Month: March 2023

Ayaat 111-115 ~ Hud

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

111. And indeed, each [of the believers and disbelievers] – your Lord will fully compensate them for their deeds. Indeed, He is Acquainted with what they do.

112. So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.

113. And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.

114. And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.

115. And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.

Sura 11. Hud

Commentary ~ Pious Advice

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Sufyan ath-Thawrî on his deathbed recommended this advice to Ali b. al-Hasan as-Sullamî:

Always be sincere, do not commit lies, treachery, ostentation and pride; they are flaws that remove any benefits gained from the practice of doing good deeds. In religion, only take counsel from the man who faithfully observes his own religion and for a companion the one who turns you away from the earthly vanities. The idea of death always in mind, implore Allah’s forgiveness often; and throughout your life think of your salvation. Give pious advice to those who seek it. Do not abuse the trust placed in you by a believer, because, therefore, it is Allah Himself and His Prophet that you will betray. Flee arguments and disputes. Avoid what may give rise to doubt and hold on tight to the unbreakable certainties; at stake is your own salvation. Order good and forbid evil, you will then be loved by Allah. Place yourself in good standing with your conscience; the Lord will take care of establishing your reputation in the eyes of others. Accept apologies when they are given to you and do not hold grudges with your brothers in Islam. Renew relations with anyone that has cut relations with you; by forgiving their offenses you will raise yourself to the level of the companions of the Prophets. Put your trust in Allah in every circumstance, in public and in private. Fear Allah like the mortal that you are, to be resurrected and herded in front of the Almighty. Remember the alternative that awaits you: either the sublime Garden or the blazing Fire.

Hadith ~ If you seek help, seek it from Allah

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: One day, I was riding behind the Prophet (SAWS) when he said, “O boy! I will instruct you in some matters. Be watchful of Allah (Commandments of Allah), He will preserve you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you. If you beg, beg of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up”. (At-Tirmidhi).

Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, “Safeguard the Commandments of Allah, you will find Him before you. Remember Him in prosperity and He will remember you in adversity. Be sure that which you miss, was not to hit you; and what hits you, was never to miss you. Remember that the Help of Allah is obtained with patience, and relief emerges after distress, prosperity follows adversity, and hardship is followed by ease”.

Commentary:
1. No one has the power to change the Decision of Allah.

2. Whatever trouble one has to suffer in this world, it does not last for ever. Every trouble is followed by prosperity, pleasure and happiness.

3. One should never ask other than Allah anyone’s help in supernatural way because it amounts to ascribing partnership with Allah. If a person is mindful of the Rights of Allah, then Allah, in return takes care of his needs and helps him.

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous)
By Imam An Nawawi
Chapter 5, Page 25, No 62

Ayaat 1-5 ~ Al-Alaq (The Clot)

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists),

2. Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).

3. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

4. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen,

5. Has taught man that which he knew not.

Sura 96. Al-Alaq (The Clot)

Commentary: These verses of Sura Al-Alaq are the first verses of the revelation of Allah the Exalted. The revelation of the Qur’an began in the night of Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) during Ramadan after the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) had passed the fortieth year of his life. Here is a part of the Hadith as reported in the Sahih of Bukhari:

Narrated Aisha (DAS) the mother of the faithful believers: The commencement of the divine inspiration to Allah’s apostle was in the form of good dreams which came like bright daylight (i.e. true) and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the Cave of Hira’ (near Makkah), where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again, till suddenly the truth descended upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira’.

The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied ‘I do not know how to read’. The Prophet added, ‘The angel caught me (forcibly) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, “I do not know how to read”. Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read, but again I replied, “I do not know how to read”. Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: “Read, in the name of Your Lord, who created, created man from a clot. Read! And Your Lord is the most bountiful” … (Bukhari, I, No. 3; VI, No. 478; Muslim I, No. 301.)

Hadith ~ Devils and the rebels from the jinn are tied down

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Abu-Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘The Messenger of Allah (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: “When it is the first night of Ramadan, the devils and the rebels from the jinn are tied down; the gates of the Fire are closed and no gate of them is opened but the gates of Paradise are opened and no gate of them is closed. And a caller calls: “O you who intends to do good, go ahead. O you who intend to do evil, abstain. And for Allah, there are people acquitted from the Fire every night.'” (At-Termizi)

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (2)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapter 201, Page 803, Number 662

Commentary ~ Quran Reading Schedule

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Quran Reading Schedule – PDF Document

Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: “The one who was devoted to the Quran will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.'” (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)

Commentary:
No one can ignore the benefits of Quranic reading. To simplify the division of this reading and ensure that everyone can complete the Quran in its entirety by the end of Ramadan, a timetable has been crafted for men and women*.

