Entries Tagged 'Islamic events' ↓
January 23rd, 2013 — Islamic events, Muhammad (PBUH)
Islam is a religion of love and peace. Islam teaches its followers to live in a state of peace and harmony by eliminating the differences and finding out the commonalities. However, the followers of Islam like others are Humans, and where there are humans there are differences of opinion. One such prevalent difference of opinion is on the celebration of 12 of Rabiul Awal.
Across the world in different Muslim countries, 12th of Rabiul Awal is celebrated as the day of birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There are two opinions regarding the celebration of 12th of Rabiul Awal, one group is in favor while the other opposes its celebration. However, both these groups do it out of love and respect for Prophet (PBUH), and not out of personal likings or disliking.
The lines below give the importance of love of Prophet (PBUH) for a Muslim and the arguments put forward by both the sides regarding the celebrations of 12th of Rabiul Awal.
The Love of Prophet:
For a Muslim, the love of Prophet (PBUH) is the essence of faith. A Muslim cannot complete his faith without the love of Prophet (PBUH). The hadith of Prophet (PBUH) in this regard is:
“None of you believes until he loves Me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
This hadith shows that for a Muslim to be a true believer, he needs to love Prophet (PBUH) more than anything else in the world. Therefore, there are no two opinions regarding the love for Prophet (PBUH). In Quran, Allah Almighty also emphasizes on the love of Prophet (PBUH) by saying:
“So fear Allah and set things right between you, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are (in truth) believers.” (8:1)
In this ayah, Allah Almighty makes the obeying of Prophet (PBUH) equal to obeying Him. Therefore, for a Muslim it is imperative to love and obey Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
After establishing the roots, let us now move on to the topic of the opinion of two groups regarding celebration of 12th of Rabiul Awal. Let us first consider the group that opposes its celebration and their arguments.
Opposing Arguments:
The first argument put forward by the opposing group is that as there is no sound historical consensus on the date of birth of Prophet (PBUH). Some think of it to be in different months of lunar year, while if the month be Rabiul Awal, there is still a contradiction on the 12th of the month. So, when there is no proven date then there is no point in accepting 12th as a date of the birth of Prophet (PBUH).
The second argument put forward by the opposing group is that the celebration of 12th Rabiul Awal has no roots in hadith of Prophet (PBUH) and none of His Sahaba celebrated it therefore, it is a Bidah (innovation) therefore, one cannot celebrate it. The hadith to support this argument is the following:
“…The people of Israel were divided into 72 sects, my Ummah will divide into 73 sects, all of them will be in the hellfire, and one of them will be in paradise.” The Companions asked “Which one is saved?” The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “The one that is with Me and my Companions.”” (Tirmidhi)
Another hadith put forward by the opposing group is:
Anas bin Malik (RA) said: “The Messenger of Allah came to Madinah and the people had two days when they would play and have fun. He said, ‘What are these two days?’ They said, ‘We use to play and have fun on these days during the Jaahiliyyah. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Allah has given you something bettern than them, the da of Adhaa and the day of Fitr.” (Abu Dawood)
Therefore, according to the opposing group, as there is no evidence of either Prophet (PBUH) commending the celebration of his day of birth, celebrating it Himself, or any of the Sahabaas of Prophet (PBUH) celebrating it after His passing away. Basing on this argument, the opposing group detests the celebration of 12th of Rabiul Awal.
Moving on to the arguments of the group who celebrate the 12th of Rabiul Awal as a day of Birth of Prophet (PBUH), the following arguments are given by the favoring group in support of celebration:
Arguments in Favor:
The first argument is regarding the birth of Prophet (PBUH), and the following hadith of Prophet
(PBUH) is quoted as a reference:
“Iblis cried loudly four times, first when Allah declared him as cursed, second when he was thrown out, third When Prophet (PBUH) was born and fourth when Surah al-Fatiha was revealed.” (Ibn Al Kathir)
Therefore, the celebrating groups says that it was satan who was disturbed and in anguish upon the birth of Prophet (PBUH), meaning that the day of His birth is of importance for Muslim, because it brought anguish to Satan. Therefore, such a day is worth celebrating.
