Dought & clear ,- - Supplications prescribed in Shareeah - Guidelines on shar’i wird.

Is reading some sorts of daroods like darood-taj and darood_lakhi and
darood_tunajaiyna etc bidaa`t.
Praise be to Allaah.
We know nothing aboutwhat is in these wirds (daroods), but we can tell
you some guidelines that you can follow in order to know what is
prescribed in Islam and what is bid'ah:
1 – The best wirds are those whose words were narrated from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because Allaah did
not choose forhim anything but the most perfect and the best, and he
did not choose anything but that for his ummah.
2 – It is permissible for a person to send blessings upon the
Prophet(peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) in words that were
not narrated (in sharee'ah), so long asthey do not include anything
that is forbidden, such as exaggerating about him,or praying to Allaah
by virtue of the Prophet, or calling upon him insteadof Allaah.
3 – The one who is remembering Allaah (reciting dhikr) should not
specify any particular time, number or manner of reciting dhikr unless
that is proven with saheeh evidence, because Allaahcannot be
worshipped except in the manner that He has prescribed inHis Book or
on the lips ofHis Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Worship must be that which is prescribed in sharee'ah, with
regard to the act itself, the manner in which it is done, the time
when it is done andhow many times it is done. Whoever adopts a wird
whose wording was not narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), or specifies aparticular number of times or does
it at a specific time, is committing bid'ah.
The scholars called this bid'ahal-bid'ah al-idaafiyyah(additional
innovation??), because the action itself is prescribed in sharee'ah,
but some innovation hasbeen added to it with regard to the manner, the
number of times or when it is to be done.
You should note that all goodness rests in following that which
hasbeen narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). Whoever studies those who recite made-up wirds will find
that usually they are falling short when it comes to doing that which
was narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) such as thedhikrs for morning and evening, etc. This confirms
what was narrated from one of thesalaf, who said that no person ever
introduces an innovation but he gives up an equivalent Sunnah.
And Allaah knows best.

Encouragement Stories: Confidence Building Story: Fathers Eyes

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very
special relationship. The father believed in encouragement. Even
though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the
stands cheering. He nevermissed a game.
This young man was the smallest of the class whenhe entered high school.
His father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that
hedid not have to play football if he didn't want to.
But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was
determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he would get
to play when he became a senior.
All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but
remained a bench warmer all four years. Hisfaithful father was always
in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the
young man went to college, he decided to try out for thefootball team
as a"walk-on."
Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The
coachadmitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts
his heart and soul to every practice, and at thesame time, provided
the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The
news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed
to the nearest phone and calledhis father.
His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all
the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice
during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the
game.
It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto
the practice field shortly before the big play off game, the coach met
him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became
deathly silent.
Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach,"My father died this morning.
Is it all right if I miss practice today?"
The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the
rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the
game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and thegame was not going well.
In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent
young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his
football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players
were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon.
"Coach, please let me play. I have just got to play today," said the young man.
The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his
worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted,
and finally feeling sorry for young man, the coachgave in. "All
right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players
and everyonein the stands could not believe their eyes. This little
unknown, who had never played before, wasdoing everything right. The
opposing team couldnot stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and
tackled like a star. His team began to triumph.
The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this
young man intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning
touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their
shoulders. Such cheering you have never heard!
Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and
left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting
quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said,
"Young man, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got
into you? How did you do it?"
Young man looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said,
"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"
The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile,"Dad came to all my
games, but today was thefirst time he could see meplay, and I wanted
to show him I could do it!"
Remember:
*."Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
*."Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by
peoplewho have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
*."Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimescourage is the quiet voice at
the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

