New Project Unveiled: Salah Support

August 19, 2009 – 11:59 am

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah, we’ve been working in the background for a while to launch a new project. Jazakumullahu khayran to everybody who helped out, may Allah keep giving you reward for it insha’Allah long after your bones are dust–allahumma ameen!

First, check yourself, and fill out the poll below:

How's Your Salah?

View Results

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If you haven’t guessed, our new project is: Salah Support, a forum where you can find resources on salah–everything from videos on how to pray, to ebooks on khushoo’, to creative alarms for Qiaaym-ul-Layl.

We hope, bi idhnillah, that people will benefit–posting questions, and answers (with proofs, of course).

If you’re masha’Allah a regular musalli with your 5x fard salawaat secured, I request that you monitor the forums and help others get up to speed, insha’Allah. After all, the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Jarir ibn Abdullah and Abu Hurayrah (radiallahu ‘anhumaa) reported that Allah’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect. [Saheeh Muslim: book 34, #6466, #6468, #6469, and #6470]

So you can get the reward of people praying–five times a day, every day! But be careful, because the sin is multiplied, too–hence the importance of quoting sources and trustworthy shuyookh.

And if you need help, tips, support, then drop by–that’s what it’s all about!

May Allah allow us to benefit each other and ourselves from this project, and make it a way for us to extend our deeds until the day of Judgment–Allahumma ameen!

So check it out and see what you think!

And yes, there is a “sawm” folder too, for all things fasting-related; if it’s popular, we’ll keep it, otherwise, we’ll focus insha’Allah on just salah. Please give me some feedback in the comments, too, if there are any changes you need or ideas you have.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Ibadah, Islam, News, Salaah, Tazkiyyah | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Which Ramadan Opinion Do I Pick?

August 17, 2009 – 4:06 pm

crescent-moon

Sight the moon, and if you cannot, then count the days …

Ramadan is coming, alhamdulillah. Ramadan, a time when all the shayateen are chained up, as the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallahu ‘anhu): Allah’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.”[Saheeh Bukhari, volume 3, book 31, #123]

Ramadan, when people fast all day and pray all night. Ramadan, when we all reach new levels of eman and ihsaan.

Ramadan, a time when, if you live in a country in a western society (like the US, Canada, UK, etc.), there are as many opinions are there are masjids.

So when is Ramadan starting? Why are there so many opinions? How do we pick one–the right one?

Let’s first see why different opinions exist, and whether this is acceptable or not.

The Origin of Difference of Opinion

Difference of opinion existed at the time of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) too. We have lots of narrations about companions differing. For example, this hadith about the battle of Al-Ahzaab:

Narrated Ibn Umar (radiallahu ‘anhumaa): On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “None of you Muslims) should offer the ‘Asr prayer but at Banu Quraiza’s place.” The ‘Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, “We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu Quraiza,” while some others said, “No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet did not mean that for us.” Later on It was mentioned to the Prophet and he did not berate any of the two groups. [Saheeh Bukhari, volume 5, book 59, #445]

Notice, they had the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) with them to make a final decision. And he would. And nobody could question it after that. In this case, he didn’t berate either group.

So difference of opinion is not inherently evil. In fact, in Usool-ul-Fiqh, they quote a hadith:

Narrated ‘Amr bin Al-’Aas (radiallahu ‘anhu): That he heard Allah’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, “If a judge (aka mujtahid) gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct (i.e. agrees with Allah and His Messenger’s verdict) he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, (i.e. against that of Allah and His Apostle) even then he will get a reward .” [Saheeh Bukhari: volume 9, book 2, #450, and Saheeh Muslim: book 18, #4261]

“For the mujtahid (who’s qualified to make ijtihaad) who makes ijtihaad, and comes up with the right answer, he gets two rewards. And for the qualified mujtahid who makes ijtihaad and comes up with the wrong answer, he gets one reward..”

Not nothing. Not one punishment. One reward. BUT! Provided he’s a qualified mujtahid. Imam Shafi’ee has a long list of qualifications for what exactly that means. Bottom line, it doesn’t mean you, or your brothers/sisters/aunts/uncles/grandparents/kittens.

So the gem is, accept difference of opinion. Don’t force people into one opinion. Respect it. And don’t act like everybody is going to Hellfire just becuase they started Ramadan one day after/before you did.

