The Circle Of Life

Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. May Allah bless all of you. To our brothers and sisters who have taken and will be taking their examinations, I would like to wish all of you a good luck and may all of you succeed with flying colours.J

Dear brothers and sisters,

Have a look at our own lives, we frequently complain at every little thing? We might think that our lives are more distressing and pity compared to our friends or relatives. Why are they wealthy? Why am I so unlucky? Is this my fate of life? Indeed, we always view the contrary whenever we see successful people. Having this kind of thoughts makes us give up easily and assume that this is our destiny while we actually have no knowledge about it at all. Therefore, it is important to realise that our fate is in the hands of Allah, who is All-Knowing. Allah knows what best for us. If we do not get what we have planned and worked for, there must be hikmah behind it. This is because Allah has a better plan for us in the future or the hereafter. Yet as a Muslim, we should strive for the best, work hard and always pray to Allah after that. This is what we call as tawakkal. The question is how we can get a good destiny? In this blog, I would like to share a few steps on how we could change our destiny with Allah’s will.

Prayer &Doa’

This is one of the first things that we must always bear in our mind as a Muslim. Performing five times prayers in a day is the second pillar of Islam after reciting the two Syahadahs. It is vital for a Muslim to obey Allah’s commands by accomplishing all the five pillars. Besides performing prayers, another act that can change the qada’ and qadar with Allah’s will is doa’.

According to Tsauban R.A, the Prophet says, “Nothing can resist the fate besides prayer”. - Authentic hadith narrated by IbnHibban in his Sahih. (Agreed upon by al-Zahabiauthencity).

Hence, there is no excuse for us to stop praying to Allah. Furthermore, Allah has listed out a few times and places where doa’s is certainly fulfilled (Mustajab). This shows that Allah has a full of compassion on us and He is indeed the Most Merciful.

Good Deeds

Sometimes, doing something for the benefits of ourselves is not good enough. What we should be reminded is that we must always perform good deeds for the others such as charity. Though, the easiest way to be a generous person is by volunteering in any community services or by just helping the unfortunates. Allah loves people who are willing to sacrifice their work and time for other people’s convenience. By doing this, insyaAllah we will be rewarded with pahala.

This is based on the hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik, saying that the Prophet said: “The charity is able to suppress the wrath of al-Rabb (Allah).” Hadith narrated by Tirmidhi no. 664.

HusnuZon (Having Good Intention) of Allah and Others

At some point in our lives, we might have met people who keep blaming Allah whenever they had a misfortune. To them, Allah does not love them anymore or Allah has acted unfairly to them, and many other excuses. It is absolutely irrational for us to blame Allah for whatever we encounter in our lives. Do keep this in our mind; has Allah not given us enough? We should be grateful since Allah has created us and given us a life. Most importantly, born as a Muslim is one of the biggest awards that Allah has had ever conferred us. Also, we should always have good intention not only to Allah but other people as well.

The Prophet says:"Do notdie unless youare husnuzon(good intention) ofGod." -AuthenticHadithnarrated by Muslim, Ahmadandal-Bayhaqi.

I would like to share a story about an ordinary young lady who has a bad perception towards a young man in a railway station which takes place in the U.K. This lady is on her way to her hometown. While waiting for the train to come, she gets herself a newspaper to do the crossword, a cup of coffee and a packet of cookies. As she goes and sits on a bench, a perfect ordinary-looking young man sits beside her, wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase.

At first, the lady does not notice anything weird in that man. Suddenly, the man leans to his left and picks up the packet of cookies, tears it open, takes one out, and has a bite of it. What she does is has a look at the newspaper, takes a sip of coffee, tries to do the crossword as she cannot do anything. What do you think happens next? She will just have to go for it and there she tries very hard not to notice the fact that the packet is already mysteriously opened. She takes out a cookie for herself. She thinks, that will settle the man. But it is not because a moment or two later, the man does it again. He takes another cookie.

He takes one, she takes one, he takes one, and she takes one. It feels like a lifetime. Finally, when they get to the end, the man stands up and walks away. Well, they exchange meaningful looks then he walks away, and the lady breathes a sigh of relief and sits back. A moment or two later the train is coming in, so she tosses back the rest of her coffee, stands up, picks up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper are her cookies. As she notices her cookies, she feels embarrassed as she is the one eating the man’s cookies.

Hence, this shows us that having good intention of others is essential and this helps us build rapport with other people and become a respectful person.

