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Reflections |
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In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious,
the Ever
Merciful
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Prayers / Salah holds rewards for both the worlds.....
The general understanding about
salah/Namaz/Prayer ,the 2nd pillar of Islam, is that this ritual is
practiced in order to avoid the punishment from God in the Hereafter. Hence
modern man comes up with the philosophy that he/she has so much to deal with
in this world, let alone after dying!
However if we look at the actions involved in this ritual we will find out
that even Non-Muslims can benefit from this activity. Just like Yoga, Tai
chi and similar rituals are utilized to treat various mental conditions and
physical stresses, healers and doctors can advice their patients regarding
Salah/Namaz/Muslim prayers.
The act of Wudu/ablution is the best type of hydrotherapy which is an
established treatment of tiredness, lethargy, generalized aches & pains,
blotches and spots on skin because of sweat and sebaceous secretions,
palpitation and high blood pressure, panic attacks, labile moods, hot
flushes with fever or menopause, absentmindedness and many others.
Rubbing the face and limbs while washing opens the pores of the skin and
does natural cleansing as well as stimulates touch receptors and helps the
“Gate Theory” of pain to work in order to reduce joint pains or muscle
aches.
Standing & sitting in the Prayers: Cutting off from the day to day stresses
that are unavoidably prevail in one’s surrounding for a few minutes few
times a day helps cutting stress signals off, hence saving the brain and
body from the harms of the stress which could effect brain, heart , stomach
and have repercussions on the other systems and organs of the body.
This meditation on something other than the day to day thoughts and worries
gives an opportunity to the brain to have more space emptied up for the
virtues like sympathy and care for others around and such a person can
develop the skill of controlling his/her own stress in order to deal with
others’ problems. Untill a person himself cannot be unperturbed, he can
never share anything else except further anxiety and depression.
Imagine a busy day at work, dealing with colleagues, sub ordinates and
seniors, business transactions, gains and losses~or a teacher who has to
deal with all sorts of behavioural patterns from the students, or other
tough jobs like police, fire fighting, forces, saving lives as doctors,
decision making regarding crimes as judges and lawyers & so on; dealing with
all this not only with a sound mind but also in full honesty and fairness,
without being rude, arrogant or abusive to anyone; all this is not humanly
possible unless there is some way out for stress release & a wel-balanced
attitude . People may look at possible alternatives like smoking, alcohol,
excessive caffeine beverages, stimulants, anxiolytics, anti depressants,
sleeping pills, muscle relaxants and so on, but none of these is free of
harm to our mind and body.
However unless one is familiar with & used to this type of activity
regularly since an early age, it is difficult to adapt such suddenly when
things start getting tough or looking impossible, parents and adults must
therefore endeavor to introduce their young ones to the ritual of prayer. In
Islamit is obligatory from puberty onwards when a person enters adulthood
and is likely to start facing the challenges of life as a responsible human
being. Prayers are expected to protect him/her from such behavioral
calamities including sexual diversities and imbalances when hormones are
more likely to start playing up.
Hence turning to something like prayers is a simple, natural and freely
available method to deal with not only our day to day & life long issues,
challenges and problems but also to get an excellent reward from our Lord
Who is happy if His creatures we deal with are happy & safe from evil!
Author:
Henna Khan
URL:
http://www.studying-islam.org/articletext.aspx?id=1234
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In this
Issue |
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Reflections
* Prayer/Salah holds
rewards for both the
worlds....
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Read & Reflect
* Islamic Shari'ah of
Prayer
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Debate & Discuss
* Discussion Forum:
Introduction to the
Hadith
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Express & Explain
*
General Discussion
Forum: Wudu &
Blood
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Read and Reflect |
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Islamic Shari'ah of the
Prayer (1)
Author:
Javed Ahmad
Ghamidi
Tr. Shehzad Saleem
إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا (١٠٣:٤)
Indeed, the prayer is a duty incumbent on the
faithful to be discharged at appointed hours. (4:103)
The most important worship ritual of Islam is
the prayer. A little deliberation shows that the essence of religion is
comprehension of God and an expression of humility and meekness before Him. The
most prominent expression of this essence is worship. Invoking and glorifying
Him, praising and thanking Him and kneeling and prostrating before Him are the
practical manifestations of worship. The prayer is nothing but an expression of
these manifestations and, with graceful poise, combines all of them.