The Methodology for Knowing When Ramadan Starts

Are there opinions about when Ramadan starts? You bet there are. They all stem primarily from one hadith of Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam):

Abu Huraira (radiallahu ‘anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: Whenever you sight the new moon (of the month of Ramadan) observe fast. and when you sight it (the new moon of Shawwal) break it, and if the sky is cloudy for you, then observe fast for thirty days. [Saheeh Muslim, book 6, #2378]

This hadith lays out clearly what we should do. Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: sight the moon. That means, physically, sight the moon. With your eyes.

Wait. Your eyes, or the eyes of the guy “down under” in Australia? Check out this ayah:

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Translation: The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. [Surah Baqarah, verse 185]

Notice here, as shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) points out in his fatwa, the verse is conditional–fast if you see it. Notice also, the hadith we quoted earlier–whoever sees the moon should fast. Again, a condition. The condition, then, is valid for whoever it applies to–meaning if YOU see the moon, then YOU fast.

This is, Allahu ‘alam, the strongest opinion; that fasting is city-based, or region-based. So in fiqh, you’ll read about “horizons.” That’s the translation; it means one place where all the people fast the same fast. Usually, in Muslim countries, the whole country fasts together.

And if you can’t sight the moon? It’s cloudy? Then you count 30 days. And by count, some people say, calculate. Count means, you know all Islamic months are 29 or 30 days; so you can count the days of Sha’ban. If they’re 30, then today’s the first of Ramadan. Or if they’re 29, it could be 30th Sha’ban, or 1st Ramadan.

Ok, so we know that ikhtilaf is ok. And we know the proper method; and we know that, even if the proper method is followed, different opinions can be followed. So …

But What Did They do Before?

Wait. You might say, “hey, we used to have an Islamic state, and a real khalifah. How did they decide when to fast?”

The answer is simple. The khalifah calls all the scholars and advisors around. He says, “tell me which opinion you think is the best.” So one says “moon-sighting!” the other says, “no, not that! Calculating!” “No, not that! …” and so on.

And they debate. And it goes back and forth.

And then the khalifah says, “ok, let me think.” He thinks. He considers the evidence. And he says: “For this year, we’re going with this opinion.” [Mentioned by Muhammad Alshareef in Rizq Management]

And it’s decided. And if you start a masjid across the street on a different opinion, you can be whipped. It’s a serious matter. Don’t go against the ummah. [Mentioned in Rizq Management]

As for us, today? We should be like the people before, and acceede to authority once a decision is made.

So Whose Opinion Should we Follow?

Well, there is no khalifah. And as we said, there can be multiple correct opinions. So which do you choose? Who do you follow?

Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef was asked precisely this. And his response was, find a masjid you trust with people of knowledge and taqwa, and follow them. Leave them the difficult, complex, brain-exploding task of looking at different opinions and evidence and choosing what to do.

Why a masjid you trust? Because Allah says, in the Qur’an: “Ask the people of knowledge.” And taqwa is often the fruit of knowledge. So find a masjid where the imam has knowledge, someone you trust, someone who you believe has taqwa, and run with it.

Because, remember, you’re not a mujtahid. Don’t even try to figure out all the opinions. Just make it easy.

And, a final tip: Try and get your family on board with the same opinion. Do this by buying them into the knowledge of the masjid. Or, if you’re The Authority in your house, explain to them why it’s important to be together, take their opinions, and pick a masjid. Together. It’ll be really a sad ‘Eid if half the family has Eid while the other half is fasting.

And finally, what if you’re given two or more equally-trustworthy choices to pick from? How do you choose? At the end, you have to make a decision. So try:

  • Consensus: Go with what the majority of people in your city are doing.
  • Consult: Ask your family members who they want to go with. Most likely they have some preference. If you really are ok with either option, this will probably decide it.
  • Make Istikhara: Allah will not let you down. If you make istikhara, you will never regret your decision insha’Allah.
  • Make du’a: Nothing beats sincere, heartfelt du’a as a means of achieving goals.

We ask Allah to make easy this often tumultuous and emotional time, and to help our ummah understand and implement “unity” in the way that we fast–allahumma ameen.

References:

  • Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Rizq Management. University of Toronto, Toronto. June 2006
By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Ibadah, Islam, Sawm, Usool ul-Fiqh | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

3 Shields of Protection From Supernatural Forces

July 6, 2009 – 1:55 pm

This is post #22 in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma (click the link to see all posts in this series).

a blinding light emitting from a forest at nightThe protection of Allah is easily earned and very, very powerful.

