Gratitude - II

Again, knowing and recognising the favors, aswell as their source, is
the initial step and it precedes thanking Allaah. Recognising favors
such as the favors of being able to move, walk, work, exercise, sleep,
eat etc. all branch from the great favor of being healthy. The favor
of being humans; the favor of being Muslims; the favor of being
guided; the favor of being well-mannered; the favor of being a Prophet
)when it applies for those whom Allaah Has chosen( are also great ones
to reflect on. This issue is very important to mention when calling
people towards Allaah. Allaah repeatedly reminds us in different parts
of the Quran of His favors upon us.Hesays )what means(:"…And ]He[
subjected for you the ships to sail for you through the sea by His
command and subjected for you the rivers. And He subjected for you the
sun and the moon, continuous ]in orbit[, and subjected for you the
night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if
you should count the favor ]i.e., blessings[ of Allaah, you could not
enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is]generally[ most unjust and
ungrateful."]Quran 14: 32-34[ There are many other verses in the Quran
in which Allaah reminds us of the favors that He has bestowed upon us.
One way of calling people towards Allaah is to remind them of the
favors of Allaah upon them, so that they may be grateful and not to be
amongst those about whom Allaah says)what means(:"…And Allaah is full
of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show
gratitude."]Quran 2: 243[ Some people attribute favors to other than
the actual source, like Qaaroon, who said when he was reminded of the
favors of Allaah upon him )which means(:"…I was only given it because
of the knowledge I have'…"]Quran 28: 78[ It is arrogance that leads to
such a reaction, which results in misery for such people, because
Allaah says )what means(:"And whatever you have of Favor – it is from
Allaah…"]Quran 16: 53[
Expressing gratitude by the tongue: One's tonguereflects what he
conceals in his heart, and thus when his heart is overwhelmed by
gratitude to Allaah, the tongue will naturally constantly utter praise
and gratitude to Allaah. One should ponder upon how the Prophetwould
perform Thikr, or supplications and remembrance of Allaah, to see how
much gratitude and praise theycontained;
·Whenever hewoke up, he would say:"All praise is due to Allaah, Who
has brought us backto life after He has causedus to die, and to Him is
the return."
·Whenever hewould retire to bed, he would say:"All Praise is due to
Allaah who has fed us, provided us with drink, satisfied us and given
us protection. Many are those who have no one to provide for them or
give them shelter."
·Some of his regular morning and evening supplications were:"O Allaah!
Whatever favor I, or any of Your creation has, is solely from You;
there is no partner with You; All praise and gratitude is due to You."
·Hewould ask forgiveness saying:"I seek refuge in You from the evil of
what I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon
me, and Iconfess my sins, so forgive me."
·All his supplications would begin with the praise of Allaah, which
Heis very worthy of.
·Hewould begin all hisspeeches by praising Allaah.
·The opening supplication for prayer, Soorah Al-Faatihah,
supplications whilst bowing and prostrating, and his supplications
after concluding his prayers, were all filled with praise and
gratitudeto Allaah.
·Whenever hewished to eat, drink, travel or sneeze, he would praise
Allaah and thank him.
·On one of the nights when it was the turn of 'Aa'ishahto be with him,
she began looking for him in the dark by feeling around with her hand,
then her hand touched his hands and she heard him saying:"O Allaah! I
seek protection against Your Wrath in Your Pleasure. I seek protection
in Your Pardon against Your punishment; I am not capable of
enumerating praise of You. You are as You have lauded Yourself".
Expressing gratitude by the limbs: Any righteous deed or act of
obedience which the son of Aadam performs is a form of expressing his
gratitude to Allaah, the Lord. There are different means of performing
gratitude of the limbs; one of which iswhen one practices the
instruction of Prophet Muhammadwhen he said:"When you get up inthe
morning, charity is due from every one of your joints. There is
charity in every ascription of glory to Allaah; there is charity in
every declaration of His Greatness; there is charityin every utterance
of praise of Him; there is charity in every declaration that He is the
only true God )worthy of worship(; there is charity in enjoining good;
there is charity in forbidding evil. Two Rak'as of Dhuhaa )i.e.,
forenoon prayer( is equal to all this)in reward(."Thus, any ofthe
things mentioned in the above narration is a righteous deed which
reflects gratitude to Allaah. One should exert all efforts to thank
Allaah using all his limbs and should never feel that he has thanked
Allaah enough, or that he does not need to do it again the next day.