Encouragement Stories: Encouraging Lesson from a Frog Tale

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going
about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit.
All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be
done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the
rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the
two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their
fate, because they were as good as dead.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump
withall of their might.
Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless and that
the two frogs would not be in that situation if they had been more
careful, more obedient tothe froggy rules, and more responsible. The
other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting thatthey should save their
energy and give up, sincethey were already as good as dead.
The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could and after
several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent
and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at
the bottom of the pit and died as the others lookedon in helpless
grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce ofenergy he
had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely
exhausted.
His companions began a new, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop
the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and -
wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit.
Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculousfreedom and then
gathering around him asked, "Why did you continue jumping when we told
you it was impossible?" Reading their lips, the astonished frog
explained to them that he was deaf and thatwhen he saw their gestures
and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had
perceived as encouragement inspiredhim to try harder and to succeed
against all odds.
This simple Frog story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouragingor
positive words can lift someone up and help him or her make it through
the day. Your destructive or negative words can cause deep wounds;
they may be the weapons that destroy someone's desire to continue
trying - or even their life. Your destructive, careless word can
diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and
have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them.
Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur'an: "Have We not made for him two
eyes, And a tongue and two lips?" (Surat Al-Balad,90:8-9).
It is narrated that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw)has said:
"Affliction caused by the tongue is worse than (that caused by) the
strike of the blade of a sword."
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path
because a word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an
hour of praise after success.
The power of words:
Words can be weapons. Words can wound, humiliate and inflict painfar
greater than physical violence. Words can be used to inflame passions,
to arouse anger, to declare war and to destroy. But just as potent as
they are as weapons, Words can also heal wounds and make peace. They
can be soothing to those in grief, they can offer hopeto those in
despair. Indeed, well-chosen words have a power and a beauty that can
project well beyond one lifetime.Think of the great works of
literature that still enrich our lives today, centuries after they
werewritten.
It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go
such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of
the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual
who willtake the time to encourage another. It has been narrated that
the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) was asked: "O Messenger of Allah,
which of the Muslims is best?" and he relied, "He who the Muslims are
safe from his tongue and his hand."

