by Shaikh Muhammad As-Salih Al-Uthaimeen  In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful   Preface Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe. May peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the last of the prophets and messengers, and upon his family and esteemed companions. Hajj is one of the best forms of worship and is one of the most sublime deeds because it is one of the pillars of Islam that Allah sent Muhammad(may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)with. A serva

Plants give us life, but how do they reproduce has long been a mystery. Now, biologists from the University of Leicester have undressed the genetic hierarchy in plant sperm cell formation. The researchers have discovered a pair of proteins made by flowering plants that are vital for the production of the sperm present within each pollen grain. “We often take for granted sexual reproduction in plants and its role in our lives. It is a complex process and it is only recently that we are begi

Allaah has made patience like a horse that never gets tired, an army that can never be defeated and a strong fortress that can never be breached. Patience and victory are twin brothers, for victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress and ease comes with hardship. Patience is of more help to the one who has it than men, as it helps without any need for equipment or numbers and its relationship to victory is like that of the head to the body. In the Qur’aan, Allaah has guaranteed th

The flag of India -- called the Tiranga, meaning tricolor -- has three horizontal bars of saffron, white and green, and is embossed in the middle with a blue wheel. It was adopted on July 24, 1947, in the wake of India’s independence from the British, and it is made only from khadi, domestically spun Indian cotton, as a symbol of nationalism and freedom. Symbols The circular symbol in the center of the flag, the Ashoka chakra, is the wheel of the dharma, the cosmic law that upholds the ord

Washington: The United States’ top disease detective calls Ebola a “painful, dreadful, merciless virus.” The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak in West Africa an international emergency, killing more than 900 people and spreading. That’s scary and serious. But it also cries out for context. Aids alone takes more than a million lives per year in Africa — a thousand times the toll of this Ebola outbreak so far. Lung infections such as pneumonia are cl

Do you keep away from white bread thinking it might be unhealthy? Previous studies have shown how white bread can harm your health but this latest research proves otherwise. According to a recent study, the much maligned white bread can actually encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. The good bacteria or microbiome present in the stomach are vital for healthy living. They keep our immune system strong. A drop in the count of these microbiome may cause your immunity to weaken and mak

NEW DELHI: The national capital witnesses an average of one death every month in incidents of auto fires. Deaths in car fires in the national capital have prompted the government to prepare a roadmap for time-bound investigation of these accidents and to ensure that automobile manufacturers rectify any faults that show up in these probes. With the number of car fires increasing on a daily basis, it has become very important to know how to survive in case of an unfortunate scene of crisis.

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