The day of Arafah and the day of Eid
Dear brothers, as mentioned in last week’s khutba, we are now in the month of Dhul-Hijjah.
This is the month in which the Hajj is performed by millions of Muslims all over the world and followed by Eid.
We also mentioned last week how the Prophet SAWS spoke of the first ten days of this month leading up to Eid and that specifically they are days in which good deeds are worth more to Allah SWT.
The day of Arafa also holds great importance in Islam because this is the day when Allah SWT completed his revelation on his messenger SAWS. It was on the day of Arafah when the following verse from Sura Al-Maidah was revealed:
This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.
The imam mentioned the hadith also of the prophet SAWS in which he explicitly revealed to us that the reward for fasting on the day of Arafah is that it removes the sins from the previous year and forgives the sins for the year ahead. And so, this is a day we cannot afford to treat like another.
And so, we conclude with 3 tips we can adhere to in order to make the most of this day:
- Fast. Our beloved Prophet SAWS recommended non-pilgrims to fast on this blessed day as it removes the sins of the past year and the sins of the upcoming year.
Dear brothers, what greater incentive do we need here? To fast next Friday for just under 13 hours will remove two years’ worth of sins.
- Pray. Try to perform even 2 units of obligatory prayer. Remember, this is the day in which the deeds weigh heavy and what is an extra 2 minutes or so in front of your Lord in comparison?
- Supplicate. There is no better day to ask from your Lord than this day. Just imagine dear brothers, you have fasted on the day of Arafat, performed obligatory prayers during your fast and on the moment, you open your fast you ask of your Lord. Wouldn’t you want that moment for you, your family and your afterlife?
We also have the day of Eid that follows and similarly, we have the opportunity to make the most of this day. It is a day where celebration is permitted to us and we should celebrate as this is the correct way. We should take time off our usual routine like work or study and we should spend it with family and close friends.
Regarding the day itself, there are etiquettes we ought to follow. They are repeated in today’s reminder so that we can seek the reward from Allah SWT. They are:
- Recite takbeer. The masjid usually does this before the prayer so arrive early and participate with the others.
- Perform the sacrifice. This can be done either in person or via the various charities that offer this service.
- On the day, perform ghusl, put on your best clothes and come to the masjid on a different route to the one you leave.
- Pray your Eid prayer and stay for the khutba that is said afterwards, this is an equally important part of your worship.
- Lastly, show happiness and positivity to your family, your neighbours and to everyone you meet. Let them understand that this is a day that Muslims celebrate, within permitted boundaries of course!
Dear brothers, we have a great opportunity to reap the reward in a challenging year for us all. Let us adhere to this reminder and be from amongst those who were referred to by the Prophet SAWS when he said that there isn’t a day in which Allah SWT forgives His slaves from the hellfire than the day of Arafah.
Read MoreRamadan Reminder 4 – Last 10 Nights
Today’s reminder is on the following hadith of the Prophet SAWS:
Aisha (may Allah SWT be pleased with her) reported: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet SAWS used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray the whole night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.
Dear brothers and sisters, there is a saying that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. In the final ten nights we have a blessed night of Laylatul Qadr which has immense reward attached to it.
And with the reward of 1000 months being relayed to us for this blessed night, how can we afford not to make the most of the final ten nights?
This short reminder concludes with 5 practical tips that we can follow to make the most of this blessed night.
- Try to worship a little but consistently in the full ten nights. Often people focus their efforts on the 27th night, but we should aim to be consistent over the 10 night as our efforts will be maginified to the degree of 83 years!
- Try to remember the dua of the last 10 nights. Aisha (may Allah SWT be pleased with her) reported: I asked: “O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?” He SAWS replied, “You should supplicate: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me).”
- Give charity. One act each night will mean that during Laylatul Qadr it will be as if you did so over the course of 83 years.
- Recite some Quran each night. Even a few lines if that’s all that’s possible. Catching the reward of Laylatal Qadr will be as if you recited the Quran over the course of a lifetime.
- Read some optional Nafl prayers. Even if its 2 rakats, it will be registered as a 1000 months worth of effort insh’Allah.
This is the month of immense blessings and this night marks the pinnacle of what this month is about. May Allah SWT enable us to make the most of this blessed night.
Read MoreMessage from Manchester City Council
Dear Friends
We are all shocked and saddened by the horrific attack carried out at the Manchester Arena on Monday and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. The immediate response of the emergency services speaks to their heroism along with the reports of homes and hotels opening up, taxi drivers offering free lifts and people going out of their way to help and care for their fellow citizens. We have also seen everyday people coming together at the Vigils on Albert Square and around Manchester to remember those who have lost their lives and stand together. We have also seen queues of people waiting to donate blood to help the victims – This all shows the true spirit of Manchester and this is something we need to hold onto and be proud of.
We will not let this attack intimidate or divide us – It will bring us together. The worst thing we could do is what they want. We have a long history in Manchester of communities standing together during difficult times and in the coming days we will be working closely with community representatives to continue to identify and address any issues and concerns but also amplify the work on community cohesion.
We welcome your feedback on how as a city we continue to strengthen community cohesion across all our communities over the coming weeks. We would be grateful if you could make contact with us and share your ideas, plans and events by emailing Shazia Awan (s.awan@manchester.gov.uk)
As the citizens of Manchester, we also need to check in with those who may be struggling to come to terms with the attack that took place in the city on Monday and support those who may be vulnerable to being drawn into activities that have the potential to create divisions and tensions in our communities
We also request anyone who experiences a hate crime to report it to Greater Manchester Police by calling 101 or online via True Vision website report-it.org.uk (this can be done anonymously)
A book of condolences has been opened at Manchester Town Hall and is also available online at https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/forms/form/1472/en/book_of_condolence_-_manchester. We will continue to update communities through our normal channels over the coming days.
Sir Richard Leese
Leader of Manchester City Council
Read MoreSalahadeen Statement of events on 22nd May 2017
Our thoughts and prayers for all those who have lost their lives and are injured in Manchester last night
The Muslim community and Salahadeen Al Ayubi Mosque condemn acts of violence and terror on any human being and are saddened that our community of Manchester has suffered such loss.
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