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Share Islam 2009

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), THE MUSLIM WOMAN & HER LORD (Taken from the Ideal Muslimah - Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi) She Worships Allah It is no surprise that the true Muslim woman enthusiastically worships her Lord, because she knows that she is obliged to observe all the commandments that Allah has enjoined upon every Muslim, male or female. So she carries out her Islamic duties properly, without making excuses or compromises, or being negligent. She Regularly Prays Five Times a Day She offers each of the five daily prayers at its appointed time, and does not let domestic chores or her duties as a wife and mother prevent her from doing so. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): 'What deed is most beloved by Allah?' He said, 'To offer each prayer as soon as it is due.' I asked him, 'Then what?' He said, 'Treating one's parents with mercy and respect.' I asked him, 'Then what?' He said, 'Jihad (fighting) for the sake of Allah.'" She Prays Sunnah (Voluntarily) Prayers There is no clearer indication of the great status attained by the believer who draws closer to Allah by performing Sunnah (Voluntarily) deeds than the Hadith Qudsi where Allah says: "My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I will love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it." She Performs Her Prayers Properly The true Muslim tries hard to perform her prayers properly, with deep concentration and precision of physical movements. She thinks about the meaning of the Ayat she is reciting, and the words of praise and glorification that she is uttering. Her soul is flooded with fear of Allah, and with gratitude to Him and sincere worship of Him. She Pays Zakah on Her Wealth Zakah is a clearly-defined financial obligation and act of worship which Allah has enjoined upon every Muslim, man or women, who owns the minimum amount (Nisab) or more. The Muslim woman knows that everything belongs to Allah, and wealth is held by her as a trust. This trust must be discharged, moreover, as instructed by God, as that portion of her wealth legally belongs to other people and must be given to them. If she refuses and hoard this wealth, it is considered impure and unclean. The word in Arabic implies "purification" and it is understood to mean that a person "purifies" his holdings of wealth from greed and stinginess. She Fasts During the Day & Prays at Night in Ramadan The wise Muslim woman must strike a balance, during this all-too-short blessed month, between her domestic duties and the opportunity this month brings to draw closer to Allah through worship and good deeds. She should not let her household chores distract her from performing the obligatory prayers at the appointed times, or from reading Quran or praying Nafl prayers. Nor should she let traditional late-night family gatherings keep her from praying Qiyam al-Layl, and making Du'a'. She knows the great reward and abundant forgiveness that Allah has prepared for those who stay up to pray during the night in Ramadan: "Whoever spends the night in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven." Sahih Bukhari and Muslim She Observes Sunnah (Voluntarily) Fasts The true Muslim woman also observes Sunnah (Voluntarily) fasts at times other than Ramadan, if it is not too difficult for her to do so. So she fasts the day of 'Arafat, and 'Ashura', and the ninth day of Muharram, because fasting on these days and others is one of the righteous deeds that may expiate sins. She Goes on Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah The true Muslim woman intends to go on Hajj to the House of Allah when she is able to do so and it is easy for her to travel. It will also be the equivalent of jihad for men, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described it in a Hadith narrated by 'A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her): "I [Ayshah] said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), can we (women) not go out on military expeditions and fight in jihad with you (men)?' He said, 'You (women) have the best of jihad, and the best of it is Hajj, a blessed Hajj.'" Ayshah said, "I should never stop going for Hajj after I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)." Fath al-Bari, 4/72 She is Obedient to the Commands of Allah The true Muslim woman does not forget that she is duty bound to perform all the religious duties that Allah has commanded her to do. In this regard her situation is the same as that of a man, and there is no difference between them except in a few regulations which apply exclusively to either men or women. Other than that, women and men are equally responsible before Allah. She Always Bears in Mind the Words of Allah (It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.) [Quran 33:36] She Accepts the Will & Decree of Allah The Muslim woman who is obedient to the command of her Lord naturally accepts His will and decree, because this is one of the greatest signs of faith, obedience, Taqwa and righteousness in a person. So the Muslim woman who is guided by the teachings of Islam always accepts whatever befalls her in life, whether it is good or bad, because this attitude of acceptance is good for her in all cases, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained: "How amazing is the affair of the Muslim! His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him." She Turns to Allah in Repentance The Muslim woman may find herself becoming neglectful and slipping from the Straight Path, so she may fall short in her practice of Islam in a way that does not befit the believing woman. But she will soon notice her error, seek forgiveness for her mistakes or shortcomings, and return to the protection of Allah. She Understands the True Meaning of Being a Servant of Allah The true Muslim woman has the firm belief that she has been created to serve an important purpose in life, which Allah has defined in the Quran: (I have only created jinns and men, that they may serve Me.) [Quran 51:56] She is Distinguished by Her Islamic Character & True Religion No doubt the true Muslim woman is distinguished by her Islamic character, and she is proud of the high status which Islam gave her at a very early stage, before women in other nations attained anything like it. Fifteen centuries ago, Islam proclaimed the full rights of women for the first time in history, and Muslim women enjoyed human rights centuries before the world had ever heard of human rights organizations or witnessed any "Declaration of Human Rights." She Reads Quran Often The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The likeness of a believer who reads the Quran is like a citron, whose smell is pleasant and whose taste is pleasant; the likeness of a believer who does not read the Quran is like a date, which has no smell, but its taste is sweet; the likeness of the hypocrite who reads the Quran is like a fragrant flower which has a pleasant smell but whose taste is bitter; and the likeness of a hypocrite who does not read the Quran is like a colocynth (bitter-apple), which has no smell and its taste is bitter." "Read the Quran, for it will come forward on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its readers." Sahih Muslim Khadejah Jones Share Islam Team ShareIslam.com Attend online sisters classes in the comfort of your home. Visit: IslamEvents.com for class schedules. Watch various Islamic channels at WatchIslam.com. There is no better time to start than today. Dawah E-Cards Send your family and loved ones beautiful words of advise from the hadith of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Send Now! I would like more information: Ask a question in the chatroom

