BarakahFactor's Xanga

Surah Al-Qasas (28) verses 29-35

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:40:55 GMT

I wanted to upload this excerpt of the Quran, because I particularly like Mishary Rashid's recitation of it. It's a very powerful complement to these beautiful verses.

Here is the full excerpt of the verses:

and here is the excerpt verse by verse:

	29. Then, when Mûsa (Moses) had fulfilled the term, and was traveling with his family, he saw a fire in the direction of Tûr (Mount). He said to his family: "Wait, Indeed I have seen a fire; perhaps I may bring to you from there some information, or burning wood from the fire that you may warm yourselves."
	30. So when he reached it (the fire), he was called from the right side of the valley, in a blessed place from the tree: "O Mûsa! Verily! I am Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (all that exists)!
	31. "And throw your stick!" But when he saw it moving as if it were a snake, he turned in flight, and looked not back. (It was said): "O Mûsa! Draw near, and fear not. Verily, you are of those who are secure.
	32. "Put your hand in your bosom, it will come forth white without a disease, and draw your hand close to your side to be free from fear. These are two Burhân (signs, miracles, evidences, proofs) from your Lord to Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his chiefs. Verily, they are the people who are Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh).
	33. He said: "My Lord! I have killed a man among them, and I fear that they will kill me.
	34. "And my brother Hârûn (Aaron) he is more eloquent in speech than me so send him with me as a helper to confirm me. Verily! I fear that they will belie me."
	35. Allâh said: "We will strengthen your arm through your brother, and give you both authority, so they shall not be able to harm you, with Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), you two as well as those who follow you will be the victors."

People's Connection With The Quran Part 2

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:50:33 GMT

Last time I mentioned that some people allow their hearts to become detached from the Quran (by not opening it or listening to it for a long time) and let their hearts attached to other than the Word of God. I cited music as an example, but there are many more examples: TV, movies, fictional books, magazines, newspapers, cars, internet, instant messenging; the list goes on.

Image taken from rosevita

    There are so many distractions from the Quran, that we get so absorbed into them and neglect the Quran. Eventually, we'll get so disconnected that listening to Quranic recitation has no effect on us. Or even worse, it slightly irritates us! May Allah save us from that.
    The effect is worsened with school and/or work when we're forced to be in the company of non-muslims for a half a day (or more). Soon enough, you're talking about the stuff they talk about, caring about the stuff they care about, and even angry about the stuff they're angry about. Hours will go by, and you go home and you have no idea what you just blathered on with them about. And at home, we're so focused on winding down and relaxing from a hard day's work, opening the Quran doesn't even cross our mind (by the way, now do you understand the importance of visiting the masjid often and being in the company of the righteous?).
    Especially for those who are detached from the Quran... reading it, trying to understand it, or reciting it seems like a burden/chore. It doesn't make our list of things to do; it doesn't even make our list of things to do when bored. SubhanAllah, how can people have so much time that they have nothing to do but be bored, when there's so much to gain from the Quran?
    We need the Quran. We need it for everything. We need it's guidance, and we need it as a reminder.
    If you don't connect to the quran on a regular basis, you forget about things. You forget about death, the Day of Judgement, Allah's bounties, and blessings; that we're helpless without Allah, we're sinners and we need to repent; and that the life of this world is a deception. We are humans; we are forgetful. That is why verses from the Quran repeat these said realities so often.

More later, inshaaAllah.

Space Out On Your Wallpaper

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:12:22 GMT

This website has some insane wallpapers that are pictures of space. Besides a few "artist's rendition"s, they're all real; all a direct creation of Allah Subhana wa ta'ala.

Do you really think this was created by random?

And to think, what beauty lies for us in Jannah, inshaaAllah.

[15:16] And verily in the heaven We have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders.
Walaqad jaAAalna fee alssama-i buroojan wazayyannaha lilnnathireena

People's Connection with the Quran

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 02:34:33 GMT

I was listening to a tafseer of Surah Al-Fatihah by Suhaib Webb, and here are a couple points from it with my own additions:

For some muslims, the Quran is not in the center of their life because they had a bad first impression. Perhaps, they were learning Quran when they were children, and a bearded uncle would beat them with a stick when they made mistakes during recitation. Or misinterpreted by a teenaged volunteer at your sunday school.

