The Virtues of 'Idul Adha and the Qurban

Allaahu Akbar...Allahu Akbar...Allaahu Akbar...
Laailaaha Illallaah wallahu Akbar
Allaahu Akbar wa Lillaahilhamd

Muslims all over the world observe Eid-ul Adha (in Arabic) or Hari Raya Aidil Adha (in Malay) on the 10th day of Zulhijah, the last month of the Muslim calendar. The corresponding Gregorian date this year is on 8th December 2008. This festival is celebrated in conjunction with the pilgrimages performed by Muslims, called the Hajj and to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim as's spirit of Qurban or sacrifice. In Indonesia, Hari Raya Aidil Adha is also known as Hari Raya Haji or Hari Raya Qurban.

On this blessed day, let us together give thanks to Allah s.w.t, praise Allah and glorify Him by saying the tasbih and tahmid for all the blessings He has given us, such as this blessing of the Eidul-Adha. This blessing is a gift from Allah to the Muslim ummah for every sacrifice they have done. Let us celebrate this Eid with solemnity, and praise Allah's greatness by saying the takbir, tahmid and tasbih. And let those among us who can afford it to perform the ritual slaughter.

'Idul-Adha is the time for some special acts of worship that is performed only in this blessed month. One of that acts is the qurban. This slaughter symbolizes the sacrifices that man makes for Allah, the All-Mighty Creator. 'Id ul Qurban is celeberated for three days after the day of Hajj (9th Dhul Hajj). This means it is on the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhul Hajj on the Islamic calender.

'Idul-Adha is also the time that the Muslim ummah from all corners of the world congregate to the Holy Land to uphold the fifth pillar of Islam; the hajj.

The 'Festival of Sacrifice', one of the most important days of the Islamic calendar, commemorates both the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for God.

Qurban means sacrifice. The significance of this 'Id is from the offering of Prophet Abraham(as), who prepeared to present his son Ismail(as) to Allah, upon having dream of such a command. He prepared to offer his son, but this was a test from Allah, so before he could sloughter his boy, the angels replaced him with a sacrificing animal.

To remember this sacrifice of him we,muslim who can afford to, make an offering to Allah of an animal.It is not an obligation, but necessariry for all who are earning and have enough money to do it. The meat of the animal should be divided into three portions, of which one third is distributed among the poor, another part among relatives and friends, and the third is consumed in the family.

In addition to instilling a sense of sacrifice in the Muslim ummah, that is to be willing to sacrifice family and wealth for Allah s.w.t and His Prophet, the hajj also brings the Muslim ummah together, becoming one to do good together. The hajj symbolizes the pinnacle of unity in the Muslim ummah. As Allah says in surah Al-Anbiya' verse 92:

"Truly! This, your Ummah (Sharia or religion (Islamic Monotheism)) is one religion, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone). (Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

Such is our life on this earth; we are commanded by Allah s.w.t to worship Him and to glorify Him. And our existence on this earth is only for that purpose to submit ourselves to His service. Surely all the good deeds that we do, no matter what they may be, are for His blessings and the rewards Allah s.w.t. has promised us.

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy places in and around the holy city of Mecca (the birthplace of Islam) in Saudi Arabia where pilgrims will perform certain religious rituals and prayers. It is one of the central religious duties of Muslims and is enshrined in the Quran. According to the fifth tenet of Islam, Muslims who are financially and physically able are required to perform a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage is also inspired by the earlier example of obedience to God set by the Prophet of Abraham. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

During this hajj season, our brothers and sisters sacrifice their time, energy, and the comfort of family life, to fulfil the obligation of hajj to the Holy Land. May their hopes of getting a hajj that is mabrur (accepted) be fulfilled and may they receive the rewards for their hajj, that is none other than Heaven.

For those of us who shall be doing the ritual sacrifice in a short while, surely we hope to similarly receive the rewards and atonement of our sins. To wish to receive rewards and atonement for our good deeds is a good aim. But there is an even better reason to do good deeds.

The best of aims in doing acts of worship is to strengthen our faith to Allah s.w.t and to increase our love for our Prophet Muhammad pbuh. This is what is meant by the sweetness of iman; faith that is unshakeable even in the face of challenges and tests. For us to achieve the heights of faith, it is not enough for us to only perform the ritualistic aspects of ibadah. The actions that we do must have an effect on our selves and our lives. What we do must bring out the best qualities that are within us all.

Among the virtues that we learn from 'Idul-Adha are sacrifice and solidarity. In conjunction with this blessed day, let us all learn the importance of these values and, more importantly, adopt them in our daily lives. Studying the origins of the slaughter, we see how the Prophet Abraham a.s. was prepared to sacrifice his most beloved son in order to fulfil Allah's commands.

The first sacrifice by the Prophet Abraham a.s. was when he left his son Prophet Ismail a.s. while he was still an infant, along with the Prophet Ismail's mother, in a barren, inhospitable desert land. The second sacrifice was when the Prophet was willing to slaughter his beloved son, Prophet Ismail a.s. when he was older. Prophet Abraham was willing to do so as Allah had commanded it. Allah has put this episode in the Quran, to be read for all times, for us to learn from. In Surah As-Saffat verse 102-105:

"And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!" He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Insha Allah (if Allah will), you shall find me of As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)."
"Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); "And We called out to him: "O Abraham!
"You have fulfilled the dream (vision)!" Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers)".

These stories are not told so that we only remember the origins of the ritual sacrifice. More importantly, we need to reflect on, and adopt the spirit of sacrifice in our lives. To be successful in this life and the hereafter, we need to make sacrifices. We need to be willing to sacrifice something we love in order to achieve something that is more important.

We take the example again of Prophet Abraham a.s. When he left his son in that inhospitable land, he not just wished to fulfil Allah's commands, but he also set the foundations of Baitullah al-Haram that later became the qiblat for the faithful. As Allah tells in surah Ibrahim verse 37:

"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Kabah at Makkah); in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks"

Let us reflect on our own lives. To achieve anything, surely we need to sacrifice.
For example, we want our children to succeed in their education and pursuit of their dreams. This dream surely requires some sacrifices in order to make it come true - money, time, love and support, for example.

Currently, Alhamdullilah, we can see the fruits of the sacrifices that the American Muslim Community have made. We find that, increasingly, many of our Muslim brothers and sisters are succeeding in their studies. And surely their success is, in part, the result of the sacrifice and communal effort of the American Muslim Community, in general.

On this day too, the Muslim ummah from all over the world congregate on the Holy Land to fulfil their hajj. Other than the value of sacrifice that the hajj teaches us, it also teaches us solidarity, unity and love. At this very moment, our brothers and sisters at the Holy Land are with other Muslims from all corners of the globe. At this very moment, too, Muslims around the world are saying the takbir, tahmid and tasbih, glorifying Allah s.w.t. This is the uniqueness of the Muslim ummah. The Muslim ummah is united, the Muslim ummah is a brotherhood, and the Muslim ummah is an ummah of love.

Our Prophet Rasulullah SAW has taught us much about solidarity. Let us reflect on the Prophet' advice:

"The believers who have love for one another, who are blessings to one another, and who are kind to one another are like a body; if one of its parts feel pain, the other parts also feel it. (Narrated by Imam Muslim)

The prophet also says:

"A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. Do not do evil unto him, do not refuse him help. He who helps his brother shall receive help from Allah. He who helps his brother out of suffering, Allah shall help him out of his own suffering on the Day of Judgement. And whoever keeps his brothers' secrets, Allah shall keep his secrets on the Day of Judgement.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW says also:

"Establish ties with whoever breaks them, give help to whoever refuses to help you, and forgive whoever does evil unto you.(Narrated by Imam Ahmad)

That is what Rasulullah SAW teaches us about brotherhood and solidarity. The relationship between man should be based on compassion, harmony and love. Solidarity and brotherhood are essential to ensuring peace and prosperity in our communities. We cannot afford to live separate, individualistic lives while facing challenges in the community. We should make up for the shortcomings of our brother and the other members of our community, just like they make up for our shortcomings.

We are now facing many social problems, such as broken families, widening income gap and other social ills that are worsening. At the same time, with the open flow of information, we are exposed to many strands of thoughts, not all of which are positive. Not only our emotions, but our minds are continually tested as we struggle to remain Muslim and still be relevant to the context of today's global world.

In facing these challenges, other than building resilient individuals, the community needs to become united and work together to overcome these challenges effectively.
We cannot stop at having awareness of our community's problems, or merely having coffeeshop talks, because all these will not change anything. We cannot just think of ourselves. As responsible members of the community, we need to work as a body, as Rasulullah has said in his hadith, if one part of that body feels pain, surely the whole body feels it too.

Those are the two important values that we learn from the acts of worship we perform, as well as the significance of Eidul-Adha. May we reflect on the importance of the spirit of sacrifice and unity on this blessed day. May with reflection, we achieve the pinnacle of faith and feel the sweetness of iman and faith.

Rasulullah SAW said:

"When someone has in him these three things, he will feel the sweetness of faith: (First) When he loves Allah and his Prophet more than everything else, (Second) When he loves others only because of Allah, (and the third) When he hates unbelief and does not wish to return to it, as much as he hates to be cast into the Hellfire.
(Narrated by Imam Al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

The 'Id festival goes under many names throughout the Muslim world, but is most well-known as ;Idul Adha or Eid al-Adha. It is also known as Eid ul-Kabir, or the 'Great Festival'.

