Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Is the intention (niyyah) a condition for combining prayers?

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Is the intention (niyyah) a condition for it to be permissible to combine prayers? Often they pray Maghrib without any intention of combining prayers, then after praying Maghrib they consult one another and decide to combine (the prayers), then they pray ‘Ishaa’.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars, but the most correct view is that the intention is not a condition when starting the first prayer, rather it is permissible to combine the prayers after finishing the first prayer, if the condition (for combining the prayers) is present, such as fear, rain or sickness.

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For children, - No Excuses: Put an end to Procrastination Today!

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It happens all the time. You think about doing something but you just never get started. You tell yourself this time you are going to get it done. This time you will succeed. But before you get started you come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses to put things off. You accept the excuses you come up with. Excuses like: I will start tomorrow. I need to wait for everything to be perfect and etc.
They are all excuses that you have accepted. And you have planted these excuses on your subconscious mind. So you keep putting things off. Eventually you convince yourself that you can't start now. That you need to wait and that you have to put things off. You tell yourself you are not ready. You will start tomorrow. But tomorrow never comes. You don't get started. Another year goes by and you keep putting things off.
No matter what you do, No matter what you want to do, you keep procrastinating. You keep putting things off. It happens all the time, over and over again. That is because you have programmed your subconscious mind to keep putting things off. You have planted a habit of procrastination on your subconscious mind. And now your subconscious keeps following that habit. So you keep putting things off.
But you can change that. Now you can put an end to procrastination. Now you can get things done. Now you can get more done in less time. Just feed your subconscious new thoughts and new beliefs which lead to more success, so that you can get things done quickly and easily and so that you can put an end to procrastination once and for all.
Procrastination destroys your life. It prevents you from achieving what you want. It stops you from having more. It blocks you from reaching your full potential. The more you procrastinate the worse your life gets. When you keep putting things off you never succeed.
Example, each January millions of Americans embark on a journey to get fit, be active and lose weight. For the first two or three weeks of the New Year people who are not accustomed to getting up early will roll out of bed with a new found sense of urgency and hopefully a little more preparation in their step to get them out of the door. You will be lucky if you can find an available treadmill or stationary bike at any fitness facility. The sad part of this is the fact that their numbers will start to dwindle as they lose the motivation to keep the routine going.
How do you keep that motivation? You start by setting priorities and working hard to make your desires become reality.
Kabir Das in one of his Hindi Doha says,
Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ab
Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kab?
Translation
Tomorrow's work do today, today's work now
If the moment is lost, how the work be done?
In this Doha, Kabir Das has clearly tried to explain the human tendency of laziness and procrastination. It is a known fact that we all tend to postpone matters, we are indecisive and given a choice we would like others to do our work and we simply enjoying a cool time. When it comes to us, we try to get away by giving an excuse, "very busy, no time."
This lethargy is what Kabir Das is condemning. Besides, his emphasis is on now, the present, the moment as it is. Now, that is Life, the moment. It is in the now that one gets energized to do, to achieve and to realize the dream. As they say, it is now or never.
This Kabir Das couplet clearly teaches us to shed all procrastination and lethargy. It motivates us to do whatever we have to do, and do it now. If we will keep postponing it, then the work will never be done.
So put an end to procrastination today. Give your subconscious new instructions so that you get things done today. There's no homework. No exercises. Just ponder upon the verses of Noble Qur'an whenever Shaytan whispers, and stops you from taking the step towards action.
Allah (SWT), the Almighty Wise says: "And that man can have nothing but what he strives for; and that (the fruit of) his striving will soon come in sight". (An-Najm 53:39-40)
"Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labor hard (and start another task), and towards your Lord move forward". (Inshirah 94:7-8)
Wishing you great success in your future endeavors.

