a correlation? Yet if that is all we see then we are being superficial. They may have received their material rizq, but Allah (swt) may deny them their spiritual rizq. And this is far worse. This is especially so when the bounty we have been given is used in illegitimate ways.

Rizq

Sheikh Ratib an-Nabulsi lists a number of ways in which we can increase our provision. I have summarized them below:

Taqwa (God-conciosuness):

“And whoever has taqwa of Allah – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.” (Qur’an, 65:2-3)

Tawakul (reliance on God):

“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.” (Qur’an, 65:3)

Keeping good relations with family:

The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whoever would like his rizq (provision) to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship.’ (Bukhari)

Thankfulness:

“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ ”

(Qur’an, 14:7)

Asking forgiveness and tawba (repentance):

“And said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.” (Qur’an, 71:10-12)

Charity:

“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?” (Qur’an, 2:245)

Reciting Qur’an:

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The house in which Qur’an is recited is increased in good, and the house in which Qur’an is not recited is decreased in good.” (al-Bazzar)

Migrating for the sake of Allah:

“And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance.” (Qur’an, 4:100)