Let's take a look at different name of 'Idul Adha from different contries:

Official name Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā
Also called The Festival of Sacrifice,
Sacrifice Feast,
عید قربان Eyd e Qorbán (Iran),
Kurban Bayramı (Turkey),
Qurban Bayramı (Azerbaijan),
Kurban Bajram/Курбан бајрам/Курбан байрам (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine),
ঈদ-উল-আজহা Id-ul-Azha or কোরবানী ঈদ Korbani Id (Bangladesh),
Lebaran Haji (Indonesia),
Hari Raya Aidiladha, Hari Raya Haji, Hari Raya Korban (Malaysia)
Kurban Ait (Kazakhstan, Xinjiang),
Loy Akhtar, لوی اختر (Afghanistan-Pashto),
عید قربان Eid-e-Qurban Afghanistan-Dari),
Hari Raya Haji/Lebaran Haji/Iduladha/Aidiladha/Qurbani/Qurban (Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore),
Eid el-Kbir (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Libya)
古尔邦节 gú ěr bāng jié (China),
Tfaska Tamoqqart (Berber language of Jerba),
Jejhni Qurban(Kurdistan)
Tabaski/Tobaski (parts of Africa),
Babbar Sallah (Nigeria and West Africa),
Ciidwayneey (Somalia),
Bakra Eid (India, Pakistan, South Africa),
Opferfest (Germany),
Offerfeest (Netherlands, Belgium)

Allahu Akbar 3x

Mineola, NY
8th Zulhijjah, 1429 H
6 December 2008

Why Pork is Haram in Islam

SUMMARY:
PORK: POSSIBLE REASONS FOR ITS PROHIBITION
by
AHMAD H.SAKR
Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition
keywords: pork=pig=hog=sow=swine.
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I. INTRODUCTION

Islam prohibits eating of the flesh of swine as it is a sin
and impiety to do so. To the practicing Muslim the fact that the
reason for its being prohibited has not been specified other than
this, does not mean that one is allowed to make it LAWFUL, nor does
one have the RIGHT to say that he knows with CERTAINTY the EXACT
reason(s) why it is forbidden. However, Muslims are encouraged to
investigate by scientific means the advantages and disadvantages,
as well as the wisdom of such prohibition.

Many food items on the market which contain pork or its by
products has caused much difficulty for the practicing Muslim
living in a non-Muslim society to adjust himself and at the same
time to satisfy his religious commitment. There are many facts and
fallacies in the society about eating pork. For these and other
reasons the author feels it incumbent to write this article that
brings to the reader's attention some of the basic scientific
findings in the field of biochemistry, microbiology, public health,
religion, history, behaviour, etc. In so doing, it is left to the
reader to deduce the significance of its prohibition and to act
accordingly.


II. PROHIBITION

The prohobition of pork in Islam may be found and mentioned
directly in four chapter of Qur'an, i.e.: Al-Baqarah (2:173), Al-
Ma'idah (5:3), Al-An'am (6:145), and Al-Nahl (16:115).

From this four verses one can say that pork is totally
prohibited in Islam to Muslim and non-Muslims as well. Chapter 6 is
clearly explained that the prohibition is to everyone, to every
human being. In this regard Allah says:

"........forbidden to be eaten by ONE who wishes to eat it,...."
(Al-An'am, 6:145)

III. GENERAL REASONS FOR PROHIBITION

The exact reason(s) and the real wisdom why the flesh of pork
is prohibited is known only to Allah Almighty. The knowledgeable believing
Muslims say:

"We believe in the Book, the whole of it is from our Lord....."
(Al-Imran, 3:7)

However, a Muslim is encouraged to look into the reasons for
its prohibition. It is the habit of the Qur'an in every aspect of
life to encourage the Muslims to think, to ponder, to remember, to
reflect, to find out, to search and to do something good about it.

Qur'an mentioned that Allah prohibits eating the flesh of
swine, because it is a SIN and an IMPIETY (Rijss). This word Rijss
(abdomination) has been mentioned ten times in the Qur'an in
different context, some are directly related to pork, alcohol,
raffle, gambling, idols, while others are indirectly related to
HUMAN MANNERS).

The word Rijss has been explained as meaning "filthy" and
"dirty" as mentioned in the Qur'an (9:95), (7:70), (9:96),
(10:100), (22:30) and (33:33).

IV. FLESH OR TOTAL ANIMAL

Is the prohibition of pork restricted to the FLESH of the
swine or does it include all parts of the animal? To answer this
question one has to deduce the answer directly from the Qur'an.
In the Arabic language the word "flesh" includes the totality of
the "edible" portion of the animal. Examples of this are many,
among which are the following:

"...Look further at the bones, how we bring them together and
clothe them with FLESH.............." (2:259)

"It is He who made the sea subject, that you may eat thereof FLESH
that is fresh and tender............" (16:14)

"....Then We made out of that hump bones and clothes the bones with
FLESH..............................." (23:14)

It is then obvious that the word "flesh" does not mean only
meat, but includes the fat as well. This mean that every edible
organ, system or tissue in pig is prohibited whether it is rich or
poor of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc.

V. PORK VERSUS OTHER ANIMAL'S MEAT

The question is asked regularly why is pork the ONLY animal to
be prohibited while the flesh of other animals is not? The answer
to that would be: PORK IS NOT THE ONLY ANIMAL WHICH IS PROHIBITED
BUT THE FLESH OF ALL CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS, as well as that human
being, is not allowed to be eaten. The meat of the CAT, DOG, RAT,
MOUSE, TIGER, FOX, LION, EAGLE, FALCON, HAWK, etc. is prohibited,
while the flesh of HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS is allowed to be eaten, i.e.
SHEEP, COW, CAMEL, DEER, GAZELLE, GOAT, CHICKEN, DUCK, GOOSE,
RABBIT, BIRD, etc.

It seem there is a wisdom in prohibiting the flesh of
CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS and it will be mentioned later.

IX. RELIGIOUS EVIDENCE

It seems that all religions of the world prohibit the
consumption of pork. Judaism prohibits eating pork; Christianity in
general and Islam in particular do prohibit the eating of pork.

Searching out the literature, one finds out that Jesus came
originally to the Jews and hence logic dictates that Jesus di not
nullify the previous scripture but came to verify it, to purity it
and to add to it. There is no place in the literature that Jesus
himself ate pork in his life time. In "Levictus," chapter 11,
verses 7-8, God says about swine:"Though he divided the hoof, and
be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
Of their flesh shall ye not eat."

H.L. Hastings, a noted Bible expositor, says in his book,
"Will the Old Book Stand," page 92:"Swine were designed to be
scavenger, to eat up filth and abominations; but when they had done
their work it was not designed that men should turn around and eat
swine."

"Isaiah," 65:2-5 that god says:" I have spread out My hands
all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that
was not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoketh Me
to anger continually to My face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and
burneth incense upon altars of brick;...which eat swine's flesh and
broth of abominable things in their vessels; which say, stand by
Thyself, come not near Me; for I am holier than Thou. These are a
smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day."

Rev. C.L. Vories (1971) stated that the Bible so clearly and
definitely forbids the eating of pork that all who love the word of
God and would follow its teachings can have no question at all as
to whether or not they should abstain from feasting on the unclean
creature.

According to Islam, Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was sent by
Allah to purify Christianity and Judaism, to verify the teachings
of churches and the rabbi, and to complement and to complete the
teachings of God to mankind. Islam, therefore, has placed an
emphatic stress on the prohibition of pork. Anyone who eats it
would be committing a sin and an impiety, whether he is a Muslim or
not.

X. BEHAVIORAL EVIDENCE

There is a large number of experiments at molecular basis
conducted on children to see the effect(s) upon their personality,
character and behavior. It has been found that breast-feeding for
infants, has instilled in them better humane characteristics than
bottle-feeding. It was proven that eating the meat of calves that
were injected with the hormone diethylstilbesterol (DES) has
influenced the character of people, i.e., it has increased
homosexuality. The type of food eaten affects the chemistry of the
body and hence affects the character and behavior of the
individual. The effect could be a result of an individual nutrient,
a gross nutrient or a food item.

Looking into diet of people, some are vegetarian (vegans,
fruitarians, lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, ovo-lacto-
vegetarians) and others are meat eaters. Some experiments have been
conducted on children in Maryland (USA) that they were given daily
food of carbohydrate and sweets without animal proteins. The
children turned out to be hypersensitive, intolerant, aggresive,
not sociable and hyperactive. When their food was then changed to
normal diet including animal proteins, they became normal in their
habitat as other children. This may partially explain what goes on
in India for those who strict vegans toward the Muslims there. The
sensitiveness, the intolerance and the aggression of some of the
vegans toward the Muslims who are beef-eater.

Among the meat-eaters, there are herbivorous animal eaters and
both herbivorous and carnivous eaters. The strange thing about the
latter group is that they eat pork as the only animal from the
group of carnivorous animals, but do not eat the meat of cats,
rats, dogs, mice and the like. Fangary (1971) reported taht many
people who eat carnivorous animals tend to be vicious, lack of
humane attitudes toward other people, are ready to kill others
without reason, and some are even known to eat the meat of other
people.
Looking further into the behavior of the hog, one may find
that it is a unique animal. The boar (Babi jantan) does not mind
seeing his sow (betina) mating with another boar in front of him.
This habit is unique in that other animals can not tolerate it.
To speak for the boar, one may say that the boar is, in
effect, saying, let his sow mate with other boars; and who cares
who is mating as long as they (his sow and the other boars) agree
among themselves and they are enjoying sex among themselves. Thus,
the sow has the permission to mate with as many as she wants and
infront of her own boar without any shame of both. In a such a
situation the sow acts as the worst prostitute while the boar acts
with immoralities to allow his female to mate with others even
infront of his own eyes and without much concern.

