Nice Pics about Islam 2

How to Calculate and Pay Your Yearly Zakat

 

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam.  It has been mentioned, along with daily Prayers (Salaat / Namaz), over seventy times in the Quran.  Allahs word commanding “…..and establish regular Salaat and GIVE regular Zakat…..” are referred to in many parts of the Quran.  From this we can conclude that after Salaat, Zakat is the most important act in Islam. Just as Salaat is the most important act of worship which has to be performed bodily, so is Zakat the main act of worship which has to be performed monetarily. Those who fulfill this duty have been promised abundant reward in this world and hereafter.

 Whoever evades Zakat has been sternly warned in the Quran and Hadith of the consequences.

 Linguistically, ZAKAT has two meanings: purification and growth. Technically, it means to purify ones possession of wealth by distributing a prescribed amount to the poor, the indigent, the slaves or captives, and the wayfarer. There are many major benefits of giving Zakat:

It reminds Muslims of the fact that whatever wealth they may possess is due to the blessings of Allah and as such it is to be spent according to the His commands.

Zakat functions as a social security for all. Those who have enough money today pay for what they have. If they need money tomorrow they will get what is necessary to help them live decently.

Zakat payer pays his dues to Allah as an act of worship, a token of submission and an acknowledgment of gratitude. The receiver of Zakat receives it as a grant from Allah out of His bounty, a favor for which he is thankful to Allah.

Economically, Zakat is the best check against hoarding. Those who do not invest their wealth but prefer to save or hoard it would see their wealth dwindling year after year at the rate of the payable Zakat. This helps increase production and stimulates supply because it is a redistribution of income that enhances the demand by putting more real purchasing power in the hands of poor.

 Zakat is obligatory upon a person if :

He or she is an adult, sane, free and Muslim.

He/she must possess wealth in excess of specified minimum (Nisaab) excluding his or her personal needs (clothing, household furniture, utensils, cars etc. are termed article of personal needs).

It should be possessed for a complete lunar year.

It should be of productive nature from which one can derive profit or benefit such as merchandise for business, gold, silver, livestock etc.

The amount of wealth which makes one liable for Zakat is called Nisaab.

Gold 87.48 Gram 7.50Tolas 1350Grains 2.8125Troy Oz.

Silver 612.36Gram 52.50Tolas 9450Grains and 19.6875 Troy Oz.

Nisaab of cash, stock or bonds, other cash assets is the equivalent amount of Gold or Silver. Nisaab is calculated by adding up the cash value of all the assets such as gold, silver, currency etc. and if it is equal TO or in excess of the minimum Nisaab as specified in the above table, the Zakat is due at the rate of 2.5%.

The payment of Zakat is compulsory on the excess wealth or effects which is equal to or exceeds the value of Nisaab, and which is possessed for a full Islamic year. If such wealth decreases during the course of the year and increases again to the value of Nisaab before the end of the year, the Zakat then must be calculated on the full amount that is possessed at the end of the year.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS IMPOSED:

Gold and silver, in any form.

Cash, bank notes, stocks, bonds etc.

Merchandise for business, equal to the value of Nisaab.

Live stock.

On income derived from rental business.

DISTRIBUTION OF ZAKAT:

Zakat should be given as soon as possible after it becomes due.

All of the Zakat can be given to one person or to several persons.

A poor man cannot be paid for his work from Zakat nor can Zakat be given in payment of services, except to the people appointed by the Islamic government to collect Zakat.

Zakat will only be valid if the recipient is made the owner of that amount. If, for example, a few needy persons are fed a meal from Zakat money, then Zakat will not be fulfilled as they were not made owners of the food.

Zakat cannot be given for the construction of Masjid, Madrasah, Hospital, a well, a bridge or any other public amenity.

Zakat can be paid in kind from the same merchandise on which it is due, or alternatively, it could be paid in cash.

TYPES OF WEALTH ON WHICH ZAKAT IS NOT IMPOSED:

On any metals other than gold or silver.

Mawlid: Should We Celebrate It?

