Eid - it isn't here yet, there's still time!

Well insha'allah Eid is coming this Friday and we will be fortunate to have a full 30 days to ask for forgiveness, but we will see how it actually comes out.

From al-islam.org, from a children's book by Tayyiba publishers:

"Many people wonder why we celebrate Eid at the end of Ramadhan. Are we happy that Ramadhan has finished? How can we be happy that such a great month of Allah, with all its blessings and mercies, has gone away? The actual reason we celebrate Eid is not because we are glad the holy month is over, but because we are thankful to Allah for giving us the chance and the strength to carry out His commands in the blessed month. We are happy that we were able to fast and pray in Ramadhan, and have hopefully attained Taqwa, the goal of fasting.

In the holy Qur'an Allah talks about Eid. He says in Sura al-Baqarah, ayat no.185:

You shall complete the number (of days) and you may glorify God for His guiding you, and that you may be thankful.
Imam Ali (a) has a very beautiful hadith about Eid in which he says: Eid is for him whose fasts have been accepted by Allah, and whose worship has been appreciated by Allah. Everyday in which you do not disobey Allah is a day of Eid. This hadith is something to think about. Every day in which we do not commit a single sin, is actually a day of Eid for us.
The Holy Prophet (s) and our Imams celebrated Eid and encouraged all Muslims to do so. They told Muslims to wear good clothes, put on perfume, and go to the mosque to recite the Eid prayer. They also said we should exchange Eid greetings, visit each other, and generally pass the day joyfully. We are supposed to remember the poor by taking out the fitrah before Eid, and visiting them and sending them gifts if we can.

The day of Eid is meant for remembering Allah. The Holy Prophet (s) says: "Give beauty to your Eid by doing Takbir". It is said that the Prophet (s) himself used to come out of his home on the day of Eid, reciitng the Takbir and glorifying Allah in a loud voice.

Let me narrate to you a beautiful story about a day of Eid during the time of our eighth Imam, Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a). Mamoon who was the Khalifa at that time, had appointed the Imam as his successor. When the day of Eid approached, mamoon sent a message to request the Imam to lead the Eid prayer. Imam refused at first, but when Mamoon insisted he said he would lead the prayer in the same way as his grandfather the Holy Prophet (s) did. Mamoon agreed.

On the morning of Eid, Imam took a bath and changed his clothes. He put on a white turban and applied perfume. He came out of his home barefooted. He took a few steps, turned his face towrads the sky, and said the takbir; Allahu Akber, Allahu Akber. The people of the city had flocked to see the Imam come to lead the Eid prayer. They responded loudly to the Takbir of the Imam. Allahu Akber, they said. The effect was magnetic. People began to throw off their shoes to become bare-footed like the Imam, and they all followed him to the Mosque, reciting the Takbir as they went. When Mamoon heard of the effect Imam was having on the people, he was scared. He quickly sent a message to the Imam that Imam should return to his home, and that he himself was coming to lead the Eid prayer.

Celebrating Eid unites Muslims. As a community, they get closer to work together to make it a memorable occasion. Eid prayers, and other programs held to celebrate it allow Muslims to meet and enjoy the company of one another."

Incidentally, I was reading Islamic Laws the other day and Ayatollah Seestani lists it as a recommended precaution that women do not attend Eid prayer. But anyway on Eid insha'allah I'll be in Copper Mountain for a conference (Thursday through Saturday).....

conferences 2

Alhumdooleluh conferences are over and they were by and large pleasant and worthwhile. And it also worked out I had plenty of free time for the prayers I wanted to do for Laylatul Qadr and the month of Ramadan in general; I just had to hold off on the salah until I got home but could perform dua pretty easily.

We got Friday off for all our extra time put in late at night and early in the morning and all day for conferences. So I had a doctor's appointment this a.m. and got the oil changed/tires rotated on my car. Now I am hoping to take a nap and maybe find some motivation for a bit of house cleaning.

Looking back over my goals for the month of Ramadan - a few of them I did not accomplish, like working on the Arabic recitation of Qur'an. But I have managed to read Qur'an 1/30th part or more daily, alhumdooleluh, and do dua, etc., daily. But I also did not increase the frequency of Salatul Layl. However I do feel I have been able to increase spirituality this month which is the overarching goal for me, and am hopeful for some of the benefits of this month in terms of forgiveness, etc.

