WELCOMING RAMADHAN WITH THIS DU'A !

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Translation of Du’a attributed to Imam Zayn-al-Abidin, Ali bin Hussein bin Ali (r.a)

- great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

from "al-Sahifah al-Kamilah al-Sajjadiyah"

http://www.al-islam.org/sahifa/dua44.html

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Supplication for the Coming

of the Month of Ramadan

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمدُ لِلّهِ الَّذي هَدانا لِحَمْدِهِ

وَجَعَلَنا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ،

لِنَكُونَ لاِحْسانِهِ مِنَ الشّاكِرينَ

وَلِيَجْزِيَنا عَلى ذلِكَ جَزَاءَ الْمُحْسِنينَ

1. Praise belongs to Allah who guided us to His praise and placed us among the people of praise, that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence and that He might recompense us for that with the recompense of the good-doers!

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذي حَبانا بِدينِهِ، وَاخْتَصَّنا بِمِلَّتِه

وَسَبَّلَنا في سُبُلِ إِحْسانِهِ

لِنَسْلُكَها بِمَنِّهِ إِلى رِضْوانِهِ

حَمْداً يَتَقَبَّلُهُ مِنّا، وَيَرْضى بِهِ عَنّا

2. And praise belongs to Allah who showed favour to us through His religion, singled us out for His creed, and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence, in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them to His good pleasure, a praise which He will accept from us and through which He will be pleased with us!

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذي جَعَلَ مِنْ تِلْكَ السُّبُلِ شَهْرَهُ

شَهْرَ رَمَضانَ

شَهْرَ الصِّيامِ

وَشَهْرَ الاْسْلامِ

وَشَهْرَ الطَّهُورِ

وَشَهْرَ التَّمْحيصِ

وَشَهْرَ الْقِيامِ

الَّذي أُنْزِلَ فيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدىً لِلنّاسِ

وَبَيِّنات مِنَ الْهُدى وَالْفُرْقانِ

3. And praise belongs to Allah who appointed among those roads His month, the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, the month of submission,the month of purity, the month of putting to test, the month of standing in prayer, in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator! [a]

فَأَبانَ فَضيلَتَهُ عَلى سائِرِ الشُّهُورِ

بِما جَعَلَ لَهُ مِنَ الْحُرُماتِ الْمَوْفُورَةِ

وَالْفَضائِلِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ

فَحَرَّمَ فيهِ ما أَحَلَّ في غَيْرِهِ إِعْظاماً

وَحَجَرَ فيهِ الْمَطاعِمَ وَالْمَشارِبَ إِكْراماً

وَجَعَلَ لَهُ وَقْتاً بَيِّناً

لايُجيزُ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ أَنْ يُقَدَّمَ قَبْلَهُ

وَلا يَقْبَلُ أَنْ يُؤَخَّرَ عَنْهُ

4. He clarified its excellence over other months by the many sacred things and well-known excellencies which He placed therein, for He made unlawful in it what He declared lawful in others to magnify it, He prohibited foods and drinks in it to honour it, and He appointed for it a clear time which He (majestic and mighty is He) allows not to be set forward and accepts not to be placed behind.

ثُمَّ فَضَّلَ لَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً مِنْ لَياليهِ

عَلى لَيالي أَلْفِ شَهْر

وَسَمّاها لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فيها

بِإِذْنِ رَبّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْر سَلامٌ

دائِمُ الْبَرَكَةِ إِلى طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ

عَلى مَنْ يَشاءُ مِنْ عِبادِهِ

بِما أَحْكَمَ مِنْ قَضائِهِ

5. Then He made one of its nights surpass the nights of a thousand months and named it the Night of Decree; in it the angels and the Spirit descend by the leave of their Lord upon every command, a peace [b], constant in blessings until the rising of the dawn upon whomsoever He will of His servants according to the decision He has made firm.