In few days time, Muslims prepare to celebrate the Mawlid (the birthday) of our Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam. However, is such a celebration permissible or forbidden? To know the answer of this question, we have to ask a number of other questions and answer them. Did the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam celebrate his own birthday which was as some say on the 12th of Rabe’e Al Awal?

The companions who loved him most, did they celebrate it? Those who came after them, did they celebrate it? If the best 3 generations didn’t celebrate it, is it possible that we know more than them? What was not part of our religion then, can never be part of our religion today as it is an innovation. ~ Shaykh Assim Alhakeem

Ten Minutes and Thirty Nine Seconds to Change Your Life

As-salaamalikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakato,

Subhanallah I just got an email with this link at this time of the morning and the 10 min and 39 secs had a profound impact on me. We should keep this video and review it every so often (perhaps even weekly or monthly) to remind us what and where our ultimate destination will be. It is a good video for us ladies as we do not visit the graves!

I have been so busy purchasing household items at the moment and trying to make my villa “cozy”. We have been living in an empty shell for two and half years with bear minimum: enough to keep us going, not enough to have that cozy feeling though. I am nesting, but my main intention is to ensure that when my family visit (when the baby arrives insha’allah) they are comfortable in my home and will leave with a feeling of not wishing to.

I (cannot speak for you all) do forget in the normal hum drum of life the things I should be really preparing for. My ultimate permanent abode: I lack in this in so many ways. This video has come on a day when I had to witness so much fitnah on national day riding through Riyadh tonight (may Allah guide all the people I saw today). The music and dancing etc was just so alien to me now that I have moved away from the UK, but I really found the whole scene intrusive and got a little angry that my children had to witness it! May Allah protect us and our children.

This video will definitively move you.

I pray that you all use your time and energies to accumulate the good deeds, may Allah accept your deeds, may you do them for His sake only, may you reap the rewards, may He expand your graves until you all rise to meet your Creator. May we help each other as sisters in Islam to remind each other, help each other, guide each other to our Creator and insha’Allah Jannah Firdaws. Ameen

 

Pass this link on to those you know…….it is a great reminder.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDlvrYMBq0k&sns=em

Love you all

 

Fei Amaan Allah (always and forever)

 

Abidah

Books by Umm Zakiyyah

There is an American sister who reverted to Islam many years ago and she shares her writing talent  with her growing number of fans.  Umm Zakiyyah is known for several great reads such as: “If I Should Speak”, “A Voice” and “Footsteps” just to mention a few.  Summaries for these can be read at: http://islamicidentity.blogspot.com/2009/02/book-to-read-by-umm-zakiyyah.html.

This sister has such a great ability to create story lines which put the reader inside the story, create a sense of intense emotion, and to make dawa through the novel format.  If you are up to a great read, check one of these out from your local library (if its not available– request it!!) or order from online book resources.

Recently, some of her shorter writings have been published in Sauidlife, which is where I took the following excerpt.  If you like this, please go to the home site of Saudilife for more wonderful posts….

 

 

 

TEARS nearly filled my eyes as I read the e-mail. The words reminded me of all the converts to Islam that I had spoken to, coached, and counseled over the years. Some still held on to their faith. Some had returned to Islam after having stopped practicing for some time. Others simply let go and weren’t looking back…

Solace…

Yes, that’s what they needed.

Peace of mind. And tranquility…

An open door where others have closed. An open heart where others have hardened. An open mind where others had no capacity to understand.

And open ears where others offered neither time nor sympathy for the spiritual storms erupting in their hearts…

For they, these remarkable pioneers of Islam, had—after realizing its veracity, its undeniable truth, and its offer of internal peace—turned to Islam, turned to Allah…

And embraced His Religion…

Yet…

They were turned away and scorned by non-Muslim family and friends…

And by insensitive Muslims….

