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Tafseer Ibn Kathir (261. The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is that of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.) This is a parable that Allah made of the multiplication of rewards for those who spend in His cause, seeking His pleasure. Allah multiplies the good deed ten to seven hundred times. Allah said, << The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah… >> Sa`id bin Jubayr commented, "Meaning spending in Allah’s obedience". Makhul said that the Ayah means, "Spending on Jihad, on horse stalls, weapons and so forth". The parable in the Ayah is more impressive on the heart than merely mentioning the number seven hundred. This Ayah indicates that Allah `grows’ the good deeds for its doers, just as He grows the plant for whoever sows it in fertile ...

First Evidence: Abu Zarr of the Ghifar tribe somehow got angry with the freed slave of Abu Bakr, Bilal of Abyssinia. Both of them were the companions of the Prophet. The altercation became prolonged and Abu Zarr in his fury called Bilal the son of a black skinned mother. Bilal complained to the Prophet, who addressed Abu Zarr saying, "Did you call him a name reviling his mother? It appears you still retain vestiges of Jahiliyah (ignorance period before Islam)" Abu Zarr failed to understand the word Jahiliyah and took it to signify some sort of sexual immorality, and meekly questioned in surprise, "At this ripe age, O Prophet of God?" The Prophet said in reply, "Yes, you are his brother (and should be considerate and kind to him)". Abu Zarr who had by now understood the significance of the Prophet's remark, was ashamed and repentant and out of extreme repentance and humility requested Bilal to trample his face with his feet. Second Evidenc...

by Sheikh Salman al-Awdah No human being has had a more copious and enduring body of literature written about him than the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Numerous biographical works have been produced about him. Many poems have been composed to praise him. Assembles have gathered for his remembrance. His greatness has remained a lofty summit that cannot be surmounted by any doubt. During his lifetime, he experienced strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, plenty and scarcity, victory and defeat, being uprooted and being settled, starvation and contentment, grief and joy. Throughout all of this, he was an example to follow. Whatever the circumstances, he demonstrated how Allah was supposed to be worshipped. He had stayed in Mecca for thirteen years with only a few people believing in him. He did not grow despondent or angry. When his Companions came to him complaining about their difficulties and beseeching him to pray to Allah to relieve them and help...

SEERAH OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMED (peace be upon him) Summarized Translation of Tarek Swaydans' series by Mona Soueid Part 6 - The Birth of the Prophet Muhammed When Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up Abdul-Muttalib decided that he should get married. So he then got married to Amina Bint Wahb. She is also from Bani Abdi Manaf and hence from the Quraysh who are from the decendants of Ismaeel. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) is from the most respected and honourable lineage. Aminas' mother was from Yathrib and Amina lived in Yathrib. Abdul-Mutallib hence took his son and got him married to Amina in Yathrib. They returned thereafter to Makkah. Amina got pregnant and after a few months into her pregnancy Abdullah passed away, the father of the Prophet(peace be upon him). He became an orphan before he was even born. When the time came close to the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his mother saw a dream that she gave birth to a ...

Lessons from the Seerah, Of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam All Praise is due to Allah the Exalted and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his family and Companions and all those who follow them until the Day of Resurrection ' O the White Moon rose over us' - such were the words surrounding a warm welcome to our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam when he reached the Ansaar in Madinah. It is beneath the glowing light of this 'white moon'- that illuminated the dark sky of ignorance - where every Muslim desires to stand. But to truly absorb the virtues of this light, a journey is required. It is the memorable journey of studying the remarkable life of the Prophet sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam, that softens the heart, brings tears to the eyes and increases faith and love for Allah and His Prophet. Allah subhanahu wata'ala says, يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِن...

About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines. And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiquitous drink. According to the historical record, in the 1400s coffee became a very popular drink among Muslims in Yemen, in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Legend goes that a shepherd (some say in Yemen, some say in Ethiopia) noticed that his goats became very energetic and jumpy when they ate beans from a particular tree. He had the courage to try them himself, noticing they gave him an energy boost. Over time, the tradition of roasting the beans and immersing them in water to create a sour yet powerful drink developed, and thus, coffee was born. Regardless of whether or not the story of the shepherd ever really happened, coffee found its way from the highlands of Yemen to the rest of the Ottoman Empire, the premier Muslim empire of the 15th century. Coffee...

Every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities This is not the case with the word ‘Allah’ Allah is the personal name of the One True God Nothing else can be called Allah The term has no plural or gender This shows its exclusivity when compared to the word ‘god’ which can be made plural, i.e. ‘gods’ or feminine, i.e. ‘goddess’ It is interesting to note that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus (p) The word Allah is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is similar to none and nothing is comparable to Him The Prophet Muhammad (p) was asked by his contemporaries about Allah The answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur’an that is considered the essence of the Unity of God or the motto of monotheism “Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absol...