Make Hajj & Umrah from the Comfort of YOUR HOME!!! Say whaaaaaat.​...???

Make Hajj & Umrah from the Comfort of YOUR HOME!!! 

Assalamualaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu!!

What would you say if I told you that you can make Hajj & Umrah from the comfort of YOUR HOME, ANY DAY of the year??!!  Now what would you say if the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam told us so?

From Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Whoever prays the morning prayer in congregation then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two units of prayer has the reward like that of Hajj and `Umrah.’” He said, “Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Complete, complete, complete (i.e. reward)’” (narrated by Tirmidhi).

For WOMEN, this getting the reward for Hajj & Umrah is WAY EASIER. Why? Because women do not have to pray in congregation at the masjid and they can pray from their own homes.

So - wake up and set your OWN Fajr salah time (an hour before fajr ends, 30 minutes before, 15 minutes before, however long or short you please) and sit there in a warm blankey and make dua, read Qur'an, or make dhikr until sunrise/shurook time. Wait at least 10 minutes for the sun to rise completely (you can not make salah while the sun is rising or setting) and pray 2 rakah AND YOU'RE DONE!! inshaAllah you will see the rewards for all of your Hajj's & Umrah's on the Day of Judgement.

Don't be sad that you're not at Hajj this year :( Be glad that Allah gave you the opportunity to make Hajj and Umrah from the comfort of your own home and any day of the year that you please. Take advantage of the BEST 10 DAYS OF THE YEAR and JOIN THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AT HAJJ THIS YEAR by making Hajj & Umrah yourself !! :) Don't miss out!!

Share this post with others to gain even more reward!!

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The Superiority of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

By Shaykh ibn al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Chief of the Messengers, Muhammad.

Indeed it is a great favour and blessing from Allah that He has made for His righteous servants periods of time within which they can increase in good deeds to attaingreat rewards and one of these opportunistic periods is the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah (the final month of the Islamic Calendar, in which the hajj is performed).


SUPERIORITY OF THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DHUL-HIJJAH

The excellence of these ten days have been mentioned in the Qur'ân and the Sunnah.

1. Allah says in the Qur'ân:

"By the dawn and by the ten nights … " [Al-Qur'ân 89:1-2]

Ibn Kathîr said that "the ten nights" referred to here are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and this opinion was also held by Ibn Abbâs, Ibn az-Zubair, Mujâhid and others.

2. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"There are no deeds as excellent as those done in these ten days." They (the companions listening) said, "Not even Jihâd?" He, peace be upon him, said, "No, not even Jihâd except a man who goes forth endangering his life and wealth and does not return with anything." [Recorded by al-Imâm al-Bukhârî]

3. Allah says:

" … and remember the name of Allah in the appointed days." [Al-Qur'ân 2:203]

Ibn Abbâs and Ibn Kathîr said this means in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

4. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:

"There are no other days that are as great as these in the sight of Allah, the Most Sublime. Nor are there any deeds more beloved to Allah then those that are done in these ten days. So increase in tahlîl (to say lâ illaha illallah), takbîr (to say allahu akbar) and tahmîd (to say alhumdulillâh)." [Reported by at-Tabarânî in al-Mu'jum al-Kabîr]

5. With regards to the noble companion Saîd bin Jubair, when the days of Dhul-Hijjah began he would strive to increase in good actions with great intensity until he was unable to increase anymore. [Reported by ad-Dârimî]

6. Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bârî:

"The most apparent reason for the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah being distinguished in excellence is due to the assembly of the greatest acts of worship in this period, i.e. salawât (prayers), siyâm (fasting), sadaqah (charity) and the hajj (pilgrimage). In no other periods do these great deeds combine."

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED ACTS IN THESE DAYS?

1. The Prayer - It is highly recommended to perform the obligatory acts at their prescribed times (as early as possible) and to increase oneself in the superogatory acts, for indeed, this is what brings a person closer to their Lord. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said:

"Upon you is to increase in your prostration to Allah, for verily you do not prostrate to Allah with even one prostration, except that He raises you in degrees and decreases your sins because of it." [Reported by Muslim]

2. Fasting - This has been mentioned as one of the acts of righteousness where Hanbada ibn Khâlid reports on the authority of his wife who reports that some of the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

The Prophet, upon whom be peace, would fast on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Âshûra and three days in every month. [Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dâwûd, an-Nisâî and others]

Al-Imâm an-Nawawî said that fasting in these ten days is extremely recommended.

3. Saying allahu akbar; lâ illaha illallah and alhamdulillâh - It is found in the aforementioned narration of Ibn 'Umar:

"So increase yourselves in saying lâ illaha illallah, allahu akbar and alhamdulillâh."

Al-Imâm Bukhârî, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"Ibn 'Umar and Abû Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to go out to the markets in the ten days saying the takbîr causing the people to follow them in this action."

He also said:

"Umar ibn al-Khattâb used to say the takbîr in his minaret in Mina, whereupon the people of the mosque hearing 'Umar, would start to say the takbîr as would the people in the markets until the whole of Mina was locked in glorifying Allah."

