…cOmEs fRoM ALLAH, aNd tO HiM wE ShALL rEtUrN..

Ghuraba’a (Strangers) - Lyrics in English

Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`
Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`

Ghurabaa` do not bow the foreheads to anyone besides Allah
Ghurabaa` have chosen this to be the motto of life

Ghurabaa` do not bow the foreheads to anyone besides Allah
Ghurabaa` have chosen this to be the motto of life

If you ask about us, then we do not care about the tyrants
We are the regular soldiers of Allah, our path is a reserved path

If you ask about us, then we do not care about the tyrants
We are the regular soldiers of Allah, our path is a reserved path

Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`
Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`

We never care about the chains, rather we’ll continue forever
We never care about the chains, rather we’ll continue forever

So let us make jihad, and battle, and fight from the start
Ghurabaa`, this is how they are free in the enslaved world

So let us make jihad, and battle, and fight from the start
Ghurabaa`, this is how they are free in the enslaved world

Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`
Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`

How many times we remembered a time when we were happy
In the book of Allah, we recite in the morning and the evening

How many times we remembered a time when we were happy
In the book of Allah, we recite in the morning and the evening

Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`
Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`

Ghurabaa` do not bow the foreheads to anyone besides Allah
Ghurabaa` have chosen this to be the motto of life

Ghurabaa` do not bow the foreheads to anyone besides Allah
Ghurabaa` have chosen this to be the motto of life

If you ask about us, then we do not care about the tyrants
We are the regular soldiers of Allah, our path is a reserved path

If you ask about us, then we do not care about the tyrants
We are the regular soldiers of Allah, our path is a reserved path

Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`
Ghurabaa`, ghurabaa`, ghurabaaa` ghurabaa`

The Prophet S.A.W said "Islam began as something strange, and it will return as something strange the way it began. So Tooba for the Strangers"

Betapa sayang nya Allah pada kita sehingga di dalam al-Quran diselitkan dengan motivasi supaya hamba-hambaNya ini tabah dalam menghadapi segala dugaan sebelum menuju ke perhentian ABADI…

KENAPA AKU DIUJI?
"Apakah manusia itu mengira bahawa mereka dibiarkan saja mengatakan;
"Kami telah beriman," sedangkan mereka tidak diuji? Dan sesungguhnya
kami telah
menguji org2 yg sebelum mereka, maka sesungguhnya Allah mengetahui org2
yg benar dan sesungguhnya Dia mengetahui org2 yg dusta."
-Surah Al-Ankabut ayat 2-3

KENAPA AKU TAK DAPAT APA YG AKU IDAM-IDAMKAN?
"Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh
jadi pula kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu, Allah
mengetahui sedang kamu tidak mengetahui."
-Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 216

KENAPA UJIAN SEBERAT INI?
"Allah tidak membebani seseorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan
kesanggupannya."
-Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286

RASA FRUST?
"Jgnlah kamu bersikap lemah, dan jgnlah pula kamu bersedih hati,padahal
kamulah org2 yg paling tinggi darjatnya, jika kamu org2 yg beriman."
- Surah Al-Imran ayat 139

BAGAIMANA HARUS AKU MENGHADAPINYA?
"Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bersabarlah kamu (menghadapi segala
kesukaran dalam mengerjakan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan), dan
kuatkanlah kesabaran kamu lebih daripada kesabaran musuh, di medan
perjuangan), dan bersedialah (dengan kekuatan pertahanan di
daerah-daerah sempadan) serta bertaqwalah kamu kepada Allah supaya, kamu
berjaya (mencapai kemenangan)."
-Surah Al-Imran ayat 200

"Dan mintalah pertolongan (kepada Allah) dengan jalan sabar dan
mengerjakan sembahyang; dan sesungguhnya sembahyang itu amatlah berat
kecuali kepada
orang-orang yang khusyuk"
-Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 45

APA YANG AKU DAPAT DRPD SEMUA INI?
"Sesungguhnya Allah telah membeli dr org2 mu’min, diri, harta mereka
dengan memberikan syurga utk mereka… ..
-Surah At-Taubah ayat 111

