In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful

On behalf of VirtualMosque.com, we wish you all a blessed Ramadan.

“When Ramadan comes, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed.” 

We ask Allah to grant us tawfiq (success) to make the most of this special time.

With the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful

On behalf of VirtualMosque.com, our family (staff), friends and relatives we wish you all a blessed Ramadan. Folks get excited when shopping centers open early and close late after or before certain holidays. Well, Paradise is about to open and Hell is about close so we should be pumped!

“When Ramadan comes, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed.” 

We ask Allah to grant us tawfiq to make the most of this special time.

5. Speaking a word of truth to a tyrant under the threat of death can be easier to accept than the daily struggle of working for this deen.

I hope this statement is in no way misunderstood as belittling the struggle that is going on in Egypt. Just as Musa (as) was told by Allah (swt) to remind his people to “Remember the Days of Allah” (Qur’an, 14:5) which Ibn Kathir describes as the days in which Allah (swt) saved the people from Pharoah, we hope that these events in Egypt once again are from “The Days of Allah” in our times and another Pharoah is removed by His permission. Yet at the same time, the verse shows that despite the ummah of Musa (as) being given such a blessing, they struggled in upholding the way of Allah (swt) afterwards. Experiencing the situation there, I realized that joining the protests was not as difficult as I would have imagined. Because of the blessing of iman (faith), once a person knows the cause is just, and they have come to terms with facing death or injury, as  the reward with the Almighty is incredible and the next life is better than this one, the desire to participate is innate and even overwhelming. Your whole being wants to go. As seen in the seerah (stories) of the Prophet ﷺ, it was easier for people to struggle physically in the economic boycott in Mecca than it was for them to struggle mentally and spiritually after the Quraysh ridiculed them for the Prophet’s ﷺ account of Israa and Mi’raj. Luxury and freedom can be a greater test of faith than fighting oppression. For example, Muslims around the world might be thinking, “I wish I could be there and protest with them,” while they recognize that doing so would be risking their lives. Yet how hard is it for those same Muslims to write a letter to their congressman when asked to for the exact same cause? How hard is it for them to get active locally in positive efforts and be patient with their brothers and sisters when shurah (advice) is made against their opinion? Subhan’Allah, awhile back I had a chance to speak to a community leader who had been imprisoned and tortured in Egypt and he had fought in the Afghan-soviet war. When I asked him what the hardest thing he ever had faced as a Muslim serving the deen was, he said it was being president of a Muslim organization—the challenges for that organizational role were much more difficult than facing death. I never could fully appreciate what he meant until I witnessed what happened in Egypt. At the same time, I realized if you can genuinely face the threat of death in the real world because of participating in a good cause, you have the strength to do a lot more than what you have been used to doing, and every fear you used to harbor seems miniscule in the face of the cause that you seek to serve, and the One you seek to please.

6. The significance of organized and structured teamwork at times like these.

One of the things that occurred on a nearby street with the neighborhood watch guards was a degree of confusion on how to work. They didn’t appoint an Amir (leader) initially so things were a bit unorganized. Different men would argue over how to guard the area, and shoot each-other’s ideas down quickly. They didn’t organize shifts so some young men were out there much longer and running on considerably less sleep than others. When a false alarm would happen, everyone would leave their posts and run in the direction of the noise, leaving their area unguarded. It soon became clear that a neighborhood cannot be protected properly by a group of individuals. It is protected by a team; a team whose members are disciplined enough to know the time for shurah and the time for just taking commands. In areas where people knew how to work as a team, the neighborhood watch ran like clockwork. At a time when cell phones and internet are blocked and people are in need of a host of services, teamwork and leadership training counted most. Subhan’Allah, people do not realize how much nafs, or ego, has to be fought in order to produce effective teamwork for the sake of Allah. The Islamic ethics of teamwork is something we must all seek to be trained in, as it is very much tied to having depth to our understanding of the deen on a practical level, as well as a spiritual level.

I realized that the people on that street never had the chance to experience the discipline and ethics of teamwork, organization, and shura-based leadership. It was against the law to organize grass-roots civic activities and assemble under the Mubarak regime. They simply didn’t have the tools and were doing the best they could with what they knew. It was here I felt deeply an old lesson that I previously knew, as if it was the first time I had realized it: the significance of our ummah being organized and structured in the way we approach Islamic work. If the country was left to only those who were confused with teamwork and barely able to organize, they would never have been able to meet the needs of an entire population, especially if they were struggling to just meet the needs of a single street. May Allah help them to “learn on the job” and allow us to benefit from the lessons of these experiences. Again, in order to work efficiently and as a team, we must train our souls to maintain love for each-other, even when we disagree, and still do our part when the team adopts an Islamically permissible decision which we dissagree with. This brings us to the next lesson…

