Quran: the way to salvation

The Book of Allaah is the rain thatbrings forth true life on Earth.
I bear witness that there is no deity besides Allaah—alone, who has no
partner, no equal; Lord of the Messengers, Creator of the heavens and
the earths. I bear witness that Muhammad is His devoted-servant and
His Messenger sent with a Clear Bookthat separates guidance from
misguidance, deception from righteousness, and conjectures from
certainty.
Allaah revealed the Book (Noble Quran) in order for us to read it, and
mull over it with care and vigilance; to enrich our souls from its
remembrance; to carry itand construe it in the best of manners; to
affirm it and strive to establish its commands and prohibitions; pick
the fruits of its precious knowledge that is our way to Allaah and to
glean the wisdom from its gardens and flowers.
For it is His Book, and nothing else, that can guide His seekers
toHim. It is the path that leads the traveler to Allaah. It is His
brilliantLight that illuminates the darkness of uncertainty and
disbelief. It is His mercy of guidance and source of happiness for all
creation. It is the bridge that connects His devotee to Him when all
else fails. It is the great door to Him that remains open, when all
else is closed. It is the straight path that is not tainted by the
opinions of mortals. It is the remembrance full of wisdom thatis not
swayed by desires. It is the noble revelation containing wisdom that
sages can never fathom. Its wonders never end, nor are its clouds
barren, its signs are never exhausted, its agreements never
contradict.
The more a soul delves into its depths, the more it increases in
insight and guidance. It is the cure for mankind from diseases of the
heart. It is life to the hearts and pleasure and brillianceto the
souls. It is the harbinger that calls night and day: "O seekers of
good, hurry to me"
It is the caller of faith at the headof the straight path, calling
(whatmeans): "O our people, respond to the caller of Allaah and have
faith in Him so He may forgive your sins for you and may save you from
a painful chastisement." [Referring to verse 31 of chapter 46]
The Quran is Allaah's greatest blessing on us. It is the fulfillment
of His promise to Aadam and his descendants, as Allaah Almighty Says
(what means): ''…There shall come to you guidance from Me, and
whatsoever follows My Guidance no fear shall be on them, nor shall
they sorrow'' [Quran 2:38]
It is the only weapon for struggling against the forces of evil and
temptation in this world.It is the only means to overpowerour fear and
anxiety. It is the onlyLight as we grope in the darkness, with which
to find our way to success and salvation. It isthe only healing for
our inner sickness, as well as the social ills that may surround us.
It is the constant reminder of our true nature and destiny, of our
stationand our duties.
But alas! Desires have put out thelamps of the hearts, and opinionsof
the mortal humans have shut those doors of Divine guidance and lost
the keys. The hearts are laden with the rust of their own earning, so
much so that they do not find the realities of the Quranopening to
them. The burdens of ignorance have so settled upon itthat its
knowledge does not blossom into righteous actions.
Woe unto you, how have you made the nourishment of your heart those
vain opinions that contradict the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's
Tradtion) that neither replenish it nor quench its thirst?So now your
heart does not accept nourishment of the Word of the Lord of the
worlds, and thespeech of His eminent Messenger!
For how will you ever find your way through the darkness of
conjectures and opinions of mortals to the clear distinction ofright
and wrong when you haveclosed your eyes to the light of the Book of
Allaah and the way ofthe Messenger?
Woe unto you, how have you adulterated the right opinions with the
sick ones, and the accepted ones with the rejected ones, and have
managed to incapacitate your souls from receiving the guidance and
knowledge from the Book that is immune to falsehood from all
directions.
Nay, but it is, by Allaah, a trial that has blinded the hearts from
the sources of righteousness and has embezzled the minds from their
goals.
The Book of Allaah is the coolnessof eyes for which the
competitorscompete, the finality to which the contenders contend.
How can you still be in the dark under a rising sun?
How can you lose your way undera bright constellation?
Glory be to Allaah, The Exalted!

