Remember Allah

Allah the All-Mighty has said:

"فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ". البقرة 152

"Therefore remember Me. I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and never show Me ingratitude" - Al-Baqarah 2:152

"يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيراً". الأحزاب 41

"O you who believe, remember Allah with much rememberance." - Al-Ahzab 33:41

"وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا". الأحزاب 35

"And the men and women who remember Allah frequently, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and great reward." - Al-Ahzab 33:35

"وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ". الأعراف 205

"And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and in awe, without loudness, by words in the morning and in the afternoon, and be not among those who are neglectful." - Al-Araf 7:205

Rasulullah s.a.w said: "He who remembers his Lord and he who does not remember his Lord are like the living and the dead." - Al-Bukhari, Al-Asqalani: Fathul-Bari 11/208. Muslim 1/539 with the wording "The house in which Allah is remembered and the house in which Allah is not remembered is like the living and the dead."

Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)

The Beautiful Names of Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Allah Most High has ninety-nine names. He who retains them in his memory will enter paradise. He is Allah other than Whom there is no god, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the King, the Holy, the Source of Peace, the Preserver of security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Overpowering, the Great in Majesty, the Creator, the Maker, the giver of Forms and Features, the Forgiver, the Dominant, the Bestower, the Provider, the Decider, the Knower, the Withholder, the Plentiful Giver, the Abaser, the Exalter, the Honourer, the Humiliator, the Hearer, the Seer, the Judge, the Just, the Gracious, the Informed, the Clement, the Incomparably Great, the Forgiving, the Rewarder, the Most High, the Most Great, the Preserver, the Sustainer, the Reckoner, the Majestic, the Generous, the Watcher, the Answerer, the Liberal, the Wise, the Loving, the Glorious, the Raiser, the Witness, the Real, the Trustee, the Strong, the Firm, the Patron, the Praiseworthy, the All-Knowing, the Originator, the Restorer to Life, the Giver of life, the Giver of death, the Living, the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient, the Grand, the One, the Single, He to Whom men return, the Powerful, the Prevailing, the Advancer, the Delayer, the First, the Last, the Outward, the Inward, the Governor, the Sublime, the Amply Beneficent, the Acceptor of Repentance, the Avenger, the Pardoner, the Kindly, the Ruler of the Kingdom, the Lord of Majesty and Splendour, the Equitable, the Gatherer, the Independent, the Enricher, the Depriver, the Harmer, the Benefiter, the Light, the Guide, the First Cause, the Enduring, the Inheritor, the Director, the Patient." (Tirmidhi and Baihaqi)

Sifat of Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)

Saeed Bin Abdul Aziz quotes from Rabia bin Yazid and he quotes from Ali Idrees Al-Khaulani, who quotes from Hadrat Abu Zar (may Allah be pleased with him) who relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "Allah admonishes you: O my servants, I have charged Myself to wrong no one and have forbidden it between you. So wrong not anyone; O My servants, all of you are not on the correct path except those whom I may guide; O My servants, all of you are hungry save those whom I should feed, then supplicate Me for food, I shall feed you; O My servants, all of you are unclothed save those whom I should clothe, then supplicate Me for clothes; I shall clothe you. O My servants, you misbehave night and day and I forgive all your sins; then supplicate Me for forgiveness; I shall forgive you. O My servants you can have no power to do Me harm, nor can you have power to confer any benefit upon Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to become like the one who has the most righteous soul among you, that would not add a whit to my Kingdom: O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to become like the one who has the most vicious soul among you, that would not detract a whit from my Kingdom. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the whole lot of you, high and low, were to assemble in one large plain and were to beg Me for whatever they desire and I were to bestow upon each of you all that he had asked for, that would not detract me from my treasures any more than a needle could diminish from the ocean, by touching its surface by its point. O My servants, I understand your actions and shall make a full repayment for the same to you. Then he who gets good reward should praise Allah for it; and he who recieves something else should blame only himself.' (Hadith Qudsi)

The Help of Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)

Hadrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: 'Once I was riding (on an animal) behind the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) when he said: 'Boy, I would like to teach you something. Be careful and follow Allah's commands perseveringly. Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) will protect you. You should safeguard His rights, and you will always find Him with you; if you need something ask Allah, and when you need help, solicit Allah for the same. Bear it in mind that if all the people combine together to grant you some benefit, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has determined for you, and if all of them were combined to do you harm, they would not be able to do so except that which Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has determined for you. The pens have been set aside and the writings of the book of fate have become dry. (Tirmidhi)

Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) went on an expedition he said: "O Allah, Thou are my Aider and Helper, by Thee I move, by Thee I attack and by Thee I fight." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)

Wahdaniyyah (Oneness of Allah, The Glorified and the Exalted)

On the authority of Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) who said: Allah, the Almighty has said: The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: He will not remake me as He has made me at first - and the initial creation (of him) is no easier for Me than remaking him. As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allah has taken to Himself a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me. (Bukhari, an-Nasai) (Hadith Qudsi)

The Creator

Narrated Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: "When Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne, 'My mercy overpowers My anger' ". (Bukhari)

