Month: Aug 2020

MUHARRAM: THE MONTH OF ALLAH

Azeezat4 Comments

BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM

Muharram linguistically means forbidden. It is the first month in the Islamic calendar signifying a new beginning. It is one of the Sacred months in Islam and we are instructed by Allah ﷻ not to engage in sins during them. (To read more about the Sacred months click here

This is the only month that is called the Month of Allah ﷻ. This is a high honor because Allah ﷻ associated Himself with this month and this speaks volume of its significance. As the Month of Allah ﷻ it is different from the other month in the Islamic calendar. This month has great virtue, making the beginning of the month special. It is recorded that the people of Quraish used to make tawba (repentance) during this month. They apologise to people for the wrongdoing they committed. They seek forgiveness from Allah ﷻ in this month.

 A virtuous act of worship to engage in this month is to fast for:

‘The best fast after the month of Ramadan is fasting in the month of Allah, al-Muharram.’ [Sahih Muslim]

Prophet Muhammed ﷺ

Therefore, there are more rewards for fasting in this month. Especially on the Day of Ashura. It is the best day to fast in Muharram because it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ was keen to fast the Day of Ashura as much as he was keen to fast in Ramadan.

Ubaydallah رضي الله عنه reported: Ibn Abbas, رضي الله عنه, said: ‘I did not see the Prophet ﷺ as eager to fast a day and preferring it over others except for this Day of Ashura and this month of Ramadan’ [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet ﷺ informs us of the reward of fasting on this day:

‘It serves as an expiation of forgiveness from the previous year.’ [Sahih Muslim]

The recommended way to fast is to fast a day before or after and some scholars even say it’s better to fast the 9th, 10th and 11th consecutively.

Ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘If I remain [alive] till the following year, I will most certainly fast the ninth alongside the tenth of al-Muharram’ [Muslim].

It is also reported that Ibn ’Abbas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Fast the Day of Ashura and be different from the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it. [Ahmad]

Therefore, we should endeavor to strive for excellence by fasting more. Do not be limited to fasting only the Day of Ashura. Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalani says رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ‎ that fasting of Ashura is of 3 levels.

The first is to fast on the 10th of Ashura. The second is to fast on the 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th. And the highest is to fast on the 9th, 10th, and 11th. 

The least we can try to do is to fast on the 10th for it serves as an expiation of minor sins.

Why is the Day of Ashura important in Islam?

The Day of Ashura is special in Islam for so many reasons

  • It was the Day Allah ﷻ saved Prophet Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and the Israelites from Firawn.

Allah says: ‘Then We inspired to Moses, “Strike with your staff the sea,” and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain. And We advanced thereto the pursuers. And We saved Moses and those with him, all together. Then We drowned the others. Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers. And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.’ Qur’an 26: 63-68

The sea was parted miraculously for Prophet Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and the Israelites. After the Israelites passed the sea closed up and Firawn and his army got drowned.

  • Fasting on the Day of Ashura was previously mandated.

Besides, fasting on the Day of Ashura was previously compulsory, but with the introduction of Ramadan as an obligation. ‘O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting…’ – Qur’an 2:183 fasting on Ashura became voluntary. Mother Aisha رضي الله عنهما narrates ‘The people used to fast on ’Ashura before the fasting of Ramadan was made obligatory… When Allah made the fasting of the month of Ramadan compulsory, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, ’Whoever wishes to fast (on the day of ‘Ashura’) may do so; and whoever wishes to leave it can do so’. (Bukhari)

  • Prophet Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ also fasted on the Day of Ashura to express gratitude to Allah. We know this from the Prophetic tradition which goes thus: ‘On the authority of Ibn ’Abbas رضي الله عنه  who said, “The Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on the Day of Ashura. He said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allah ﷻ saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa عليه السلام fasted on this day’. He said, ‘We have more right to Musa عليه السلام than you’, so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day”’.[Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
  • This was also the day Prophet Nuh’s عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) ark landed on mount Judi (now Turkey).

