بسم الله. ربي زدني علما. امين

بسم الله. ربي زدني علما. امين
May Allah the Almighty grant us more beneficial knowledge, accept our good deeds, forgive our mistakes, protect us from fitna, and join us with the righteous believers in Jannatul Ferdaus. Ameen.

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Note: Some Reasons Why A Number Of Women Choose To Stay Single

 💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 The words "spinster" and "old maid" are used to describe an unmarried woman who has reached a stage that is beyond the usual age for marriage. Alhamdulillah I personally know at least five Muslim women who are in their forties or fifties and they're contented as they are - single but independent, and free from the additional responsibilities of being a wife.

Although she never had a husband before, the mother of Prophet Jesus, Maryam (May Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala be pleased with them both) is counted as one of the best women on earth and one of the believers promised to be granted entry to Jannah Paradise. So long as you're blessed with Allah's Love, you don't need a man to feel complete nor obtain the status of being "married" to be regarded as successful in this temporal life. 

It is possible for a Muslimah to be happy enjoying singlehood, believing she's satisfied with loving Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, while not being dependent on another human being.

🔸 Some of the likely reasons why a number of women choose to avoid matrimony include:

1] They're fed up receiving marriage proposals from men who don't seem to be good enough according to their standards. They'd rather wait for their flawless spouse in Jannah Paradise than deal with the negative consequences of marrying "the wrong guy".

2] They have full satisfaction with their current job. The income they get from their profession is more than enough to sustain themselves and their loved ones. They're the type of women who don't require assistance and support from any human, especially a man.

3] They could be "asexual" or not interested at all in anything that has to do with physical intimacy, romance and sexual reproduction. To them, there are other ways to achieve happiness which are not connected to marriage. 

4] They've seen too many "failed marriages" that they lost interest in becoming wives. They prefer staying single and free from worries to not being an "ideal wife".

5] They could be from the minority of females who are not sexually attracted to males. Falling in love with the opposite gender doesn't come to them easily. Instead of marrying unwillingly and showing love to the husband artificially, these women are satisfied rejecting and not receiving marriage proposals. 

🔸 Tips concerning this issue:

1] Never look down on a woman who hasn't received a marriage proposal yet. A woman's value is in her Taqwa, faith/Imaan and love for Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, not in the amount of marriage proposals she got or the quality of guys she was married to in the past. 

2] If you're currently single, don't feel pressured to get married soon just because a lot of your friends and relatives finally had their wedding. Continue preserving your modesty, as you keep praying to Allah the Most Loving to bless you with a pious husband who is worthy of your loyalty and affection. 

3] Married life isn't equivalent to joy and success. Once a woman gets married, she should expect various trials and tests, including how patient she can get with her husband and whether or not she can always remain loyal. 

Your worth as a Muslimah isn't attached to your marital status, but to how strong and genuine your connection with Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is.

Single, divorced or widowed, what matters really is that you're from those souls whom Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala loves and guided. 

📖 Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "I was shown the nations before me and one or two prophets would pass by with only a few followers and another would pass by with none. Then a large crowd of people passed in front of me and I asked: 'Are they my followers?' It was said: 'No, this is Moses (Prophet Musa 'alaihis salaam) and his followers.' Then it was said: 'Look at the horizon.' Behold, there was a multitude of people filling the horizon. It was said: 'This is your nation from which seventy thousand will enter Paradise without being taken to account.' Then, the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam entered his house without telling them who the seventy thousand were, so the people started discussing the issue and they said, “It is we who have believed in Allah and followed His Messenger, so those people are either ourselves or our children who are born in the era of Islam, for we were born in the time of ignorance.” When the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam heard that, he came out and he said: "They are those who do not treat themselves with incantations, nor do they believe in bad or good omens, nor do they get themselves cauterized. Rather, they put their complete trust in their Lord (Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala)." ‘Ukkashah ibn Muhsin said, “O Messenger of Allah, am I one of them?” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said 'yes.' Another man got up and he said, “Am I one of them?” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "Ukkashah has preceded you."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5378

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "If someone proposes marriage to you whose religion and character satisfies you, then you should accept it. If you do not do so, there will be trials (fitna/fitan) on the earth and the spread of corruption."

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1084

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani

Friday, August 14, 2020

Hadith: Avoiding Overeating Unnecessarily

 📖 Jabir RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The food of one person is enough for two, the food of two is enough for four, and the food of four is enough for eight." 

Source: Sahih Muslim 2059 

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim 

Al-Nawawi said, "In this is encouragement to be sympathetic with food, that even a little food is enough to suffice, and there is blessing in sharing with those present." 

Source: Sharh Al-Nawawī ‘alá Sahih Muslim 2059

📖 Miqdam ibn Ma’d RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The son of Adam (humans) cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back (to survive). If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third for his food, a third for his drink, and a third for his breath." 

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2380 

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Ibn Muflih

📖 Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Verily, the people who ate to their fill in the world today will be the people of hunger in the Hereafter tomorrow." 

Source: Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabīr 11693 

Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Mundhiri

Hadith: Gratitude To Allah And Contentment With Simplicity

📖 ‘Ubaydullah ibn Mihsan RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and he has enough food for his day, it is as if he were given the entire world."