To eat flesh of such animals may affect the persolity
character of the individual as it was mention before that such a
hormone injected into calves increase the ratio of homosexuality of
human who ate it. Therefore, eating the flesh of pork may affect
the personality character of the individual by increasing
IMMORALITY, including homosexuality, lesbianism, adultery, incest
and prostitution. The free mixing of the sexes is really a
dreadfull thing to observe. There is no concept of ethics or
morality among many people but their concept of sex enjoyment
without responsibility and free sex interchange. Pre-marital
relationships and the increased rate of illegitimate pregnancies
are predominant features in the western societies. The streakers
and the degree of publicity they received are among the symptoms of
the SICK societies that have been polluted by the wrong FOOD (and
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES[tambahan dari saya]) that they were eating. The
degree of rape and the general obsession with sex in western
societies, are beyond control. The rate of incidence of looting,
killing, stabbing, shooting, snipring, strangling, robbing,
stockpiling of arms, and the like are among the many other evils of
the modern societies that cannot be tolerated any more.

If any improvement has to take place in any society, it has to
be started from the diet so that to be able to chang the body
chemistry including the central the central nervous system and the
brain, and hence the moral standards of individuals. Moral
teachings are to be followed by the society and the family.

XI. FALLACIES AND FACTS

1. Many people think that as long as one cook pork, they will never
have the danger of contracting trichinosis. USDA/FDA (United States
Department of Agriculture/Foods and Drugs Administration) reported
that in a series of 24 cases of trichinosis, 22 were said to have
resulted from 'cooked pork'. (tambahan saya: kista [kapsul larva]
cacing pita dan sebangsanya baru bisa binasa pada suhu 400
derajat!)

2. Pork fat has high PUFA that has been said that it is good to be
used even for those who have heart attack problems. The reality is
that these fatty acid are located on 1 and 3 position of the TG
molecules and therefore they can not hydrolyse by PL. They are
absorbed as pork fat after being emulsified and deposited as such
in the human body.

3. Pork is nutritious and therefore one should continue to eat it
as a source of animal protein. Parret (19..?) stated that hog meat
is also more difficult to digest than most other kinds so that the
biologocal value (BV) is therefore low.

4. Pork was prohibited in Arabia for hygienic purposes. Nowadays
hogs are raised under more sanitary conditions. The fact that hog
is, by choice, a dirty and filthy animal; it insists on going to
garbage area to feed itself; it follows the cattle and other
animals on the farm to eat the dung (tahi) and to turn it into pork
for public market. Rev. Vories (1971) stated:"See the brute as he
wallows in the mud. See him in the very height of his glory, on top
of manure pile, with his head buried in the dung from which exalted
site he gives expression to his joy and satisfaction by his
rhythmical grunts". Harris (1964), anthropologist, wrote:"... it
will cover its skin with its own urine and feces."

5. Pork has the highest content of fat impregnated with the meat
that may cause overweight and obesity, high level of TG in the
plasma, high cholesterol that may lead to cardiovascular diseases.

6. Harris (1964) tried to give anthropological answer to the
riddley of the pig as to why God prohibited Jews and Muslims to
eat. He said:"Pigs tasted good but they ate you out of house and
home and, if you gave them a chance, used up you water as well.
Well, that's why my answer. Anyone have a better idea?"

Allah knows best

Dress According to Islamic Law

What does Islam say regarding Dress Code?

Islam promotes modesty and seeks to minimize vice and immorality in society. One of the ways it does so is by requiring modest dress. Islam sets the standards of decency for both men and women.

Islam wants to achieve two things through appropriate dress. Firstly, to cover human body properly as it is not right to expose human body indecently. Secondly, for the purpose of protection and adornment ( the Qur'anic term "Reesh" is both for beautification and to provide body against the severity of climate ).

The Qur'an, the book of Allah, states in this regard:

"O, children of Adam, we have sent down to you clothing in order to cover the shameful parts of your body and serve as protection and adornment and the best garment is the garment of piety" (QS. 7: 26).


Islam prescribes a more conservative minimum dress code for both men and women. In Islam, both men and women are expected to dress simply, modestly, and with dignity. A man must always be covered in loose and unrevealing clothing from his navel to his knee. This is the absolute minimum covering required. He must never, for example, go out in public wearing a short bathing suit. When leaving the home, a Muslim woman must at least cover her hair and body in loose and unrevealing clothing, obscuring the details of her body from the public; some also choose to cover their face and hands. The wisdom behind this dress code is to minimize sexual enticement and degradation in society as much as possible for both men and women. Obeying this dress code is a form of obedience to God. Islam forbids any sex appeal and physical allurement outside of marriage. In contrast, Islam encourages sex appeal and physical attraction for both men and women within the privacy between married couples.

Islamic law has provided mankind with appropriate instructions and guidelines regarding dress for men and women. There should be a balance between appropriate covering of body and adornment. If this balance is destroyed, this will be a deviation and following the way of devil.

The Qur'an states in this regard:

"O, children of Adam, let not satan seduce you in the same way as he caused your first parents to be driven out of the heaven and stripped them of their garments in order to expose their shameful parts before each other" (7 27).

Islam has not permitted the use of same type of dress or garments by men and women. Islam wants to maintain the distinction between man and woman. It is not proper for men or women to imitate the other sex in respect of dress. The Prophet of Islam has said, "It is prohibited for men to dress like women and it is prohibited for women to dress like men" (narrated in the books of tradition of Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, -Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban).

The Prophet Muhammad SAW has also cursed such people (narrated by Imam Bukhari in his book of tradition of the Prophet).

Islam has prohibited show and pomp in the matter of dress. The Qur'an has stated,

"Allah does not like any proud person" (57 : 23).

The Prophet Muhammad SAW has said, "Any person who will (unnecessarily lengthen his dress) to touch the ground only to show his pride, Allah will not look to him on the day of judgement" (narrated by Imam Bukhari in his book of tradition).

Dress should be very clean as Islam has emphasised on cleanliness. The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has said, "Adopt cleanliness because Islam is a religion which upholds cleanliness" (narrated in Ibn Habban, a book of tradition of the Prophet).

The Prophet Muhammad SAW has permitted use of gold ornaments and silk by women. He has not permitted use of these for men. The reason probably is that these are more suitable for women nature and not for men.

Men and women should wear decent dress. It is the Sunnah of the Prophet that men and women should cover their body properly. However, men are allowed to expose their body except the portion between navel and knee for the need of work or otherwise.

Women should cover their body very properly. The Prophet has said that it is not appropriate for a grown up girl to expose any part of her body except face and forehead (to any male who is not her husband or close relation). (Narrated by Abu Dawood in his book on tradition). This is the view of the majority of jurists including Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Abu Yusuf. Modern scholars Yusuf al Qaradawi, Hasan Turabi and Jamal Badawi also hold this view.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW has said that women are not permitted to wear any thin garment through which their body can be seen (narrated by Imam Muslim).

Islam believes in the dignity of women and wants to protect her from lustful eyes of evil persons. Islam, therefore, prescribed that women should put on a flowing outer garment (gown) over her normal dress while going out to do work or for other purposes. The Qur'an has stated:

"O Prophet ask your wives, daughter and women of the believers to put on a flowing outer garment (covering their bosom and head). This is better for recognition of good women so that they will not be bothered (33 : 59).

If mankind follows the principles of dress given by Islam, it will indeed ensure dignity of women and men and also help establish a decent society.

Conditions of Muslim Dress Code

1. Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible (According to some Fiqh Schools).
2. The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.
3. The clothing must hang loose so that the shape / form of the body is not apparent.
4. The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.
5. The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non-believing women.
6. The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.
7. Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing one's status in society.

The reason for this strictness is so that the woman is protected from the lustful gaze of men. She should not attract attention to herself in any way. It is permissible for a man to catch the eye of a woman, however it is haram (unlawful) for a man to look twice as this encourages lustful thoughts.

Islam protects the woman; it is for this reason that Allah gave these laws. In today's society womankind is being exploited, female sexuality is being openly used in advertising, mainly to attract the desires of men and therefore sell the product. Is the woman really free in today's society? The answer is obviously no. The constant bombardment by the media as to how the ideal woman should look and dress testifies to this.

Islam liberated woman over 1400 years ago. Is it better to dress according to man or God?

Allah has stated in the Qur'an that women must guard their modesty.
" Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof. " [QS.24.31]

" Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that will make for greater purity for them, and God is well acquainted with all they do. " [QS.24.30]

Cleanliness in Our Daily Life

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim,

This topic came up after teaching my kids at home. I discussed with them how to make up their beds, clean their bedroom, and to organize their desks and drawers from any clutter items.

Allah SWT mentions in the Qur'an: " Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves". (QS.2:222)

"O children of Adam, take your adornment at every Masjid (mosque), and eat and drink, but do not waste: verily He does not love the wasteful" (QS. 7:31)

And the Prophet Muhammad SAW also said: The cleanliness is half of your deen (belief)". What does it mean? I asked them. They said that if we are not clean, we can not do shalah, because we are required to be clean before praying, and we can not touch any food. You are both correct my kids, Masha Allah. How do we


Purity is a condition for the Prayer to be regarded valid, and the Prayer is an act of worship which a Muslim performs at least five times throughout his daily routine. Islam also requires that one bathe after ejaculation or sexual intercourse, and highly encourages taking a bath before performing those types of worship which are manifest symbols of Islam, such as the Friday Prayer and the Greater and Lesser Pilgrimage to Makkah.

