A Life of True Worship

mada II 1431
Issue 36
W W W. M O S Q U E F O U N D AT I O N . O R G
January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Tahni 1437 Issue 99
Sh. Ahmed Arafat
Prophet Muhammad
:
A Life of True Worship
One of the big problems in the classical works on “Seerah” or the life-story of the
prophet
is that they do not give an integrated image of the personality of the
prophet
. They are mainly concerned with the political developments and the
different struggles of early Muslims. Many aspects of the character of the prophet
are found in the Quran, books of Hadith and Shamael (which covers intricate
details of the prophet’s appearance and manners). This short article seeks to shed
some light on the prophet’s dedication to worship, which is almost absent in the
books of Seerah. Let us take few examples from Quran and Hadith that will help
us recognize the heart of Muhammad
(1) The Quran commands the prophet
to worship.
.
to dedicate his life
commands the prophet
“And worship your Lord
Allah
until death comes to you.” (15: 99) In another position Allah
said: “O you who are enwrapped ‘in a mantle’ [out of fear
and awe], arise to pray during the night, except for a little ‘of
it’. Or ‘pray’ half of it, or lessen the same a little, or add thereto. And ‘therein’ recite the Quran perfectly. For we shall assuredly cast upon you a weighty Word [the Quran]. And, indeed,
rising at night ‘for Prayer’ makes for a stronger impression
‘on the soul’, and is best for the recitation ‘of God’s word’.
Indeed, during the daytime you shall have lengthy occupations
‘in calling to God’. So remember ‘with praise’ the name of
your Lord. Thus shall you devote yourself with ‘sincere’ devotion to Him ‘alone’—the Lord of East and the West. There
is no God but Him! So take him ‘alone’ as a guardian.” (73:
1-8) These commands were highly illustrated in the life of the
prophet; yet, they are missed in the books of Seerah.
(2) To the prophet
, Salah was a source of comfort.
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A Life of True Worship
MF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1. Hussein Ata
2. Oussama Jammal
3. Jamal Said
4. Habes Abdallah
5. Abdallah M Shuaibi
6. Kalid Baste
7. Fahim Aref
8. Jehad Materiyeh
9. Ahmed Kamni
10. Aisheh Said
11. Banan Said
12. Marwan Elsafadi
13. Jafar Ahmad
14. Safaa Zarzour
15. Mohamed Aduib
16. Montaha Salem
17. Muin Abu Sharara
18. Ziad Zatar
19. Karen Danielson
EDITORIAL BOARD
Hussein Ata
Sh. Jamal Said
Sh. Ahmed Arafat
Tareq Abu-Ammer
Aisheh Said
Mohamed Chehade
Banan Said
Abdel Baset Hamayel
De c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 Vol. 06, Issue 98
Copyright © 2015 by The Mosque
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Reproduction without permission is
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2
Abdullah ibn Ash-Shikheer
was reported to have said: “I came to the prophet while he was
praying, and his chest sounded like a boiling kettle.” It is unfortunate that this imagery of the
prophet is not reflected in Seerah even though Salah was the favorite resort for the prophet .
Whenever the prophet
faced with mindfulness and awe for God any difficult time, he would
rush to Salah asking Bilal
to call the Athan saying: “Bring comfort to us by ‘calling’ it.”
The prophet
loved Salah so much that he said about it. “Salah is the pleasure of my eye.”
He loved to stand before Allah, praying for a long time. According to Imam al-Bukhari, Ibn
Mas’ud said: “I prayed with the prophet one night, and his standing was so long that I thought
of something bad! He was asked: “What did you think of? “To sit down and leave him [the
prophet ] standing!” replied Ibn Mas’ud.
was to Salah despite of
There are many Ahadith that explain how devoted the prophet
his sinless life. For instance, Imam Muslim reported on the authority of `Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The prophet
kept standing (in prayer) so long that
the skin of his feet would crack. I asked him: “Why do you do this, while your past and
coming sins are forgiven?’’ He said, “Should I not be a grateful servant of Allah?’’ Thus
the prophet’s closeness to Allah did not lead him to pride; however, it led him to more humility and worship as a proof of gratitude to Allah. In another Hadith, Aisha, may Allah be
pleased with her, described the prophet’s Salah: “Indeed, the prophet used to pray eleven
rak’as. This is how he used to pray [at night]. His Sujud would last as long as one of you
takes to recite fifty ayat. Thereafter, he would pray two rak’as before Fajr prayer; then, he
would lie down on his right side till the Athan for Salah is called” (Reported by al-Bukha
ri).