1. Importance of the Prayer
i. The Foremost Directive
ii. A Requisite for Muslim
Citizenship
iii. Means of Strong
Adherence to Islam
iv. The Prayer Wipes out
Sins
v. Means of Countering
Hardships
vi. Symbol of True Da‘wah
vii. Means of
Perseverance on the Truth
viii. As the Nature of every
Object of the Universe
ix. The Prayer is Real Life
2.
History of the Prayer
3.
Objective of the Prayer
4. Pre-Requisites of the Prayer
5. Rituals of the Prayer
i. Raf‘ al-Yadayn
ii. Qiyam
iii. Ruku‘
iv.
Qawmah
v.
Prostration
vi.
Jilsah
vii.
Qa‘dah
6. Utterances of the Prayer
i. During
Qiyam
ii. While
Kneeling
iii. In the
Qawmah
iv. During
Prostrations
v. During
the Jilsah
vi. During
the Qa‘dah
vii. After
the Prayer
For more URL :
http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=4
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Debate and Discuss: |
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Discussion Forum:
Introduction to Hadith
Topic:
Module 1: Analysis of the Hadith
Tariq
Hashmi (Topic Author, Moderator)
Why do you think it is
necessary not to accept a hadith unless it meets the criteria ascertained by
the scholars of the science of the hadith? Does a Hadith become absolute truth
after it is rendered acceptable by the scholars of the science of Hadith?
Atifrafi
In my opinion
if a hadith is not opposing the Qur'an, Sunnah and common sense then we should
accept the hadith. just for example: I have heard that the Hadith about
getting knowledge even if u have to go to china is a Da‘if hadith but I don't
see any reason that why one should reject this hadith.
As far as second question is concerned, I think that if a Hadith is
confirmed that it is saying of Prophet (peace be upon him) or some known act
of the Prophet then this becomes absolute truth. The main challenge is to
declare some particular hadith that this is a saying / act of the beloved
Prophet ( peace be upon him ) & once if it is accepted by all the scholors I
think one should consider such a hadith as an absolute truth.
Tariq Hashmi
Suppose a hadith is declared sahih by the scholars and it does not
contradict the Qur'an or the Sunnah or the common sense will it be considered
absolute truth. In your response you said 'yes.' Most scholars do not hold this
view. They think that individual reprots never provide absolute source of
knowledge for there are many inherent problems in such a report for example the
narrator could not correctly hear the speaker, failed to understand what the
speaker meant, or did not know the background of the conversation and ended in
misinterpreting the saying, could not retain complete picture and passed on with
additions and omitting from the account. Therefore, we practice on the facts
reported after much analysis for the religion is the most serious concern of a
believer. We do not believe that the report is 100% correct and accurate mention
of the prophetic saying or act.
Atifrafi
I think
that we should accept the hadith which is declared by the scholars and it does
not contradict the Qur'an or the Sunnah or the common sense because these are
the sayings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and being Muslim it is
impossible that we don't look for the sayings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him).
If we say that even a hadith is declared sahih by the scholars, that is
not an absolute truth, what I think is that we are opening a door of refusing
the Ahadith and people like me who don't have much knowledge will start using
the Ahadith according to their own understanding which can cause some serious
problems in Islam.
Most important, we know ALLAH because the Prophet (peace
be upon him) told us so then how can we say that his sayings are not absolute
truth provided that is accepted by the scholars specially when the science of
accepting or rejecting a hadith is so much developed that there is no need of
any change in it.
If the Ahadith are not considered as 100% correct, then
what I believe that it will be almost impossible to practice even the basics of
Islam and life would become very difficult.
If I am wrong in my opinion, I
hope someone will correct me.
However, it is not Biddah. I'd like to know how do you define Biddah?
jitujaman
Is it not
an established fact that us as human beings are capable of making the most
serious of mistakes? If so, would you then not agree that to accept as absolute
truth the narrations of various individuals (who are capable of making mistakes)
is contrary to common sense.
On the other hand, if we were to pretend that
the Sahih Hadiths are absolute truths only to avoid confusion and misdemeanor
amongst Muslims, would we not be guilty of the same crime as those who changed
the Hadiths and made them up purely to bring people into Islam?
I do not
think it is suggested that our Prophet (pbuh) may have made mistakes but rather
the narrators.
I agree with the views of the Scholars who do not accept
Sahih Hadiths as absolute truth for the reasons mentioned above.
Topic URL :
http://www.studying-islam.org/forum/topic.aspx?topicid=800&forumid=30
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Express and Explain: |
General Discussion Forum:
Wudu and Blood
Is bleeding from a body
part related to wudu (ablution)?
