O Allah! Yours is the praise.

Ibn `Abbas relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say when he stood for the Tahajjud prayer: “O Allah! Yours is the praise. You are the sustainer of the heavens and the Earth and all that they contain. And Yours is the praise. Yours is the dominion of the heavens and the Earth and all that they contain. And Yours is the praise. You are the light of the heavens and the Earth and all that they contain. And Yours is the praise. You are the king of the heavens and the Earth. And Yours is the praise. You are the Truth. Your promise is true. The meeting with You is true. Your word is true. Paradise is true and the Fire is true. The prophets are true. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is true. The Hour is true. O Allah! To You I have surrendered. In You I believe. Upon You I rely. To You I repent. With you I present my argument. To you I appeal for judgment. So forgive me what preceded and what will follow, and what I have concealed and what I have revealed. You are the one who brings forward and the one who postpones. There is no god beside You.” [Sahih al-Bukhari (1120) and Sahih Muslim (769)]

 

Ibn `Abbas relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say this “when he stood for the Tahajjud prayer”. This means when he awoke at the middle of the night. The apparent meaning of the text is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say this supplication before commencing his Tahajjud prayer.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) begins his supplication by praising Allah. Praise (hamd) is the act of commending the praiseworthy on account of his or her graciousness and acts of kindness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) praises his Lord for His perfect and noble attributes and for all His grace and blessings upon His servants. Allah is deserving of praise to the exclusion of all others. The phrasing here is absolute and categorical, expressing that Allah is worthy of praise in every way.

Then, the Prophet (peace be upon him) addresses Him as: “the sustainer of the heavens and the Earth”. This is one of Allah’s attributes. Allah is al-Qayyum, which means that he is eternally independent of all else and the sustainer of everything else. He is in charge of the affairs of creation and the sustenance of His creatures. He is witness to all that they do and He is the one who will recompense them for their deeds. Allah says:  “Is He then who watches every soul as to what it earns?” [Surah al-Ra`d: 33]

Then, the Prophet (peace be upon him) addresses Him as: “the light of the heavens and the Earth”. This is another attribute of Allah. One of Allah’s names is al-Nur. Allah attributes light to Himself when He says:  “And the Earth shall shine with the light of her Lord, and the Book is set up, and the prophets and the witnesses are brought, and it is judged between them with truth, and they are not wronged.” [Surah al-Zumar: 69]

One of the meanings conveyed by the statement “You are the light of the heavens and the Earth” is that Allah is the one who gives guidance to the denizens of the heavens and the Earth. He is the one who illuminates the heavens and the Earth by creating the light that illuminates them.

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “You are the Truth.” This is another of Allah’s names – al-Haqq.  Allah is the clear and manifest truth in His essence and His attributes. There is no doubt about His existence, which is necessary. None has dominion or has the right to be worshipped aside from Him. All other deities and objects of worship are false.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then says:  “Your promise is true.” This means that Allah’s promise is certain and will never be broken. Allah’s promise must come to pass. Everything that follows in the supplication that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentions as being true is part of Allah’s promise. Here we have an enumeration of things that have been promised, or we simply have mention being made of particulars after a general statement.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) says:  “The meeting with You is true”, he is making an affirmation of the Resurrection, of life after death. This is the destination of Allah’s creatures and this is where Allah will recompense them for their deeds.

When he says:  “Paradise is true and the Fire is true”, he is affirming that these creations are in existence right now.

When he says: “Muhammad (peace be upon him) is true”, this is conferring distinction upon him.

When he says: “The Hour is true”, he is referring to the Day of Resurrection.

Referring to all of these as true means that they have to come to pass. It also means that it is obligatory for us to believe in them. The word “true” is repeated over and over again, providing a strong emphasis to this meaning.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then says: “With you I present my argument.” This means that he argues with what Allah has provided him with of proofs end arguments.

Then, when he says: “To you I appeal for judgment”, this refers to his deferring judgment to Allah for all those who refuse the truth. Allah is the judge between us, not to what the people in times of ignorance used to appeal to for judgment of charlatans and soothsayers.

