Quote of the day archive.July.Topic: Marriage

July 1st: Allah says, "Marry the spouseless among you...if they are poor, God will enrich them of His bounty."(Qur'an 24:32)

July 2nd:The Qur'an says, "And among His signs is that He has created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may live in tranquility with them; and He has created love and mercy between you. Verily, in that are signs for those who reflect."(30:21 )

July 3rd:The Prophet said, "No house has been built in Islam more beloved in the sight of Allah than through marriage."

July 4th: Imam 'Ali said, "Marry, because marriage is the tradition of the Prophet.

July 5th:The Prophet said, 'Whosoever likes to follow my tradition, then he should know that marriage is from my tradition.'"

July 6th:Imam Riza said, "Three things are from the traditions of the messengers of God: using perfume, removing the [excessive] hair and frequently visiting one's wife."

July 7th:The Prophet said, "No Muslim man has gained a benefit after [the religion of] Islam better than a Muslim wife who is a cause of his pleasure whenever he looks towards her..."

July 8th:Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq saying that, "Two rak'ats prayed by a married person is better than seventy rak'ats prayed by a single person."

July 9th: The Prophet: "When a man approaches his wife, he is guarded by two angels and [at that moment in Allah's views] he is like a warrior fighting for the cause of Allah. When he has intercourse with her, his sins fell like the leaves of the tree [in fall season]. When he performs the major ablution, he is cleansed from sins.

July 10th:The Holy Prophet (SA) stated: ‘There has not been created any institution in Islam which is more favoured and dearer to Allah than marriage’.

July 11th:“The Prophet (SA) stated: ‘There is no better structure founded in Islam other than marriage’.”

July 12th:“Imam Ridä (AS) stated: ‘The greatest gain for a man is a faithful woman who, when she sees him, becomes happy and protects his property and her own honqur in his
absence."

July 13th:“The Prophet (SA) stated: ‘Whoever gets married, has safeguarded half of his religion’

July 14th:“Imãm ‘All (AS) stated: ‘The Jihãd of a woman is to take care of her husband well’

July 15th:The Prophet (SA) of Islam stated: ‘Any woman who dies while her husband is pleased with her, enters Paradise’

July 16th:The Holy Prophet also stated: “If a woman does not perform her duty as a spouse, she has not done her duty to Allah.”

July 17th:‘Imãm RidA (AS) stated: ‘Some women are blessings for their husbands who express their love and affecton’.

July 18th:The Holy Prophet (SA) stated: "The best of you among women are those who possess love and affection"

July 19th:Imàm Sadiq (AS) stated: "When you love someone, let the person know"

July 20th:The holy Quran : "And let those who cannot find someone to marry maintain their chastity until Allah makes them rich through His favours" 24:33

July 21st: The Holy Quran:" They (your wives) are a clothing (covering) for you and you too are the clothing (covering) for them" 2:187

July 22nd: Imam Ja'far As Sadiq (AS) :"take your wife home at night and during the day eat food"

July 23rd: The holy Prophet (PBUH) said: "There is no foundation that has been built in Islam more loved by Allah than marriage"

July 24th: The holy prophet (PBUH) said: "Virgin girls are like fruits on trees. If not plucked in time, the sun will rot them and the wind will disperse them. When girls reach maturity and their sexual instincts arise, like that or women, their only remeay is to get marriage. If they aren't married, they are prone to moral corruption. It is because they are human beings and human beings are prone to making mistakes".

July 25th: Imam Ali (AS) has said : "This (the mahr) is the most important of all the conditions through which, the private parts (intercourse) have been made lawful and permitted for you"

July 26th:Prophet Muhammed (PBUH): "The man who oppresses his wife in relation to the Mahr is considered as a fornicator in the eyes of Allah"

July 27th: Allah says in the Holy Quran: "O mankind! Have consciousness of your Lord who has created you from a single soul. From it He created your spouse and through them He populated the land with many men and women. Have spiritual awareness of the One by whose name you swear to settle your differences and have respect for the wombs that bore you. Without doubt. Allah keeps watch over you all" 4:1

July 28th: Quran: " Men are the maintainers of the women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded..." 4:24

July 29th: the Holy Quran: "O' you who have true faith! save yourselves and your families from the fire which is feuled by the people and srionbes and is guarded by stern angels who do not disobey Allah's commands and do whatever they are ordered to do" 66:6

July 30th: Allah says in the Quran: "If there apears to be discord between a wife and her husband and if they desire reconciliation, then chose arbiters from the families of both sides. Allah will bring them together; Allah is All-Knowing and All-Aware" 4:35

July 31st: Allahs Messenger (PBUH) : " Wash your clothes and trim the excess hair on your bodies and brush your teeth and beautify yourselves and keep yourselves clean, since certainly the children of isra'il never did these things and thus their women committed adultery"

The importance Of Akhlaq (A diary entry)

Dear Diary, 06/16/08

Few days back, I discovered something that has changed my life for ever. I found the importance of Akhlaq at a whole different level! When i was reading the book 'Then I was guided' by Sayyid Mohamed Tejani Samaoui , I couldn't help but notice the first impact that the shia's had on him. The major reason to why he was attracted to them was because of their Akhlaq. When i kept reading the chapter 'My first visit to Iraq' I felt as though I discovered the secret to attracting others towards the religion. Surely there is intense depth to the laws of Islam and Allah has not made anything for us to do, or follow without having a deep logical meaning to it. I would like to Quote from the book the most clear cut thoughts of Mr. Tijani himself.
"I liked their manners and said to myself, "These people whom we accused of being deviants seem to observe the religion more than us." "

This is such a brilliant way for us to have people want to know us without us trying to push them or appear irritating!. If we were to keep our Akhlaq polished and follow them with utmost responsibility the everyone would be attracted to Muslims all over the world!. This would be something NO ONE would be able to ignore, especially in todays time where being selfish and mean is like a trend!.

"During the days of our travel together I sensed in my friend his noble manners, his self-esteem and his generosity. I also sensed in him modesty and piousness that I had never experienced with anybody else before. I felt that I was not a stranger, but as if I was at home."
Shouldn't we also exude this piousness and modesty?. Isn't it our responsibility too?. The prophet is a great example for attracting people through good character and manners, it was this consistently beautiful character he'd been maintaining for the initial 40 yrs which gained the trust of the people on him. And he was given many names as the truthful one, the trustworthy one etc. And surely it was worth it. Who would not trust a man so just and so pious and selfless?
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: "I have been sent to complete the nobility of your character"

I think it's time we start taking from him what is so important right now. There are good people in the world too, but we as Muslims have to be better than them, we have to be outstanding and not mediocre in any field, And if we have akhlaq that are so noticeably inviting then how can we not attract people to the right path?
"The most complete in faith among the believers is he who has the best manners." [Holy Prophet (s)]

We have such examples of people with pure faith and excellent akhlaq that not having them in us is a shame! The aimma and the prophets have tried so hard and taught us so many lessons with regard to akhlaq and treating the people around us that we should be exuding all this learned treasures everyday and not only to Muslims or our close family, but to EVERYONE. It is only when we truly represent ourselves as the way a muslim is prescribed to be that people will start respecting us and not judging us based on few people gone astray. Imam Ali (a) says: "Habituate yourself to magnanimity, and choose for yourself the most excellent of all etiquettes, for virtuous behavior is a habit. Avoid the most low of all etiquettes, and struggle with yourself to avoid it, for evil is stubborn."