Muslims love talking about Jinns and black magic. Yet, when it comes to inoculating themselves from supernatural forces, Muslims are often either ignorantly doing most of what they need to do, or proverbially standing on the interstate highway, woefully oblivious of thousands of cars speeding by at near-miss distances. And many of us, or people we know, personally do get hit.

Yet even the newest Muslim is often quickly equipped with powerful shields of protection against these forces. What are they?

Read More »

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Ibadah, Islam, Qur'an, Salaah, Tafseer | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (6)

Say: O You Kafiroon …

June 18, 2009 – 3:58 pm

Note: This is post #20 in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma (click the link to see all posts in this series).

In Surah Kafiroon, Allah says:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

Translation: Say, “O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” [Surah Kafiroon]

The mushrikeen (polytheists) of Mecca tried many, many different techniques to get the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) to stop spreading Islam.

Before this ayah was revealed, they decided to make a pact with him. They said, “Look, how about this–you worship our gods for one year, and we’ll worship your God for one year.” And to sweeten the deal: “And, we’ll go first.”

And they applied the Broken Record technique. Whenever the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would try to speak to them about Islam, they would only repeat this.

And he, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, refused.

Those of you who are wondering why–although it seems on the surface like a fair trade, it’s not. Allah does not forgive shirk, worshipping other than him; not even a single sujood, or a single du’a, none of it is acceptable.

So clearly, this is not a contract the Messenger of Allah could engage with. So he refused.

And he refused.

And he refused.

Then, the Mushrikeen said, “ok, how about this–just speak highly of our gods, and we’ll do the same for you.” A smaller compromise.

And whenever people approached them, they would say, “Well, we’re trying to compromise (like we’re the good ones in this deal–even though we kill our daughters and murder on whims and …), but he’s not agreeing.”

So the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) went to the ka’bah.

The Ka'bah, the House of Allah

Mushrikeen were there. And in front of everybody he said:

Read More »

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Da'wah, Ibadah, Islam, Salaah, Tazkiyyah | Tagged , , , | Comments (15)

Those Who Show Off in Their Salah

June 16, 2009 – 2:19 pm

Note: This is post #19 in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma (click the link to see all posts in this series).

In Surah Ma’oon, Allah says:

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ
وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ

Translation: So woe to those who pray; those who are heedless of their prayer, those who make show [of their deeds]; And withhold [simple] assistance (al-ma’oon). [Surah Ma'oon, verses 4-7]

Allah says, “so woe to those who pray.” Don’t stop at this ayah! People who pray are not cursed by Allah! Allah continues: those who show off in their prayer, …

You know what’s interesting about this ayah? What’s really, really interesting about this ayah?

Do you want to know?

Are you sure?

…ok, here goes: Allah says:

إن المنافقين يخادعون الله وهو خادعهم وإذا قاموا إلى الصلاة قاموا كسالى يراؤون الناس ولا يذكرون الله إلا قليل

Translation: Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah , but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little … [Surah Nisaa, verse 142]

Here, Allah directly says, “the munafiqeen.” And he says: they show themselves to the people (i.e. showing off) when they pray.

And he says: they pray lazily.

So what about people who don’t pray, at all?

So if you fall into this category–even partially–you should be afraid. Very afraid. This is a very serious matter to Allah, these five-minutes you stand up and pray five times a day.

I’ve discussed this issue in more detail in my post, The Terrible Consequences of Not Praying Salah. If you pray every prayer regularly, alhamdulillah, read it and be reminded about what you’re safe from.

And if you don’t pray, read it insha’Allah; it might help you start, or if you’ve started, it might give you that extra motivational juice to jump farther in your salah.

May Allah protect us all from being those whom He has cursed as a consequence of their actions–ameen ya rabbi!

Allah continues and mentions: those who prevent al-ma’oon. What exactly is al-ma’oon, the thing that caused this surah to get its name?

a big box of crayons

Al-Ma’oon means something small that you do, that wouldn’t even harm you to do it. Muhammad Alshareef describes it as crayons–if you ever see young kids, there might be two kids in a class; one kid has a big box of like 300 crayons with like 15 shades of blue.

So another kid pops by, “can I borrow your blue crayon?”

And the first guy looks over his box of 300 crayons and says … “no!”

That is preventing al-ma’oon. The first kid could give away that crayon, and it wouldn’t even hurt him; but he doesn’t (because kids tend to not return crayons).

And of course, kids are sinless … but we are not.