Image taken from Aieman

    Maybe for some people it's because the Quran was some sort of cultural, seasonal ornament only taken down from the mantle/bookshelf for holidays, during Ramadan, or someone passing away.
    Or the Quran was only discussed in the masjid during a khutbah, amongst uncles during a dinner party, or a friend's desperate attempt at a fatwa. Not to be accessed outside the masjid or for discussion with your friends. And only during times of despair or when you desire to "become more religious".
    I have noticed that trend with Desis, or at least some people I know. If you want to be more religious, recite the Quran, they say. True, as long as you have the correct intention and it's according to the sunnah, reciting the Quran (with mistakes and without understanding what you're saying) can have much blessings (a.k.a BARAKAH) and reward (especially for those who recite with difficulty, they get double reward inshaaAllah).
    But, the Quran was not sent for merely reciting, rather it is a book of guidance. Those very same people don't seem very guided in some respects when you look at their actions and some of things they say (Scary thing is, they may have abandoned actions/beliefs they used to adhere to in the past!) But you do know that somewhere inside, they have a desire to know the Quran.
    One of the problems with Desi people might be is that the classical Arabic of the Quran translates to classical Urdu. This "hard Urdu" is not understood by uncles/aunts even though you think they would. Or if they do try to dive in they'll then find something questionable (as no translation of the Quran can be considered equal to the Arabic Quran due to limitations of language differences). And also they know they're not even getting a gist of what's going on because of the lack of commentary but yet they somehow forgot what a tafseer is.
    Consulting a qualified scholar is out of the question, for them. According to them, scholars are thieves and criminals. They take advantage of their power. They are out of touch with laymen, with this dunya, or even reality. They supposedly discourage technology, innovation, and secular education. Their religious rulings are outdated or extremist. In fact, they make religion impractical and much harder than it actually it is. They call them "maulvis" and they are even the butt of jokes. (See 49:11) That may be true when describing some "scholars", but you can't help but feel that those people are making excuses.
    And then it becomes a long time since they had a connection with a Quran at all, and they let their hearts fill with other than Quran. Examples abound; one could be preferring music to the Quran.

More on this later, inshaaAllah.

Links to commentaries

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 02:05:12 GMT

Here are some links to some tafseers of the Quran I found on the internet:
Tafsir ibn Kathir - This you download and read as an ebook "offline"
Tafhimul Quran - by Abul 'Ala Maududi
Ma'ariful Quran - Someone scanned it, and put it up as pdfs for download.

and here are some audio lectures:
http://www.sacredlearning.com/classrooms/tafsir/index.htm

I'm sure there's more. If anybody knows of other good sites (book or audio), lemme know.

Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:18:37 GMT

Ah, now that Ramadan is over, I don't feel to shy to write about food since no one is fasting anymore (except for the hardcore Monday-Thursday people and the people fasting Shawwal, mA)
Anyway, there's nothing like homemade Mac&Cheese baked in the oven. Ask anybody, there's a world of difference between that and the "boxed stovetop variety". Especially if you have that golden-brown cheddar crust on it.
The trick to getting a creamy sauce is to make a roux. Basically it's a mixture of flour and butter that thickens the cheese sauce. Without it....well...I've tried winging it a long time ago and it didn't work out as well.

I've made this recipe (half amount), but there are others to try as well that might be

easier, more straightforward
quicker to make
less fattening (yes, you do need that much cheese)

4 cups (1 pound) elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups milk
1/2 medium onion, stuck with 1 clove
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated Cheddar, plus 1 cup in big chunks
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and toss it with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set it aside. Put the milk into a saucepan and add the clove studded onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mustard. Warm over medium low heat until the milk starts to steam, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux. In a large pot over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter and the flour. Cook, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes; don't let the roux color. Strain the infused milk onto the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 the grated Cheddar and 1/2 the Parmesan; stir until it is melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour this over the macaroni, add the chunks of Cheddar, and mix until well blended; put this into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top. Bake until the top is golden and crusty, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Another tip is to add blanched broccoli near the end of the baking, I like the way it works out.