There is a dua called; Dua e makarimul Akhlaq, in sahife sajjadiyah. It's the 20th Dua which is to be read especially to better ones akhlaq. What more do we need?. All our problems I've realized in the present world are because we aren't following Islam the way it's supposed to be. We are molding things to our convenience, having unnecessary problems because we refuse to follow the teachings of the Quran and the messengers of Allah and the infalliables. We are creating the problems and then asking Allah to help us, we refuse to learn more and to stand by the truth. How are we to practice Amr Bil Ma'ruf when we ourselves don't know what right is?!.

This is the time for a wake up bigtime!. Starting form the basics and working upwards. If we as Muslims are going to pray 5 times a day, and complete our wajibaat but not have good akhlaq we are repelling the world not just from us but the whole of the Muslim mankind!.

Syeda Fatima,18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Is crying enough for Islam?

'jab tak tere seene pe na sojaye Sakina
zindaan mein usey neend kaha aati hai baba,
jab yaad Sakina ko teri aati hai baba
sar zindaan ke diwaron se takrati hai baba...'

Above are a few lines from a nauha that describes the love of Bibi Sakina for Imam Hussein and every year we listen to these nauha's and marsiya's; we cry for our Imams and our Bibi's, we feel shattered every time we listen to a majlis. We cry, we weep and we moan for the 2 months and 8 days for the Ahlebayt, I was wondering if crying is really enough for all those sacrifices and the pain they had gone through in Karbala? I really don’t think so and I'm sure it’s the same with everyone else.

All of us are aware of the fact that we are not doing much for Islam and but why aren’t we???
Let us begin by asking a few questions to ourselves and solve this mystery.

Are we praying regularly five times a day on time?
Are we doing proper Hijaab?
Have we quit music?
Are we paying zakat and qums?
Do we know our Usool e deen and furooe deen and are we following them in the true sense?
Are we even tying to gain knowledge about Islam and spread it?
Have we really stopped practicing gheebat?
There are so many questions which all of us can ask ourselves but sadly the answers of them is a big question mark.

Deep down inside we know we are wrong, we know we HAVE to and NEED to change, like I always say, we know everything. But why don’t we follow it, why don’t we change it? Why cant we correct ourselves ?
Is it because we forget that Allah is watching everything and first we need to think about what Allah thinks and not what the society or the khandaan thinks?.Or is it because we are too busy in our day to day activities that we find no time for religion?. Are we changing the rules according to our convenience, trying to justify everything with unacceptable excuses!?

There are so many questions that need to be answered, so many things that have to be changed, the false trends have to be corrected. But when? And how ? and who ?. To take the first step seems difficult and is, but we need to reset our priorities in a just and logical manner.
We need to set our minds straight, let go of all the wrong beliefs we've held on to, change our mentalities, we need to strive hard and search for the truth and follow it with respect and responsibility..

The more we think the more complicated it will become as we get thoughts like "oh god this is not possible, since childhood I am following this, I cant change myself, I don’t have time or my parents wont allow, they'll think I am going mad, I know my intentions (niyyat) are right and that is what matters." There will be so many negative thoughts, will discourage us and yes indeed it is the work of Satan, we should find ways to overcome such situations. Just one thought, whatever I'm doing is to please Allah and for the sake of Allah and for my real life which is after my death, will change the complete way of thinking.

All of us do know that crying for the ahlebayt does not go in vain, it definitely does not.
Crying for our imams is a great sawab but is that it? Can we just cry for them and not do anything else? Islam is NOT just about the majaalis, We as muslims have more responsibility than that. I'm sure we can do a lot of things which will change everyone for the good; we can at least make an effort, can't we?

So let us begin from today in fact from now and change our ways. Try as much as possible to gain knowledge and spread it. Arrange religious gatherings and have discussions which will develop interest in others to know more about islam, pray regularly on time, always remember imam Hussein sacrificed everything for the sake of Islam and Namaaz, and not for us to only remember him and Allah in the month of ramadhaan and muharram. Fullfill all our wajibaat, and religiously follow our furu-e-deen. Strengthen our faith and always remember our aim in life is to please Allah.

Samreen Fathima Mirza, 17
Mail to: sammirza14@gmail.com

every land is Karbala and everyday is Ashura

Kullu ardin karbala, kullu yawmin Ashura, these words which are quoted as being said by our 4th Imam are though not authentically proven, sum up the role of Jihad in out lives and the need to understand the depth of Jihad which is in our Furu-e-deen.

If we were to learn the lessons from Karbala and the day of Ashura, we would have no choice but to rise up and stand tall for Jihad. The land of karbala was the land of Jihad, of sacrifice, of intense pain but no complaints, of love for Allah and Islam, for the prophets and their message, for family, for fellow believers. Karbala is the epitome of everything that is against the will of worldly hearts, It is the land of Allah and making Him happy and satisfying only Him. The day of Ashura is the day of testing, the day of sacrifice, the day of selflessness, the day of pain, the day of thirst, the day of moaning for the ones lost, the day of showing courage,the day of being proud of what is more important ie. the love of Ahlul bayt & the importance of Islam. Aren't we facing a situation which calls for us to live like today is Ashura and our very own city is karbala?

Everyday Muslims all over the world are on a Jihad whose intensity is increasing by the hour. If you follow Islam then you are sure to have to confront people of various issues and their perspective on Muslims as a whole.This Jihad that we are on constantly in our own countries, our own neighborhood, our own houses is not to be ignored and avoided. Every day it gets harder to prove ourselves as good people, individuals of faith, exuding the love for Allah , and this we are waking up to everyday, and everyday we are on Jihad to better ourselves. If we constantly remind ourselves of our true situation, we will strive harder to be better momins. We didn't get a chance to be present on that day 1400 years ago like how we wish, but that can't be used as an excuse to refrain from jihad.We are living Ashura everyday in the present no matter which part of the world we are in we are still in Karbala fighting for our religion.

Wearing Hijab, keeping the beard, being modest, having the best Akhlaq, keeping your head high as a momin and a representative of Islam is all Jihad. Following Islam and it's teachings, raising children in a corrupt atmosphere is Jihad. And if it is these everyday hustles that require us to unite and polish ourselves and closer to Allah and islam, then whya re we stopping ourselves? Why are we not embracing this opportunity to show our masoomeen our love for them, show Allah our faith in Him?