  A narration reported by Imam Ahmad رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ‎ reads: it was on this day that the Ark of Nuh عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ came to rest on Mount Judi. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

And it was said, ‘O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].” And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, “Away with the wrongdoing people.’ (Qur’an 11:44)

What goes wrong on Ashura Day?

Some people celebrate/mark the tragedy of the Death of Hussein رضي الله عنه   but this massacre of Karbala has no significance as the Day of Ashura was holy before the death of Hussein رضي الله عنه. It is not a day of mourning, rather we should worship Allah. There should be no wailing or any tearing of clothes as practiced in some places.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud  رضي الله عنه  reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘He is not one of us he who slaps his cheeks, tears open his clothes, and wails in the manner of the days of ignorance.’ [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]

Take time to watch this short video. It contains information on the key dates to fast in the Month of Muharram 1442AH.

As a season of goodness we should engage in more Ibadah and refrain from bad deeds. May Almighty Allah make it easy for us to fast the Day of Ashura and allow us to reap its reward. Amen… Till next time Fi Amanillah!

SMALL JOY TAGS

Azeezat14 Comments

BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM

Alhamdulillah! Few days ago Thoughts and Reflections was nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award (click to read). And we are pleased to announce it has been awarded for Small Joy Tag. 🥳🎉 This was nominated by Atul (again) from the The Justice Mirror. Thanks so much for this recognition. 🙏

Atul’s blog is so informative. He writes extensively across various matters relating to law, religion and politics. He is also an advocate of peace and writes on environmental issues. This has earned him ‘The Great Achiever Mahasiddhi blogger Award’ for promoting peace and saving the environment.

These awards are a means of recognition! WordPress regards these awards as:

‘a way to recognise and support blogs beyond following, commenting, or liking. When someone gives you an award, it’s their way of saying, “Your blog is so wonderful that everyone should read it!”’

WordPress

What is Small Joy Tag.

There are so many things that bring us joy and makes us happy – writing is one of the medium through which joy and happiness are spread and I hope you get that from this blog.😉

Rules of this nomination.

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you.
  • List 15 of your small joys.
  • Nominate five other blogger friends who bring you joy.

Thoughts and Reflections is run by a team. So, below is a compilation of Small joys of the team.  

15 Small Joys of the team

  1. Spending time with people who remind me of Allah ﷻ 🌺
  2. Achieving my goals. x2✊
  3. Recitation of the Qur’an with contemplation. 😌
  4. Able to help others in my capacity. 👋
  5. Food. 😋
  6. Taking pictures (Still-life, nature, landscape).📷
  7. Learning how to drive. 🚘
  8. Trying out a new recipe. 👩‍🍳
  9. Learning new things. 🆕️
  10. Improving my culinary skills. 👨‍🍳
  11. Watching and playing football. ⚽️
  12. Speaking to friends and families. 🥰
  13. Having time to write my journal.✍
  14. Designing. 🎨
  15. Reading 📚

Further nominations

Atul asked me to nominate 5 other bloggers for the Small Joy Tag. It is my pleasure to nominate other amazing bloggers. Kindly visit their blogs to know more about them and explore their contents.

  1. Khayra –  The Muslimah Musing. Learn about her life experiences from an Islamic perspective.
  2. Saba Niaz Siddique –  Saba Niaz Siddique. Filled with contents to make you learn and get rid of ignorance.
  3. Sara –  Sunflower Seeds. Spreading bits of positivity through writing.
  4. Muntazzir – Muntazzir. Read poems to broaden your horizon.
  5. Shivam Choudhary  Ashivamchoudharyblogger. Writes across various matters focusing on India audience.

The list is endless… there are so many things that brings us joy (some we don’t even acknowledge ☹). Do you share a Small Joy Tag with one of the team? 🤔 Comment below 👇to share things that give you joy.

Till next time. May Almighty Allah ﷻ keep joy 🤗 radiating in our lives. Amen…

THE SACRED MONTHS

Featured5 Comments

BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM

‘Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them.’

Qur’an 9:36

The ending of the above verse is a warning from Allah ﷻ to emphasize the sanctity of these months with the instruction of not engaging in sins during them. Engaging in sins in any month, at any time is wrong but Allah ﷻ made sins during these months severe. Likewise, righteous deeds have more reward so a person should choose which group they want to belong and strive towards attaining it.

