Ilm Fruits

Let’s Go Hajj Shopping!

Hajj is coming. Less then two weeks remaining! But what's the deal with Hajj shopping? Everybody tells you to take different things. Take suitcases. No, don't take suitcases. Take lots of clothes. No, take a few clothes. Take medicine.

Confusion abounds.

How would you like a sneak peak at the shopping list of someone who attended Hajj several times in the last few years? Someone who changed their focus from attending Hajj to helping others excel at Hajj?

Check out this list of items they suggested (and yes, you should travel light!):

1. Vaseline: Carry a small travel-size version--because your skin tends to dry and crack and chaff. Almost all men, and some women, get rashes. Keep it in a cool place, you don't want it melting.
2. Baby Wipes: Washrooms (especially clean ones) are rare, and you don't want to waste precious water washing your hands. Keep a small box of them handy.
3. Two Large, Light Suitcases: People expect gifts--and you expect to give them! Don't be stuck trying to cram boxes into a small knapsack. Carry two large, empty suitcases with you.
4. Small Sleeping Bag: Bring the smallest one you can find. No additional comforters or quilts! You'll need to travel light, and you'll need something warm for Mina.
5. Cork Ear Plugs: You will definitely have trouble sleeping in Mina with all that noise around you. Keep some disposable cork ear-plugs. You'll need your rest!
6. Eyeshades: Ever try to sleep when the sun is rising, or up? What about when there's a big, bright light only a few meters over your head? Eyeshades help--you can even catch a quick nap in the airport!
7. Ihraam Towels (for men): Buy them early from specialty Islamic stores--depending on how you fly in, you may need to have them on on the plane, before you reach your destination.
8. Gatorade Juice Powder: Keep some and dump it in your drinking water. It provides additional nutrients.
9. Pocket Mushaf (Qur'an): Delays of four hours, waiting eight hours, and traveling 24 consecutive hours are all common in Hajj. Carry a mushaf with you, and aim to finish the entire thing during Hajj.
10. Small Pocket Radio: For jumuah, you might be out of hearing range of the khutbah--but they broadcast it on the radio! Bring benefit to yourself and others with a small, handy radio!
11. Unscented Soap: Because you can't bring scented stuff. You won't need the whole thing, so you can cut it up into pieces and share it with your fellow hujjaaj.
12. Power-Bars: Keep a box or two of those small, usually-granola snack bars, for those times when you need a bite to eat but are in the process of your trip, or unable to reach food. (Don't buy chocolate ones--the chocolate melts quickly.)

You can find more amazing, expert Hajj advice on all things Hajj-related at HajjCoach.com! (You need to sign up, but it's free.)

Muhammad Alshareef. HajjCoach.com (2007). Session 04 - Let's Go Shopping! <http://www.hajjcoach.com/site.php/spgs/read/hajjcoach_session_04_-_lets/>

• Eh! You Wanna Enter Jannah?
• Amazing Hajj Gems
• Seek Knowledge from the Best Sources
• Five Hajj Jackpots
• The Status of the Sunnah

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Light of Eman Session 3

Who are the Angels? Truly, the Angels are creations of Allah with certain names and responsibilities. What are some of these names? Everyone knows about the Angel of Death--but what other angels exist with special responsibilities? How do angels benefit us? Listen to the podcast below and find out right now!

• Light of Eman Session 1
• Light of Eman Session 2
• Light of Eman Session 4
• Light of Eman Session 8
• Light of Eman Session 5

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Dua: The Weapon of the Believer

The purpose of life is to worship Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), and dua is the crux of worship.

Dua: The Weapon of the Believer Video

Dua: Goes hand-in-hand with tawakkul (trust and hope in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى))

Dua is the essence of worship: calling to The One, the Only One who can actually help you and Who actually deserves to be called upon. The One who is As-Samad, The Satisfier of every need; upon Whom everything depends but He depends on no one and nothing. Dua is calling upon the Creator, the Sustainer, the Supreme Answerer. [Calling out to other than Allah is the essence of shirk]

Translation: And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer. [Suratal-Ghafir, verse 60]

Dua is a very personal form of worship; we call directly The One, our Creator, our Sustainer, Al-Mujeeb: the Answerer. And when we call upon Him privately, and sincerely, and full of humility, it becomes a sincere form of worship.

