Islamically Speaking Newsletter Vol.3

16th Ramadan, 1430 A.H (5th September 2009 C.E)

ISLAMICALLYSPEAKING... Vol 03 Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem AsSalamu Alaykum 1/ Ramadan: The Month of Victory. 2/ State of The Ummah in Ramadan 3/ Virtues of Ramadan 4/ The Afterlife (al Akhira) 5/ An Example of Courage: Abdullah ibn Masud

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Greetings dear brothers and sisters. We at The Shahada Da’wah Team are pleased to inform you that “Islamically Speaking” has returned with it’s third volume. Alhamdulillah, The Holy Month of Ramadan is upon us, for that reason, the articles within the newsletter this week will mainly be focused around the Blessed Month. For this volume, Brothers involved on the newsletter have looked at the historical and contemporary side or Ramadan. We have also included an article on the virtues on Ramadan, not to mention

Ramadan: The Month of Victory Many of us may know that Ramadan is a month of blessing, a month of reward, and a month of fasting. However, many of us may not know that Ramadan was a month of victory in which Allah (swt) blessed the Ummah with victory on the battlefield. Looking back at the Ummah’s history is a way to remember, reflect upon, and learn from past examples, so that lessons can be learned for the future.

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Ninety-two years after the Hijrah, Islam had spread across North Africa, Persia and ash Sham. Al-Andalus (Spain) was under the tyrannical rule of King Roderic. Musa ibn Nusair, the Muslim Walee (governor) of North Africa, responded by sending his courageous general Tariq ibn Ziyad as the head of 12,000 troops. In Ramadan of that year, they were confronted with an army led by Roderic himself, who was seated on a throne of ivory, silver, precious gems and drawn by white mules. Tariq motivated the Muslims and reminded them that Paradise lay ahead of them, and that defeat and the sea were behind them. Not only were Roderic and his forces defeated, but Tariq and Musa succeeded in liberating all of AlAndalus, Sicily, and parts of France. This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Al-Andalus where Muslims ruled for over 700 years.

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Crusaders Crushed In the year 682 A.H, It was in this month of sacrifice that Salahuddin alAyyubi, after battling with the Crusaders for years, finally drove them out of Syria and liberated the whole of the occupied lands. The Muslims virtually routed all the local Crusader forces capable of defending the Crusaders’ establishment in the Near East. With a 12,000 strong cavalry, they defeated the Crusaders and returned al-Quds back into its rightful hands.

Mongols In the seventh century A.H. the Mongols were sweeping across Asia destroying everything that lay in their path. Genghis Khan called himself “the scourge of God sent to punish humanity for their sins”. In 656 A.H. Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan continued the destruction. Baghdad, the leading city of the

Muslim world, was ransacked and destroyed. Some estimates say that as many as 1,800,000 Muslims were killed in the carnage. The Christians were asked to eat pork and drink wine openly while the surviving Muslims were forced to participate in drinking bouts. Wine was sprinkled in the Masjids and no Azan (call to prayer) was allowed. In the wake of such a horrible disaster and with the threat of the whole Muslim world being subjected to the same fate, Allah the Great One raised up from the Ummah, Saifuddin Qutz, who united the Muslim army and met the Mongols at Ain Jalut on 26th Ramadan, 648 A.H. Although they were under great pressure, the Muslims with the help of Allah, cunning strategy and unflinching bravery, crushed the Mongol army and reversed this tidal wave of horror. The whole of the world sighed in relief and stood in awe at the remarkable achievement of these noble sons of Islam.

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Today the Muslim world is faced with imperialist occupation, military aggression, widespread corruption and oppressive rulers.

