For children, - Stories of Prayer: Power of Prayer, Supplication Prayer, Prayer Story

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A poorly dressed Muslim lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. The grocer scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store.
Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." He told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store.
Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.
The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?"
Muslim lady replied, "Yes sir"
"OK" he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries." She hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.
The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."
The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list; it was a prayer, which said: "Ya Allah (SWT), you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands."
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. The Muslim lady thanked him and left the store. The customer handed a fifty dollar bill to the grocer and said, "It was worth every penny of it." Only Allah (SWT) knows how much a prayer weighs.

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Hajj, - Hukm al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah (rulings on Hajjand ‘Umrah), Dought & clear, - * Is it permissible to change one’s ihraam clothes?

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When performing Hajj and staying overnight in Mina I had a "wet dream" (out of my control). When I woke up I immediately made ghusl and washed and changed my ihram. Did I do the correct thing and is my Hajj still valid?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for the pilgrim in ihraam to change his ihraam clothes. We have previously quoted the fatwa of the Standing Committee in the answer to question no. 26722. Here we will add the fatwa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said:
It is permissible for the muhrim (pilgrim in ihraam) who is doing Hajj or ‘Umrah, male or female, to change the clothes in which he or she entered ihraam and to put on different clothes, if the other clothes are things which it is permissible for the pilgrim in ihraam to wear.
Al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah wa’l-Hajj(no. 5).
And Allaah knows best.

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Hajj, - Hukm al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah (rulings on Hajjand ‘Umrah), Dought & clear, - * Ruling on ‘Umrah

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Is ‘Umrah obligatory or Sunnah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars are agreed that ‘Umrah is prescribed in Islam and is an act of virtue.
They differed as to whether it is obligatory. Imam Abu Haneefah and Imam Maalik were of the view that it is Sunnah and mustahabb, but not obligatory; this was also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.
They quoted as evidence for that the hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi (931) from Jaabir, who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked whether ‘Umrah is obligatory. He said, “No, but if you do ‘Umrah it is better.”
But this hadeeth is da’eef (weak); it was classed as da’eef by al-Shaafa’i, Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, Ibn Hajar and al-Nawawi; by al-Albaani inDa’eef al-Tirmidhi, and by others.
Al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is da’eef and cannot be used as evidence. There is nothing proven that says that ‘Umrah is a voluntary act of worship.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: This was narrated with isnaads that are not valid, and such reports cannot be used as evidence.
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’(7/6): the scholars of hadeeth are agreed that it is da’eef.
One of the things that indicate that this is da’eef is the fact that it was proven that Jaabir was of the view that ‘Umrah is obligatory, as we shall see below.
Imam al-Shaafa’i and Imam Ahmad were of the view that it is obligatory. This view was also favoured by Imam al-Bukhaari. (May Allaah have mercy on them all).
Those who say that it is obligatory quoted a number of things as evidence:
1 – The report narrated by Ibn Maajah (2901) from ‘Aa’ishah who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, do women have to engage in jihad?’ He said, ‘Yes, they must do jihad in which there is no fighting: Hajj and ‘Umrah,’”
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’(7/4): Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari and Muslim. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Ibn Maajah.
The point in this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saidalayhinnai.e., they must do, which means that it is obligatory.
2 – The famous hadeeth of Jibreel (peace be upon him) in which he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about Islam, eemaan (faith) and ihsaan, and about the Hour and its signs. This was narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah and al-Daaraqutni from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which ‘Umrah was mentioned along with Hajj: “Islam means to bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; to establish regular prayer; to pay the zakaah; to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah to the House; to do ghusl to cleanse oneself from janaabah (impurity following sexual activity) and to do wudoo’ perfectly; and to fast Ramadaan.” Al-Daaraqutni said, “This isnaad is proven and saheeh.”
3 – The hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (1799) and al-Nasaa’i (2719) from al-Subay ibn Ma’bad who said: “I was a Christian Bedouin… I came to ‘Umar and said, ‘O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, I have become Muslim and I found that Hajj and ‘Umrah are prescribed for me, so I entered ihraam for them.’ ‘Umar said, ‘You have been guided to the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’”
4 – The opinion of a group of the Sahaabah, including Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn ‘Umar and Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with them all). Jaabir said, There is no Muslim for whom ‘Umrah is not obligatory. Al-Haafiz said: This was narrated by Ibn Jahm al-Maaliki with a hasan isnaad.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Chapter: The obligation of ‘Umrah and its virtues.” Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: There is no one who does not have to do Hajj and ‘Umrah. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: It is mentioned together with Hajj in the Book of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad), the Hajj and ‘Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allaah”
[al-Baqarah 2:196]
Because it is mentioned together with Hajj, this means that it is obligatory like Hajj.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said: The correct view is that ‘Umrah is obligatory once in a lifetime, like Hajj.Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 16/355.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said inal-Sharh al-Mumti’(7/9): The scholars differed concerning ‘Umrah and whether it is obligatory or Sunnah. It seems to us that it is obligatory.
It says inFataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/317
The correct one of the two scholarly views is that ‘Umrah is obligatory, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad), the Hajj and ‘Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allaah”
[al-Baqarah 2:196]
And because of the ahaadeeth which say that.
And Allaah knows best.
See:al-Mughni, 5/13;al-Majmoo’. 7/4;Fataawa Ibn Taymiyah, 26/5;al-Sharh al-Mumti’by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 7/9.

