Hadeeth

Prophet Muhammad (S) said:
"Two should never converse privately excluding a third until others join them. The reason being is that it would dismay them."
(Bukhari & Muslim)

Hadeeth

Prophet Muhammad (S said:
"A person who breaks another person's heart is worse in the eyes of Allah (SWT) than destroying the Kabah."

Mosque a.k.a. Masjid

A Masjid is a place to worship the only one God. Allah doesn’t want anyone else worshipped there. It says in the Quran: “And Indeed the mosques are for (the worship of) Allah (God) alone, so call not on anyone besides Him.” Surah 72 Ayah 18

It is Sunnah to enter the Masjid with the right foot as the Prophet Muhammed (S) did. One should also recite a duaa when entering the Masjid: “O God! Open the doors of your Mercy for me.” A person should take off his shoes to avoid making the Masjid dirty. The prayer rugs must always be clean because people pray there. A person should also pray two Rakat Salah when coming in a mosque, as it is a Sunnah. This prayer is called “Tahiyyat al-Masjid.”

It is sunnah to exit the Masjid with the left foot. One should also recite a duaa when leaving the Masjid: “O God! I ask you to bless me with Your Generosity,”

If one prays with the congregation, the reward is twenty-seven times more than praying alone. We must all make an effort to go to the Masjid to pray. The Masjid is the House of God and is built and maintained by those who love and worship Him. While in the Masjid, we shouldn’t talk, play, or make noise. We should concentrate on remembering God, and only God.

Hadeeth

Rasulullah (S) said,
"Should you become eager to mention another's faults, recall your own."
Imam Rafi'i

Cat Stevens also known as Yusuf Islam

Cat Stevens was a music artist who made as many as fifty top selling hits at a young age. His wonderful piece of work was a huge hit in Britain and America. After experiencing death twice, he began to contemplate about his survival on Earth. This period for him was known as “The Great Awakening.”

He began to study other religions and ideas. His brother, David, had brought back the Holy Book (Quran) as a souvenir from Jerusalem and had given it to him. He read the pages and realized that it wasn’t the words of man, but the words of God. He did an abundant amount of research on Islam and made a trip to Jerusalem; to see the Dome of Rock. He was asked who he was by Muslims. He replied that he was a Muslim. From that day on, he became more interested in finding information about Islam. He read the chapter about Joseph in the Quran and was inspired by how he was described. He thought of naming himself Joseph, but the Arabic name, Yusuf. His new name was Yusuf Islam.

This shocked many of his fans and his change of religion was all over magazines and news papers. He also helped many people in Bosnia, Britain, Bangladesh, and some parts of Africa. He helped children without food and built four schools to provide children with education of Islam. Yusuf Islam still sang, but Islamic songs about God, nature, the prophet, etc.

Hadeeth

Rasulullah (s) said,
“ Every Muslim has five rights over every other Muslim:
1. The right to replay, should he greet him.
2. An acceptance, should he invite him
3. A visit, should he fall ill
4. A prayer, should he sneeze
5. A presence at his funeral, should he die.”
(Transmitted by Ibn Majah)

Islamic Brotherhood

Allah (swt) has created everyone so He can test us. Every Muslim is also being tested. A Muslim should treat other Muslims as his brother and sister. Muslims should care for each other. They should have a relationship of trust, love, respect, and companionship. Muslims should live together in peace, sharing their joys, and their sorrows. Islamic Brotherhood is a moral obligation for every Muslim and is important to his faith. Prophet Muhammad (s) said,“ By Him in whose hand my soul rests, a man doesn’t believe until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself.” (Bukari and Muslim)

The common bond of Islam makes Muslims of all race and tribe’s brothers and sisters. A Muslim should help another Muslim when in need. When we Muslims are united, there is strength. Shaitan hates to see Muslims together. He tries to create divisions between Muslims to conquer our souls. We must avoid this. Allah (swt) warns us in the Quran: “ And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (swt) (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves. (Surah 3, Ayah 103)
One should not have pride in himself and say that he is better than others. All Muslims are members of one big family. Islam was revealed by Allah (swt) for every nation, race, and color.

Meccan vs. Medani Surahs

The Quran is split into two parts: Meccan and Medani Surahs. Did you know that two-thirds of the Quran was revealed in Mecca, and one-third was revealed in Medina? There is a big difference between the Meccan and Medani surahs.

The Meccan Surahs talk about building your Aqidah. You may ask what Aqidah is. Aqidah is Iman, which is faith. So, basically Aqidah is building your faith in God. It also talks about the Day of Judgement. It talks about the punishments of those who disbelieve in God and the rewards of those who believed in Him.
The Medani Surahs talk about Shariah or Islamic laws. An example is Satr (Islamic dress code), respect, kindness, etc. It is important to know what God is saying in the Holy Book (Quran), as it will effect us when we grow.

Knowledge (Ilm)

Knowledge or Ilm is the information that we use to perform daily functions and plan future action. When a baby is born, what knowledge does he have? If you said nothing, you are absolutely wrong. When a baby is born, God gives him basic knowledge known as instincts. This is why a baby is able to blink, cry, drink milk, and move its arms and legs. When we grow, we gain more knowledge of the world.

Because Allah (SWT) granted us intelligence, it is our duty to seek knowledge, so we can understand what Islam is and how we can worship and serve God. Prophet Muhammed (S) said, “The search for knowledge is a duty for every Muslim, male and female. “ (Bukhari)

Knowledge also protects us from the Shaitan. Prophet Muhammed (S) said, “One scholar is harder on the devil than a thousand worshippers.” (Tirmdhi and Ibn Majah)
One who struggles in finding knowledge becomes very dear to Allah (SWT). Muhammed (S) said, “Whoever travels in search of knowledge is on Jihad until he returns.” (Tirmidhi and Darimi)

This is a question to ponder about. Do you need knowledge or do you want knowledge? If you answered need knowledge, you are correct. There are two types of knowledge: need and want. The type of knowledge you need, is the knowledge of your Iman or faith. In order to get knowledge you want, you have to get the knowledge you need. The knowledge a person wants is the knowledge of Tafseer, Hadeeth, Theology, Fiqh (rules and regulations), but first you have to have Iman (belief in God).