What is Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

The word Hajj, linguistically, means heading to a place for the sake
of visiting; in Islamic terminology, it implies heading to Makkah to
observe the rituals of pilgrimage.
Hajj is obligated by Allaahupon every Muslim, male and female, who is
physically and financially capable. It is obligatory only once during
the lifetime of a Muslim. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "…And
[due] to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for
whoever is able to find thereto a way…." [Quran 3:97]
The Prophet said: "Islam is built upon five (pillars): the testimony
that none has the right tobe worshipped except Allaah and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allaah, the establishment of the prayer, paying
Zakaat, Hajj to the House (i.e. Ka'bah,) and fasting in Ramadhaan."
[Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is mandated once, so whoever does it more
(than that), then it is supererogatory." [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]
Hajj was prescribed in the sixth year after Hijrah(migration) upon the
revelation of the following verse in which Allaah Says (what means):
"And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allaah..." [Quran 2:196]
Hajj is not a new institution introduced by Islam, rather it is as old
asthe Ka'bah itself. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Indeed, the
first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah
[i.e., Makkah] – blessed and a guidance to the worlds." [Quran 3:96]
The whole origin of Hajj is rooted to the acts of devotion of Prophet
Ibraaheem . This demonstrates that Muhammad did not innovate this
institution, all he did was to clear it of all the evil practices that
had crept into it. After a few centuries of the death of Ibraaheem and
his son Ismaa'eel, may Allaah exalt their mention, people abandoned
their teachings and gradually went astray, like all otherpeople around
them. Hundreds of idols were installed in the Ka'bah, which was built
by Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel,may Allaah exalt their mention, as a centre
for the worship of the One True God. Ironically enough, idols were
madeafter the image of Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel too, whose whole lives
had been spent eradicating idol-worship.The descendants of Ibraaheem
who had himself repudiated all idols, began to worship idols. The
Ka'bah was turned into a type of temple for idol-worship and
superstition. This predicament lasted for about two thousand years,
until the advent of Prophet Muhammad .
Hajj is rightly said to be the perfection of faith, since it combines
in itself all the distinctive qualities of other obligatory acts of
prayer, patience, privation of amenities of life, devotion, Zakaat
(alms), slaughtering the sacrificeand supplication. In fact, the
physical pilgrimage isa prelude to the spiritual pilgrimage to Allaah
when man would bid goodbye to everything ofthe world and present
himself before Him as His humble servant saying: 'Here I am before
You, myLord, as a slave.'
There are three forms of Hajj:
1. Hajj At-Tamattu': This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for 'Umrah
only, during the months of Hajj, which means that when he reaches
Makkah, he makes Tawaaf and Sa'i for 'Umrah. Then he shaves or clips
his hair. On the eighth day of Thul-Hijjah,the pilgrim assumes Ihraam
again for Hajj only and carries out all ofits requirements.
2. Hajj Al-Ifraad: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for Hajj
only. When he reaches Makkah, he performs Tawaaf for his arrival
andSa'i for Hajj. He does not shave or clip his hair as he does not
disengage from Ihraam. Instead, he remains in Ihraam until after he
stones the Jamratul–'Aqabah on 'Eedday. It is permissible for him to
postpone his Sa'i for Hajj until after his Tawaaf for Hajj (i.e.
Tawaaf Al-Ifaadhah).
3. Hajj Al-Qiraan: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for both
'Umrah and Hajj, or he assumes Ihraam first for 'Umrah, then makes his
intention for Hajj before his Tawaaf for Hajj. The obligations on one
performing Ifraad are the same as those on oneperforming Qiraan,
except that the latter must slaughter whereas the former is not
obligated to do so.
The best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is theform that the
Prophet encouraged his followersto perform.
Hajj is undertaken in company with all the other pilgrims. The months
of Hajj are: Shawwal, Thul-Qi'dah and Thul-Hijjah (the last three
months of the Hijri calendar). One can perform 'Umrah for Hajj
At-Tamattu' at any time within these three months (i.e. he may perform
'Umrah during the Hajj season, and then subsequently making Hajjthe
same year at the fixed time, beginning on the eighth day of
Thul-Hijjah).