There is no contradiction between thanking people and being grateful
to Allaah, because Allaah commands us to thank and reward those who do
us favors, the foremost of them being one's parents, as Allaah says
)what means(:"…Be grateful to Me and to your parents…"]Quran31: 14[The
problem is when one thanks people and abandons thanking Allaah; this
is a great disaster. Additionally, there is a difference in the manner
in which onethanks people and thanks Allaah; one shouldbe submissive
and humble whilst thanking Allaah because this reflects servitude,
while on the other hand, one cannot do so with other humans; one
should instead supplicate for their forgiveness and praise them. One
who does not thank other people is evil and it is unlikely that he
would thank Allaah and express gratitude towards Him.
Additionally, favors and bounties from Allaah are preserved and even
increase by one being grateful, but what is it that helps a person to
be grateful?
·By observing the condition of those who are lower than you in status,
and to remember when seeing those who are higher than you in standard
that it is only bythe decree of Allaah.Allaah says )what means(:"And
it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised
some of you aboveothers in degrees ]of rank[ that He may try
youthrough what He has given you."]Quran6: 165[
·By realising that one willbe held accountable for these favors,
asAllaah says )what means(:"Thenyou will surely be asked that Day
about ]worldly[ pleasure".]Quran102: 8[Even for bounties as seemingly
minor as cold water. Some people, due to their misunderstanding of the
concept of gratitude, deprive themselves from enjoying them, whereas
in fact they were bestowed upon us to enjoy.Allaah says )what
means(:"…Eat from the good ]i.e., lawful[ things which We have
provided for you and be grateful to Allaah if it is ]indeed[ Him that
you worship."]Quran2:172[Thus, gratitude cannot entail deeming lawful
matters as prohibited, which is one of the principles of the Soofees.
If gratitude was a precondition of enjoying the bounties of Allaah,
then nobody would have been able to enjoy any of the favors orbounties
from Allaah, because no one can do enough deeds to appropriately
express gratitude to Allaah for what He bestowed upon us. The solution
thereforeis to utilise these favors and bounties in ways that please
Allaah, and to thank Him and seek His pardon for our shortcomings -
and Allaah will accept this much from us.
·By supplicating to Allaahto help us to be grateful to Him, as in the
prophetic supplication in which hetaught Mu'aathto say: "O Allaah!
Help me remember You, express gratitude to You and worship You in the
best manner."
It is more virtuous to be grateful when blessed with a favor than to
persevere when one is afflicted. Allaah loves to see the effects of
His favors. Once, Imraan ibn Husayncame out wearing a fine garment,
and when he saw how his friends were looking at him, he said: "The
Prophetsaid:"Allaah loves to see the effect of His Bounties on His
slaves."
The Prophetsaid:"Eat, drink and give out in charity without arrogance
or exaggeration, because Allaah loves to see the effect of His
Bounties on His slave."Therefore, the limit when expressing and
showing the effect of the favors from Allaah on oneself is to neither
be boastful and proud, nor to exaggerate.
Allaah hates a Kanood, oran ungrateful person, and punishes him.
ImaamAl-Hasansaid: "A Kanood, is one who remembers the disasters which
befall him and always forgets to mention the favors from Allaah )upon
him(." This quality is more apparent in women; for example, awoman's
husband is kindto her for many years, but as soon as she experiences a
minor shortcoming from him, she will immediately tell him that she has
never seen anything good fromhim. This is a form of oppressing the
husband, and thus the majority of the dwellers of Hell are women, the
reason beingthat they are ungrateful to their husbands. If being
ungrateful to one'shusband results in punishment in Hell, how will the
case be for those who are ungrateful to Allaah?
'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeezwould look at the favors of Allaah upon himand
say: "O Allaah! I seek refuge in You from meeting Your favors
withungratefulness or denying them after knowing them, or forgetting
them and not mentioning them with praise )i.e., praising You(."