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2346

Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Suyuti
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Wealth is not in having many possessions. Rather, true wealth is the richness of the soul."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 6081
Sahih Muslim 1051
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
📖 Abu Dharr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “O Abu Dharr, do you say an abundance of possessions is wealth?” I said 'yes.' The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Do you say a lack of possessions is poverty?” I said 'yes.' The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam repeated this three times, then he said, "Wealth is in the heart and poverty is in the heart. Whoever is wealthy in his heart will not be harmed no matter what happens in the world. Whoever is impoverished in his heart will not be satisfied no matter how much he has in the world. Verily, he will only be harmed by the greed of his own soul."
Source: Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabīr 1618
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The poor Muslims will enter Paradise before the rich by half of a day, the length of which is five hundred years."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2354
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani

Poem: For Allah's Sake Avoid Evil Thoughts

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 Know when Allah loves you, you'll be tested even more.
Getting closer to Allah is what shaytan abhors.
Expect shaytan to distract you with disturbing thoughts,
Waswaas full of false promises and enticing words.
~•~
shaytan can paint mental images to beautify
Evil actions and make them appear grand to your eyes.
Memories of people you like he can sexualize,
Or fantasies of harming them he can dramatize.
~•~
shaytan can keep you busy with imaginations
Of those you admire which could lead to fornication,
Or he can prevent you from making good connections
When you shun a striving Muslim due to suspicion.
~•~
Sinful thoughts, if not controlled, can eventually lead
To actually doing them, assuming they're good deeds.
Unwanted thoughts that nearly resemble OCD
Can be replaced with Adhkaar so your soul can be healed.
~•~
Love yourself enough to ignore shaytan's suggestions.
Remind yourself: Although you like a certain someone,
You prefer Allah's Love, and zina is forbidden.
Seek Allah's help in controlling your way of thinking.
~•~
Your mind is like a glass. If it's filled with noble thoughts,
Dhikr of Allah and plots of ways to gain His Love,
There'd be no space to entertain shaytan's vile waswaas.
Remember Allah a lot, so your heart can relax.
~•~
Maintain Taqwa so your soul's shield is more effective.
Ditch fitna, lower gaze around those deemed attractive,
Recall death often, always seek Islamic knowledge,
Your goals to meet Allah and reach Jannah don't forget.
~•~
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Nothing afflicts a Muslim of hardship, nor illness, nor anxiety, nor sorrow, nor harm, nor distress, nor even the pricking of a thorn, but that Allah will expiate his sins by it."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5318, Sahih Muslim 2573
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Some of the companions came to the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam and they asked him, “We find within ourselves that which is too grievous to speak of.” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “You have indeed found it so?” They said 'yes.' The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “That is sincere faith.”
In another narration, the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “That is (a sign of) pure faith.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 132
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Verily, Allah has pardoned my nation for what occurs within themselves, as long as they do not speak of it or act upon it."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 6287, Sahih Muslim 127
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Know that passing thoughts are not harmful. Indeed, they are only harmful if they are sought after and engaged. For a thought is like a passerby on the road; if you ignore him, he will depart from you."
Source: Al-Jawāb Al-Kāfī 1/157

Note: Everything Including Marriage Is Under Allah's Control

 💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 When I was around eighteen or nineteen years old, back in Saudi Arabia, I received a marriage proposal from one of my male 'childhood friends'. I quickly declined his request because he was about two years younger than me and I preferred marrying an older man with more life experiences. After declining several other marriage proposals, my late mother (Allah yarhamha. Ameen.) insisted that I at least marry my first cousin who was then studying as a medical student. Initially I refused, because I understood that a lot of doctors can get preoccupied with work, which prevents them from enjoying quality time with their families. Eventually I accepted the proposal after praying two Sunnah Rak'ahs of Salat Al-Istikhaarah and measuring the pros and cons of getting married at twenty. Alhamdulillah through this marriage, I've learned to be very supportive of polygyny, more understanding towards individuals with certain disabilities (as my husband has an autistic brother), and Alhamdulillah I'm able to encourage wives whose husbands work abroad to remain faithful and steadfastly patient for Allah's sake. Last time I checked while browsing on Facebook, I found out that the guy whose marriage proposal I rejected is contentedly married with one of his cousins, like I'm wed to my cousin, and Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala blessed them with a number of adorable kids. 

After my mother and a good friend of hers gave birth in the same year 1988, in Ad-Dammam city, they agreed to have their kids engaged and promised they'd get them married in the future, as a way to maintain their close friendship. I remember seeing photos of my brother as a baby holding hands with another baby and, if I'm not mistaken, they had cute tiny engagement rings on. Several years later their wedding was cancelled even though my brother was all set for his groom's outfit. Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala destined that my brother get married to one of our cousins instead who's about three years older than him. Alhamdulillah they're both currently blessed with five cute children. The girl on the other hand whom we thought could've been his wife actually married a Saudi guy who met her during their university years in Malaysia. Alhamdulillah they're blessed with one beautiful daughter together at the moment. 

🔸The lesson I wish to share is that even if your plans to marry someone didn't work out, and no matter how many times you've tried proposing to some women only to receive a negative response, you shouldn't feel bad about yourself or wrongly assume that Allah doesn't love you. If being a particular woman's husband wasn't your Qadr/Destiny, your marriage with her can never take place despite being bribed with millions of pesos. If Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala didn't decree that you become somebody's soulmate, you'd always stay single in spite of meeting numerous matchmakers who guess you're compatible with so-and-so. However if Allah the Most Wise already planned that you get married to a specific person, on an assigned date, in a chosen destination, nothing and nobody can prevent Allah's Plans from occurring. So keep trusting Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and ask Him to grant you only what is right for your overall well-being. 

It could take days, weeks, months or years... but whatever was meant to be yours, according to Allah's Plans, will ultimately come to you at the perfect timing. 

Include the Muslim Ummah today Jumuah Friday in your Du'as, wholeheartedly believing that Allah knows how to answer your supplications.

📖 Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam when he said to me, "Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to benefit you, they will not benefit you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gathered together to harm you, they will not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2516

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to At-Tirmidhi