The Makkan territory is sacred. The pilgrim enters this territory in a
state of Ihraam (a state inwhich one is forbidden to do certain things
that are otherwise permissible).
Ihraam, for men, entails wearing a special garment. A male pilgrim is
not allowed to wear form-fitting clothes or to cover his head or hands
with gloves, or his feet with socks or shoes. This is done in order to
foster a sense of humility and a feeling of brotherhood among the
Muslims.
The male pilgrim's garment consists of two sheets of white woollen or
cotton cloth, of which one is wrapped around the waist and reaches
below the knees and above the ankles, while the other is wrapped
around the upper part of the body. The head and the right shoulder are
left uncovered during Tawaaf. This attire is for males, whereas
females have to cover all of their body except the face and hands.
Before donning this dress, the pilgrim is recommended to take a bath
(Ghusl). A man in Ihraam is consecrated. Hecannot hunt, pick plants,
shed blood, or have sexual intercourse or partake in whatever leads to
it.
The excellence of Hajj:
1. It is one of the best deeds:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet was once asked: "What is the
best deed?" He replied: "To believe in Allaah and His Messenger." The
enquirerthen asked: "What next?"The Prophet replied: "To fight in the
cause of Allaah." He again asked: "What is the next best thing?" He
replied: "Hajj 'Mabroor' (i.e., the Hajj that is free of sin andall
its pillars and conditions are fulfilled)." [Al-Bukhaari]
2. It is a form of Jihaad:
Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali and his father, said that a man came to the Prophet
and said: "I am a coward and a weak person. Is there anything I can
do?" The Prophet replied: "You may go for a Jihaad that involves no
fighting, that is, Hajj." ['Abdur-Razzaaq and At-Tabaraani]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is the Jihaad for theold, the weak and
the women." [An-Nasaa'i]
3. It wipes away past sins:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet said: "He who performs Hajj
seeking Allaah's pleasure and avoids all lewdness and sins (therein)
will return after Hajj free from all sins, just as he was on theday
his mother gave birth to him." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
4. Pilgrims are the Guests of Allaah:
The Prophet said: "Pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah are Allaah's
guests; their prayers are answered and their supplications for
forgiveness are granted." [An-Nasaa'i andIbn Maajah]
5. The Reward of Hajj is Paradise:
The Prophet said: "All sins committed in between the performance of
one 'Umrah and the next are expiated and erased, andthe reward of Hajj
'Mabroor' is nothing saveParadise." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radi Allah Unho)

EARLY LIFE Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu's) real name was
Abdullah, and he was given the title of "As Siddique" or "Testifier to
the Truth." His father, 'Uthman, was known as Abu Quhafah and his
mother, Salma, was known as Ummul Khair. He was two and a half years
younger than Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
He was the first among the Sahaba to accept Islam. He accompanied
Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) during the Hijrah
to Madinatul Munawwarah. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) was a
merchant. He freed many slaves, including Sayyiduna Bilal (radi Allahu
anhu) and Sayyiduna Umayyah bin Qahaf (radi Allahu anhu) . He
participated in all the battles in which Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) had to fight the Kuffar.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) loved his faith more than
anything else. At the Battle of Badr, his son, Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman
(radi Allahu anhu) , was fighting on the side of the Kuffar. After
accepting Islam, Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman (radi Allahu anhu) said to his
father, "O Father, at Badr, you were twice under my sword, but my love
for you held my hand back." To this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu
anhu) replied, "Son, if I had you only once under my sword, you would
have been no more." He was so uncompromising in his faith.
At the time of the Battle of Tabuk, he donated all his wealth to the
war effort, and when Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) asked him, "What have you left for your family,?" he
replied, "Allah and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)."
AS A CALIPH After his election as the Caliph, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi
Allahu anhu) addressed the Muslims with these words:
"O People! I have been chosen by you as your leader, although I am
nobetter than any of you. IfI do any wrong, set me right. Listen,
truth is honesty and untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are the
powerful in my eyes, as long as I do not give them their dues. The
powerful among you areweak in my eyes, as longas I do not take away
from them what is due to others.
