Saturday 14 Jul 2018

Lesson 17: The Virtue of making Dua

• Recap of previous lessons:
  • The statements, Subhaanallaah, Alhamdulillaah, Laa Ilaaha Illallaah and Allaahu Akbar
• Making dua has a lofty status in the religion
• Dua is from the noblest of worship, greatest obedience and most beneficial ways of getting closer to Allah
• Many texts have come in the Qur’an and the sunnah which clarify the virtue of Dua, command it and provide encouragement for it
• Dua is of two types:
  • Praise of Allah
  • Asking for a need that you have
• Indeed Allah has opened the Qur’an with Dua and sealed it with Dua
  • “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” [Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening) verse 2]
    • Surah Al-Fatiha also includes another dua which is for guidance (see verse 6), this is one of the greatest dua to make
  • “Say: “I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind,” until the end of the Surah. [Surah An-Naas (Mankind) verses 1-6]
• In fact Allah has termed Dua as worship in multiple verse of the Qur’an
  • “And your Lord said: “Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Surah Al-Ghafir (The Forgiving) verse 60]
    • What does Allah mean “those who are arrogant from my worship”
  • This indicates to us the great status of Dua as it is the core of worship
• Dua is an indicator of your submission, poverty, need and humility before your lord
• Therefore Allah encourages the people to make dua much
  • “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.” [Surah Al-A’raaf (The Heights  (or The Walls with Elevations)) verse 55]
  • “And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope; Surely, Allah’s Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.” [Surah Al-A’raaf (The Heights (or The Walls with Elevations)) verse 56]
  • “He is the Ever Living, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), so invoke Him making your worship pure for Him Alone (by worshipping Him Alone, and none else, and by doing righteous deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only, and not to show off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” [Surah Al-Ghafir (The Forgiving) verse 65]
• Allah informs us that he is close to us and answers our dua and that he will make reality what you hope for and will give you what you ask for
  • “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) verse 186]
  • “Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Little is that you remember!” [Surah An-Naml (The Ants) verse 62]
  • NOTE: the scholars say that the one in desperation and need who asks Allah at the time of need will have his dua answered as the above verse says.

Assalaamu Alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Maghrib and Isha have been combined at the time of Maghrib today (12/7/18), due to rain 🌧

Sat 23rd Shawwaal 1439/ 7th Jul 2018

Lesson 16: The statements “Allaahu Akbar” and “laa ilaaha illallaah”
• The Takbeer (saying “Allaahu Akbar”) has a great standing and reward with Allah
• The takbeer is something mentioned often in the Quran: For exmample
o “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir (Allahu-Akbar; Allah is the Most Great) on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadan and Shawwal] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) verse 185]
o “O you (Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) enveloped (in garments)! Arise and warn! And your Lord (Allah) magnify” [Suratul-Mudathir (The one Enveloped in Garments) verses 1-3]
• Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that the rtakbeer is pronounced in the prayer, the adhan, the eid and the high places (hills, mountains)
• The takbeer is one of the best of the statements and speech after the Qur’an along with
• Whenever the takbeer is mentioned it is always “Allaahu Akbar”, there can be no substitute for it
o Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)  said “The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbeer and its end is taslim” [At-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abi Dawud and Ibn Majah]
o This is the opinion of Imam Ahmed and others besides him, i.e. that to start the prayer with any othert statement other than “Allaahu Akbar”, then his prayer is invalid
• The takbeer is something that is always with a Muslim
• The takbeer is mentioned in the call to prayer (the adhan), the call to stand for the prayer (iqaamah), when opening the prayer as well as frequently during the prayer itself.
• In a 4 rak’ah prayer (e.g. dhur, Asr or Isha) the statement “Allaahu Akbar” is mentioned 22 times
o In every Rak’ah there are 5 times for saying the takbeer
o Based on this, the Muslim says “Allaahu Akbar” 94 times just from the five daily prayers
o Then how about the one who adds to this with the optional prayers as well as additional remembrance?
o The one who prays the five daily prayers, the optional rawaatib prayers as well as the optional night prayer will say the statement “Allaahu Akbar” 342 times!
• Therefore when a muslim guards over his/her five daily prayers as well as their optional prayers then this will earn him/her a great deal of reward!
• The fact that Allah has made the statement “Allaahu Akbar” as a key part of the prayer shows the importance of this statement
• However, how many times have we stopped to think and ponder about the magnificence of this statement!
• The takbeer is not something that has no meaning or substance to it. It has a great and lofty
• Ibn Jareer (may Allah have mercy upon him) said that the takbeer means to say the greatness of Allah and perform what Allah has commanded you and obey him in what he has commanded and prohibited (to show the greatness of Allah with both statements and actions)
• Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ameen As-Shinqeeti (may Allah have mercy upon him) said the takbeer is to show the greatness of Allah, and that the greatness of Allah will become apparent by you guard over the commandment of Allah and stay away from his prohibitions and that you are quick in those things that please Allah

• This indicates that all of the religion is an explanation of the statement “Allaahu Akbar”
• Therefore the muslim fulfils his obedience to Allah and that is due to him/her recognising the greatness of Allah
• Umar’s statement regarding the statement “Allaahu Akbar”

What does “Allaahu Akbar” mean?
• Some scholars have said that it means that Allah is the greatest, no matter how great anything is, Allah is always the greatest
• Shayk ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said the takbeer’s meaning is that a servant recognises that Allah is greater than anything and everything

Friday 22nd Shawwaal/ 06 Jul 2018