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَأَلْهِمْنا مَعْرِفَةَ فَضْلِهِ

وَإِجْلالَ حُرْمَتِهِ

وَالتَّحَفُّظَ مِمّا حَظَرْتَ فيهِ

وَأَعِنّا عَلى صِيامِهِ بِكَفِّ الْجَوارِحِ عَنْ مَعاصيكَ

وَاسْتِعْمالِها فيهِ بِما يُرْضيكَ

حَتّى لا نُصْغِىَ بِأَسْماعِنا إِلى لَغْو

وَلا نُسْرِعَ بِأَبْصارِنا إِلى لَهْو

6. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, inspire us with knowledge of its excellence, veneration of its inviolability, and caution against what Thou hast forbidden within it, and help us to fast in it by our restraining our limbs from acts of disobedience toward Thee and our employing them in that which pleases Thee, so that we lend not our ears to idle talk and hurry not with our eyes to diversion,

وَحَتّى لانَبْسُطَ أَيْدِيَنا إِلى مَحْظُور

وَلا نَخْطُوَ بِأَقْدامِنا إِلى مَحْجُور

وَحَتّى لاتَعِىَ بُطُونُنا إِلاّ ما أَحْلَلْتَ

وَلا تَنْطِقَ أَلْسِنَتُنا إِلاّ بِما مَثَّلْتَ

وَلا نَتَكَلَّفَ إِلاّ ما يُدْني مِنْ ثَوابِكَ

وَلا نَتَعاطى إِلاّ الَّذي يَقي مِنْ عِقابِكَ

ثُمَّ خَلِّصْ ذلِكَ كُلَّهُ مِنْ رِياءِ الْمُرائينَ

وَسُمْعَةِ الْمُسْمِعينَ

لانُشْرِكُ فيهِ أَحَداً دُونَكَ

وَلا نَبْتَغي بِهِ مُراداً سِواكَ

7. we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited, our bellies hold only what Thou hast made lawful and our tongues speak only what Thou hast exemplified, we undertake nothing but what brings close to Thy reward and pursue nothing but what protects from Thy punishment! Then rid all of that from the false show of the false showers and the fame seeking of the fame seekers, lest we associate therein anything with Thee or seek therein any object of desire but Thee!

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَقِفْنا فيهِ عَلى

مَواقيتِ الصَّلَواتِ الْخَمْسِ

بِحُدُودِهَا الَّتي حَدَّدْتَ

وَفُرُوضِهَا الَّتي فَرَضْتَ

وَوَظائِفِهَا الَّتي وَظَّفْتَ

وَأَوْقاتِهَا الَّتي وَقَّتَّ

8. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, in it make us attend to the appointed moments of the five prayers within the bounds Thou hast set, the obligations Thou hast decreed, the duties Thou hast assigned, and the times Thou hast specified;

وَأَنْزِلْنا فيها مَنْزِلَةَ الْمُصِيبينَ لِمَنازِلِهَا

الْحافِظينَ لاَرْكانِهَا

الْمُؤَدّينَ لَها في أَوْقاتِها عَلى ما سَنَّهُ عَبْدُكَ

وَرَسُولُكَ صَلَواتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ

في رُكُوعِها وَسُجُودِها

وَجَميعِ فَواضِلِها عَلى أَتَمِّ الطَّهُورِ وَأَسْبَغِهِ

وَأَبْيَنِ الْخُشُوعِ وَأَبْلَغِهِ

9. and in the prayers make us alight in the station of the keepers of their stations, the guardians of their pillars, their performers in their times, as Thy servant and Thy messenger set down in his Sunna (Thy blessings be upon him and his Household) in their bowings, their prostrations, and all their excellent acts, with the most complete and ample ritual purity and the most evident and intense humility!

