February 18, 2011

Establishing a Home of Faith

Post excerpted from Advice on Establishing an Islamic Home


Making the Home a Place for the Remembrance of Allah
The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "The likeness of a house in which Allah is remembered and the house in which Allah is not remembered is that of the living and the dead, respectively." 


We must make our homes places where Allah is remembered in all kinds of ways, whether in our hearts, verbally, during prayer, by reading Qur'an, by discussing Islamic issues, or by reading different kinds of Islamic books. 


How many Muslim homes nowadays are dead because there is no remembrance of Allah, as mentioned in the hadith. What must they be like when all that is heard therein is the music of Shaytan with instruments and singing, and backbiting, slander, and gossip? 


What must they be like when they are filled with evil and sin, such as the haram mixing of the sexes and wanton display between relatives who are not mahram or with neighbors who enter the home? How can the angels enter a home like this? Revive your homes with all kinds of dhikr, may Allah have mercy on you! 


Make Your Homes as a Place of Worship 
...The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to be keen to pray at home- apart from the fard or obligatory prayers (which they prayed in congregation at the masjid)- and there is a moving story concerning this. 


Mahmood ibn al-Rabi'al-Ansari reported that 'Utban ibn Malik - who was one of the Companions of the Messenger, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and was on of the Ansar who had been present at Badr - came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and said: "I am losing my sight, and I lead my people in prayer. When it rains, the valley between me and them gets flooded and I cannot get to their masjid to lead them in prayer. O Messenger of Allah, I would like you to come and pray in my house so I can take it as a place for prayer." The Messenger of Allah, salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "I will do that inshaAllah." 'Utbaan said: 'The next day the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and Abu Bakr came in the morning. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, asked for permission to enter, and I gave him permission. He did not sit down until he entered the house, then he said, 'Where would you like me to pray in your house?' I showed him a corner of the house, then the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, stood up, said takbir, and we stood in a row behind him, and he prayed two rak'ahs and gave the salam at the end of the prayer." --Bukhari


Spiritual Training for the Members of the Household
'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, used to pray qiyaam at night, and when he prayed witr he would say, 'Get up and pray witr, o Aisha.'" --Muslim


Encouraging the women of one's household to give charity is another means of increasing faith. This is something very important which the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, encouraged when he said, "O women! Give in charity, for I have seen that you form the majority of the inhabitants of Hell." --Bukhari


Adkhaar for Entering the Home
Muslim reported in his Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "When any one of you enters his home nad mentions the Name of Allah when he enters and when he eats, the Shaytan says, 'You have no place to stay and nothing to eat here.' If he enters and does not mention the name of Allah when he enters, The Shaytan says, 'You have a place to stay.' If he does not mention the name of Allah when he eats, The Shaytan says, 'You have a place to stay and something to eat.'"


Abu Dawood reported in his Sunan that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "If a man foes out of his house and says, 'In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, there is no help and no strength except in Allah,' it will be said to him, 'This will take care of you, you are guided, you have what you need and you are protected.' The Shaytan will stay away from him and another Shaytan will say to him, 'What can you do with a man who is guided, provided for and protected?'" 


Siwaak
Imaam Muslim reported in his Saheeh that 'Aisha, 'Umm al-Mu'minin, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "When the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, entered his house, the first thing he would do was use siwaak."


Continuously Reciting Surat al-Baqarah in the House to Ward off the Shaytan
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "Do not make your house into graves. The Shaytan flees from a house in which Surat al-Baqarah is recited." --Muslim

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