The second argument given by the favoring group is in the light of Quran. The 12th Rabiul Awal celebrating group refers to the following ayah in which Allah Almighty says:
“Say: in the bounty of God. And in His Mercy, in that “Let Them rejoice”: that is better than the (wealth) they hoard.” (10:58)
In this ayah, Allah Almighty commends the Muslims to rejoice the Mercy and bounty of God. Further, in Quran Allah Almighty calls Prophet (PBUH) as Mercy:
“We have not sent you but as a ‘Mercy to the worlds’. (21:107)
So when joining these two verses, Allah Almighty says to Muslims to rejoice His Mercy and Prophet (PBUH) is the Mercy of Allah Almighty upon mankind. Therefore, in light of these verses, it is allowed to celebrate the birth of Prophet (PBUH) as the Mercy was revealed to Mankind on this day.
The 12th Rabiul Awal celebrating group also puts forward a hadith of Prophet (PBUH) that indirectly supports the celebration. The hadith is:
“Abu Qatada Ansari (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.” (Sahih Muslim)
From this hadith it is evident that Prophet (PBUH) would fast on Monday in remembrance of His birth. Fasting is a kind of worship and worship represents the gratitude of a person, therefore, Muslims must also show gratitude on the day of Birth of Prophet (PBUH).
Conclusion:
In short, both these groups hold their opinion just because of the love for Prophet (PBUH) and Islam. Both these groups have numerous arguments in support of their stance. Therefore, no final verdict can be given in this regard, and only Allah Almighty can be asked for guidance to the right path.
May Allah Almighty guide us towards the right path and keep the love of Prophet (PBUH) alive and throbbing in our hearts! Ameen!
October 25th, 2012 — Islam and Muslims, Islamic events
Muslims have two Eids every year, Eid is a day when Muslims celebrate with joy and there is happiness and cheerfulness all around. First is Eid ul Fitr that comes after the month of Ramadan, while the second eid is Eid ul Adha that is celebrated at the end of Hajj in the month of Dul-Hijja.
Out of the two Eids, it is a general observation that Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr with more joy and spirit compared to the latter Eid. In preaching of Islam and from noble Qur’an reading a Muslim knows that both the eids are of same importance and bring the same blessings. However, among present Muslims, the spirit of celebration of Eid ul Fitr supersedes Eidul Adha. The lines below explain how Eid ul Adha can be celebrated with full spirt.
Increasing Ibadaah:
One of the major reasons why Muslims tend to celebrate Eid ul Fitr with more spirit compared to Eid ul Adha is because before Eid ul Fitr here is the Holy month of Ramadan. In Ramadan, Muslims do extensive Ibadaah and fasting, so when the month ends, Eid comes as a reward for all the Muslims, thus all the joy and celebrations.
On the other hand, before Eid ul Adha there is no such month. The fact of the matter is that most Muslims are ignorant of the importance of the month of Dul Hijjah. The first 10 days of Dul Hijjah are of extreme importance for a Muslim. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has called the first 10 days of Dul Hijjah as the best days, and last 10 nights of Ramadan as the best nights of the year. Therefore, the importance of Dul Hijjah is at par with the importance of Ramadan.
Moreover, the Companions of Prophet (PBUH) would fast, say excessive prayers do good deeds, ask forgiveness from Allah Almighty excessively during the first 10 days of Dul Hijjah, and hence without any doubt they were able to celebrate Eid ul Adha with full joy and spirit.
Therefore, if we realize the importance and significance of the first 10 days of Dul Hijjah, perform excessive Ibadah and fast in them, then Eid ul Adha would come to us as does Eid ul Fitr; full of the spirit of joy and happiness.