(3) The prophet
had frequent Munajah or intimate conversations with Allah.
reported that the prophet
used to say when waking up for voluntary night
Ibn Abbas
prayer:”O Allah, to you is all praise. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and
what is therein. To you is all praise. To You is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and
what is therein. To You is all praise. You are the Light of the heaven and the earth and what is
therein. To you is all praise. You are the King of the heavens and the earth. To you is all praise.
You are the Truth, Your Promise is the Truth, Your Word is the Truth, Heaven is true, Hell is
true, prophets are true, and Muhammad is true. O Allah, to you I submit, in You I believe, on
You I put my trust, to You I turn, with Your help I give arguments, and You do I take as a Judge.
So forgive my sins past and future, secret and public for no one forgives sins but You.” (Reported by Imam Muslim). With this humble prayer, the prophet set the best example for us to
communicate with God from the bottom of our hearts.
(4) The prophet
had a heartfelt relation with the Quran.
The prophet’s heart was so soft that he would weep whenever he listens to the Quran, espesaid: “The prophet
cially the ayat that remind him of his prophetic tasks. Ibn Mas’ud
said to me, “Recite the Qur’an for me”. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, shall I recite the Qur’an
for you, whereas it has been revealed to you?’’ He replied, “I love to hear from others.” Upon
this I started reciting Surat An-Nisa’. When I reached the Ayah:”How [shall it be] then, when
We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you [O Muhammad] as a witness against
these people?” (4:41) He said, “that is enough”. When I looked at him, his eyes were tearful.”
(Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim)
(5) The prophet
used to contemplate on the glory and creations of Allah.
said: “While I was staying with my aunt MayImam al-Bukhari reported that Ibn Abbas
mounah, [I noticed that] the prophet
spent some time conversing with his family, and then
he slept. At the last third of the night, the prophet
woke up and looked at the sky and re-
January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
cited: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
alteration of night and day are signs for those who reflect. Those
who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying down on
their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and
the earth, saying: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this in vain.
Holy be You. So save us from the torment of the hellfire” (3:190191). Thereafter, the prophet made Wudu’ and then prayed eleven
By
Ahmed
Arafat
rak’as.
Thereafter
this Bilal
called the Athan. Then the prophet
prayed two rak’as and went out to offer the morning prayer [in
congregation] with people.”
(6) The prophet
practiced frequent fasts.
Here is a list of these fasts.
a) All the month of Ramadan,
b) All the month of Sha’ban except for few days,
c) Mondays and Thursdays of each week,
d) The13th, 14th and 15th of every Hijri month even if he was
traveling,
e) The 9th of Muharram and the 9th of Thul-Hijjah,
f) Al-wisal fasting; that is, to fast successive days without breaking the fast at all. However, the prophet forbade his companions
from this kind of fasting, saying: “It is my Lord Who feeds me!”
g) Sometimes he would fast many days in a row for no occasions,
and
h) Sometimes if he woke up and found no food for breakfast, he
would intend fasting that day till sunset.
(7) The prophet
was a generous giver.
reported: “The Messenger of Allah
was the
Ibn `Abbas
most generous of all people; and he was extremely generous during the month of Ramadan when Jibril meets with him. In Ramadan, Jibril used to meet with the prophet every night reciting the
Quran to him. During this period, the prophet was more generous
than the free-blowing wind!”
(8) The prophet
practiced I’tikaf (Seclusion in the Masjid for
Worship) as a spiritual vacation.
reported: The Prophet
used to observe
Abu Hurayrah
I`tikaf every year (during Ramadan) for ten days. However, in the
year when he passed away, he observed I`tikaf for twenty days.
[Al-Bukhari].
(9) The prophet
ness.
was a role model in seeking God’s forgive-
In his Sahih, Imam Muslim reported, on the authority of al-Aghar
al-Muzni
that the prophet
said: “Sometimes I forget [Thikr
of Allah], and I would do Istighfar [asking Allah for forgiveness]
more than hundred times a day.” It is noteworthy to mention that the
prophet considers his ‘forgetfulness’ as a sin! We all understand that
any religious act missed out of ignorance or forgetfulness can be excused or made up. However, because of his higher level of faith, the
prophet considered his forgetfulness as a sin that requires Istighfar.
