Laylatul Qadr Lecture Gems...
7/20/14
MCA Santa Clara, CA
I wanted to share a few points from the beautiful lecture yesterday with Ustadha Rania Awad (Rahmah Foundation).
A gift to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)...
* Laylatul Qadr is better than 1000 months: meaning you get the reward of 80 years of worship.
* The Prophet (SAW) saw that his ummah had a shorter life span than the other prophets, so he asked Allah to give his Ummah a way to get as much reward as them, so Allah gifted him Laylatul Qadr.
The angels descend on this night...
* The angels descend to the Earth, so many angels, more than the number of stones on Earth. The Earth becomes filled with angels.
* The bring blessings and mercy, they stand in the rows praying alongside us, they witness those who are praying, giving charity, making thikr, and they visit the pious people - people who have the ability to disobey Allah but they use their free will to obey Allah.
* Because the angels are made of light, the sky will appear to be open and glowing.
How to get the reward for Laylatul Qadr...
* 1. Pray Isha in Jama'a, congregation. Jama'a means you pray with at least one other person, and it could be a child as long as they stand and pray with you.
* 2. Pray Fajr in Jama'a.
* 3. Stay up for some portion of the night making dua'. Du'a is the most beloved to Allah than any other worship on Laylatul Qadr. So if you, as a woman, even if you can't pray, you can still make du' a.
What did the Prophet (SAW) do on Laylatul Qadr...
* 1. Read Qur'an, and when he heard an ayah about Allah's mercy, he asked for mercy, when he heard ayah about forgiveness, he asked for forgiveness, and when he heard ayah about punishment, he asked for refuge from hell. 2. Prayed 3. Made du' a (O Allah You are the forgiver, and You love to forgive, so forgive me).
* 4. Tafakkur - Contemplation: you sit and think about the blessings that Allah gave you. You can start with every part of your body - how would it be if you lost your eyesight, your hearing, or one of your limbs. Then you can assess the state you are in compared to the Ummah - why out of all those people did Allah pluck you out of your country and put you in this country? Or why did Allah put you here and you are not over there where all the other Muslims in the world are suffering?
Etiquette...
* Take a shower (ghusl)
* Wear clean, nice clothes
* Put on perfume (for women, only if you are not going out of the house)
I'tikaaf...
* hadith: “He who observes the ten days I’tikaf during Ramadhan will obtain the reward of two Hajj & two Umrah.” (Bayhaqi)
* I'tikaaf in the last 10 days of Ramadan is the one sunnah that the prophet (SAW) never left, he did it consistently every year - so it is very close to Fard, so we should do some amount of I'tikaaf. His wives continued to do it after his death.
* For women, there is a beautiful ruling from the Hanafi school that is worth borrowing even if you are not hanafi - which says that woman can do i'tikaaf at home (only in days they are able to pray).
* First you designate one place in your home. You stand outside it and make your intention - nawaytul i'tikaaf wa hatha masjidi, I intend to do i'tikaaf and this is my masjid. Then you enter the area - you can pray Fard and or sunnah, you can read Qur'an, you can do contemplation, you can listen to Islamic lectures, you can read Islamic books, you can bring snacks, your phone for an important need, people or kids can join you, kids can go in and out, but you can't leave the area. If you leave, you will need to make a new i'tikaaf with new intention.
* So you can do little i'tikaafs throughout the day. You can do each of your 5 prayers in state of i'tikaaf, and you will get the reward of i'tikaaf.
Other Tips...
* Make a du'a list, that way you won't forget anything. You just pull it out and recite it. The times when du'as are most accepted are in the time of breaking your fast, Fajr time, and Isha time. Make the du'a in your own language and in your own words.
* Give charity. If you don't have money, you can give your time by serving others. Like visiting Muslims in Nursing Homes, or Muslims that are deaf - people who are isolated from the community.
* If you have children, do not skimp when it comes to Eid. The Muslim kids who are growing up here have to see that this is their Christmas and Halloween. You must decorate the house, have special foods, nice clothes, fun activities and gifts. Do not cheat out the kids on Eid.