Relating With Ibraham:
The second reason why Muslims fail to celebrate Eid ul Adha in the way it is supposed to be celebrated is because they fail to understand the whole reason behind the activity of sacrifice. The activity of sacrificing an animal comes from Abraham.
The need is to learn Quran to find the background of the sacrifice of Abraham. Abraham saw a dream in which He was ordered by Allah Almighty to sacrifice his son in His name. Abraham complied with it and when He was sacrificing His son, it was replaced by a ram. The message behind this whole sacrifice of Abraham was to submit to the will of Allah Almighty and sacrifice His most beloved belonging on His order.
If Muslims relate to the sacrifice of Abraham, and understand that Eid ul Adha is all about sacrificing their will upon the command of Allah, then they will be able to enjoy the Eid ul Adha in full spirit. Moreover, the love for sacrifice can easily be developed, if Muslims brought the animal for sacrifice to their homes a month before the day of sacrifice. This way they will feed it, care for it, and develop a feeling for it, thus the sacrifice would be a sacrifice of something loved. Thus by relating to Abraham, Muslims can enjoy Eid ul Adha with full spirit and joy.
Sunnah of Prophet (PBUH):
Either it’s the events of daily life, or the Islam rituals, there is no better personality to look at than Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). His Sunnah is the best example when it comes to celebration of eids. If Muslims could just do what Prophet (PBUH) did on the day of Eid ul Adha, then it would suffice for the spirit of joy and celebration. Some of the Sunnahs of Prophet (PBUH) pertaining to the day of Eid ul Adha are as follows:
- Doing ghusl on the day of Eid
- Wearing the most beautiful clothes when going for Eid prayers
- He would go for prayers walking from one way and come back from the other way
- Say the Eid prayers in the prayer place
- Congratulate all the fellows for Eid
- Eat nothing before eating the meat of the animal He sacrificed
Bottom Line:
The reason Muslims are not able to or do not celebrate Eid ul Adha as they do Eid ul Fitr is because they lack the feeling that is developed in the month of Ramadan. If Muslims realized the importance of first 10 days of Dul Hijjah (prayed and fast in them), relate to the sacrifice given by Abraham, and on the day of Eid observed the Sunnah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), then we as Muslims will be able to celebrate and enjoy Eid ul Adha the way it needs to be celebrated, with the spirit of joy, happiness and sacrifice.
June 29th, 2012 — Islam Religion, Islam and Muslims, Islamic News, Islamic events
Month of Shaban is one of the most sacred month in the Islamic Calender. The last Messenger Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H) termed it as “MY MONTH” and during this month he used to fast a lot more. 15th night of Shabaan is known as the Shab-e-Baraat, it is next to Lailatul Qadr. By reciting Quran online, you will get to know more about the significance of Shab-e-Baraat in the religion Islam. This night of mid Shaban is also known as Laylatul Baraah. In the Arab countries, it is known as Laylatun Nisfe min Sha’ban, while in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Iran, it is known as Shab-e-Baraat. Some other names of Shab-e-Baraat are Lailatul Biraat and Lailatul Dua.
Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) once said about the significance of this Holy Month:”People are not aware of the excellence of the month of Shabaan, the month that comes between the months of Rajab and Ramadaan. In this month, the action of the people are presented (to ALLAH).I wish my actions to be presented whilst I am fasting.”
Month of Shaban is perhaps the blessed month in the Islamic Calendar. This month brings lots of chances for earning the reward and a person can seek the pleasure and blessings of Almighty Allah. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) also used to pray and worship a lot in this month. This night starts from the Maghrib Salaah Azan. The record book (AMAL NAMA) of a person contains all the deeds of a person in the past year are closed and preserved till the day of resurrection. Various Angels at this particular night were assigned deaths, charge of births and they were given the instructions by Almighty Allah to perform various duties like recording the names of people who will die in the coming year.
On this night, doors of forgiveness and mercy are opened, and those who are grieved over repent for all their sins and also seek forgiveness from Almighty Allah. A good Quran Tutor will certainly help in better understanding of the significance of Lailatul Qadr.