Allah SWT says in the Glorious Quran:

(O you who believe! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads (with wet hands), and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah), purify yourselves (by taking a bath). And if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you comes from the answering of call of nature, or you have had contact with women, and you find no water, then go to clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with some of it. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you and to perfect His grace upon you that you may give thanks.) (Al-Maidah :6)

Islam also encourages that one wash his hands prior and subsequent to meals. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"Food is blessed when one washes his hands before and after it." (Tirmidhi)

It encourages that one keep his mouth and teeth clean. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"Had I not found it difficult for my followers, I would have ordered them to cleanse their teeth before every prayer." (Bukhari)

It encourages that one cleanse and purify those places that may become a breeding ground for germs and filth. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"There are five acts which are from the innate nature with which Allah created humans: circumcision, removing the pubic hair, plucking the hair of the armpits, shortening the moustache, and clipping the nails." (Bukhari)


Cleanliness and Beautification

The attention to hygiene is another aspect of Civilized Manner (Suluk Al-Hadari) which is an unknown concern in any other religion or philosophy before Islam. Cleanliness became an essential part of the rites and worship to such extent that it is an inseparable part of the Muslim's life.

The five daily Prayers are obligatory upon every Muslim, man and women. This Prayer is actually pledge to meet Allah, the Exalted, from the rising of the dawn until the disappearance of the twilight at evening. It is, in fact a spiritual shower washing away sins five times a day. In this respect Allah says: "And establish regular Prayers at the two ends of the day and when the night approaches, surely the good deeds blot out the evil deeds." (11:114)

This Islamic Prayer has a uniqueness unlike the Prayer in other religions in that physical purification is a necessary condition. If Prayer is the key to Paradise then, likewise purification is the key to Prayer. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Allah does not accept Prayers without purification." [Note: Reported by Muslim and Ibn Majah on the authority of Ibn `Umar, also by Ibn Majah on the authority of Anas and Abi Bakrah and also Abu Dawud, Al-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah on the authority of the father of Abi Al Malih, Sahih Al- Jami' Al-Saghir, No.7746]

This purification and cleanliness are of two kinds: purification from impurities and purification from the excretions of the penis, vagina or anus.

Purification from impurities purifies the body, the clothes and the place in which one prays from any impurities such as the stains of the blood, dead animals and pigs, and the vomiting, urine or excrement of human beings and animals.

The other kind of purification does not mean cleanliness from something palpable. But rather purifying the inner of oneself because it is an order from Allah. A Muslim is obliged to make ablution if exposed to minor impurities. This means he must wash the areas of the body which are ordinarily exposed to dust and dirt and he should have a body-washing (Ghusl) after menstruation and sexual intercourse. Moreover, these acts of purification are connected to recurrent natural stimuli which one must blot out through purification. It is also preferable, in Islam, for the Muslim to be eager to clean his body regularly, particularly when he meets his fellow Muslims in the congregational Prayers.

Ghusl is also an act in which it is preferable to be performed before the Friday congregational Prayer as stated in the noble hadith. In other versions, the hadith goes to the extent of ordering one to perform (Ghusl) as part of the overall cleanliness and hygiene of the Muslim Society: "Ghusl on Friday is obligatory (Wajib) on every adult!" [Note: Reported by Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah on the authority of Sa'id, Sahih Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, (3690)]

By adult, he means a sane human being who is of the age in which his deeds are held accountable before Allah. Another hadith obliges the Muslim to perform (Ghusl) at least once a week saying: "Every Muslim should bathe once every seven days where he should wash his head and alt of his body." [Note: Agreed upon on the authority of Abu Hurairan, Al-Lu `Lu' Wal Marjan, (No.442)]

The Sunnah has directed attention in taking care of certain parts of the human body such as the mouth. The means of cleaning it was the Swak which is easily found and used in the Arab Peninsula. In this respect, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "The Swak is a purifying agent for the mouth and it is a way of seeking Allah's Pleasure." [Note: Reported by Ahmad on the authority Abi Bakr; also by Al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, Nasa'i, Ibn Khaizamah, Ibn Hibban, Al-hakim and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of `Aishah, and by Ibn Majah on the authority of Abi Umaman, Sahih Al-Jami Al-Saghir, (3695)]

Concerning the hair, Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Whoever has hair should care about it." [Note: Reported by Abu Dawud on the authority of Abu Rurairah, (No. 4163), Sahih Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, (No.6497)] `Ata' Ibn Yasser reported that: "A man came to the Prophet (Peace be upon him): When he was in the mosque with uncomped hair and an untidy beard. The Prophet pointed to him as if ordering him to fix his hair and beard. He did so and returned. Thereupon the Prophet (Peace be upon him): When he was in the mosque observed, "Isn't this better than one of you coming with his hair uncomped, as if he was a devil ?" [Note: Reported by Malik, Al-Mawatta', vol.2, p.949] Thus the Prophet as the instructor taught the Muslims the importance of having a pleasant appearance which comes second in importance after the excellence of the inner self. Furthermore, he taught Muslims to wash their hands thrice on waking up before putting them in the water, saying, "For no one knows where his bands were during sleep." [Note: Reported by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majab, Al-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, and Al-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abu Hurairah, Sahih Al-Jam'i Al Saghir, No.332]

For Arabs used to clean their private parts with stones due to scarcity of water and many of them weren't in the habit of wearing pants, so perhaps they might have touched their private parts (where the impurity was) while they were asleep.

He also taught them to wash their hands after eating and particularly after eating meat. He went so far as to warn them against neglecting to wash their hands before sleep saying: "Whoever goes to sleep without washing his hands from the traces of fatty foods, exposes himself to illness and should blame no one but himself." [Note: Reported by Abu Dawud (No.3852), Al-Tirmidhi (No.1861), Ibn Majah (No.3267), and Ibn Hibban as mentioned in Al-Mawarid (No. 1354), all of them reported it on the authority of Abu Hurairah except Ibn Majah who reported it after Fatimah, (May Allah be pleased with both of them), No.3296]

The Sunnah stressed the importance of cleanliness in the house saying: "You must clean your houses and do not follow in the footsteps of Jews". [Note: Reported by Al-Tirmidhi]

Moreover, the Sunnah instructed Muslims to maintain the cleanliness of the roads by lifting any harmful objects found on it. This is considered a Sadaqa and as a means to ridding the streets of impurities and filth.

Some Bedouin Arabs used to urinate on the roads or in the shade. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) strictly warned them against it and considered it one of the reasons to provoke Allah's curse and the people's curse saying:

"Beware of those acts which cause others to curse. They asked, "What are those acts?" The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Relieving oneself in the people's walkways or in their shade". [Note: Reported by Ahmad, Muslim and Abu Dawud on the authority of Abu Hurairah, the previous reference (no. 110)]

"Beware of the three acts that cause others to curse you: relieving yourselves in a watering place, on foot paths or shaded places." [Note: Reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and Al-Baihaqi on the authority of Mu'adh, Sahij' Al- Jaini' Al-Saghir (no. 112)]

This instruction in conjunction with the others were the first attempts, known in the history of mankind, to link human beings with the protection of the environment from harm in the name of religion.

The Importance of Cleanliness in Islam:

This is due to several considerations in the Sunnah as well as the Qur'an. First, cleanliness is one of the qualities which Allah, the Exalted, loves. He says: "Surely God loves those who repent, and He loves those who are always pure." (2:222) He also praised the people of Qiba' and their love of cleanliness, saying, "A mosque which was founded upon piety from the very first day is more worthy be stood in. In it are men who love to purify themselves, and God loves those who purify themselves." (9:108)

Purification or cleanliness is considered an inseparable part of faith to the extent that some Muslims mistook the saying: "Cleanliness is a sign of faith" as a hadith. The actual authentic hadith in this respect says: "Purification is half of faith" [Note: Reported by Muslim, Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abi Malik Al-Ash'ari, Sahih Al- Jami' Al-Saghir (No.3957)]

Purification includes both moral purificatiwhere one is free from polytheism, hypocrisy and ill manners, and physical purification means private and public cleanliness.

Second, cleanliness is the pathway to health and strength. Islam aspires the health and strength of Muslims, preparing them to confront and overcome different circumstances and as ammunition for the Muslim group. The strong believer is better and Allah loves him more than the weak believer. The Muslim is entrusted with his body thus, he must not neglect it until it becomes plagued with disease for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"Your body has a right on you." [Note: Agreed upon on the authority of `Abdullah Ibn `Amr, Al-Lu `lu' Wal Marjan (No.715)]

Third, cleanliness is a prerequisite to beautification or appearing in the way most loved by Allah and His Prophet. It is reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty."

After the Prophet Muhammad SAW said: "If one has an atom's weight of arrogant pride in his he! he will not enter Paradise". On hearing the Prophet's words, a man said: I like to wear elegant clothes and shoes or he said one likes to wear elegant clothes and shoes.' The Prophet commented, "Allah is beautiful and he loves beauty, arrogant pride means the denial of the truth and despising people." [Note: Reported by Muslim on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud in the book of Iman, (No.147)]

Allah, the Exalted says: "O children of Adam, adorn yourselves fully at every time of prayer." And says: "Who had forbidden the ornament of God which He brought forth for His servants and who has forbidden the good things which he has provided?" (7:31-32)

Hence, `the Prophet forbade men going to the mosque in the clothes worn at work. Al-Hasan used to adorn himself wearing musk and his best garments on going to the mosque. When asked about this, he explained:

"I beautify myself for Allah's Sake." Then he recited, "Adorn yourselves fully at every time of Prayer."