Effort & Hard work

Last but not least, we could change our fate of life by effort and hard work. We must not solely depend on chances or luck for us to get what we want. If our first attempt doesn’t work, try to find a new way to reach to the top and never give up if we ever fail. Many people in this world from the past had shown to us that hard work really pays. For instance, our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W never gave up preaching the people about Islam. He is the best role model that we have in Islam. There is no reason for us to never put an effort in order to become successful.

There is a saying that journey to a million miles begins with a single step. So, start your journey by setting a goal in every single thing that you do. Always begin with basmallahand remember Allah once you are at the top.InsyaAllah you will succeed.

At that’s it for this time, thank you for willing to spend your time reading this article. I hope it benefits you. Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

Written by,

Muhammad Anwar bin Azrin

Bureau of Economy

MSOC 2013/2014

 "One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter"

- James Earl Jones

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From A Reader: The Arts Of Being Happy

Assalamualaikum :)

Hi. I’m one of the MSOC-blog’s readers. And when I read the recent post on "the art of being happy" I smiled to myself as I too seem to have forgotten that I shouldn’t be putting conditions to be happy and because that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.

“If only I can finish covering all the systems, go through all the past year papers AND remember everything during my 1^st Professional Exam, I would be the happiest person on earth”

And to make things worse, I was reminded of a post I wrote some time ago (about happiness. Attached below), claiming how I *rarely* put conditions to be happy.

Duh. What a hypocrite. I’m basically putting lots and lots of conditions to be happy now.

If I can get a Secret Recipe cake, if we (me and my housemates) can borrow Arman’s oven, if I can get Pnut’s camera for a day, if my pieces can get published, if I can get a really good cup of coffee and of course, the exam one.

And as I read my post back, I realized that what we all need is – a constant reminder. Thanks for the post as it technically brought me back to being happy, just with what I have.

Working hard for exam and all the other things in life is kind of a necessity but it’s also something else. Not a condition to be happy. (Someone should explain that in another post).

Well. Below is my post about happiness *with some editing*. Hope it’s beneficial, insyaAllah.
(originally posted at http://thefinaldefence.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/o-e/ on Mar 8,2012) 

…..
Title: O.E.

Okay. Now, I would like to story-morry about how to be happy. Not that I don’t have my own downs, my sad times, my gloomy days. Almost every day would be my bad-tudung-day (if my tudung isn’t folded –if you know what I mean-, then you should know that it's a BTD!). But then, I believe that despite all, I have more happy times than sad ones, Alhamdulillah.

How?

Easy, just appreciate everything you have.

The idea of appreciating everything hit me hard when I always listen to my chemistry lecturer (Madam –now Dr.- Shanti) saying ,
"You must appreciate this formula,". And, I’ll go  "(??)How do you “appreciate” a formula – ‘cuz after all it’s a FOR-MU-LA?".

Truth is, till today I don’t know if what I understood from what she said is actually what she was trying to say. Anyway, I believe there'retonnes of ways of APPRECIATING.

The last time I played “AciLigan” (a game where you have to run and catch your friends or run away from your friend who's supposed to catch you) was when I was 12 and that was one game I shall not forget to the dayI die (well, unless i got amnesia or Alzheimer’s). The suspense, thrill and ‘heart attack’ it can give you is simply awesome. I loved it. So, after A-Level the other day, after sets of badminton games, I played this game with a friend. It was brief though – for a very short period. But I was contented.

I haven’t ride on a motorbike for years. When my uncle took me on his bike the few days ago, I was super-delighted! Like super-super-super happy you know! I don't understand it myself. I mean, okay I was on a bike, so? No no, it was not JUST, because it was SO awesome. How it feels when you have always been in a car, or bus when travelling? You see everything through the window (opened or closed). It is so different when I put the helmet on, with the plastic shield covering part of my face. I'd lift that up,I don't want anything to block my view of the beautiful scenery that seems so near yet so far and better still, while I’m moving! The air moving fast, thinking of whether I hit the air or did it hit me, it made me feel so much better than standing in front of a fan on a very hot day. It is really cool that you can feel the invisible gases that make up the air hitting your skin. The lights from the various cars and buildings, the noise and sounds they made, the thick black sky that changes in pattern and colour as we move. It was like a roller coaster ride (ignore the fact that I never ride on a roller coaster).  I was happy. Full stop.

Yeah, those are the two things (from many others)which I am happy for. I have wonderful friends who never stop annoying me, that's bliss. I mean, how many people get friends to fight but don't end up being enemies? See what I mean?