Qutuz united the Muslims, prepared them to fight and focused upon the victory of Allah (swt) over the enemy. The necessary money was raised towards this objective and the army was mobilized to engage in the battle to defend Islam, its followers and lands, and to fight the usurping aggressor. Compare this scenario with today. How have the rulers prepared the governors, scholars and army for battle? Musharraf helped the Americans prepare for the battle against Muslims and deserted the Muslims completely. Instead of commanding the Pakistani army to defend and fight alongside their brothers in Afghanistan, Musharraf ordered them to guard the Afghan-Pakistani borders and prevent any Muslim from seeking refuge in Pakistan. He also used the army to quell any demonstration that voiced support for the Muslims in Afghanistan and prohibited the raising of money for them. The same (even more ruthless) policies now being carried on by his successor, Zadrari. In the same year, a unit of the Jordanian army flew over Palestine on their trip back from a UN mission in Sierra Leone. They had travelled 1500 miles to protect the interests of Britain, but had failed to hear the cries of their brothers and sisters living less than 10 miles away as they suffered the brutality of Israel. SubhanAllah! What a striking contrast between today, and the day of Saifuddin Qutuz! Today It was the spirit of Ramadan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges. It was a time of intense activity, spending the day in the saddle and the night in prayer while calling upon Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. Today the Muslim world is faced with imperialist occupation, military aggression, widespread

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corruption and oppressive rulers. The War against Islam and the Muslims is in full swing. Many of the Muslims of Afghanistan go through Ramadan being slaughtered while we live comfortably. Many of the Muslims there remain hungry and have nothing to break their fasts with. Some of us may have even seen the documentaries and news stories on television, or pictures in the newspapers of how the Muslims are being killed. The same can be said about Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir, Chechnya and the list unfortunately goes on. Indeed it is not enough for us as an Ummah to just stand by and witness the multitude of problems that exists amongst us today. Rather, we must understand the cause for these problems and act on those causes. The cause of this difference between the Ramadan of today and the victorious Ramadans of the past is not difficult to observe: it is simply due to the absence of the Quran, that Allah (swt) revealed as a guidance and al-Furqan (criterion), being implemented in our lives. Allah (swt) did not reveal the Quran simply to be read rhetorically, but rather He (swt) revealed it to be implemented on the people – so that they rule by its guidance and govern their lives by its laws. In the past, under the Islamic Khilafah, the rulers ruled by the Shariah contained in the Quran; today the rulers rule by their minds to secure their own interests and the interests of their Western masters. So, when the Muslims ruled by Islam – when their affairs were governed by all that Allah (swt) had revealed – Ramadan was the month of victory over the enemies of Islam and Muslims. But this Ramadan, when Islam is not implemented in any land and when Muslims are being ruled by man-made laws, the Ummah faces subjugation by the kuffar in almost every sphere of life.

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The State of The Ummah in Ramadan

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Ramadan is a grand time of year, without question. However, it could be even better. It is within this month that The Muslim Ummah had seen glory and honour. Ramadan was a great month of victory for our predecessors of the past eras, the tales of victory are still on the lips of The Muslims even to this day. The problem is that these stories seem so distant, in fact, they seem almost as a fairytale, they appear as no more than the nostalgia of a defeated people. This is because The Muslims have been torn away from their Khilafah, and our standing in the world has now declined to the point where we have been subjected to disgrace after disgrace. The reality of The Muslim World is shocking. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and so many other places around the globe, Muslims being occupied, threatened, economically exploited, and killed. Here in The West, we are being subjected to ideological attack, Islam is under the spotlight daily, our Masjids are under monitoring, and we are being told what parts of Islam to keep, and what to get rid of. And all of this is in the absence of the correct and sincere political leadership. Below are just brief summaries that illustrate what some of The Muslim world has to endure in the absence of al Khilafah. Afghanistan and Pakistan: The integrity of The Afghan Elections have been soiled with election fraud cases, the political corruption of democracy goes beyond the British MPs Expenses Scandal, it has now entered Afghanistan, with numerous instances of coercion and bribery, are these the morals that Islam