7. Fight the Mubarak within!

I remember once reading something by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali where he encouraged the Muslims that when they see something ugly in someone else, to use that as an opportunity to reflect on the ugliness of that quality, then to interrogate one’s own nafs in harboring it, and finally to purify oneself from it with repentance. I reiterate the law of Allah (swt) that He will not change our condition as a people, until we change that which is within ourselves. So let us take a moment to go through this exercise. Mubarak is a symbol of arrogance, greed, and blindness to his own transgressions against others. How many people has he hurt, but he feels too important to apologize and admit it? How many of those whom he has harmed does he even remember? How obvious is it to the entire world that he is a horrible leader, and yet he refuses to step down? He worked only with those who would increase his status, and bulldozed over everyone who challenged or questioned his ideas. Subhan Allah, people even comment on how his evil even shows up in his facial expression and in the way he looks. Now let us look within. The Prophet ﷺ taught us that all of us are shephards and all of us will be questioned about our herds, and that we are not to transgress one another in either thought or action. Do we abuse our positions of power in life as dictators? Have we hurt and transgressed the rights of others and not apologized? Have we hurt people on a deep level and not even realized it? Do we harbor transgressions of ill-thoughts towards our brothers and sisters, and manipulate circumstances to make them look bad and limit their opportunities? Are we too arrogant to settle issues directly and in a civil manner or instead choose passive-aggressive means? Do we participate in “propaganda” to defame good people? Take a moment right now for tawbah (repentance), and seek forgiveness from your brothers and sisters. Let us help our brothers and sisters in Egypt, and the condition of our ummah at large by seeking to change ourselves! This is the time for sincere tawbah and reform! These are the “Days of Allah” in removing the Pharoah from our own souls!

Now lets take this reflection from the individual level, to the community level. Are we giving new people a chance?

One of the days right before we left, the “official adhan (call to prayer)” was not working in the nearby masajid or so it seemed. Instead I heard the harmony of young boys making the adhan from various masajid. Their voices were beautiful and innocent. I suspect someone had planned it in order to send a message to the neighborhood, that it’s a new day, a new era, and a new generation. I appreciated how much the older people on our street were encouraging the young people, calling the teenagers on watch ‘rijaal’ (men) and telling them how proud they are of them, and what an honor they are to their country. A lot of the leg-work in the protests was done by the younger people, and they were given the space to lead and direct. Yet the encouragement, wisdom, and mentorship came from the elderly. This combination is very beautiful. Young people are trained “on the job” and elderly people are honored for the wisdom that their life experiences can offer. It made me think about how our Islamic institutions in America need a similar spirit.

In the Mubarak regime, he was criticized for his version of reform simply being that the same people in office play musical chairs. I thought about how many masjid boards are criticized for having a similar dynamic. People who were on board when they were in their 30s are still there in their 60s. If a young 30 year old comes and wants to volunteer, they ask him to take care of the younger youth program. Sometimes they even say what Mubarak said, “I want to leave but am afraid of what will happen to the place if I do.” The delusion of grandeur is not exclusive to Mubarak. We need to take this moment to reflect on dictatorial issues in our own communities. Do we make space for those younger than us? Do we actually make real shurah in the efforts we lead? Do we tolerate those that we differ with and can we work with them on areas of agreement or do we shun each-other? Do we think everything depends on us or are we humble enough to realize that we are not only replaceable in our positions, but also replaceable with those who are better than us? When we haven’t fulfilled the amanah of our position, do we offer to step down in order to save the effort or do we cling to our titles and positions regardless of knowing there are those who are better suited to do the job who are available. Or is it that we can’t see them because we are blind to the good that others can offer and over-confident in our own abilities? Let us identify the “Mubarak” in our own nafs and dethrone him, and let us empower the new generations, investing in the future instead of our own egos.

8. Everyone has a role.

We should all make du`a’ (prayer) for the people there, and fast as well. But we can also get active from organizing a community Qiyam (prayer) to pray for the people, to participating in local protests. Du`a’ and tawakul (dependence on Allah) in Allah come with the responsibility of trying to “tie the camel” or “taking asbab” (using the reasons/means). Imagine for a moment if you saw an Imam praying in front of a table that he wants moved saying “Allahuma Harrik al-Tawilah, Allahuma alayka bi al-Tawilah, Allahuma laka al-Tawilah wa lana al-du`a’.” (Oh Allah move the table, Oh Allah upon You is the table, Oh Allah for you is the table and for us is du`a’). Wouldn’t it seem strange for someone to do that without trying to move the table with their hand? It wouldn’t make any sense. Now imagine the table is bolted into the ground and he is making the same du`a’. It still wouldn’t make sense for him to make that du`a’ while not even touching the table or trying to move it, or unbolt it from the ground. The du`a’ and tawakul must be coupled with our human effort.