It's all about looking at things the right way. Some people say your mood depends on what you did in the morning ie how you start your day. Well, it might be true but I don't stick to that. You did something wrong? You feel bad? Ah-ha! You realized it already? Nah, start changing, now! The day has not ended yet. :)

If you set yourself conditions to be happy, then it might be too difficult to be happy. "I'll be happy when all the debts are paid" "I'll be happy if only I get all As" "I'll be happy when I move to a new home"

These 'when's and 'if's are very uncertain. How can you achieve anything when you're not happy working towards it?

It is difficult to be happy when everything seems to be going against you. But being happy despite all means being grateful to Allah subhanahuwata'ala continuously. It's hard, but it's possible.

So everyone, be happy. If you know the true meaning of it, life will be so much easier, MasyaAllah.

See ya!

Oh, by the way, O.E. stands for Over Excited. :)

The writer is (as she claims)an avid bloggerwho loves to write her mind out. Feel free to check out her site at http://thefinaldefence.wordpress.com/ . Comments and ideas are most welcome.

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The Art of Being Happy

The Art of Being Happy

I was recently asked by my non-Muslim friend, what makes you feel happy in this life. That’s easy! Of course I have lots of reasons to be happy. The list are long, to put them in words, it’s pretty hard though. And I do feel that this topic is of paramount importance especially in this era where many people are suffering from melancholy at some point in their life.

credit to google image

What is Happiness?

 “Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy”-Wikipedia definition. And most of us would think that we would be “happy” if we were able to obtain some life achievement (being a doctor, own a mansion, married to a perfect person) or that our happiness would disappear if we failed in exam, chased by Ah Long.. err etc etc)

But psychologists have found that happiness is a state that we can cultivate, that does not have to be permanently affected by the things that happen to us externally. The more we work on our happiness, the easier it is to come back to it after times of hardship.

Thus, happiness is not simply a giddy feeling that we get now and then. It is something more of what we can be described as a general state of contentment, or redha.

Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas, radi Allahu `anhu  (may God be pleased with him), who is one of the ten Companions promised paradise, said to his son: “If you ask for wealth, then ask for contentment to accompany it. If contentment does not accompany it, then no money will satisfy you.”

We all want that contentment, and lets work for it by following the guides given by Alllah from the Quran.

How to be happy

1.      Gratefulness: We are told in the Qur’an: “And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” (Qu’ran, 18:18). MasyaAllah, indeed we are blessed by ni’mat given by Him but we keep on complaining to get this and that. Thus, instead of focusing on what we do not have, or the negative things that happened to us in a day, we should focus on what we have been given.

2.      Optimism: He teaches us to be optimistic even in times of distress, when He says, “So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is relief,” (Qur’an, 94:5-6). Every hardship comes with at least two reliefs, so focus on the good that Allah (swt) gave you to help overcome the bad. Moreover, we are also reminded “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not,” (Qur’an, 2:216). Being optimistic means not seeing simply the hardship, but what could be behind the hardship in terms of lessons, and seeing that it could be a good thing.

3.      Purpose: A recent UCLA study showed that the happiness that comes from having a deep sense of meaning and purpose in life can contribute to favorable gene-expression profiles. When you know what you are pursuing, it makes everything worth it? We all know we were sent worship God, (Qur’an:51:56) and to become the caliphs in this world (qur’an:2:30), thus these purpose of life will make our life worth to live in.

4.      Love: We all have people that love us and we have people that we love. Fostering a  good relationships with our family and friends will definitely bring happiness to our life. Because it is not only a duty, but also something that enriches our life.

Practical Tips

This is a list that might help:-

1. Realize that happiness is truly from within.
2. Build hope and faith in Allah, and develop your relationship with Him: Study His Names, focus on connecting to Him through your prayers, reflect over the Qur’an and have secret good deeds that no one knows about but Him.
3. Develop yourself: Prophet ﷺ said that wisdom is the lost property of the believer, so we should be seeking wisdom in all its forms.
4. Smile: It’s a sunnah (tradition of the Prophet ﷺ)
5. Do good: There are countless ahadeeth (sayings of the Prophet) that encourage us to do good for others, without expecting anything for ourselves.