Lastly, cleanliness and pleasant appearance are of characteristics which allow relationships to strengthen amongst people. The sane human being will try to avoid people who are unkempt. Hence, the Prophet emphasized the importance of Ghusl or bathing on Friday. Similarly, there is a prohibition on eating garlic, onion, leek and food like it, before going to the mosque in order not to disturb others from the strong odor. If one insists on eating them, then he is not permitted to enter the mosque and is deprived of the congregational Prayer.

In both Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet Muhammad SAW said:"Whoever has eaten garlic, should not approach our mosque". [Note: Agreed upon, Al-lu'lu' Wal Marjan (No.331-333]

Jabir Ibn `Abdullah reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Whoever has eaten garlic or onion should keep away from our mosque and stay at home." [Note: Agreed upon, Al-Lu `lu' Wal Marjan (No 331-333)]

And Al-Mughirah Ibn Shu'bah reported; "Whoever has eaten from this malignant tree, should not approach our mosque until its smell completely vanishes." [Note: Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban, Sahih Al- Jami' Al Saghir (No.6092)]

These Hadiths rebukes those who eat these raw legumes and threaten to exclude him from approaching the mosques. By analogy, smokers, nowadays, should be deprived of approaching the mosques for they expose people to passive smoking, consequently, to danger.

These legumes are lawful - halal per se, whereas , smoking is dangerous physically, spiritually, and economically and it is thereupon judged as forbidden. The Ayah in which Allah describes his Prophet in the books of old times apply to smoking as Allah says: "He enjoins on them what is good and forbids them from what is evil".

On the bases of instinct, intellect and scientific proofs, tobacco is definitely not one of the good things in life.


B. Among the Privileges of Islam:

The regard to cleanliness in Islam is seen as one of Islam's great privileges. This fact is emphasized through two points: Firstly, the Arabs, like many people from the same environment and circumstances, were almost Bedouin thus, most of them held little importance to personal hygiene and the cleanliness of their houses. This could be attributed to the scarcity of water in the region as there were no rivers such as the Nile, the Tigris or the Euphrates. What existed were wells which were either deficient or abundant and relied upon rainfall which was sparse in number and quantity. They therefore had to exert perseverance and effort in order to progress from the stages of Bedouinism to the state of civilization thus growing to love cleanliness to the extent that it became an inseparable characteristic of their lives.

On reading the hadith, one becomes acquainted with the bad habits which prevailed amongst them, such as urinating in running and stagnant water as well as in walkways and shaded places.

In this respect, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:"None of you should urinate in still water and then perform Ghusl in it." [Note: Agreed upon on the authority of Abu Hurairah, Al-Lu'lu' Wal Mrajan (No.161)]

"None of you should urinate in stagnant water and then make ablution in it ". [Note: Reported by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Nasa'i, Sahih Al-Jami' Al Saghir, (No.7594)]

and,

"None of you should urinate in a bathing place." [Note: Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Al Nasa'i, Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban on the authority of `Abdulah Ibn Mighfal, Sahih Al- Jami' Al-Saghir (No.7597)]

The second point is that, the prevailing religions in the Arabian Peninsula and the areas in its vicinity, did not lay great importance to cleanliness nor did they encourage their followers to partake in it. In fact, a number of hadiths reported that the Jews did not care about hygiene of their houses therefore, Allah's Prophet said: "Clean your houses and do not follow in the footsteps of the Jews."

As for the Christian monks, they renounced personal hygiene as part and parcel of the world which they had rid themselves of. This world included marriage, eating the best food and similar pleasures. All the other religions and philosophies are based upon the belief that the human body is an evil entity which should be deprived of all the good things in life including cleanliness and ornaments.

What We Should Do before Prayer

Before you approach prayer you should purify yourself by performing ablution (Wudu). The first step in performing wudu is to intend it in your heart and by uttering, or saying in your mind, the words "bismillah" (in the name of Allah). Then rinse your palms up to the wrist three times, rinse your mouth thrice, wash your nose by sniffing water in it thrice, wash your face three times, then wash your hands up to the elbow, the right hand first then the left hand. Then wipe your head with wet hands, rub your ears with wet hands and finally wash your right feet up to the ankle thrice and repeat it with your left foot. When washing your hands, arms and feet you should always start with your right one and repeat it three times, as the Prophet taught us to do. After you are finished you should say ashadu an-la ilaha illallahu, washadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.

If you go to the bathroom for any of your necesities, pass wind, sleep or become unconscious, you should purify yourself again by following the same procedure as described above before the next prayer. If you are in a state of major impurity (discharge of semen in erotic dreams or sexual intercourse) purify your body by taking a complete bath (Ghusl). Women should also take a bath after menstruation or child-birth. The procedure is as follows (1) have the intention of ghusl, (2) wash the private parts, (3) perform ablution (wudu) as you do before prayer (4) put water over the head (5) wash the whole body, head and hair thoroughly so as not to leave a dry spot (6) say ashadu an-la ilaha illallahu, washadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh. A Muslim is expected to do ghusl at least once a week is on Friday before the congregational prayers, though nowadays it is hardly applicable as we take showers everyday.

Women are exempt from performing prayer during the days of menstruation and child-birth time. As for other times, they are required to perform prayer promptly.

Shalat with young children

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim,



The second pillar of Islam is performing Shalah (prayer). The Muslim is enjoined to perform five obligatory prayers every day to keep himself in relation with his Lord, to invoke and implore Him, and to refrain himself from committing lewdness or indecency. These prayers not only ensure psychological rest to the Muslim in this present life, but they also pave the way to him to gain eternal happiness in the hereafter. So that on the Day of Judgment the account for the prayers will have to be rendered first.
The importance of prayer in Islam is great as it is the foremost duty of Muslims and one of the pillars on which the structure of Islam stands. It distinguishes Muslims from non-Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"What stands between a man and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer."
"Know that among your duties, prayer is foremost."

Allah SWT said in the Qur'an: "Verily, I am Allah. There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for My remembrance". {QS. Ta-ha:14}

Prayer is the pillar of religion. It succeeds in importance the Shahadah Therefore, it is not only a duty on the Muslim to observe performing prayers from his maturity up to his death, but he should also order his household to perform it. He should also order his children to start practicing it from the time when they are 7 years old so that they may be accustomed to perform it. Allah Says:

" إن الصلاة كانت على المؤمنين كتابا موقوتا " النساء : من آية 103

“enjoined on the believers.” (Qur’an 4:103).Performing prayers at fixed times has been


As a Muslim we need to instill the love of Allah by performing shalah daily at early age. As a parent we are responsible to teach our children to practice the shalah to them and other Islamic duties. So that when they grow up they have a strong foundation of Islamic beliefs to fulfill their life.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "If the son of Adam dies, his actions are ceased except three: A continuing charity, knowledge which benefits others, or a righteous son who supplicates for him." (Muslim and Ahmed)

In our graves, our wealth will be of no benefit to us. The success of our careers, and the level of our degrees will be of no value. How well we raised our children will. And yet so much of our time, so much of our learning and our efforts are spent for the sake of those things, which are fleeting.

In another Hadiith the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "A servant will have his rank raised and will say: `O my Lord how has this come about for me?' He says, `Through your sons after you seeking forgiveness for you."' (Ahmed and Ibn Majah)

When we leave this world, what will we leave behind? What mark will we make? What will we send forward? What will we take? Our children will inherit this life. In their hands may lay our ultimate salvation-or our ultimate ruin. In their hands may lay the ulti­mate salvation or ruin of our Ummah. Shouldn't something that important demand our full attention?

Alhamdulillah when my son was four year (roughly) old and my daughter was three, I introduced to them to practice shalah together/jama'ah with me. I did shalat jama'ah everyday with them. From the beginning to the end of the shalah, I recited loudly with them, including shalat zuhur, and 'asr which are supposed to do quietly (sirriyyah) not jarriyyah (loudly). But I did that in the process of teaching my kids to recite the ayahs properly. By doing that they will learn one surah at a time. When they know and able to memorize it I recite another surah. I do that until they really memorize and recite it correctly.

I pray with them everyday and recite different surahs and it depends on which surahs they have problems. And from time to time when I have my monthly cicle, I ask my son to lead shalah for his sister. Masha Allah I remember when he did that for the first time when he was eight years old, he was very proud of himself.

One thing we have to remember not to pay your children to pray, or promise them large gifts if they pray. Instill in them a love for Allah that will motivate them internally to perform shalah and doing other good deeds. Social psychologists have shown that when people are given external rewards or motivation to do some activity, they enjoy doing that activity less and are less motivat­ed, than if they are given no external reward but the reward is internally motivated.

Therefore to instill the love of Allah by doing shalah early is very crucial and there is no need to impose it if started early, Insha Allah. Imagine a child raised in a home where, aside from some cultural norms, Islam is essentially irrelevant. Parents are not serious about shalah and whatever Islamic practice they do per­form is done more out of ethnic cus­toms than Islam. Now imagine the child reaches puberty. A girl who was never really instilled with Islam before, is now forced to wear hijab. A boy whose life was never centered around Islam is now made to attend Shalatul-Jumuah. Will it surprise any­one if those kids rebel?