Taqwa

Presented by: Sister Sara

Definition of Taqwa:

Being mindful of one’s relationship with Allah our Lord is an individual obligation whose foundation is knowledge, and whose life is practice according to Islam. Allah call’s the believers, ordering them to be cautious: “Oh you who believe, be cautious of Allah.”

The origin of the word Taqwa is from the Arabic root letters waw qaf yaa’ (waqa) (meaning shield) and its verb is from the word “Ittaki”. Ittaki means to be careful or to be protected or to be cautious. Taqwa is an internal compass on the path that leads towards Allah. The broader meaning and character of Taqwa is to develop one’s behavior, so as to be cautiously aware in the worship of Allah and attain nearness to Him and in so doing, also attain his pleasure and increase our hope in JANNAH.

This consciousness and fear of Allah is understood as a protection and a shield against wrongdoing. When we abstain of evil through this fear, consciousness and establishing a cautious awareness of Allah, ultimately develops one’s love of Him.

The messenger of Allah said in a Hadith, reported in the Sahih Muslim that, “Taqwa is here”, and he pointed to his chest.

عـن أبي ذر جـنـدب بـن جـنـادة ، وأبي عـبد الـرحـمـن معـاذ بـن جـبـل رضي الله عـنهما ، عـن الرسول صلي الله عـليه وسلم ، قـال : ( اتـق الله حيثما كنت ، وأتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها ، وخالق الناس بخـلـق حـسـن ).

رواه الترمذي [ رقم : 1987 ] وقال : حديث حسن ، وفي بعض النسخ : حسن صحيح

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junaadah, and Abu ‘Abd-ir-Rahmaan Mu’aadh bin Jabal (radi allahu anhuma1) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said :
Have Taqwaa (Fear) of Allah, [Be pious] wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.
It was related by at-Tirmidhee.

The Glorious Qur`an illustrates this in Surah 49 Al Hujurat (the Inner Apartments), Verse 13:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you (Muttaqi). And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”

In Surah 53 An Najm, Verse 32 reminds us that:

فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

“Hold not yourself purified. Allah knows best who has Taqwa.”

