A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from Signs on the Horizons by Shaykh Harun Michael Sugich.   “At that time the summer capital of Saudi Arabia was in Tha’if and all the government was in the mountain city.  My brother-in-law had a friend from Tha’if who offered to help get me to the Minister.  The friend was Bukhari, a Saudi of Central Asian extraction.  He was very friendly and well-meaning but also a little crazy, and I was completely at his mercy.  By this time, it was Ramadhan, the month of fasting, and during the day my new friend regaled me with stories about his sexual fantasies until I had to ask him to stop.  When we would get to his house in the afternoons, he would light up a cigarette and eat - just being in his company made me feel like I was breaking my fast.   A kindly Indian professor I met in Jiddah had generously lent me his car to use while he was away on his summer break, and my helper from Tha...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ How would we know when Laylat al-Qadr occurs if some of the signs are on multiple days, for example, there could be multiple days of rain or calm nights? ”   If you are meant to know, you will see its signs.  Laylat al-Qadr is a Divine Gift to the faithful.  It is not something that can be found by gaming the system.  Even if you were to know how to calculate it, and there are those such as Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ), who have given us such a formula, there is still no guarantee that you will experience it.  If you want to seek Laylat al-Qadr , then you need to spend the days of your Ramadhan in physical and spiritual fasting, and the nights in prayer and contemplation.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ What effect does zakat have on social welfare of the community? ”   There are two types of zakat: zakat al-mal and zakat al-fithr .  Zakat al-mal is the charity tax on unused wealth.  It is incumbent upon the wealthy.  Zakat al-fithr is the obligation of every Muslim to ensure that the poor and destitute have something to eat on ‘Iyd al-Fithr .  Zakat al-mal is what you are referring to in this question.   When a portion of funds sitting in banks and other instruments are given back to the community, it causes a portion of that locked up wealth to go back into the community and circulate.  This goes a small way towards giving the poor a stake in the economy, and society.  It raises, just a tiny bit, their purchasing power.   Any society where there is institutionalised poverty, and no mechanism for people to move up socioeconomic c...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Should zakat al-fithr be given in the form of meat when people in the city have enough grains? ”   Zakat al-fithr is given to poor and destitute Muslims so that they can celebrate ‘Iyd al-Fithr .  The minimum amount is one sa’ , which is around four double handfuls, of food.  The food should be staples such as grain or dried fruit for each member of the family, or an equivalent amount of money.  Meat should not be given as zakat al-fithr unless it is a staple.  This may apply to societies of hunter-gatherers from the far north, for example.  Otherwise, if you want to give meat, that meat should be considered swadaqah , charity, and the act is meritorious.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ When was the Battle of Badr? ”   The Battle of Badr was fought on the 17 th Ramadhan 2 AH, in the Hijaz, at the Wells of Badr.  It was the first major ghazwat , battle, led by the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), in the early days of Islam, between the Quraysh and the Muslim community of Madina.  The battle was a decisive victory to the Muslims due to Divine intervention.  It is a battle of the converts, since the Muslims were all converts to Islam.  It is one of the few battles specifically mentioned in the Qur’an.   سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان قَدۡ ڪَانَ لَكُمۡ ءَايَةٌ۬ فِى فِئَتَيۡنِ ٱلۡتَقَتَا‌ۖ فِئَةٌ۬ تُقَـٰتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخۡرَىٰ ڪَافِرَةٌ۬ يَرَوۡنَهُم مِّثۡلَيۡهِمۡ رَأۡىَ ٱلۡعَيۡنِ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصۡرِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةً۬ لِّأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرِ (١٣)   “There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that me...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is ‘Save the Children Fund’ eligible for zakat ? ”   No, it is not.  It is a fund, not one of the aswnaf , categories of people eligible for zakat .  In fact, being an orphan is itself not an aswnaf , unless the orphan falls under the other aswnaf such as fakir , indigent; miskin , poor; or gharimin , debtors.   Another condition of zakat is tamlik , transfer of ownership.  The majority of the fuqaha’ , jurists, agree that the condition for a valid payment of zakat is that someone deserving should be given possession of the zakat as its owner.  The following is ijma’ , consensus.  If you give to a fund, even if all the money was spent for the benefit of these very people without having given them possession of it, that zakat is considered to be unpaid.   However, in orphanages where meals and clothes are given to orphans as being owned by them, t...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ How do I know Allah ( s.w.t. ) Accepted my fast this Ramadhan? ”   Unless you are some great wali , and have an Explicit Sign, you do not know.  None of us do.  What we can do is husn azh-zhan , have good thoughts of Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Generosity and Mercy, and believe so.  Our ‘ibadah is generally Accepted by Allah ( s.w.t. ), unless there is some great nifaq , hypocrisy in its commission, and even them, His Mercy may Cause Allah ( s.w.t. ) to Relent.  This Acceptance is due to the intercession of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) and for the sake of the awliya’ for the ummah .