It is also recommended that one prostrates whenever he receives news
about a new favor or bounty from Allaah, as was the practice of the
Prophet. Likewise, when Abu Bakrreceived the news that Musaylamah the
liar)who claimed to be a Prophet after the death of Prophet Muhammad(
was killed, he went down into prostration. Ka'b ibn Maalikalso
prostrated when he was given the good news of forgiveness from Allaah
after he failed to participate in a battle. Onthe other hand, this
should not be a daily practice, but rather, it should only be done
when one receives good news or a new favor. An example of a new favor
or good news is the incident when one of theSalafwho was hiding from
Al-Hajjaaj, prostrated when he received the news of his death, because
the deathof a tyrant is a great bounty and favor from Allaah. Also,
the news of having a new baby, or a Muslim victory over the infidels,
warrants such a prostration to be made.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid: "The religion consists of two halves; one
half is represented by gratitude and the other half is by
perseverance."Scholars have disputed regarding who is better, a rich
person who is grateful, or a poor person who is patient, but it seems
that it is best for the rich person to be grateful, and for the poor
to persevere.

A Summer Reminder

Allaah Almighty reminds His slaves of the heat of Hell by making them
experience very high temperatures during the summer.
The Prophetinformed us that Hell has two breaths: it inhales during
our winter and exhales during our summer; healso stated that the
extreme heat people experience during the summer is due to this
exhalation. This information from the Prophetis a reminder to us of
the Hellfire.
The narration of the Prophetregarding this is not a figurative one;
rather, it is unambiguous and veryreal. The Prophetsaid:"When the heat
reaches an excessive level then )delay the( prayer until it cools, as
extreme heat comes from the vehement raging of Hell."]Al-Bukhaari &
Muslim[ This was said because if people wereto pray during such a very
hot time, then they would be distracted from their prayers and lose
their submissiveness and humility in it.
Abu Hurayrahreported that the Prophetsaid:"The)Hell( Fire complained
to its Lord saying: 'O my Lord! My different parts consume each other,
so allow me to breathe.' Therefore He)i.e., Allaah( allowed it to take
two breaths, one in the winter and the other in summer, and this is
the reason for the severe heat andthe bitter cold you find)in
weather(."]Al-Bukhaari[
As believers we are commanded to believein this as it is from the
unseen, even though we may not perceive it or understand exactly how
it could occur. We fully believe in it regardless, because it was
narrated to us via the truthful, trustworthy Prophet ofAllaah. It is
therefore the duty of the believer to protect himself from the
punishment of Hell.
The punishment of Hellin the grave
The punishment of Hellis not limited to the Hereafter; rather, part of
it touches the person who deserves itin his grave, just as parts of it
touch all people in this worldly life in the form of extreme heat in
the summer and bitter cold in the winter.
Al-Baraa' bin 'Aazib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the
Prophetwas once at the funeralof one of the Ansaarwhen he began
informing some of his companions who werepresent of the situations of
the believer, the disbeliever and the sinner upon their burial in
their graves. After mentioning the situation of the believer,
headdressed that of the sinner and the disbeliever, saying:"…And two
angels come to him and ask him to sit; they say: 'Who is your Lord?'
He answers: 'Haah, Haah, Ido not know.' They ask: 'What is your
religion?' He answers: 'Haah, Haah, I do not know.' Then, a voice says
from Heaven that My slave is not telling the truth, so make his
clothing and furnishing that of fire, and open a gate of fire towards
him so as to make him smell )its terrible stench( and suffer its
scorching wind. His grave is then made so tight that his bones
intertwine. A voice then says: `Spread his grave with the fire )of
Hell( and dress him with the fire)of Hell( and open a gate towards him
fromHell, so that he may feel its heat.' Then a blind and mute
creature will appear with an iron rod in his hand, and if a mountain
were to be struck with this rod it would turn into dust;)the creature(
would strike him with this rod and cause him to make such a piercing
scream that it could be heard in the farthest parts )of the earth(,
east and west, and everything will hear his cry except Jinn and
mankind. Then a man of evil complexion and horrid smell visits him.The
buried slave man asks him: 'Who are you?' and adds: 'You have a
threatening andwretched face.' The man answers: 'I am your evil deeds
comingto you with the bad news'…." ]Ahmad & Abu Daawood[This is how
hewould admonish and remind his companions.