Ibn Kathir رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ‎ writes in His Tafsir of Suratul Tawbah vs 36  that Qatadah رَحِمَهُ ٱللّٰهُ‎ explained the phrase ‘so do not wrong yourself during them’ He said: ‘Injustice (injustice in this context refers to committing a wrongdoing against yourself by sinning) during the Sacred Months is worse and graver than injustice in other months. Verily, injustice is always wrong, but Allah ﷻ makes things graver than others as He will.’ He added ‘Allah ﷻ has chosen some of His creation above others. He chose Messengers from angels and from men. He also chose His Speech above all speech, the Masajid above other areas of the earth, Ramadan and the Sacred Months above all months, Friday above the other days and Laylatul-Qadr (The night of Qadr) above all night. Therefore, sanctify what Allah ﷻ has sanctified, for doing so is the practice of people of understanding and comprehension.’

How can we sanctify these months? By doing what we are commanded and refraining from SINS.

The Prophet ﷺ  informs us of the 4 Sacred Months:  It was narrated from Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه, from the Prophet ﷺ : “The division of time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah ﷻ created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, out of which four are sacred: three are in succession Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumaada (Ath-Thaniyah) and Sha‘baan.” Sahih Bukhari.

Allah choose these months to be sacred and we should maximise them by engaging in good deeds in them. It is from the mercy of Almighty Allah ﷻ that we have seasons to earn more rewards for acts of worship. So, capitalizing on these months should be our goals.

Moreover, there are historical reasons why the Arabs in the period of jahiliyyah (ignorance) considered these months to be sacred before it was confirmed by Allah ﷻ in the Qur’an. It was sacred to the Arabs due to the Hajj pilgrimage and they refrained from fighting in them. This was to allow pilgrims perform Hajj and Umrah with ease. Dhul-Qadah, the month before Hajj was made sacred because they avoided fighting during that month. Dhul-Hijjah because it is the month of Hajj during which Hajj rituals were performed. Muharram the month after Dhul-Hijjah was made sacred so that the pilgrims can return safely after engaging in Hajj. Rajab which is in the middle of the lunar year was made sacred so that those coming from the farthest area of Arabia are able to perform Umrah and visit The House (Kabah) and then return to their areas safely.  

Besides, when the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims from the tribe of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib were boycotted by the Quraysh in Makkah. They resorted to withdraw and live in Shib-e Abu Talib (the valley of Abu Talib) He ﷺ used to go to the Kabah and preach during the Sacred Months to the Pilgrims because violence was considered sacrilege during them. The Muslims were also allowed more freedom in their movements during them. This shows the reverence the Arabs had for this month in the pre-Islamic era. If the Arabs can give reverence to what is due before they became Muslims, we as Muslims should revere it further by refraining from sins and intensifying acts of worship during them. This should be our goal in these month and May Almighty Allahﷻ make us obedient slaves who obey His command and worship Him.

A very short video emphasising the superiority of engaging in righteous actions in the Sacred Months. 🙂

PS: we are still in a sacred month (Dhul-Hijjah) and another (Muharram) is coming in few days.

I hope you have learnt something new from this post about the Sacred months in Islam?  Is there any other information you know about the Sacred months? If you do I’d love to hear your thought in the comment section below.

THE MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD

Azeezat16 Comments

BISMILLAH-IR-RAHMAN-IR-RAHIM


Thoughts and reflections is delighted to announce it’s nomination for an award – THE MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD created by Okoto Enigma. This nomination was put forward by Atul a fellow blogger from The Justice Mirror. Thank you so much Atul for this recognition! The Justice Mirror  is a blog I have found interesting and it comprise of detailed information across various matters concerning law, religion, politics amongst others. Do check the blog out and give it a follow.

This is a category for bloggers who are passionate about what they write.

“It is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.”

Okoto Enigma

Thoughts and reflections is a blog run by a group of enthusiastic Muslims. All what is published is a collaborative and good team effort. Details of the team will be updated soon.