The Living, The Eternal

Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when he was sitting with the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) in the mosque, a man who was praying said, "O Allah, I ask Thee by virtue of the fact that praise is due to Thee there is no god but You, Who showest favour and beneficence, the Originator of the heavens and the earth. O Lord of Majesty and Splendour, O Living One, O Eternal One, I ask of Thee." The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) then said: "He has supplicated Allah using His greatest name, when supplicated by which He answers and when asked by which He gives." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, an-Nasai and Ibn Majah) 

[The tasbih mentioned in this Hadith is:] Allahumma Inni As-aluka Bianna Lakal Hamdu La Ilaaha Illa Antal Hannanul Mannanu Badiussamawati wal Ardi Ya Dhal Jalali wal Ikram Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum As-aluka

Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

Hadrat Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) daughter of Yazid reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying: "Allah's greatest name is in these two verses,

And your God is one God: there is no god but He, the Compassionate, the Merciful, and the beginning of Aali-Imran: Alif Laam Meem. Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Darimi)

[The verses refered to are:] Wa Ilaahukum Ilahuwwahid La Ilaha Illa Huwar-Rahman-ur-Rahim (2:163), Alif Laam Meem. Allahu Laa Ilaha Illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyum (3:1-2)

The Greatest

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "To say: Glory be to Allah, Praise be to Allah: there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Most Great, is dearer to me than everything on which the sun rises." (Muslim)

[The tasbih mentioned here is:] SubanAllah Wal Hamdu Lillah wa la Ilaha Illallahu Wallahu Akbar

The Praiseworthy

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Two expressions which are light on the tongue but heavy in the scale are dear to the Compassionate One; "Glory be to Allah and I begin with praise to Him; and Glory be to Allah, the Incomparably Great." (Bukhari and Muslim)

[The tasbih mentioned here is:] SubhanAllahi wabi Hamdihi, SubhanAllahil Azeem

His is the Kingdom

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying that if anyone says a hundred times a day. "There is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner, to Whom dominion belongs, to Whom praise is due, Who is Omnipotent", he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred blessings will be recorded for him, a hundred evil deeds will be obliterated from him: it will be a protection for him from the devil all that day till the evening, and no one will bring anything more excellent than he brings, except a man who has done more than he has. (Bukhari and Muslim)

[The tasbih mentioned here is:] La ilaha Illallahu Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Lahul Mulku wa lahul Hamdu wa Huwa Ala Kulli Shay-in Qadeer

The Mighty, The Wise

Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a nomadic Arab came to the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and asked him to teach him some words he could say. He told him to say, "There is no god but Allah Alone Who has no partner: Allah is very great; Abundant praise is due to Allah, Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the universe; There is no might and no power except in Allah, the Mighty, the Wise." On his remarking that these were for his Lord but he wanted to know what he should say for himself, he told him to say, "O Allah, forgive me, show mercy on me, guide me, provide for me, and grant me security." The transmitter was doubtful about "grant me security". (Muslim)

[The tasbih and the dua mentioned in this Hadith are:] "La ilaha Illallahu Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu. Allahu Akbar Kabiran Wal Hamdu Lillahi Kathiran Wa SubhanAllahi Rabbil Alameen. La Hawla wala Quwwata illa Billahil Azizil Hakeem." "Allahummaghfirli Warhamni Wahdini Warzuqni Wa-Afini"

The Powerful

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying that "There is no might and no power except in Allah" is a remedy for ninety-nine diseases, the lightest of which is anxiety. (Mishkat)

[The tasbih referred to is:] La Hawla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah

The Forgiving One

Hadrat Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We counted that the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) would say a hundred times during a meeting, "My Lord, forgive me and pardon me; Thou art the Pardoning and the Forgiving One." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah). Ibn Majah transmitted it.

[The dua mentioned here is:] Rabbighfirli wa tub alayya, Innaka Antat-Tawab-ur-Rahim

Swear by Allah Alone Hadrat Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers. If anyone swears, he must swear by Allah or keep silent." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Asma' Bint Abu Bakr (Great Sahabi; an example of great wife and great mother)

She was the daughter of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. She was the elder sister of 'Aisha, the mother of the believers. She was the wife of the great companion az-Zubair Ibn al-`Awâm and the mother of `Abdullah Ibn az-Zubair. She accepted Islam very early in Mecca. She gave pledge to the Prophet (pbuh) and firmly believed in him.

Her Noble situations during Hijrah

Asmâ' was called Zât an-Nitâqayn (the possessor of the two scarves) because she split her scarf into two parts in order to deliver food and water to the Prophet (pbuh) and her father, Abu Bakr in the Thawr cave when immigrating to Medina. When the Prophet (pbuh) set out for Medina accompanied by Asmâ's father, the latter took all what he had of property and left nothing to his family. Then Abu Quhafa, Asmâ's grandfather came to her and said, "This man (Abu Bakr) put you in adversity. He deprived you of himself and property." Asma' bravely replied, "No, He left so much to us." She covered some stones and brought them to her blind grand father and said, "This is what he left." Thereby, the old man said, "There is no blame if left that."