وَوَفِّقْنا فيهِ لاَنْ نَصِلَ أَرْحامَنا بِالْبِرِّ وَالصِّلَةِ

وَأَنْ نَتَعاهَدَ جيرانَنا بِالاْ فْضالِ وَالْعَطِيَّةِ

وَأَنْ نُخَلِّصَ أَمْوالَنا مِنَ التَّبِعاتِ

وَأَنْ نُطَهِّرَها بِإِخْراجِ الزَّكَواتِ

وَأَنْ نُراجِعَ مَنْ هاجَرَنا

وَأَنْ نُنْصِفَ مَنْ ظَلَمَنا

وَأَنْ نُسالِمَ مَنْ عادانا

حاشا مَنْ عُودِىَ فيكَ وَلَكَ

فَإِنَّهُ الْعَدُوُّ الَّذي لانُواليهِ

وَالْحِزْبُ الَّذي لانُصافيهِ

10. Give us success in this month to tighten our bonds of kin with devotion and gifts, attend to our neighbours with bestowal and giving, rid our possessions from claims, purify them through paying the alms, go back to him who has gone far from us, treat justly him who has wronged us, make peace with him who shows enmity toward us (except him who is regarded as an enemy in Thee and for Thee, for he is the enemy whom we will not befriend, the party whom we will not hold dear),

وَأَنْ نَتَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْكَ فيهِ مِنَ الاْ عْمالِ الزّاكِيَةِ

بِما تُطَهِّرُنا بِهِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ

وَتَعْصِمُنا فيهِ مِمّا نَسْتَأَنِفُ مِنَ الْعُيُوبِ

حَتّى لا يُورِدَ عَلَيْكَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ مَلائِكَتِكَ

إِلاّ دُونَ ما نورِدُ مِنْ أَبْوابِ الطّاعَةِ لَكَ

وَأَنْواعِ الْقُرْبَةِ إِلَيْكَ

11. and seek nearness to Thee through blameless works which will purify us from sins and preserve us from renewing faults, so that none of Thy angels will bring for Thee the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness-seeking unless they be less than what we bring! [c]

أَللّهُمَّ إِنّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ هذَا الشَّهْرِ

وَبِحَقِّ مَنْ تَعَبَّدَ لَكَ فيهِ مِنِ ابْتِدائِهِ إِلى وَقْتِ فَنائِهِ

مِنْ مَلَك قَرَّبْتَهُ، أَوْ نَبِىٍّ أَرْسَلْتَهُ

أَوْ عَبْد صالِح اخْتَصَصْتَهُ

أَنْ تُصَلِّىَ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَأَهِّلْنا فيهِ لِما وَعَدْتَ أَوْلِياءَكَ مِنْ كَرامَتِكَ

وَأَوْجِبْ لَنا فيهِ ما أَوْجَبْتَ لاِ هْلِ الْمُبالَغَةِ في طاعَتِكَ

وَاجْعَلْنا في نَظْمِ مَنِ اسْتَحَقَّ الرَّفيعَ الاْ عْلى بِرَحْمَتِكَ

12. O Allah, I ask Thee by the right of this monthand by the right of him who worships Thee within it from its beginning to the time of its passing, whether angel Thou hast brought nigh to Thee, prophet Thou hast sent, or righteous servant Thou hast singled out, that Thou bless Muhammad and his Household, make us worthy of the generosity Thou hast promised Thy friends, make incumbent for us what Thou hast made incumbent for those who go to great lengths in obeying Thee, and place us in the ranks of those who deserve through Thy mercy the highest elevation!

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَجَنِّبْنَا الاْ لْحادَ في تَوْحيدِكَ

وَالتَّقْصيرَ في تَمْجيدِكَ

وَالشَّكَّ في دينِكَ

والْعَمى عَنْ سَبيلِكَ

وَالاْ غْفالَ لِحُرْمَتِكَ

وَالاْ نْخِداعَ لِعَدُوِّكَ الشَّيْطانِ الرَّجيمِ

13. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, turn us aside from deviation in professing Thy Unity, falling short in magnifying Thee, in Thy religion, blindness toward Thy path, heedlessness of Thy inviolability, and being deceived by Thy enemy, the accursed Satan!