Translation: Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret! [Suratal Araf, verse 55]

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is indeed near. He hears our call even when we pray silently. He sees every tear that crawls down our cheeks, and hears every whisper that emerges from our lips as we call to Him (سبحانه وتعالى) for mercy and help. It is of the etiquettes of dua to pray silently, for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is Al-Sami, the All-Hearer and He is near.

Translation: When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. [Suratul Baqarah, verse 186]

The dua of a believer is accepted!! SubhanAllah, look at Allah's (سبحانه وتعالى) mercy! He (سبحانه وتعالى) provided us with a way out of everything, with a solution to all wants and needs, DUA! A direct link to the source of all solutions. Truly, all praise is due to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

When we make dua we affirm the Greatness of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). We affirm our status of being Allah's (سبحانه وتعالى) slaves and being dependent on Him (سبحانه وتعالى) for everything.

Dua: The Weapon of the Believer Video

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) grant us the tawfeeq to turn to Him (سبحانه وتعالى) in times of ease and in times of hardship in gratitude, ameen!

• The Grand Name
• Be An Orange
• The Mu’min Tree
• Are You a Believer?
• Success is For the Believers

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Light of Eman Session 2

What is the second most important pillar of faith? Did you ever think that it was angels? Well it is ... come learn why! What are angels? Who are they? Why should we study the creation of angels? Listen and find out ... because surely securing knowledge of this creation of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) lights up the hearts with eman.

Listen to this podcast to find out the reality of eman, in Ilm Fruits’ exclusive Light of Eman series!

Don’t miss out! Check the Light of Eman page for the schedule!

"Session 2." By Abdul-Ahad. Rec. 19 Nov. 2007. Light of Eman.

• Light of Eman Session 1
• Light of Eman Session 4
• Light of Eman Session 8
• Light of Eman Session 5
• Light of Eman Session 7

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Rizq Without Measure

Bismillah.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

Translation: Every time he entered Al-Mihrab to her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is from Allah. Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without measure." At that time, Zakariya invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocations." [Surah Al-e-Imran, verse 37-38]

Maryam (عليها السلام) was chosen by Allah as the best woman amongst all women, and in this ayah we see how Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) provides for His Auliya (close protecting friends) without measure.

Maryam (عليها السلام) was in her "Mihraab" when Zakariyya (عليه السلام) entered upon her. Mihraab means a secluded prayer area. The root is from the Arabic letters haa raa baa or harb. This is also the word used for war. (The connection with Mihraab and war is that in a mihraab, one is in a place where they "fight" against their nafs and shaytan.) Her room was totally secluded from the people and was also high above the people.

Zakariyya (عليه السلام) would enter upon her and he found her with rizq, The Ulema interpreted this as two kinds of provisions:

• Out-of-season, and out-of-this world fruits, unusual fruits that Zakariyya (عليه السلام) never saw the like of before.
• Scrolls with knowledge of the deen.

When he asked her where she received this from she said, "It is from Allah and Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without measure." When Zakariyya (عليه السلام) heard this, immediately, he made dua. "هُنَالِكَ" , the word used in the ayah, means, here and now, right there and then. He didn't say to himself "I'm deprived," and pity himself or think negatively because of what he saw what Allah gave Maryam (عليها السلام); instead, he (عليه السلام) had certainty--if Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) can give to Maryam without measure, I'm going to ask Him from His fadl (fadl means bounty that is great in quality and quantity!).

Zakariyya (عليه السلام) was very old, and his wife was barren, but that didn't stop him from asking Allah for offspring. And he said, "innaka samee' ad-dua," which means "indeed, you are the Hearer of supplications," and shows his conviction in his dua and his hope in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

I wanted to share this because, subhanAllah, when many of us see someone with rizq from Allah, we despair in what He has given them--when infact we should be positive and make duaa that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) blesses us as well--because Allah provides to whomever He wills without measure!

