MOTIVATION FOR SALAAH

MOTIVATION FOR SALAAH

So I have been really busy teaching, had a car accident (Aalhamdolillah much better now).

I was doing the beauty of salaah with the older children class, for motivation for Ramadan and inshallah every day of our lives.

I would like to share what we have learnt and been trying to practice so far:

Excerpts from “How to taste the true beauty of salaah” series by Mishari Al Kharraz:

1. Say Allahu akbar and throw the world behind you.

Did you ever think: why do we start our prayer with Allahu akbar not with subhanAllah? Realize that when you say Allahu akbar you affirm that the one before whom you are about to stand is greater than anything occupying you at that moment— greater than your sleep, your families, your bills, and your worries. Just imagine that when you say Allahu akbar while raising your hands you are throwing all of that behind you!

2. Visualize the veil.

When you stand to pray, Allah ‘azza wa jall commands: Raise the veils from between Me and my servant! As soon as you say Allahu akbar and start your prayer, Allah sets His beautiful face to yours and doesn’t turn away from you, unless you do. When your thoughts or your sight drifts off, He orders the veils to be drawn back down. Visualize these veils being lifted to keep concentrated with your heart and body. Are you still drifting? This is why you repeat the great words Allahu akbar as you move into each position; it’s a reminder and a new chance again and again to focus!

3. Salute the King.

Imagine walking into a palace, how would you recognize the servants of the king? Probably by their humble position: looking down. As you lower your gaze to the place of your prostration and place your hands right over left and close to your chest it is time to salute the King. Imagine standing in front of Allah ‘azza wa jall as you utter this beautiful saluation and feel each word: Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaarakasmuka wa ta’alaa jadduka— How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. Blessed be Your name, and lofty is Your position and none has the right to be worshipped except You.

Realize that only the parts of salah you are mindful of are being accepted and that Shaytan does his very best to steal every sweet moment you have with Allah!

4. Feel each ayah of Surah Al-Fatiha is answered.

You are now ready to enter the essence of it all: Surah Al-Fatiha, the greatest surah of the Quran, without which your prayer is nullified. Know that Allah Himself answers back when you recite of Surah Al-Fatiha, so add a short pause after each ayah, feeling this amazing dialogue. How can you ever drift of in this part of the prayer?

5. Utter His name with pure love.

What has brought you to stand here right now? It is your love and longing to be with Allah ‘azza wa jall. And when you meet up with your beloved, what do you first say? The sweet sound of the beloved’s name, the name that blesses everything it falls upon! Feel the bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem soothing your heart as it gently rolls off your lips.

6. Stand still at: “the Lord of the worlds.”

Rasulullah (SAW) told us, “Alhamdulillah fills the scale!” [Muslim] Really feel gratefulness when you say alhamdulillah. Did you see those documentaries where they zoom out from the cells of a plant’s leaf all the way to the planets and galaxies? Now instead of that leaf, start the zoom out process with the image of yourself standing before Allah. Then zoom back down, back through the universe, to the place you are standing in prayer. The next time you pray view yourself from above and far away and truly taste the meaning of Rabbil aalemeen (Lord of the worlds)!

7. Reflect on Ar-Rahmaanir Raheem before Maaliki yawmid-Deen.

Have you ever wondered why Allah’s names Ar-Rahmaanir and Ar-Raheem come before Maaliki yawmid-Deen (Master of the Day of Judgement)? Be reminded that it is the Most Gracious and Merciful who will judge us on the the Day of Judgement! So feel empowered and comforted when you say Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem and then pause a moment at Maaliki yawmid-Deen, realizing the horrors of that Day.

8. Know what iyyaaka na’budu wa iyyaaka nasta’een really means.

You alone we worship, and unto You alone we turn for help. Let this remind you to make Allah alone your focus, not the people. So when you are asked, why did you do this or that (deed), you can firmly answer: for Allah! Feel this ayah by knowing that the sahabah used to weep for hours reciting it. One of them was once praying in Mecca. His friend went ahead and did the tawaf and when he returned to him, he was still at this verse, repeating it and crying, until the sun came up.

9. Say Aameen as if your life depended on it.

The most comprehensive supplication you can make is: ihdinas-siraatal-mustaqeem (Guide us to the straight path). See how you followed the proper etiquettes of how to ask Allah? You started glorifying and praising Him and then you make your request: Guide us. Now realize that your entire existence depends on this supplication. The ameen you’ll pronounce now will have to come from the bottom of your heart. Ameen means: My Lord, grant or answer (my prayers). Say ameen as if you have been sentenced to death and are pleading for pardon, begging with passion.