"Listen carefully, if people give up striving for the Cause of
AlmightyAllah, He will send down disgrace upon them. If people become
evil-doers, Almighty Allah will send down calamities upon them.
"Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Rasul (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam). If I disobey Allah and His Rasul (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam), you are free to disobey me."
Such was the first Caliph of Islam. Indeed, the world would be a
better place to live in, if we hadleaders like Sayyiduna Abu Bakr
(radi Allahu anhu).
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) now sent Sayyiduna Usamah (radi
Allahu anhu) on the expedition to Syria to fight the Romans, even
though he had to attendto all the internal problems of the Islamic
State.
The news that SayyidunaRasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had
passed away, made some new Muslims think that the Islamic State would
crumble and they refused to pay the Zakaah. These new Muslims could
not yet get used to their faith and its requirements until then.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) declared, "By Allah! Even if a
single thread is due from a man, he must give it. If he refuses, I
will declare war against him."
RENEGADES AND IMPOSTERS Some others became imposters and renegades.
Tulaiha, Musailimah, Maalik bin Nuwairah, Aswad Ansi and a woman named
Sajah claimed that they were prophets and caused a great deal of
confusion. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) was quick to take
action against these imposters.
Sayyiduna Khalid bin Walid (radi Allahu anhu) was sent to deal with
Tulaiha who fled to Syriaand later became a Muslim. Maalik bin Nuwarah
was killed. Sayyiduna Ikramah (radi Allahu anhu) and Sayyiduna
Surahbil (radi Allahu anhu) were sent to take action against
Musailimah, but they were defeated. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu
anhu) sent Sayyiduna Khalid bin Walid (radi Allahu anhu) to tackle the
notorious Musailamah who married Sajah. In the fight that followed,
Sayyiduna Wahshi (radi Allahu anhu) killed Musailamah. Musailamahand
Aswad Ansi also claimed to be prophets while Sayyiduna Rasulullah
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was alive. Aswad was killed by the
Muslims of Yemen.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu's) swift and bold steps saved the
Islamic State from the serious danger of chaos and confusion. He could
now attend to other urgent problems.
ERA OF CONQUESTS During his Khilaafat, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu
anhu) had to take action against the Iranian Empire. The Emperor of
Iran, KhusrouParvez, was killed by his son, Shirooya, and the whole
empire fell into chaos and disorder. Hurmuz, the Persian governor of
Iraq, was very hostile to the Arabs and he was also cruel to the
Muslims living in thatarea.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) sent Sayyiduna Muthamia (radi
Allahu anhu) to take action against the Iranians in Iraq. His forces
were not enough and Sayyiduna Khalid bin Walid (radi Allahu anhu) was
then sent with reinforcements. The Muslim army captured vast areas of
the Iranian Empire in several battles.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) then turnedhis attention to the
Romans who were causing trouble in the North-West frontier. Sayyiduna
Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) sent 4 separate armies under Sayyiduna
Ubaidah bin Jarrah, Sayyiduna Amr Ibnul As, Sayyiduna Yazidbin Abu
Sufyaan and Sayyiduna Surahbil bin Hasnal ( radi Allahu anhumul
ajma'in) to dealwith the Roman power.
The four armies joined into one unit to face the Romans more
effectively.The Romans had amassed 150 000 soldiers, but the total
Muslim army was only 24000. Reinforcements were requested. Sayyiduna
Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) asked Sayyiduna Khalid bin Walid (radi
Allahu anhu) to take charge of the Iraqi front and Sayyiduna Muthanna
(radi Allahu anhu) to rush to the Syrian front to help fight the huge
Roman army. The armies met in Yarmuk after Sayyiduna Abu Bakr
(radiAllahu anhu) passed away. In this battle, the Romans were totally
defeated.
