Sunday, May 07, 2006

Historical places


The Battle of Badar

The first battle between the believers of truth (Islam) and the forces of evil was fought on the battle field of Badar, 60 miles from Madinah towards Makkah. On one side stood a small group of 313 men of whom merely 60 of them wore armour, while facing them was arranged an army of one thousand warriors well armed and equipped. The believers had the strength of their Faith in Allah and His Prophet. They knew that Truth must prevail and falsehood must be destroyed. Thus it was this very Faith which brought about the Miracle and Truth did triumph.






Ghar -E- Hira
(Cave of Hira)

This Cave, the sanctum of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the place of His devotions and meditations and the sacred spot where the Holy Quran began to be revealed. The Cave is situated on mount Al-Noor on way to Mina near Makkah and its peak is visible from a great distance. Muhammad (peace be upon him) had jus stepped into the forty-first year of his life, when during a night in the month of Ramadan the first 5 verses of the Surah Al-Alaque were Revealed to him.








Jist of The Farewell (Hajj) Sermon

O people! Allah says, O men, who were created from a man and woman, divided into castes and tribes to identify each other; you are equal, but he is more respectable who fears Allah. All Muslims are brothers together. Be careful of the rights of your slaves. Men and women have their duties and rights to eachother. Offer prayers to Allah five times a day, fast the full month of Ramadan, pay zakat every year, perform Hajj and obey your rulers. Thus enter the Heavan created by Allah







Qiblahtain Mosque

This Mosque is situated in Madinah. In the beginning the Muslims offered their prayers facing in the direction of "Baitul-Maqdis" (Jerusalem). Once during the second year of Hijrah the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was leading the prayers on this mosque, at Banu Salma, when Allah's command came to turn from then on towards The KAABA. So the Mosque came to be called as Masjid-e-Qiblahtain, or the Mosque of two Qiblahs.







Battle of Ehzaab

Abu Sufyan had succeeded in forming a military alliance composed of the Jews and various tribes of the Arabs. The news of this great army was brought to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). He called a meeting of His Companions. On the suggestion of Hazrat Salman Farsi, a trench of a depth of five cubits and width of more than ten cubits was dug, all around. The ten thousand strong army of Quresh tried to cross it for 25 days but in-vain. At last, the army began to defect and Abu Sufyan was forced to lead it back to Makkah in utter depression.







Battle of Ohud

Ohud is a hill near Madinah. The famous battle of Ohud was fought in the valley of this hill. The non-believers from Quresh, invaded Madinah with an army of three thousand, in the third year of Hijra.







Birth Place of The Holy Prophet

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was born on the early morning of Monday the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal (April 3rd, 571 AD) in Makkah. He was named Muhammad (the Praised one, peace be upon him) by his grand-father Abdul Muttalib. The ravages of time have destroyed the original building but the place is the same where stood Abdullah's house the father of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who belonged to the family of Hashim the noblest tribe of the clan of Quresh.

NARRATED Abu Dhar (Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "While I was at Makkah the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended, opened my chest, and washed it with Zam-Zam water. Then he brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith and having poured its contents into my chest, he closed it. Then he took my hand and ascended with me to the nearest heaven. When I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven, 'Open (the gate).' The gatekeeper asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered: 'Gabriel.' He asked, 'Is there anyone with you?' Gabriel replied, 'Yes, Muhammad is with me.' He asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel said, 'Yes.' So the gate was opened and we went over the nearest heaven and there we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some on his left. When he looked towards his right, he laughed and when he looked toward his left he wept. Then he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' He replied, 'He is Adam and the people on his right and left are the souls of his offspring. Those on his right are the people of Paradise and those on his left are the people of Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and when he looks towards his left he weeps.'

Then he ascended with me till he reached the second heaven and he (Gabriel) said to its gatekeeper, 'Open (the gate).' The gatekeeper said to him the same as the gatekeeper of the first heaven had said and he opened the gate. Anas said: "Abu Dhar added that the Prophet met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus and Abraham. He (Abu Dhar) did not mention on which heavens they were but he mentioned that he (the Prophet) met Adarn on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven. Anas said, "When Gabriel along with the Prophet passed by Idris, the latter said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.' The Prophet asked, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Idris." The Prophet added, "I passed by Moses and he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Moses.' Then I passed by Jesus and he said, 'Welcome! O pious brother and pious Prophet.' I asked, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Jesus.