It's high time we accept at a whole another level that Jihad is one of the pillars of faith and it's become a way of life for us Muslims to survive. And it is wajib on us to do it. Making excuses like "we are not Imams they were gifted from Allah" and "Now it's too late only the zuhoor can save the humanity" are just not acceptable. If we had to just sit and wait for Allah or the aimma to do everything then why is Jihad obligatory on US?. Think people! think!. What better things do we have to do? what Momin should have anything better to do than submitting to Allah? Shame on us if we think our lives and our petty worldly desires are more important than the blood lost by our masoomeen for us and for Him.

Allah says in the Quran: " Those who believe do battle for the cause of God and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of taghut. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is always weak. "(4:76). We have absolutely nothing to fear when we are on the right path and Allah is on our side. Mere worldly death is nothing; a shaheed never dies!

With the love of Ahlul bayt in the heart and with our faith strong, and Allahs blessings on us we shall never stop ourselves from learning more about Islam, being on constant Jihad and being proud Muslims every single day till we die.

Syeda Fatima, 18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Thought for the day archive June. Topic: Hijaab.

June 1st: Imam Ali (a.s):"The eye is the spy of the hearts and the messenger of the intellect; therefore lower your gaze from whatever is not appropriate to your faith." June 2nd:Prophet Muhammad (saww): “Those who do not observe proper Hijab, are blatantly defying the commandment of Allah SWT”.
June 3rd:Bibi Fatima (as) : "The best woman is she who no man sees and she does not see any men".
June 4th: “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 33:59)
June 5th: "And order the Muslim women to lower down their sights a little and guard their chastity and show not their adornment but as much which is itself apparent and remain putting their head coverings over their bosoms." Surah Nur, ayat 31
June 6th: “And tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do." Surah Nur, Ayat 30

June 7th: Bibi Fatima (as): "the best thing for a woman is that she does'nt see any man & no man sees her "
June 8th:“O you Children of Adam! We have bestowed on you raiment to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness, that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition.” (Quran 7:26)

June 9th: Allah says in the Quran chapter 31 verse 19: "And walk moderately and lower your voice to some extent. Undoubtedly in all voices, the most hideous voice is of an ass".

June 10th: The Holy Quran : "'O children of Adam! Undoubtedly, We have sent down towards you a dress that may cover your shameful parts and one that be an adornment to you; and the dress of righteousness, that is the best. This is one of Allah's signs, that I they may be admonished." 7:26

June 11th: Imam Rada (AS) : "The reason why looking at the hair of a woman has been forbidden is that if the hair was kept open in the rpesence of namahram men, this would lead to sexual excitement and to cause him to become attracted to her and this (becoming attracted) could lead to corruption (between the man and woman) and this would lead to the man falling into that which is forbidden (haraam)".
June 12th: The Holy prophet (PBUH) said: "....Whichever woman amongst you is has firm believe in Allah and the last day will not permit her beauties to be seen by other than her husband, and she will not allow the hair of her head and her arms to be shown. Any woman who allows these to be seen to other than her husband has undoubtedly curropted her religion (faith) and has made Her lord upset with her".

June 13th: Allah makes clear the na mahrams in the Holy Quran: "Prohibited to you (For marriage) are:- Your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, Mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (Who gave you suck), foster-sisters; your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in,- no prohibition if ye have not gone in;- (Those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful" 4:23
June 14th: Allahs words with regard to the shaving of the beard : " & most certainly I (Shaytan) will lead them astray & excite in them vain desires, & bid them that they shall slit the ears of the cattle, & most surely I will bid them so that they shall alter Allah’s creation, & whoever takes the Satan for a guardian rather than Allah he indeed shall suffer a manifest loss"

June 15th: Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying: "...If the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but this --- and he pointed to his face and hands."
June 16th:
June 17th:
June 18th:
June 19th:
June 20th:
June 21th:
June 22nd:
June 23rd:
June 24th: Imam Al-Sadiq (AS): “If the hair (on the mans face) were not to grow within a specific given period, would the male not remain in a state like that of the young immature boy & a female?, & as a result of this, the male would not comm& any respect nor esteem”.
June 25th: The Holy Qur'an : The elderly women who do not expect to get married commit nothing wrong by relaxing their dress code, provided they do not reveal too much of their bodies. To maintain modesty is better for them. GOD is Hearer, Knower. [24:60]
June 26th: Allah says in the Holy Quran: O you who believe, do not enter homes other than yours without permission from their inhabitants, and without greeting them. This is better for you, that you may take heed. [24:27]
June 27th: Allah says in the Quran : "And when you ask (his wives) for something you want, ask them from behind a curtain (hijab). That makes for greater purity for your hearts and theirs." (33:53)
June 28th:Holy Prophet (saww): “The shaving of the beard is indeed considered an unjust action, may the curse of Allah befall those who are unjust”.
June 29th:Holy Prophet (saww): “Trim your moustaches & let your beards grow & do not emulate the Jews”
June 30th:Imam Al-Sadiq (AS): “From amongst the laws of the Lord of the Universe was that He granted the male gender from amongst the humans a beard so that there may be a difference (in appearance) between them”.

Pride Vs Humility

Human beings are born with a lot of characteristics, some of which we keep forever and some we don't. We also tend to pick up some as we grow up, most good and few bad. But few, like pride can only be picked up from influence which has been passed on from the devil himself, who showed it first to Allah. Indeed pride/arrogance/haughtiness etc. are the characteristics of Iblees and humility and humbleness is something which our Prophet (PBUH) and our Imams taught us.


This world is divided with two types of people. The first ones are those who are following the right path, the path of Islam which teaches us the true ways of living a life, to be humble and polite, be it with the Muslims or non-Muslims, rich or poor, ugly or beautiful, knowledgeable or ignorant, etc. And the second ones are those who have gone astray, who do not follow Islam in the true sense, who find pleasure in humiliating and degrading others. Thus, my article is based on the two ways of living a life, shedding light on Pride Vs Humility.


Let us begin by knowing the meaning of the word pride. In simple words having pride can be defined as being big headed about anything material you own or anything you have which eventually leads to arrogance with regard to treating people who do not match our standards just because we think we have anything better than anyone else, forgetting the fact that whatever we have is given to us by Allah. Too much of pride hence, often leads to arrogance.

Now coming to the word humility, this word reminds me of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who being the greatest of the entire mankind was not only humble with fellow Muslims but also with his enemies. To make it short and easy, humility can be defined as showing respect and gratitude towards each and every being and treating them with humbleness.


However, there are two types of pride, the good pride and bad pride. The good pride is to feel happy for what you actually are but still stay grounded and the bad one is to claim that you are more than you believe you are. For example, a son achieves success in his field and mother feels happy and proud for his success, this falls under the good pride category, but this situation can turn to bad pride if the mother feels too proud and degrades others sons by making hurtful statements like: "My son did this, your son could NOT!". I'd like emphasize that it is truly, completely WRONG to compare and humiliate others. By doing so, we make them feel small and incapable of doing things and deep down inside, they get discouraged and lose interest in doing or achieving anything and most of all are hurt.


Things would be easier, if all of us follow this wisdom shared by our 2nd imam,
He says: " Associate with and treat the people in a way as you like to get associated and treated by them".This is a lesson we should never forget and remind ourselves of, so that we are away from this great sin of being proud.