10. Feel the bond with your Rabb. 

When you say subhana Rabbiyya- al-‘atheem (How perfect My Lord is, The Supreme) in ruku’, focus on the pronoun that means my (in Rabbi). It adds that element of bonding: He is My Lord, who raised me in His care and who is nurturing me. Know Rasulullah (SAW) and the Companions used to be in the bowing position as long as he would be in the standing segment of salah. One companion said that he recited Al Fatiha, then Al Baqara, Ali Imran, An-Nisaa’ and Al Ma’ida, and the companion Abdullah Ibn Al Zubair was beside him, still in his ruku’.

11. Win the grand finale: your sujood.

Your sujood is the ultimate symbol of complete submission to your Creator. Rasulullah (SAW) said: “The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” [Muslim] And: “Prostrate much because there is no Muslim that prostrates to Allah except that Allah raises him one degree in Paradise by it and forgives for him a sin.”[Ahmad] Imagine you are being raised one degree in Paradise with each sujood and a sin falls off you with each prostration. Prostrate with body, heart, and soul and taste the sweetest feeling in the world!

12. Supplicate before the tasleem.

After the words of the tashahhud (sitting position at the end of prayer) and before the tasleem (saying salaam to indicate the end of prayer), there is a precious moment many waste! When the Rasulullah (SAW) taught Abdallah ibn Mas’ood (RA) the tashahhud he said: … Then let him choose whatever supplications he wishes. [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]. Just before you say tasleem, make at least three heartfelt dua’s to benefit from this treasure chest instead of rushing to say the salaam!

Remember this: the sweetness of this life lies in remembering Him, the sweetness of the next life lies in seeing Him! The next time you proceed for prayer, go because you love Him, go because you miss Him and long to be with Him. Feel your heart flutter. Only then, will you be on your way to attaining that inner peace and comfort salah was prescribed for.

8 Intentions For Every Action

8 intentions for every action

قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) نية المؤمن خير من عملهNabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم. ) said something to the effect, “The intention of a Believer is better than his action.”

Moulana Ilyas رحمة الله عليه- If a person attempts to make these 8 intentions for every action that he does, for 3 days, ﺂللَّــہ will make Imaan flow through his veins just how blood flows.

1.O ﺂللَّــہ , You are giving me the Tawfeeq (ability) to do this Amal (action) and the outcome of this Amal is in Your hands.

2.O ﺂللَّــہ , I’m doing this Amal to obey Your command and to follow the Sunnah of Nabee-e-Kareem صلى الله عليه وسلم. (Think of the Command of ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى and the Sunnahs in this action)

3.To think of the fadhaa’il (virtue)of the Amal and Istihzaar(thinking of the reward by doing the action) at the time of doing the Amal.

4.To ponder over the fact that ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى is watching me, He hears me, knows what I am doing and He is with me.

5.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am not fit (deserving)to do this amal (coz of my sins)and everyone else who is doing it is fit to do it. Through their acceptance, accept my amal as well.

6.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am doing this Amal only to please You.

7.O ﺂللَّــہ , I am doing this Amal, please accept it and make it a means of hidayah (guidance) for me and all humanity.

8.After doing the amal, make shukr to ﺂللَّــہ ( thank ﺂللَّــہ )and make istighfaar (seek forgiveness) that I could not do the action as it was ought to be done. 

Moulana Ilyaas رحمة الله عليه used to say these are sifaat-e- qubooliyat (qualities of acceptance of any Amal (action

May ﺂللَّــہ سبحانه وتعالى grant us the ability to practice upon this beautiful advice and make all our Aamaal worthy of earning His سبحانه وتعالى ‘s pleasure and gaining closeness to Him سبحانه وتعالى آمــــــــــين آمين يا رب العالمين

Dua For Everyday- May Allah Accept, Aameen.

Dua For Everyday- May Allah Accept, Aameen.

“O Allah

Please have Mercy on me.

O Allah

Please forgive me

for the sins I committed in the past

and those I will commit in the future.

 

O Allah,

have Mercy on all the Muslimeen,

and guide them.

Guide me O Allah,

and guide my parents,

my siblings, my cousins,

my aunts and uncles,

my nephews and nieces and so forth.

 

O Allah,

I ask You

to strengthen my Imaan and those around me.

