In the Name of Almighty Allah
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
LAYLATUL BARAAT
Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Wa Ba'd:
Ummatal Muslimeen! During this most wonderful month of Sha'baan, the following
announcement goes out to the Muslim Ummah:
"O brethern in Islam! You should generously distribute your Zakat to the poor
and the needy, the widows and the orphans particularly during this month of
Sha'baan; then you will certainly enter Jannah, the House of Peace. We ask our
Glorious Creator and Sustainer - Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala to cover us
with His Mercy, and make us die as Muslims, and to pardon all of us with His
Mercy, for He is Most Merciful of those who show mercy. All Praise is due only
to Rahmathul Liel Ala'meen, the Lord of all the worlds.""We seek refuge in
Almighty Allah from Shaythaan, the rejected one.""Ha Meem!" - I swear by the
manifest Most Holy and Noble Qur'an, that We have sent it down in a Blessed
Night of Ramadhaan."
Sha'baan as we all know is the eight month of the Islamic year. The meaning of
the word Sha'baan means to spread or to descend. It is related in a Hadith that
our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alaihi Wasallam said: "To the one who fasts and
performs righteous deeds during the month of Sha'baan, great blessings and
prosperity will descend upon him or her." It is therefore due to the descending
blessings and prosperity upon such virtuous people that this month is called
Sha'baan. The month of Sha'baan is a great gift to the Muslim Ummah and holds
abundant virtues.
O People of Imaan! During this wonderful month, Almighty Allah - out of His
Great Muhabbat for humanity, has blessed us with the Night of Baraat. This is
the night of destiny in which Almighty Allah distinguished it with the coming
down of the Mala'eeka to the Doonya to witness all our virtuous actions during
the night. This is the night when the destiny for the coming year is determined
for every human being. The Night of Baraat is indeed a great gift to us for we
have been reminded of its untold blessings in the following words: In the Name
of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful. "All Praise is due to Allah, Who is
peerless in creating all the things in the universe; and then He blessed every
thing and determined a certain measure for it; no one from His creatures was a
partner (in creating things), He decorated, honoured and determined every
thing; and He distinguished the "Night of Baraat" with the coming down of the
Malaa'eeka (to this Doonya)."
Alhumdoelillah! It is related from Hazrat Osama bin Zaid Radhiallahu Ta'ala
Anho that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said: "Sha'baan is my
month and Ramadhaan belongs exclusively to Almighty Allah." I now ask: What
better excellence does the month of Sha'baan require? Our Beloved Nabee
Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam also said that he loved to fast during this month
because the deeds of the servants are presented to our Glorious Creator and
that he wanted his deeds to be presented while he was fasting. We all know that
examinations are written in every school, college and university at the end of
each academic year. These exams are based on the year's work. The most
negligent student will study far in advance of the exams. It is therefore
natural that a person should be well prepared for anything that he or she is
going to be tested on. This world is mortal and Almighty Allah Subhanahu
Wata'ala has sent mankind to worship none save Him and Him alone. As Mussaffirs
on this Doonya we have to undergo these tests.
Ummatal Qur’an! Almighty Allah has not created mankind free to wonder the
world without any purpose, but He takes account of our actions yearly and
according to the merits of our actions, we are given our sustenance for the
coming year. The month of Sha'baan is the month of exams where the coming
year's commands are issued. It is therefore absolutely necessary that we- the
favoured Ummah of His Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam prepare for
these examinations well in advance. Another great significance of this month is
that Almighty Allah's splendour and Muhabbat descends on the first heaven after
sunset on the night of Baraat where He proclaims: "Is there anyone who will beg
for forgiveness for I will surely grant My forgiveness? Is there anyone who
will repent for I will accept his or her repentance - and is there anyone who
will ask Me for his or her needs I will grant whatever he or she asks? Is there
anyone who seeks sustenance that I may grant it? Is there anyone in calamity
that I may grant salvation.?" These blessings are showered during the entire
night of Baraat and the proclamation continues till dawn. During the month of
Sha'baan one should fast as much as possible and spend the nights in Ibadah, so
that we can Insha'Allah prepare ourselves well in advance for the night of
Baraat.
