Saturday, July 13, 2013

Etiquettes of Sleeping

This morning when I opened my Dua book to read the morning Duas, I came to this page where it says....."Ettiquettes of Sleeping". So I read.

As I was reading it, I just realized that I haven't been doing these ‘adab tidur’ for quite a while. Let’s take one adab for an instance, to sleep with wudhu'.

What normally happen with me is I would keep my wudhu after Isya' solah, but if it breaks later on before I go to bed, I would just go to sleep without making a new wudhu, out of pure laziness I have to admit L

Now, this time when I read these etiquettes again, I feel like I want to make a fresh start and try to practise these adaab of sleeping.

I remember once we learned in a hadith that Nabi S.A.said: 

"Whenever you go to bed perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side and say: 'Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu Amri ilaika wa aljatu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, lamalja'a wa la manja mink a ill a ilaika. Amantu bikitabi kalladhi anzalta wa bi nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta'.

(O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend upon You for Your Blessings both with hope and fear of You. There is no fleeing from You, and there is no place of protection and safety except with You O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur'an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent.)

Then if you die on that very night, you will die with Iman. Let the aforesaid words be your last utterance (before sleep)”
(Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 4 :: Hadith 247)

This hadith explains the need to do ablution before going to bed along with that dua. If we die the same night, we will die on Iman. What can be more lovely then to die as a faithful muslim?

Here I remind myself first and the rest of you upon observing these etiquettes before going to bed InsyaAllah J  




1.      Perform wudhu’ if you don’t have.
2.      Read Ayatul Kursi, Surah Waqiah, Surah Yasin, surah Baqarah (verse 284-286) and surah Kahfi (verse 102-110).
3.      Perform 2 rakaats of Solat Taubah.
4.      Read Tasbih Fatimah (33 Subhanallah, 33 Alhamdulillah, 34 Allahuakbar).
5.      Apply Surma.
6.      Forgive each other at least in your heart.
7.      Sleep while thinking of death and regretting for not be able to carry out Allah’s commands as they ought to be carried out. Ask for Allah’s forgiveness and guidance for yourself as well as for the entire Ummat.
8.      Sleep facing the Qiblah, with knees slightly bent, while placing the palm of the right hand under the right cheek.

9.      Sleep with the intention of waking up for Tahajjud. 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Ramadhan: 10 Advices


الوصايا العشر فى رمضان

الوصية الأول

للصائم عند فطره دعوة لا ترد، فاغتنموها، وأعطوا منها شيئا لاولادكم واحبتكم عسى الله ان يصلح حالهم يارب 
والله العظيم كل خير انا شفته فى حياتى كان بسبب دعوات رمضان استغلوها ولا تنسونى منها بارك الله فيكم.

الوصية الثانية:
قيام رمضان، وإياكم أن يفوتكم أجر القيام فيه، فكلنا محمل بأحمال من الذنوب والخطايا، وقيام رمضان بأكمله يعطيك صك مغفرة لما تقدم من ذنوبك، مؤكدًا على لسان نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم.

الوصية الثالثة:
لا تضيعوا خير ليالي السنة؛ العشرة الطيبة؛ العشرة الأخيرة من رمضان، والزموا فيها الصلاة والدعاء وعمل الخير، فإن بتلك العشرة ليلة خير من ألف شهر، من حرم أجرها فقد حرم.

الوصية الرابعة:
إياكم ثم إياكم أن تفوتكم آخر ليلة من رمضان، ففي تلك الليلة يغدق الله على عباده من الرحمات بقدر ما أعطاهم طوال الشهر، ويعتق فيها من الرقاب بقدر ما أعتق طوال الشهر، ولعل الله عز وجل لم يكن قد كتبك في سجل العتقاء من النار في الشهر بأكمله، وينتظرك أن تطرق بابه في آخر ليلة لتفوز مع الفائزين، فاحرص حرصا شديدا على أن تشغل تلك الليلة كلها بكل دقائقها بالذكر والدعاء والتلاوة والقيام.