I ask You to soften my heart

and to soften the hearts of the Believers.

 

O Allah,

forgive me for my shortcomings,

for only You are Perfect.

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me

if I ever got too wrapped in a matter

that I didn’t have the time to utter Your Name.

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me for all the salat I missed

because of ignorance or laziness,

Please Forgive me for all the fasts I didn’t make up,

thinking it was “alright, since I fasted most of the days anyway.”

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me

for the quarter I never dropped

into the metal cup for the homeless man begging on the street.

 

O Allah,

Please spark the love of Islam in my heart

and in the hearts of every single Muslim

until it gets implanted in their children

and their children’s children and so on.

 

O Allah,

I ask that You help me for I am weak

and will only grow stronger by Your Strength,

so Allah Please Strengthen me

to fight Shaytaan and his whispers.

And if I ever fell into his trap

and followed my desire,

then sincerely forgive me,

for that displays not only my weakness,

but Your Greatness as well.

 

O Allah

Please lighten the punishment in the grave

for those before us and those after us.

Please Allah, lighten the punishment

and please shed light into every Muslim’s grave.

 

O Allah

if I ever was too afraid

to stand up for Your Deen

because of what others would think,

then Forgive me, for I was a fool for doing so.

 

O Allah

Please Protect me and each Muslimeen,

and Protect especially the orphans and the widows.

 

O Allah

Please Strengthen the faith

of the destitute Muslims around the world,

so they have hope to live.

 

O Allah

if I ever forgot to do du’a

for even one suffering Muslim,

then Forgive me

for then it is as if I haven’t done du’a

for the entire ummah.

 

O Allah,

Please be the Light of my eyes, ears and heart.

O Allah,

Please be the Light on the sides of me

and the Light behind me

and the light in front of me.

 

O Allah

Please Forgive me

for all the foul words I spoke

either out of ignorance or

because I was trying to be “cool.”

 

O Allah

please forgive me

if I never stopped to think about You,

due to “other important things.”

 

O Allah

Please Forgive me

for not having enough time

or creating time for reading the Qur’an.

 

 

O Allah

please forgive me

for all the yelling I’ve done

and the arguments I’ve been in.

For the only time

the voice should be raised

is for Your Praises!

 

O Allah

Please Forgive me

for my disrespect towards my family,

elders, siblings and so on.

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me

for any backbiting I have been accused of,

whether I did it consciously or unconsciously.

 

O Allah, Rab al-Alamin,

Forgive me,

Forgive me for everything.

So for everyone,

every single Muslim,

dead or alive,

I do du’a that you forgive them

for all their sins.

 

O Allah,

Please help the suffering Muslims

of Palestine and

everywhere around the world.

 

O Allah

Please let the beauty of Islam reign!

O Allah, Give victory to the Muslims!

O Allah, Please let True Islam reign!

O Allah, Please increase our knowledge

of Your Deen and this world.

 

Oh Allah

Please Help us all and guide us,

for You are Everything to us.

 

O Allah,

I cannot stress how much I ask

for Your Forgiveness and Your Guidance.

 

O Allah,

I fear You,

I fear You so much words cannot describe.

I fear the day when I will meet You,

and I WILL meet You.

When we are one on one,

and I have no one’s help or support.

No-one can take the blame for me

nor I for them.

The only thing I will have

is a little book given to me by You

that has my deeds.

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me for my thoughts,

for even though I get sinned only for my actions,

I cannot help but feel guilty for my thoughts

and I ask You to Forgive me for them

and to clear my mind of any impurities

until You become the Only thing on my mind.

 

 

O Allah,

Please Forgive me

if I ever did anything out of gain

for this life and not for Your pleasure.

If I ever did anything to “show off”

then Please Forgive me for that.

 

O Allah,

I do du’a

that You grant us all God-Fearing spouses

and grant us righteous children.

 

Oh Allah,

I do du’a

that You continue to strengthen this ummah

until the Day of Resurrection.

 

O Allah,

Forgive me

for whatever I have not mentioned,

for I am bound to forget

…..but You,

through Your Greatness…

You Never Forget.

 

O Allah,

Please Grant

all the Muslims

Jannah-tul-Firdaus.

 

O Allah,

I ask that You shed Your Mercy

on all the Prophets (peace be upon them)

and on all the Angels (peace be upon them).

 

Lastly, I do du’a

You shed Your Mercy

on Rasulullah (SAW) ,

his family and companions.