KEPADA SIAPA AKU BERHARAP?
"..Cukuplah Allah bagiku, tidak ada Tuhan selain drNya. Hanya kepadaNya
aku bertawakkal…"
-Surah At-Taubah ayat 129

AKU DAH TAK DAPAT BERTAHAN LAGI!!!!!
"… ..dan jgnlah kamu berputus asa dr rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada
berputus asa dr rahmat Allah melainkan kaum yg kafir."
-Surah Yusuf ayat 12

Malik Bennabi (1905-73) merupakan seorang pemikir dan cendekiawan Islam yang terulung abad ke-20. Sumbangan beliau yang terbesar ialah teori peradaban yang dikemukakannya.

Lahir di Costantine, Algeria kepada seorang keluarga sederhana, persekitaran kekeluargaan Malik Bennabi sendiri telah menekankan akan kepentingan pendidikan kepada beliau. Waktu itu Algeria merupakan sebahagian daripada jajahan Perancis yang berhasrat mejadikan Algeria sebagai sebahagian daripada wilayah Perancis.

Beliau sendiri menerima pendidikan tradisional Arab dan pendidikan Barat (Perancis) yang menjadikannya antara tokoh unik di kalangan pemikir Islam di Afrika Utara ketika itu. Pendidikan awalnya mengaji Al-Quran di Kuttab dan sekolah Perancis. Beliau pernah mendapat markah tertinggi di dalam kelas, namun gred terbaik di dalam kelasnya diberikan kepada seorang pelajar Perancis. Malik melihatkan ini sebagai gambaran diskriminasi kolonialis dan menurut Dr. Fauzia Bariun, beliau "merasakan keperluan untuk mencabar diskriminasi Barat secara intelektual dan berazam untuk meneruskan pendidikannya dan membuktikan kemampuannya."

Di Lycee Franco-Musulman Malik mula meminati sastera Perancis dan membaca novel-novel Jules Verne, Pierre Loti dan Claude Farrere. Namun buku yang lebih berpengaruh di dalam kehidupannya ialah L’Histoire sociale de l’humanite (Sejarah Social Kemanusiaan) karangan Courtellemont, Umm al Qura karangan Al-Kawakibi, Risalah Tauhid karangan Muhammad Abduh dan L’Ambre Chaude de l’Islam. Pada waktu yang sama, disamping meminati syair-syair Arab klasik, beliau turut menuntut ilmu dari Sheikh Maulud Bin Mawhub, seorang bekas mufti Costantine yang progresif dan terbuka.

Kemudian Malik mula terpengaruh dengan gerakan Islah yang sedang berkembang pesat di dunia Islam waktu itu, sebagaimana Kaum Muda di Tanah Melayu sedang giat mencabar doktrin-doktrin konservatif Kaum Tua. Selepas tamat persekolahan, beliau merantau ke Perancis untuk bekerja, tetapi pulang tidak lama selepas itu, kecewa dengan penindasan yang dilakukan oleh kapitalis-kapitalis Perancis terhadap pekerja-pekerja Algeria. Beliau melihatkan dakwaan kolonialisasi Perancis untuk la mission civilsatrice sebagai topeng untuk hegemoni Barat semata-mata.

Namun selepas bekerja di Algeria tidak lama, beliau ke Perancis semula pada tahun 1930. Keluarganya membiayai sebahagian dari pembelajarannya di sana. Beliau menyertai L’Ecole des Langues Orientales namun menghadapi halangan yang beliau sifatkan sebagai halangan politik. Setelah itu beliau menyertai institut kejuruteraan yang meyakinkannya tentang sumbangan besar sains di dalam kejayaan ketamadunan Barat. Di dalam semi-autobiografinya Mudhakkirat Shahidin lil Qarn beliau menjelaskan tentang komitmennya waktu itu untuk "menjadi peyelamat yang ditugaskan" kepada dunia Islam yang mundur. Gaya analisanya di dalam mengutarakan ide-idenya juga kelihatan pendekatan saintifik, kesan pendidikannya.