The integrity of The Afghan Elections have been soiled with election fraud cases, the political corruption of democracy goes beyond the British MPs Expenses Scandal

teaches? We must seek refuge in Allah (SWT). Barrack Obama has authorised the sending of 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, in addition to the 38,000 already there. These additional troops will further strengthen the U.S presence in Afghanistan, and in doing that, the American military will have the strategic access it needs to conduct it’s military operations in Pakistan, thereby embedding itself in both countries for the foreseeable future, and as a result, widening the confrontation. Under the leadership of Musharraf and now Zardari, Pakistan is suffering severe economic problems and An Undeclared War from America. Pakistan has incurred the largest debts in it’s history. By the year 2007, the total amount was $40 Billion worth of interest based debt, making them even more dependent upon The IMF and The World Bank, which are no more than American tools for the economic enslavement of foreign countries.

Obama and Maliki proclaim Iraq's sovereignty as 130,000 US troops remain

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Another catastrophe lies in the form of America’s Undeclared War on Pakistan. Asif Ali Zardari is no more than a puppet, who, instead of helping his people, helps America in their murder in North Waziristan. Zardari allows The Karachi Port to be used as a delivery ground of American war supplies and he provides 80% of Pakistani fuel to America for their military operations. But what is far worse than allowing their weapons and giving them fuel, is the fact that Zardari is using Pakistan’s own army against his own People. Many villages have been bombed, 100,000s of people have become IDPs (Internally Displaced Peoples), forced to flee their homes, and numerous deaths have occurred, including villagers, Ulema, and soldiers alike.

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The State of The Ummah in Ramadan Palestine: On December 27th 2008, Israel launched “Operation Cast Lead” a series of bombing and ground raids on Gaza, The Israeli Government, along with the treachery of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, sealed of Gaza. Mubarak sealed of The Rafah Crossing, making Gaza a death trap, there was no escape. The massacre lasted for 22 days, and by the end, an estimated 1,417 Muslims were killed, along with a further estimated 5,303 injured. This Ramadan, Palestinians still struggle to recover from what took place then, and are still living under occupation, as they have done for the last 60 years under Zionist brutality. Sadly, yet another Ramadan is going by while al Quds is still being occupied, along with al Masjid al Aqsa.

Maliki allows the use of Iraq as a launch pad by the Americans to exert greater control over our lands. Somalia: In Africa, the situation is just as bad. In Somalia, Muslims are killing Muslims. Ethiopian troops (some of them Muslim) are doing the bidding of Ethiopian President Girma WoldeGiorgis and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who are doing the bidding of America. Their goal is to destabilize Somalia, and prevent the rise of Islam there. Because of this, 1000s of Somalis are now fleeing to refugee camps in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, all these camps have third world conditions. The refugees are force to live in these conditions, while the world looks on silently. Sudan:

The Muslims of Sudan are caught in the middle of a colonial battle between America and China over the natural resources of Sudan. America created tension between Iraq: the Muslim majority and Christian minority by arming them and trying to The legacy of The Iraq War will diplomatically justify it. The Chinese be one of a bloodbath, with some statistics putting the death toll at over Government, with a greed for natural resources fast outgrowing the 1,000,000 dead. But this war is not Americans, is actively seeking just George Bush’s, but also his increased access into the vast successors.’ Obama, while energy supplies decreasing the troop count in Iraq, has failed to deliver on his promises before his Presidency by extending the time period of American presence to 2011. And even afterward, Iraq is still in the hands of Nouri al Maliki, who is yet another puppet of The American Government. He allows American businesses to consume Iraq’s oil and other precious natural resources, when these are for The Ummah. The people of Iraq are still occupied, they have been divided into Sunni, Shia and Kurd, and have been betrayed by The Iraqi Government, who still allow American troops on Iraqi soil. Also,

Bangladesh: Police prevent Badr Victory rally, arrest 30 Hizb ut-Tahrir members and activists