 

Rabinna Aataina

Fiduniya Hasinathow

Wa Fil Akhirati Hasinathow,

Wakina Adhab innaar

Ameen.”

Bounties Of Ramadan

Bounties Of Ramadan

Allah made fasting during this month an obligation whereas the Taraaweeh prayer is only voluntary. Whoever comes with any quality, towards Allah it is equal to one who does an obligatory good deed in any other month. But whoever does any good deed in Ramadan (obligation) it is equal to 70 good deeds in any another month

Ramadan is the month of patience and an increase in provision for a believer.

Whoever helps another believer to break his fast with even a piece of date Allah forgives his sins and clears him from Jahannam and purifies him for Jannah.

 

Allah showers us with rewards during this month for even a sip of water that you give to someone else. Rasulullah (SAW) advised us to increase four habits:

•Increase saying La Ilaaha Ilallah

•Do a lot of Istighfaar to Allah (Asking For Forgiveness)

•Increase asking Allah to give you Jannah

•Ask Allah to protect you from Hell Fire

 

Whoever helps another person who is fasting at the time of breaking his fast with a sip of water, on the Day of Judgment; Allah will give that person water to drink and he will never be thirsty until he enters Jannah.

During Ramadan, the Shaytaan is all chained and locked up. Therefore, this is a chance for us Muslims to change our bad Habits and Develop Good Ones

Allah will see, who has sacrificed everything to worship Him and gain the treasures of Ramadan, if anyone is too busy and does not use Ramadan to increase their Imaan, then they are a Looser.

The odour from the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah than the smell of any sort of musk. Allah says to the Angels “Look at My Servant, He/She, Is Trying To Please Me; Bear Witness, I Forgive His/Her Sins”

Do not recite the Quran as a routine; do not pray Taraaweeh as a routine in life. Try to live the message, try to understand what Allah wants from us. Why does Allah want us to pray Taraaweeh? Is it to gain extra reward only? Yes, we get a lot of reward but that is not the only purpose…. it is for us to get closer to Allah, to wake up and to gain the knowledge of the Quran

We are alive this Ramadan….. but who can guaranteed us next Ramadan?

Once someone came to Rasulullah (SAW) and said so and so is an orphan, Rasulullah (SAW) replied, “The one who does not have anyone is not an orphan. An orphan is one who enters Ramadan and does not gain the Rahma (mercy) of Allah.”

The month of Ramadan is about giving, spending, seclusion, oneness and unity. We need to elevate ourselves to be for Allah, purify ourselves from all materialistic desires and live for the akhirah.

If we enter Ramadan with the right intentions, our good manners will increase, our Imaan will increase, our habits will change, and we will be a different person altogether.

We need to show Allah that we are ready to sacrifice for Him and that we want and desire His blessings, forgiveness, pleasure and Jannah. We need to show Him respect, detach ourselves from Dunya and elevate our souls.

VIRTUOUS DEEDS DURING ZUL HIJJAH

VIRTUOUS DEEDS DURING ZUL HIJJAH

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST TEN DAYS OF ZUL-HIJJAH

The first ten days of Zul Hijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar. Rasulullah (SAW) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.”(Bukhari)

Rasulullah (SAW), has said, “One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship of “Laylatul-Qadr”. (Tirmizi)

Every Muslim should avail oneself of this wonderful opportunity by performing as much Ibadah (acts of worship) as he or she can during this period.