Kehidupannya di Paris banyak berkaitrapat dengan Latin Quarter yang terkenal itu. Beliau juga aktif bersama Persatuan Pelajar Maghrib yang menyebabkan beliau menghadapi pelbagai masalah di dalam kehidupannya di Perancis. Meskipun beliau bertemu dengan pengasas parti North African Star yang bernaung di bawah payung Parti Komunis Perancis, Massali Haj, namun permainan politik Massali menyebabkan Malik tidak terlibat dengan parti tersebut. Waktu itu juga beliau mula mengenali ide-ide Pan Arab Shakeeb Arslan yang disebarkan menerusi akhbarnya yang berasas di Geneva, La Nation Arabe.

Tidak lama selepas berakhirnya Perang Dunia Kedua barulah Malik Bennabi menulis buku. Fenomena Al Quran (Le Phenomene Coranique) diterbitkan pada 1946; setahun kemudian terbitnya Labbaik, satu-satunya novel karya beliau; Les Conditions de la Renaissance pada 1948 dan pada 1954 beliau menerbitkan La Vocation de l’Islam. Buku-bukunya, antara lain, bertujuan membincangkan aspek-aspek teoretikal untuk menghidupkan kembali gerakan Islah.

Malik mengiktiraf bahawa gerakan kebangkitan Islam dipelopori Jamaluddin al-Afghani meskipun beliau tidak bersetuju bulat-bulat dengan pandangan al-Afghani. Beliau melihat al-Afghani sebagai rajul fitrah atau insan semulajadi yang dapat memberi sumbangan besar terhadap kemajuan peradaban berbanding apa yang menurut Malik, mereka yang berada di luar peradaban. Disamping itu, ketika cubaan-cubaan untuk meniupkan semangat nahdah di kalangan umat Islam dilakukan sebelum ini, semuanya berpunca lebih kepada sentimen puak atau kabilah; al-Afghani tokoh pertama yang memulakan perjuangannya pada Islam, bukan etnik.

Api-api kebangkitan Islam yang disemai ini memainkan peranan besar untuk mengejutkan umat Islam yang sedang tidur di dalam apa yang digelarkan Malik Bennabi sebagai dunia pasca kerajaan Almohads (yakni zaman kemunduran Islam).

Namun al-Afghani menurut kacamata Malik bukanlah pembaharu, tetapi mujahid. Pembaharu, menurutnya, lebih wajar diberikan gelaran tersebut kepada Muhammad Abduh. Muhammad Abduh yang menyedari bahawa untuk menjayakan reformasi di dalam dunia umat Islam, harus ditumpukan pada perkara pokok-pangkalnya dahulu – isu kerohanian. Namun Malik mengkritik pendapat bahawa pendekatan untuk mengubah akidah yang perlu ditekankan, kerana insan pasca Almohads sekalipun, masih setia kepada akidahnya walaupun mundur di dalam aspek lain. Beliau tidak bersetuju dengan pendekatan yang dogmatik dan kaku, beliau mahukan pendekatan yang lebih mengambilkira cara pengamalan Islam di dalam bidang-bidang kehidupan.

Malik Bennabi turut mengkritik pengikut-pengikut kedua-dua tokoh kebangkitan Islam tersebut kerana, menurutnya, di dalam La Vocation de l’Islam (Wijhat al Alam al Islami atau Islam di dalam Sejarah dan Sosiologi), "mereka bukannya mencari fakta, tetapi untuk bukti-bukti" terhadap pihak lawan, yang menyebabkan "mereka tidak cuba mendengar antara satu sama lain, dan setiap daripada mereka akan cuba mengalahkan yang satu lagi di dalam kata-kata yang tidak berhenti-henti."