Atif

Yaum al Jumu'ah!

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 14:41:29 GMT

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads Surat al-Kahf on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays.” Narrated by al-Haakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 836

Here are some similar videos:
Surah 19 Maryam
Surah 35 Fatir
Surah 86 Tariq

There's more videos, but they are by different reciters: QuranWithDvd.com Sample Clips
As for me, I like Mishary Rashid AlEfasy's recitation to the exclusion of everybody else, pretty much . When I started listening to his recitation, it really started to develop a love in my heart for the Quran; which has led to good things AlHamdulillah.
It all began at the UICMSA brother's office (when it still existed), when two bros were sitting there listening to Quran and discussing reciters, and one said that Mishary Rashid's recitation of Surat An-Naba is excellent. So I later dowloaded the mp3 at home and was pretty impressed. I had never heard anybody recite the Quran like that before, and from there I downloaded the entire collection. Goes to show you how one good deed (which was merely mentioning a reciter and surah) can spiral upwards into multiple hasanaat.

Surat An-Naba - Chapter 78 (From Hidayah Online) --- English Translation

Firefox: Opening links in new tabs

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:40:34 GMT

Something I learned yesterday:
If you have a list of links that you want to open in new tabs (say for example the list of links in your subscriptions module), you select all the links with your mouse, and then right click on the selection. You should see "Open links in new tabs", so click on it. All your links will open in their own tab, instead of you having to right click and click "Open in new tab" for each and every link.

Edit: This only works if you have installed the Tab Mix Plus extension for firefox.

Atif

Minor and Major Sins

Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:06:20 GMT

[99:7] Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, shall see it.
Faman yaAAmal mithqala tharratin khayran yarah

[99:8] And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.
Waman yaAAmal mithqala tharratin sharran yarah

Excerpted from Tafseer ibn Katheer:
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Summarized) Part 30
© 1997 Dar as-Salam

"It is reported on the authority of Sa`id ibn Jubayr: When the verse: "And they give food in spite of their love for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive," (76:8) was revealed, the people thought that it would carry no weight if they give some paltry thing in alms. Consequently, they started turning back beggars thinking the alms of a date or a piece of bread to be of no value. They thought that they should give something valuable in alms if they could afford it. On the other hand there was a group who thought that they would not be called to account for small sins, like telling a lie. They thought that the warning of the Hell is for major sins. To correct false impressions these verses were revealed.

The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said, "Do not understate sin. They gather together to destroy a person. (He set forth a parable of small sins). They are as some people pick up one or two small pieces of wood each. These pieces, put together, will make a heap which if lit would produce enough fire to cook anything."

Image taken from Cremo

Here is another hadith:

The Prophet (saw) said: "No sin remains minor when accompanied by persistence, and no sin remains major when accompanied by the seeking of forgiveness."

That last hadith was taken from a mailing list run by Believer2 called "Last Day", where he quoted from the book "Preparing for Day of Judgement" by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani. You can sign up for this list here: http://groups.google.com/group/lastday?lnk=srg

Seek Out Benefit

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:55:06 GMT

On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Seek out that which benefits you, seek help only from Allah and never say you can't do it.

Image taken from LeoL30

"If any adversity comes to you, do not say: 'If I had only acted in such-and-such a way, it would have been
such-and-such;' but instead, say: 'Allah has decreed (it) and what He willed, He has done,' for verily, (the word) (if) opens the way for the work of Satan." - Saheeh Muslim

[Lessons from this hadith] If there is something that will benefit you, make every effort and go after it! Seek it out. There is no failure, only lessons.

That hadith was from Muhammad Alshareef through a mailing list. You can subscribe to this mailing list by going to Powerworkshops.org, and then click on "Free Stuff" to find the link.