Ways We Can Maximize The First Ten Days Of ZUL HIJJAH

• Purifying our intentions: “Verily actions are judged by intention.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
  It is crucial that we purify & correct our intentions before doing any acts of worship. This is because we may have other underlying intentions in our hearts without even realizing it. Like for e.g. we may have in our hearts that we fast because we don’t want to look bad in front of our family or friends or because others fast etc. So before doing any good deed we need to align & focus our intention to ONLY pleasing Allah. By doing this we will increase the sincerity in our worship & acts of virtues & by having better intentions when doing any good act is a means of earning greater rewards for whatever good deed we are doing. Ibn Al-Mubaarak said: “Maybe a small action is made great by its intention, and maybe a great action is made small by its intention.”
  Even daily routines like eating, drinking, sleeping, waking up, travelling etc can be a source of great reward by having the right intentions. Having good Intentions is easy & great rewards can be gained without making any hard physical effort. By just spending a couple of seconds having the right intention in our hearts we can turn a whole day to a day of worship. It is like turning dust into gold.
• Schedule & Monitor Daily Worship: What better way to maximise our worship during these blessed days and nights than to plan & schedule our time so that we can spend it as effectively as possible. By setting ourselves daily targets we can ensure that we are more likely to achieve them.  We should strive to worship on all if not at least as many of the first ten nights of Zul Hijjah as is possible Inshallah, for these rewards are unmissable and time is short and we need as many good deeds as possible in order to please Allah before we are taken.
• Avoiding distractions: There will be many things getting in our way & distracting us from our worship. But we must take all necessary precautions & measures in order to avoid any possible distractions. We should spend as little time as possible on things other than worship. We should fulfil our daily duties as quickly as possible & spend as much time as possible in worshiping Allah.
• Fasting the First 9 Days, Especially the Day of `Arafah (9th): The scholars have concurred that it is recommended to fast during the first nine days of Zul Hijjah.
  Abu Qatada (RA) related that Rasulullah (SAW) said, “Fasting the Day of `Arafah (f: 9th of Zul Hijjah) expiates for two years, one prior and one forthcoming. And fasting the Day of `Ashura (f: 10th of Muharram) expiates for the past year.” (Muslim)
  So we should try our best to fast all 9 days of Zul Hijjah particularly the 9th which is the day of Arafah. If we cannot fast all 9 days then we should try and fast as many of the 9 days as possible particularly the 9th which is the day before Eid Ul Adha.
• Recite the Qur’an abundantly: We should try our best to read as much of the Holy Qur’an as is possible especially during the daytimes of the first 10 days of Zul Hijjah. We should aim to try and complete the whole Qur’an within this period which is around 3 Juz (chapters) a day. Every action is judged upon its intention so even if we do not complete the entire Qur’an we should at least intend to do so for Allah looks for every excuse to reward his servants and may reward us like we completed the whole Qur’an if he wanted to for he is most generous and will reward his servants as much as he wants.
  Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas & Anas Ibn Malik (RA) reported that Rasulullah (SAW) said, ‘Whoever recited Surah Zilzilah (99) would get the reward of reciting half the Qur’an. Whoever recited Surah al Kaafirun (109) would get a reward as if reading a quarter of the Qur’an. Whoever recited Surah al Ikhlas (112) would get a reward as if reading one third of the Qur’an’. (At-Tirmidhi)
  Therefore let us recite as much of the Qur’an as we can in these first ten days and nights of this month and aim to finish at least one Qur’an if we can. Then let us continue reciting the Qur’an throughout the rest of the year, for there is no better worship of Allah than to recite the Qur’an!
• Worshiping the 10 days and the nights of the 8th, 9th and 10th of Zul Hijjah: Scholars have concluded that the days (between Fajr and Maghrib) of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year, even more so than the days of Ramadan. Therefore we should increase ourselves in worship during these blessed 10 days by fasting the 9 days, doing excessive Dhikr, reciting the Qur’an, making Dua and sincerely repenting as much as possible.
  Mu’ãdh Ibn Jabal (RA) relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said, “Jannat is wãjib (incumbent) for those who stay awake with the intention of making ‘Ibãdah on the following nights: 8th, 9th and 10th of Zul Hijjah, the night of ‘Eedul Fitr and the night of the 15th of Sha’bãn.” (Targheeb)
  Therefore we should make utmost effort to worship Allah during these blessed nights. If we cannot worship in all 3 nights then we should at least worship as much as we can even if it is for an hour, half an hour etc. On the day of judgement we will look back and be in utter regret at the opportunities we missed to do good deeds. So grab the opportunity NOW and let us NOT be of those in utter regret saying..”Why didn’t i do so and so? I am truly in utter loss.”
• Increase in Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah): We should glorify Allah night and day, especially in these first ten days of the blessed month of Zul Hijjah. Remembering Allah much through acts of Dhikr brings much peace and tranquillity to the heart.  It also gives us a sense of Taqwa (fearful awareness of Allah), a consciousness that makes us realise that Allah Almighty is ever near and that we should always strive to please Him.
  أَلَا بِذِڪۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَٮِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ
  “…Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Surah Al-Rad 13:28)
  وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَڪۡبَرُ‌ۗ
  Remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. (Surah Ankabut 29:45).
• Dua and Repentance:
  We should busy ourselves in making sincere Dua and repentance during these blessed 10 days of Dhul Hijjah. How unfortunate is the one who does not make use of these blessed 10 days and nights in order to supplicate to his lord to gain his mercy and forgiveness.
  We find many reassurances throughout the Quran for those who make Dua:
  Allah the Exalted, has said:

