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Friday Talks faheemfb@gmail.com

233

   

The sacrifice and its requirements

 

Written by:  Sk Abd-Razzag Taher Farih

Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

  

10  Thel-Hejjah 1443. 

15 July       2022.        Also used on: 17 Jan 2020,    26 Nov 2021

 

Dearly beloved,

Allah may He be praised commanded us to keep a high standard of morals. The prophet ppbu ordered us to have nothing but the best of morals and ethics. Our entire worship is associated and entwined with high morals and ethics. In fact, the messenger ppbu was not sent except to complement the honourable ethics and morals. The messenger ppbu said: {For certain I was sent to complement and fulfil the good morals}. In another narration he was reported saying: {For certain I was sent to complement and fulfil the honourable morals}. Allah in His book says: {It is He who sent into the illiterate or unlettered people a messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to purify them, and to teach them the scripture and wisdom..} 62:2. So, purification is one of the objectives or goals of sending the messenger ppbu and his entire message. And purification here refers to purification of the soul and purification of the morals and ethics.

 

Dearly beloved in the sight of Allah, Do we want for Allah to love us? Yes indeed, we all seek-after this high status. It is the status for which a true believer strives. The messenger ppbu said: {The most loved to Allah of all His slaves are those with the best morals}. See the great status of good morals. You would be elevated to this status and this position just by having good morals. You become loved by Allah, all praise be to Him.

 

Also because of your noble morals; the messenger ppbu will also love you. The messenger ppbu said: {It is certain that those who are most loved to me, and are seated nearest to me on the day of resurrection; are those of you with the better morals}. Yes, not who is richer; or not who has a better ancestry or descent; or not who has greater fame or glory; or not who has a better look; or better physic; or not who has a better outfit or better dressed; or not who is better at speech; or not who has better rhetoric and eloquence; NO, not without truthful intentions and good deeds and good morals. Yes, the messenger ppbu said: {It is certain that those who are most loved to me, and seated nearest to me on the day of resurrection; are those of you with the better morals}. He continued saying: {and those I dislike most and are the furthest away from me when seated; on the day of resurrection; are the talkative, the big mouths and the arrogant}. The talkative here meaning the man, who does a lot of useless talk; who talks at every occasion or every moment! What he says may be defamation or slandering. What he says may be backbiting. The talkative is the same whether it’s a man or a woman. This talkative man or woman is some of the furthest away from the heart of the messenger ppbu, and furthest from where he sits on the day of resurrection.

 

The big mouth men and women are those who go on rants, those who talk with full mouth. They see or care for no one else except himself or herself. They talk only to insult others and praise and commend themselves above all others. They speak of; and accept only their own opinion. They are most skilful with their words, and the most eloquent, and they are better at speech than all other speakers.

 

The arrogant are those who are proud or snob. Those who feel they are better and above everyone else.

 

Remember also that the good delicate and gentle morals can save you from hellfire. The messenger ppbu said: {Whoever is gentle, easy, soft and good-hearted and kind then Allah forbids hellfire from touching him/her}. This is explained by scholars as the gentle, easy and good hearted and kind person as when he buys; and good hearted when he sells, kind when judges others and kind when he is judged; easy in all his interactions and transactions with good moral and ethics. He knows not complications, and he knows not boredom. He does not stress and burden his friends and brothers and sisters with boring giving out and blame; and he does not hurt them through the use of foul words and vulgar language. On the contrary, he/she should be easy in all his interactions. They may get annoyed but soon cool down and be contented and forgiving. Selective in the words he uses. Gentle with others and generous and one should never see violence in them, nor harsh and solid in their views; never stab people with hurtful words; never exaggerate things. They should be gentle with the old and gentle with the young, gentle with their people; their family and spouse; children and brothers.

 

 

Notes:

1. Adhan - The call to prayer.

2. Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).

3. Allah - The Arabic word for "god."  It is often used as a name for God in Islam.

4. Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

5. 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.

6. Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.

7. 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.

8. Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.  

9. Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa) 

10. Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.

11. Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.  

12. Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life. 

13. Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

14. Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.

15. Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

16. Fiqh - Religious law.

17. 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.

18. Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.

19. Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar.  One of the five pillars of Islam.

20. Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.

21. Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers.  Considered authoritative and perfect.

22. Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

23. 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.

24. Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.

25. Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.

26. 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.

27. Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.  

28. Iman: belief or faith

29. Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.

30. Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.

31. Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise.  The place of the faithful in the afterlife.

32. 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."

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

36. Khutbah  - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.

37. Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.

38. 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.)

39. 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.

40. Masjid - A center for Muslim activity.  It is referred to as a mosque.

41. Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act

42. 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).

43. Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.

44. 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.

45. 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

46. Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.

47. Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

48. Nasara - Christians.  Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.

49. Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

50. 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.

51. 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.

52. Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.

53. 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.

54. Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.

55. Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.

56. Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.

57. 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.

58. 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.

59. 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.  

60. Siam  or Soam- Fasting

61. 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.

62. 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.

63. Surah - A chapter of the Koran.  

64. 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.

65. 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)

66. Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah.  A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.

67. Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.

68. Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.

69. 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.

70. Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

71. Zaboor - The Psalms

72. Zakat - The third pillar of Islam.  Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.