Here is an example of the prophet’s Istighfar, usually called Sayyid
al-Istighfar (the best form of seeking God’s forgiveness) that shows
the prophet’s humility and gratitude and complete reliance on Allah:
“O Allah! You are my Lord. No one deserves to be worshipped except You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I will constantly
keep my covenant of obeying You and my expectation of getting rewarded by You as much as I could. I seek Your refuge from the evil I
did. I acknowledge the blessings You bestowed on me, and I confess
my sins to You; So, forgive me for no one forgives sins but You.”
(10) The prophet
lived in the presence of Allah.
The prophet’s love of Allah was so overwhelming and genuine that
anything that happened around him reminded him of Allah. He was
simply God-oriented. He had a prayer for every occasion during the
day and night. He had a set of long prayers or Du’aas to be recited in
the morning and the evening. His daily activities were also connected
with prayers as he had sets of prayers to be recited before he sleeps,
when he gets up, wears his clothes, wears new clothes, sees someone
wearing new clothes, uses the bathroom, leaves the bathroom ...etc.
Natural phenomenon around him was similarly a reminder of Allah.
For example, he had a prayer to be recited when it is rains or when
there is a change in the weather.
I here suggest three books for further information on Dhikr in the life
of the prophet : The Invocation of God by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
(or its Arabic version al-Wabil al-Sayyib), Remembrance and Prayer:
The Way of the Prophet Muhammad by Muhammad al-Ghazali (or its
Arabic version Fannu al-Dhikr wa al-Du’aa ‘Inda Khatam al-Anbiya’), and for a complete list of the prophet’s frequently-recited prayers
for different occasions, check al-Qahtani’s booklet Fortress of the
Muslim: Invocations from the Quran and Sunnah (or its Arabic version Hisn al-Muslim). Studying the prophet’s daily prayers is a great
chance for exploring the purity of his heart
and recognizing why
the late Sheikh Muhammad al-Ghazali clearly stated that the world
never knew anyone whose heart was full of the love and the presence
of God like that of the prophet .
Moreover, focusing on the worship of the prophet leaves no room for
anyone to doubt his sincerity, honesty and prophecy as this worship
cannot emerge from the heart of a false prophet.
and His attributes, the
To conclude, the more you recognize Allah
more obedient to Him you will be. That is why the prophet
was the
perfect example of showing submission to Allah, simply because he
had the perfect understanding of Allah
and His glory.
This article gave some glimpses of the prophet’s worship which are
missing in Seerah books. I hope Seerah would be rewritten in a way
that illustrates the different aspects of his noble character, not merely
the political success.
3
How to Revive Your Salah,
Part Three
From Pace to Peace
Sh. Ahmed Arafat
Observing how Muslims offer their Salah, one can easily notice
that they correctly stand, bow, prostrate and sit. However, some
may miss an essential part of prayer, without which Salah is not
valid; that is, “Tuma’neenah.”
What is “Tuma’neenah”? It basically means praying so calmly
that you do not connect two movements together and that you
do have enough time to recite the required words of praise. As a
criterion for Tuma’neenah, scholars say “you do not move from
one posture to another until the bones are settled.” A common
mistake that illustrates the absence of Tuma’neenah, and thereby
the invalidity of Salah, is making “half rising from the bowing
position” or “half rising from the prostrating position.” You must
make a complete standing after bowing and a complete sitting
after prostrating.
Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim reported, on the authority of Abu
Hurayrah
, that the Messenger of Allah
once entered the
mosque and a man came in and prayed. Then the man greeted
the Messenger of Allah . The Messenger of Allah
greeted
him back and said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
The man went back and prayed as he had prayed before, then
he came to the Prophet
and greeted him, and the Messenger
of Allah
greeted him back and said: “Go back and pray, for
you have not prayed.” When he had done that three times, the
man said: “By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do
more than that; so, teach me. The prophet
said: “When you
go to pray, say Allahu Akbar, then recite whatever you can of
the Quran. Then bow until you have Tuma’neenah in bowing,
then rise until you stand up with Tuma’neenah. Then prostrate
until you have Tuma’neenah in prostration. Then sit up until you
have Tuma’neenah in sitting. Then do that throughout the entire
prayer.” Note that this Hadith placed emphasis on Tuma’neenah
(not all Salah requirements) since the prophet
was dealing
mainly with what the man missed.
Hasty performance of Salah never brings in concentration or
mindfulness. The prophet
compared praying hurriedly to
“stealing”! He says: “The worst thief is the one who steals from
his own prayer. People asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, how could
one steal from his own prayer?’ He said: By not completing its
bowing and prostrating [positions]” [Reported by Imam Ahmad
and others].
