Check out this hadith:

‏إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَّامِكُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَأَكْثِرُوا عَلَيَّ مِنْ الصَّلاَةِ فِيهِ
فَإِنَّ صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعْرُوضَةٌ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
وَكَيْفَ تُعْرَضُ صَلاَتُنَا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَرَمْتَ ‏- ‏قَالَ يَقُولُونَ بَلِيتَ
‏قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَرَّمَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَجْسَادَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ

The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: "Surely, among the best of your days is Friday; so increase in (invoking Allah's) salaat upon me during it, for your (invocations for Allah's) Salaat (upon me) will be displayed to me." So they (the companions, (رضي الله عنهم‏)) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! How will our (invocation for Allah's) Salaat (upon you) be displayed to you when you have disintegrated (i.e. your body turned to dust in the grave)?" He replied, "Verily, Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى) has made forbidden for the earth (the consumption of) the bodies of the Prophets - may Allah's Salaat be upon them." [Sunan Abi Dawood #1531, graded Saheeh by Shaykh Albani]

What is 'salaat' upon the Messenger? It means to pray for him and ask Allah to bless him. Learn about it in much, much more detail here.

‏ رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏قال ‏ ‏من صلى علي واحدة صلى الله عليه عشرا ‏

The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) also said, whoever supplicates Allah to send salaat on me once, Allah will send salaat upon him ten times. (Saheeh Muslim, #808)

How do you send salaat/salawaat?

‏قال سمعت ‏ ‏ابن أبي ليلى ‏ ‏قال ‏
‏لقيني ‏ ‏كعب بن عجرة ‏ ‏فقال ألا أهدي لك هدية خرج علينا رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏فقلنا قد عرفنا كيف نسلم عليك فكيف نصلي عليك قال ‏ ‏قُولُوا الَّهُمَّ صَلِ عَلى ‏ ‏مُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏وَعَلى آلِ ‏ ‏مُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏كَمَا صَليتَ عَلى آلِ ‏ ‏إبرَاهِيمَ ‏ ‏إنك حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ الَّهُمَّ بَارك عَلى ‏ ‏مُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏وَعَلى آلِ ‏ ‏مُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏كَمَا بَارَكتَ عَلى آلِ ‏ ‏إبرَاهِيمَ ‏ ‏إنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

Ibn Abi Laila reported: Ka'b bin 'Ujra met me and said: Should I not offer you a present (and added): The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) came to us and we said: We have learnt how to invoke peace upon you; (kindly tell us) how we should bless you. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Say: "O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family as You did bless the family of Ibrahim. Verily You are hamid and majeed (praiseworthy and glorious)" (i.e. the du'a above) [Saheeh Muslim, #804]

Fill your time this Friday (and every Friday) with salawaat insha'Allah.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Surah Al-e-Imran ayaat 31-32:

Translation: Say: If you should love Allah, then follow me (so) Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Al-Ghafuwr (the All-Forgiving), Ar-Raheem (the All-Mericful). Say, Obey Allah and His Messenger. But if you turn away then indeed, Allah does not love the disbelievers. [Surah Al-e-Imran, verses 31-32]

فَاتَّبِعُونِي,Ittabi'ooni, "follow me", is from the root letters taa ba ayn. It means to follow one very closely, such that you follow their very footsteps. It also means to follow without being commanded. What does following the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) then entail? It means to follow his sunnah, his teachings and to follow the way he lived his life.

Following the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) is the condition to gain Allah's Love. If one does not love and follow the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), yet claims to love Allah, his love for Allah will not be accepted from him. Thus, we learn that the only way to gain Allah's Love is to follow the footsteps of His messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم).

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the following ayah, أَطِيعُواْ "Attee'oo" "Obey", and that is from the letters taw (ط) wow ayn. From this root, comes the meaning of obeying willingly, out of happiness and full acceptance of the command. What is the difference between obeying and following in these verses? Let's analyze the difference:

• Attee'oo (obeying) refers to the commands of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), and as the ayah mentions, if one does not obey his commands, he will be among the Kaafireen (disbelievers).
• Ittabi'ooni (following) refers to emulating the deeds of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). Following surpasses obeying, because one is doing the obligatory actions as well as the recommended ones. Furthermore, following the sunnah is done sincerely out of love for the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and this gains the Love of Allah.