About the night of Shab-e Qadar, Abu Bakar once said:”On the night of Shabaan, ALLAH spreads HIS mercy on the earth and pardons all the sinners except the Polytheist,the Hypocrites and those who harbour ill-feeling towards their brethren.”
After the night of Sunset, it is better to recite “La Hawla walaa Quwwata illa Billahil-aliyil Azeem” 40 times, alongwith Durood Shareef. You must read 6 rakaat Nafl prayer(2+2+2) after the Magrib prayer. After every two rakaats, always read Surah Yaseen one time. Offering these prayers will bless your day and you will live a prosperous life in all your life after the Isha or Magrib prayer. Read 2 rakaahs of Nafil then Surah Yasin and dua Nisfu with the proper intention.
Read 12 rakaat nafl prayers in each rakaat after Esha to Surah Fatiha. All these worships are about praising Almighty Allah, so that he has no partner, and for him is the kingdom, and for him is the praise. He has complete control over life and death.
The proof of Shab-e-Baraat can also be well understood from the following verse of Holy Quran:
“Surely, We have sent it (the Holy Qur’an) down in a blessed night. Surely, We are the Warner. In this (night) judgment is given on all matters of wisdom (separately) by Our Command.” (Sura ad-Dukhan, 44:3-5)
June 14th, 2012 — Islam Religion, Islam and Muslims, Islamic Knowledge, Islamic News, Islamic events, Muhammad (PBUH), Qur'an
There are several occasions that are deemed as a blessing and gift from Allah Almighty other than Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adhaa in Islamic societies all around the world, and one such revered occasion is Isra or Me’raj that occurs on 27th of Islamic month of Rajab (the 7th month according to Islamic calendar). This year, Isra/Me’raj will fall on 17th of 2012.
Isra or Me’raj, according to Islamic theology, concerns establishment and acknowledgement of Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) miraculous journey from Mecca through Jerusalem and his eventual ascension to Heavens before the all mighty all powerful Allah (SWT).
Isra, Me’raj and Qur’an
Some people refer to this revered event as a fabrication because of its details that do not concede with common human intellect. In fact, the ascension of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to Heavens is the truest of events as there are narrations of it in a source as authentic and eternal as Holy Qur’an:
“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al‑Masjid Al‑Haraam (at Makkah) to Al‑Masjid Al‑Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”[al-Isra’ 17:1]
In fact, that is why learning Qur’an is seen as a religious obligation on Muslims ever since its revelation, as it contains knowledge and information on everything that people might ever need. Today, one can even recite and read holy Quran online, getting high quality assistance needed to do so while sitting within the comforts of their own homes.
Explanation
Fact of the matter is that Isra/Me’raj is not described in detail in Qur’an. The details come to us from hadith and other authentic Islamic traditions that explain this miraculous journey in fine details. According to those details, this journey comprised of two parts:
Isra – First part of the journey
Islamic scholars are of the view that this miraculous journey comprised of two parts; the first one referred as Isra that involves Muhammad’s (PBUH) visit to Jerusalem in company of Archangel Gabriel (may peace be upon him) where he prayed with all the Prophets including Adam, Jesus, Moses, and others. Gabriel presented Muhammad (PBUH) with Burraq, a special kind of ride bestowed to them by Allah Almighty that travelled lightening fast to enable them complete this multidimensional journey merely in a matter of one night.
Burraq
According to Islamic traditions, Burraq was a ride specially sent from heavens for Muhammad (PBUH) to help him travel at lightening speeds. Many scholars also believe it resembled a horse, which by the way, should not matter, because the point lies in its lightening fast speed rather than its size, shape, or nature.
Me’raj – Second part of the journey
Islamic theology states that Me’raj constitutes the latter half of this revered journey when Muhammad was ascended to Heavens where he practically witnessed hell and heaven by wish and will of Allah Almighty. The word Me’raj equates to “ladder” in Arabic that is also expressive of the nature of this journey. Different levels and intensities of hell and heaven were shown to Muhammad (PBH) during this phase of journey as well.