6. Express gratitude: “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor],” (Qur’an, 14:7). You will be given more—materially—but also spiritually. There will be barakah, which means increase.
7. Good friends: The Prophet ﷺ taught us that “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace,” (Bukhari).
8. Develop a relationship with your family: The Prophet ﷺ tells us, “The best of you are those who are best to their families,” (Tirmidhi).
9. Take a break: Do you like knitting? Maybe take time out and watch a documentary. Play martial arts. Do some yoga. Go out for coffee. Chill in the park. This is not haraam and is not considered a waste of time if we are being balanced (and as long as the thing itself is not haraam).
10. Sleep well:. When a man came to the Prophet ﷺ saying that he prayed all night long, the Prophet ﷺ  reminded him that his body and his family had rights over him. In the Qur’an, we are taught that Allah (swt) “…made your sleep [a means for] rest, And made the night as clothing, And made the day for livelihood” (78:9-11).

11. Eat well: Allah (swt) says: “O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess” (Qur’an, 7:31).
12. Be fit
13. Have discipline: Jaber bin Abdullah (ra), one of the companions, was carrying a piece of meat. “Umar saw him and said, ‘What is this Jaber?’ To which Jaber replied ‘I desired some meat so I bought it.’ Umar looked at him and said ‘And do you buy whatever you desire?’”

May Allah grant us happiness in this dunya and hereafter. Aminnn.

Tips taken from Suhaibbwebb.com

-Written by Fitrahana Sururi (3rd Sem Medical Student).

-28th October 2013.

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Eid-ul-Adha

Peace upon to you my brothers and sisters. Alhamdulillah, thank God that today we still live in Islam. May Allah always bless us and pour out forgiveness to all of us. As we acknowledge, we will be celebrating Aidiladha next week. As many are aware, it is one of the biggest and most important events in the annual Muslim calendar.

            Eid-ul-Adha is  the  Muslim festival that marks the end of the pilgrimage to Makkah  known as Hajj. Eid-ul-Adha is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,”and it commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s faith and devotion to God.

According to Islam, God asked Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, and although he was a good man and loved his son very much; his faith and devotion to God was strong enough that he would accommodate God’s request. Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his own son for God caused God to spare his son’s life in which a lamb was sacrificed in his place.

Islam encourages us to be ever willing to sacrifice in the name of God and actually sacrifice can come in many forms such as time, energy, and material. And we should realise that sacrifice is not only limited on the day of Aidiladha but should be practice in our daily life as our devotion to God.

This is mentioned in verse 2 of Surah al-Kauthar in the Quran: "Therefore to thy Lord turn in prayer and sacrifice."

            Indeed, the true apotheosis of qurban goes beyond the sacrificing of animals. In the context of contemporary society, we need people who are willing to come forward to help others in need.

            The act of qurban should be extended to our everyday lives in the form of altruistic acts. One form of altruism is organ and tissue donation. In Malaysia, the number of organ pledges has increased over the years.

            We as muslim in Malaysia should be aware the majority of the pledges in Malaysia are from non-Muslim and in fact many Muslims are those who are waiting for the organ donations. However, many Muslims are still reluctant to do this donation although National Fatwa Committee has deliberated way back in 1970 that organ donation is permissible in Islam. This reluctance may be the result of a lack of information, lack of understanding or pure selfishness. Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that the reward for saving other people's lives is also significant in the eyes of Islam.

 This is stated in verse 32 of Surah al-Maidah where God says to the effect: "If anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people."

            We should keep in mind that doing service for humanity is one of the greatest ways we can show our devotion to Allah. Allah likes it so much when we help others that He forgives us our sins for something as simple as moving some thorns out of the path where people walk. Allah grants His forgiveness to those who sacrifice of themselves to help the victims of misfortune.

Abû Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “A man was going on his way when he saw brambles in the path. He moved these out of the way. Allah so esteemed his virtuous act that He granted him forgiveness." [Sahih Muslim] The main lesson to draw from this hadith is the prayers and other ritual acts of worship that we perform are fruitless unless we engage in the service of humanity.

The value of helping others is a universal truth, because Allah does not ignore the person who makes sacrifices in the service of fulfilling people's needs. We as Muslims should try to cultivate the habit of giving service to humanity, seeking only Allah's pleasure and His reward in the Hereafter. J

Editted by : NOR AZLIN BINTI MUSTAPA

ACADEMIC AND TARBIYAH BUREAU

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Based on articles in official portal of INSTITUT KEFAHAMAN ISLAM MALAYSIA (IKIM) and Islam Today Website.

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Sunnah Acts of Fasting

Sunnah Acts of Fasting

“Whosoever do the sunnah acts of fasting gets the reward and whoever does not do them will not be a sinner”

When The Prophet SAW did it, of course there are lots of benefits behind them.

1.       THE MORNING MEAL (SAHUR)

The Prophet SAW said “Take Sahur as there is a blessing in it”

It was reported by Muslim that, eating of Sahur is the difference between the muslims and the people of Scriptures.