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January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
Spiritually speaking, maintaining a good pace between Salah actions
is a necessary step in meditating on what we recite and allowing time
for the values contained in the recitations to sink in and take hold.
Practicing Tuma’neenah in Salah both physically and verbally will
result in what we call the Tuma’neenah of the heart where feelings of
peace and tranquility are inspired as the Quran says: “In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” (13:28).
In his al-Adhkar, Imam al-Nawawi explains that, for an effective recitation of the Quran or Dhikr, one must recite with mindfulness, understating and humility. The Quran tells us how it should be received:
“This is a Book that We revealed unto you so that they will ponder
over its verses, and that people of understanding will reflect” (38:29).
This is the recitation that enlightens our hearts and removes our worries; however, we cannot reach that level without Tuma’neenah.
Practically, if you are not used to practice Tuma’neenah in your
prayer, it may be hard for you to maintain it in the beginning; yet,
you really need to keep trying and slow down till Tuma’neenah becomes a second nature to them. This is part of what Imam al-Ghazali
would call “mujahadah” or self-struggle. If you feel you need to finish your prayer quickly, force yourself to slow down till you master
Tuma’neenah. The Quran promises: “[As for] those who strive for
Our cause, We will surely guide them unto Our ways, and Allah is
surely with those who do good” (29:69).
January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
By Karen Danielson,
Interfaith Committee Chairwoman
Mosque Foundation
Interfaith Activities
Growing
The Mosque Foundation Interfaith activities are growing. We encourage you to participate in these activities as observers or get more involved
and join the team. We’ve already shared details that in this past year the MF Interfaith’s regular dialogues have continued to grow in Bridgeview,
Oak Lawn, and surrounding suburbs.
The dialogue with the Oak Lawn community is open to the public, and brothers and sisters, including youth have come to observe. The next
several meets are actually scheduled at the MF (January 28, March 24, and May 26, 2016 from 7-9 pm). Come, observe and be a part of changing
the landscape for a better community based on mutual understanding, respect for one another, and to combat the hateful rhetoric of Islamophobia.
Additionally, the MF has joined SWIFT, the Southwest
Interfaith Team, this year, which offers service activities for the whole family as well as interfaith forums
and dinners. Mark your calendar for the next SWIFT
Interfaith forum, March 20, 2016 (time and location
TBA).
The MF has sent a representative to the Parliament of
the World’s Religions Conference in Utah, this past
October from the MF/St. Fabian Catholic Dialogue
here in Bridgeview. At the PWR Conference the MF
and St. Fabian representatives spoke to an audience in
one of the parallel sessions modeling Sustainable Local Dialogue for Better Communities. It was an amazing learning experience for both.
Most recently the MF Interfaith team hosted a luncheon with women from the Unitarian Universalist
Community Church in Park Forest. Extraordinary presentations by Deanna Othman on Islamophobia and by
Suzanne Akhras addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis
and the Syrian Community Network involvement here
in Chicagoland. The conversations that develop were
anything but ordinary. Ideas and offerings to do more
to combat hate and racism as well as support for the
Syrian refugees gave direction to the group’s future
involvement with one another. Contact kdanielson@
mosquefoundation.org for more information about the
MF Interfaith activities.
Mosque Foundation’s Volunteers alongside others prepare meals
for the homeless as part of SWIFT service activity
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Weekend School’s Quran Competition
On October 25, AL-Siddiq School held their yearly Quran Competition. Each level of students had a different Surah to memorize. The
surahs were Surat Al-Jumu’ah, Al-Kahf, and Luqman. We are very proud of all the participants, which included 88 students mashAllah!
The following students are the winners:
Surat Luqman
Surat Al-Jumu’ah
First place:
Second place: Mohammed Amra
Hassan Hassan
Second place: Salma Habeeb
Third place:
Kanan Mizyed
Mothers and Staff:
Surat Al-Kahf
First place: Amal Dirawi
Yousef Monassar
Mohammed Saadah
Ghada Ayyad
Adam Abusini
Deama Abusini
Faten Sheheibar
Laith Awadallah: Luqman
Third place:
Abubakr Hassan
Merjan Razick
Islam Bsharat: Luqman
Daoud Safi
Fouzia ‘Abal
Second place: Ayah Shabaan
Mabrook to all of our winners and participants! And insha’Allah Allah will reward you all for your hard work!!