الوصية الخامسة
 كن جوادا كريما، كما كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فكان أجود ما يكون في رمضان، فأري الله منك زهدك في مالك، واستغنائك عنه في سبيل نيل رضاه، وأنفق كل ما تستطيع إنفاقه، فطر الصائمين، وأطعم المساكين، أعط هدية لجارك، صل رحمك، تذكر أقرباءك الفقراء، أغدق عليهم مما أنعم الله عليك من فضله، اشتر أشرطة ورسائل وتصدق بها على مسلم غافل لعله يهتدي على يديك، وسع على أهلك .... وبالجملة أشغل بالك بالنفقة في سبيل الله في هذا الشهر.

الوصية السادسة:
إذا ذكر رمضان كان قرينه القرآن، فعليك باغتنام كل لحظة في تلاوة القرآن، واجعل لك هدف انك تختمه، لعل الله يطلع عليك وأنت على تلك الحال وينظر إليك نظرة رحمة لا تشقى بعدها أبدا، والأمر يسير على من يسره الله عليه، واستعن بالله ولا تعجز. 

الوصية السابعة:
إياك وأن يمر عليك الشهر وبينك وبين أحد من المسلمين قطيعة أو مشاحنة، فمتى يكون التسامح إن لم يكن في رمضان، وتذكر قوله تعالى واصفا أحبابه من عباده المؤمنين {أذلة على المؤمنين}، فتغاضى عن حقك وتواضع يرفعك الله عنده، وهو الفوز العظيم.

الوصية الثامنة:
إن كان لك أسرة؛ زوجة وأولاد؛ فلا تنسهم من وصاياك ونصائحك، واجعلهم يشاركونك في الأجر والثواب، فإذا تهجدت فلتكن إماما لهم، وإذا قرأت فأمرهم بملازمة المصحف، وإذا استغفرت ذكرهم بالاستغفار، فإنك مأمور بذلك وليس هذا نفلا، واستمع إن شئت لقوله تعالى: {يا أيها الذين آمنوا قوا أنفسكم وأهليكم نارا وقودها الناس والحجارة، عليها ملائكة غلاظ شداد لا يعصون الله ما أمرهم ويفعلون ما يؤمرون }

الوصية التاسعة: 
إن علامة قبول الطاعة الطاعة بعدها، فإذا أردت أن يتقبل الله منك الشهر فأره من حالك تغيرا، ولا تعود للتقصير بعد رمضان، فإذا كان العيد فصل فيه الرحم، ووسع فيه على الأهل، ولا تنس أن كنت تتلو عشرة أجزاء من القرآن في رمضان، فليكن على الأقل في غيره ثلاثة، ولا تفرط في القيام، وحافظ على أحد عشر ركعة في كل ليلة، لن تأخذ من وقتك أكثر من نصف ساعة، ولازم الذكر والاستغفار تكن من المفلحين.

الوصية العاشرة:
لا تنسن المسلمين من صالح دعائك الآن، بارك الله فيكم وشكر لكم عملكم، وتقبل منا ومنكم صالح الأعمال.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Staying Awake Tonight

                                                        بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Ramai antara kita yang suka tidur lewat kan? Yang muda-muda pulak lagi la...Staying up till late at night sampai 2-3 pagi perkara biasa je sekarang ni...Ada yang sibuk dok layan movie, ada yang keluar enjoy dengan friends dan ada juga yang marathon anime 23 episod. Tak kira la aktiviti apa kita buat, yang penting kita tidak merasa susah, mengantuk mahupun penat. 

Dalam banyak-banyak malam yang kita spend untuk benda-benda yang melalaikan ni...apa kata malam ni, kita cuba ubah selera sikit. Cuba kita stay up untuk beribadat sempena Nisfu Sya'ban. Bukan maksud saya kita ibadat bila ada special occassion je...tapi, dah namanya 'special occassion' kena la kita treat malam ni special jugak kan. Tak kan kita nak biarkan ianya berlalu begitu sahaja..?