Ibn 'Umar used to say the takbîr in Mina during these ten days and after prayers, whilst on his bed, in his tent, in his gathering and whilst walking. What is recommended is to say the takbîr aloud due to the fact that 'Umar ibn al-Khattâb, his son and Abû Hurayrah used to do likewise, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Strive with us O Muslims in reviving this sunnah that has become lost in these times and it was almost forgotten, even amongst the people of righteousness and goodness all of which is unfortunately in opposition to what the best of generations were upon (preserving and maintaining the superogatory acts).

There are a number of ways of making takbîr that have been narrated by the companions and their followers and from these ways is the following:

-         Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar kabîrun.

-         Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, lâ ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wallahu akbar, wa lillahil hamd.

-         Allahu akbar, allahu akbar, allahu akbar, lâ ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, allahu akbar wa lillâhil hamd.

4. Fasting on the day of 'Arafah - Fasting has been affirmed on the day of 'Arafah, where it has been confirmed from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said regarding fasting on the day of 'Arafah:

"Be content with the fact that Allah will expiate for you your sins for the year before (the day of 'Arafah) and the year after (the day of 'Arafah)." [Reported by Muslim]

However, whoever is at 'Arafah as a pilgrim then fasting is not expected of him, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, stopped at 'Arafah to eat.

May the peace of Allah be upon his Prophet, the family of the Prophet and all of his companions

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SHORT VIDEO: Best Acts To Do In Next 10 Days

Upon us are the best 10 days of the year – the days of action – the days of Dhul Hijjah


Shaykh Yasir Qadhi shares with us tips on how to spend our time in these blessed days.

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Brass Crescent Awards - Help us WIN !!!

Assalamalaykum dear brothers and sisters!

We have good news to share with you all! 

This year Habibi Halaqas was nominated in the Brass Crescent Awards in not one but two categories, mashaAllah tabarakAllah! 

Jazzakum Allahu khairan to all of our supporters for nominating us in "Best Female Blogger" and "Best Group Blog" categories! 

We truly value your support and we wouldnt be anywhere without all of you! Please keep showering us with your continued love and encouragement :)

It doesnt end here! You have nominated us to be able to come this far, now help us win, inshaAllah!! 

Be sure to vote for Habibi Halaqas in both categories: "Best Female Blogger" and "Best Group Blog" on http://www.brasscrescent.org/

PS: remember to verify your vote! You will get an email with a link you MUST click for your vote to count! Did you forget to verify your vote? No problem! Get your verification email resent here: http://bit.ly/qnvJvp

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A Mustard Seed

A Mustard Seed

by Jean D. Cooksey

On the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “No one who has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” Someone said: “Indeed, a man loves to have beautiful clothes and shoes.” So the Prophet said: “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”[Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, #147, graded “authentic”]

Other Ahadeeth state that anyone with arrogance in his heart the weight of a mustard seed will not enter heaven.

Surely as Muslims our greatest goal should be to please Allah subhaanawata'aala. Often in this life we are faced with many distractions and tests that take us away from this goal. Kibr also known as pride, arrogance, or ego is a serious offense as indicated by the above hadith as it can lead to hellfire. Clearly that which can lead us to hellfire displeases Allah subhaanawata'aala.

So what is kibr? As the Hadith illustrates pride is when one rejects truth and looks down on others. All good comes from Allah. We are given a complete guidance in the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet salAllahualayhiwasallam. Unfortunately most of us may be guilty of being arrogant at one time or another. One of the benefits of Allah’s guidance is that we are given the best ways to interact with our fellow humans. Often these interactions are some of the biggest tests and forms of fitna for a Muslim. In fact, the greater jihad in this life is against one’s self.

Have you ever spent a significant amount of time and effort to make a great meal for your husband only to find he didn’t like it? Resulting in having your feelings hurt? Have you ever had someone try and “correct” your behavior with Islamic advice but instead found your feathers got a little ruffled instead? Have you seen a sister praying in the mosque during Ramadan that isn’t covered sufficiently or wearing strong perfume and you think negatively of her? And thus elevating yourself in your own mind?

These are just a few of many examples of how ego can seep out of us unnoticed. Not so ironically, when one acts on behalf of Allah much of our daily stresses dissolve. If our actions and intentions are truly for the sake of Allah then the results should not bother us. We are responsible for our actions and intentions, but we must leave the results to Allah subhaanawata'aala. When you intend to make a magnificent meal for your husband only to find he didn’t like it, you must look at the bigger picture. Our intentions are what count. In remembering that our efforts are for Allah we can find solace in knowing that we have done our part. If our husband does not like the food, take note to adjust this and move on.

Often we are corrected by others. If the advice is warranted, we should acknowledge it regardless of the one giving the advice. Often advice is rejected because of the person giving it or the manner in which it is given. We must look past our feelings and look with honesty into the validity and merit of the advice. It may be Allah is giving us an opportunity to improve ourselves. Much of how we react to people in various situations can serve to satisfyour ego or to please Allah.

Evidence of how the latter is superior is found in the following Hadith.