To be continued inshaAllah: How Zakariyya (عليه السلام) reacted when he recieved the glad tidings of Yahya (عليه السلام), his son, and the lessons we take from it.

Wa lillahil hamd.

• The True Measure of Leadership
• Rizq Management
• Ramadan Mubarak!
• Six Days of Shawwal
• The Prophet’s Sermon on the Reception of Ramadan

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Fard vs. Wajib

A lot of people--especially new Muslims--break their heads on this conundrum. What is the difference between fard and wajib? Are they the same? Are they different? What's the scoop? Why do some people say fard, while others say wajib for the same things?

The answer is simple. According to the majority of scholars, fard and wajib mean the EXACT same thing. There is no difference. They are interchangable. (Recall that fard means: an action that, if performed, entails reward, and if neglected, entails punishment.)

However--there is one exception. The Hanafi madhab differentiates between the two. They say that denying a fard makes you kafir, while denying a wajib does not. Note that here, we're talking about denying an action, not neglecting it--so if someone says, "no, I don't have to pray, prayer is not obligatory," that's denying a fard, while someone else who says "yes, prayer is obligatory but I don't feel like praying," is sinning (major sin).

In the end, it's like saying "forest" or "trees"--some say fard, and some say wajib, but they're the same thing.

And Allah, Al-Aleem, knows best. We ask Allah to increase us in knowledge that will benefit us and protect us from knowledge that has no benefit, ameen ya rabbi!

Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Breach of Covenant. University of Toronto, Toronto. May 2005.

• Five Categories of Everything
• Sofa Fard, Bucket-Seat Fard
• Ramadan Mubarak!
• Madd: Fard and Mustahab
• Signing on Behalf of Allah

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Light of Eman Session 1

Eman. So simple...yet we have failed to understood its true place in our deen.

And the man asked, "What is Eman?" The Prophet replied, "It is to believe in Allah and..."

What did the Prophet say about Eman? How does it relate to us? Listen to this podcast to find out the reality of eman, in Ilm Fruits' exclusive Light of Eman series!

Don't miss out! Check the Light of Eman page for the schedule!

"Session 1." By Abdul-Ahad. Rec. 12 Nov. 2007. Light of Eman.

• Light of Eman Session 2
• Light of Eman Session 4
• Light of Eman Session 8
• Light of Eman Session 5
• Light of Eman Session 7

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Words beginning with Fa

Bismillah.

Learning Arabic as a second language may be difficult for many, so I decided to share some tips that assist with learning the meanings of words and their structures.

Words that begin with ف usually will always mean something that breaks open, separates, or breaks apart. Check out these examples:

الفجر (Al-Fajr) from ف ج ر means the dawn, but it literally means when the daylight breaks/crack through the darkness. If you've ever seen the sky at Fajr time, you can see a thread of light near the horizon, while the rest of the sky is dark with the night. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us in Surah Baqarah to stop eating suhoor when the "white thread" is distinguishable from the "black thread."

Another word from this root is fajjara, with a shadda on the jeem, which means to break open and gush forth. Another word from this root is الفاجر (Al-Faajir), the fujjar (plural of faajir) cross the limits and breaks the rules.

الفرقان (Al-Furqaan) derives from ف ر ق, which means to break through, to distinguish. Al-Furqan, which is another name of the Qur'an, means the Criterion that distinguishes truth from falsehood.

الفريق (Al-Fareeq) also from ف ر ق means a party or a group. A group is one that breaks off from the majority.

الفاسقون (Al-Faasiqoon) from ف س ق and fisq, literally means when a flower breaks through the bud to bloom. The Fasiqoon are those who transgress the bounds of Allah, and go beyond them.

الفضة (Al-Fiddah) from ف ض ض, which means silver, but literally means to scatter. When you scatter something, the first thing you do is break it apart then you throw it all over the place. What does this have to do with silver? Silver is 'scattered' when zakah is paid on it and when someone spends it. And after someone dies, their silver is 'scattered' to the heirs.

InshaAllah try and look through the Qur'an for words beginning with ف that follow this pattern and post them in the comments! (You may need a dictionary, such as this one.)

Wa lillahil hamd.