Allaah Says )what means(:"Not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor
are the darknesses and the light. Nor are the shade and the
heat."]Quran 35: 19-21[ HereAllaah highlights that opposites are not
necessarily equal: faithis not equal to disbelief; those who follow
the Sunnah are not equal to those whoinnovate in the religion; and,
the religious person is not equal to the dissolute; Allaah Says )what
means(:"The example of the two parties is like the blind and the deaf,
and the seeing and hearing. Are they equal in comparison?..."]Quran
11: 24[
Paradise has shade that never decreases or disappears, unlike that of
this worldly life which is dependant on the movement of the sun. But
how is the shade in Hell? It is a 'shade' of hot black smoke that
neither shades nor protects from any heat; rather, it only adds to it.
Also, the drink of the people of hell is water that is so hot that it
slashes the intestines and doesnot quench thirst in the least.
Ways to protect oneself against the heat of the Hellfire
Allaah gives us reminders so that we may take heed and consider. The
following are some means to protect oneself against the Hellfire:
Seeking refuge in Allaah from its heat:The Prophetdirected us to seek
refuge in Allaah as a means of protecting ourselves from the Hellfire.
Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"When any one of
you has completed his Tashahhud during prayer, he should seek refuge
in Allaah from four things, saying:"Allaahumma inni a`oothubika min
`athaabi jahannam, wa min `athaabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya
wal-mamaat, wa min sharri fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaal )i.e., 'O Allaah!
I seek refuge in You from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the
grave,from the trials of life and death, and from the mischief of
Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal )i.e., the Antichrist('."]Muslim[
Fasting:Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudrireported: "The Prophetsaid:"He who
observes fasting for a day in the Cause of Allaah, Allaah will
distance his face from the Hellfire for a distance equivalent to
seventy years of travel, as a reward for fasting that
day."]An-Nasaa'i[ Due to this narration, Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudriwould
select the hottest and longest days for fasting in.
Jihaad )i.e. fighting, struggle( for the sake of Allaah:This is one of
the greatest means with which one can protect himself from the heat of
Hellfire, even if it entails fighting on the hottest of summer days.
The summer heat is what made the hypocrites refrain from Jihaad, as
Allaah Says )what means(:"…And they]i.e., the hypocrites[ said: 'Do
not go forth in the heat ]i.e. for Jihaad[.'…"]Quran 9: 81[ Allaah
responded to this at the end of thevery same verse, Saying )what
means(:"Say: 'The fire of Hell is more intense in heat.'…"]Quran 9:
81[ Jihaad is the act of worship that enables the slave to attain the
highest rewards; it is thus a protection from Hellfire and its heat.
Spending in charity:Charity is another means by which the slave can
protect himself from the heat of the Hellfire. `Adiyy bin
Haatimreported: "I heard the Prophetsaying:"Protect yourself from the
)Hell( Fire, even )if( by giving half a date)in charity(."]Al-Bukhaari
& Muslim[ We ask Allaah to protect us all from the Hellfire.
Fever is a reminder of the Hellfire
One of the things that remind a person of the heat of Hellfire is
beingstruck by fever. The Prophetinformed usthat its heat is from the
vehemence of the Hellfire. `Aa'ishahnarrated that the
Prophetsaid:"Fever comes from the vehement raging of Hellfire, so cool
it with water."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
This is proof that there is a real connection between fever and the
Hellfire, and that fever is not merely caused by other physical
factors as some peoplebelieve, based on their limited view in how to
judge matters.
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudrireported: "I enteredinto the presence of the
Prophetwhile he was sick and placed my hand upon him andcould feel the
heat of his body from above the blanket. I said: `O Prophet of Allaah!
You are afflicted with a very difficult fever.` Heresponded:"This is
how the case is with usProphets; we get multiples of the hardship and
thus receive multiples of reward."I asked: `O Prophet of Allaah!
Whoare the one's facing thetoughest hardships and trials?`
Heresponded:"Those who face the toughest trials and hardships are the
Prophets."I asked: `Then who?' Hereplied:"Then those who are the most
pious )after them(. Oneof them would be afflicted with poverty to the
point that he canfind only a single garment with which tocover
himself. Such a person would rejoice upon receiving a hardship just
like one of you rejoices at being eased of one.""]An-Nasaa'i[
Imaam Al-Bayhaqireported the following story about fever: "Once Abu
Bakrhad a very bad fever and `Aa'ishahconveyed the news to the
Prophetwho said:"O Allaah! Make Madeenah as beloved to us as Makkah
and even more so. Make its climate clear and bless our Saa' and Modd
)i.e. measures of weight forfood(, and move its fever to the area of
Juhfah"Allaah responded to the supplication of the Prophetand fever,
which was one of the famous diseases of Madeenah, shifted to the area
of Juhfah."
