Shawwal is the Islamic month that is immediately after Ramadhan, the first day being 'Eid al-Fitr. WHAT IS THE RULING ON FASTING SIX DAYS OF SHAWWAL? IS IT WAJIB (OBLIGATORY)? Praise be to Allah. Fasting six days of Shawwal after the obligatory fast of Ramadhan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not wajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fa

Allaah has set out several rulings concerning Eid, including the following: 1 – It is mustahabb to recite takbeer during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadaan until the imam comes to lead the prayer. The format of the takbeer is as follows: Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, and all prai

Autors: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips and Muhammad al-Jibaly Meaning Zakat ul-Fitr is often referred to as Sadaqat ul-Fitr. The word Fitr means the same as Iftar, breaking a fast and it comes from the same root word as Futur which means breakfast. Thus, Islamically, Zakat ul-Fitr is the name given to charity which is distributed at the end of the fast of Ramadhan. Classification Sadaqat ul-Fitr is a duty which is Wajib on every Muslim, whether male or female, minor or adult as long as he / she h

Laylat al-Qadr (night of Decree) is one of the major blessings of Ramadan. During this night, Quran was sent to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). About this night, the prophet has informed us that all our sins could be forgiven. Worshipping Allah on that night is better than worshipping Him for 1000 months. The following ahadith shed light on the days of observing Laylat al-Qadr. According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet (peace and b

In this blessed month of Ramadan, we have now come to the grand finale – the last ten days of Ramadan that are even more blessed than the rest of Ramadan. In it is a night that Quran tells us is better than 1000 months (yes, months – not days). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the

By Muhammad Alshareef It was narrated that in the days that Musa (Alahi salaam) wandered with Bani Israel in the desert an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (Alahi salaam) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified. It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani

16 July | Staff Reporter | Khaleejtimes Competing against 70 kids for the title, Ibrahim surprises judges with his Arabic oratory skills and went on to win the title. Wearing a traditional Bisht and a Kandoora, eight-year-old Ibrahim Fahim Shabandri walked up to the stage on the last day of the Al Multaqa Ramadan Forum with charm and confidence. Competing against 70 kids for the title of ‘Preacher of the Nation’, the Indian boy surprised judges with his Arabic oratory skills and went on to w

Ramadaan is the month of heightened Allah-consciousness, of attaining unto taqwa / God-consciousness; of training ourselves to be the best we can be; a month to initiate improvement of reputation, character and for cultivating good habits. Ramadaan is also the month of the initiation of the Final Divine Revelation, al-Qur'aan. In order to truly benefit from the Qur'aan we have to be able to relate to the Qur'aan in a practical way, every day of our lives. The month of Ramadaan, this month of 

Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims the world over. Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk for the duration of Ramadan. For some, fasting may appear as a form of deprivation and of bodily exertion. On one level, abstaining from sensual needs and pleasures is indeed a physical experience. But those who stop at the physical aspects of fasting miss the essence of Ramadan and its purpose. Fasting the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of I

Ramadan is the month of heightened Allah-consciousness, of attaining unto taqwa piety, of training ourselves to be the best we can be; a month to initiate improvement of reputation, character and cultivating good habits.  Mending habits and developing character Ramadan is the month of heightened Allah-consciousness, of attaining unto taqwa (piety), of training ourselves to be the best we can be; a month to initiate improvement of reputation, character and cultivating good habits. Peop

As in years past, the beloved yet unexpected guest of millions,"Holy Ramadan" once again enters our lives. Muslims are filled with great joy in anticipation of welcoming him. Yet to one unaccustomed, it would almost seem as if Muslims had never met him before! All of a sudden, our new-found love for this guest causes us to radically change our daily schedules and habits to entertain him. Our Mosques mysteriously overflow with worshippers, chapters of the Quran are heard chanted till the wee hou

Author: Sheikh Ahmad Musa Jibril (May Allah hasten his release) Bismillah Wasalatu wasalam A'la Rasulillah. Ama Ba'ad* 1) Focusing on food; to the extent that people begin to worry about eating more then actually fasting. This also goes along with spending tons of money on Iftars even though a person does not need to eat that much food. 2) Making Suhr way before Fajr. Some people eat Suhr a few hours after Tarawih or Isha Salah, this is wrong. It should be eaten closer to the time of Fa

The time for Ramadan is here again, so once more we will be actively involved in Ibadat, or acts of devotion, including fasting, prayers, Taraweeh, late night prayers, Quran recitation, and other forms of worship. However, before we become too engaged in our Ibadat, let’s remember our larger goals for this month so that we can make the most of the coming days and weeks. Therefore, as part of our Ibadat and obedience to Allah this Ramadan, let us seek to improve our relationship with Allah by ask

London: Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as “remarkable”. Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection. Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial

Honey is a new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance: How sweet it is!  Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said here today.Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted. Their study was part of the 247th National Meeting of the American Che

During the centuries of the crusades, all sorts of slanders were invented against the Prophet Muhammad (p)2. However, with the birth of the modern age, marked with religious tolerance and freedom of thought, there has been a great change in the approach of Western authors in their delineation of his life and character. The West, however, has yet to go a step forward to discover the greatest reality about Muhammad (p); that is his being the true and the last Prophet of God for all humanity.

If you find yourself in a creative slump, scientists have a suggestion: Take a walk. People generate more creative ideas when they walk than when they sit, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. “Everyone always says going on a walk gives you new ideas, but nobody had ever proved it before,” said Marily Oppezzo, a professor of psychology at Santa Clara University and the lead author of the study. In fa

This is one of the Duas that most Muslims recite daily in their prayers and outside their prayers. This Dua is not only mentioned in the Quran but Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.S.) advised us of the many merits of this Dua. Ibn Al-Kathir also mentions in his tafsir that the Sunnah encourages us reciting this Dua (i.e., in the Ayah about gaining a good deed in this life and the Hereafter). Al-Bukhari reported that Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet used to say: (O Allah, our Lord! Giv