• Etiquettes of Eating
• The Path of Goodness
• The People of the Ditch (8): The Power of Words
• Where do you Stand with Allah?
• Be Smart

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Jahannam and Jaheem

Bismillah.

Reminders of the akhirah can have a great effect on our hearts and bring us out of the ghaflah (heedlessness) we are in. By looking at two words, Jahannam and Jaheem from the Qur'an, we are able to see what the real life is, the real ending and the real punishment. May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make our best deeds our last and may He (سبحانه وتعالى) make us among those who will enter Jannah without reckoning or punishment. Ameen!

So how scary is Jahannam?

Jahannam (جهنم) is from jeem haa meem, and contains many meanings. Of those meanings are:

• the literal meaning, to meet with a frowning face and to have a stern look. When you look at a person who has "jahm," you become fearful.
• Darkness: and jahm is used for the darkest part of the night. Aren't you scared in darkness? Jahannam is a dark place where you don't want to be alone.
• A waterless cloud

Put these meanings together--Jahannam is a place when you look at it you're scared--you want to run away and stay away from it because it has that frowning look and it is waterless. When Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur'an about the disbelievers, "fahasbahu jahannam," meaning "then Jahannam is sufficient for him"--THIS is what they deserve, a waterless, scary, dark punishment that will break their ego.

And what about Al-Jaheem?

Al-Jaheem (الجحيم) is from jeem haa meem, and contains many meanings. Of those meanings are:

• The literal meaning, to light and stir up a fire--you add fuel and ensure it keeps burning.
• The word Jahama means to stare with sharp eyes, and refers to the way a lion stares at it's prey.
• The word "ajham," also from the same root, means someone who has red eyes.
• Jaheem is also used to mean a pit with blazing fire--and not just any fire, but an extremely hot, intense, and fiercely-buring fire.

Next time Shaytan whispers to you and you are inclined to commit a sin, remember this description of Hellfire ... like a lion staring at its prey.

Contrast this horrible resting place with Jannah! Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says about the Companions of Jannah, "la khawfun alayhim wa la hum yahzanoon," they will have no fear (of the future) and they will not grieve (the past)--unlike the companions of Hellfire, who will be utterly terrified when they see the punishment, nevermind when they enterit.

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make us among the Companions of the Paradise, ameen!

Indeed, Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) spoke the truth when he said, "O Allah, there is no life except for the life of the Hereafter, and there is no good except for the good of the Hereafter." [Saheeh Muslim]

Reference

Al-Huda Institute Canada. Ta'leem Al-Qur'an Course for Women. Al-Huda Islamic Centre of Canada. Mississauga, Ontario. October 2007. www.alhudainstitute.ca

• Bearer of Beautiful Fragrance
• Forgiveness for Shirk?
• Al-Qantarah

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Happiness in Front of your Eyes

Time comes and goes, life slips and goes forth, what is to come? No creation knows.

Sometimes, things (سبحانه وتعالى) takes it away, because in His infinite Wisdom it is something which is not good for you. However, what is to say that same thing is not good for you later in life? Time can go by, a jewel can accumulate dust, but with a blow of the mouth and a brush of the hands, it sparkles like new just as it was before. Allah may very well take you away from a danger or a calamity which may be bad for you at that time, but that same 'danger' or 'calamity' could be hope and goodness for you later in life.

The point is, it is in The Will of Allah the believer should find his or her rest, because it is the plan of Allah that prevails in the end.

Translation: And they planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners Surah Al-Imran, verse 54]

At the same time, don't give up hope due to past problems. Because, it could be that the past hope was not good for you but it is what shines a light for you in darkness today. You may come across people that you didn't like before but now are your best of companions. It could be that the people and things which you have shunned away from before are the torch of light that will bring life to the heart and soul today.

Translation: Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light...[Surah Baqarah, verse 257]

True happiness is right in front of you but you need to take off your dirty glasses first to see the light which is present abundantly.

• Perfect Happiness Doesn’t Exist
• The Key to Happiness
• Leadership at the Front and Leadership from the Back
• Human Nature is Insatiable
• Benefits to Not Fighting Back

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