PASSES AWAY Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) fell ill at thistime
and passed away on the 21st of Jamadi-ul-Aakhir 13 A.H. (22 August
634). His rule lasted 2 years and 3 months. He was 63 years old.
One of the many contributions of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu)
was the collection and compilation of the Holy Quran.
PERSONAL LIFE He lived a very simple, pious and upright life. He was a
true servant of Almighty Allah and a meticulous follower of Sayyiduna
Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
He wore ordinary clothes and his meals were very simple. He attended
to house-hold work and would go out at night and seek the poor and
destitute. Humility and modesty were the keynotes of hischaracter. He
felt embarrassed when people showered praiseson him or showed him
immense respect. He often fasted during the day and spent the
wholenight in Salaah and meditation. He was a great orator and a
master of genealogy (one who can trace a person's family line). In
personal life, he was a Saint. He used all his powers to promote the
interest of Islam and the good of people.

The Khulfa-e-Raashideen

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar Al Farouq, Sayyiduna 'Uthman Ghani
and Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhumul ajma'in) were the consecutive
successors of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
These four Khulafaa (pl. for Caliph) are called the
"Khulafaa-e-Rashidun" or the "Rightly Guided Caliphs." Together, these
four Khulafaa ruled the Islamic State for about 29 years. They are
called "Rightly Guided" becausethey ruled the people of that time
exactly according to the Holy Quran and the commands of Sayyiduna
Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
Quotation Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) has said:
"Those who are desirousof following anyone, should follow the Sahaba
who were the best of community, whose hearts were pure,whose wisdom
was profound and who did not believe in the exhibition of outer life.
They were a people whom Allah had selectedHis Nabi (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) and who extended His religion to the world.
Therefore, try to imitate their ways and manners,for by Allah, they
were rightly guided people."
A Hadith on the Status of the Four Khulafa In the book,
"Shawaa'idul-Haqq" , Sayyiduna Shaikh Abu Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu)
narrates the following incident.
Once I visited the Holy City of Mecca and met a man who claimed that
he never felt thirsty. When I asked him the reason for this strange
event, he replied, "Therewas a time when I did not have any respect
for the Sahaba of Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). One night,
I dreamt that it was the Day of Qiyamah and there were many people in
various queues looking very thirsty and ragged. I decided to follow a
queue. We arrived at theFountain of Kauther and saw that it had four
corners. At each corner were the four Caliphs, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr,
Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Uthman and Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu
anhum). I thoughtthat there was no need for me to approach the first
three Caliphs as I only believed in Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu).
Yet, when Iapproached him, he turned his head away in displeasure.
Feeling extremely alarmed, I approached the other three Caliphs and
they also behaved in the same manner. By now I was very despondent.
"I noticed that Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was also
approaching the Fountain. I ran towards him and explained to him the
behaviour of thefour Caliphs. He replied, 'Why should beloved Ali
offer you a cool drink, when you bear hatred and scorn for the
Sahaba?' When I heard this, I asked Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) whether I would be forgiven or not if I
askedpardon for my incorrect beliefs. He replied that I would be
forgiven. I then recited the Kalimahagain and asked for forgiveness. I
was then ordered to return to the Fountain of Kauther and drink from
it. After this, Iawoke from my sleep. From that night onwards, I have
never felt thirsty. I then warned my family that I would only accept
those as my true family if they accepted my true beliefs.Some of them
did accept".
The presence of the four Caliphs at the four Pillarsof Kauther is also
substantiated by a Hadith. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) said ,"The Fountain of Kauther possesses four Pillars: one
commanded by Abu Bakr, the second by Umar, the third by Uthman and the
fourth by Ali (radi Allahu anhum)".
Again, explaining the lofty status of these four Caliphs, Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said ,"He who speaks good
about Abu Bakr, his religion is well established; he who speaks good
about Umar, his religious path has been well grounded'he who speaks
good about Uthman is enlightened with the Noor of Almighty Allah' and
he who speaks goodabout Ali holds on to a bond that never breaks. They
who speak well of my Sahaba (Companions) are truly Mu'mins".
(Shawaa'idul Haqq)

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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