Date: May 29, 2016
The author Jameel Syed expresses his experience in Umrah that he witnessed while his pilgrimage. He says nobody can walk empty handed from this place of purification. He first visited Umrah in the month of Ramadan in 1998. The pilgrimage journey was a gift from his parents for graduating from the University of Michigan. Pilgrims chanted loud and loud as they moved closer to the object of desire. His heart beats started to beat faster and faster when he reaches the place of Allah. His eyes started to fill with tears and while walking towards the object of desire he was in a dreamy state. Finally he stopped and he knew that he was in the presence of majesty. People come from far and near to have their prayers heard. Different people believes in Islam with different skin colors eat different foods, speak different languages, wear different clothes and practice different customs all gathered in one place to celebrate peace, brotherhood and unity. The pilgrimage places like Mecca and Madinah have their own flavors. Both cities carry the wonderful air of devotion and humanity and both are complimentary to one another. Both cities make you feel safe and privileged. While the trip to Madinah, he could meet many notable personalities who are working for Islam and its teachings. Qalam Institute, Ustadh Wissam Sharieff, Imam Dawood Yasin, Imam Khalid Latif, imam Omer Bajwa, Ustadh Jameel Besada were some among them. The ever loving and memorable thing that the author could do was being given the permission to raise the adhan in two masajid of the holy city: Darul Hadith and the famed Islamic University of Madinah. Since this greatest thing happened, he believes that nobody can walk away from this place empty handed.
"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."
Sunan Ibn Mājah
"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"
Sahih Bukhari
Hiba Masood a writer, speaker and a story teller talks about her Baba's influence in teaching Quran and its holy threads in her wonderful opinion piece "Baba, The Quran and Me". When she was in her younger age, she had to recite Quran every day, that her Baba taught her to do so without fail. She memorizes her childhood experience in the holy month of Ramadan as well as her Baba's powerful Ramadan experiences. Her Baba looked after all his children with extreme care. She had not faced poverty or any other means difficulties in life. Baba used to talk about his life and his days spent with his eight brothers and sisters used to look like. They were like in abject poverty, splitting one bowl of food for Iftar amongst a family of eleven and so on. Baba used to say that once all the work is done, you should recite Quran in every single possible minute. Every letter you recite during Ramadan has 70 times the regular reward? That means every letter, like saying Alif, gets you seven hundred good deeds. Years passed and with all the impetuous, rebellion of youth, of spending my days in smoke-filled rooms, strategizing with socialist/activists, and my evenings protesting against the Iraq war on the frozen streets of Toronto. Of not praying at all, of not so much as glancing towards the dusty shelf where my Qur'an sat the entire year. Next year Hiba got married and her brand new husband got astonished by her behavior and activities. She never proper placed her shoes and she always misplaced her cell phone. And she blessed with a baby boy just before the month of holy Ramadan. And there have many, many more years filled with anxiety, scary financial strain and a stormy marriage of sickness and grief. Years passed with no changes. Hiba recited Quran verses just as a routine, or just like fasting in the month of Ramadan without knowing the rewards of reciting. At last wisdom came to her brain at the age of thirty and she started to settle in life. Slowly, as an enthusiastically expected reconnection, she started reciting Quran well to Allah to the Qur'an to her childhood, to her father and to herself. Now her beloved father is aging and sick and she is in great agony by thinking about her sick dad. She used to caress his dad's grey hair, press her cheeks to his. She says that she misses him a lot and she is afraid of the future. But most of all, she whisper her gratitude. Gratitude for gifting her so freely all the things, all the lessons, all the beliefs, all the forces of habit and inspiring stories and abiding, enriching traditions that have blessed her life. Ultimately he was the lighthouse when he was able.