To reiterate, obeying is mandatory while following is adhering to the sunnah, and completing those acts that the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) did.

Here are two examples:

1. Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) commanded the men of this Ummah, "do not wear silk, for those who wear it in this life will not wear it in the hereafter." [Bukhari and Muslim] This falls under obeying, as from this hadith, we find that silk is prohibited for men, although it was not mentioned in the Qur'an.
2. 'Aisha (رضي الله عنها‏) reported that when the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) had performed the two rakah before Fajr prayer, he would lie on his right side. [Bukhari]. This is "Ittibaa as-Sunnah" (following the Sunnah), one does not have to lie on their right side---they can pray the fardh salaah right away; however, out of sheer love and sincerely wanting to follow the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), some lie on their right side. By doing these types of acts, we may gain the love of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make us among those whom He loves, and among those who follow the footsteps of His messenger. Ameen.

How many times have we heard this duaa in our lives: Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qinaa athaban naar. Have we ever contemplated how complete this duaa is?

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says

Translation: And among the people is he who says, "our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share. But among them is he who says, "our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." [Suratul-Baqarah, verses 200-201]

These ayaat are in the part of Surahtul-Baqarah that addresses Hajj and its rites. In the first part of the ayah ("And among the people is he who says, "our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share.") Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says that there are people who remember only the dunya in their duaa, even when making duaa during Hajj. Why even at that time? When a person makes duaa, he focuses on what he wants, what is important to him, and what he thinks about the most. For these people--may Allah not make us from them--the dunya is their priority, and they think most about it wherever they are. This is the case whether they are performing tawaf or standing at 'Arafat--they only think about attaining the dunya.

In the second part of the ayah, Allah explains that such a person will not have a share in the hereafter. Why? Because that is not what he was asking for. In the ayah, the Arabic word "Khalaaq" خَلاَقٍ means a portion or share which is given to someone because of his good character. Therefore, we also learn from this ayah that good character leads and opens doors to doing good deeds.

Then there is the other type of person, the one who says: "our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." What are the blessings he is asking for in this dunya? Rizq, offspring, wealth, a home, family, and good health. We live in this dunya, we have needs, and we are allowed to ask for them--the companions would even ask Allah for help when their shoelaces broke. So these people also ask for "hasanah" (good) in this world.

Then they say, "and good in the hereafter." What is this good? Jannah, and all the steps that lead to Paradise. They ask for protection from the punishment of the grave. They ask that when the trumpet is blown on the Day of Judgment they are not among those who are terrified[1]. They ask that their book will be given to them in their right hand[2]. They ask that when their deeds are weighed, their good deeds will be heavier then their bad deeds[3]. They ask that when they have to cross the Siraat, they cross it with ease and quickness[4]. They ask to pass the Qantarah without any hardship[5]. And finally, they ask to enter Jannah with ease

When we make this duaa, we should have all of these things in mind inshaAllah. And when will a person ask for these things? Only when he or she knows about them, and knows that they are the steps that we will go through in the akhirah. Knowledge of what we are asking for helps our duaas come from the heart; when a person knows what he is asking for, he is no longer merely repeating the words "hasanah" in the akhirah and "hasanah" in the dunya, he sincerely thinks about what the words include.

In the final part of the ayah, Allah says that these people will then ask for salvation from the hellfire. Why? Because they know what a severe torment and punishment it is.

It was reported from Anas ibn Malik (رضالله عنه) that Rasul Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) this du'aa the most [Saheeh Muslim, Book 35, Hadith 6705]. When Anas ibn Malik (رضالله عنه) would make duaa, he would include this duaa. Therefore, we, too should make this duaa as much as we can, and with the meaning in mind.