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The Islamic State would represent The Muslims, not the interests of America or any other entity that has destructive plans for our Ummah, or our land. Britain, and The Western World in General: Africa has, and they have marked Sudan as a viable target of theft. This creates tension between the Chinese and America, who both politically battle for Africa’s energy supplies. Sudan is now major theatre for this energy struggle. China: The Muslims of China have suffered severely under the oppression of The Communist Chinese Government ever since their rise to power in 1949. Ethnic Chinese Hui Muslims, as an example, have been relegated to Ningxia Autonomous Region, which is one of the poorest provinces in the entire country. Another major example of this is what happened in China’s Xinjiang Province. The Chinese Government has been encouraging the majority Han Chinese populace to move into Xinjiang province, which has a major Uyghur Muslim population. This has created tensions between the two groups, because many Muslims in Xinjiang want independence from China. On 5th July 2009, riots broke out between the Muslims and the Han settlers. The Muslims were brutalised by the police, they could not even pray Jumu’ah prayers in mosques, because they were all closed down as punishment. This led to the deaths and injury of many Muslims. The Muslims of China still live under Communist oppression, they are closely monitored by The Chinese Government, who are very selective about what parts of Islam they can practice. Uzbekistan: In Central Asia, our Brothers and Sisters are subject to the violent oppression of Islom Karimov, a brutal man who has been in power since 1991, somehow winning every election since then, despite his tyranny, so much for democracy. Those who oppose him are imprisoned for atleast 20 years, many are tortured in disgusting ways, and some are even killed in horrific ways, usually being boiled to death. There are so many Muslim Sisters in Uzbekistan who live in fear, and they sometimes live alone, because many of The Brothers are taken away and executed. Karimov does this because his population are fed up of him, and want Islam. Despite his overt tyranny, The West is silent.

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This Ramadan, in Britain, the rest of Europe, America and The West in general, we are also being attacked, but in a different way. In these places, we are being told, that we need a “new Islam”, here, in Britain, The Government calls it a “British Islam”, which is complete nonsense. There are no “versions” of Islam, especially, “British”, “French”, or “American” versions. Islam is as it is. As silly as this shameless plan is, it is something that really is a dangerous threat. Allah (SWT) states: "This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion." (al Qur’an, al Maa’idah, Ayat 3) Allah (SWT), through his Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) has perfected our Deen, we don’t need a change in our values, and we do not need to be taught what we should think by those who are opposed to The Rise of Islam. To conclude Brothers and Sisters, this Ramadan, there are numerous attacks that are being made against us, at home, and abroad. I have only given such brief descriptions of only a small amount of places where Muslims are being tyrannized. Some of these attacks are intellectual, some are physical, but all are dangerous and damaging. We should enjoy Ramadan as much as we possibly can, but we should also defend our Deen, and work to re-establish The Islamic State, al Khilafah in The Muslim World, insha’Allah. When The Muslims have a state that represents their culture, values and history, they will see success once again: Prophet Muhammd (PBUH) said: “The Prophethood will last among you for as long as Allah wills, then Allah would take it away. Then it will be (followed by) a Khilafah Rashida (rightly guided) according to the ways of the Prophethood. It will remain for as long as Allah wills, then Allah would take it away. Afterwards there will be a hereditary leadership which will remain for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if He wishes. Afterwards, there will be biting oppression, and it will last for as long as Allah wishes, then He will lift it if He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah Rashida according to the ways of the Prophethood," then he kept silent.” (Musnad Ahmad) The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind whom the people fight and by whom they protect themselves."(Sahih Muslim) Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) described the leader as a shield, or a protector, of The Ummah. The Khalifa of The Muslims uses the army to defend The Ummah from foreign occupation, which the tyrant rulers of The Muslim World don’t do. In Islam, we have an alternative economic system ready to be implemented, and it doesn’t rely upon subservience to The Western financial institutions. The Islamic State would represent The Muslims, not the interests of America or any other entity that has destructive plans for our Ummah, or our land. The Islamic Khilafah is the way towards the liberation of The Muslim World, from Africa all the way to China. The only vehicle to establish a more prosperous Muslim Ummah is by working hard to re-establish The Khilafah, we should realise that it is an obligation to have a Khalif over us, just as it is to fast in Ramadan. As we fast, we must work towards establishing Islam in it’s complete totality. Let us hope that another Ramadan does not go by, and The State of The Muslim Ummah will be the same, insha’Allah.