Sebenarnya beliau turut mengkritik kedua-dua pendukung gerakan modernisasi dan Islah. Baginya di dalam berinteraksi dengan golongan evolues di Algeria, gerakan modenisasi terlalu ghairah di dalam mengambil peradaban Barat dari aspek superficial dan mahu menirunya bulat-bulat untuk menyelesaikan masalah umat Islam. Ini sesuai dengan idenya mengenai ‘dunia benda’ dan ‘dunia ide’. Beliau menilai bahawa ‘dunia ide’ lebih bermakna dari ‘dunia benda’ – maka meskipun negara Jerman menerima kemusnahan yang dasyat dari segi fizikal ketika Perang Dunia Kedua, negara tersebut pantas mendapat tempat semula antara ekonomi paling dinamik dunia kerana ‘dunia ide’nya tidak dimusnahkan oleh Pihak Bersekutu. Turut dikritiknya ialah negara-negara dunia ketiga yang baru merdeka waktu itu, yang berlumba-lumba mendirikan tugu-tugu fizikal kemajuan sedangkan pengisian peradaban itu sendiri tidak wujud; sebagaimana mungkin apa yang sedang terjadi di negara kita hari ini!

Malik Bennabi juga mempunyai perbezaan pendapat dengan pemimpin Ikhwanul Muslimun, Syed Qutb yang dibunuh oleh Gamal Abdul Nasser. Pertelingkahan intelektual ini berakar umbi apabila Syed Qutb menukar tajuk bukunya dari "Ke Arah Sebuah Masyarakat Islam yang Bertamadun" kepada "Ke Arah Sebuah Masyarakat Islam" yang menurut Bennabi, mengandaikan bahawa masyarakat Islam sudah bertamadun sedangkan realiti adalah sebaliknya. Syed Qutb membalas bahawa tindakannya adalah untuk memendekkan tajuk tersebut dan beliau tidak menilai peradaban menurut kaca mata Barat.

Sumbangan pemikiran yang paling besar dibuat oleh Malik Bennabi, sebagaimana yang telah saya nyatakan ialah Teori Peradabannya. Ketika tokoh-tokoh kebangkitan Islam sezaman dengannya lebih meminati istilah ‘nahdah’ (renaissance) atau ‘al-taqaddum’ (pembangunan) beliau menekankan istilah ‘hadara’ (peradaban). Di sini kita dapat melihat dinamik pemikiran di antara Ibnu Khaldun, antara pelopor awal ilmu sosiologi ketika akhir zaman keagungan peradaban Islam yang mengarang Mukaddimah dan Arnold Toynbee, seorang sarjana moden British yang mengkaji peradaban dan telah menghasilkan A Study of History.

Persamaan peradaban yang dikemukan olehnya ialah,

Insan + Tanah + Masa = Peradaban.

Namun, dengan menggunakan analisa saintifik, beliau menegaskan bahawa pemangkin atau catalyseur terhadap elemen-elemen tersebut ialah agama. Meskipun ada yang mencabar pendapatnya dengan memberikan contoh negara Soviet yang baru muncul sebagai kuasa dunia waktu itu, sebagaimana Toynbee, Malik melihat perkembangan tersebut sebagai satu yang berpokok pangkal dari tamadun Barat-Kristian.

Dengan pengaruh Ibnu Khaldun di dalam kitaran peradaban, Malik Bennabi mengemukakan pendapatnya mengenai tiga peringkat peradaban. Bermula dengan Peringkat Kerohanian – jika dilihat umat Islam melalui zaman ini bermula dengan turunnya wahyu kepada Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. dan berakhir dengan jatuhnya Khulafa ar-Rasyidin ketika Perang Siffin. Ini sesuai dengan teori beliau dan Ibnu Khaldun bahawa agama memainkan peranan yang besar di dalam menggerakkan sesebuah tamadun.

Kemudian Peringkat Rasional di mana prinsip-prinsip agama masih kukuh dan berkembang, ketika ilmu sains dan kesenian mula mendapat tempat dan ketamadunan pada waktu ini menuju ke zaman kegemilangannya, tetapi masyarakat tidak lagi dapat dikawal sebagaimana Peringkat Kerohanian. Jika di Islam peringkat ini ditandai oleh kegemilangan pemerintahan Umayyah dan Abasiah, dunia Barat melaluinya ketika Renaissance berkembang di Eropah selepas kejatuhan Islam.