This blog also has an Instagram page, kindly follow because they work simultaneously. There are some information that can be found on the blog and not on the Instagram page. They work hand in hand to serve the same purpose. For example Thoughts and reflections recently worked on a mini-series about facts from the life of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah and all the contents were published on its Instagram page not on the blog. The Blog is for longer reads like this post.

Kindly enter your email to receive notifications directly into your inbox in the notification section below.

The rules of nomination by Okoto Enigma.

  1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
  2. List the rules.
  3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
  5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
  6. You have to nominate 10 – 20 people
  7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
  8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
  9. Share a link to your best post(s)

3 things to know about me: I am a law student. ⚖ I enjoy helping people improve their writing skills ✍for academic assessment and lastly I am a DIY lover. 😉

Links to my best post. All the post on the blog are great but here are selected few:

Self-Reflection The first post published. Highlighting the importance of looking inward for development.  

Perspective: Positive Mindset The story line serves as a reminder to be optimistic and have positive assumption about things.

My hijab. Dedicated to Hijabis out there. Serves as a form of comfort when I had a change of environment.

Atul asked some questions and my response is below-

  • How are you doing?

 Alhamdulillah I am doing well and grateful for being alive and happy 🌸

  • Name three good things that happened to you in the past few days

1.In the past few days I am learning the importance of gratitude. 2. Reading and learning more about my religion and life in general and 3. trying to understand how people feel in order to be able to relate more with them.

  • The best food that you ate recently

I really can’t think of the best food I ate recently. I love any healthy, nice and good food 😋

  • How do you bring joy to your personal relationships?

 A way I bring joy to my personal relationship is by checking up on each other and reminiscing on good moments shared together.

  • What is your best quote?

I love different quote but the one I am appreciating currently is one l formed: “We are different we want different things.” It makes me understand that people cannot be the same and accepting people for who they are, overlooking faults and focusing on the positives.

ATUL’S COMMENT TO MY RESPONSE

“Thank you Azeezat for accepting the nomination and participating. It’s my pleasure to encourage new and amazing bloggers like you. Many of these blogging awards are actually meant for you people only.

Though you have written such a detailed response here in the form of a comment, if you wish you can convert it into an amazing post and nominate other new and wonderful bloggers who you think encouragement, deserve appreciation.

Now your answers, Alhamdulillah, they are marvelous and worth reading and I pray that you keep doing well and be always grateful to almighty Allah for so many blessings all around you.

Next, I learnt a lot of things from your comments, especially the one concerning interpersonal relationships. And lastly, I agree with your quote on diversity.

 You too have a good day/night. best wishes.”

Passing the recognition on I nominate any blogger reading this. If you want your blog to be mentioned leave a comment below and I will be happy to include it. To any non-blogger reading this kindly share with a blogger to spread the recognition. Below is a list of bloggers who are doing amazing work (I could only nominate 7 bloggers 😦

  1. Byjolaa  by Bunmi Adaramola. This is an interesting blog for which addresses various matters such as personal development. Bunmi recently organized an Employability series #ForBlackByBlackInitiative webinar which I attended.
  2. The Muslimah Musing  by Khayra. This is about faith, hope and redemption. It’s a muslim sister who shares her perspective on life and being a good Muslim.
  3.  Nusaybah Musings by Nusaybah. Filled with contents on  life, faith, dunya, personal development , books and mental health.
  4. Dulcy Blogs by Dulcy Singh. Discover amazing stories from a 13 year old productive blogger.
  5. Randomukhti by Farxiya An enthusiast modesty and hijab blogger.  
  6. Thinking Broadly by Xaman Calid. Frequent short reminders on life in general.
  7.  Hizbiyafashion

My question for the nominees are below. Kindly answer all or any 5 of your choice in the comment section below.

  1. Why did you get into blogging.
  2. A little bit about your blog.
  3. Your favourite resting or vacation point
  4. Do you like spicy food
  5. A quote you love.
  6. Would you rather be invisible or read people’s mind and why.
  7. What do you do to keep you moving in life.
  8. A person you admire.

I hope you have a good read. Thanks to Atul for the recognition and I wish everyone reading this an amazing week ahead. 😇