Ibad’Allah! It is also a blessing to fast on the 15th day of Sha'baan, and
spending the night of in repentance, and begging Almighty Allah Subhanahu
Wata'ala for His forgiveness, offering Duahs, performing Nawafil Salaat,
reciting the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an with our hearts and engaging in Zikr
of Almighty Allah and seeking forgiveness for all the deceased. Almighty Allah
declares very clearly in verse 11 of Surah Ar-Ra'ad:
"Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change
that which is in themselves."
It is on the basis of these factors, remembrance, actions and deeds, that we
will gain the sense of how to struggle, how to bring about the change that
Almighty Allah says is necessary before He changes our environment. He will not
change our condition, He will not change the environment, He will not change
the world in which we live until we change that which is in ourselves. Without
any question of a doubt His Muhabbat for humanity is so great that He has
blessed us with the honoured months of Rajab, Sha'baan, Ramadhaan and Muharram.
He has indeed blessed us with these auspicious months so that we, the Ummah of
His Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam can prepare ourselves for the
great examinations that await all of us in the Aghirah. Almighty Allah tells us
in the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an:
"And remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing"
and is without doubt, the greatest feat, the most consequential action in which
humanity can engage in. Imaan is the essence of the programme established by
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala; remembrance is the actuality of this
programme. It is the current that emanates directly from our Glorious Creator
and Sustainer. When we remember Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal, let us truly
remember Him, filling our hearts and minds with Him so that nothing else can
find room within us, then we become His Bondsman, His devoted servant, exerting
a power beyond human limitations; the power of doing Almighty Allah's Will.
Fa ya ayyuhal Muslimeen! Let us all, Insha'Allah with the Mercy of our Glorious
Creator and Maker make good use of the night of Baraat and the remaining days
of Sha'baan so that we can be prepared to welcome with untold joys in our
hearts - the Glorious and Holy month of Ramadhaan. Sha'baan is a month of toil
and struggle, kabad; what does this mean? It means that having said that we
believe in none other than Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala and in the
overriding reality presented in the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an. Having taken
the Shahadah, and having joined the company of those Muslims who submit
completely to the Will of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. We cannot sit back
and wait for the doors of Janna'h to open for us without any sacrifice on our
parts. We cannot continue in the same old ways and conduct of life. But
Almighty Allah in His Infinite Mercy does promise that we will neither fear nor
grieve; and that we will Insha'Allah have success in this life as well as in
the Aghirah. Let us prepare ourselves to cleanse ourselves of our sins and
begging our Glorious Maker and thanking Him abundantly for His Muhabbat and
generosity. Let us welcome the night of Baraat with a high and noble aim and
with a strong will to worship and please none other than Almighty Allah
Subhanahu Wata'ala.
Ma’a sheeral Muslimeen! The night of Baraat is a night when many positions are
raised therein; so many calamities are removed; so many Duahs, supplications
and repentance accepted; and so many good desires fulfilled by Almighty Allah
Azza Wajjal. Allah's promise is that glad tidings are for those who endeavoured
in worshipping Him during this sacred night that He has blessed us with. What
is the worship of Allah? It is to establish what He has said about His
Sovereignty - Al Tawhid. He said that He has created men and jinn but to
worship Him Alone.
The great Message of Truth is that the Most Holy Qur’an has untold, priceless
treasures to offer: the endless joys of blissful conversations with our Maker;
the immense riches of knowledge and wisdom that guide us on the Path of our
Creator; the radiant light that illuminates the deepest reaches of our souls as
well as the most public domains of our lives; the healing that cures all our
sicknesses, inner or social; the mercy and forgiveness that support, succour
and comfort us so that we carry the burden of life joyfully and reach
salvation and success both here and in the Aghirah. That, my beloved brothers
and sisters is our purpose in life. That is the true reality.
And Almighty Allah knows best.
Baarak Allaahu Feekum wa-sal Allaahu wa Sallam ‘alaa
Nabiyyina Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam.
Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Abdul Hamid
PoEtEsS
"Prayer is the stepping stone of rewards and success when my life has its
trials and my eyes has its tears"…Zohra Moosa
------------------------------------
***************************************************************************
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy
Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended:
http://www.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved
otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