Then I passed by Abraham and he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Abraham. The Prophet added, 'Then Gabriel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens." Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined 50 prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined 50 prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.' (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.' So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) 50 (in reward) for My Word does not change.' I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again. I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.' Then Gabriel took me till we reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (the utmost boundry) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls

B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m

And to the Madyan (Midian) people (We sent) their brother Shu'aib. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other ilah (god) but Him, and give not short measure or weight. I see you in prosperity and verily, I fear for you the torment of a Day encompassing. And O my people! Give full measure and weight in justice and reduce not the things that are due to the people, and do not commit mischief in the land, causing corruption."


(Surah Hud 11:84-85
B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m

THE Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), "We make no distinction between one another of His Messenger" – and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)."


(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:28
Relationship With The Qur'an: Basic Prerequisites


CERTAIN basic states and attitudes of the heart and mind are necessary prerequisites to any fruitful relationship with the Qur'an. Develop them as much as you can. Make them part of your consciousness, keep them ever-alive and active. Integrate them in your actions. Let them penetrate the depth of your being. Without the help of these inner resources you will not receive your full measure of the Qur'an's blessings. They will be your indispensable companions too, throughout your journey.

1. Faith: The Word Of God

Come to the Qur'an with a strong and deep faith that it is the word of Allah, your Creator and Lord.

Why should such a faith be a necessary prerequisite? No doubt such is the power and charm of the Qur'an that even if a man takes it up and starts reading it as he would an ordinary book, he will still benefit from it, should he read it with an open mind. But this book is no ordinary book, it opens with the emphatic statement : (This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt . . . ) (Al-Baqarah, 2:2). Your purpose in reading and studying it is no ordinary purpose. You seek from it the guidance that will transform your whole being, bring you and keep you on the Straight Path: (Guide us to the Straight Way) (Al-Fatihah, 1:5) is the cry of your heart to which the Qur'an is the response.

You may admire the Qur'an, even be informed by it, but you cannot be transformed by it unless its words soak in to awaken you, to grip you, to heal, and to change you. This cannot happen unless you take them for what they truly are, the words of God.

That is why the Qur'an reminds you of this important truth again and again: in the very beginning, in the opening verses of many surahs, and frequently in between.

That is why even the Messenger (peace and blessings be on him) is instructed to proclaim his own faith, and all believers must join him: (The Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) believes in what has been sent down to him from His Lord, and (so do) the believers.) (Al-Baqarah, 2:285).

You must, therefore, always remain conscious that each word that you are reading, reciting, hearing, or trying to understand has been sent for you by Allah.

2. Purity Of Intention

Read the Qur'an with no purpose other than to receive guidance from your Lord, to come nearer to Him, and to seek His good pleasure.

What you get from the Qur'an depends on what you come to it for. Your niyyah (intention and purpose) is crucial. Certainly the Qur'an has come to guide you, but you may also go astray by reading it should you approach it for impure purposes and wrong motives. (Al-Baqarah 2:26).

The Qur'an is the word of Allah, it therefore requires as much exclusiveness of intention and purity of purpose as does worshiping (in prayer) and serving Him.

Do not read it merely for intellectual pursuit and pleasure, even though you must apply your intellect to its fullest for the task of understanding the Qur'an. So many people spend a lifetime in studying the language, style, history, geography, law, and ethics of the Qur'an, and yet their lives remain untouched by its message. The Qur'an frequently refers to people who have knowledge but do not derive benefit from it.

You may also derive other lesser benefits from the words of the Qur'an, such as the healing of bodily afflictions, psychological peace, and deliverance from poverty. There is no bar to having these, but again, they should not become the be-all and end-all that you seek from the Qur'an nor the goal of your niyyah. For in achieving these you may lose a whole ocean that could have been yours.

Finally, your niyyah should be directed to seeking only your Lord‚s pleasure, by devoting your heart, mind, and time to the guidance that He has sent to you. That is what you barter when you surrender yourself to Allah : (And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the Pleasure of Allah . . .) (Al-Baqarah 2:207).

Purpose and intentions are like the soul of a body, the inner capability of a seed. Many seeds look alike, but as they begin to grow and bear fruits, their differences become manifest. The purer and higher the motive, the greater the value and yield of your efforts.

So always ask yourself: Why am I reading the Qur'an? Tell yourself constantly why you should. This may be the best way to ensure the purity and exclusiveness of purpose and intention.


www.harunyahya.com,www.amrkhaled.com
B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m

And to the Madyan (Midian) people (We sent) their brother Shu'aib. He said: "O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other ilah (god) but Him, and give not short measure or weight. I see you in prosperity and verily, I fear for you the torment of a Day encompassing. And O my people! Give full measure and weight in justice and reduce not the things that are due to the people, and do not commit mischief in the land, causing corruption."


(Surah Hud 11:84-85
B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m

THE Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), "We make no distinction between one another of His Messenger" – and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)."


(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:28