One example of al-ma’oon I find is, letting people go when it’s heavy traffic and a guy wants to change lanes in front of you. It’s literally bumper-to-bumper, and the guy won’t slow you down; but people tend to speed up and not leave any space, subhanallah.

Action Items:

  • What Is Al-Ma’oon? Insha’Allah see if you can come up with some examples from your own life.
  • Pray More. Hit your five fard salawaat if you haven’t; if you have, fortify it with more sunnah and nawaafil prayers, so you don’t even come close to missing a fard salah.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Ibadah, Islam, Qur'an, Salaah, Tafseer, Tazkiyyah | Tagged , | Comments (7)

Du’a for Wealth and Poverty

April 19, 2009 – 5:39 am

ghunan yutghee

Note: This is the 5th post in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma.

In our last post, we talked about how the human race does taghaa if they see themselves as self-sufficient. Living in western societies, we see this all around us–people racing, fighting, stealing, overworking, to make a few more dollars so that they can “make it.” They buy lottery tickets so they can “make it” and be rich, rich rich!

Did you know, the Prophet Dawud (alayhi salaam) used to make du’a:

اللهمّا أعوذُ بِكَ مِن غُنَن يُطغِي و فِقرٍ يُنسِي
Allahumma a’oothu bika min ghunan yutghee wa fiqrin yunsee

Translation: O Allah, I seek refuge in you from wealth that makes one tyrannical, and poverty that makes one forget. [Recorded in Kitaab ad Du'a by Abdullah ibn Abu Shaybah]

What does this du’a mean? Ghunan yutghee means wealth that makes one tyrannical–because if humans see themselves as self-sufficient, this is what happens!

And “poverty that makes one forget?” If you’ve ever seen people in a bad financial position, struggling to overcome debts, credit-card payments, interest loans, sometimes out of the pressure of the moment, they forget ALL of Allah’s favours on them, and it makes them into a tyrant.

Action Items:

  • Memorize this du’a. It’s very short and easy; if you remember the gist of it, you just need to remember “ghunan yutghee wa faqrun yunsee.”
  • Reflect. Are you falling into the trap of seeking wealth? Are you so sure it will benefit you? Is it already making you creep towards the edge of tughyaan?

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Du'a, Islam, Qur'an, Tafseer | Tagged , , | Comments (15)

Du’a for Laziness and Incapability

March 18, 2009 – 3:30 pm

10131447
The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to make a du’a:

اللّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُبِكَ مِن العَجزِ وَ الكَسلٍ

Transliteration: Allahumma inniy a’oothubika min al-ajzi wal-kasli
Translation: O Allah, I seek refuge in you from incapability and laziness.

Why is this du’a important? For two reasons:

  • Laziness is an attribute of munafiqeen. If this wasn’t bad enough, being lazy leads to procrastination, which leads to its own set of problems.
  • It’s common these days for people to say “I can’t do it.” Like “I can’t pray at work,” or “I can’t achieve X.” The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would say a’oothubillah to that kind of talk. Think about it!

Action Plan:

  • Memorize this du’a and make it every day in your sujood in every salaah. You have the Arabic, transliteration, and translation–you have no excuse not to do it!
  • Share your tips. What other tips and tricks do you use to overcome laziness and procrastination? Let us know in the comments!
References

Lazy Boy: A Khutbah by Muhammad Alshareef. Published by Eman Rush audio.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Du'a, Ibadah, Islam, Tazkiyyah | Tagged , , | Comments (9)

Ask the Readers: Questions about Salah?

March 13, 2009 – 10:59 am

Edit: Jazakumullahu khayran to everybody who provided feedback. It seems like there’s a lot of demand for this kind of thing. Insha’Allah we’ll see more posts like this in the future.

man prostrating on his face

Bismillah.

Salah. We cannot emphasize the importance of salah–the dividing line of Islam and Kufr. The first thing asked about on the Day of Judgment. The last thing the Messenger of Allah mentioned before he passed away.

Maybe you’ve been Muslim a day. A year. Maybe 10, 20, 50 years. Everyone has nagging questions about salaah–things they always wanted to know, but never had the chance to find out. Things they “heard,” but never got to verify. Or just things they wanted to ask but didn’t know where to look.

Maybe you want to know things like:

  • What are some other du’as I can recite when sitting, etc.?
  • Can I make du’a in English in my fard salah?
  • What’s the deal with going down hands-first or knees first?
  • Is wiping over socks legit?
  • What are the du’as for rukoo’ and sujood, and how do I pronounce them?
  • What should I do about Fajr if I wake up and the sun has already risen?
  • How do I wake up for Tahajjud?

