The nisf Sha’ban night is is the night falling between 14th and 15th day of the month of Sha’ban. It is a night known as Laylatul-bara’ah, Shab-e-barat, night of freedom and night of deliverance.

In year 2010, this night Shab-e-barat shall fall on Monday night, 26th July 2010.

There will be a gathering at Makkah Masjid on Monday night, 26th July 2010 after maghrib to gain the immense spiritual benefits and blessings that this night brings.

All brothers and sisters are welcome.

There are certain traditions of Prophet (peace be upon him), which indicate the significance of this night; human beings are attended by distinct Divine mercy in this night. ‘

Aishah Siddiquah, mother of the believers (radi-Allahu anha) is reported to have said: Once the Prophet, (peace be upon him), performed the late night prayer (Tahajjud) and made a very long sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When this thought came to my mind, I touched his thumb and the thumb moved, I returned to my bed. Then I heard him saying while prostrating: ‘I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as You deserve to be praised. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.’  

Thereafter, when he raised his head from prostration (sajdah) and finished his prayer, he asked me, ‘Do you know which night is this?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘This is the middle night of Sha’ban. Allah looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they eradicate the malice from their hearts).’

In another hadith the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “This is the middle night of Shaban. In this night Allah frees a large number of people from the fire of hell, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe Kalb.” Kalb was a tribe which had a very large number of sheep at that time. The hadith refers to the sheep of that tribe to large number of people that are delivered from the Fire due to their sincere repentance in this night.

However, the ahadith also point out that in this night Allah does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who harbours malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who cuts off the ties of kinship, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who is a habitual drinker.”

In this night, it is encouraged to be abundant in worship during this night, particularly in prayer and supplication.A Muslim should seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, recite the Holy Qur’an, perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night, recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

On the 15th of Sha’ban, the day immediately following the Night of Bara’ah, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep optional fast. As it is noted above, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) regularly observed fast in this month.

Fasting in the Month of Sha’ban

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said: “Shaaban is my month”.

This is a month of asking for forgiveness of sins, fasting, giving alms and charity. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to observe fasts in this month more than any other month, excluding the month of Ramadhan. The companion Usama ibn Zaid, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam: “Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha’ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month.” The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “That (Sha’ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. It is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the heavens and the earth, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting.”

To celebrate this miracolous night journey, the following programmes will be held at Makkah Mosque on the following dates:

1) Friday 9 July  after Maghrib prayer (09:45pm) 

2) Sunday 11 July after Zuhr prayer (2:30pm)

The events are open to all brothers and sisters. Talks will be given in Urdu and English.

Part of the objective of organizing such events is to encourage our youth, our sisters and elders to participate by reciting the glorious Quran, reading nasheeds and naats in praise of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and delivering shorts talks on Islam.

Guests will include: Pir Sahibzada Habib-ur-Rahman sahib Mahboobi, Allamah Ghulam Rabbani Afghani and Sufi Muhammad Afzal Nushahi.

During these programmes, the events that took place during this miracolous night journey will be explored and the importance of the gift of Miraj (salah, namaz, prayer) will be highlighted.

As part of the event on Sunday 11 July after Zuhr prayer (2:30pm), the third youth workshop on “Being a British Muslim: challenges & opportunities” will be held.

The workshop will explore the opportunities presented by Britain and how Muslims are or are not benefitting from those opportunities. The workshop will also discuss the reasons for Muslims not benefitting from the opportunities that are at their disposal.  

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique (RA) was the closest companion of our beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He was well known for his devotion to the Holy Prophet, and the example of his love is one for us all to follow.

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has said in a famous Hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari that no one can be a true believer until his love for him (i.e. the Prophet) is greater then his love for his parents, children and all of humanity. No one demonstrated this quality better that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (RA), and thus he is honoured with the title of the best of all creation after the prophets and messengers.

This quality of loving the Messenger is extremely relevant today in view of the repeated attacks on the honour and dignity of the Holy Prophet, highlighted by the recent deplorable Facebook campaign. In this month of Rabi -ut Thani, the month of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s passing from this world, we pray that Allah Ta’ala enables us to follow in his exalted footsteps and leads us to the door of ultimate mercy and light.