Consider, on the other hand, a child who was raised knowing and loving Qur'an, was taken to the masjid early on, and performed shalah alongside his parents. Would hijab or Shalatul­ Jumuah need to be imposed? Or would it only be a natural extension for a child whose very nature is Islam? Instill and reinforce love for Allah and His Messenger from the day they are born.

Teaching your kids to perform shalah, you need to explain what is shalah, what to do before praying, and how to do it, etc.

# To perform prayer, one should be clean, wearing clean clothes and perform prayer in a clean place.

The Muslim should always cleanse himself by pure water. He should remove all traces of stool, urine, or any other dirt. Before prayer the Muslim should perform Wudu (ablution).

The five obligatory daily prayers are the Morning Prayer (Fajr), the noon prayer (Zuhr), the afternoon prayer (Asr), the evening prayer (Maghrib) and the night prayer (Ishaa).

The time due to Morning Prayer begins at true dawn and extends until the sun rises. It should not be delayed beyond this span of time. The time for noon prayer starts from the Zawal (a little after the sun passes the meridian) and extends till one’s shadow becomes equal to its own length plus the length of its noon- time shadow. The time enjoined for afternoon prayer starts after the end of noon-prayer time and extends until the sun turns yellow. One must hasten to perform it while the sun is still bright. The time for Maghrib prayer begins soon after sunsets and lasts till the disappearance of the twilight. Its performance should not be delayed. The time for Ishaa prayer begins after the disappearance of the twilight and lasts till midnight. If a Muslim delays one of these five prayers, he commits a grievous sin. He should turn to Allah in repentance and refrain himself from recommitting it. The Qura’n warns those who delay their prayers from its fixed times.

"فويل للمصلين الذين هم عن صلاتهم ساهون "سورة الماعون الآية 4-5

“Woe unto those who pray but delay their prayers from its stated fixed time” (Quran 107: 7-4).

# Performance of Wudu' (Ablution)

Wudu' is the act of washing those parts of the body that are generally exposed. The water should be pure clean and fresh with no change in its colour, taste and smell. Wudu' is done as follows:

1. Make a full intention of performing the Wudu' for offering prayer and recite.

"بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم"

“Bismillahir – rahmanir – rahim“, (in the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful).

2. Wash hands up to the wrists three times, passing the fingers in between each other.
3. Rinse your mouth with water three times.
4. Rinse the nostrils with water, sniffing up water and blowing it out.

5. Wash the face from the forehead to the chin bone and from ear to ear three times.
6. Wash the right arm followed by the left up to elbows three times.
7. Brush up the whole head with wet hands.

8. Pass the wet tips of the index fingers inside and the wet tips of the thumbs outside the ears.
9. Wash the feet up to the ankles three times. The right foot is washed first and then the left, taking care to wash in between the toes.

The same Wudu' may be used for several prayers. However, if a Muslim urinates, defecates, passes wind or loses his consciousness for any reason after Wudu' he should re-perform it again before prayer.

Performance of Shalah

A prayer consists of either two, three or four Raka’at: A Raka’at is performed in the following way:

1. Stand straight, facing the direction of Ka’bah in Makkah, and make the Niyyat (the intention) in your mind of what prayer you are about to offer, preferably uttering t to yourself, Raise both hands up to the ears and say:

"الله اكبر "

“Allahu – Akbar”, (Allah is Great).

Bring them down or place the right hand upon the left below the chest and above the navel.

2. Recite the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qura’n (the Fatihah):

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم . الحمد لله رب العالمين . الرحمن الرحيم . مالك يوم الدين . إياك نعبد وإياك نستعين . أهدنا الصراط المستقيم . صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم غير لمغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين . ( سورة الفاتحة .

Alhamdu lillahi rabbil aalamiin, arr-ahmanir-rahim, maliki yawm-id-diin, iyyaka na’abudu wa iyyaka nasta'iin; ihdinas-siratal mustaqiim, sirat-alla-zina an'ammta alayhim ghairil magh-duubi alayhim wa-lad-daaliin (amiin).

The meaning of this glorious surah can be translated as follows:

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Most-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds The Most–Merciful the Most Compassionate. The Master of the Day of Judgment: You Alone we worship, and you Alone we ask for help. Show us the straight way, the way of those whom you have blessed, who have not incurred your displeasure, nor gone astray.”

These verses of Qur'an, and all other verses, should be recited in Arabic language.

Then recite a passage from the Holy Qur’an. For this purpose any one of the small chapters may be selected as, for instance, the chapter termed, ‘The Unity,”

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

(( قل هو الله أحد * الله الصمد * لم يلد ولم يولد * ولم يكن له كفوا أحد ))

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim

“Qul Huwallahu ahad, Allahus samad, lam Yalid wa lam yulad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad”.

In the Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Most Merciful

“Say: He is Allah, the One, Allah, the eternally besought of all.

He begets not no is He begotten. And there is none comparable

Unto Him“.

3. Say: “Allahu-Akbar” and bow down in Ruku' and say thrice:

"سبحان ربي العظيم "

Subhan Rabbiyal-aziim (How glorious my Lord the Great).

4. Assume the standing position, letting the hands remain on the sides and say:

" سمع الله لمن حمده "

Sami’allahu liman hamidah

" ربنا ولك الحمد"

Rabbana wa Lakal – hamd

(Allah has listened to him who has praised Him; Our Lord, praise be to you)

5. Saying” Allahu-Akbar” and prostrate to perform the Sujud, saying thrice:

" سبحان ربي الأعلى"

Subhan Rabbiyal-a’la (All glory be to my Lord, the Most High)

6. Raise yourself sitting for a which in a reverential posture, termed Jalsah (sitting) and say once.

" اللهم اغفر لي و ارحمني"

Allahummaghfirli warhamni. (O Allah ! forgive me and have mercy upon me).

7. Perform the second sajdah exactly in the same way as the first one. This finishes one Raka’at.
8. Say “ Allahu Akbar, stand estraight once again, repeat all that done in the perfomance of the first Raka’at.
9. After the second Raka’at second Sajdan is over, say “Allahu-Akbar” and sit down in the reverential posture and recite.

التحيات لله و الصلوات و الطيبات السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله و بركاته. السلام علينا و علي عباد الله الصالحين . أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و أشهد أن محمد عبده و رسوله

“At-tahiyyato lillahi wassalawato wat-taiyyibat. Assalamu alaika ayyuhannabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakathu assalamu alaina wa’ala’ibadillah –is saliheen. Ash-hand alla ilaha illalah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadun abdubu wa rasooluh”.

All Worships and praises are for Allah’s peace be upon you, O prophet, his mercy and His blessings too. Peace be on us and on all righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no God save Allah and testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

10. If more than two Raka’at are to be performed, say “Allahu Akbar”, stand up again, and complete one two Raka’at as the case may be, sit down in the reverential posture which is also obviously adopted if the prayer consists of two Raka,at only. In that reverential posture, recite in addition to Tashahhud, the Salawat

اللهم صل علي محمد وعلي آل محمد كما صليت علي إبراهيم وعبي آل إبراهيم وبارك علي محمد وعلي آل محمد كما باركت علي إبراهيم وعلي آل إبراهيم انك حميد مجيد

“Allahumma salli’ala Muhammadin wa’ala ali Mihammadin kama sallayta ala Ibrahim wa’ala ali Ibrahim, wa barik 'ala Mihammadin wa’ala 'ali Muhammadin kamma barakta 'ala Ibrahim wa’ala 'ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majiid”.

O, Allah have mercy on Muhammad and those related to Muhammad, just as You had mercy on Ibrahim and on those related to Ibrahim. O. Allah bestow Your blessings on Muhammad and on those related to Muhammad as You had bestowed it on Ibrahim and those related to Ibrahim. Surely, You are The Praisworthy, The Great.”

11. Turn your face to the right and say السلام عليكم ورحمة الله Assalamu-alaykum wa rahmatullah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah). Then turn it to the let and repeat the same. Here the prayer is complete.

Morning prayer is two rak’ast. Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayers are four rak’ats while maghrib prayer is three rak’ats. All verses of the Qur'an and other verses should be recited in Arabic.

Al-Kawthar (108)

سورة الكوثر

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

أنا أعطيناك الكوثر * فصل لربك وأنحر * إن شانئك هو الأبتر *

Bimillàhir rahmànir

Nnà a’tainakal kawthar.

Fa salli lirabbika wanhar

Inna shàni’aka huwàl abtar.

Meaning:

IN the name of Allah, The Compassionat the Most Merciful.

In deed we have given you the Kawther (Abundance or fountain);

So pray to your Lord and make sacrifice.

Surely your hater is the one cut off.

To practice these short surahs, try to recite one surah anytime they go to bed along with other du'as before they sleep. This good habits will bring a good dream in their sleeping.

Teach Your Kids To Perform Shalah Daily

Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiim,


Shalah is very important in a Muslim life. Allah (SWT) has said in the Holy Qur'an: "I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship Me." (Noble Qur'an 51:56)

It is clear from the above verse of the Qur'an that the purpose of our birth and of our life is no other than that of the worship of Allah SWT. There are many acts of worship ('Ibaadah) in Islam, and Shalah is one of the most important obligatory acts.

In a hadeeth narrated by Abdullah ibn Qart the Messenger of Allah SAW said,
"The first act that the servant of Allah will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment will be shalah. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be evil." (H.R: Tabrani)

Furthermore, shalah was the first act of worship that was made obligatory by Allah SWT. Therefore, due to its extreme importance to the Believer, shalah should be one of the first acts of worship that parents should teach their children.