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make us among those who will have good in this dunya, good in the hereafter and those saved from the torment of Hellfire. ameen

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>

[1] "Whoever brings a good deed, will have better than its worth, and they will be safe from the terror on that Day. " [Surah Naml, verse 89]

[2] "Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, He surely will receive an easy reckoning, And will return to his family in joy!" [Surah Al-Inshiqaq, verse 7-9]

[3] "And the weighing on that day (Day of Resurrection) will be the true (weighing). So as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy, they will be the successful" [Surah Al-A'raaf, verse 8]

[4] "There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell): this is with your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. Then We shall save those who used to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him, And We shall leave the wrong-doers therein (humbled) to their knees (in Hell)." [Surah Maryam, verse 71-72]

[5] Abu Sa'eed al Khudree reports that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, "when the believers cross the Hellfire, they will be stopped at a small arched bridge (Qantarah) before entering the paradise and will be given retribution for injustices between them until they become purified. (Then) they will be permitted to enter Jannah. So, by the One in whose hands is my soul, they will know their way to their homes in Jannah, better than they knews their ways to their homes in Dunya. (Saheeh Bukhari)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) uses amazing parables in the Qur'an that strike fear, awe and amazement in the hearts of the believers. Throughout the Qur'an, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) draws parables for us to convey the importance of certain topics, to extract lessons from them and so that we may ponder and reflect over them. We hear many times of the examples of the hypocrites, the mushrikeen (pagans) and the believers. But there is one parable that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) puts forth that increases the love and mercy between a husband and wife, and this parable is one of the most eloquent and striking in the Qur'an.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) describes the spousal relationship in Surah Al-Baqarah, when He says:

Translation: They are your garments and you are their garments. [Surah Baqarah, verse 187]

SubhanAllah, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) compares the relationship between a husband and wife as clothing. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says that both the husband and wife are "libaas", garments, for each other. This shows the equality that Allah places between spouses and how each partner has a role in the relationship.

Remember again that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) puts parables in the Qur'an so that we may ponder, so let's ponder on how a spouse compares to clothes:

1. Clothes are close to you, behind your clothes is your bare skin. A spouse is close to you in that manner, emotionally and physically.
2. Clothes protect your skin from the outside. A husband is the maintainer of his wife and the wife protects her husband's home and property.
3. Clothes beautify you. A husband and wife compliment eachother, in this life and the next.
4. Clothes are comfortable. When one is around their spouse, they feel at ease and their hearts are at rest. One can relax around their spouse and find comfort in them and their words when they are in difficulty.
5. Clothes hide and screen you. A husband and wife should not discuss each other's faults to the outside or complain to others about their spouse.

SubhanAllah, indeed our Lord is Ar-Ra'oof (the extremely Compassionate) for placing this tranquility between spouses. As Ibn Kathir says in his tafseer of Surah Room: If Allah had made all of Adam's progeny male, and created the females from another kind, such as from Jinn or animals, there would never have been harmony between them and their spouses. There would have been revulsion if the spouses had been from a different kind. Out of Allah's perfect mercy He made their wives from their own kind, and created love and kindness between them. For a man stays with a woman because he loves her, or because he feels compassion towards her if they have a child together, or because she needs him to take care of her, and so on.

Many may feel embarrassed that this verse is mentioned in the Qur'an, but subhanAllah, this is just another beautiful example which shows that our deen is truly complete and that Allah have given us guidance through His Book for every aspect of our lives, and for this we should be thankful alhamdulillah.

This parable between a spouse and a garment is one of the many parables in the Qur'an that we should ponder and reflect over, and this is from the Ultimate Wisdom and Mercy of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) that He explains His verses and signs to us in a manner that is most fitting to our intellect.

Wa lillahil hamd.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in the Qur'an:

Translation: Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers - never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. [Surah Al-Imran, verse 91]

The word used for the capacity of the earth in this ayah is Mil al-Ard. "Mil" is used for the quantity that a vessel holds when it is filled; hence mil al-ard refers to the quantity/volume/mass/fill of the earth.

Those who die while they are disbelievers, Allah will accept no good deed ever from them, even if they gave the earth's fill of gold as ransom. How much gold would that amount to? The earth's fill.