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Virtues of Ramadan Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), said, “Allah, the almighty and Exalted said, “Every deed of the Son of Adam is for himself except fasting – it is for me and I will personally reward it.” (Muslim) There is a great honour Allah (SWT) holds for fasting and a certain love He has for it. When a person fasts, his genuine sincerity is made apparent to Allah because fasting in itself is a secret between a worshipper and his Lord; no one other than Allah is aware of it. When someone who is fasting is in a place away from others, it is possible for him to eat or drink which Allah has made forbidden to him. However, he does not do so because he knows he has a Lord who is aware of everything he does, even when he is alone, and he knows Allah has forbidden him from eating and drinking at that time. So he prevents himself from eating and drinking only for Allah, fearing his punishment and hoping for his reward. And for that, Allah thanks him for his genuine sincerity. There are many rewards of Ramadan. Forgiveness of Sins The Prophet (PBUH) explained to his Ummah that Ramadan has such a high station that even if a Muslim's sins were as much as the foam upon the sea, they would be forgiven through fasting in this month. Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. [Abu Hurayra]

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Abu Hurayra related that the Prophet (PBUH) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim). And in Ṣahih Muslim, there is a ḥadīth in which Abū Hurayrah narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: The five prayers, one Friday to another Friday, and one Ramadan to another Ramadan expiate whatever sins are committed between them as long as the major sins are avoided.

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"The Master of the Months is Ramadan, and the Master of the days is Friday." [Ibn Khuzaymah]

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Getting Closer to Paradise “Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire” [Ahmad]. “No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hellfire seventy years further from his face.” [Agreed Upon] Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When Ramadan comes the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the Fire are locked and the devils are chained...” (Bukhari, Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurayrah) All praise is for Allah Who out of His infinite Mercy locks the gates of Hell, chains and shackles the devils and opens up the gates of Paradise in this month for His servants, making it easier for them to devote this special time to His worship. It makes it harder for the evil jinn to corrupt the people as they usually do, because Insha'Allah the Muslims will be occupied with fasting, engaged in reading the Quran, busy with extra prayers and in doing other righteous actions which help clean and purify their hearts. Sahl ibn Sa’d reported that the Prophet, (PBUH) said, “Indeed there is a gate of Paradise called arRayyaan. On the day of Resurrection those who fast will enter through it; no one enters it except for them, and when they have entered, it is closed so that no one enters it, so drinks never becomes thirsty.” (Bukhari, Muslim). This is what the pleasure of Allah is all about. The person who observes fasting becomes an elite in the hour that every other person is busy turning the pages of their books of deeds. This is the time you are pulled away through the Rayyan Gate to Paradise. Fasting is a means of intercession on the Day of Judgement We believe in the special great intercession of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which is exclusively limited to him. Jabir bin Abdullah narrates that the Prophet (PBUH) said ‘I have been given five (things) which were not given to anyone else before me, one of them is that he has been given the right of intercession on the Day of Resurrection” [Bukhari]. We have also been informed that intercession will be granted to martyrs, to the Qur’an and fasting which will intercede for believers from the nation of Muhammad (PBUH). This is indicated by the Hadeeth of Abdullah ibn Amr, who narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: “The fast and the Quran are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Judgment .The

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fast will say: ‘O, Allah, I denied him nourishment and sex during the daytime. Let me intercede on his behalf’, and Al-Qur'an will say: ‘I denied him sleep during night time; so let me intercede on his behalf.’ So Allah will allow them to intercede on his behalf.” [Ahmad] This hadith indicates on the Day of Judgment, when the events will be overwhelming and the outcome uncertain, the fast and the Book will intercede for the servants of Allah. As every second of daytime devotion and every letter of Al- Qur'an voices their pleasure openly with you during the witnessing and inter-viewing, bear in mind that Shafa'ah (intercession), is an extreme privilege and a rare commodity. Even the average Prophet will not attempt to intercede for anyone on this day.