Abu Bakr was the only one accompanied the Prophet during Hijrah. They concealed themselves in the cave of Thawr three miles from Makka, for three nights, with the enemy prowling around in great numbers in fruitless search of them. Asmâ', the daughter of Abu Bakr provided them with food and water during their stay there. Abu Jahl came furious and enraged with anger to enforce Asma' to tell him the hidden place of her father. But she kept silent and faced him bravely. Failing to make her confess, he slapped her so violently that her necklace fell down. Then he had nothing to do but to leave enraged with anger. Asmâ’ soon joined the Muslim community at Medina. No sooner did she arrive there than she gave birth to her son, Abdullah, the first newborn Muslim in Medina.
An Example of Good Wife

At the beginning of her marital life she was so poor that she had to serve her husband, Az-Zubair ibn al-Awwam, bake the bread, clean the home and feed the horse.

Narrated Asmâ’ bint Abu Bakr:
When Az-zubair married me, he had not real property or anything else except a camel, which drew water from the well, and his horse. I used to feed his horse with fodder and drew water and sew the bucket for drawing it, and prepare the dough, but I did not know how to bake bread. So our ansari neighbouress used to bake bread for me, and they were honorable ladies. I used to carry the date stones on my head from Zubair’s land to him by Allah’s Messenger and this land was two third Farsakh (About two miles) from my house. One day, while I was coming with the date stones on my head, I met Allah’s Messenger along with some Ansari people. He called me and then, (directing his camel to kneel down) said, "Ikh! Ikh!" so as to make me ride on his camel. I felt shy to travel with the men and remembered Az- Zubair and his sense of Ghira (being jealous), for he had the greatest sense of Ghira of all the people. Allah's Messenger (pbuh) noticed that I felt shy, so he proceeded. I came to Az-Zubair and said, "I met Allah's Messenger (pbuh) while I was carrying a load of date stones on my, and he had some companions with him. He made his camel kneel down so that I might ride, but I felt shy in his presence and remembered your sense of Ghira. On that Az-Zubair said, "By Allah, your carrying the date-stones (and you being seen by the Prophet (pbuh) in such a state) is more shameful to me than your riding with him. (i.e. You should have obeyed the Prophet).'" (I continued serving in this way) untill Abu Bakr sent me a servant to look after the horse, whereupon I felt as if he had set me free."

Later on Az-Zubayr r.a became a wealthy man. His property was sold after his death for about forty million dirhams. She was so generous that when felling ill she would wait until she recovered and then free any slaves.

Her Bravery & Patience

She took part in the battle of Yarmuk and fought bravely. She also kept a dagger to defend herself when thieves appeared in Medina at the time of Sa'id Ibn Al-'As. As for her fortitude, it can be represented in her words to her son, 'Abdullah when consulting her about Al-Hajjaj siege to Mecca. She was a hundred years old and was blind by then. 'Abdullah addressed her saying, "O mother, the people abandoned me; only a few of them who still support me. However, they could no longer fight than an hour on my part." The other party offers to give me whatever I ask of worldly benefits. What do you see, mother? She replied, "You know yourself best. If you realized that you are right and calling for the truth, you would better go on. It is the issue for which your fellows passed away. Do not surrender your neck to Banu Umayyah to play it. But if you just wanted a worldly benefit you would be the worst man who demolished himself and his fellows.' Abdullah said, "By Allah, this is also my opinion, mother." But I fear to surfer crucifixion after death." She replied, "Skinning a slaughtered goat does not bring it pain." Off you go and seek Allah's help."

When approaching to embrace him she found him wearing a shield. She said; "This is not the behavior of whoever wants what you want!" Therefore, he took off his shield and went forward to fight. He kept fighting until he was killed. Al-Hajjaj issued a command to have him crucified. Then he came to Asmâ' and said, "O mother, the leader of the believer commended me to treat you well. Do you want any thing? She replied, "I am not your mother. I am only the mother of this crucified man." Then she said, I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) as saying, "There will be in Thaqeef a liar and a destroyer." We knew the liar and there still you the destroyer. In another version when Al-Hajjaj came to Asmâ' he said, "How did I punish your son, Asmâ'!?" She replied quietly, "You spoiled his life (in dunia) but he spoiled your next life (akhirat).”


Her Death

She (May Allah be pleased with her) died in Mecca shortly after the death of her son, 'Abdullah. May Allah have mercy on her.

Doors of heaven are closed? (Maulana Tariq Jameel)

Many brothers and sisters requested english translations of Maulana Tariq Jameel, alhamdulillah here is one such clip which is beautiful and very emotional as well.

Adventures of Zheng He

Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions. The Yongle emperor designed them to establish a Chinese presence, impose imperial control over trade, impress foreign peoples in the Indian Ocean basin and extend the empire's tributary system.

Zheng he was the man chosen to lead this great fleet which reached as far as east Africa opening up rich trade routes,bringing peace and prosperity to war ravaged far off lands, religeous equality,and setting China on the road to economical dominance over the rest of the world.

Bayan (B.Melayu)