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) pleads: “So forgive me.” He asks this even though he had already been forgiven. However, he does so out of humility and deference, and to glorify and extol his Lord. He also may be doing so here in order to teach his followers who follow his example. Most likely, he is doing so for all these reasons.

He concludes by saying: “You are the one who brings forward and the one who postpones.” Allah brings forth to His servants what He pleases and holds back what He wills. He puts all things in their proper place.

This supplication is significant. It is a good example of the Prophet’s eloquence whereby in a few brief words he speaks volumes of meaning. This supplication starts by praising Allah with His names and attributes that in turn express His greatness and perfection and how He encompasses with his power and knowledge all of His creation. The supplication also expresses our worship of Allah, our devotion to Him and our submission to Him of ourselves and our affairs. It acknowledges our faith in the unseen – in the matters that constitute the basic tenets of our belief in Allah, his Messengers, the Last Day, and the abode of the Hereafter. It also entails the idea of praising and extolling Allah before humbly beseeching Him for forgiveness.

We as Muslims should humble ourselves before Allah by way of this noble supplication. By doing so, we will be following in the footsteps of our Prophet (peace be upon him).

And Allah knows best.

Speak a good word or remain silent

Abu Hurayrah relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak a good word or remain silent. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbor. And whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

The importance of this hadith:

This hadith discusses some of the ways a Muslim’s faith should affect the way he relates to others. Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani writes:  “This hadith speaks about three matters, and in doing so it brings together everything that good manners entail with respect to both word and deed.”

Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day…

This is a conditional sentence. It is repeated three times in this hadith, each time with a different condition. The first of these three conditions is to either speak a good word or remain silent, the second is to show hospitality to one’s neighbours, and the third is to show hospitality to one’s guests. This hadith is showing us that these three qualities are among the many qualities of faith. A person who fails to fulfill any of these conditions is a person whose faith is incomplete and in want of improvement.

Speaking a good word or remaining silent:

This is an encouragement to speak what is good and beneficial; at the same time it is a warning, cautioning us to be careful in what we say, lest we say something that is harmful or false.

It is part of a Muslim’s faith to speak the truth and to say things that bring about benefit to others. Allah says:  “O you who believe! Fear Allah and speak a word that is right. He will set right for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great achievement.” [ Surah al-Ahzab : 70-71]

Allah informs us in the Quran some of what constitutes good in our speech and benefits other people. He says: “No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right, or bring reconciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking Allah’s pleasure, then we shall grant him a great reward.” [ Surah al-Nisa' : 114]

When we have nothing beneficial to say, silence is golden. Once, Mu`adh b. Jabal asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inform him of some good work that would admit him into Paradise and distance him from the Hellfire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned to him the virtues of many good deeds, then said: “Shall I inform you of the foundation of all of that?”

Mu`adh said: “Certainly.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) took hold of his tongue and said: “Restrain yourself from this.”

Mu`adh then asked: “O Prophet of Allah! Are we held to task for the things that we say?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu`adh! Does anything topple people headlong into the Hellfire save the harvests of their tongues?” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah]

We should avoid speaking ill of others. We should rather remain silent unless we are seeking justice for some wrong that has been perpetrated against us. Allah says:  “Allah does not like that evil should be mentioned in public except by one who has been done injustice. And Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.” [Surah al-Nisa' : 148]

Our tongues are like double-edges swords. They can work for us and against us, both in this world and the Hereafter. We will be held accountable for what we say. Allah tells us: “He does not utter a statement except that there is an observer by him ready to record it.” [Surah Qaf : 18]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed a servant will speak a word pleasing to Allah that he thinks to be insignificant, but because of it Allah raises him by many degrees. And indeed a servant will speak a word displeasing to Allah that he thinks to be insignificant, but because of it, He will consign him to the Hellfire.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

We must be vigilant not to speak falsehood. We must think about what we are saying and the possible consequences of our words before we go ahead and speak. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A man might speak a word without thinking about its implications, but because of it, he will plunge into the Hellfire further than the distance between the east and west.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Al-Nawawi comments on the meaning of this hadith, saying: “This hadith encourages us to guard our tongues. A person who wants to speak should think upon what he is about to say before he utters it. If it then shows itself to have some benefit to it, he may speak it; otherwise he should refrain from doing so.”

