To make it alive to witness
Ramadan is a great mercy from Allah, and a big gift, only those who are
successful can appreciate it. Not so long ago we were looking forward to
welcoming Ramadan, then, thanks be to Allah, we enjoyed its beauty, and we
lived through its fragrant moments passed just like a reflection, and shined
just like a flash of light.
Allah Akbar. Just another
Friday gone-by we lived the second day of Ramadan, and this Friday today we
are living its last day. A full month has gone and we say fare well to it. It
is gone either as a witness for us or a witness against us. If we just knew
who was successful in winning all the mercies so they can be congratulated and
who was denied them so they can be commiserated and empathised.
Ramadan's days are over.
Ramadan is in the care of Allah; The month of reciting, praising and night
prayers.
Dear brothers, all things go
to pass except Allah. And just like everything else in this life Ramadan comes
to pass. All things terminate and disintegrate. All living will perish. Each
and every thing has a time limit. We and all this life, and the entire
universe will go to nothing.
Time passes by, and all life
passes by, we too will pass by. This who is walks upon earth today shall be
underneath earth tomorrow. This is the law of this life. What remain are only
the done deeds.
Let us look at the messenger (PPBU)
as he climbed his platform (Menber) to give his Friday talk (Khutbah) one
Friday. He put his foot on the first step and said Ameen. And he put his foot
on the second step and said Amen. And similarly on the third step he put his
foot and said Amen. After he climbed down off the menber, some of the
companions said to him: O' messenger of Allah we heard you say Amen three
times when you were climbing the member. Why? He said: because Gabriel came to
me as I was climbing the member and said: "Muhammad, what a shame and what a
loss to anyone; for whom Ramadan comes and goes and he/she receives no
forgiveness; say Amen." So I said Amen.
Then Gerbil said to me: "O'
Muhammad, what a shame and what a loss to anyone; who does witness his/her
parents or one of them alive; and does not go to paradise because of them. Say
Amen " so I said Amen.
Then Gerbil said to me: "O'
Muhammad, what a shame and what a loss to anyone; who witnesses your name
being mentioned and he/she does not pray upon to you. Say Amen" so I said
Amen.
Yes Ramadan did come and go.
It is now a witness for us or against us. It depends on what we deposited with
it of deeds. This of us who deposited good deeds, let them give thanks to
Allah. And this of us who deposited other than good deeds, well, let them look
back at them selves, repent to Allah for all the sins and the bad deeds.
Dear Muslims, just like that
the page of Ramadan is turned, it ends a shopping spree that was packed with
great value, goodness, great good deeds. Some had made huge profits and gains,
while others made losses, yet others were banned from making any benefits.
Now, as we say good bye to
Ramadan, there are some opportunities to reflect upon. For indeed, fasting and
Ramadan are great times for mending one’s ways, corrections and changes;
provided we have the proper intentions and objectives.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Ramadan is like a school for the entire Muslim nation that it can only come
out of it with improvements; and for this holy month to be a point of change
and transformation. It is a month for repentance and seeking of forgiveness,
and pardoning from fire. For this who did not repent during this month; when
do they expect to repent?
It was clear to many of us
that during this month when one wants, and intends, and insists and be serious
then one will be capable with the well of Allah to present to him self and his
nation great goodness and great work. But the question that imposes itself now
that Ramadan is finishing is the following: Are we; people of Ramadan times or
are we Godly people on the straight and narrow? Let each of us look back at
the days and years of his/her life and be your own judge. And if we are
truthful with our selves then we will find that many of us are only Ramadan
time people type. Those who are active with different types of worships only
during Ramadan; and as soon as Ramadan is gone we become lazy and we retreat.
As if we do not feel the enjoyment of good deeds and therefore we do not
continue doing them. As if all the acts of obedience we did, did not make our
chests open up with comfort. And there is a big snag and a huge danger in
this. Otherwise, anyone who felt the sweet taste of belief, and his/her heart
was touched by its cheerful sense, will continuously be in receipt of goodness
from Allah until the day he/she die. And their activities will be on the
increase until he/she meets their creator.
When Allah may he be exulted;
commanded his prophet (PPBU) to do all the worships; that it is to be on a
fixed and continuous bases. Allah says: {and worship your God until certainty
comes to you} (certainty her refers to death). And Allah also says: {say that
my prayers and devotion and my living and my death are for Allah the Lord of
the worlds}. For Allah did not state that his worship has any limit by time or
otherwise; other than the limit of death. Neither times are assigned for good
deeds and acts of obedience; while other times are not. The messenger (PPBU)
realized this and lived it. He was an icon to be followed in perfect complete
worship in all its aspects. He exercised continuity of the good deeds. He used
to say: {The most loved of all acts to Allah is the continuous one. Even if it
was little.}
His wife A-esha described the
messenger’s work by saying that the most loved religious acts to the messenger
are those that was continually done. And she also said, when the messenger
prayed some new prayer he loved to keep doing it. Om-Salma said that near the
time of his death, most of his prayers were performed when he was sitting. And
the most loved acts to him were those done by any slave on continuous bases;
even if it was a little.
Just as part of our worship is
being obedient to him, and following his style, and taking him as an example,
therefore, it is necessary for us to be like he was as much as we can. Allah
says: {There is a good example in the messenger of Allah for you, for those
who seek and hope for Allah; and the latter day; and those who remember Allah
a lot}
It is from here dear Muslims,
it is necessary for any one who seeks winning and salvation to follow the
straight path; and holds on to the values of religion. Keep on doing the acts
of obedience; remember that the visible and the invisible ones; for as long as
one can. And give up sins and wrongdoings, major and minor ones.
Keep on being active with your
worships, for remember that the Lord of Ramadan; is also the Lord of Shawwal,
and is also the same as the Lord of Sha’ban.
Finally, bring happiness and
joy into your homes, to your families and to your children on the day of Eid.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