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ If a muslimah gets her period in Ramadhan, then should she hide it from her parents? ”   That is plain stupid.  She is having her period.  She is not taking part in human blood sacrifice to summon Satan.  What is there to hide?  Muslim families are quite familiar with the fact that women have times in the month when they cannot pray or fast.  There is nothing special about this.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Can zakat be used for microfinance? ”   Zakat al-mal must be paid to the eight categories of Muslims deserving of zakat as Mentioned Explicitly in the Qur’an:   سُوۡرَةُ التّوبَة ۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَـٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡہَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُہُمۡ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَـٰرِمِينَ وَفِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ‌ۖ فَرِيضَةً۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَڪِيمٌ۬ (٦٠)   Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) Ordained by Allah and Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom. (Surah at-Tawbah:60)   The fuqara’ , the poor, are those who earn less than half their basic needs.   The masakin , the destitute, are tho...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is a transcript of a lecture given by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad.   The Merciful Lord Who is the Originator of the skies, earth and everything therein, Appointed man as His Representative on Earth.   He Made man different from the rest of the creatures, as beside the human species that originated from clay, all the other creatures were created from water.   When this was made known to the other creatures, they became surprised to know that Adam ( a.s. ) possessed what was to be the Lord’s representative here on the Earth; although he was just a lump of mud.   There is no doubt of the fact that man is special.   Some of the reasons which make him superior to all other creatures are: He has a physical body capable of manifesting the Divine Attributes in his earthly life, such as the fact he can show love, mercy, generosity, and so forth; if the light of the soul is kept clean it can reflect something of the Div...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ I understand that some of us are having a challenging time this Ramadhan, particularly in this time of pandemic and loneliness.   It may be difficult to pray, and to fast, and sometimes, to even hold on.   But do so.   سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ( ١٥٣ )   O you who believe!   Seek Help with patient perseverance and prayer: for Allah is with those who patiently persevere. (Surah al-Baqarah:153)   Faith is meant to be tested, and the world is a crucible.   And just at that moment you feel like breaking, endure, and take one breath, one step more.   It is often enough, because of this Promise:   سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَا‌ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡہَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡ‌ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَا‌ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Which du’a should be read before ifthar ? ”   The following is the most common du’a , with some variations in the ending.   This version is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud .   اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ امنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ   Allahumma innii laka sumtu wa bika amantu wa ‘alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘alaa rizqika afthartu   O Allah!   I fasted for You, and I believe in You, and I put my trust in You, and I break my fast with Your Sustenance.   The following is based on an atsar , a saying attributed to a swahabah , but not directly to the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).   It has been narrated that Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ) used to say the following when he would break his fast:   بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْنَا وَ عَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْنَا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is extracted from the “Scent of Saintliness”, a Ramadhan series of swuhbah , by Shaykha Aminah Adil ( q.s. ), wife of Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ).   These are stories told from the times of the Ottoman Empire, and are not necessarily accurate.   When Musa (as) went up Mount Sinai, he told his people he would be gone for forty days.   But Bani Isra’il, in those days, counted the day as one, and the night as one too.   So they reached forty days in half the time, and they thought that, because of their sins, their prophet had been taken away from them.   Earlier, when Musa (as) had led them out of Egypt, they had crossed the Red Sea safely by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Permission.   Pharaoh and his armies following behind them had been drowned when the sea closed back over them.   All the soldiers, with their armour, their weapons, their gold and silver, were swallowed by the sea. ...