Read MoreThis is part of Mufti Menk’s powerful speech on the topic “Focus on What You Have”, an understanding of our achievements and thanking Allah almighty for that. Are you happy with the blessings you have today? Let’s give it a check. Most of us run behind the ones we desire to get but never remember to thank Allah (SAW) for what we have. Yes, that’s the fact. Comparing ourselves with others is the reason for our unhappiness. Just try to list out your blessings on a paper and you will find it as an endless one and you will have to keep adding things to it. Let’s compare us with the kings of the past to focus on our achievements we have today. They might have had a luxurious life and abundance in quantity but quality wise we live a better life. To mention a few we have lights, fans, air conditioners, fridge, cars etc all these are our luxury while the kings had all these done for them by their subordinates. Still we crave for more. So isn’t it the time for us to think on how we live today and how blessed we are. So why wait! just rush to thank Allah (SAW) for giving us such a happy and blessed life. Do listen to his words as he is giving us a golden opportunity to focus on our “LIFE “.
Read MorePart III Benefits of Salah to Human Body 1. Knee joint Joint pains can be cured by means of Prayer. When we stand for a long time, our body gets weak, however when we lift our hands, we gain strength. Our backbone should be in a very healthy condition. Salah gives strength to all the parts of the body and it cures the pain in the joints. 2. To stand The prayer initiates whilst one stand, and this has a few benefits. Our body gains peace as the Quran is being recited. The Quran recitation has a healing effect on the human body. Many researches have been proved that, Arabic sounds are the main reason behind this healing and mental peace. _"And we have sent the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers; and it adds loss only to the unjust."_ (17:82) Islamic researchers have found that when a devotee recites the holy Quran, his bad thoughts, feelings, fears and guilt are free or healed. Most of the sounds of the Arabic language while reciting the holy Quran can create a balance in all ill affected areas of the human body. The takbir (Allahu akbar) and Qiyam (standing) together are destined to advance posture, balance and self-awareness. This standing posture can normalize the blood pressure and breathing. This can cure diseases like asthma and heart attacks. 3. Heart Illnesses After many research had been taken place, some of the expert cardiologists have come up with the conclusion that the illnesses of the heart are reduced when Prayer is offered. Qiyam helps the lower body to pump blood, ruku to pump the blood to middle parts and sujud helps the blood to reach the upper body with less pressure on the heart. 4. Ruku Ruku helps to pump the blood to middle parts of body. If you perform ruku properly, you can keep away from back pains and joint pains. Everybody know that back problems are painful and limit the daily movements of an individual. Performing Ruku saves a person to cure the kidney stone disease. In ruku the circulation of blood works well, advancing the eyes and mind. Ruku stretches the muscles of the back, thighs, legs, calves and allows blood to be pumped in the higher chest. This position additionally promotes a larger flow of blood into the higher regions of body significantly to the head, eyes, ears, nose brain and lungs to be released. Over time this improves brain perform and one’s personality and is a superb stance to take care of the proper position of the foetus in pregnant ladies. 5. Prostration Prostration in a calm pace is helpful for internal organs. Prostration in the sunnah way aids the stomach to make it muscular. The sunnah can reduce the liver, kidney, back and stomach diseases. When a devotee performs Sunnah and in the position of prostration the blood reaches the head smoothly. During this activity, the blood goes to the eyes, brain and other parts of the head and nerves. If you pray salah, your face will enlighten. Prostration can give more beauty to a woman’s face. Long prostrations with modesty and honesty are helpful to cure diseases of the brain as the blood spreads the brain without effort. As the blood spreads the higher part of the body, such as the eyes, face and teeth-making the wrinkles vanish from the cheeks. 6. Sitting Position The position of Qaida is like the thunderbolt posture in yoga, which firms the toes, knees, thighs and legs. This position can help to decrease the excessive sleeping behavior of a person. This can also help in speedy digestion. 7. Salam To complete the Prayer, devotee should perform the postures using head-like turn the head to the right and then left. The throat is stimulated by rotating the head towards the right and then the left shoulder in the concluding of the prayer. This nerve path is linked to the throat, neck, arms, hands, lung area and hearing affecting individual creativity and communication. Salam also helps in chest strengthening as well as collar bone strengthening. Everyone should keep in mind that, these can only benefit, if he or she offer this prayer with devotion and sincerity. If you perform this prayer daily, you can remain balanced, happy and physically and mentally fit. 8. Supplication When your hands are held open for prayer, they activate your heart. This is termed as to be the center of the emotional state of love, agreement and amity. It also directs the health of your heart, lungs, thymus, immune system and cardiovascular system. End Content Sources
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