We should say NO to the bad pride and try our level maximum best in helping and encouraging others and treating them in a just manner. Encouraging fellow beings to excel instead of degrading them will earn us sawaab and make them better too. Above all, the biggest fact is that we are in this world to please Allah in every possible way, and He says in His book "Certainly Allah does not love the proud ones" 16:23.


Being a Muslim is about having good Akhlaq (Manners) and being just in everything including treating people regardless of their religion. Imam Ali says: "Meet people in such a manner that if you die they should weep for you and if you live they should long for you." Don't you think the only way people will long for you and weep for you is when you aren't proud but humble towards everyone?! think about it.!

Samreen Fathima Mirza, 17
Mail to: sammirza14@gmail.com

Thought for the day archive May. Topic: random wisdom

May 1st: Imam Ali (as): "If you expect someone to do more than he is able to do, then expect him to fail you by as much as you have exceeded his capacity"

May 2nd: Imam Hasan Al Askari : “Whoever does good deeds for the sake of the Hereafter, Allah will amend for him his affairs in this world.”

May 3rd: Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) : "The worst one of the people before Allah is the scholar who does not put his knowledge into practice and does not benefit from it"

May 4th: Imam Ali (as): "He who is abandoned by near ones is dear to remote ones"

May 5th:Imam Ja'far as sadiq (as) : "He who devotes his heart to this world will be subjected to three conditions: endless grief, unquenchable desire, and futile hope."

May 6th:Imam Mehdi (as):"Nothing is like praying, in rubbing the Satan's nose with earth. So pray and rub the Satan's nose with earth."

May 7th:Imam Ali (as): "Be ware of misers and evil,there are the people who do not fear Allah"

May 8th:Imam Hasan Al-Askari (as): "Generosity has a limit, which when crossed becomes extravagance; caution has a limit which when crossed becomes cowardice; thriftiness has a limit, which when crossed becomes miserliness; courage has a limit, which when crossed becomes fool-hardiness. Let this moral lesson suffice: refrain from doing anything which you would disapprove of if done by someone else."

May 16th:Imam Hasan Al-Mujtaba (as) :"If you fail to obtain something of worldly benefit, take it as if the thought of it had never crossed your mind at all."

May17th: Imam Hasan (as) :" Associate with and treat the people in way as you like to get associated and treated by them".

May 18th:Imam Hasan (as) : "When the desirable and commendable services damage and harm the obligatory services, abandon them"

May 19th:Imam raza (as) :"Giving alms is the most valuable savings"

May 20th:Imam Hasan (as) :"It is love which brings closer those who are remote by ancestry, and it is (the absence of) love which causes dissociation between those who are related by ancestry."

May21st:Imam Muhammad Taqi (as) :" "Toba" depends upon four things: sincere regrets, verbal "istighfar", deeds and determination never to repeat the sin"

May 22nd: Imam Hasan (as) : "The greatest forgiveness and pardon of Allah comes when the sinner is not able to make a pretext for his wrong doing."

May 23rd:Imam Hasan (as): "I wonder about the person who contemplates about his nutrition but he does not consider (the food of) his intellect. Thus, he avoids of what hurts him in his stomach but he lets his mind to be filled with what destroys him"


May 24th: Imam Ali (a.s) : "The doer of good is better than the good itself, and the doer of evil is worse than the evil itself"

May 25th: Imam ali (as) : " Be generous but not extravagant; be thrifty but not miserly."

May 26th: Imam Hussain (as):"He who tries to achieve something through acting disobediently to Allah will miss what he expects and fall in what he fears"

May 27th: Imam Hussain (as) :"The true stingy is that who refrains from greeting."

May 28th: Imam Ali (as) :" Do not appreciate one's affection before you enrage him three times."

May 29th: Imam Ali (as) : "Debt is grief at night and humility in day"

May 30th: Imam Ali (as) : "If your worldly demands are attainable, you should check your religion"

May 31st: Imam Ali (as) : "The innumerable fools have made the learned very scarce"

Pillar of Islam forgotten

We shia's all know our ossol-e-deen. Tawheed, adl, nabuwat, Imamat & Qayamat. And even though these are the pillars of our faith, we don't necessarily believe in them as much as we should.

How many times have you heard someone say or said yourself "this is not fair" ?. Just this question asked in self pity and remorse in any situation shows disrespect and lack of faith in the adalat (justice) of Allah. Everything that happens in our lives is because of the choices we make, what we do on our daily basis, every action has it's consequences and accordingly we have to bear with them, because Allah makes the judgement. So how can anything in the lives of a Muslim let alone a shia'a be unjust or unfair?! On the contrary it should be welcomed!!

It is something we really need to think deep about. We seldom focus ourselves on our roots, the pillars of our religion are not just for us to know on our fingertips, it's the base of our beliefs. How can you pray five times a day when you don't think Allah is just with you?. We need to acknowledge that everything in Islam has depth and meaning, and it's all beneficial to us in the end of the day. If we take this pillar (adl) alone for instance, so many of our problems would not arise. Believing in the justice of Allah is the safest feeling, it's an everyday optimistic attitude. What could be better than having the trust of your life and its happenings in the hand of Allah, the all merciful, the all knowing, the powerful!. Do we need any more satisfaction than the satisfaction of Allah planning our lives?!. I don't think so.

Just imagine if you were to believe in this with your heart, every event of your life you would welcomed with open arms, the happiness, the sadness, the despair, because every time something does happen, you know its because Allah wished it to happen to you. And Allah is never going to want bad for any of its creations be it animals or humans.And He is never unfair, we will reap only what we sow.

So change your attitude, go back to your roots they are there for a reason. Identify them and next time anything happens to you thank Allah for his kindness and generosity things could always be worser than they are. Repent for your sins, your actions will yield the results so think before you do anything remember Allah is watching and he's going to be doing his justice with EVERYONE. And Inshallah you will be safe from sinning and always satisfied with life.


Syeda Fatima, 18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Gheebat And Tohmat

Knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, the fact remains that most of us occupy ourselves by doing gheebat or/and Tohmat. Forgetting about ourselves, we sit pinpointing at others, backbiting about them, judging or blaming them for things they haven't done and etc.
We want to know what she did and what he is going to do, rather than correcting ourselves we find fault in others and expose it in public, we try our best to insult them, embarrass and humiliate them and try our best to to conceal our own faults. I strongly believe that before even thinking bad about others we should first correct ourselves. Every individual should ask one question to himself and that is - What am I?

Gheebat means to talk behind someones back, and Tohmat is when what is spoken about that person is false or bad. And all of us are guilty of this sin. Most people don't know that gheebat is so much disliked by Allah and he takes away his blessings from those who do it and also it is mentioned in the Holy Quran that gheebat is equivalent of eating the flesh of ones dead brother.