One should not curse fever, as it is man's share of Hell and is a
means by which Allaahexpiates sins. The Prophetforbade cursing it,
saying:"Do not curse it, as it expiates sins."
Incidentally, Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimmentioned that fever is to be treated
by means of cold water for three consecutive days just before dawn,
and this is also a well known method of treatment in modern medicine.
Being wary of our odour during hot seasons
A Muslim must be heedful of his fellow Muslims and ensure that he does
not get a bad odour as a result of the summer heat. During the summer
it is likelier for a person to sweat and thus develop a very bad smell
if he fails to wash himself and change his clothes regularly.
'Ikrimahnarrated: "A group of people from Iraq came to Madeenah and
questioned Ibn 'Abbaas, saying: `O Ibn 'Abbaas! Do you rule the Ghusl
)i.e. ritual bath( on the day of Friday )before the sermon( as
mandatory?` Heresponded: `No, but it is purity and is)therefore(
better for the one who performs it. I will tell you how the
legislation of Ghuslcame about: The poor inhabitants of Madeenah would
wearwoollen clothes and toil very hard. The mosque was very smallwith
a low ceiling made of tree branches.One hot day, the Prophetcame out
while these people were sweating profusely due to the type of clothes
they were wearing and a very bad smell emanated from them, to the
extent that it offended others. When the Prophetsmelt this, he said:"O
people!On this day )i.e. Friday( you need to perform Ghusl and each of
you should use the best perfume he has."`"
Based on the above narration, some of the scholars ruled that
performing a Ghusl on the day of Friday )i.e. before the sermon( is
mandatory upon those who have a bad smell emanating from them,
otherwise they will be sinning. Others hold the opinion that it is
mandatory upon everybody who will attend the Friday prayer and sermon.

The congregational prayer

The virtues of the congregational prayer:
Performing the )obligatory( prayers in congregation is mandatory and
required of every believing adult male who has no excuse for not doing
so. Many authentic narrations highlight the superiority and excellence
of praying in congregation. Among these narrations are:
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi was sallam, said: "Prayer in
congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by
twenty-seven degrees."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The Prophetalso said:"The prayer of a man in congregation is
twenty-five times more superior )in reward( to his prayer in his house
or market - and this is because he performs ablution and perfects it
and goes to the mosque with the sole purpose of performing the prayer.
He does not take a step without being raised a degree and having one
ofhis sins erased. When he prays, aslong as he does not lose his
ablution, the angels keep on praying ]for him[ 'O Allaah, bless him. O
Allaah, have mercy upon him.' And he is considered in prayer as long
as he is waiting forthe prayer."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Abandoning the congregational prayer:
To know the status of praying with the congregation and how serious a
matter it is to abandon it, the Prophethardly exempted anyone from it.
Abu Hurayrahreported that a blind man said to the Prophet: "O
Messenger of Allaah, I have no guide to lead me to the mosque )to
attend the congregational prayer(." He askedthe Prophetfor permission
topray in his house and the Prophetpermitted him. Then, when he turned
to go, the Prophetcalled him and said: 'Do you hear the call to
prayer?'The blind man said 'yes.' The Prophetthen said: "Then respond
to it ]by coming to the mosque[!"]Muslim[
Moreover, the Prophetseverlywarned against abandoning it. Abu
Hurayrahalso reported that the Prophetsaid: "By Him in whose hand is
my soul! I have considered ordering a fire tobe kindled and then ask
someoneto lead the people in prayer. And then go to the men ]who did
not attend the prayer[ and burn their houses over them."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
This was clearly understood by the Companionsand their words reflected
it. 'Abdullaah IbnMas'oodsaid: "If anyone would like to meet Allaah
tomorrow as a Muslim, he shouldpersevere in observing these five
prayers )in congregation( whenever the call for them is made, for
Allaah has chosen for your Prophetthe way of rightguidance. And the
]five prayers in congregation[ are part of this right guidance. If you
were to pray them in your houses, as the one who stays behind in his
house, you would be leaving a 'Sunnah' of your Prophet. If you leave
the 'Sunnah' of your Prophetyou would go astray. Verily, I have seen a
time when no one abandoned them ]the congregational prayers[ except
for the hypocrites who were well known for their hypocrisy. A man
would be brought, supported by two people ]due to his weakness or
illness[ until he was placed in arow )in the congregation(."]Muslim[
The Prophetstressed on the importance of praying in a congregation
under all circumstances. In one narration, hesaid: "If there are three
men in a village or desert and prayer is not established among them,
then the devil takes mastery over them. So be with the congregation
since the wolf devours the remote )stray( sheep."]Abu Daawood[
What is considered a congregation?