Showing hospitality to the neighbour and the guest:

From the perfection of a person’s faith is his showing kindness to those with whom he has dealings, especially his neighbours and his guests.

Allah says: “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and show kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, the near neighbour, the distant neighbour, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are conceited and boastful.” [Surah al-Nisa' : 36]

Islam emphasizes the right of the neighbour. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Gabriel continued to impress upon me the rights of the neighbour until I thought that he would soon confer upon him the right of inheritance.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

There are many forms that this hospitality can take. It can take the form of help in times of need. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He is not a believer who lets himself be satiated while his neighbour goes hungry.” [Mustadrak al-Hakim]

It can mean making allowances for the neighbour’s needs, even by waiving some of one’s own rights. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you should prevent his neighbour from placing his rafter in his wall.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

It can take the form of gift giving. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Muslim women! None of you should consider insignificant a gift that you give to your neighbour, even if it is but the trotters of a sheep.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Islam teaches us to be generous and hospitable to those who come to us as guests. Indeed, those who come to our homes have a right over us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest according to his right.”

He was asked: “What is his right, O Messenger of Allah?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered: “It is (to offer the best) for a day and a night, and hospitality extends for three days. What is beyond that is charity.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

An Outcry to whoever has a Human Conscience

An Outcry to whoever has a Human Conscience.

The Israeli attack has reflected all the dark colours of brutality, hundreds of women, children and civilians were killed and still more to come. This is an attack on the children, on the innocence and all forms of life.

This what they teach their children to do, look at what the Israeli children are writing on the missiles that will travel to kill hundreds of palatine children.

It is not a message of innocence.

Where are those who chant” Islam is terrorism”?

Where are those who amass donations for Israel?

Where are those who defend the Jews, the assassinators of the prophets?

These are the Jews… these what they inspire their children to do?

Their hearts are the same as those who led Jesus to the Cross.

This is a short message to those who are still keeping their humanity.

Raise your voice a against the non-human.

Raise your voice so high… you are still human.

Help the helpless.

Remove the tears from the eyes of the widows who lost their husbands.

Remove the tears from the eyes of a mother who lost her children at one go.

Save the children… they are screaming for help.

They did nothing .

Dead, that is true, but their call for help still echoes.
 

Israelis signing the Missiles to be used to brutually murder the Palestine civilians.

 

They even attacked mosques, burnt the Holy Quran

 

These two children responded the message

 

Why did you kill me? I am too young , want to live like you.

 

We are one family, they left none for father.

 

I did nothing , we were sleeping - why did you kill me?

 

Why did you kill me?I was going to help father in the olive field.

 

Source : http://www.55a.net/firas/english/?page=show_det&id=365

On Request from : khabwb@yahoo.se

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza

Lie #1) Israel is only targeting legitimate military sites and is seeking to protect innocent lives. Israel never targets civilians.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of militants within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting militants is, in fact, a war crime.

Moreover, the people Israel claims are legitimate targets are members of Hamas, which Israel says is a terrorist organization. Hamas has been responsible for firing rockets into Israel. These rockets are extremely inaccurate and thus, even if Hamas intended to hit military targets within Israel, are indiscriminate by nature. When rockets from Gaza kill Israeli civilians, it is a war crime.

Hamas has a military wing. However, it is not entirely a military organization, but a political one. Members of Hamas are the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people. Dozens of these elected leaders have been kidnapped and held in Israeli prisons without charge. Others have been targeted for assassination, such as Nizar Rayan, a top Hamas official. To kill Rayan, Israel targeted a residential apartment building. The strike not only killed Rayan but two of his wives and four of his children, along with six others. There is no justification for such an attack under international law. This was a war crime.

Other of Israel’s bombardment with protected status under international law have included a mosque, a prison, police stations, and a university, in addition to residential buildings.