"O you who believe, you shall avoid any suspicion, for even a little bit of suspicion is sinful. You shall not spy on one another, nor shall you backbite one another; this is as abominable as eating the flesh of your dead brother. You certainly abhor this. You shall observe GOD. GOD is Redeemer, Most Merciful." [49:12]

As a matter of fact none of us really want to stop talking about others. We want the world to know what is happening in his life, her life, everyones life. If a person commits a mistake and the other knows about it, he/she is supposed to keep that as a secret and not go about telling it to everyone. It is very indecent to do so. We as Muslims must try our best to talk good about others, to appreciate their good deeds and try to correct their flaws not in public but privately and explain them in a very polite manner.

However there are few types of gheeba's which are permitted and they are:-

1) complaint - such as to a ruler or a judge

2) seeking advice from a maulvi

3) Seeking help to change a wrong deed (Munkar), or to prevent some disaster befalling a Muslim.

4) Consultation in the matters of marriage, business partnerships or asking about a particular neighborhood (i.e. with a view to moving there), etc.

5) Mentioning the sin of one who commits his sin openly, or the Bid'ah of the innovator

6) Description of someone who is known by a certain physical characteristic, such as al-A'raj (the one who walks with a limp), al-Asamm (deaf), al-A’ma (blind), etc.

But again this also depends on a persons intentions and Allah is all knowing.

If anyone is upset and worried about having done backbiting or sworn or made fun of anyone and have realized that you have done wrong, remember Allah is all forgiving, this ayat gives hope:

"O my servants who have wronged themselves. never despair of the mercy of Allah for truly he forgives all sins. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53)

There is more to life than talking behind each others backs. Make life more productive; indulge in doing things that are right and practice amr bil ma'ruf and nahy anil munkar.let us quit on backbiting and start a fresh life with all the positivity.Surely Allah will forgive our sins (Ameen) only if we promise to not repeat them again.

Samreen Fathima Mirza, 17
(sammirza14@gmail.com)

Hijab part 2- Womens Hijab

"And order the Muslim women to lower down their sights a little and guard their chastity and show not their adornment but as much which is itself apparent and remain putting their head coverings over their bosoms....." Surah Nur, ayat 31

The above ayat in the Quran talks about the Hijab for women & from whom it is to be done. Hijab is like a statement made by the women about their integrity and self worth without voicing it .Every woman is beautiful, and so Hijab helps the women to protect that beauty which is precious and not for the world to enjoy.It protects the women from harm physically & emotionally by not attracting unwanted attention from random people. The confidence and power that Hijab gives to women is remarkable and a blessing from Allah.

The Hijab for women consists of the following things:
1) Lowering ones gaze: Lowering ones gaze is a sign of modesty and respect. The muslim women just like the men are not to look at na-mahrams unnecessarily. Looking at mahram men is allowed but also without any lustful intension. If one has a doubt that their looking at someone might trigger any haraam feelings or thought, it is haraam to look at that person.

2) Dress code - Women are to cover certain parts of the body:
a) Hands till the wrist
b) Head and neck
c) Legs
d) Feet
In addition to covering these parts women are to wear clothing that doesn't reveal the shape of their body. wearing jewelery that is seen is also Haraam except for rings, which also would have to be avoided if they were to trigger any lust in another person. Also wearing jewelery that's not seen but whose noise attracts attention eg.bangles or anklets are to be avoided.

The Prophet (SAW) asked Fatima (SA), what is the thing which is a blessing for woman? She said that, 'she must not see a man (stranger and not intimate) and a man must not see her.'

3) Interacting with na-mahram men- It is Haraam to talk to na-mahrams without a reason. Unnecessary conversations lead to no positivity. When it is meant not to speak to na-mahrams one must not confuse it with not speaking to the people at college or work the point is to only have the amount of conversation that is needed. Islam is a practical religion, and Allah knows you can't live without communicating to the other beings when something is to be said. Shaking hands with na-mahrams is also haraam unless you are wearing gloves so there is no contact oh the skin.

4) Movement- women in general are to be more contained than out there, anything that attracts attention is to be avoided. Because even though your intention might be right you can't trust nor help how the other people feel or think about a certain way because of your actions.

If you're Hijab is not as it's supposed to be then you aren't doing Hijab not to get discouraged though, you can always work towards becoming perfect.Especially since now it's clear to you.

Every woman should guard her beauty from random people. It's only when you respect your body and not just in your mind but show that you do, is when you'd be given due respect in return and not be objectified (which is very prominent in todays world).Women strangely are in a fit and are speaking up against them being objectified when they themselves in some way or the other are promoting it. It's time to become practical and deal with this with a sense of maturity and logic. Discuss this with you fellow girl friends and sisters, see who the loser is in the process the one who is hiding or the one who is "flaunting" it all like an idiot.

Muslim women are not oppressed, we have been liberated in every single way. What is more liberating; to walk on the street covered shielding your body and feeling safe demanding respect, Or wearing what you like and revealing your body and being in constant fear of being mistreated or objectified?. This is a logical question every girl and women should ask herself, Allah has not made anything wajib or haraam because he felt like it without a reason, it's all a benefit to us in the end of the day. So girls embrace Hijab and promote it clear all the stupid misconceptions. Be proud to represent yourselves as Muslim women.

Syeda Fatima, 18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Hijab part 1 - Mens Hijab

“And tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do".
Surah Nur, Ayat 30


The above ayat from the Quran is present in chapter 24. It mentions the Hijab for men.The ayat that is following it does the same but for women.This in itself is an indication that there is infact hijab for men and they shouldn't take their it lightly and practice it.

The term “Hijab-الحجاب” literally means a cover, curtain or screen. It is not a technical term used in Islamic jurisprudence for the dress code of women. Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between members of the opposite sex. Dress code is part of that overall teaching.

There is no distinction made between men and women with regard to keeping themselves safe from corruption and covering themselves in Islam.

Contents of hijab:

1) lowering ones gaze-
No man under the islamic law is allowed to look at any na mahram woman without any reason. It is haraam for him to do so. Looking at mahram women is allowed, as long as the intention is not lustful and strictly with a sensible purpose.
Another aspect of this category is 'riba' 'which means to look but not with the intention of lust nor to really see or view the other person. It is a special state which could be dangerous.That is, the fear exists that the look will cause a person to deviate to a forbidden state. This, then, is also forbidden and there is no difference of opinion on this by the marajaas.

2) dress code-
Men are to cover their private parts when in the presence of non-Mahram women. It is not wajib to cover their entire body. this rule can be found in the islamic laws books or almost all mujtahids. On the basis of either obligatory or recommended precaution the covering of the complete body revealing only hands, head and the face is mentioned by some of the mujtahids please check the laws that are prescribed by your respective mujtahids regarding this matter.
The basic idea is to not reveal any part of the body with the intention of arousing any haraam feelings in another person. And to try and be as covered as possible when there is a potential chance of such feelings rising in anyone else. Beauty is present in the bodies of both and women and hence covering of the body by men is also equally important.