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Hajj & Umrah, - * All About Udh-hiyah

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This is a brief account on the Udh-hiyah )sacrificial animal offered in ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha(:
• The Udh-hiyah refers to animals classified as Al-An‘aam )camels, cattle, sheep or goats( that are slaughtered during the days of Nahr as an act of worship, with the intention of drawing closer to Allaah The Almighty.
• The Udh-hiyah is one of the best acts of worship to be performed on ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha.
• Slaughtering the Udh-hiyah is prescribed in the Quran, the Sunnah )Prophetic tradition(, and according to the consensus of the Muslim scholars. Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}So pray to your Lord and sacrifice ]to Him alone[.{]Quran 108:2[ It is reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophetsacrificed two white horned rams speckled with black. A group of scholars highlighted the consensus of the scholars in this regard such as Ibn Qudaamahin his book Al-Mughni.
• Allaah The Exalted prescribed sacrificing the Udh-hiyah for certain reasons, some of which are commemorating and following the example of Prophet Ibraaheem )Abraham(celebrating the collective joy on ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha, feeding the poor and needy, and imitating the pilgrims in some of the rites of Hajj.
• According to the correct opinion of scholars, sacrificing the Udh-hiyah is a confirmed act of the Sunnah )Prophetic tradition( and there is no explicit Hadeeth that indicates its obligation. Had offering the Udh-hiyah been obligatory, Abu Bakr and ‘Umarwould not have left out this obligation, fearing that people might follow their example. Imaam Al-Bayhaqireported an unauthentic Hadeeth, though its chain of narration is authentic, that the Prophetsaid:“Every household should slaughter a sacrificial animal each year.”Another Hadeeth, which does not state an explicit ruling, reads:“Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, let him not approach our place for prayer.”
• There are four conditions for the Udh-hiyah:
1.It should be one of the An‘aam class of animals, which are: camels, cattle, sheep and goats.
2.It should be free of any physical defects that would render it unsuitable for sacrifice. These faults, which invalidate the sacrifice, were mentioned in the Hadeeth that was narrated by Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazibwho said, “The Prophetstood up among us and said:“There are four )types of animals( which are not permissible for sacrifice: A one-eyed animal which has obviously lost the sight of one eye, a sick animal which is obviously sick, a lame animal which is obviously lame, and an emaciated animal whose legs have no marrow.”]Ahmad, Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah[ Blind or disabled animals are more likely to be unsuitable for sacrifice more than those that are one-eyed and lame. Obvious lameness, which renders the animal unsuitable for sacrifice, is what prevents the animal from walking normally and catching up with the herd. Other imperfections and milder defects do not invalidate the sacrifice or disqualify the animal.
3.It should have reached the age stipulated in Sharee‘ah, which is five years for camels, two years for cows, a year for goats and six months for sheep.
4.It should be slaughtered at the time specified in Sharee‘ah, which starts after the ‘Eed prayer until sunset on the last of the days of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Thul-Hijjah.
• He who intends to offer the sacrificial animal should refrain from removing anything from his hair, nails or skin from the first day of Thul-Hijjah until he slaughters the Udh-hiyah.
• Slaughtering the Udh-hiyah is better than giving out its monetary value for charity.
• Seven people can share one cow or camel as Udh-hiyah.
• If a defect happens )unexpectedly( to the Udh-hiyah, without negligence on the part of the owner, it is still considered suitable for sacrifice.
• One may borrow money to buy the Udh-hiyah as long as he can afford to repay his debt.
• One may eat from the Udh-hiyah, save some of its meat, offer some of its meat as gifts and some as charity.
• There are certain etiquettes one must abide by when slaughtering an animal for a sacrificial offering, some of which are:
1.He should face the Qiblah )direction of prayer( with the animal at the time of slaughtering it.
2.He should make it comfortable, sharpen his knife, and quickly and firmly passing a sharpened blade over the neck area.
3.The blade should be concealed from the view of the animal when sharpening it.
4.It is part of the etiquette of slaughtering also not to slaughter one animal in front of another.
5.One should not hasten in breaking its neck or skinning it.
• Among the religious innovations is performing ablution for the sacrificial animal, wiping one’s hands over it from head to tail on the eve of ‘Eed, and putting some of its blood on the threshold of the house or on the foreheads of one's children.