I have read
in books and hear as well that if you bleed your Wudu becomes void. I
haven't come across any hadith to support this view. On the other hand
there is clear cut mention of the things invalidating wudu, passing urine,
stool and wind, having sexual relationship with one's wife.
Volume 1,
Book 4, Number 137:
Narrated Abu
Huraira:
Allah's
Apostle said, "The prayer of a person who does, Hadath (passes, urine,
stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs (repeats) the ablution." A
person from Hadaramout asked Abu Huraira, "What is 'Hadath'?" Abu Huraira
replied, " 'Hadath' means the passing of wind from the anus."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volume 1,
Book 4, Number 179:
Narrated Zaid
bin Khalid:
I asked 'Uthman
bin 'Affan about a person who engaged in intercourse but did no discharge.
'Uthman replied, "He should perform ablution like the one for ar ordinary
prayer but he must wash his penis." 'Uthman added, "I heard it from
Allah's Apostle." I asked 'Ali Az-Zubair, Talha and Ubai bin Ka'b about it
and they, too, gave the same reply. (This order was cancelled later on and
taking a bath became necessary for such cases).
Infact I came
across this narration in which intestines of a camel were placed on
prophet (PBUH) while he was praying, but he continued his prayer.
Volume 1,
Book 4, Number 241:
Narrated
'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:
Once the
Prophet was offering prayers at the Ka'ba. Abu Jahl was sitting with some
of his companions. One of them said to the others, "Who amongst you will
bring the abdominal contents (intestines, etc.) of a camel of Bani so and
so and put it on the back of Muhammad, when he prostrates?" The most
unfortunate of them got up and brought it. He waited till the Prophet
prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. I was
watching but could not do any thing. I wish I had some people with me to
hold out against them. They started laughing and falling on one another.
Allah's Apostle was in prostration and he did not lift his head up till
Fatima (Prophet's daughter) came and threw that (camel's abdominal
contents) away from his back. He raised his head and said thrice, "O
Allah! Punish Quraish." So it was hard for Abu Jahl and his companions
when the Prophet invoked Allah against them as they had a conviction that
the prayers and invocations were accepted in this city (Mecca). The
Prophet said, "O Allah! Punish Abu Jahl, 'Utba bin Rabi'a, Shaiba bin
Rabi'a, Al-Walid bin 'Utba, Umaiya bin Khalaf, and 'Uqba bin Al Mu'it (and
he mentioned the seventh whose name I cannot recall). By Allah in Whose
Hands my life is, I saw the dead bodies of those persons who were counted
by Allah's Apostle in the Qalib (one of the wells) of Badr.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any comments
on this matter?
What is mentioned in
Qur'an is about the state of menstruation , not to come to prayer in that
state. similar has been applied to the bleeding from other parts of the
body by mufaqeheen, whereas the former has been mentioned due to hygienic
reasons. hence this can be debatable that why bleeding from other parts of
the body should be considered as such. (you may post your question
to
query@studying-islam.org
for a
scholarly reply)
Moreover mensuration
state is not related to ablution, it's case of Purification (Taharat).
Therefore, to me at least, bleeding don't looks having any connection with
Wudu.
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Pause
and Ponder: |
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Creation in Pairs
Posted on: Saturday, October 31, 2009 - Hits:
3
Question:
Is it correct to conclude
that the Qur’ān mentions that everything has been created in pairs, while
science confirms that some creatures are a sexual. Please clarify and also what
is the purpose of this paired-creation?
Answer:
Yes it has been said so in the
Qur’ān that everything has been created in pairs:
وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ (٤٩:٥١)
And We have made
pairs of everything so that you may take heed. (51:49)
However, what the Qur’ān
states is a general principle without taking exceptions into account. Remember
the Qur’ān is not delineating a fact of science; it is merely directing the
attention of the people that everything is created in pairs in general. A member
of one pair when taken individually is incomplete and purposeless. It is only
when both members of a pair are considered that both of them become meaningful
since both compliment each other in some manner or the other. Commonly observed
pairs are man and woman, sun and moon, sky and earth. Now the purpose of this
delineation is to show that just as man is incomplete without a woman; similarly
this world also has a counterpart without which it would seem meaningless. It
would seem to be a place of oppression and injustice, for example. On the other
hand, when this world is viewed together with a Hereafter, it becomes meaningful
and purposeful. Otherwise, we find it to be a place where many things and
phenomena are inexplicable.
wassalam
Shehzad Saleem
see:
http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=871
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