The four verses in Surah 2 Al Baqarah Verse 2-5 summarizes the guiding principle in the Noble Qur`an for the people of Taqwa:

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ 2 .  الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ 3 .  وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُو نَ4   . أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ5

2. This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear (or are conscious) of Allah (Taqwa). 3. Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; 4. And who believe in the Revelation sent to you, and sent before your time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. 5. They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.

The Muttaqun are those that believe, fear Allah and look to what He has ordained in carrying out His actions to avoid His displeasure and sadness. These people are involved and active in his/her life with the Ummah (the Muslim community), concerned with the affairs of humanity, whilst at the same time praying , fasting, spending in Allah’s cause, having good morals, are forgiving and just. All these descriptions can be attributed to a person who has Taqwa and will be assured and successful in the Hereafter.

Why we need Reminders

The ultimate remembrance or reminder is the Quran.

Allah says:

Remind (them) with the Quran

وَذَكِّرْ بِهِ

[Surah Al-An'am:70]

Even if we know about taqwa we need to be reminded because we forget. Why does Allah mention taqwa repeatedly in the Quran? To remind us.

Relation Between Obedience & Mercy

Allah says:

And obey Allah and the Messenger, that you (all) may be shown mercy

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

[Surah Al-Imran:132]

If you are hopeful for the mercy of Allah it depends on your obedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam). If you hope for Allah’s mercy you must be obedient to Him.

Allah says:

وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous (muttaqeen).

[Surah Al-Imran:133]

Sari’oo means running towards something. Allah describes in the ayaat before as people running towards dunya. Now he says run towards forgiveness. We run towards things we are in need of. So we need to acknowledge that we are in need of Allah’s forgiveness. We are not free of sin.

And the second incentive is, run towards Jannah that is prepared for the muttaqeen, those who are truly cautious, afraid and careful. What are the qualities of these people of Taqwa? Allah goes on to describe them.

First Quality

Allah says:

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ

Those Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship

[Surah Al-Imran:134]

If anyone else sells you something without showing you the product you wouldn’t buy it. But we have not seen Jannah yet we trust Allah. So Allah is selling Jannah. But selling involves an exchange and everything we have is Allah’s anyway, so what is the exchange? There is no exchange, but Allah speaks in terms we will understand, because we are greedy and always look for a good deal. Spending here also includes spending energy and not just money, Allah did not say amwaal (wealth, assets) but anfaq, includes wealth, time, youth, energy, priority, planning. It means sacrificing for Allah, losing and letting go of the things we love for the sake of Allah to get this attribute of Taqwa.

Second Quality

Allah says:

وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ

And who restrain (swallow) their anger

[Surah Al-Imran:134]

The verse implies those who swallow their anger consistently, ism faa’il is used. Swallowing anger meaning controlling yourself as if the anger is not even there, when you swallow food it’s gone. So when you get angry you swallow your anger as if it’s not even there, not showing it. If little things always make us upset and annoy us how do we expect Allah to forgive our big sins? This shows a lack of restraint.

Abu Huraira narrates the Prophet said:

The strong person is not he who is able to physically overcome people. The strong person is he who overcomes his rage when he is angry.

[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73 (Kitab Al-Adab), Hadith 135, also in Sahih Muslim, Ahmad]

Ibn Abaass narrates the Prophet said:

He who gives time to a debtor or forgives him, then Allah will save him from the heat of Jahannam (Hell-fire). Behold! The deeds of Paradise are difficult to reach, for they are on top of a hill, while the deeds of the Fire are easy to find in the lowlands. The happy person is he who is saved from the tests. Verily, there is no dose of anything better to Allah than a dose of rage that the servant controls, and whenever the servant of Allah controls it, he will be internally filled with faith.

[Musnad Ahmad, classed as Sahih]

Third Quality

وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Allah says:

and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good (who excel in good);

[Surah Al-Imran:134]

Forgiving vs Forgiving out of Love Allah does not say “ghafireen” but “afeen”, meaning those who not only forgive, but forgive out of love. This ayah means They forgive those who treat them with injustice. Therefore, they do not hold any ill feelings about anyone in their hearts, and this is the most excellent conduct in this regard, which is why Allah describes them as Muhsineen. Forgiveness by definition means forgiving those who don’t deserve it. You are not forgiving for their sake, but your sake, so you can be part of the people of Taqwa.