Ramadan Articles - A strategy to combat thirst in Ramadan

The feeling of thirst in the monthofRamadanbecomes intense when it
falls in summerso how can we help our bodies maintain water,resist the
feeling of thirst, and reduce its intensity?
The feeling of thirst in the monthofRamadanbecomes intense in summer
because the period of fasting may extend to more than 14 hours a day.
The body continues to lose water throughout these hours. At the time
ofIftaar)the fast-breaking meal(, one is in urgent need of prompt and
adequate compensation for the liquids it lost. However, it is possible
to help our bodies maintain water, resist the feeling of thirst, and
reduce its intensity by following the principles of healthy
nutritionduring the month of fasting. Therefore, exerting some effort
to avoid thirst would be easier than bearing the suffering.
Our allies against thirst
Water: is the best of drinks and cannot be compensated for by any
other drink. Experts recommend drinking one liter and a half of water
daily, preferably containing mineral, salts in order to compensate the
salts that the body loses, especially while sweating. The following
tips should be taken into account when dealing with water:
*.Do not leave the bottle of water for a long time after opening it
and drinking it without use because thebacteriawhich are present in
the mouth and the environment around us can be active in it and are a
source of infection.
*.Wash the bottle and its lid with hot water and soap whenrefilling it
along with changing it from time to time.
*.You can add some healthy elements to the glass of water you drink,
such as slices of lemon, fresh mint leaves or grated ginger.
*.To get rid of the taste ofchlorinepour the water into a large bowl
and leave it for about one hour before drinking it.
Liquids of all types:particularlyhydratingbeverages and natural fruit
juices which contain minerals. It is advisable to avoid juices
containing unnatural substances and colors, which contain large
amounts of sugar. These substances damage health and cause allergies.
Fresh fruits and vegetables: it is preferable to eat fresh
vegetablesand fruits at night and in theSuhoor)pre-dawn( meal. This is
because they contain considerable amounts of water and fiber that
remain for a long time in the intestines. This actually reduces the
feeling of hunger and thirst. Cucumber is one of the most popular
vegetables that combat thirst because it soothes the thirst and cools
the body. It also helps to alleviate neurological disorders, and it
contains nutritious cellulose fibers which facilitate the process of
digestion, expel toxins, and cleanse the intestines
Delaying theSuhoormeal:theSunnahrecommends that the Muslim to delay
hisSuhoormeal. Therefore, it is preferable to havethis meal after
midnight, so that the fasting person will be able to resist thirst,
especially in the firstdays of fasting. TheSuhoormeal should
preferably be a light meal.
Thieves stealing water from the body
Salt:salty foods increase the body's need for water; therefore, it is
advisable to avoid adding a lot of salt on the food and stay away from
foods with high salinity, such as salted fish andpickles. It is
preferable to replacethe salt with drops of lemon in salad as they
adjust the taste justas well.
Spices and seasonings:meals andfoods containing a large proportion of
spices and condiments require drinking large quantities of water
followingingestion. That is because these foods absorb water as they
are taken, from thepharynxmouth and stomach causing dryness in the
body, and thus the feeling of thirst. So, the fasting person should
avoid eating spicy foods which contain a lot of seasoning, especially
in theSuhoormeal.
Stimulants: It is recommended that the fasting person reduces the
amount ofstimulantslike teaand coffee because they contain caffeine,
which increases the activity of the kidneys and enhances its role in
the excretionof urine. Thus, stimulants increase the process of losing
water from the body. It should also be noted that tea and coffee
cannot be considered alternatives to water; because their hot nature
does not allow the fasting person to drink a large amount of them.
Soda drinks:they contain carbon which causes flatulence and a feeling
of fullness and prevents the body from using liquids. Therefore, it is
necessary to avoidsoda drinks during theIftaarmeal.
Direct sunlight:the fasting person should avoid direct exposure to
sunlight for long periods of time. The ways ofmitigatingthe heat of
the sun and thus avoiding thirst are as follows:
*.Taking frequent showers with warm water to cool the body and using
soap to get rid of body oils that may block the pores.
*.Blocking out the sun from entering the house in the afternoon as
much as possible by closing the blinds or curtains.
*.Wearing light-colored and loose clothes preferably made of cotton to
absorb sweat.
*.Resting to the extent which is commensurate with the effort done in
order to renew the body's dynamic energy.
6 myths to overcome thirst inRamadan
1- Drinking adequate amounts of liquids with a high concentrationof
sugar hydrates the body and repels thirst.
Fact: Liquids with a high concentration of sugar urge the body
toincrease the flow of urineand increase the feeling of
thirst.Therefore, it is recommended that the fasting person eats
sweets moderately inRamadanas well as only drinking small amounts of
drinks with high sugar concentration.
2- Drinking plenty of water at theSuhoormeal protects from thirst
during the fast.
Fact: the kidneys expel the extra water which is not needed by thebody
after a few hours, leading to disturbance of the fasting person during
sleep because he needs to go to the bathroom. This causes fatigue
during the day.
3- Drinking very cold or iced water at the start of theIftaarquenches thirst.
Fact: Drinking iced water at the beginning of theIftaarseverely
affects the stomach, reducing theefficiency of digestion and leading
to the constriction of thecapillariesthus causing some digestive
disorders. Therefore, the water temperature should beaverage or only
mildly cool, and the fasting person should drink itslowly, not all at
once.
4- Drinking water while eating food provides a greater opportunity for
good digestion.
Fact: Drinking water while eating disrupts the flow of saliva on the
food such that the food does not mix well with the saliva in the
mouth, and thus it is difficult to digest and the body scarcely
benefits from it. Therefore, doctors advise people not to drink water
while eating except for very little to help swallow thefood.
5- Drinking plenty of water after the completion of the food directly
helps in the process of digestion and extinguishes thirst.
Fact: Drinking plenty of water after eating directly in fact hampers
the digestion process and prevents the digestive system from
completing its function properly. That is, drinking an abundance of
water prevents the secretion of gastric juices. The correct way is
that theperson should drink just a little water after theIftaarto
quench his thirst. The best time to drink plenty of water is about two
hours afterIftaar, and it is preferable that the fasting person drinks
small amounts of water at intervals during the night throughout the
period between theIftaarandSuhoormeals and not wait to feel
thirstybefore drinking water.
6- Frequent drinking of water leads to obesity
Fact: Recent studies have shown that water plays an important role in
losing weight because water helps increase the secretion of the
hormone Noradrenaline which increases the activity of the nervous
systemand increases the burning of fat, and thus helps to get rid of
excess weight.