3)Beard-
'It is reported in Bihar Al-Anwar in the chapter concerning the beard (Kitab Al-Mahasin) in which Imam Musa b. Ja’far, Al-Kazim (AS) was asked:
“Is it recommended to wear the beard?”
he said: “Yes”,
then he was asked: “Is it permissible for one to shave one’s beard?”,
Imam (AS) replied: “It is permissible to shave the sides of the face where the beard grows, however, to shave the front (chin) is not permissible”.

Note: There are numerous other narrations concerning the unlawfulness of the shaving of the beard. Whoever wishes to refer to them should refer to: “Wasail Al-Shi’ah” in which matters regarding the unlawfulness of the shaving of the beard will become clearer.' (1)

One must note that Ayatulla Seestani does not permit one to shave his beard on the basis of obligatory precaution.Even if it is just the sides leaving the chin. Please ask your mujtahids for their fatwas regarding this matter.

Imam Ja'far As Sadiq has also said: “From amongst the laws of the Lord of the Universe was that He(Allah) granted the male gender from amongst the humans a beard so that there may be a difference (in appearance) between them”.

That should make the beard issue clear! Just as it is expected women to be feminine, men should embrace manhood and keep their beard rather than appearing like girls!

4) Interaction with na-mahram women-
Interacting with the na-mahram more than necessary is Haraam for both men and women.This is something not very known, and seldom followed. Men aren't to speak to random women without any important purpose such as work, etc conversation is to kept strictly to purpose, be it through any means. Just like the girls /women are looked down upon for speaking to strangers or chatting with them online or assuming that they do!, we must keep in mind that men are no exception. What is wrong is wrong for both. In Islam there are no double standards. Everyone has their limits and one should not ignore them and point fingers at others.

It is crucial that one realizes that Hijab is just as important for men as it is for women. Corruption is spread by both not following the true Islamic way, and Hijab is what sets us apart form any other religion, because it is through the right Hijab that we can keep the muslim society safe from the effects of the world. So lower your gazes, cover up those toned gym bodies and grow beard and be proud to be and represent a true Muslim man.


(1) :http://www.islamic-laws.com/beard.htm

Syeda Fatima, 18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Quote of the day archive April. Topic: Parents

April 1st: The holy Quran: "Say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour" (17:23)

April 2nd:Imam Ali (PBUH) : “Goodness towards (one’s) parents is the greatest obligatory act.”

April 3rd: Quran: “And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and that you shall show goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word.” (Surat Bani Isra’il (17) Verse 23)

April 4th:Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) has said:“Every righteous child who casts a look of mercy and affection upon his parents shall be granted, for every look of his, rewards equivalent to that of an accepted Hajj.”

April 5th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “Goodness towards the parents is an indication of a person’s excellent cognizance of Allah. This is because there is no worship that can take a person towards the happiness of Allah faster than exhibiting respect towards his Muslim parents for the sake of Allah.”

April 6th:The messenger of Allah (pbuh) :“One, who follows the orders of Allah with regards to obeying parents, shall have two doors of Paradise opened up for him. And if there happens to be only one parent, one door of Paradise shall open up for him.”

April 7th:Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) :“One who is obedient towards his parents and his Lord shall be accommodated in the most exalted of places on the Day of Judgment.”

April 8th:The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has said: “One who performs Hajj on behalf of his parents and repays their debts shall be raised by Allah on the Day of Judgement amongst the righteous ones.”

April 9th:The last prophet (PBUH) : “One who pleases his parents has verily pleased Allah, and one who has angered his parents has verily angered Allah.”

April 10th:Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) :“One who desires a long life and an increase in livelihood should exhibit goodness towards his parents and establish bonds of kinship (with his relatives).”

April 11th:Imam as-Sadiq :".....If you desire to have your life-span increased, exhibit goodness and kindness towards your parents.’”

April 12th:Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) : “Be good towards your parents and your children will be good towards you. (And) Look upon the womenfolk of others with purity (in conduct and intention) and your womenfolk will be looked upon with purity.”

April 13th:The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has said: “The look of a child towards his parents out of love for them is an act of worship.”

April 14th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said (in regards to one’s parents): “Do not cast your gaze upon them except with love and compassion; do not raise your voice above theirs; do not raise your hands above theirs; do not walk ahead of them."

April 15th:Imam ar-Ridha (peace be upon him) wrote: “To do good to one’s parents is obligatory, even if they are of the polytheists, however, they should not be obeyed in acts that go against the commands of Allah.”

April 16th:Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Whoever visits the graves of his parents or one of them every Friday, Allah shall forgive his sins and shall regard him to be of those who had been kind to his parents.”

April 17th: Imam ali (AS) :“One who causes his parents to become sad has indeed been disowned by them"

April 18th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has : “Allah shall not accept the prayers of a person who looks at his parents with hatred, even if they have been unfair to him!”

April 19th: Allah's Messenger (PBUH) : “Be good and kind to your parents so that your recompense is paradise, and if you have been disowned by them, your abode shall be the fire (of Hell).”

April 20th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) : “There are three individuals that whoever argues with them shall suffer humiliation and disgrace: one’s father; a (just) ruler; and one in debt."

April 21st: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) :“Beware of become disowned by your parents, for verily the fragrance of paradise which can be smelt from a distance of a thousand years, shall never reach the nostrils of one who has been disowned by his parents and one who has severed the bonds of kinship (with his relatives)."

April 22nd:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “The person who has been disowned by his parents, one who consumes intoxicants and one who does acts of goodness towards others but imposes obligations upon them shall never enter into Paradise"

April 23rd: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) :“On the Day of Judgment there shall be four groups of people upon whom Allah shall not cast His look of mercy: those who have been disowned by their parents, those who place obligations upon others after doing good to them, those who reject the concept of fate and destiny and the one who consumes intoxicants.”

April 24th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “A sin that darkens the skies is being disowned by one’s parents.”

April 25th:The Holy Prophet (PBUH) : “There are three sins, the punishments of which are hastened and not deferred for the hereafter: disownment by one’s parents, committing oppression upon the people, and ingratitude with respect to kindness.”

April 26th:Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has stated: “Becoming disowned by one’s parents is one of the Great Sins. This is because Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious, has termed such a person disobedient and wretched.”

April 27th: The holy Quran : "We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth" (46:15)

April 28th: Allah says in the Holy Quran:"And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: ’O My Sustainer, Bestow on them your mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." (17:24)

April 29th: The last Prophet has said : "God's pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and God's displeasure is in the displeasure of the father."

April 30th: Prophet Muhammed said : "It is a pity that some people may not attain Paradise, on account of not serving their old parents."

Importance of Parents in Islam & Our duty towards them.

Say not to them (parents) a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. -Quran 17:23

The above ayat from Quran clearly states that in Islam it is obligatory for us to show kindness, respect and obedience to our parents. The position of parents has been addressed in Islam numerous times, kindness & obedience is very strongly emphasized. Our prophet (saw) said: "Allah is pleased when the parents are pleased and Allah's displeasure lies in the displeasure of Parents".

The reason to why it is so is not a mystery, lets start by studying the role and importance of the mother. A major role in the upbringing of the children lies with her. Not caring about herself she does her best for them. She does it all without even giving a second thought about herself.
Right from being awake in the nights till sacrificing her outdoor activities, a mother does it all for her child.