Incumbency of daily prayers
It is also through Me’raj that Muslims were granted the gift of 5 daily prayers by Allah Almighty. As a matter of fact, Allah initially awarded 50 prayers a day to Muhammad (PBUH), which was later on reduced to 5 times a day. This is another great significance of Me’raj.
How Muslims honor Isra/Me’raj
Muslims commemorate this gracious event by praying to Allah Almighty and praising Muhammad (PBUH). They try to pray as much as possible this day to appease Allah (SWT). Muslims try to recite as much of Qur’an this day as possible. As stated earlier, one can also perform Quran recitation to express their love, respect, and gratitude to The One Who deserves all praise and worship, i.e. Allah Almighty.
Conclusion
This revered occasion bestows Muslims with great opportunity of not only thanking Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but it also serves as a reminder to them about the power and might of Allah (SWT) Who is capable of showing us anything He wants. May Allah Almighty bestow us with all the blessings this Isra/Me’raj and set our direction right.
February 7th, 2012 — Islam Religion, Islam and Muslims, Islamic News, Islamic events
As the 12th Rabbi ul Awwal has been celebrated around the Muslim Ummah; however, there are many who believe that the celebration is mistaken. The reason for the disagreement is that the exact date of birth of the Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) is irresolute and therefore the celebrations are contradictory.
Here is a detailed note on the disagreements of the Ullemah regarding the celebrations of the 12th Rabbi ul Awwal, birthday of Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
Should Muslims Celebrate The Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)?
After reciting and understanding Quran, does not indicate any such incident or celebrations and the disagreement about the birth of the Holy Prophet and so the controversies arise. It is believed by many that the birth took place in the “Year of the Elephant,” but may disagree.
- Controversies relating to the birth date, day, month and year:
Muhammad Husain Haykal writes in the biography of Muhammad (May peace be upon him), “Historians have also differed concerning the month of Muhammad’s birth although the majority of them agree that it was Rabi` al Awwal, the third month of the lunar year. It has also been claimed that he was born in Muharram, in Safar, in Rajab, or in Ramadan.”
At another place he indicates that “others claim that he was born a few days, months, or years, after “the Year of the Elephant.”
Hence, not only the day or the month, but also the year of birth is a contradictory matter.
- Celebration of the day by the Sahaba and the Arabs:
Another pressing matter is that the intensity of the celebrations that take place in Pakistan is not similar to that of the Arabs. Arabs have great memorization skills and a matter of this high regard to be overlooked or forgotten is unlikely.
Arabs are known for their feat of memorization and know hundreds of verses by heart. If the birthday of the Holy Prophet were such an important festive matter, they would not have missed it for the world.
Furthermore, neither there is any real proof in the history that the day was celebrated among the Sahaba, the companions of Rasool Allah (SAW), nor there is any narration, which states that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) encouraged his followers to celebrate the day with Darood recitation or to hold milads and make it a day of worship.
The question again arise that so we love Prophet Muhammad more than his own closest companions, who scarified their lives and their families for him, or the people today who are ignorant of the teaching so Islam. You should read Quran online to know instant solutions in the light of Quran and Sunnah, to such complex matters
Conclusion:
Muslims love Prophet with all their heart and show their love and affection in the form of milads, recitations of holy verses and through Darood recitals. However, the processions that are taken out on the 12th of Rabi ul Awwal are often considered as Bidah (innovation) in Islam.
Today, it has become a Muslim culture, instead of symbol of blessing and rewards and people indulge themselves in transgressions that are more sinful.