Sahur also prepares our body for fasting period hence it facilitates fasting. Not only that, since it is a very encouraged sunnah, one gets an increased amount of reward by waking up for Sahur.

So even just to take a sip of water, do have your Sahur.

2.       DELAYING SAHUR TILL THE LAST PORTION OF THE NIGHT

The Prophet SAW said “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of fast and delay the morning meal”

3.       THE BEST THINGS ONE MAY TAKE AS SAHUR ARE DRIED DATES

The Prophet SAW said “The best Sahur of the believer is dates”

Having a high glycemic index, dates also can give your body the level of glucose needed for fasting.

4.       HASTENING THE BREAKING OF THE FAST (IFTAR)

One should hasten breaking the fast as long as he is absolutely sure about setting of the sun. A delayed breaking of fast is the practice of Jews and Christians.

The Prophet SAW said “The people will remain on the right path as long as they hasten the breaking of fast and delay the morning meal”

5.  THE DUA’A (INVOCATION) DURING THE FAST AND SPECIALLY AT THE TIME OF BREAKING THE FAST

The Prophet said “Three kinds of Duaa’s (invocations) are to be granted, the first is of the person who is fasting, the second of an oppressed person and the third is of the traveler”

Prepared by : Liyana Mardhiah

Secretary of MSOC 2013/2014
International Medical University (IMU)

  

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Change

Peace be upon you brothers and sisters for wherever we are right now, may Allah bless our souls InsyaAllah. As everyone acknowledge, the month of blessing, Ramadhan is approaching us less than in a week ! How time flies right ? Ask ourself how the last Ramadhan has changed us internally ?

Brothers and sisters, each of us must accept that we can only change ourselves.  We can’t control anyone else’s feelings or actions. We cannot make anyone love us, treat us better, respect us even when we deserve it, accept us even when we are right, befriend us even when we are sweet, or believe in us even when we’re true. But we can make ourselves love others for the sake of Allah, treat them better, respect them even though they're younger than us, befriend and treat them better no matter how bad they treat you, and always have faith in others.Yeap, it seems a little bit unfair from our point of view, but hey, life isn't always the way we want it to be.

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

Since Ramadhan is just around the corner, we should grab this opportunity to change ourselves as a whole. Some people might find that it is impossible for one to change after been practising his/her lifestyle for almost 20 years now, but dear brothers and sisters, let us open our hearts reading the Quran as Allah has mentioned tremendous number of people whom He changed their heart from knowing nothing about Islam into being one of the best Muslims recorded in the Quran. Lets always inspire ourselves to be a better Muslim. If we can't change wholly in a month, make sure we keep up with the ibadah and all the good deeds throughout the years and be patient while practising them.

"It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided." (2:157)

It is related by Abu Hurairah (RAA) that the Apostle of God (sallallaho alaihi wa sallam) said “When the month of Ramadhan comes, the Gates of Heaven are thrown open and the Gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are put behind bars” In another report, the “Gates of Mercy” are mentioned in place of the “Gates of Heaven”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Done with the intentions, set our environment into an islamic atmosphere. Ask our housemates to perform the prayers together, recite the Quran and correcting each others, join the usrah, involve ourselves with islamic talks and may Allah benefits us to the upmost, insyaAllah.

And this should be the best part about Ramadhan ! When the Gates of Heaven are opened for  24 hours and the Gates of Hell are sealed tightly, and the syaitoons are chained by Allah at no cost ! What more could we asked for ? Allah has sufficiently provide us the best month without the presence of syaitoon. So that we know whenever we are lazy to perform any extra good deeds, its not the syaitoon, it comes from us. So thats where exactly we should be focusing to change ourselves. Force ourselves to perform good deeds and insyaAllah in time we will get use to the practise and continue it whole-heartedly.  And remember to always seek du'a for ourselves and our brothers and sisters who are unfortunate, and ask Allah for forgiveness and bring us closer each day to Jannah, InsyaAllah.

“Certainly those who observe patience will be given their reward in full without measure.” [39:10]

Wallahualam. 

Editted by: Nurul Atikah
Bureau of Publicity And Sport
International Medical University (IMU)

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FORGIVING AND FORGIVEN

Alhamdulillah my brothers and sisters in Islam, we have finally reached the month of Syaban. There is only less than a  month before the coming of Ramadhan and during these time our beloved prophet (may allah bless him and grant him peace) would recite this doa in hoping that Allah would grant him the chance to meet Ramadhan.