Akhir sekali, Peringkat Naluri di mana masyarakat sesebuah peradaban menghadapi zaman kegelapan. Ikatan keimanan yang menjadi penghubung anggota masyarakat sudah lemah dan kitaran peradaban berakhir. Jika melihat dari segi sejarah, zaman ini dilalui oleh umat Islam ketika jatuhnya Baghdad kepada bangsa Mongol, tidak lama selepas hidupnya Ibnu Khaldun.

Toynbee juga seorang yang banyak terpengaruh dengan Ibnu Khaldun. Toynbee, sebagaimana Spengler, melihat krisis dunia Barat kontemporari akan dapat diatasi dengan satu tempoh di masa hadapan apabila mereka akan memeluk sebuah agama dari Timur. Meskipun begitu, wujud perbezaan di antara Malik Bennabi dengan Toynbee. Toynbee juga seorang sarjana sejarah yang banyak mempengaruhi tasawwur peradabannya, sedangkan Malik Bennabi cuma meminati sejarah lebih sebagai alat untuk menjelaskan teori-teorinya mengenai peradaban.

Sumbangan Malik Bennabi terhadap dunia intelektual Islam terlalu besar untuk diperkatakan. Menurut Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, "Jika Iqbal menyalakan api dengan imaginasi puisinya, Bennabi melakukan sedemikan dengan prosanya yang sempurna. Tetapi, ulasan Bennabi mengenai pengalaman realiti peradaban mengatasi Iqbal."

NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD, 20, ialah seorang exco Unit Pendidikan Politik-Institut Kajian Dasar (UPP-IKD) dan Editor SuaraAnum.com

Courtesy: From ad-Dawal ila-Allah

It may appear a little ironic to be discussing the subject of FOOD in a month, which is characterized by the command to abstain from it! Nevertheless, it is true to say that in this month the subject of food tends to receive special attention from us, for after a whole day of keeping our desires and hunger pangs at bay, the chance to eat ones till in the evening is much appreciated. An appropriate time therefore to highlight some of the Islamic etiquettes of eating we think.

For every act that a Muslim does, there is a chance for him to earn some reward for it from Allaah. From praying to per­forming ghusl, in everything Allaah has placed His Blessings and these blessings are multiplied in the month of Ramadhan.

These rewards and blessings can be attained only by those keen to imbibe the Guidance and Example (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) into every mode of their lives, seeking thereby none but the Face of Allaah. For such people, their whole lives become ‘Ebadah (worship). Even the act of eating and drinking upon which all living things depend can become acts of ‘Ebadah. Thus, by acquainting ourselves with the Sunnah of eating and drinking we too can turn this mundane exercise into an act of worship and a source of blessing, Insha’Allaah!!

The Etiquettes of Eating

1] How to Begin [1]
When a Muslim begins to eat, he should begin with the name of Allaah. As the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘When one of you eats, he should mention Allah’s name (i.e. say ‘Bismillah); if he forgets to mention Allah’s name at the beginning, he should say (when he remembers): I begin in the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it ( Bismillah awwalahu wa Akhirahoo).” [2]

The Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) explained that shaitan partakes in the food if the name of Allaah is not recited at the start of eating. However if one forgets in the beginning and then remembers and says the aforementioned du’aa shaitan is made to vomit out what he has eaten. [3]

2] The Manners of Eating
The best manner in which to eat food is with the fingers. The Companion, lbn Ka’ab ibn Maalik reported that he saw the Messenger (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) eating with three fingers and when he finished, he would lick them. [4] Sadly nowadays, the Muslims are choosing to imitate the disbelievers rather than the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) and are choosing to eat with knives and forks rather than the finger’s. Although it is not at all forbidden (haraam) to eat with a Knife and fork, to con­sider this a better and more cultured or civilized way to eat is definitely wrong, since this is to consider someone else’s way to be superior to that of the Prophet’s. It should also be men­tioned that if one does choose to eat with a knife and fork, then they should make sure that the fork is in the right and not in the left hand as is the convention with the disbelievers. This is because to eat with the left hand is forbidden. The Prophet, (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Do not eat with your left hand for shaitaan eats with his left hand,” [5]