Rasool Allah (saw) himself said: “Whoever has performed a deed which is not in the religion from its inception is rejected (not acceptable to Allah) “. (Bukhari and Muslim)
February 1st, 2012 — Islam Religion, Islam and Muslims, Islamic News, Islamic events
Celebrating in an event of happiness to express joy is quite human. That is why we find almost all religions and cultures of the world with such celebrations, allowing their followers to express and emanate their auspiciousness regarding any particular event. Same is the case with Muslims. Muslim Ummah celebrates a few occasions every year globally, marking their joy and gratefulness to Allah Almighty for endowing them with such blessings.
Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH)
Out of all Islamic months, Rabi-Ul-Awwal holds the honor of being the month when humanity was endowed with the most valuable of all gifts from Almighty Allah, i.e. the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This happened more than 1400 years ago when humanity was passing through darkest of its periods. Ever since then, the fate of humanity in general and the fate of followers of Muhammad (PBUH) in particular, had been miraculously turned towards positivity, as emanated from the great teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In fact, Allah Almighty reveals to us in the Holy Scripture of Qur’an that:
“We have sent him (Muhammad saw) as a source of mercy for the A’alimeen (humans, jinns and all else that exists),” (Surah 21.Al- Anbiya: Verse 107).
Linguistic experts are of opinion that the word “Milad” is a derivative of “viladat”, meaning birth. It means “Milad” as a word is used to signify the time and place of a particular birth. The whole word as it is mentioned here “Eid Milad-Un-Nabi (PBUH)” signifies of celebration and joy for Muslims in particular and the whole world in general, for getting blessed with the biggest honor from Allah Almighty to them in form of last of the prophets, Muhammad (PBUH).
Milad in relation to Quran
Quran, the Holy Scripture according to which Muslims are to live their lives, also contains content that suggests praising and celebrating the day when prophets (PBUT) of Allah Almighty are born. The following verse of Quran reveals the same as in case of Hazrat Yahya (A.S):
“The peace is on Him the day when he was born and the day when he will die and the day when he will be raised alive.” (Sura Al-Maryam, Verse 15)
This verse mentioned here is in connection with the complete Milad of Allah’s Prophet, Hazrat Yahya (A.S) as mentioned in great detail in the concurrent verses and chapter. Similarly, another narration also exhibits expressions of joy and celebration in relation to the birth of Hazrat Isa (A.S) (or Jesus), also in the same chapter of Qur’an:
“And the same peace on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I would be raised alive.”
(Holy Quran, Sura Al Maryam, Verse 33)
Comprehensive Quran Learning leads us to conclusion that Milad of a prophet is deemed as a praiseworthy event by Allah Almighty Himself. Based upon such inferences, it is quite logical to conclude that Eid Milad-Un-Nabi (celebrated on 12th of Rabbi-al-Awwal) should be an exceptional day of celebration for the followers of Allah (SW)’s last prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Eid Milad-Ul-Nabi (PBUH) in relation to Hadith
Hadith (descriptive narrations from Prophet PBUH) comes second to Quran for every Muslim to take heed from. There are many ahadith that signify the importance of Eid Milad-Un-Nabi, such as:
The one who rejoices on the birth day of the Holy Prophet would not be severely punished and it is hoped that a Muslim who celebrate the Milad un Nabi (Allah’s Grace and Peace be upon him), will not be punished in hell. Imam Bukhari Rahmatullah Alaih narrates that Abu Lahab would be punished lightly in the hell on Monday. Because he rejoiced and freed his handmaid indicating by his finger, when the Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace and Peace be upon him) took birth. So as a reward of happiness on Milad un Nabi (Allah’s Grace and Peace be upon him) he would be given water by his finger. (Saheehul Bukhari Vol. 2, Page 764)
Conclusion
For Muslims, having true faith is incomplete unless they love and respect Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than anything else, as evident from the following hadhith as well:
“None of you becomes a believer until I am dearer to him than his children, his parents and all mankind.” (as reported by Bukhari and Muslim)
That alone should serve a reason more than enough to express your joy and happiness for the greatest of gifts from Allah Almighty to humanity as true Muslims; so make the most of it this year as well.