Shaykh Ninowy is a well known scholar originally born in Syria and currently residing in the USA. Please see below for a more detailed biography.

http://www.alhaqq.net/Ninowy.html

There are also two workshops being held for brothers and sisters of all ages on Sunday 13th June and Sunday 11th July, both starting at 2:30pm. Everyone is encouraged to attend and express their views.

When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) heard that Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had declared his prophethood, he showed no hesitation or asked any questions, he at once became a Muslim. He submitted to Islam with such determination that once the Holy Prophet himself remarked, “I called people to Islam, everybody thought over it, at least for a while, but this was not the case with Abu Bakr, the moment I put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation”. He was titled “As-Siddique” (meaning, the truthful) by the Prophet because his faith was unshakable.

From Sahih Al-Bukhari: Ibn Abbas reports: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out of his home during the last days of his earthly life his head bound with a cloth. He sat on the minbar, gloried Allah, praised Him, thanked Him and said: “There is no one among the people who has been more generous to me with his life and his property than Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhaafa and if I was to take a bosom friend, I would take Abu Bakr as my bosom friend. But, the friendship of Islam is better. Block off every door in this Masjid except the door of Abu Bakr.”
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen by the Prophet to be his successor in his life-time as he was honoured to be the Imam and leader of the Muslims during the last illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was himself physically too week to lead the prayers.  Abu Bakr Siddique (may Allah be pleased with him) then lead all the companions in prayer. The Prophet said : “It is impermissible for a people among whom is Abu Bakr, to be led by other than him.”

When Sadiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed the role of khalif he said: “Help me, if I am in the right; set me right, if I am in the wrong. The weak among you shall be strong with me until, God willing, his rights have been vindicated. The strong among you shall be weak with me until, if God wills, I have taken what is due from him. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); when I disobey Him and his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), obey me not.” – These are remarkable words and guidelines for all in positions of authority.

The Companions of the Prophet (May Allah be pleased with all of them) were well aware of who were the elevated status of first few Companions in closeness to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the first four successors to the Prophet, the Rightly-Guided Khalifas were chosen on that basis. From Sahih Al-Bukhari, Ibn Umar reports: We used to discuss the best of the people during the time of the Prophet (sas) and we saw the best as Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman ibn Affaan, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Allah Exalted had given Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him) a heart full of love and affection for the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). After the advent of Islam, he dedicated his life and his wealth for the cause of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Hazard Abu Bakr Siddiqique (May Allah be pleased with him) always remained by the side of the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whether in Mecca, or on the journey to Madina or in Madina. He was with the Prophet in the cave of Thur where the two spent almost 3 days and nights, he was with him in all the battles and even today both are laid to rest side by side under the same roof of the holy shrine of the Prophet, Gunbad-e-Hadra.

His virtues and merits are innumerable and cannot all be set out in this post. We only wish to mark the day of his passing away from this physical world by encouraging Muslims and other interested people to learn about this greatest man, after all the prophets of Allah (peace be upon all of them),  grace this earth.  Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to Allah on a Monday on the 22 of Jumada’l-akhira (also known as Jumada al-Thani), 13 A.H. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once said to him: “Abu Bakr, you will be the first of my people to enter paradise.” May Allah raise all the Muslims amongst the company of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Siddique Akbar and ahl-e-bait and the companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them) on the day of Judgment.

Every aspect of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (may Allah be pleased with him) is wroth writing in gold but it is his tremendous love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that has no parallel. He really showed the Muslims what their relationship with their Prophet should be and all Muslims aspire to follow in the footsteps of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) in order to draw closer of the mercy to all the worlds, the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Sayings of Abu Bakr, Radi-Allahu anhu include:
1. No speech is good if it is not directed toward the pleasure of Allah. There is no benefit from money if it isn’t spent in the cause of Allah. There is no good in a person if his ignorance overcomes his patience. And if a person becomes attracted by the charms of this lower world, Allah will dislike him as long as he keeps this in his heart.
2. We have found generosity in Taqwa (God-consciousness), richness in Yaqin (certainty), and honour in humbleness.
3. Beware of pride because you will be returning to the earth and your body will be eaten up by the worms.
4. Always fear Allah; He knows what is in men’s hearts.
5. Be sincere to all with whom you deal.
6. Give up cowardice and dishonesty.
7. Give up bad company.