This is your chance to get your questions answered. What questions do YOU have about salah? Post them in the comments. We’ll do our best insha’Allah to get the answers to as many of them as we can.

Rejoice! And tell us what you want to know! Allah says, if you don’t know, ask the people of knowledge! (We’re not them, but insha’Allah we have connections.) This is a rare opportunity to find out things specific to you!

Wallahu musta’aan. We ask Allah to give us all fiqh (understanding) of our deen. Ameen!

Action Items:

  • Post a question! Click on “Comment on this Post,” and ask a question you have for yourself, and one question that someone you know has.
  • Tell your friends. Ask them to visit Ilm Fruits and post their questions, too.
By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Ibadah, Islam, Salaah | Tagged , | Comments (65)

What is a Mursal Hadith?

January 7, 2009 – 1:47 pm

In the sciences of hadith, there’s something called a “mursal” hadith. What exactly is a mursal hadith? What is it’s status? What are the fiqh rulings on mursal ahadith? And why does it matter?

(Ok, for the answer to the last question, read and learn about the science of hadith. In a sentence: Scholars have devised an extremely rigorous process to determine which hadith are authentic, and which are not. You wouldn’t want to spend your whole life following a “hadith,” only to find out it really wasn’t legit, do you?)

A mursal hadith is a hadith where the chain only goes up to a tabi’ee. (So the hadith goes: X narrated, from Y, from Z, … from such-and-such a tabi’een.) Tabi’een are the generation after the companions–they are the sons and daughters and followers of Islam who came after the sahaba. Most hadith continue–the tabi’ee will narrate from a sahaba, who will narrate directly from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

So mursal ahadith are ahadith where the chain cuts off at the tab’iee level; it doesn’t go directly to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

And why is this important? Because a tabi’ee can narrate from another tabi’ee! It doesn’t necessarily mean that they heard it directly from a sahaba, who heard it from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

So the ruling on mursal ahadith? They are considered as da’eef ahadith. All the same rulings apply.

For example, in the issue of “does laughing in salaah break your wudoo?,” imam Abu Hanifa says yes, and cites a mursal hadith as his proof. The majority of scholars disagree, and insha’Allah this is the correct opinion–why?

Because the hadith is mursal (i.e. da’eef), and it contradicts shari’ah principles–why would it break your wudoo inside salaah, but not if you laugh outside salaah? (And these are not the only proofs; only a taste of the discussion.)

Wallahu ‘alam.

References

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Aqeeda, Hadith, Islam, Salaah, Tahara | Tagged , , , | Comments (6)

Forgiveness After Forgiveness After Forgiveness

December 27, 2008 – 12:08 pm

There’s a beautiful du’a that Allah mentions near the end of Surah Baqarah:

وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا

Translation: So do ‘affuw on us. And forgive us. And have mercy on us. [Surah Baqarah, verse 286]

Allah mentions three things, in order:

  1. ‘Affuw ‘annaa: Affuw linguistically means to erase something; to obliterate something; to completely destroy something and leave no traces of it whatsoever. This du’a is saying: make affuw of our sins. Remove them completely.
  2. Waghfir lanaa: Ghafira linguistically means to protect–that’s why a helmet is called a mighfaar. Read up about Allah’s two names: Al-Ghafuwr and Al-Ghaffaar. Here, the du’a is saying: and if you do not ‘affuw our sins, forgive us, and protect us from the consequences of them.
  3. Warham naa: Rahmah is mercy; Allah has two names related to this quality–Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem. Here, the du’a is saying: and if you do not even forgive our sins, then have mercy on us! Subhanallah!

What an amazing du’a! Do affuw of our sins; and if not, forgive us and protect us from their effects; and if not, have mercy on us!

THAT’S your Lord!

Action Items:

  • Memorize this verse. It’s a bit long, but it’s worth it. [link]
  • Read up about the names of Allah. Read about Al-Affuw, Al-Ghafuwr, Al-Ghaffaar, Ar-Rahman, and Ar-Raheem.
  • Use this du’a. Whenever you commit a sin, follow it up with istighfaar, and some good deeds, and use this du’a; recite it in your sujood, during tawarruk (sitting) after you’ve done all your other du’as, you can say ANY du’a you want (in Arabic only!). So memorize this du’a and use it!

Wallahu ‘alim.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Du'a, Ibadah, Islam, Tafseer, Tazkiyyah | Comments (2)