Revive a Sunnah: Protecting Ourselves with Al-Maani’ah

Bismillah. One of the things we can do to protect ourselves when going to sleep is recite Surah Mulk (67) before sleeping.

The Prophet [SAWS] used to do it regularly

Jaabir [RA] reported that the Prophet [SAWS] did not sleep until he had recited Surah Al-Sajdah (32) and Surah Mulk (67).

[Tirmidhi]

The Sahabah nicknamed it Al-Maani’ah, meaning that which protects

It was narrated that Abdullah ibn Mas’ood [RA] said:Whoever reads Surah al-Mulk every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah [SAWS] we used to call it al-maani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allaah it is a soorah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well.

[Sunan An-Nasa’i]

Surah Mulk

Continue reading “Revive a Sunnah: Protecting Ourselves with Al-Maani’ah” →

Revive a Sunnah: Recitation in Sunnahs of Fajr and Maghrib

Bismillah.

Abu Hurairah [RA] reported:

The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] recited in the two sunnah Rak`ah of the Fajr prayer Surah Al-Kafirun (in the first Rak`ah), and Surah Al-Ikhlas (in the second Rak`ah).

[Muslim]

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud [RA]:

“I cannot count how many times I heard the Messenger of Allah recite, in the two rak’at after maghrib and in the two rak’at before fajr ‘Say: O disbelievers,’ (Surah Kafiroon – 109) and ‘Say: He is Allah, the One.’ (Surah Ikhlas – 112).”

[Related by Ibn Majah and At-Tirmidhi]

So, it’s very clear that it was a sunnah of the Prophet [SAWS] to:

recite Surah Kafiroon (109) in the first rakah
recite Surah Ikhlas (112) in the second rakah

of the sunnah prayer before Fajr and after Maghrib.

Actually, it gets better: Continue reading “Revive a Sunnah: Recitation in Sunnahs of Fajr and Maghrib” →

Over-stepping?

Nope, I’m not talking about over-stepping in cricket. I’m talking about over-stepping in Dua (prayer) and Tahara (purification)…

Abdullah ibn Al-Mughafal [RA] passed by one of his sons while was making dua. His son prayed, “Oh Allah! I ask you to give me the white palace on the right hand side as soon as I enter Paradise!”

Hearing this his father said, “Oh my son! Ask Allah to bless you with Paradise and seek refuge from the Fire, for verily I heard the Prophet [SAWS] say:

There will be a group that will over-step/transgress the bounds with regards to purification and dua.”

[Abu Dawud, Ahmad]

Interestingly, the hadith mentions two very important aspects of a Muslim’s life: tahara and dua. Tahara (purification) is the key to the prayer, and dua is the essence of prayer. Thus, shaitaan has placed potholes in these two key areas so that a Muslim who’s striving to get closer to Allah [SWT] can potentially fall into them and lose a portion of their good deeds. This hadith is very amazing as: Continue reading “Over-stepping?” →

The Dua of Abu Bakr [RA]

Bismillah.

Narrated Abu Bakr As-Siddiq [RA]

I asked Allah’s Apostle [SAWS] to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allah with it in my prayer. He told me to say,

[Sahih Bukhari]

Transliteration (hover your mouse for translation)

Allahumma innee dhalamtu nafsi dhulman katheera
Wala yaghfiruz zhunooba illa anta faghfirlee
Maghfiratam min ‘indika war hamni innaka
Antal Ghafooror Raheem

What’s so special about this dua? Continue reading “The Dua of Abu Bakr [RA]” →

A Jewel of Wisdom from a Jewel in Islam’s Crown

“The one who longs for Paradise will rush towards good deeds; the one who dreads Hell will put an end to his vices; the one who has firm conviction in [the imminent arrival of] death will lose all his passions; and the one who really knows the dunya will find disasters easy to bear.”

[Ali ibn Abi Talib, radi Allaho anho]

Lessons:

Continue reading “A Jewel of Wisdom from a Jewel in Islam’s Crown” →