Some non-Muslims pay homage to Abu Bakr in the following words:

Edward Gibbon wrote about Abu Bakr as:
The moderation, and the veracity of Abu Bakr confirmed the new religion, and furnished an example for invitation. [Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire] 
William Muir states that:
Abu Bakr’s judgment was sound and impartial; his conversation agreeable and his demeanor affable and much sought after by the Quraysh and he was popular throughout the city…. The faith of Abu Bakr was the greatest guarantee of Muhammad’s sincerity in the beginning of his career, and indeed, in a modified sense, throughout his life. To have such a person as a staunch adherent of his claim, was for Muhammad a most important step. [Life of Muhammad]

Jalal-ud-Din Rumi in his famous Mathnavi states:
“The moon traverses the constellations of the zodiac in a single night,
so why do you deny the mi`raj (Ascension)?
That wondrous, unique Pearl (the Prophet) is like a hundred moons
–for when he made one gesture, the moon was split in two.
And the marvel that he displayed in splitting the moon
was in keeping with the weakness of the creatures’ perception.
The work and business of the prophets and messengers
is beyond the spheres and the stars.
Transcend the spheres and their revolution!
Then you will see that work and business.”

Owais Raza Qadri sahe’s Amazing Performance at great mehfil

Pirzada Bakhtyar saheb – Orders of the Quran to Celebrate Birth of Prophet Muhammad

Beautiful Naat at Blessed Masjid with Hafiz Hussain Kaswal

Abdur Rahim Qadri sahib reading beautiful praise of Rasulullah

There were programmes for the Leeds wide communities in which Muslims and non-Muslims participated. There were also some programmes specifically for sisters and children.

Below you can find some videos in which the attendees of these programmes discuss their views and opinion regarding these programmes and the benefit and blessings they collect from attending such programmes at Leeds Makkah Mosque:

Children were specifically encouraged to speak about their experiences in order to help them develop their communication skills and character development:

We pray this tilawat becomes a source of benefit for all of us. Aameen.

Qari Muhammad Qasim saheb – Surah Infitar and surah Duha

Qari Muhammad Khurshid saheb (Imam of Chief Minister’s House – Quetta, Pakistan) – Surah Ahzab and surah Nasr

3rd of March is 17th Rabbi-ul-Awwal, the day when Professor Hafiz Fateh Muhammad saheb (may Allah raise his status among the righteous ones) left this world for the heavens. Therefore, this mehfil is also being held in his memory.

ابھی ہم پر ایک بہت ہی پر نور اور بہاروں والا مہینہ آنے والا ہے۔ یہ وہ مہینہ ہے کہ جس میں اللہ تعالی کی رحمت اور جودوسخا کے دروازے مومنوں پر کھل جاتے ہیں۔

فرشتے عرش سے یہ صدا لگاتے ہیں، مچھلیاں سمندروں کی تہوں سے یہ ندا لگاتی ہیں، پرندے آسمانوں میں اڑتےہو ئے ایک دوسرے کو پیغام دیتے ہیں اور انسان اس زمین پر ایک دوسرے کو یہ مبارکباد پیش کرتے ہیں کہ مبارک ہو وہ مہینہ آگیا ، وہ لمحات آگئے ، وہ گھڑیا ں آگئیں کہ جب رب کریم نے اپنا سب سے محبوب اورلاڈلا اور عظیم پیغمبر اس دنیا میں مبعوث فرمایا تھا۔

ربیع الاول وہ رحمتوں اور سعادتوں والا مہینہ ہے جس میں ہمارے نبی محترم صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم تمام کائنات کیلئے رحمت بن کر تشریف لائے۔ آپکی تشریف آوری تھی کہ دنیا سے ظلمتیں ختم ہوگئیں۔ ہر طرف نور ہی نور پھیل گیا۔ وہ ظلمت اور اندھیرا جو صدیوں سے چھایا تھا آپکی بعثت کے بعد وہ ہمیشہ کیلئے دور ہو گیا۔

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