Islamic Information Blog Issue 9

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters,

I hope you are all well and so is your families too.
We can all forget the good deeds or even to give thanks to Allah, inshallah in this issue I would like to remind my brothers and sisters of the many good deeds we can do, but like the end of this issue its no good just doing good deeds, we must still follow our religion, for that will help us more
to enter Paradise.

How do we make good deeds?

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "Seek knowledge, it is a good deed. Teach others, it is a reward. Educate the ignorant, it is sadaqah." He further says: "There is no better sadaqah then to spread knowledge."

What does the Quran say about Deeds?

"So whoever does an atom's weight (or the weight of a small ant) of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight (or the weight of a small ant) of bad will see it"
(Surah az-Zalzalah (99:7-8))

"And indeed, each [of the believers and disbelievers] - your Lord will fully compensate them for their good deeds, Indeed, He is Acquainted with what they do."
(Surah Hud (11:111))

"Whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal - indeed, for him is Hell; he will neither die therein nor live. But whoever comes to Him as a believer having done righteous deeds - for those will be the highest degrees [in position]"
(Surah Ta Ha (20:74-75))

What good deeds could we do?

"Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the east or west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
(Surah al-Baqarah (2:177))

Praying:
Making sure that we pray 5 times a day as well as on time, this is very important and one difference between a Muslim and a Non-Muslim, many Non-Muslims as well as "Muslims by name" will say that they haven't got the time to pray 5 times a day, or maybe because we have an late prayer (Ishaa) and early morning prayer (Fajr) that they are too tired to do theses, sometimes I feel like I haven't got the strength to do theses prayers, because it can be a long day for many of us and all we want to do is sleep, but the difference between the believer and the disbeliever is that you will pray no matter what for the sake of Allah, we think that the prayer we are about to do could be our last, we think about Allah and how much we want to please Him.

"And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. (5 Daily prayers) Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember" (Surah Hud (11:114))

Do not forget the voluntary prayers too brothers and sisters. This is beneficial mostly during the
last third of the night in which the gates of the heavens are opened and the supplications are responded to. The prophet peace be upon him said, "Allah waits until one half or two-thirds of the night has passed and He says, 'My slaves, shall ask from no one except Me. Whoever asks from Me, I shall respond to him. Whoever asks Me for something, I will give it to him. Whoever asks for my forgiveness, I shall forgive him. And this continues until the dawn"

Allah's Apostle said, "If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adhan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots, and if they knew the reward of the Zuhr prayer (in the early moments of its stated time) they would race for it (go early) and if they knew the reward of 'Isha' and Fajr (morning) prayers in congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had to crawl."
Sahih Bukhari - Volume 1, Book 11, Number 589.

Friday Jummah:
We should all be reading Surah Al-Kahf (Surah 18)

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on a Friday will
have a light (i.e will be guided) between it and the next Friday" (Nasaa'i)

Forgiveness:
Imam Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said,
"If anyone repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him."

Charity:
In an authentic Hadith reported by Imam At-Tirmithi that the prophet (S.A.W.) said:
"The charity puts out the bad deed like the water puts out the fire."

Allah says in the Quran,
"Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicity, verily their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve"
(Surah al-Baqarah (2:274)).

And Allah also says,
"And spend of that which We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, 'My Lord if only You would reprieve me for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous.' But Allah reprieves no soul when its term comes, and Allah is aware of what you do" (Surah al-Munafiqun (63:10)).

Reading the Quran

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever recites one word from the Book of Allah will be rewarded for a good deed and ten more like it; and I don't say that Alif Lam Mim is a word but Alif is a word and Lam is a word and Mim is a word" (Alif Lam Mim is 3 Arabic Characters.)

Reading Certain Surahs:

The Prophet said to his companions, "Is it difficult for any of you to recite one third of the Qur'an in one night?" This suggestion was difficult for them so they said, "Who among us has the power to do so, O Allah's Apostle?" Allah Apostle replied: " Allah (the) One, the Self-Sufficient Master Whom all creatures need.' (Surat Al-Ikhlas 112.1--to the End) is equal to one third of the Qur'an."
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 534

For the one who preserves the reading of aayah al-kursee (Surah al-Baqarah 2:255) after every salah, there is nothing between him and entering Paradise, except death

The Benefits are whoever says it in the morning will be protected from the jinn until evening, and whoever says it in the evening will be protected from them till the morning.

Duas:

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) passed by Aboo Hurayrah while he was planting
something and said:

"O Aboo Hurayrah shall I not show you a planting better than this?" He said: "Of course O
Messenger of Allah" He (Peace be upon him) said: "Say … SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Laa ilaha Allahu Akbar… and a tree will be planted for you in Paradise for every one you say."

Passing Salaams:

It was narrated by Saalim that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said
"He who says Assalamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you) ten rewards are written down for him, and he who says Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah (Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy) for him twenty rewards are written down and he who says Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessing) thirty rewards are written down (for him)"

Final reminder to you all brothers and sisters:

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." (i.e., None can enter Paradise only through his good deeds.) They (the
Prophet's companions) said, 'Not even you, O Allah's Apostle?' He said, "Not even myself, unless
Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me. So be moderate in your religious deeds and do the
deeds that are within your ability: and none of you should wish for death, for if he is a good doer,
he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to Allah."
Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 577

Brothers and sisters, I hope this will help you in many ways, if you know theses then please act upon them, if you do not know theses, then inshallah learn them and act upon them too.

JazakAllah for the support and until the next issue.
My love goes out to the whole Ummah, Your Brother in Islam

Was Salaam