Sometimes the effort might appear as seemingly ineffective as shaking the trunk of a palm tree —but we have no choice but to have faith and try. No matter what country we are in, we need to call our Muslim political organizations and ask them how we can volunteer for this cause. We might get asked to write a letter or make a phone call. That should not be belittled—because it is not the function itself that allows victory to come, but Allah (swt) who allows it. We need to prove in our efforts that we are a people who will sacrifice for His sake, and participate in the efforts available while believing in His promises. Either we will have our success in this life and the next, or we will have it in the next—but the point is, we will have it. He can and will replace us with a people better than us if we stop trying. And again, du`a’ and tawakul are efforts that must be coupled with action and each of us has a role—we simply have to be brave enough to seek it.

The Sunnah of `Eid

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

May you have a happy and blessed `Eid!

`Eid, in Islam, is a day of joy, thanksgiving, worship, brotherhood, solidarity, and morality. A Muslim should take the advantage of this day to bring himself nearer to Allah, Most High.

Here is the following comprehensive fatwa issued by Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Islamic lecturer and author, on the Sunnah of `Eid al-Adha.

The Prophet (s) said: “Every nation has its festival, and this is your festival.” Here, he referred to the fact that these two `Eids are exclusively for the Muslims.

The Muslims have no festivals apart from `Eid al-Fitr and `Eid al-Adha. Anas (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) came to Al-Madinah, the people of Madinah used to have two festivals. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. The Prophet Muhammad (s) asked the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah) about it. They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. The Prophet Muhammad (s) told them: “Instead of those two days, Allah has appointed two other days which are better, the days of `Eid al-Fitr and `Eid al-Adha.” (Reported by Abu Dawud)

These two `Eids are among the signs of Allah, to which we must show consideration and understand their objectives. Below, we will elaborate the rulings and etiquette of `Eid.

Rulings of `Eid

1. Fasting: It is haram to fast on the days of `Eid because of the hadith of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (ra) in which he said that the Messenger of Allah (s) forbade fasting on the day of Fitr and the day of Adha. (Reported by Muslim)
2. Offering `Eid Prayers: Some of the scholars say that `Eid Prayers are Wajib (obligatory) – this is the view of the Hanafi scholars and of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. Some scholars say that `Eid Prayer is Fard kifayah (a communal duty, binding on the Muslims as a group, and it is fulfilled if a sufficient number of people perform it, thereby absolving the rest of sin). This is the view of the Hanbalis. A third group say that `Eid Prayer is Sunnah mu’akkadah. This is the view of the Malikis and Shafi`is.
3. Offering Supererogatory Prayers: there are no supererogatory prayers to be offered either before or after the `Eid prayer, as Ibn `Abbas reported that the Prophet (s) used to come out on the day of `Eid and pray two rak`ahs, with nothing before or after them. This is the case if the Prayer is offered in an open area. If, however, the people pray the `Eid prayer in a mosque, then they should pray two Rak`ahs for Tahiyat Al-Masjid.
4. Women attending the `Eid prayers: according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) everyone is urged to attend `Eid Prayer, and to cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety. The menstruating woman should not forsake the remembrance of Allah or places of goodness such as gatherings for the purpose of seeking knowledge and remembering Allah – apart from mosques. Women, undoubtedly, should not go out without the Hijab.

Etiquette of `Eid

1. Ghusl (taking a bath): One of the good manners of `Eid is to take bath before going out to the Prayer. It was reported that Sa`id ibn Jubayr said: “Three things are Sunnah on `Eid: to walk (to the prayer place), to take a bath, and to eat before coming out (if it’s `Eid al-Fitr).”
2. Eating before coming out: One should not come out to the prayer-place on `Eid al-Fitr before eating some dates, because of the hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari from Anas ibn Malik who said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) would not go out in the morning of `Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates… and he would eat an odd number.” On`Eid al-Adha, on the other hand, it is Mustahab (recommended) not to eat until after the Prayer, when one should eat from the meat of one’s sacrifice.
3. Takbir on the day of `Eid: This is one of the greatest Sunnahs of this day. Al-Daraqutni and others reported that when Ibn `Umar came out on `Eid al-Fitr and `Eid al-Adha, he would strive hard in making Takbir until he reached the prayer-place, then he would continue making Takbir until the Imam came.
4. Congratulating one another: People may exchange congratulations and good greetings on `Eid, no matter what form the words take. For example they may say to one another, “Taqabbal Allahu minnaa wa minkum (may Allah accept from us and from you our good deeds!)” Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: “At the time of the Prophet (s) when people met one another on the day of `Eid, they would say, ‘Taqabbal Allahu minnaa wa minka.’” (Reported by Ibn Hajar)
5. Wearing one’s best clothes for `Eid: Jabir (ra) said: “The Prophet (s) had a Jubbah (cloak) that he would wear on `Eid and on Fridays.” Al-Bayhaqi reported that Ibn `Umar used to wear his best clothes on `Eid, so men should wear the best clothes they have when they go out for `Eid.
6. Changing route on returning from the prayer place: Jabir ibn `Abdullah (ra) reported that the Prophet (s) used to change his routes on the day of `Eid. (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Courtesy of Islam Online.