The Acceptance of Supplication Allah the Most high listens to the distressed person when he calls upon him and relieves him of his suffering. Allah has commanded us to call upon him humbly and sincerely, promising us he will respond to our supplications. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn al-Aas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said ‘Indeed there is for the fasting person, when he breaks his fast, a supplication which is not rejected” [Ibn Majah, al-Hakim]. It is also reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Three, their supplication is nor rejected: the just leader, the one who fasts until he breaks his fast, and the supplication of the oppressed which Allah raises above the clouds, with the gates of heaven being opened, saying by my might, I will give you victory even if it be after a little while” [Ahmad, Tirmidhee and Nasaee]. Furthermore, Jabir reported that Allah’s Messenger said “There are in the month of Ramadan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim a supplication which he can make and will be granted” [Ahmad]. A Precious Chance The Holy Month of Ramadan only comes about once every year, we have the potential to gather great rewards from our Lord, which we usually wouldn’t be able to obtain. We must make sure that in this month, we pray more, we read Qur’an more, and that we observe our fasts, and not miss any of them, this is a reminder to you, and to us. Don’t miss this chance!

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TheAfterlife (al Akhira)

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“Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities.”

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(al Qur’an, Surah al Imran, Ayat 185) This Ayat gives two messages, one of fear, and one of hope. In this Ayat, Allah (SWT) is telling us that every single one of us will die. Many of us tend to forget this fact, and we don’t like to be reminded of death, but as Muslims, we must always be mindful of it, because it will happen, and it could happen at any moment. Only Allah (SWT) knows of the exact time of our death, which he has fixed. It is easy to feel fear when we read such an Ayat, and feeling some fear is actually good, but that does not mean that we don’t feel any hope. Allah (SWT) is telling us the reward for worshipping him is The Garden (al Junnah). It is the Holy Month of Ramadan, the reason we fast in this month, why we observe extra prayers, and why we strive hard to worship Allah (SWT) is because we want salvation. We want to enter Paradise, and not The Hellfire.

two Angels, Munkar and Nakir will ask us three critical questions: 1. “Who is your Lord? 2. “What is your Din?” 3. “Who is your Prophet?” The answers are: 1. Allah (SWT) 2. Islam 3. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The grave is the first of the hereafter’s domiciles; if one passes through it safely, what follows will be easier; and if one does not pass through it safely, what follows will be more horrible.” One who was a good Muslim will know The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Actions these answers, and he will be shown his place in are but by intentions and every man shall have but that Paradise, and the grave will be a place of bliss.. But which he intended.” (Sahih Muslim) Every single good those who do not answer correctly will be shown their deed we do must be for the sake of Allah (SWT), place in Hell, and they will be punished in their grave otherwise, in The Afterlife, it will be utterly useless. The until The Day of Judgement. Prophet Muhammad only reason one would ever work for Khilafah, would (PBUH) once said: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from be because it is an obligation from their Lord, and He the punishment of the grave.” (SWT) will ask every single one of us when we stand Then, there is the Day of Resurrection, when all of before him on The Day of Judgement about this us will be resurrected from our graves, and it will be a obligation, not to mention the other obligatory duties. day of chaos: Allah (SWT) describes it as: “The day on We must perform all of them. which men shall be as scattered moths.” (al Qur’an, Our Akhira begins when we die. Death is the door Surah al Qaari’a, Ayat 4) We will be asked about our to the Ghayb (the unseen things), it is the entry point deeds, we will be judged, by The Judge, who is most into the Akhira. When someone is about to die, they just, and we will then take our place in al Junnah, or al will either be on the verge of bliss, or despair. Prophet Jahannam. Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When death comes to a believer, he is given glad tidings of Allah’s acceptance We must do many good deeds, we must bear and bounties. Nothing is dearer to him than what is witness to Allah (SWT) and his Messenger, we must ahead: he loves to meet Allah; and Allah loves to meet make Salaat, we must give Zakaat, we must fast in this him. But when death comes to a disbeliever, he is Holy Month of Ramadan, and we must make Hajj if we given tidings of Allah’s. are able. We must be kind to the old, young, and torture and punishment. Nothing is more hateful to animals. And we must implement The Shariah of Allah him than what is ahead: he hates to meet Allah; and (SWT) on the earth via the re-establishment of The Allah hates to meet him.” Islamic Khilafah. In his Tafsir of al Qur’an, al Qurtubi Our souls will then be taken up to Allah (SWT), said about the Khalef that: “…he is listened to and he and we will finally meet him. He (SWT) will inform us of is obeyed, for the word is united through him, and the His pleasure or anger. We will then be put into our Ahkam ( laws) of the Caliph are implemented through grave, it is no more that a small hole in the ground, him…” and we will enter it alone. When we are in the grave, We must get the balance right between fear and hope. Abu 'All Rowzbari has said, "Fear and hope are