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَإِذا كانَ لَكَ في كُلِّ لَيْلَة مِنْ لَيالي شَهْرِنا هذا

رِقابٌ يُعْتِقُها عَفْوُكَ

أَوْ يَهَبُها صَفْحُكَ

فَاجْعَلْ رِقابَنا مِنْ تِلْكَ الرِّقابِ

وَاجْعَلْنا لِشَهْرِنا مِنْ خَيْرِ أَهْل وَأَصْحاب

14. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, and when in every night of this month's nights Thou hast necks which Thy pardon will release and Thy forgiveness disregard, place our necks among those necks and place us among the best folk and companions of this our month!

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَامْحَقْ ذُنُوبَنا مَعَ إِمْحاقِ هِلالِهِ

وَاسْلَخْ عَنّا تَبِعاتِنا مَعَ انْسِلاخِ أَيّامِهِ

حَتّى يَنْقَضِىَ عَنّا وَقَدْ صَفَّيْتَنا فيهِ مِنْ الْخَطيئاتِ

وَأَخْلَصْتَنا فيهِ مِنَ السَّيِّئاتِ

15. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, efface our sins along with the effacing of its crescent moon, and make us pass forth from the ill effects of our acts with the passing of its days, until it leaves us behind, while within it Thou hast purified us of offenses and rid us of evil deeds!

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

وَإِنْ مِلْنا فيهِ فَعَدِّلْنا

وَإِنْ زُغْنا فيهِ فَقَوِّمْنا

وَإِنِ اشْتَمَلَ عَلَيْنا عَدُوُّكَ الشَّيْطانُ

فَاسْتَنْقِذْنا مِنْهُ

16. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household, and should we go off to one side in this month, set us aright; should we swerve, point us straight; and should Thy enemy Satan enwrap us, rescue us from him!

أَللّهُمَّ اشْحَنْهُ بِعِبادَتِنا إِيّاكَ

وَزَيِّنْ أَوْقاتَهُ بِطاعَتِنا لَكَ

وَأَعِنّا في نَهارِهِ عَلى صِيامِهِ

وَفي لَيْلِهِ عَلَى الصَّلاةِ وَالتَّضَرُّعِ إِلَيْكَ

وَالْخُشُوعِ لَكَ، وَالذِّلَّةِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

حَتّى لا يَشْهَدَ نَهارُهُ عَلَيْنا بِغَفْلَة

وَلا لَيْلُهُ بِتَفْريط

17. O Allah, fill this month with our worship of Thee, adorn its times with our obedience toward Thee, help us during its daytime with its fast,and in its night with prayer and pleading toward Thee, humility toward Thee, and lowliness before Thee, so that its daytime may not bear witness against our heedlessness, nor its night against our neglect!

أَللّهُمَّ وَاجْعَلْنا في سائِرِ الشُّهُورِ وَالاْ يّامِ كَذلِكَ ماعَمَّرْتَنا

وَاجْعَلْنا مِنْ عِبادِكَ الصّالِحينَ

الَّذينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فيهَا خَالِدُونَ

وَالَّذينَ يُؤْتُونَ ما آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ

إِلى رَبِّهِمْ راجِعُونَ وَمِنَ الَّذينَ

يُسارِعُونَ فِى الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَها سابِقُونَ

18. O Allah, make us like this in the other months and days as long as Thou givest us life, and place us among Thy righteous servants, those who shall inherit Paradise, therein dwelling forever, [d] those who give what they give, while their hearts quake, that they are returning to their Lord, [e] those who vie in good works, outracing to them! [f]

أَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ

في كُلِّ وَقْت وَكُلِّ أَوان

وَعَلى كُلِّ حال

عَدَدَ ما صَلَّيْتَ عَلى مَنْ صَلَّيْتَ عَلَيْهِ

وَأَضْعافَ ذلِكَ كُلِّهِ بِالاْ ضْعافِ الَّتي

لا يُحْصيها غَيْرُكَ

إِنَّكَ فَعّالٌ لِما تُريدُ

19. O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Household in every time, in all moments, and in every state, to the number that Thou hast blessed whomsoever Thou hast blessed and to multiples of all that, through multiples which none can count but Thee! Surely Thou art Accomplisher of what Thou desirest.

Aa-min, ya Rob-bal-'aa-lameen!