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January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437
El mejor modelo para
los creyentes
Queridos hermanos de fe,
Alhamdulilah que puedo compartir una vez mas con ustedes un poco de lo que he aprendido. Cuando confirmamos el testimonio de fe ;
creemos en Allah y en Su Mensajero nos damos cuenta cuan importante es el Mensajero de Allah para los creyentes. Es asi como el profeta
(saws) es nuestro mejor modelo para seguir. Allah (SWAT) nos dice en el Sagrado Coran,capitulo 68:4; Ciertamente eres de una naturaleza y
moral grandiosas. En el capitulo 9:127 Allah(SWAT) dice , Ciertamente se os ha presentado un Mensajero de entre vosotros que se apena por
vuestras adversidades, se preocupa y desea que alcanceis el bien[e ingreseis al Paraiso];es compasivo y misericordioso con los creyentes.En el
capitulo3:159 Por misericordia de Allah eres compasivo con ellos. Si hubieras sido rudo y duro de corazon se habrian alejado de ti; perdonales,
pide perdon por ellos y consultales en las decisiones. Tambien en el capitulo 33:21; Hay un bello ejemplo en el Mensajero de Allah(de valor y
firmeza en la fe) para quienes tienen esperanza en Allah, [anhelan ser recompensados] en el Dia del Juicio y recuerdan frecuentemente a Allah.
Teniendo en mente todos estos versos que leemos sobre nuestro profeta Mohammad(saws) podemos comprender cuan maravilloso ejemplo
tenemos. Conociendo la vida de nuestro profeta(saws) por medio del Sagrado Coran y la Sunnah en las hadices, podemos aprender como
conducir nuestras vidas de acuerdo como Allah, El Todopoderoso nos ensena.
Obedeciendo lo que El Creador nos dice y el profeta(saws) podemos tener el Placer
Divino. Allah(SWAT) nos dice en el capitulo 47:33 ! Oh, creyentes! Obedeced a Allah y al Mensajero, y no malogreis vuestras obras.Capitulo3:164 Allah ha agraciado
a los creyentes enviandoles un Mensajero de entre ellos que les recita Sus preceptos,
les purifica y les ensena el Libro y la sabiduria[la Sunnah]. Y por cierto que antes se
encontraban en un extravio evidente. En una hadiz Aisha (la paz sea con ella) relata,
el caracter de el Mensajero de Allah es como el Coran.(Muslim, Nisai) Esta hadiz asi
como tambien todos estos versos nos motivan a tratar de desarrollar un mejor caracter, comportamiento y valores morales que nos ayudaran a ser mejores siervos de
Allah(SWAT). Como creyente debemos adquirir sabiduria de el Islam para asi acercarnos mas a nuestro Creador. Implementando lo que aprendemos de la Sunnah en nuestro
diario vivir seremos capaces de desarrollar estas caracteristicas que ALLAH(SWAT)
nos menciona. Que bendicion tan grande tenemos con nosotros que aunque no estuvi-
mos junto al profeta(saws) en ese tiempo, podemos conocerlo por medio de el Coran y las hadices. InshaAllah,
que aprovechemos la gran oportunidad de mejorar como
creyentes mientras tenemos vida. Amen
Su hermana en Islam,
Celia Snowber
7
at MFCC
In coordination with the Walgreens, the Mosque Foundation Community Center has been partnering with Walgreens for the second year in
a row to make it easy to arm our community members with a free flu shot so they can stay healthy during the fall/winter seasons. last month
MFCC conducted two flu shots campaigns in coordination with the Walgreens, more than 120 family members benefited from this opportunity.
All thanks to the Walgreen at Roberts Rd and 95th St. and its staff. a special thank you to sister Tasneem Mousa who helped coordinating
these campaigns.
Islam 101: the weekly “get together” Friday for our boys
Despite the fact that the class has been split into two groups, (8-10 & 11-12), and despite the age of accepted members has been increased
from 6-8 years old, but the Islam class waiting list has grown bigger and bigger. However, because of the space limitations, the center could
only accept 80 boys. They gather every Friday at 6:15-8:15 p.m, and enjoy this unique program. Each group would spend 45 minutes in an
educational, spiritual session, and another 45 minutes in fun/sport session and end up the night with Ishaa, a short khatira and an emotional
duaa which help charge the boys for the rest of the week. “this is the best two hours of the whole week” said Omar. Adam shares the same
feelings, added “I can’t wait till Friday comes to come and meet my friends and sh. Zakariya”.
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January 2016 – Rabiul Awal - Rabiul Thani 1437