"I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners.'' [Sunan Abu Dawud]

Here we are shown the superiority of sacrificing ego for the pleasure of Allah. The making of peace with others while swallowing our pride is a noble attribute. If we were to focus on our attitudes on a daily basis in even the smallest of interactions we are giving ourselves opportunities for improvement and insight. Only the individual can take responsibility for detecting instances where one is thinking and acting in ways that serves oneself instead of Allah.

If we find ourselves looking at others in a way that inflates our ego but does nothing for our deenthen we are in loss. True judgment is for Allah subhaanawata'aalafor only He knows the unseen. One of the best pieces of advice I have received is to look toward others less fortunate than yourself to gain gratitude toward Allah. Likewise we should look to those who practice their deen better for humility and inspiration. So find regular company with those who will help your deen.

A second and more powerful piece of advice for me came in a time of great testing in my life. Simply put, we must focus on fulfilling our responsibilities, and ask of our rights from Allah. This statement is quite profound if you think about the expectations we have for people every day. Unfortunately people usually fall short of our expectations. We are full of flaws and don’t always deliver. Allah is perfect and most just. He will not disappoint. Even if we cannot see or understand the big picture we should be sure of this when things do not go as we want.

If ego can lead to hellfire then humility can lead to Jannah. Only we can gage our own level of arrogance and how it manifests. We should be uncomfortable with praise as Allah subhaanawata'aala is the provider and engineer of all. We are merely the recipients of His grace. We might find value in speaking less and listening more. Pay acute attention to our thoughts because they become our attitudes and actions. Find true meaning in what saying “alhamduilllah” encompasses. This is especially true when things are not as we would have liked. We can cleanse our hearts and keep them soft with sincere remembrance of and gratitude toward Allah.

Ultimately we are responsible for our own actions and no one else’s. On Judgment Day we will not care for anyone’s destiny but our own. On this day of unimaginable intensity we will be engrossed in our own fate. When you think of this life as a passing of time where we determine how we spend our real life in the hereafter, it makes sense that we as Muslims should internalize the bigger picture. Others are not here to serve our needs; we are here to serve Allah subhaanawata'aala. If that means yielding in an argument, smiling when someone is rude, or making peace with someone who has wronged you, then it is a relatively small price to pay.

May Allah subhaanawata'aala make us among the successful in this life and in the next.

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Poem: The World - A Temporary Bliss

Poem: The World - A Temporary Bliss
By Muddasir Masihuddin

The money, the fame, the power, it’s all your misconception

The world is like a shadow, full of darkness

Try to catch it and it won’t give you any success,

What comes in your grave, is nothing but your deeds

Don’t be in the illusion of the shadow which only misleads,

If you turn your back against it

It has no choice but to follow you!

Submit to Allah, regret, repent and start anew

If you are alive. It’s not too late,

Grab hold of the blessing and don’t wait

This world will play you, hypnotize and deceive you,

At the death bed, you will regret for what you have gone through.

For your body comes from the earth,

The world is temporary and so is your body,

What makes you content is only your divinity.

Be steadfast to the Qurán and Sunnáh

For which you will never go astray,

Keep this faith and let not the world betray.

For the day of judgement, you are on your own,

Your father, your mother, they will be just unknown!

So the world won’t take you anywhere,

Never lose faith and don’t despair.

At the end of the day, there is always a will,

If you get Jannáh, you got the Treasury bill!

SubhanAllah, that is all we wish and desire,

But it is only when we are a True believer.

We would love to hear what you thought about this poem. Please post in comments below! 

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A Simple Reminder on Blessings, Patience, Zuhd & Accountability

Blessings,Patience, Zuhd & Accountability

Ask yourself this:

If you were to wake up tomorrow,

with only the blessings you truly thanked Allah SWT for,

how much would you have left?

***

Now check this out:

It is reported that Hafsah – Allâh be pleased with her – once said to her father (‘Umar, during his Caliphate):

"Allâh has increased the provisions; if only you would eat better food than the food you eat now and wear softer clothes then those you wear now?!"

He said, 

“I will argue [against] you with your own self: Was not the condition of Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace be upon him – such-and-such [when you were his wife]!?”

He kept reminding her until she cried.

He continued,

“I have told you, by Allâh, I will share in their hard living (in this world, referring to The Prophet and Abû Bakr) so that I may partake in their good life (in Paradise).”

Hunâd b. Al-Sarî, Al-Zuhd article 687; Imâm Ahmad, Al-Zuhd article 201, et al. (1)

(1) Shaykh Abd Al-Rahmân Al-Farîwâ`î explains in his edition of Hunâd’s Al-Zuhd that this narration issahîh if it is confirmed that Mus‘ab b. Sa’d heard it from Hafsah; otherwise its chain of transmission is mursal sahîh (i.e. it is authentic except there is a missing link between Mus’ab and Hafsah)

They were patient with what they had and used of it as much was enough to get them by. We are not only impatient with what we have and never content with it...we are impatient with what we do not have...because we want more than what Allah SWT has given us!

If we get everything in this world, would we be eligible to get everything in Akhira?

Not to forget that we'll be accountable for every blessing we get and whether we used it correctly and didn't waste it away or use it for sinning.

Worth thinking about, isn't it?

And Allah SWT knows best.

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