Allah says

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ

Shaytaan will no doubt try to cause dissent among you.

[Surah Al-Israa:53]

Abu Bakr and the accusation against his daughter Aisha Take the example of Abu Bakr. There is no man that loved Rasulullah (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) more than Abu Bakr, his loved surpassed anybody else’s love. Moreover, his daughter was married to Rasulullah. So Abu Bakr loves Rasulullah is the messenger and because he is family. The daughter of Abu Bakr and wife of Rasulullah was accused in an ugly way (in surah Nur) by someone who he gave an allowance. Abu Bakr had every right to be angry and punish this man, how did he exact his anger? He discontinued the allowance he gave to his man. That’s all. What a big heart. Allah set such a high standard for him. Allah gives him advice in the Quran.

Allah says:

وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

[Surah Nur:22]

So is your anger and revenge worth more, or is the forgiveness of Allah worth more? If Allah’s forgiveness is worth more, you will forget about whether the person who wronged you deserves it or not, whether they are a nice person or not.

Fourth Quality

Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah ? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.

[Surah Al-Imran:135]

Allah here is talking about the muttaqeen doing any act of shamelessness. Whether it was a gaze that we hid or a sin we did in the middle of the night or a Fajr prayer we missed. The muttaqeen are being described that they may fall into these traps. This is easier to understand now than ever before. You can’t take a 10 minute trip without being exposed to fahsha 100s of times. They will make mistakes, but there is something they do after the mistake. They remember Allah.

A Trick of Shaytaan When you do something bad and you are responsible to someone for that act, you avoid contact with them, because you know you have disappointed them. When we sin who have we disappointed? Allah. So shaytaan comes to you and says will you do good after you have sinned? You are a hypocrite, two faced. So he keeps you in sin, makes you feel embarrassed to go in front of Allah and keeps you in sin. The true muttaq as soon as he does something wrong he remembers Allah right away (not fa or thumma dhakarullah but dhakarullah).

References:

http://www.islamtomorrow.com/articles/Taqwa_meanings.html

http://www.nakcollection.com/1/post/2011/12/who-are-people-of-taqwa-summary.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-4P6wHr5F9A

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/relationships/withthedivine/constants-on-the-path-five-levels-of-taqwa-and-3-ways-to-acquire-it

Halaqa # 2

Taqwa

Attendance:

• 6 Sisters:
• 3 Junior Sisters:

Location:  Headquarters

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

• OPENING DUA

We opened with a short dua:

• QURAN RECITATION

We added something new this week on the suggestion of Sister Lamiaa, reading Quran.  We read Surah Faatiha aloud altogether, then each sister read aloud a few letters/words, ayahs (according to her ability and with the help and encouragement of her fellow sisters).  We read till Ayat 16 of Surah AL-Baqarah. In sha Allah, we hope 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

Next, Sister Sara presented a talk on Taqwa where all sisters participating in a lively discussion as well.

• LEARN A DUA

Sister Winnie presented the dua #12  taken from the book Forty Rabbana. 

This is a dua that the Prophets and their followers used to say;  

we learn in Surah Ali-Imran Ayah 146:

“There have been many prophets with whom many men of Allah have fought; they did not lose heart for what they suffered in the way of Allah, nor did they become weak, nor did they yield.  Allah loves the steadfast”

Then in Surah Ali-Imran Ayah 148 we learn of the reward: 

“So, Allah gave them the return in this world and also the better rewards in the Hereafter.  Allah loves those who do good.

• SISTERS TALK

Sister Winnie read aloud an email by Sister Khadija Jones which contained very useful information.  You can subscribe to Sister Khadija’s email if you like.  

• PODCAST  

Then we listened to a podcast titled: A short Reminder by Mufti Ismail Menk

That was followed with a discussion session by all present and our closing dua was at 11:52.

• CLOSING DUA

Closing Dua taken from Fortress of the Muslim

Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, 'ash-hadu 'an laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta, 'astaghfiruka wa 'atoobu 'ilayka.

Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise is to You. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.

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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.