Volume of the earth:

• 1,083,206,246,123,080,894,852 m³
• In words: 1 Septillion, 83 Sextillion, 206 quintillion, 246 trillion, 123 billion, 80 million, 894 thousand, 852 m³
• Mass of the Earth: 5.98 x 10²⁴ kg (After 98, you would add 24 more zeros)
• Price of one Ounce of Gold: $802.70 USD

Therefore, mass of the earth in Gold is worth = $1.65 x 10²⁹ USD (27 zeros after 65)

With this money, you could buy yourself all of:

• 100 Ferraris ($168,000 each)
• The most expensive house in the world ($155 million)
• A Boeing A380 - huge double decker plane ($300 million)
• The millennium star diamond (over a $100 million)
• A trip to the moon ($100 million)
• The international space station ($100 billion)

And now, you could do this for every single person of the six billion people on earth, and have spent only 0.000000366 % of your money.

You could have done all this a million times over and still have 97 % of your money left over.

It's like winning a $200 billion lottery for every second of your life for 65 years.

We're talking about an absolutely unfathomable amount of money. Does anyone on this planet have this much gold? Can anyone earn this much?

If a disbeliever gave the earth's fill of gold as ransom, it will not be accepted from him.

Learn this lesson well: The weight of emaan is more than Mil al-Ard. It's more valuable. It's priceless.

Jazakum Allahu khayran to my teachers for researching this.

Al-Huda Canada, Ta'leem al-Qur'an course in English 2007.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in Surah Al-Baqarah:

Translation: And We shall surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. Those who when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return. [Surah Al-Baqarah, verses 155-156]

These ayaat are very beautiful, and we learn from them that we will all be tested in this life, each person in their own individual way.

Let's look specifically at the word "museebah." The root word is from saad-waw-ba, or "saub". The Arabs used the word "saub" to refer to when the arrow hit its target. This alludes to the fact that the act was intentional, deliberate, and not by chance. How does this connect with a disaster striking us?

SubhanAllah, a museebah reaches its target; it was meant to happen. Allah's Decree WILL come to pass. So instead of complaining and sulking, and asking questions like "WHY ME?!", remember this ayah the next time a test comes your way ... the arrow is merely hitting its target.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says, "wa bashir as-Sabireen," which means "and give good tidings to the patient." The word "bashir" is from ba-sheen-raa and it literally means skin or human; from this, we derive the meaning. "Bashir" means happiness, happiness that causes a reaction on the skin, either with goosebumps or smiling, and the like.

So these patient ones (may Allah make us among them) will grin from ear to ear when they receive these glad tidings. What are the glad tidings? Al-Jannah. They get Jannah in return for their patience.

So do not despair with what afflicts and will afflict you; the arrow will hit its target, and the One who granted Umm Salamah (رضالله عنها) a blessed position after her calamity can grant you something better than what you are going through. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will definately reward you if you show patience (remember, at the first stroke of calamity).

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) pour patience on us and make us among the muttaqeen. Ameen!

Walhamdulillahi rabbil alamin.

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.

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.

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.

So if you are wondering, how and where should I spend my charity, follow these six steps:

1. Niyah Check:

Make sure that you are only doing it for Allah, not to please anyone else or get praised! Remember "The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention" [Bhukari and Muslim]

2. Plan plan and plan:

You need to plan how much you are going to spend in charity. How frequent would your contributions be? For example you may decide that you will spend 5% of your income every month. Remember the Prophet(صلي الله عليه وسلم) was asked: "Which deed is most beloved to Allaah?" He said, "The one that is continuous, even if it is little." [Bukhari]

3. Where will you spend:

Write down the categories of organizations that you want to donate to. For example: masajid, educational institutes, orphans, poor and needy etc.

4. Plan out the proportion:

How much are you going to donate for each category. For example, you might decide that I will donate 20% to masajids, 50% to support poor and needy and the rest 30% to support educational institutes.

5. Research:

Its time to research the organizations. To make it easy, I have compiled a list of various charitable organizations. What's great about this website is that you can edit the page and contribute more websites to the list (simply click edit button in bottom right)

6. Automatic Payments:

Look into setting up automatic monthly payments. This way you will not have to worry about donations every now and then. A great way to give Shaytan a black eye!