The least number required for the congregational prayer is two:the
Imaam )leader( and another one with him. The more the people, the more
rewarding is the prayer by Allaah. The Prophetsaid: "A man's prayer
with another man is worth more than his prayer individually, and his
prayer with two men is worth more than his prayer with only one man.
The more there are, themore rewarding by Allaah."]Ahmad and Abu
Daawood[
The Prayer is better to be performed in the mosque. The farther mosque
is better than thenear. Concerning this, the Prophetsaid:"The people
attaining the most reward are those who have farthest to
walk."]Muslim, Ahmad and Abu Daawood[
Who should be the Imaam:
The congregational prayer is led by an Imaam. The Imaam should be
male, just, and well aware of Islamic jurisprudence. The Imaamstands
in front by himself while the followers stand behind him in straight
lines, all facing the Qiblah )the direction of Ka'bah(. The most
worthy of leading people in prayer is the one who isthe best in
memorizing and reciting the Quran. If they are equal, then the one who
has the deepest knowledge of Sunnah. If they still are equal in the
knowledge of Sunnah, then the oldest of the group. The Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"Themost versed in recitation of the Book of Allaah leads
the people inthe prayer. If they are equal, thenthe one most aware of
the Sunnah. If they all are equal, the one who emigrated earlier. If
they all are equal, then the oldestof them."]Muslim[
Women attending the congregational prayer:
Concerning women, it is better and more rewarding for them to pray in
their houses than to attend the congregational prayers. However, they
may attend the congregational prayer in the mosque provided it will be
secure from any temptation by their attendance. Also, they should
avoid wearing or using any attractive or tempting adornment or
perfume, and refrain from intermingling with men, as the Prophetsaid:
"Donot prevent the female slaves of Allaah )i.e. women( from the
mosques of Allaah. They should go without wearing perfume. If one
wears perfume, it is not lawful for her to attend the prayer in
congregation in the mosque."]Ahmad and Abu Daawood[
Women leading the congregational prayer:
It is forbidden for a woman to lead a man in prayer. If a woman leads
a man in prayer, his prayer is void and he has to make it up. This is
a matter which is agreed upon among the jurists as we have clarified
in the following fatwa 89729.

Eid ul-Fitr (Article)

O Ummatul Muslimeen! The celebration of Eid ul-Fitr culminates a month
of fasting wherein the faithful have spent their time praying and
beseeching Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala for forgiveness and
mercy.For many, the most glorious month of Ramadan was not just an
abstention from food and drink. Rather,it was an exercise in patience
and discipline. Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration for those who fasted
and obeyed Almighty Allah's rules and teachings. It is for those who
spent the most wonderful and month of caring and sharing, the month
of patience and the month of of constant Ibadah in complete devotion
to Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen. Eid is a time when the entire
Muslim community comes together to share in each others joys and
blessings and also to lessen the burden of those who are suffering.
It is preceded by people shopping and looking around for gifts for
their near anddear ones. It is a time when the bright lights from
homes and shops illuminates our life. Weuse this day and the following
days to spread happiness and social harmony by visiting our friends
and relatives and offering our Duahs to all those who have departed
from the Doonya. Gifts are exchanged during Eid by young and old
alike. We also visit the elderly and the sick. Eid is a time where all
kinds or festivities prevail. Many of us gormandize to make up for
"lost food" during the month of Ramadan.
However, with all the going around we sometimes forget our lesser
privileged brethren. We forget that there are many out there who have
nothing to celebrate. There are those among our brothers and sisters
forwhom Eid day is just another ordinary day. There are those who open
their cupboards on Eid day and find them bare. There are those in
hospitals whowill go through a bleak and lonely day with no one
visiting them. Friendless, deprived of company, they will have no one
to offer solace or comfort. Let us therefore see to it that our
deprived brethren welcome the day of Eid-ul-Fitr with warmthand hope.