 

 

Aashooraa in History- Fasting in Moharram

 

Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Prophet came to Medina , he found (the Jews) fasting on the day of ‘Ashura’ (i.e. 10th of Muharram). They used to say: “This is a great day on which Allah saved Moses and drowned the folk of Pharaoh. Moses observed the fast on this day, as a sign of gratitude to Allah.” The Prophet said, “I am closer to Moses than they.” So, he observed the fast (on that day) and ordered the Muslims to fast on it. [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 609]

“This is a righteous day” – in a report narrated by Muslim, [the Jews said:] “This is a great day, on which Allaah saved Moosa and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his people.”

“Moosa fasted on this day” – a report narrated by Muslim adds: “… in thanksgiving to Allaah, so we fast on this day.”

According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari: “… so we fast on this day to venerate it.”

A version narrated by Imaam Ahmad adds: “This is the day on which the Ark settled on Mount Joodi , so Nooh fasted this day in thanksgiving.”

“and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day” – according to another report also narrated by al-Bukhaari: “He said to his Companions: ‘You have more right to Moosa than they do, so fast on that day.”

The practice of fasting on ‘Aashooraa’ was known even in the days of Jaahiliyyah, before the Prophet’s mission. It was reported that Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The people of Jaahiliyyah used to fast on that day…”

Al-Qurtubi said: “Perhaps Quraysh used to fast on that day on the basis of some past law, such as that of Ibraaheem, upon whom be peace.”

TUITION FREE BA IN ISLAMIC STUDIES ONLINE

IOU PRESS RELEASE

From the 1st of April, Dr Bilal Philip’s Islamic Online University (IOU) launched the world’s first tuition-free, Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies in English completely online. A major new step towards helping Muslims across the globe fulfill the Prophet’s command to seek knowledge of the religion and correct their understanding of its tenets.

After successfully running a collection of 20 free diploma courses since 2007 in which more than 30,000 students are currently registered from more than 177 different countries, Dr Bilal has taken the bold step of offering a BA along similar lines.

This path-breaking initiative utilizes the worldwide presence of the internet and advanced open source online learning technology to bring tuition-free university level Islamic education within reach of virtually anyone on the planet that has access to a computer and the internet.

The program has recorded audio and video lectures and weekly live tutorial classes in a virtual classroom setting on the net and its syllabus is based on the BA in Usool ud-Deen (Religious Foundations) curriculums of Madeenah University, Saudi Arabia, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan, Al-Azhar in Egypt and other similar reputable Islamic institutions. Six subjects are offered each semester. Each semester is 5 months, having an online mid-term exam after two and a half months and a supervised final online at the end of the fifth month. Students are free to access their classes whenever it is convenient for them, however assignments have to be turned in and exams (mid-term and finals) have to be taken at fixed times.

There are no fees for the courses. However, there is a fixed modest registration and examination fee each semester which is calculated on a sliding scale (from $10 to $50) depending on the student’s country of residence. Enrollment for the fall semester (September 2010 – January 2011) has just begun at www.islamiconlineuniversity.com and for further clarification or help, the registrar may be contacted at:

mobile: +974 5554 3968, office: +974 44868458

email: registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com

A Christian Preacher Shares Her Wisdom, Faith, and Knowledge

During this troublesome time of misinformation, fear, misconceptions, intolerance on many sides, it is rare and beautiful to find such eloquence in the realm social dialogue.  I hope and pray that this video finds its way into all homes, and that viewers can comprehend this woman’s wisdom, clarity, humility, and true religious spirit.  May God Almighty open hearts and guide all of us to patience, tolerance, understanding among all members of the human race.

ReadQuranDay | September 14, 2010

Join & Invite
http://www.facebook.com/Read.Quran.Day
–
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word “Islam” itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of “Allah” and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah’s “God’s” religion; the total submission to the will of Allah “God”. The Arabic word “Islam” means the submission or surrender of one’s will to the only true god worthy of worship “Allah” and anyone who does so is termed a “Muslim”, The word also implies “peace” which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God’s religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur’aan, Allah states the following:

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”. (Soorah Al-Maa’idah 5:3)
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him” (Soorah Aal’imraan 3:85)
“Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim.” (Soorah Aal’imraan 3:67)
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses’ people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title “Messiah”. The name “Jesus” on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity’s sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: “Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.