When Calamity Strikes
Written by: Sk.
Younis Salih
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.
21
Rabee-al-Awal 1429H
28 March
2008AC
All thanks be to
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Because of the
tragedy which happened earlier this week causing the death of our little
girls, the Imam gave the following five messages to share with you.
The first message is
titled: Every soul will get the taste of death.
Death is a basic rule
of Allah; imposed upon all his creations in this life. Upon each and every
soul, except upon Him self (Almighty. So the meaning of being a God does
materialize. And the name of Allah the ever living appears clearly. Allah
says: {Everything whatsoever upon this life will perish. And the face of
your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever.} 55:26-27.
When the messenger (PPBU)
died, Omar as if he was objecting to this idea said: “whoever says Muhammad
is dead I will chop his head off”. But Abu-Bakr said: “whoever is worshiping
Muhammad; let them know that Muhammad has died. And whoever is worshipping
Allah, let them know that Allah is for ever alive, never dies”. Abo-Baker
also said to Omar quoting the Koran saying: “O’ Omar, have you not heard the
statement of the truth (meaning the verse of the Koran): {And Muhammad is
just a messenger like all those messengers before him. Is it that if he dies
or gets killed then you would switch backward or retract? And this whoever
retracts will harm Allah absolutely nothing. And Allah will reward those who
are patient}”. Allah also says: {and you shall die, and so shall they}
39:30.
The second message
is: Heed and learn lessons.
It is in His wisdom
(May He be exulted) that with every move or halt, with every motion or
stationary, a sign of His singularity, majesty and greatness. And it is for
that that no event should pass by us unnoticed. Instead, we should draw
lessons. Allah says: {You who have visions, take heed or take lessons}. He
is mistaken; whoever thinks that being young at age; and being fit at health
and being strong in the body and mind is going to be enough protection from
the rules and the norm of Allah (or that is enough protection from death). A
mother did not wake her son some morning in order that he would miss his
flight. To this mother the flight seemed to be a dangerous trip, thinking
that she will save him from Allah’s destiny. She did not know that when time
for death approaches it can not be altered. When the flight departure time
had passed, the mother went to wake her son up, but she found him dead.
A father is told that
his son died with his friends in an accident because his belongings were
found among the wreckage. He knew his son was not dead because his son is in
his bed asleep and did not go on that trip; only to find him dead in bed.
Those two children of
ours who died a few days ago, after the trip started in two buses and a car.
They stopped after some distance at some restaurant to have some breakfast
and some rest. And those two who died, they switched places from the bus
they were riding to the car with two other girls. And the accident took
place, and the death occurred to those that Allah had already decided to die
that day. And if they knew the accident was going to happen they would not
have changed their places. But, it is Allah’s fate and destiny as He says in
His book: {and no soul knows what it shall earn tomorrow, and no soul will
know upon which land it shall die}
The third message is:
Be patient and expect paradise as your reward.
The third message is
titled from what the messenger (PPBU) said: {Family of Yaser, be patient.
For you have an appointment with paradise}. And He (PPBU) also said: {The
faithful man and woman will continue to be tested by Allah with himself and
with his child and with his money; up until he or she will meet Allah with
all his sins gone}. The messenger (PPBU) also said: {when the slave has a
child who dies, Allah asks the angels: Have you received the soul of the
child of my slave? They say: “Yes”. Allah then says; “And what did my slave
say?” They say: “He said: thanks be to Allah, We all belong to Allah, and to
Him we shall all return”. Allah then says: “Build for my slave a house in
paradise. And call it (the house of thanks)”}. And the messenger (PPBU)
reported to us that Allah said: {When I take the soul of someone in this
life whom another slave of mine loves but yet remains patient in
expectation. I have no reward for my slave other than paradise}.
Salamah’s Mother
(Om-Salamah) said I heard the messenger (PPBU) saying {if a calamity befalls
a slave, and if he says: We all belong to Allah, and to Him we shall all
return. O’ God, reward me for my loss and compensate me better, then Allah
will certainly reward him and compensate him better than what he lost.} Om salamah continued to say: then Abo-salama (her husband) died. And I said:
who of all the Muslims can be better than Abo Salamah? He was the first to
immigrate to the messenger, but I still said it. And Allah compensated me
with better than Abo-salamah. Allah compensated me with the Messenger
himself (PPBU).
The scholar Ibraheem
Al-harby had an eleven year old son, who learnt the entire Koran, and he
taught him much of the Hadeeth and Islamic law. Then the child died and a
friend went to give condolences. Ibraheem told his friend: I was hoping he
would die. His friend said: How could a scholar like you say that after all
the trouble of teaching him all that. Ibraheem said: I had a dream and saw
as if the day of resurrection had come. And it was a very hot day. And I saw
children with glasses of water welcoming people and giving them to drink.
So, I asked one of them to give me some water. But the child looked and
said: “But you are not my father”. And I asked: who are you? And the child
replied: We are the children who died in the first life and left our parents
behind. We meet them, welcome them and hold the drink for them. That’s why I
used to hope my son would die. May Allah reward the parents of the two
girls: “Aya” and “Eman” for their patience and we ask Allah to make paradise
be their destiny.
The fourth message
is: Be part of the community.
The community spirit
that appeared in this occasion, and the love of people to each other, and
the feelings that they were one nation or one body was but clear to notice.
If a part of the body had a problem, then the other parts or organs nurse
and feel for the affected part. We saw, the care people had, and love and
the-get-together and support for the stricken families. It is with this
tight adherence and the belonging and being part of the group that Allah
shall make us victorious.
The fifth message is:
prayers (duaa) to Allah, and asking for forgiveness.
Asking Allah to
support us in this life, and asking Allah to bless and be merciful to the
deceased girls.
And all thanks be to
Allah.
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.