7/20/14
MCA Santa Clara, CA
I wanted to share a few points from the beautiful lecture yesterday with Ustadha Rania Awad (Rahmah Foundation).
A gift to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)...
* Laylatul Qadr is better than 1000 months: meaning you get the reward of 80 years of worship.
* The Prophet (SAW) saw that his ummah had a shorter life span than the other prophets, so he asked Allah to give his Ummah a way to get as much reward as them, so Allah gifted him Laylatul Qadr.
The angels descend on this night...
* The angels descend to the Earth, so many angels, more than the number of stones on Earth. The Earth becomes filled with angels.
* The bring blessings and mercy, they stand in the rows praying alongside us, they witness those who are praying, giving charity, making thikr, and they visit the pious people - people who have the ability to disobey Allah but they use their free will to obey Allah.
* Because the angels are made of light, the sky will appear to be open and glowing.
How to get the reward for Laylatul Qadr...
* 1. Pray Isha in Jama'a, congregation. Jama'a means you pray with at least one other person, and it could be a child as long as they stand and pray with you.
* 2. Pray Fajr in Jama'a.
* 3. Stay up for some portion of the night making dua'. Du'a is the most beloved to Allah than any other worship on Laylatul Qadr. So if you, as a woman, even if you can't pray, you can still make du' a.
What did the Prophet (SAW) do on Laylatul Qadr...
* 1. Read Qur'an, and when he heard an ayah about Allah's mercy, he asked for mercy, when he heard ayah about forgiveness, he asked for forgiveness, and when he heard ayah about punishment, he asked for refuge from hell. 2. Prayed 3. Made du' a (O Allah You are the forgiver, and You love to forgive, so forgive me).
* 4. Tafakkur - Contemplation: you sit and think about the blessings that Allah gave you. You can start with every part of your body - how would it be if you lost your eyesight, your hearing, or one of your limbs. Then you can assess the state you are in compared to the Ummah - why out of all those people did Allah pluck you out of your country and put you in this country? Or why did Allah put you here and you are not over there where all the other Muslims in the world are suffering?
Etiquette...
* Take a shower (ghusl)
* Wear clean, nice clothes
* Put on perfume (for women, only if you are not going out of the house)
I'tikaaf...
* hadith: “He who observes the ten days I’tikaf during Ramadhan will obtain the reward of two Hajj & two Umrah.” (Bayhaqi)
* I'tikaaf in the last 10 days of Ramadan is the one sunnah that the prophet (SAW) never left, he did it consistently every year - so it is very close to Fard, so we should do some amount of I'tikaaf. His wives continued to do it after his death.
* For women, there is a beautiful ruling from the Hanafi school that is worth borrowing even if you are not hanafi - which says that woman can do i'tikaaf at home (only in days they are able to pray).
* First you designate one place in your home. You stand outside it and make your intention - nawaytul i'tikaaf wa hatha masjidi, I intend to do i'tikaaf and this is my masjid. Then you enter the area - you can pray Fard and or sunnah, you can read Qur'an, you can do contemplation, you can listen to Islamic lectures, you can read Islamic books, you can bring snacks, your phone for an important need, people or kids can join you, kids can go in and out, but you can't leave the area. If you leave, you will need to make a new i'tikaaf with new intention.
* So you can do little i'tikaafs throughout the day. You can do each of your 5 prayers in state of i'tikaaf, and you will get the reward of i'tikaaf.
Other Tips...
* Make a du'a list, that way you won't forget anything. You just pull it out and recite it. The times when du'as are most accepted are in the time of breaking your fast, Fajr time, and Isha time. Make the du'a in your own language and in your own words.
* Give charity. If you don't have money, you can give your time by serving others. Like visiting Muslims in Nursing Homes, or Muslims that are deaf - people who are isolated from the community.
* If you have children, do not skimp when it comes to Eid. The Muslim kids who are growing up here have to see that this is their Christmas and Halloween. You must decorate the house, have special foods, nice clothes, fun activities and gifts. Do not cheat out the kids on Eid.
No comments:
Post a Comment