Another thing which the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) taught us about the man­ners of eating is that we should always eat from what is near­est to us and not from the middle of the plate. The reason for this is that the blessings come down upon the food in its mid­dle, therefore it should be left to last. [6]

3] The Manners of Sitting whilst Eating.
It would probably come as no surprise to us to learn that unlike the arrogant manner traditionally associated with the Greeks and Romans, the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) would never eat from a reclining position.[7]

His whole life was a model of modesty and humility and this was no less in his manner of eating. The Companion Anas, radhi Allahu Anhu‘ each reported that he saw Allaah’s Messenger squatting and eating dates.[8] Other times, the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) would sit on his knees, as reported by ‘Abdullaah ibn Busr who said that the Prophet was sitting on his knees upon which a bedouin said: ‘What is this sitting?’ The Prophet (sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) replied, “Allaah has made me a respectable servant and He did not make me an obstinate tyrant. [9]

4] Don’t Criticize Food:
Aboo Hurairah, radhiAllahu ‘anhu reported that the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) never found fault with food. If he liked it, he would eat it, but if he disliked it, he just left it.

This is how our Prophet was. Yet if we look to ourselves today, we find that we are ever ready to criticize whatever we find on our plate. This is extreme ingratitude to Allaah on our part and next time we think of complaining about food or maybe moaning that ‘there’s nothing to eat’ even though our fridges are full, we should spare a thought for all those people both Muslim and non-Muslims who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. So we should instead be grateful as instructed by Allaah:

“0 You who believe! Eat of the good things that we have provided for you and be grateful to Allaah, if it is He you worship.” [al-Baqarah(2): 17)

5] DON’T LEAVE FOOD FOR SHAITAAN
As Muslms we must be aware that shaitaan is around us wher­ever we are and whatever we are doing. Even when we are eating shaitaan is in our presence, waiting to grasp any oppor­tunity he can to fill his belly. This is why the Prophet, (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) commanded us never to waste food, because food that we waste is eaten by shaitaan. He (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) said: “The shaitaan is present with everyone of you in everything he does; he is even present when he eats food, so if any on of you drops a mouthful, he should remove away anything filthy on it and eat it and not leave it for the devil; and when he finishe, he should lick his fingers for he does not know in what portion of his food the blessing ties.” [11]

So here, the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) enumerated another reason why we should not waste food i.e. we may deprive ourselves of the blessings which are contained n the food. this should be sufficient encouragement fares to appreciate the value of food and not waste it.

6] DON’T EAT TOO MUCH
One of the worst habits we nave adopted as a result of our relatively luxurious lifestyle is the habit of overeating and not showing any restraint in that. How many times can we think of where we have eaten so much that we can barely breathe, or where we can feel the food coming up to our throats?! This eating pattern does not befit the Muslim, who should do all things in moderation, including his eating. The Prophet, (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) said: “A Believer eats in one intestine, whereas a non-believer eats in seven intestines”[12]

Therefore it is not for us to eat till we are completely satiated; rather we should eat such that the hunger goes but there is still room for more.

7] AFTER EATING
When we have finished eating, we should always remember Allaah and be grateful to Him, for He is ar-Razzaaq, the Provider and our Sustainer We should express this gratitude in the manner in which the Prophet taught us. He said: “One who has eaten some food and then says: ‘AlI praise is for Allaah, who has given me this (food to eat] and provided me without any effort or power on my part’, he will have his sins forgiven. (Alhamdulillaahil-lazee at’amanaa haadha warazaqeenee min ghairi hawlin minnee wala quwwah).” [13]

SubhaanAllaah! The reward for just saying this short du’aa is so great, too great to neglect. Can we afford to miss out on such opportunities of Allaah’s Mercy and Forgiveness?