How many children these days who can not perform the shalah. I have witnessed myself that there are many Muslim students, especially who have already reached the age of puberty, do not know how to do shalah. Astaghfirullaaahul 'Aziim. We can have a luxury stuffs in your life, we can have a luxury house, we can have a luxury car, but...all these dunya things will not help us in the HereAfter AT ALL.

When discussing teaching children how to make shalah parents typically ask when is it necessary to begin teaching their children. Let us be realistic, learning how to make shalah is not easy for children or in some cases adults. It can take a lot of work to master even the simplest elements of shalah. The learner must memorize the various du'as and Surah's of the Qur'an- not to mention the other required portions of the shalah. Furthermore, there must be work on proper pronunciation and rules on how, when, and what makes shalah valid. This is not an overnight process but rather one that takes times. Therefore, this leaves us with the question-when should children learn how to make shalah?

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, narrated that the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "Command your children to make shalah when they become seven years old, and spank them for it (shalah) when they become ten years old, and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately." (Abu Dawud).

This does not mean that parents can only start teaching their children how to perform it when they reach the age of seven. Rather, informal instruction should start when a child starts to show an interest in shalah, which usually occurs around the age of two. It is only human nature that children love to imitate their parents. In fact, this is one method that Allah has provided us for teaching our youth.

Therefore, it is important for parents of small children to let them "pretend" to make the shalah along side of the parents. The benefits for this are twofold. First, it teaches children that it is necessary to make shalah everyday five times a day. And second, it helps children learn the physical movements of the shalah. It really is amazing how fast a two-year-old will learn the phrase Allahu-Akbar when he performs shalah along side of his/her parents!

The next step is to teach your child al-Fatihah. This should begin around the age of three or four. When teaching children Surah's or any other portions of the shalah that must be memorized; it is important to remember to break down the instructions by using a reasonable number of verses or small segments. In other words, teaching a child how to perform the shalah should be done progressively in small steps. It is important to practice reciting the previously learned material consistently everyday along with any new material. These practice sessions should only last between 5 to 15 minutes. At this age, length of practice is not as important as consistency.

Also, it is important to note that not everyday will your child be ready to learn new material. Work on mastery of material not quantity. The other question many parents ask is whether or not to teach Surah's using Tajweed. Actually, many parents find it helpful to combine the two. Children have an amazing ability to remember songs in commercials or various children's song. For many children, the act of singing actually makes it easier to memorize. However, at this age it is important not to focus on the rules of recitation but rather on the content.

While the presence of a teacher or parent teaching children the proper method of making shalah can not be underestimated, many parents find supplemental materials helpful in teaching their children how to make shalah. Every year new educational products are being introduced into the Muslim market. Today, Muslim parents have available coloring books, storybooks, developmentally appropriate teaching videotapes, audio tapes, and computer programs to enhance the learning process. Generally children learn new tasks best if teaching material is presented in a variety of formats. The use of such material will only help increase the speed and amount of learning for your child not to mention that it will make the experience more enjoyable.

Lastly, one of the most important aspects of successful teaching is praise and encouragement. Remember that children like to please their parents. Also, it is really important that parents praise and celebrate their children's accomplishments. This is especially true for learning how to make shalah. After the mastery of a section, children typically feel a strong sense of achievement. Praise motivates the child to continue to learn and accomplish new goals.

Please let's share how we deal this matter. Each parent has different ways of teaching their kids to perform shalah. Insha Allah next posting, I'll write about how I did with my two kids when they were very small, three years old.

Padang Ekspres, Padang News Paper

Syahdu Buka Puasa Pertama di mesjid ICLI, Long Island, New York
Rabu, 10 September 2008
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Oleh : Aswita Taizir, Alumni dari Perguruan Diniyyah Putri Padang Panjang dan alumni IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang, Fakultas Syari'ah.

“Hai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertaqwa” (QS. Al-baqarah: 183).

Hari Sabtu kemaren tanggal 6 september 2008, Masyarakat Muslim dilingkungan mesjid di wesbury, Islamic Center of Long Island, New York area, melaksanakan Iftar (Buka Bersama) pertama semenjak umat Islam memulai puasa Ramadan pada tanggal 1 September 2008.


Tradisi dan ritual ini sudah berlangsung lama yang dilakukan pada setiap hari Sabtu yang disponsori oleh kelompok individu yang sudah mendaftar jauh-jauh hari sebelum Ramadan mulai. Kegiatan ini merupakan suatu amal ibadah yang diselenggarakan disaat bulan yang penuh berkah dan nikmat ini. Hal ini juga merupakan salah satu cara untuk menggalang tali silaturrahmi antar sesama umat Islam yang berasal dari kelompok etnik yang berbeda-beda, seperti Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Somalia, Amerika, beberapa individu dari Indonesia, dan Negara Islam lainnya.

Minggu pertama pelaksanaan iftar tahun ini cendrung sedikit berkurang, (biasanya minggu pertama buka puasa bersama di mesjid ICLI ini selalu dibanjiri oleh jama’ah Muslim dari berbagai kota) karena daerah Long Island dan sekitarnya seharian sedang disirami hujan lebat, sehingga menyebabkan kebanyakan umat Islam lebih memilih untuk berbuka puasa dirumah dengan keluarga masing-masing. Namun hal ini tidak mengurangi kenikmatan berbuka puasa bersama dan kesyahduan melaksanakan puasa Ramadan di luar negeri dimana kaum Muslim disini merupakan kelompok minoritas.

Acara iftar dimulai dengan pembacaan do’a selama lebih kurang 10 menit sebelum waktu berbuka, yang dipimpin oleh Iman mesjid ICLI sendiri , kemudian diikuti dengan buka puasa itu sendiri dengan buah korma dan air putih serta juice. “Allaahumma laka Shumnaa wa ‘Alaa Risqika Aftharna wa Birahmanika Yaa Arhamar Raahimiin”

Selesai berbuka kaum Muslim ICLI siap melaksanakan ibadah solat Maghrib. Kemudian barulah makan bersama yang makanannya sudah terhidang dengan menu ala Pakistaninya. Makanannya terdiri dari nasi Biryani, goreng pare (Pario) ala Pakistan, gulai kari ayam, gulai kambing, kima, roti lebar, dan salad.

Untuk menuju meja hidangan semua umat Islam termasuk anak-anak harus antri secara teratur. Kebiasaan ini terpakai dari budaya Amerika yang serba teratur. Ini merupakan salah satu hal yang baik untuk ditiru yang mencerminan kekhasan Islam yang sebenarnya, yaitu sabar. Siap menunggu giliran tanpa harus serabutan dan dorong mendorong, karena tak satupun yang tidak akan mendapat bahagiannya.

Acara makan sudah selesai termasuk dessert (pabukoan) yang serba manis ala Pakistan. Menjelang solat Isya, beberapa kaum Muslim menyempatkan bergurau, bercanda antar sesama mereka karena dihari-hari biasa kesempatan untuk sering bertemu dan berdialog tersebut agak tertunda disebabkan kesibukan masing-masing.

Kemudian barulah melaksanakan solat Isya dan dilanjutkan dengan kuliah umum Ramadan yang disampaikan oleh salah seorang brother, dengan topik tentang Nabi Ibrahim AS. Dia menyampaikan bagaimana Nabi Ibrahim AS berdialog dengan bapaknya secara baik. Yang intinya adalah mengajak bapaknya ke agama tauhid bukan agama yang menyembah selain Allah SWT.

Acara buka puasa pertama dimesjid ICLI, Long Island ini diakhiri dengan solat tarawih berjamaah. Banyak umat Islam melaksanakan tarawih sebanyak delapan rakaat, lalu pulang dan diteruskan solat witir dirumah masing-masing, sementara yang melaksanakan dua puluh rakaat tetap tinggal dimesjid meneruskan rakaat yang sudah berlangsung.***

All About Fasting in The Month of Shawwal

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu,

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim

The Great Reward After Ramadan Awaiting

Ramadan has gone. But it does not mean that our 'Ibadahs will end either, however we still can show our love to Allah SWT by following His Messengers. Allah SWT says in the Qur’an, "Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[surah ali-Imran, 3: 31] I really miss Ramadan. We all make du'as so that with the Grace of Allah SWT, Insya Allah we will be able to meet Ramadan again. Amiin.

One of the ways to manifest our loving of Allah, by following the Prophet Muhammad SAW is to do those acts that he advised his Companions, and the Ummah in general, to do. A sunnah which is certainly relevant to us in these days is his practice to fast six days in the month of Shawwal.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari narrated that Allah’s Messenger SAW said: "He who fasts Ramadan, and six of Shawwal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if the fasted a whole year."
[Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah]

So this is an established sunnah, which carries a great reward.

In commenting on the above mentioned hadith, As-San'ani said in Subul us-Salam: "If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shari`ah, each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Others believe that is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct." We may also fast on Mondays and Thursdays, as in that case we would be following another Sunnah: A’isha (radiAllahu anha) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to fast Mondays and Thursdays".
[an-Nasa'i]

If it is easier for one to fast on weekends, then in that case one would still be following another sunnah at the same time: Umm Salama (radiAllahu anha)narrated that Allah’s Messenger used to fast mostly on Saturday and Sunday, and he used to say: "They are the festival days for the mushrikeen, and I like to act contrary to them."
[an-Nasa’i, Ibn Khuzaymah, who graded it saheeh, and Ibn Hajar agreed]

I was asked by few sisters that can a woman make up for her fasting in Ramadan by fasting the six days in Shawwal? Whether such fasting counts double, making up the missed fast and adding the six voluntary days?
And can we make Double Intention?