If we don’t sleep for a single night we get so annoyed and act rude with everyone around us, throw tantrums and behave as if we dint sleep for a year. I can't help but wonder how every mother manages with her children, she doesn’t even get proper sleep and still she does her best to give her children-The Best.
The holy prophet (saw) said: "paradise is at the feet of a mother and the door to the paradise is a father"

The behavior in which children now a days act is totally devastating to me, how do they not realize that they used to once depend on them for each and everything, even for the smallest toy and feed of milk. But as we grow why do we forget all these things?, why do we forget that we dint even know how to talk or walk?, it was our parents who taught us to live, we exist in this world only because of them. We should change our attitude and give thanks to Allah with every breath we take and ask Him to shower his blessings on them and give us patience.

We should try and look on the brighter side and change our perception. Stop blaming our parents for what they haven't been able to provide for us, rather look at what they could.
There are some parents who can not even afford basic schooling for their children, proper clothes or even a house. And we complain because we weren't sent half way across the globe for our graduation or weren't bought the latest cell phone or the most expensive car.

There are also many children, who are not even provided with a day's meal, but still they are thankful to their parents and there are children who are provided with all the luxuries and their attitude towards parents is like:"Any parent would do this, this is no deal??!! What on earth have you done?? Nothing! " just plain UNTHANKFULL

When a child is born, he is just a piece of flesh; he knows nothing and can't do even a single bit on his own. It's only for the parents who teach the child EVERYTHING. But sadly, we are living in a time where a child speaking disrespectfully with their parents and about their parents is the norm.

Islam orders us to be respectful and considerate even with our enemies. To not uphold the obligations laid down by Allah to our parents is a major sin. Yes disrespecting or cursing ones parents is one of the major sins.

The Quran asks us to treat parents with honor and speak to them graciously even if they are non Muslims, old, in sickness or un healthy. A common phenomenon now existing is the negligence towards parents when they've grown old. Some children have them "decorated" in their drawing rooms. Neither do they take them out anywhere, nor spend time with them, they just leave them home and go out and enjoy with their wives and children, now what if the parents had done the same with the children, what if they had locked them home and stayed out for hours together?. You should be thankful you weren't dumped in a garbage can which is quite common!!

Always remember 'What goes around comes around' and fear Allah's wrath.If we don't treat our parents properly, then we won't be treated properly by OUR children.


I hope and pray that the most high, the all powerful, the almighty Allah always guide us and teach us that which will benefit us and we always respect our parents & treat them with the entire world's kindness that they truly deserve. It is definitely difficult, but it wasn't easy for them too raising us bratty kids!.

Don't hesitate to take time out for them and cherish them while they're still alive. Pray for their health and peace. Be patient with them, as they were with you. :)

Samreen Fathima Mirza, 17

mail to:sammirza14@gmail.com

Education systems are partly responsible!!

Education is one of the most important & wise endeavors one could invest into. As helpful & needed as it is for one to survive in the world, is this education in some way coming in between our religious education?. That is my question. And I personally feel it is!.

The structures of education systems in the world are more or less the same, even though there might be differences to the variation of application, they all have one major problem which i like to call 'killing of curiosity'. And it is precisely that on which i state my argument.

Every field of education has become too wide, and complicated, there's much to learn and less time.There is given no room for curiosity to develop. The teachers are occupied with drilling the stated syllabus into the the kids that there is no focus on the harnessing of curiosity in the students. They are indirectly/directly told to stop thinking and questioning & just learn what is in the books. Which leads to discouragement among students because their natural learning style is murdered.

The student who joined school curious now turns into a being who is just absorbing everything at hand. This causes a permanent change in the child as to just absorb and not question. Now this curiosity deficit child applies this same technique everyday and to everything there is to learn. Islam is about being curious, Allah made us curious human beings, we are above all his creatures on earth because we have the brain and if we're not going to apply the main function of it (curiosity) then we are going to be left nowhere. We have been gifted with the ability to question, understand, absorb, think, this is what makes us different from animals!

Sadly as compared to schools, the Islamic education is not as easily available or set importance to by the parents. Worldly education is important, that is also a creation of Allah that we are learning, But we are sadly doing it at the cost of being ignorant about our religion (mostly forever).

What can we do? heres a list of some things:

• Take active part in building the curiosity in children, so even if they come across an ayat from the Quran they're drawn to learn more.
• Let them ask questions, if you don't know the answer FIND it. don't get discouraged and don't discourage them.
• Remember: you take one step towards Allah, He takes 10!
• Send your children to the nearest madressas.
• If theres no madressa get a few parents with kids to pool in and make one.
  
• If a madressa is not possible, find information yourself and teach it to your kid when he's young. There is no age for learning!
• Quit making excuses. The future of your child is in your hands.Take responsibility.
  
• Share information with other parents, it won't kill you to spread the word of Allah.
• Remember it's NEVER TOO LATE! Allah is all knowing and all forgiving!
  

Time is running out. If you don't act appropriately now, your kid will get exploited by the education systems of the world before you know it (god forbid), and then you'll have no one but yourself to blame for the rest of your life, not to mention your lovely child who will also, when he realizes how wrong you've been.The first ayat that was revealed said "read in the name of Allah", that in itself shows the importance of making an effort and also highlights the importance of education.

Syeda Fatima,18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)

Quote of the day archive March. Topic: Salaat-prayers.

March 1st: The Holy Prophet (saw) said "For everything there is a face and the face of your religion is prayers. So see to it that none from amongst you damages and disfigures the face of his religion"

March 2nd: The Holy Prophet (saw) said: "Say each of your prayers as if it were your last prayer."

March 3rd: Allah says in the Quran : "Truly, to a happy state shall attain the believers:
those who humble themselves in their prayer, and who turn away from all that is frivolous, and who are intent on inner purity."
[Qur'an 23:1-4]

March 4th: Allah says in the Holy Quran: "And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me
and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance."
[Taha 13-14]

March 5th: Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (A.S) has said : "The two Rak'at that a married man prays of his Salat is better than seventy Rak'at that a bachelor performs"

March 6th: Imam Mahdi (a.s) said: “Nothing is better than namaz to make shaitan bite the dust, then perform namaz and make Shaitan bite the dust”.

March 7th: Allah says in the Holy Quran: "Be ever mindful of prayers, and of praying in the most excellent way; and stand before God in devout obedience."
[Qur'an 2:238]

March 8th: Imam al-Sadiq (a) narrates that it is written in The Torah: “O’ Son of Man, if you empty yourself, i.e. disengage yourself from all other pre-occupations to make yourself available for My worship, I will fill your heart with richness and I will not abandon you to what you seek and long for. And it will be upon me to close the door of poverty upon you and to fill your heart with awe for me.