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Hajj & Umrah, - * The virtue of the Day of ‘Arafah

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It was narrated on the authority of ‘Aa’ishahthat the Prophet,, said:“There is no day when Allaah sets free more slaves from Hell than the Day of ‘Arafah. He draws near, then boasts of them to the angels, Saying, ‘What do these ]slaves[ want ]that I may give them[?’”]Muslim[
It was narrated by Abu Hurayrahthat the Prophet,, said:“Allaah boasts about the people of ‘Arafah to the dwellers of heaven, saying, ‘Just look at My slaves! They have come to Me with disheveled hair and covered in dust.’”]Ahmad in hisMusnad, Ibn Hibbaan in hisSaheehand Al-Haakim inAl-Mustadrak[
It was narrated by Jaabirthat the Prophet,, said:“There is no better day in the Sight of Allaah than the Day of ‘Arafah. Allaah The Almighty descends ]on that day[ to the lowest heaven, and boasts about the people of the earth to the dwellers of heaven, saying: ‘Just look at My slaves! They have come to Mewith disheveled hair and covered in dust, standing in the forenoon. They have come from every distant pass. They seek My mercy although they have not seen My punishment.’ There is no day when Allaah sets free more slaves from Hell than the Day of ‘Arafah.”]Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbaan, Al-Bazzaar, Abu Ya‘la and Al-Bayhaqi[
Ibn ‘Umarsaid that two men went to the Prophet,, to ask him about matters of religion and the Prophet,, said to them:“As for the standing at ‘Arafah, Allaah The Almighty descends to the lowest heaven and boasts of the people there to the angels saying, ‘Here are My slaves! They have come to Mewith disheveled hair and covered with dust, from every distant pass. They seek My Mercy and fear My Punishment, although they have not seen Me. And what ]would be their state[ if they had seen Me!’ ]Even[ if you have sins like ]the number of grains of[ sand, the ]number of[ days of the worldly life or the ]number of[ drops of rain, Allaah will ]nevertheless[ erase them for you.”]Musannaf ‘Abdur-Razzaaq[
Anassaid,
I was with the Prophetat Al-Khayf mosque and a man from the Ansaar ]helpers[ and another one from the Thaqeef tribe came to him. The Prophetsaid a long statement and part of what he said was:“As for the standing at ‘Arafah: Allaah The Almighty descends to the lowest heaven ]on that day[, and boasts about you to the angels, saying: ‘Here are My slaves! They have come to Mewith disheveled hair and with pale faces seeking My mercy and forgiveness. If your sins are as many as the grains of sand or the drops of rain or ]as much as[ the foam on the sea, I would forgive you. Go My slaves after being forgiven, and after the ones whom you asked forgiveness for have been forgiven.”]Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr[
It was narrated on the authority of Anasthat he said,
The Prophetstood at ‘Arafah and the sun was about to set, so he said:“O Bilaal, call the people.”Bilaal stood up and asked the people to listen to the Prophetso they listened. The Prophetsaid:“O people, Jibreel ]Gabriel[ came a while ago, delivered the greetings of Allaah to me and said, ‘Allaah has forgiven the people of ‘Arafah and the people of the Mash‘ar ]a place in Muzdalifah[.’”‘Umar got up and asked the Prophet“Is this specific to us?” The Prophetsaid:“This is for you and all the people who come after you until the Day of Judgment.”‘Umar, replied, “The goodness of Allaah is plentiful and wonderful.”]Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr[
The Significance of theseHadeeths
In his explanation ofSaheeh Muslim, Imaam An-Nawawisaid,“This Hadeeth explicitly indicates the virtue of the Day of ‘Arafah.”An-Nawawicombined the understanding of theHadeethsthat deal with the virtue of the Day of ‘Arafahand theHadeethsthat deal with the virtue of Friday such as theHadeeththat says:“The best day that the sun rises upon is Friday.”]Muslim[ He said that theHadeethsthat deal with the virtue of the Day of ‘Arafahshow that ‘Arafahis the best day of the year, while theHadeethsthat deal with the virtue of Friday show that it is the best day of the week.
It was narrated on the authority of Saalim ibn ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umarthat he saw someone begging on the Day of ‘Arafah, so he said to him,“What a strange thing! On this day you are asking someone other than Allaah?”
‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeezdelivered aKhutbah)sermon( at ‘Arafahand said,“O people, you have come from near and far distances, exhausted your camels, and worn out your clothes. The winner today is not the one whose camel is ahead, but rather it is the one whose sins are forgiven. Praise be to Allaah - the Lord of the worlds.”

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