1. Are we Allowed to Combine the two fasting?

There are two different fasts and cannot be combined. The Hadith that encourages fasting six days after Ramadan tells us that fasting these six days, which are not specified to allow us to choose them according to what suits us best, make up the fasting so as to earn the reward of fasting the whole year.

The Hadith says: “Anyone who fasts the month of Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal will have the reward for fasting the whole year.” This is based on the fact that God rewards every good deed with ten times its value. Thus for the month of Ramadan you receive the reward of fasting ten months, and for the six days you get the reward of fasting sixty days, which are the equivalent of two more months. This makes up a year.

It is useful to add here that although the majority of people take the Hadith to mean fasting six days during the month of Shawwal, some scholars point out that it speaks of “six days from Shawwal” which means “beginning from Shawwal but not necessarily in it.” This means that they can be offered anytime during the year up to the following Ramadan.

When a woman fasts to make up the month of Ramadan, she is completing her compulsory fasting, and on completing the month, she will have the reward for fasting ten months. The fast does not count as double. The above explanation makes better understanding, especially in the case of Muslim women who would have a very limited room for maneuver if they wish to fast the six days.

They have first to make up the compulsory fasting, which means that a woman will need to fast six or seven days, probably eight in compensation. Then if she wants to add six days this makes up 13 days. She will also have a new period when she cannot fast. This brings the number to 20 days, and if you count out the three days of Eid as inconvenient to fast, this leaves her only 7 days for rest in practically two months of fasting. This is going to be very difficult. Hence the interpretation that this voluntary fast can be anytime during the next 11 months makes things much easier for women.

2. Can We Make Double Intention?

There is nothing wrong, as far as Islam is concerned, in making a double intention by fasting the missed days of obligatory fasting in Ramadan as well as fasting the optional six days of Shawwal. However, some Muslim jurists state that it is recommended to make up for the missed fasts separately from fasting the six days of Shawwal so as to get extra reward.

Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states the following:

A person who has missed days of fasting in Ramadan may fast the optional six days of Shawwal with the intention of both making up for these missed days and observing the optional fasting of six days of Shawwal. He or she will then get double benefit simultaneously: making up for the missed days and getting the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwal, for it is established in Islam that one's acts are judged by one's intentions.

However, it is recommended that one makes up for the missed fasts separately from fasting the six days of Shawwal [so as to get extra reward].

The Shafi`i scholars maintain that when one makes up for the missed fasts of Ramadan in Shawwal, one also gets the reward of fasting the optional six days of Shawwal even if one has not intended to fast those six days principally; yet the reward of fasting the six days here will be less than if one has intended to fast them from the beginning.

According to Ash-Sharqawi `Ala At-Tahrir by Sheikh Zakariyah Al-Ansari, (vol. 1, p. 427) when a Muslim makes up for missed fasts of Ramadan in Shawwal or fasts some days he or she has vowed to observe in Shawwal, or even offers optional fasting in Shawwal other than fasting the six days recommended to be observed in Shawwal, he or she will get also the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwal. This is because the point is to fast any six days of Shawwal following the fast of Ramadan. But one then will not get the whole reward of principally intending to fast the six days of Shawwal specifically. It is to be noted that this does not apply to the person who has missed fasting the whole month of Ramadan and made up for it in Shawwal for he or she then does not fall under the category the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) referred to in the hadith: "Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, and then follows it by (fasting) six days of Shawwal, it is as though he has fasted the whole year."

This is parallel to the juristic point of view regarding the recommendation of greeting the mosque when entering it by offering two rak`ahs before sitting. This recommendation is accomplished any time one enters a mosque and prays two rak`ahs, whether one intends merely to perform the prescribed prayer or any two supererogatory rak`ahs, for the point here is to offer a prayer before sitting in the mosque, and this is fulfilled by observing the prescribed prayer or the supererogatory one.

According to the author of Al-Bahgah, one gets the reward of greeting the mosque by offering any prayer before sitting, even if one has not intended that this prayer be for greeting the mosque.

But it is to be borne in mind that one in this case does not deny having the intention of greeting the mosque.

Based on the above, it is permissible for one to fast six days of Shawwal intending simultaneously both to make up for the fasts one has missed in Ramadan and to offer the recommended fasting of six days in Shawwal, especially if one is interested in getting the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwal with making up for the missed fasts of Ramadan but finds it exhausting to do both separately.

Besides, if one in this case intends only to make up for the missed Ramadan fasts in Shawwal (and it happens that these days are six or more), one will get also the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwal. The supererogatory act of fasting the six days of Shawwal here is sub-categorized under the obligation of making up for the missed fasts of Ramadan. This is an alleviation reasoned by jurists, and hence, there is no need for adopting a view of a certain school in this regard and judging the other views as wrong.

The wisdom behind recommending fasting six days of Shawwal following a whole month of fasting in Ramadan is that Muslims gradually shift from a state of abstaining from food or other desires for a long hours on successive days to a state of eating food and satisfying the other worldly lawful desires whenever one wants. A sudden shift in this case may harm a person's health.

3. When should a Muslim start fasting six days of Shawwaal?

You can start fasting six days of Shawwaal from the second day of Shawwaal, because it is haraam to fast on the day of Eid. You can fast the six days at any time during Shawwaal, although the best of good deeds are those which are done soonest.

These days do not have to be fasted immediately after Eid al-Fitr; it is permissible to start fasting them one or more days after Eid, and they may be done consecutively or separately during the month of Shawwaal, according to what is easier for a person. There is plenty of room for maneuver in this matter, and this is not obligatory, it is Sunnah.

4. Do the six days of Shawwaal have to be fasted consecutively?

It is not a necessary condition that they should be fasted consecutively. If you fast them separately or consecutively, it is OK. The sooner you do them, the better, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): so compete in good deeds [al-Maaidah 5:48]

And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord [Aal Imran 3:133]

[Moosa peace be upon him said:] and I hastened to You, O my Lord, that You might be pleased [Ta-Ha 20:84]

And (you should hasten to fast these six days) because delaying may cause problems. This is the view of the Shaafa is and some of the Hanbalis, but it is OK if you do not hasten it and you delay it until the middle or end of the month.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Our companions said: it is mustahabb to fast six days of Shawwaal. Because of this hadeeth they said: it is mustahabb to fast these days consecutively at the beginning of Shawwaal, but if one separates them or delays them until after Shawwaal, this is permissible, because he will still be following the general guidelines of the hadeeth. We have no dispute regarding this matter, and this was also the view of Ahmad and Dawood.

Wallaahu A'lam Bisshawaab

My Email was Being Hacked

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim

On september 29, 2008, the 29th of Ramadan, one of my account was hacked by someone by changing my password. I could not access my email since then. And what happened, the person used my identity to gain his/her personal wealth by asking people in my contact lists to send money through Western Union. He/ she prentented that I was in London had trouble loosing money, etc....etc....


How did I find out that my email was hacked by someone? Sunday morning one of my respected brothers called me asking me "are you okey? I answered yes, alhamdulillah. He asked me again did you send an email regarding asking for help needing some money. I said no...........astagfirullahul aazhiiiim..who did this to me.

To cut the story short, alhamdulillah I was able to get back my email by Allah's help. From yahoo service center asked me to send full header to find the info of the sender. And here is what yahoo instructed me to do advised:

Email headers are used to deliver a message over the Internet and contain a record of the specific route that the message took. Full header information is included in every message that is sent. Depending on the setup of your email account and/or server, however, this header information may not be visible or otherwise available to you. Please consult with your email administrator or email program help information to determine the availability of this full header information.

At this time, I will need you to forward a copy of the message, as opposed to sending it as an attachment, because we are currently unable to accept attachments. Please include the following in your report of email abuse to assist me in a prompt and full evaluation:

1. Original subject line -- Please forward the email with a subject identical to the original subject.

2. Complete headers -- Email programs often display abbreviated headers.

If you are using the all-new Yahoo! Mail, please follow these simple steps to obtain the complete headers:

1. Open the message in question.
2. In the top-right corner of the message, click the link/pull-down
menu "Standard Header."
3. Select "Full Header". A pop-up window will appear with complete
message headers.
4. Copy the contents of that entire screen
5. Click "Forward" on the message in question.
6. Paste the copied full headers into the body of the message above
the actual email message.

If you are using Yahoo! Mail Classic, please follow these simple steps
to obtain the complete headers:

1. Open the message in question.
2. In the bottom-right corner of the message, click the link "Full Headers."
3. The screen will refresh and will display the complete headers above the message itself.
4. Copy the entire Full Header section.
5. Click "Forward".
6. Paste the entire Full Headers into the body of the message above the actual email message.

For non-Yahoo! Mail users, please refer to the URL below for information on how to get the full headers for your particular email client:

http://www.haltabuse.org/help/headers/index.shtml

3. Complete message body -- Please include the complete, unedited content of the email message in question. Please do not change or edit the message in any way.

If reports of email abuse are missing any one of these three items, we may not be able to further investigate such reports. We appreciate your efforts in reporting this abuse to Yahoo!.

Another useful website how to protect you email from being hacked: http://www.ehow.com/how_4445320_protect-email-account.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art.

And here are two more articles in Indonesian languange regarding tips how to protect your email identity, etc: tutorialgratis.wordpress.com
dan http://www.ip-adress.com/trace_email/

Hopefully this posting to remind us to be careful in sending emails, and receiving them.

Wallahu A'lam