March 9th: Allah says: "And before God prostrate themselves, willingly or unwillingly, all things and beings that are in the heavens and the earth, as do their shadows in the mornings and the evenings."
[Qur'an 13:15]

March 10th: Imam Ali (p.b.u.h): Do not offer Prayer in the state of drowsiness. While offering Prayer, do not think about yourself because you are standing in front of Allah (SWT). Indeed, only that portion of the Prayer will be accepted that he has paid full attention towards Allah (SWT).

March 11th: Imam Mehdi (p.b.u.h) : "Keep prayers to Allah for hastening the reappearance, hence it is your victory."

March 12th: Allah says: "O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Truly! Allah is with the patient." [surah al Baqarah; 2:153-154].

March 13th: Prophet Muhammad :"The five stated prayers erase the sins which have been committed during the intervals between them if they have not been mortal sins."

March 14th:The holy Quran: "Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds" [al Ankabut 45]

March 15th: Imam Raza (a.s) said: "Worship does not lie in copious prayer and fasting, but in the amount of contemplation in the works of Allah."

March 16th: The holy Quran: The Apostle of Allah was asked: Which of the actions is best? He replied: Observing prayer early in its period. [abu Dawud 2: 426]

March 17th: Quran: Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds"
[al Ankabut 45]

March 18th: The Quran: "O you who believe! Seek help in patience and prayer. Truly! Allah is with the patient." [surah al Baqarah; 2:153-154]

March 19th: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who uses the toothpick before salaat it is seventy times more excellent if he didn't"

March 20th:In a Hadith Qudsi (Prophet quoting Allah), the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Out of all the ways through which My servant gets closer to Me Salah is the dearest to Me."

March 21st: Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) : "He who does not ask for favors Allah (SWT) is annoyed with him"

March 22nd: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When a person performs the Salaat at the early designated time, the prayer ascends the sky, lighting it up on the way upward, to the topmost layer of the Heaven. On arrival there, it asks pardon for the person. Thus it will pray till Doomsday saying, "May it please Allah to care for you, as you have cared for me. And when a person performs prayers outside the designated time, the Salaat is ascended the sky showered in darkness. On reaching the sky it is rolled up like bundled clothes, and is used to smite the face of the person who performed it. While the Prayer itself says, "May it please Allah to deny you, as you have denied me."

March 23rd : Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) :Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) : “Islam is founded on five pillars: Bearing witness that there is no worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammed is his servant and messenger, the establishment of Salaah, Paying Zakat, Performing Haj and Fasting in the Month of Ramadan”.

March 24th: The holy prophet (PBUH) :“A person who has missed one Salaat is like the one who has lost all his family and wealth”.

March 25th: “A person neglecting his Salaat (even though he makes it up later) shall remain in Hell for a period of one Huqb.”

A ‘Huqb' is equal to eight years of Three Hundred and Sixty days each, and one day in the hereafter shall equal to One Thousand years of this world.

March 26th: Quran: "Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and niggardly when good touches him. Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…" (al-Maarij 19-23).

March 27th: Qur'an: "I have not created the jinn and humankind for any other purpose except that they should worship Me." (51:56)

March 28th: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) : "The thing that Allah (SWT) loves most is when his people pray Salah on time."

March 29th: Prophet Muhmammed (SAW) :"The sins of those who pray Salah, drop off as the leaves of this branch fell off."

March 30th: Imam Ja'far As Sadiq (SAW): "The superiority of Salah (Salat, Namaz) performed in the earliest moments over the one offered in the last moments of its specified time is the same as the superiority of the Hereafter over this world."

March 31st: Imam Ali bin Moosa Al Ridha (pbuh) said: "When you are praying, avoid being drowsy, slumberous, playing and hastening. Pray with solemnity, gravity and soberness. It is up to you to remain attentive, humble and submissive in Almighty Allah's presence. Stand in front of your Lord as a slave appears before his master. Keep your feet in order and your stature firm. Do not look here and there. Be as if you could see Him; for, if you do not see Him, He sees you."

Why go half way?

It is quite common for human beings to go half way with something and leave it there. It's easier to do so, and makes u feel as though you atleast tried which in turn makes you 'the person who atleast considered and was better than others because of that'. But we seldom realize that when we go half way & we've achieved something, we are actually lying to ourselves when in fact we haven't achieved anything but only proved to everyone and ourselves that we lack courage in every possible way.

This theory can similarly be applied to how we civilians practice our religion. It is important for us to find out the reason behind these incomplete actions that we embrace. Taking baby steps is one thing, but being content with what is not really enough is not right.

Let me site a few situational examples with conclusions to make this more clear;

1) Baligh sons and daughters are given a sort of compensation on the timings of their fasts. instead of fasting from Fajr till Maghrib, they are allowed to end their fast at Asr -
Conclusion: UNJUSTIFIABLE PAMPERING.

2) People open their eyes wide when you tell them you're planning to eat a ham burger because it is Haraam, but those people themselves listen to music and don't do hijab.
Conclusion: ADAPTATION OF RELIGION TO CONVENIENCE

3) Recognizing the importance of marriage and making sure that the kids get married in their lifetime. But getting them engaged instead of getting through with the Nikah.
Conclusion: IMPROPER ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF LAWS

4) Letting the sons hang out with friends who are male and female, going to clubs to party, taking part in activities such as dancing, singing on stage or college or school programmes, but not letting the girls. Even though its haraam for both.
Conclusion: ISLAMICALLY UNRECOGNISED DOUBLE STANDARDS.

The above examples are few of many situations and stories we come across in our daily life, in each case the parent, or the responsible person has gone half way through applying religion:
Telling kids to fast but not for the specified time.
Showing disagreement and remorse to one haraam, and not to all.
Knowing that nikah is important and wajib in most of the cases and deciding on doing it but not when needed.
Letting sons do what they want, and when the girls want to do the same creating double standards and saying it's Haraam.

When you start something, you HAVE to cont. on it and complete it, you can't possibly support your religion half way just till when you find it convenient. The reason to why we are getting away with this attitude is because everyone around is more or less like that, we happen to surround ourselves with people sharing these convictions and what i like to term 'convenience based beliefs'. If you try to be around people who are not reluctant to practice Nahy Anil Munkar and Amr Bil Ma'ruf you will seldom find yourself in these situations. Rather you will get more polished & be able to practice your religion more righteously and effectively.

There is absolutely nothing to be proud about preaching & practicing a religion only half way. That will get you only half way to heaven and much regret for your negligence. Compare yourself with those you are more pious and religiously strong than you are and learn from them, idolize them try to be them.See how your perception & ideas are going to make you grow into a better muslim a better human being a better sister/brother, and follow only those advices.

There is a sense of security and belonging we human beings get when we restrict ourselves from following all the rules; everything from the beginning till the end.We don't want to sound, appear or be extreme. But the fact is that there is a need for this because we are lacking so far behind with what we have accomplished.We need a drastic change that would make it less painful & less disturbing for our younger generation to follow and improve. So if not for the sake of yourself, keep your convictions & unconditional yet painful love for the people around you aside & change yourself for those innocent young minds that are getting mislead.

Syeda Fatima, 18
(syeda715@hotmail.com)