Even a Smile is an Act of Charity

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Charity is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises.” He was then asked: “From what do we give charity every day?” The Prophet answered: “The doors of goodness are many…enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one’s legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one’s arms—all of these are charity prescribed for you.” He also said: “Your smile for your brother is charity.”(Via: Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 98 )

Fruits: Benefit of Eating Dates

A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is a premium source of vitamin C and supplies 230 kcal (960 kJ) of energy. They are fat free, cholesterol free, and are a good source of fiber. Every 100 gram portion includes Vitamin A — 5 mcg beta-carotene and 75 mcg lutein + zeaxanthin and Vitamin B-complex total folate - 13 mcg. A single date contains Vitamin B6. Dates also contain Vitamin A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and more than 20 different amino acids, helping us digest and assimilate carbohydrates easier and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies. The selenium (a powerful antioxidant) lowers the risk of cancer and heart diseases, as well as helps us keep our immune systems healthy. As a single date contains around 23 calories, this very low calorie count and the huge amount of healthy substances in dates make them one of the best nutrition sources for a diet plan menu. (Via: http://www.organicfoods.com)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “O God, grant me life as a poor man, cause me to die as a poor man and resurrect me in the company of the poor.” His wife asked him why he said that, and he replied: “Because (the poor) will enter Paradise (before) the rich. Do not turn away a poor man even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you God will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection.” - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1376

Maqam Ibrahim (Station of Ibrahim)

 

In order to complete the upper part of the walls of the Kaaba, Ibrahim stood upon a large stone block which he moved along when each section was completed. When the Kaaba was finished, the large stone block was left outside the Kaaba, close to the eastern wall of the sanctuary. It became known as the ‘Maqam Ibrahim’ (the station of Ibrahim). Today, the Maqam Ibrahim, with the stone within, is located in front of the door of the kaaba. The boulder is about 2 x 3 feet. Where it stands today is the place where Ibrahim offered up his prayers. (Via: www.hajjinformation.com )

“God does not look at your forms and possessions, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” (Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet Muhammad (saw), said “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.”

99 names of Allah

Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “Verily to Allah belongs ninety-nine names, one-hundred less one. Whoever encompasses (memorizes and understands) them will enter paradise.” (narrated by Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim).

 

The Prophet سليمان‎ Sulaymān

Download the document on Prophet Sulaymān (pbuh) Solomon also appears in the Qur’an, where he is called سليمان in Arabic, which is transliterated in English variously as Sulayman, Suleiman, Sulaimaan etc. The Qur’an refers to Sulayman as the son of David (Arabic: Dawud, Dawood, or Dawoud), a prophet and a great ruler imparted by God with tremendous wisdom, favor, and special powers (like his father). The Qur’an states that Sulayman ruled not only people, but also hosts of Jinn, was able to understand the language of the birds and ants, and to see some of the hidden glory in the world that was not accessible to most other human beings. Ruling a large kingdom that extended south into Yemen, he was famed throughout the lands for his wisdom and fair judgments.And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, “Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.” Even then men learned from these two magic, by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah’s permission, and they learned what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who bought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls, had they but known this. (Holy Quran, chapter 2.102) Solomon is said to have been given control over various things, such as the wind, and transportation. Thus the Qur’an says,

And to Solomon (We subjected) the wind, its morning (stride from sunrise till midnoon) was a month’s (journey), and its afternoon (stride from the midday decline of the sun to sunset) was a month’s (journey i.e. in one day he could travel two months’ journey). And We caused a fount of (molten) brass to flow for him, and there were jinn that worked in front of him, by the Leave of his Lord, And whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause him to taste of the torment of the blazing Fire. Quran 34:12

And before Sulayman were marshaled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks. Quran 27:17

And Solomon, accordingly grateful of God, says

“O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed from everything: this is indeed the Grace manifest (from God).” Quran 27:16

According to the Qur’an, the death of Solomon held a lesson to be learned:

Then, when We decreed (Solomon’s) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task). Quran 34:14

According to tradition, when Solomon died he was standing watching the work of his Jinn, while leaning on his cane. There he silently died, but did not fall. He remained in this position, and the Jinn, thinking he was still alive watching them work, kept working. But termites were eating the cane, so that the body of Solomon fell after forty days. Thereafter, the Jinn (along with all humans) regretted that they did not know more than God had allotted them to know. .