Moreover, Israel has long held Gaza under siege, allowing only the most minimal amounts of humanitarian supplies to enter. Israel is bombing and killing Palestinian civilians. Countless more have been wounded, and cannot receive medical attention. Hospitals running on generators have little or no fuel. Doctors have no proper equipment or medical supplies to treat the injured. These people, too, are the victims of Israeli policies targeted not at Hamas or legitimate military targets, but directly designed to punish the civilian population.

 

Lie #2) Hamas violated the cease-fire. The Israeli bombardment is a response to Palestinian rocket fire and is designed to end such rocket attacks.

Israel never observed the cease-fire to begin with. From the beginning, it announced a “special security zone” within the Gaza Strip and announced that Palestinians who enter this zone will be fired upon. In other words, Israel announced its intention that Israeli soldiers would shoot at farmers and other individuals attempting to reach their own land in direct violation of not only the cease-fire but international law.

Despite shooting incidents, including ones resulting in Palestinians getting injured, Hamas still held to the cease-fire from the time it went into effect on June 19 until Israel effectively ended the truce on November 4 by launching an airstrike into Gaza that killed five and injured several others.

Israel’s violation of the cease-fire predictably resulted in retaliation from militants in Gaza who fired rockets into Israel in response. The increased barrage of rocket fire at the end of December is being used as justification for the continued Israeli bombardment, but is a direct response by militants to the Israeli attacks.

Israel’s actions, including its violation of the cease-fire, predictably resulted in an escalation of rocket attacks against its own population.

 

Lie #3) Hamas is using human shields, a war crime.

There has been no evidence that Hamas has used human shields. The fact is, as previously noted, Gaza is a small piece of property that is densely populated. Israel engages in indiscriminate warfare such as the assassination of Nizar Rayan, in which members of his family were also murdered. It is victims like his dead children that Israel defines as “human shields” in its propaganda. There is no legitimacy for this interpretation under international law. In circumstances such as these, Hamas is not using human shields, Israel is committing war crimes in violation of the Geneva Conventions and other applicable international law.

 

Lie #4) Arab nations have not condemned Israel’s actions because they understand Israel’s justification for its assault.

The populations of those Arab countries are outraged at Israel’s actions and at their own governments for not condemning Israel’s assault and acting to end the violence. Simply stated, the Arab governments do not represent their respective Arab populations. The populations of the Arab nations have staged mass protests in opposition to not only Israel’s actions but also the inaction of their own governments and what they view as either complacency or complicity in Israel’s crimes.

Moreover, the refusal of Arab nations to take action to come to the aid of the Palestinians is not because they agree with Israel’s actions, but because they are submissive to the will of the US, which fully supports Israel. Egypt, for instance, which refused to open the border to allow Palestinians wounded in the attacks to get medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals, is heavily dependent upon US aid, and is being widely criticized within the population of the Arab countries for what is viewed as an absolute betrayal of the Gaza Palestinians.

Even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been regarded as a traitor to his own people for blaming Hamas for the suffering of the people of Gaza. Palestinians are also well aware of Abbas’ past perceived betrayals in conniving with Israel and the US to sideline the democratically elected Hamas government, culminating in a counter-coup by Hamas in which it expelled Fatah (the military wing of Abbas’ Palestine Authority) from the Gaza Strip. While his apparent goal was to weaken Hamas and strengthen his own position, the Palestinians and other Arabs in the Middle East are so outraged at Abbas that it is unlikely he will be able to govern effectively.

 

Lie #5) Israel is not responsible for civilian deaths because it warned the Palestinians of Gaza to flee areas that might be targeted.

Israel claims it sent radio and telephone text messages to residents of Gaza warning them to flee from the coming bombardment. But the people of Gaza have nowhere to flee to. They are trapped within the Gaza Strip. It is by Israeli design that they cannot escape across the border. It is by Israeli design that they have no food, water, or fuel by which to survive. It is by Israeli design that hospitals in Gaza have no electricity and few medical supplies with which to treat the injured and save lives. And Israel has bombed vast areas of Gaza, targeting civilian infrastructure and other sites with protected status under international law. No place is safe within the Gaza Strip.