‘Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha'aban wa ballighna Ramadhan'

  “O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan.”
[Narrated by at-Tabarani and Ahmad]

From the doa, we realize how important it is to actually experience Ramadhan every year but it is sad that muslims nowadays don’t put their best effort in taking all the reward Ramadhan has to offer. Verily, Ramadhan is blessed month where the Quran was revealed, the Angels in large numbers descend down to earth during the Night of Qadr, the shayatin cuffed and hence providing the golden opportunity to increase in taqwa so that we may survive the remaining month in the battle with nafs and syaitan.

Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Bukhari)

Another goal during Ramadhan is also to be forgiven from all the past sins and this goal must be achieved as in the hadith from the prophet (may allah bless him and grant him peace):

Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “May the man before whom I am mentioned – and he does not send salat (praises) upon me – be humiliated. And may a man upon whom Ramadan enters and then passes and his sins are not forgiven, be humiliated. And may a man whose parents (or one of them) reached old age in his presence, and they were not a cause for his entrance to Paradise, be humiliated.” (At-Tirmidzi. Classed as hasan sahih by Sh.Albani)

Dear Brothers and sisters, the way to be forgiven by Allah is of course taking care of your fast, tarawih, staying up during the last ten days of ramadhan for Lailatul Qadr, Tilawatul Quran. Everyone should strive and do their best to gain the pleasure of Allah through these means. However, one should never ever forget that we in our Deen there are habluminallah and habluminannas. Let us shed some light on this amazing verse from surah An-Nur.  

And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (An-Nur: 22)

This is a verse that came down after the slander against Ummul Mu’minin A’ishah (radiallahu anha). Among the people who are involved in false accusation is Mistah ibn Uthaha (radiallahu anhu) who Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiallahu anhu) used to provide because of latter kinship and his poverty. Therefore, after Allah proved Aishah’s innocence through the revelation of verse 11 in the same surah, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiallahu anhu) said: “By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah anything after what he has said about A’ishah”.  So, Allah revealed the verse above.

Immediately, Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) said “Yes, by Allah I wish Allah should forgive me”. So, he resumed the aid he gave to Mistah. He then continued on saying: “By Allah, I will never withhold it from him at all”.

From this, we learn a very important lesson. Forgiving others of their mistake is a way of gaining the forgiveness of Allah. We as humans are never without mistakes and sins towards Allah. And some sins are just too grave that we think that Allah is never going to forgive but He asked us to never be deprived of His rahmah.

Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Unlike the Creator, the creation (i.e human) is always finding faults of others, and they find it difficult to forgive those who wronged them even for the most trivial of things. However, at the same time, in their solah they recite ‘Rabbighfirli (Ya Rabb, forgive me), after solah they say “Astarghfirullah (I seek the forgiveness of Allah), in their dua’ they ask “Allhummaghfrilana (Oh Allah, please forgive us) without shame expecting to be forgiven while they do not have the heart to forgive others.

Here, we should compare ourselves with the Sahabah. Think, how great of a sin is to slander the wife of Rasulallah, the daughter of his best companion and the Mother of The Believers? Does it even deserve to be forgiven? Yet, Abu Bakr was (radiallahu anha) willing to pardon and overlook everything for the sake of the forgiveness of Allah. There are many other narrations that talks on how forgiving the Rasulallah and the Companions are and we should follow their virtue as they are the best of people.

Narrated ‘Abdullah (radiallhu anha) The Prophet (sallallahu ala alaihissalam) said, “The best amongst the people are those living in my century (generation), and then those coming after them, and then those coming after the latter. Then there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths, and their oaths will precede their witness.” (Sahih Bukhari)

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, reconcile amongst yourselves for He will reconcile among the believers in the akhirah.

There will be two men from this Ummah that will come before Allah (Azza Wa Jalla). One man will say, “so and so has transgressed against me and I want from his good deeds.” Allah will tell him, “do you see this great palace in paradise?” And the man will look at the palace, and Allah will say to him, “it will belong to you if you forgive your brother today.” And the man will forgive him. Rasulullah (sallallahu ala alaihissalam) said at the end of this hadith:  “safeguard yourselves from Allah, and reform and reconcile amongst yourselves, indeed Allah will reconcile between the believers (on the Day of Judgment).” (Narrated by al-Hakeem with authentic chain)

Editor: Mohd Hafizudin Mohd Zaki

President 2013/2014

Muslim Society (MSOC)

International Medical University (IMU) Bukit Jalil.

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