Calendar of reading the Quran during Ramadan for Men

Day – Juz Hizb Reading to do
1 Ramadan 1 – 2   Sura 1, v.1 to Sura 2, v.141
2 Ramadan 3 – 4   Sura 2, v.142 jusqu’au Sura 2, v.252
3 Ramadan 5 – 6   Sura 2, v.253 jusqu’au Sura 3, v.92
4 Ramadan 7 – 8   Sura 3, v.93 jusqu’au Sura 4, v.23
5 Ramadan 9 – 10   Sura 4, v.24 jusqu’au Sura 4, v.147
6 Ramadan 11 – 12   Sura 4, v.148 jusqu’au Sura 5, v.81
7 Ramadan 13 – 14   Sura 5, v.82 jusqu’au Sura 6, v.110
8 Ramadan 15 – 16   Sura 6, v.111 jusqu’au Sura 7, v.87
9 Ramadan 17 – 18   Sura 7, v.88 jusqu’au Sura 8, v.40
10 Ramadan 19 – 20   Sura 8, v.41 jusqu’au Sura 9, v.92
11 Ramadan 21 – 22   Sura 9, v.93 jusqu’au Sura 11, v.5
12 Ramadan 23 – 24   Sura 11, v.6 jusqu’au Sura 12, v.52
13 Ramadan 25 – 26   Sura 12, v.53 jusqu’au Sura 14, v.52
14 Ramadan 27 – 28   Sura 15, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 16, v.128
15 Ramadan 29 – 30   Sura 17, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 18, v.74
16 Ramadan 31 – 32   Sura 18, v.75 jusqu’au Sura 20, v.135
17 Ramadan 33 – 34   Sura 21, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 22, v.78
18 Ramadan 35 – 36   Sura 23, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 25, v.20
19 Ramadan 37 – 38   Sura 25, v.21 jusqu’au Sura 27, v.55
20 Ramadan 39 – 40   Sura 27, v.56 jusqu’au Sura 29, v.45
21 Ramadan 41 – 42   Sura 29, v.46 jusqu’au Sura 33, v.30
22 Ramadan 43 – 44   Sura 33, v.31 jusqu’au Sura 36, v.27
23 Ramadan 45 – 46   Sura 36, v.28 jusqu’au Sura 39, v.31
24 Ramadan 47 – 48   Sura 39, v.32 jusqu’au Sura 41, v.46
25 Ramadan 49 – 50   Sura 41, v.47 jusqu’au Sura 45, v.37
26 Ramadan 51 – 52   Sura 46, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 51, v.30
27 Ramadan 53 – 54   Sura 51, v.31 jusqu’au Sura 57, v.29
28 Ramadan 55 – 56   Sura 58, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 66, v.12
29 Ramadan 57 – 58   Sura 67, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 77, v.50
30 Ramadan 59 – 60   Sura 78, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 114, v.6

Calendar of reading the Quran during Ramadan for Women*

Day – Juz Hizb Reading to do
1 Ramadan 1 – 3   Sura 1, v.1 to Sura 2, v.202
2 Ramadan 4 – 6   Sura 2, v.203 jusqu’au Sura 3, v.92
3 Ramadan 7 – 9   Sura 3, v.93 to Sura 4, v.87
4 Ramadan 10 – 12   Sura 4, v.88 jusqu’au Sura 5, v.81
5 Ramadan 13 – 15   Sura 5, v.82 to Sura 6, v.165
6 Ramadan 16 – 18   Sura 7, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 8, v.40
7 Ramadan 19 – 21   Sura 8, v.41 to Sura 10, v.25
8 Ramadan 22 – 24   Sura 10, v.26 jusqu’au Sura 12, v.52
9 Ramadan 25 – 27   Sura 12, v.53 to Sura 16, v.50
10 Ramadan 28 – 30   Sura 16, v.51 jusqu’au Sura 18, v.74
11 Ramadan 31 – 33   Sura 18, v.75 to Sura 21, v.112
12 Ramadan 34 – 36   Sura 22, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 25, v.20
13 Ramadan 37 – 39   Sura 25, v.21 to Sura 28, v.50
14 Ramadan 40 – 42   Sura 28, v.51 jusqu’au Sura 33, v.30
15 Ramadan 43 – 45   Sura 33, v.31 to Sura 37, v.144
16 Ramadan 46 – 48   Sura 37, v.145 jusqu’au Sura 41, v.46
17 Ramadan 49 – 51   Sura 41, v.47 to Sura 48, v.17
18 Ramadan 52 – 54   Sura 48, v.18 jusqu’au Sura 57, v.29
19 Ramadan 55 – 57   Sura 58, v.1 to Sura 71, v.28
20 Ramadan 58 – 60   Sura 72, v.1 jusqu’au Sura 114, v.6

*Because women may have missed days of fasting during Ramadan, the division was spread over 20 days, at 3 hizb per day, leaving them with a sufficient margin in case of a temporary interruption of their month. It is indeed better to set a reading pace of 3 hizb per day instead of trying to catch up 5-6 days of readings.

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous)
By Imam An Nawawi
Hadith 1: Chapter 180, Page 299, No 999
Hadith 2: Chapter 180, Page 299, No 1001

Ayaat 1-7 ~ Al-Fatiha

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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

Listen to Recitation

1. In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful[1].

2. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds –

3. The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

4. Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

5. It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

6. Guide us to the straight path –

7. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray[2].

Sura 1. Al-Fatiha

[1] This is the formula that the Muslim pronounces at the beginning of any act, thus remembering his Creator and his Guide and asking for His help to accomplish it well.

[2] After the recitation, the word “Amine” is pronounced.