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like the two wings of a bird. If they are well balanced, the flight will be well balanced. But, If one is stunted, the Right would also be stunted. And, to be sure, if the two are lost, the bird will soon be in the throes of death." Another classical scholar, ibn Qudamah al Maqdasi said this very same thing. May Allah (SWT) allow us all to enter his garden, and be kept far from his mighty wrath. Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar.

An Example of Courage - Abdullah ibn Masud. Those ‘Wanna be Gangsters’ who drive around in lowered cars blasting out satanic music who think that they are ‘hard men’ should look to the example of ‘Abdullah ibn Masoud to see true bravery. ‘Abdullah embraced Islam when he was only 14 years of age. The companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) were together one day in Makkah. They were still few in numbers and oppressed. They said, “The Quraish have not yet heard the Qur’an being recited openly and loudly. Who is the man who could recite it for them?’ “I shall recite it to them,” volunteered ‘Abdullah ibn Masoud. “We are afraid for you,” they said. “We only want someone who has a clan who would protect him from their evil.” “Let me,” ‘Abdullah ibn Masoud insisted, “Allah shall protect me and keep me away from their evil.” He then went out to the Quraish until he reached Maqam Ibrahim (a few meters from the Ka’ba). It was dawn and the Quraish were sitting around the Ka’ba. ‘Abdullah stopped at the Maqam and began to recite: “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful). He has taught the Qur’an. He has created man and taught him the clear speech. The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses calculated with measured out stages for each...” [ Al-Rahman: 1-5] He went on reciting. The Quraish looked at him intently and some of them said, “What is Ibn Umm Abd saying? Damn him! He is reciting some of what Muhammad brought!” They went up to him and began beating his face as he continued reciting. When he went back to his companions the blood was flowing from his face. “This is what we feared for you,” they said. “By Allah,” replied ‘Abdullah, “the enemies of Allah are not more comfortable than I at this moment. If you wish I shall go out tomorrow and do the same.”

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5 “You have done enough,” they said. “You have made them hear what they dislike.” The moral of this story, is that we as Muslims need to have bravery and valour. Abdullah ibn Masud (ra) did not care about his small stature and low status in Meccan society. Despite that, he was brave enough to go to the Quraysh, the leading clan among the Arabs, and recite al Qur’an to them, despite what they had in their power to do to him. How many of us can say we would have that bravery? We should try and be like The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his noble companions, among them Abdullah ibn Masud (ra).

Farewell Message Jazakallah khayr, dear Brothers and Sisters for reading this volume, insha’Allah, we are thinking of planning some special Iftaar events later in Ramadan, so please ask any brothers on the Da’wah stall regarding that please. Please don’t forget to pray for The Revival of The Muslim Ummah, and please don’t forget to get involved in work to re-establish The Khilafah. Please look forwards to the fourth volume, insha’Allah. If you have any queries, please contact: [email protected] Allahumma a'izzal-Islama wal-Muslimeen. Ameen As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakarahu Ramadan Kareem!