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Footnotes:

[a] Qur'an: Baqarah: 2:185

ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدً۬ى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِ‌

[b] Qur'an: al-'Alaq: 97:4-5.

تَنَزَّلُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيہَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّہِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمۡرٍ۬ سَلَـٰمٌ

[c] Sayyid 'Ali khan offers four interpretations for this last clause, three given by earlier commentators and the fourth his own: (i) so that the acts of obedience and nearness-seeking of the angels will be less than ours; (ii) so that none of the recording angels will bring the record of our sins except that they be less than the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness seeking that we bring; (iii) so that none of the angels will bring the works of the servants except that they be less than the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness seeking that we bring; (iv) so that none of the angels will bring our good works except that they be less than the good works that we ourselves bring. In support of the last reading he cites a hadith from one of the Imams: 'The angel only writes down what it hears, but God has said, Remember thy Lord in thyself, in pleading and fear (Qur'an: 7:205). So none knows the reward of the remembrance in the person's self except God.' He concludes that the best interpretation is to say that the passage includes all four of these meanings.

[d] Qur;an: al-Mu'minoon: 23:11.

ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ هُمۡ فِيہَا خَـٰلِدُونَ

[e] Qur'an: al-Mu'minoon: 23:60

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡتُونَ مَآ ءَاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُہُمۡ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّہُمۡ إِلَىٰ رَبِّہِمۡ رَٲجِعُونَ

[f] Qur'an: al-Mu'minoon: 23:61.

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَهُمۡ لَهَا سَـٰبِقُونَ

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"Mawlid ad-Diba-'ie"

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ON YOU-TUBE









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history ...

Adab1 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Adab1

(Read "Our Da'wah & Social Initiatives" - paper presented at the above Seminar )

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BIODATA2006 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: BIODATA2006

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TEXT : "HIZB AS-SAIFI"

hizb saifi

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Humanities Research muhammad sufi

THE QUR'ANIC BASIS FOR THE THEME & TITLE OF THIS SITE:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

مَا ڪَانَ لِأَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ

أَن يَتَخَلَّفُواْ عَن رَّسُولِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَرۡغَبُواْ بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ

عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ لَا يُصِيبُهُمۡ ظَمَأٌ۬ وَلَا نَصَبٌ۬

وَلَا مَخۡمَصَةٌ۬ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔونَ مَوۡطِئً۬ا

يَغِيظُ ٱلۡڪُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنۡ عَدُوٍّ۬ نَّيۡلاً إِلَّا كُتِبَ

لَهُم بِهِۦ عَمَلٌ۬ صَـٰلِحٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

وَلَا يُنفِقُونَ نَفَقَةً۬ صَغِيرَةً۬ وَلَا ڪَبِيرَةً۬ وَلَا يَقۡطَعُونَ

وَادِيًا إِلَّا ڪُتِبَ لَهُمۡ لِيَجۡزِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَحۡسَنَ مَا ڪَانُواْ

يَعۡمَلُونَ

وَمَا كَانَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُواْ ڪَآفَّةً۬‌ۚ فَلَوۡلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ

فِرۡقَةٍ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ

إِذَا رَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَيۡہِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَحۡذَرُونَ

"O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).

It was not fitting for the people of Madinah and the Bedouin Arabs of the neighborhood, to refuse to follow Allah's Messenger nor to prefer their own lives to his: because nothing could they suffer, or do, but was reckoned to their credit as a deed of righteousness whether they suffered thirst or fatigue or hunger in the cause of Allah, or trod paths to raise the ire of the Unbelievers, or received any injury whatever from an enemy: for Allah suffereth not the reward to be lost of those who do good;―

Nor could they spend anything (for the cause) small or great nor cut across a valley, but the deed is inscribed to their credit; that Allah may requite their deed with the best (possible reward).

Nor should the Believers all go forth together: if a contingent from every expedition remained behind, they could devote themselves to studies in religion and admonish the people when they return to them― that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil)."