8] A MEANS OF DRAWING CLOSER TO ALLAAH
The ahaadeeth mentioned here only cover some of the Islamic etiquettes of eating which the Messenger Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam) taught us. Many more hadeeth on this subject are to be found in the books of hadeeth such as Saheeh al-Bukharee, Saheeh Muslim and others. But just a few narra­tions cited here give us some indication of the attention that the Companions paid to even the smallest details of the prophet’s Sunnah (example). Many of us today may consider such matters to be ‘trivial’ or ‘insignificant,’ but we find the Companions did not take these matters lightly. They consid­ered such details important enough to preserve through careful transmission which their successors meticulously recorded in the books of hadeeth so that they could be read by genera­tions to come. It is up to us whether we want to benefit from the knowledge they carried for us or not.

So during this blessed month of Ramadhan, when we take the suhoor (the predawn meal) and break our fasts, we have an excellent opportunity to transform an everyday practice of eating and drinking into an act of worship and a source of blessing for us. Every mouthful of food we take will serve as a reminder of Alaah’s great favour upon us and His Mercy and this in turn will cause us to earn favour with Allah, for the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Indeed Allah is pleased with His servant who, when he eats a morsel, praises Him for it, or drinks a sip and then praises Him for it.” [14]

May Allaah grant us the ability to become of His thankful servants. Aameen.

FOOTNOTES

[1] There is a common misconception that to wash ones hands before eating is from Sunnah. This is based on the hadeeth which alleges that the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: The blessing of the food is in washing the hands before it and after it. [Ahmed, Aboo Dawood and others] It should be known however that this hadeeth is daef (week) according to Aboo Dawood. Imaam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee and others. Infect some scholar went as far As to say that this practice was disliked since it was a practice of the Jews and only if there was a reason to wash them was it not disliked. The point is that washing the hands before the meal contains no added reward since it is not from the Sunnah, although there is no harm in doing as if one needs to. [Up]

[2] Saheeh - Narrated by Aaisha and collected by Aboo Dawood (eng. Trans. Vol.3, p.1064, no.3758). Authenticated by at-Tirmidhee and al-Albanee inhis Saheeh. Sunan Aboo Dawood. Note that the Sunnah is to say ‘Bismillah’ only and not ‘Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem’ [Up]

[3] Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol.3, p. 1114, no. 5004). [Up]

[4] Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol.3, p. 1119, no. 5040) [Up]

[5] Narrated by Jabir and collected I Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol.3, p. 1115, no. 5007). The ruling also applies to drinking as well as taking or giving something (i.e. it should all be done with th eright hand) (Saheeh Muslim vol.3) [Up]

[6] Aboo Dawood (eng. Trans. Vol. 3, p. 1064, no. 3763). This is not superstition or an old wives tale, rather the saying of one inspired by Allah, who is the knower of all things hidden. [Up]

[7] Narrated by Aboo Juhaifah and collected in Saheeh of Imaam Bukhari (eng. Trans. Vol.7, p. 234 and 311). NB. Ibn al-Qayyim mention in his Zaadal Maad that any posture in which the posterior is on the floor is regarding as reclining. [Up]

[8] Saheeh Muslim (eng, trans vol.3. p. 1127, no. 5073). [Up]

[9] Saheeh - Reported by Aboo Dawood (eng. Trans. Vol. 3, p.1064, no. 3764). Authentic in his Saheeh Sunan Aboo Dawood. [Up]

[10] Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol. 3, p.113, no.5121). [Up]

[11] Narrated by Jaabir and collected in Saheeh Muslim (eng. Vol. 3, p. 1121. no. 5046) [Up]

[12] Narrated by Ibn Umar and collected in Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans vol. 3, p.1137, no. 5046) [Up]

[13] Hasan - Narrated by Mu’aadh Ibn Anas ans collected by at-Tirmidhee and others. Authentic by at-Tirmidhee and others. Authenticated by at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Hajr and others. (Note: that the other du’aa from Aboo Dawood tht is often mentioned in books to be recited at the end of eating: “all Praises are form Allah who fed us grave us drink and made us Muslims’ is not authentic as mentioned by Ibn Hajr and others.) [Up]

[14] Narrated by Anas and collected in Saheeh Muslim (eng. Trans. Vol. 4, p.1492, no. 6592).