Nisfu Sya'ban ni macam pernah dengar je...tapi apa ya...? (saya bertanya)
(Saya jawab sendiri): 'Nisfu' maksudnya 'setengah'. Jadi Nisfu Sya'ban maksudnya hari ke-15 Sya'ban. Ok, saya tak mo explain panjang-panjang, please read on to understand what night of Nisfu Sya'ban is and how virtuous it is.....May Allah bless you all..

Nisfu Sya'ban - 15th Of Sya'ban


Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘This is the night of the half of Sha’ban. Allah Ta’ala looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but leaves those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they free themselves from malice).’(Bayhaqi #3835)
• Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallahu Anha) has reported Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) to have said, ‘This is the middle Night of Sha'ban. Allah emancipates in it a large number of the people from the Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe of Kalb. But He does not cast a glance at a person who associates partners with Him, or at a person who harbours malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who severs family ties, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending below his ankles, or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine.’ (Bayhaqi) The tribe of Kalb were a large tribe, the members of which owned many sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates the large number of people forgiven on this night by Allah Ta’aala.
UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE
It is understood from Ahadith that even on this great night, some unfortunate individuals are deprived of Allah's forgiveness. They are:
1. Idolaters
2. Those who harbour enmity against others
3. Those who consume alcohol
4. Those who disobey their parents
5. Those men who wear their clothes below their ankles
6. Those who commit murder
7. Those who sever family ties.
We can thus gauge the severity of these sins and need to abstain from them at all times.
• The virtue of this night established from these ahadith is that from the very beginning of the night Allah Ta’ala turns with special mercy and attention towards the creation and forgives those who repent and seeks forgiveness. Every Muslim should therefore value this night. Turn towards Allah Ta’ala with sincere regret and shame over sins committed and make a promise never to return to sin again and seek forgiveness from Allah Ta'ala. Seek forgiveness for oneself and all Muslims, living and deceased. Have firm hope and resolution in the heart that Allah Ta’ala will surely show mercy and forgiveness.
In order to achieve the blessings of the Night of Bara’ah, one should remain awake as much as one can. If it is possible, one should spend the whole night in worship. However, if one cannot do so, one can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably the second half of it, and perform the following acts of worship:
• SALAAH: It is the most preferable act to be performed in this night, particularly after midnight in solitude. There is no particular number of raka’aat, but preferably it should not be less than eight. It is also advisable that each part of the salaah like qiyaam, ruku and sajdah should be longer than normal. The longest surahs of the Noble Qur'an one remembers by heart should also be recited.
• TILAAWAH: The recitation of the Noble Qur’an is another form of beneficial worship in this night. After performing Salah, or at any other time, one should recite as much of the Noble Qur’an as one can.
• 
ZIKR & SALAWAAT(DUROOD): One should also recite as much dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) as possible in this night, as well Salawaat/durood on our noble master Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. These can be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure.
• DU‘A: The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is by asking Allah in earnest. It is hoped that all our prayers in this night will be accepted by Allah. Du’a itself is an ‘ibadah, and Allah Almighty rewards the reciter for asking, in addition to fulfilling his/her needs. The following Duaa has been reported from Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) on this night:
A’uzu bi afwika min iqabik wa auzu bi ridaka min sakhatik wa auzu bika minka la uhsi thanaa an ‘alayka anta kama athnayta ‘ala nafsik.

TranslationOAllah! I seek protection through Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek protection from Your anger by means of Your pleasure. I seek protection in You from You, I cannot truly praise You, as You ought to be praised, You are as You have praised Yourself.
• Fast of the 15th of Shabaan: On the day immediately following the Night of Bara’ah, i.e. the 15th of Shabaan, it is mustahabb (advisable) to fast. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have recommended this fast, as well as keeping any fast in the first half of this month in particular. A large number of our pious predecessors of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15 of Shabaan. (Sunan ibnu Majah #1388)
May ALLAH TA’ALA grants us forgiveness and accept all our beneficial duas…ameen
And Allah Ta’ala knows best…