This, after all, is a day of caring and sharing and bringing joy and
happiness to those who are less fortunate.This is the essence and
message of this most wonderful day of reward.
O People of Imaan! As we buy gifts and clothes for our children, let
us earmark a special sum for those who cannot afford to buy. We should
also instill in our children a sense of compassion so that when they
buy something they will also think of their unfortunate brethren. Let
us teach them the art of giving, the art ofcaring and sharing. The
desire of wishing for others what we would wish for ourselves. We
should let them know that there are millions of children in war torn
areas of Iraq, Lebanon,Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya,
Bosnia, Kosova, the Philippines and the Caucasus region, the poor and
downtrodden areas of Africa, Asia and South America, and even in the
forgotten ghettos of Europe and North America who do not have the
basic necessities to make this day a different day- a day of joy and
happiness, a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Ayyuhal Muslimoon! This is a day for praying and remembering our
unfortunate brothers and sisters who are victims of drought, famine
and other natural disasters as well as those who had survived the
devastating earthquake in Pakistanand Kashmir and the recent floods in
parts of Africa and Bangladesh. They needour urgent help and astrue
Muslims we must do whatever is necessary to assist them in rebuilding
their lives. We cannot divest ourselves from the misery of others. We
cannot shrug it off saying that it does not concern us. To do this
would be an injustice to humanity and to ourImaan. The Most Holy and
Glorious Quran reminds us in verse 8 of Surah Al Ma'idah:
"Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah for
Allah is well acquainted with all that you do."
Many of us donate money to charity and fulfill our religious duty.
However, if we actually meet the recipients of our charity the
perception of charity changes. There is a feeling of belonging when
the recipients and givers meet. Islamic ideology teaches us to be kind
and compassionate. Our Beloved Nabee Muhammad SallallahooAlayhi
Wasallam said:"I and the provider of the orphan will be together."
And what greater prize is there for anyone of us than to be around our
beloved Nabee - Rahmatul Liel Ala'meenSallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam? All
we need for that is Muhabbat, compassion, sincerity and a feeling of
brotherhood and understanding. And that will decide the quality of our
life on earth and the hereafter.
From the first moment that the light of Allah-wariness shines into the
heart of a human being possessing faith,he or she becomes conscious of
its worth and significance. Humility, modesty and kindness are proper
only before Almighty Allah, Who created all the existents and the
world of being with His Will, and human beings are His real servants.
Basically, humility in front of theMost Exalted Creator of the heavens
and the earth is itself the greatest source of human honour and
dignity.
As Muslims we must remember that the vital force that lies within a
pious person keeps him or her aware of the realities of life and he or
she never gets swallowed up by the deep and shoreless sea of mundane
things for the sake of enjoying life. That is because our intellect
and souls are infused with the Truths of the Din of Haqq and we view
everything in the perspective of an Islamic world view. Islam attaches
so muchvalue to the affairs of the faithful that their station of
honour is mentioned along with the Majesty of AlmightyAllah Subhanahu
Wata'ala and His Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam in [part
of] verse 8 of Surah Al Munafiqun:
"But honour belongs to Allah and His
Messenger and to the Believers."
O Ummatul Muslimeen!May Almighty Allah Most Merciful grant us all the
good fortune to revive the Islamic values in our midst andto cherish
them with all our heart: to bow and bend only before Him and to fear
no onebesides Him, and be loyal to His Din, and proud of His Message!
We beseech Him from the depths of our hearts to confer this great
wealth upon us for He is indeed, Able to do all things. This is the
humble Message ofEid to you, the believers of the Din of Haqq. Cure
the ills of the world with the panacea you possess. The world will
then know that this radical cure is possible only with the elixir
still preserved in its pristine purity by the Ummah of Almighty
Allah's Beloved - NabeeMuhammed al-Mustapha Sallallahoo Alayhi
Wasallam. This is the essence and message of Eid-ul-Fitr - the day the
Mala'eeka in heaven call it the Day of Youm-ul-Ja'iza - the day of
Great Reward.
And Almighty Allah knows best.
Baarak Allaahu Feekumwa-sal Allaahu wa-Sallam 'alaa
Nabiyyinaa Muhammad SallallahooAlayhi Wasallam.
Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.