وَقَالَ رَبُّڪُمُ ٱدۡعُونِىٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ

 “And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer” (Surah Ghafir 40:60)

ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ تَضَرُّعً۬ا وَخُفۡيَةً‌ۚ

“Call upon your Lord Humbly and in secret” (Surah Araf 7:55)

وَ إِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ

“When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186),
What a beautiful thing it is to create a relationship with Allah through Dua and asking his help and invoking in him for whatever we want in this life and the next! Especially in these days we should increase the amount of Dua’s we do especially in the latter part of the nights when they are most listened to.
Ayesha (RA) said: “No believer makes Dua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated.”

THE TAKBEERAAT OF TASHREEQ

It is Wajib (incumbent) for every adult Muslim male to recite the Takbirat of Tashreeq after every Fardh Salat-performed with Jamat or individually from the Fajr of the 9th of Zul-Hijjah to the Asr of the 13th of Zul Hijjah. The Takbirat should be recited once only.

The words of the Takbirat of Tashreeq are as follows:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ

Transliteration: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar laa ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu Akbar walillaahil hamd.

Translation: “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity besides Allah and Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest and all praises belong to Him Alone.”

NB. Men should recite this Takbeer audibly whilst females should do so softly.

QURBANI

Zaid bin Arqam (R.A.) reports that the Companions of Rasulullah (SAW) asked him: “Oh Rasulullah (SAW), what is this sacrifice?” He said: “It is the way of your forefather Ibrahim (AS) .” They asked:“What (reward) is for us therein?” He replied: “There is a reward for every hair (i.e. the reward for meat and useful parts of the animal’s body will be very lofty in merit, but there will also be a great reward for the parts which are useless and thrown away such as the hair).” They asked: “For the wool, Ya Rasulullah?” He replied: “There is one reward for every strand of wool.” The aim of sacrifice, like all other fundamentals of Islam, is to imbibe piety and self-righteousness. It also promotes the spirit of sacrifice for a right cause. To explain its purpose, ALLAH says in the Quran. “It is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches ALLAH, It is their piety that reaches ALLAH” (22:37)

Rasulullah (SAW) said: “On the 10th of Zil-Hijjah, there is no better act in the view of ALLAH than shedding the blood (of slaughtered animals). And verily sacrifice earns the approval of ALLAH even before the drop of blood (of the slaughtered animal) falls on the ground. Hence you should offer it in good spirit. For every hair of the sacrificial animal, there is a blessing.”

Intention

It is commendable that one who intends to offer a sacrifice should refrain from having a haircut, a shave, and pruning of nails, from the 1st of Zil-Hijjah (up to the time he has performed the sacrifice).

Method of Sacrifice

• The animal for slaughter should be laid on its left side facing Ka’aba and its throat cut open with a sharp knife, and its blood allowed to drain.
• DO NOT buy from a farm or supplier where the animals are mistreated. Just as the Sunnah prohibits us from slaughtering an animal in anything other than a humane manner, we are prohibited from abusing animals while they are living. It might take time to identify a farm where animals are treated with compassion, but if you plan ahead, you can find a supplier who shares your principles.
• DO NOT treat the animal roughly or let it see the knife before you slaughter it. Rather, give the animal a drink of water to quench its thirst and let it feel at peace.
• DO NOT slaughter your animal in front of other animals – this terrifies them and it is forbidden to inflict this kind of emotional pain on animals.
• DO NOT use a knife that is nicked, serated, dull or short. All of this things will cause pain and suffering to the animal, which is prohibited. When the jugular vein of an animal is opened with a razor-sharp knife in one cut, the animal will quickly bleed to death with little pain.
• DO NOT move the animal for the butchering process until you are certain that it has died.

Rasulullah (SAW)said, “There is a reward for doing good to all living creatures.” Let us make this sacrifice an occasion to earn ALLAH’S reward and to avoid the punishment of those who mistreat animals

The Time of Qurbani

Qurbani can only be performed during the three days of Eid, namely the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhul Hijjah, which coincides with the 26th, 27th and 28th of October this year (2012). It is only in these days that slaughtering of an animal is recognised as an act of worship. No Qurbani can be performed in any other day of the year.

Although Qurbani is permissible on each of the three aforementioned days, it is preferable to perform it on the first day i.e. the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.