(Qur'an: Surah Taubah: 9: 119-122)

REFLECTION

These verses in Surah Taubah are amongst the words of Allah s.w.t. that have a special impact for me in my striving to fulfill the obligation of Islamic Da'wah and education. More so was its meaning to me while serving Islam in PERGAS, in defending the Madrasah during the 'Compusory Education' saga, at that crucial time when this institution was 'threatened.' I must be grateful to Allah s.w.t., to have guided me to be amongst the Islamic scholars, amongst whom was Al-Fudhaala as-Shuyukh, Ustaz Syed 'Abdillah al-Jufri, Ustaz Hj Abu Bakar Hashim, Ustaz Ahmad Sonhajji Muhammad, and others Asaatizah and Ustaazat in PERGAS - those whom I would regard as being those who are true (swodiqeen), whose motivation was TaqwaAllah, being self-less and sincere for the sake of Allah s.w.t. in their effort to continue to fulfill the amanah of Da'awah and traditional Islamic education(tarbiyyah/ta'dibiyyah). These were amongst the defenders, that small group of people whose task is to devote themselves to the study of the Deen, be it in traditional madrasah or following its manhaj - to fulfill the injunction mentioned by Allah:

طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ

إِذَا رَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَيۡہِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَحۡذَرُونَ

"a contingent .... who devote themselves to studies in religion and admonish the people when they return to them― that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil)."

Those were challenging times and challenging circumstance that historically marked this small band of people who had to face tremendous odds of their adversaries. Adversaries weilding the power and authority, who were even supported by certain influential Muslims who could never understand the cause that these people were defending. Yet Allah s.w.t. strengthens those who obey Him in the spirit of the message in the above verses. Allah s.w.t. clearly showed that those who sincerely strive in His path, has already gained a signal victory, no matter how small a part they may contribute as long as they remain conscious of Allah (in Taqwa) and to always be with those who are true (and truthful towards Allah s.w.t., His Messenger s.a.w., Islam and the Ummah).

It is from this verse that I have chosen to name this blog-site - to continue in the same spirit of our righteous predecessors (Salafus-Soleh) - whose dedication towards Islamic Da'awah and Education has contributed much to our being Muslims. These people ought to be our model, our guiding light to show us how, and in what, we are to strive. Allah s.w.t. records to posterity when He specially mentions these people with:

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ قَوۡلاً۬ مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا

وَقَالَ إِنَّنِى مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

لَا تَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ‌ۚ ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُ

فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيۡنَكَ وَبَيۡنَهُ ۥ عَدَٲوَةٌ۬ كَأَنَّهُ ۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ۬

وَمَا يُلَقَّٮٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّٮٰهَآ

إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ۬

"Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says "I am of those who bow in Islam"?

Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!

And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint none but persons of the greatest good fortune."

(Qur'an: Surah Fussilat: 41: 33-35)

MUQADDIMAH

When I was invited to deliver the Friday-night after Isha' lecture at Masjid al-Istiqomah, the subject or theme I chose was more of presenting a concern of the Muslims - in regard to 'living' or manifesting their Islam in the context of living in cosmopolitant, 'secularistic dominated' Singapore.

This concern also extends to the 'passive' attitude of many Muslims with regard to asserting their religious right to being Muslims, which require correction - particularly that obligation required of them in the first pillar of Islam: the 'SHAHADATAYN' , which sadly may be due to a lack of understanding perhaps because not much elaboration as to its true significance and its requirement has been provided by our du'at and educators.

I offered to name the series of talk as : "Being Muslims and its challenges." And from extract of these nightly lectures already delivered, inshaAllah, I hope to share and elaborate further my thoughts on the theme in this media.

May Allah s.w.t. grant Taufiq and Hidaaya - and accept this small effort with His Redha (His Pleasure - مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ). May He also rewards with Mercy and Bountiful blessings to my parents, my family and loved ones, my teachers, students, and friends in the Da'wah fraternity, whose help and support I have benefitted - especially in these trying times during and after my hospitalization. In Allah I place my Trust, "for Allah loves those who place their trust in Him.

( إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلِينَ )

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