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.
Mecca: The Holiest City in the World in Islam Mecca is the holy city in the World. This title has been given to Mecca because, Prophet Muhammad was born here. The Kabba, the holy site in Islam, is located in Mecca. Islam perform the ritual prayer to Kaaba called the Qiblah here in Mecca. Each Muslim can collect the holiest water in the world, Zamzam from Mecca. Every year, Islam devotees make pilgrimage trips to Mecca to perform Hajj and Umrah. The holy city, Mecca is located 45 miles east of the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The place has 909 feet of elevation and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. Here the temperature can reach upto 120 degree Fahrenhei. In fact, Allah has described Mecaa in many names in the holy Quran such as Mecca, Bakkah, Al-Balad, Al-Qaryah, and Ummul-Qura. The largest and holiest mosque in the world named Masjid Al-Haram is situated in Mecca. This holy devotion place has a capacity of allowing up to 1.2 million people to pray at any one time. Masjid An-Nabawi called as the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina where the reward for prayers is equivalent to 1,000 times prayer from any other mosque in the world. What is Kaaba? Kaaba is a large stone structure that lies in the center of Masjid Al-Haram. Kaaba is 60 feet high and constitutes a single room. Kaaba is covered with a black curtain called Kiswah. Kaaba has a door which is located at the south-east wall. It is noted that Kaaba was built by Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ismail. The holy Quran provides evidence that prophet Abraham and Prophet Ismail were the founders of Kaaba. Kaaba has been given several names such as Bayt Al-Ateeq(ancient house), Bayt Al-Haram( honorable house) and Baytullah( house of Allah- This is just a figure of sppech and does not mean). The black stone, which is brought from the paradise is placed in Kaaba. Now this black stone is framed with silver as it had been broken into a number of pieces when it was rebuilt by the Quraysh. Islamic devotees try to kiss the black stone because the Prophet Muhammad used to do so. Zamzam Spring Zamzam spring holds a historical miracle and has got extreme religious relevance due to its origin. Zamzam has a wonderful historical significance that miraculously, had issued forth from a barren and desolate wadi, where the Prophet Ibrahim sent his wife Hajar and infant son Ismail. She searched for a drop of water desperately. She ran seven times across mountains and she could not find some water. Thus, by seeing this, Allah sent Gabriel to give Hajar some water. Gabriel scratched the ground to appear the spring. By finding the spring, she became happy and gave water to Ismail who was dying with thirst. Hajar has got in a great fear that, what will do if this spring disappears all on a sudden. Thus, she enclosed the spring with sand and stones. The name ZamZam got this name from Hajar that she chanted Zome Zome repeatedly while enclosing the spring with sand to prevent the water from flowing. Zamzam means “stop flowing”. Now Zamzam is protected in a well and every Muslim collect the water during their pilgrimage. Apart from these, Hira cave which is been known for prophet Muhammad’s first revelation place, is located at Mount Al-Nur,a place nearby Mecca.
Read MoreAlhamdolillah (Praise be to Allah, the Supreme God), Muslims are observing the 2020 Holy month of Ramadan (fasting) across the world. Last ten days of Ramadan are extremely important. One night of these ten days is the night when Al-Quran, the last Holy Book of Allah, the Exalted was sent down through the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) to the last Prophet, Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (pbuh). This specific night is entitled Lailat al-Qadr by Allah, the Most Powerful Himself. The Muslims know this night as “Nuzul ul Quran” night as well. He, the Noble Lord declared in the Quran: اِنَّا اَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ القَدْر . “We have revealed (Quran) in the night of power.” (Al-Qadr, 97:1) In another verse Allah, Subhanahu wa Taala (SWT) says in more specific terms: : شَهْرُ رَمْضَانَ الَّذِيْ اُنْزِلَ فِيْهِ الْقُرْانْ “Ramadan is the month in which Quran was revealed” (Al-Baqara, 2:185). Clearly it is the month of Ramadan night when the Quran Revelation started. The actual date for the first revelation was calculated as Friday, the 17th day of Ramadan in 610 AD. This day this year is on May 10, 2020. The نُزوْلُ القُرْان (Nuzul ul-Quran) or the Night of Power is celebrated each year during last ten days of Ramadan. The Muslims learn significance of Nuzul ul-Quran; the life of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh); al-Quran, the guidance sent by Allah SWT; then thank Allah, SWT by observing extra prayers during this night, and seeking Allah’s help for the successes of this worldly life and the Life Hereafter. Prior to receiving the first revelation from Allah, SWT, the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was displeased with everyday Meccan life: their general behavior towards the poor and the week, their individual and collective characters, cruelty, customs, and idle worship. He used to ponder about it a lot and used to see dreams. He, then took solitary confinement to seek the reality and the truth of this life in a cave at mount Hira, in a nearby hill to Mecca. He used to ponder there days and night. While on the retreat in the cave of Hira one night, archangel Jibril appears before him and commands him to “Read!” the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) responded that “I cannot read!” Then angel Gabriel embraced and squeezed him tightly and upon release asked him to “Read” and the Prophet (pbuh) again said, “I cannot read.” The angel Jibril squeezed and released two additional times each time squeezing stronger than previous one and commanding him to “Read.” After the third time releasing the Prophet (pbuh,) he revealed to him the first five verses of Quran, Surah al-‘Alaq, 96:1-5: “Read: In the name of thy Lord Who created (1), Created man from a clot of congealed blood (2), Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous (3), Who taught (the use of) the pen (4), Taught man that which he knew not (5).” (Bukhari 4953). Then the Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) returned home trembling with fear, and said to Syyedah Khadijah: `Cover me, cover me', and he was covered. When he was out of fear, he said: `O Khadijah, what has happened to me?' Then he narrated to her whatever had happened and said: `I fear for my life'. She said, `No never! Be of good cheer. By God, never will God debase you: you treat the kindred well, you speak the truth, you are trustworthy, you bear the burden of the helpless, you help the poor, you entertain the guests, and you cooperate in good works.' Syyedah Khadijah took the Prophet (pbuh) to Waraqah bin Naufal, her old and blind cousin, who had become a Christian in pre-Islamic days and a knowledgeable person. After hearing the story from the Prophet (pbuh), Waraqah said; `This is the same angel Jibril who brought the words of Allah to Moses. Waraqah literally declared the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh). The Nuzul ul Quran night is not only important for the Muslims but for the Humanity. The Quran and the Prophet (pbuh) were the last book and last Prophet and meant for all Humans! The Alim Foundation: NMS; May 4, 2020
Read MoreAlhamdulilah, we're very pleased to announce that we've added Tafsir Ibn Kathir in english to Alim.org. You can enter any ayah on the homepage and click on the "Tafsir" button to see the tafsir for that ayah. The arabic and english translation of the ayaat are displayed above each section of the tafsir and the navigation works fairly smoothly. We're excited because we feel this is the best presentation on the web for this particular tafsir thus far. Please let us know if you find any bugs and spread the word!
Read More"When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him."
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
"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