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Hajj, - Hukm al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah (rulings on Hajjand ‘Umrah), Dought & clear, - * He entered ihram for ‘umrah at the end of Sha’baan and performed it inRamadan; will he have the reward of ‘Umrah in Ramadaan?

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A man entered ihram for ‘umrah before the adhaan for Maghrib on the last day of Sha’baan, and after Maghrib it was announced that Ramadan had begun. Will his ‘Umrah be counted for him as being in Ramadan or not? In other words, he formed the intention to enter ihraam before Maghrib, and he did ‘Umrah that night, i.e., the first night of Ramadan.
Praise be to Allaah.
‘Umrah in Ramadan brings a great reward, which is the reward of Hajj.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to a woman of the Ansaar: “What kept you from performing Hajj with us?” She said: We only have two camels and the father of her son and her son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left us the other camel so that we could carry water on it. He said: “When Ramadaan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in (that month) is equivalent to Hajj.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256).
In order for the Muslim to attain that great reward, he has to enter ihram for ‘umrah and perform the rituals in the month of Ramadan. He cannot enter ihram for it on the last day of Sha’baan, even if he performs its rituals in Ramadan, and he cannot enter ihram for it in Ramadan and perform the rituals in Shawwaal.
There are two ways of performing ‘umrah that do not bring the reward of Hajj:
1 – Entering ihram for ‘umrah at the end of the month of Sha’baan and performing the rituals after the month of Ramadan begins.
2 – Entering ihram for ‘umrah before the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan and performing the rituals on the night before Eid.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
For the person who does ‘umrah in Ramadan it is essential that his ‘umrah -- from entering ihram until the end of it -- should be in Ramadan. Based on that, let us look at another example:
If a man reaches the miqaat in the last hour of Sha’baan and enters ihram for ‘umrah, then the sun sets and Ramadan begins with the setting of the sun, then he comes to Makkah and does tawaaf and saa’i and cuts his hair, can it be said that he did ‘umrah in Ramadan?
The answer is: No, because he started his ‘umrah before the month of Ramadan began.
A third example: A man entered ihram for ‘umrah before the sun set on the last day of Ramadan, and he did tawaaf and saa’i for ‘umrah on the night before Eid. Can it be said that he did ‘umrah in Ramadan?
The answer is: No, because he did not do ‘Umrah in Ramadan, as part of his ‘umrah was done outside of Ramadan. ‘Umrah in Ramadan is that which lasts from the start of ihram to the end (in Ramadan). End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, 21/352, 353
And Allah knows best.

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