Fasting won't be over for me after Eid, though; I have some to make up due to travel, illness, and haiz. So insha'allah maybe that could help to extend any benefit further to a more permanent thing.

conferences

I hope everyone is doing well.
I have parent teacher conferences late for the next two nights and of course Laylatul Qadr too. So I am not sure if I'll be online that much. But best wishes, keep in touch....

duas for daytime every day in the month of Ramadan

See http://duas.org/ramdailyday.htm for a more readable version

O Allah this is the month of Ramazan in which Thou revealed the Quran, a guidance for the mankind, with evident demonstration and clear proofs leading to the Right Path, which also teach to distinguish between good and evil. This is the month to keep fast, this is the month to act, this is the month to attend to religious duties, this is the month to turn repentant to Allah, this is the month to get forgiveness and mercy, this is the month to be set free from the flames of the Fire and to take possession of the Paradise, this is the month in which the "Night of Qadr" occurs which is better than a thousand months. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and help me to keep fast and act rightly in this month; keep it sound and safe for me and keep me in perfect condition for it; help me with Thy most reliable support for carrying out its obligations and in this month let me become reconciled to Thy obedience and to the obedience of Thy Messenger and Thy dearest friends, blessings of Allah be on them, let me have enough time to carefully worship Thee, pray unto Thee and recite the verses of Thy Book. Multiply Thy blessings, look after my welfare, keep me fit and well, give me enough means of livelihood, let my efforts bear fruit, accept my prayers and let my hopes come true, in this month. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and let go lethargy, negligence, weariness, relaxedness, roughness, forgetfulness, thoughtlessness, susceptibility to distraction, weakness, anxieties, sorrows, stupidity, diseases, faults and mistakes, in this month. Also keep away from me evil, shamelessness, misery, misfortunes, troubles and pains, verily Thou hears prayers. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month shield me from the danger of the accursed devil and his sting, slander, devilry, airs, diabolical suggestions, delaying tactics, obstinacy, cunning, traps, deceit, fancies, seductions, mischief, confusion, and keep me aloof from his party, disciples, followers, friends, comrades, and schemes. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month give us strength to keep fast and act piously. Let hopes reach completion and stay as such permanently, bring to perfection that which obtains Thy approval for me-self-control, discipline, faith and belief, thereupon let them yield to me multiplying frequently – a great reward it is; O Lord of the worlds. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, give in answer to my request – a chance to perform Hajj and Umrah, ability to make effort, to grow strong, to be in readiness, to attend to duties, to repent, to seek (Thy) nearness, to adopt popular good, to call fervently on Thee, to devote myself to Thee, to solicit humbly, to submissive to be Thy servant, to have sincere intention, to possess truthful tongue, to stand in awe of Thy majesty, to rely upon Thee for fulfilment of hopes, and to have confidence in Thee, to lean on Thee, to abstain from the unlawful, to speak politely, to do that which is allowed, to act in a manner which pleases Thee, to invoke Thee for acceptance of demands, please do not put a barrier between me and things I have mentioned to stop them from becoming a reality; nor obscurity, nor sadness, nor dejection, nor weakness, nor forgetfulness, nor delirium but bind me by contract of sobligations and make me stick to it for Thee, in Thy way, make available for me concessions Thou has a right to allow, and fulfil Thy promise and undertaking through Thy mercy, O the Most Merciful. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month allot for me the best that which Thou distributes among Thy good servants, grant me the best that Thou gives as a gift to Thy dearest friends from the boundless reservoir of Thy mercy, indulgence, compassion, approval, pardon, everlasting tolerance, welfare, amnesty, freedom from the Fire, sanctuary of the Paradise, and good of this world and the Hereafter. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month let my prayers reach Thee, let Thy mercy and good obtain access to me by friendless, let my good deeds get Thy approval, let my efforts be acknowledged, let my sins be forgiven, so that I may win my share frequently in large quantity. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month particularly choose for me the best circumstances during the "Night of Qadr", Thou likes to provide for every one of Thy friends, and which, in Thy estimation are most agreeable, after that make this night for me really more auspicious than a thousand months. Give me the best means of livelihood that Thou might have given to any one, and which has reached him or her safely in good condition. Be kind, set me free from the danger of hell and keep me away from its flames, and count me among the fortunate who shall obtain Thy pleasure and protection, O the Most merciful. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and in this month prepare me to make efforts, to search, to be fit, to be in high spirits, alert and agile, for doing that which Thou loves and likes. O Allah, the Lord of daybreak and comforting nights, the Lord of the month of Ramazan and of what has been revealed in the Quran in this month, the Lord of Jabraeel, Meekaaeel, Israafeel, Izraaeel and of all the Angels, the Lord of Ibraaheem Ismaaae’el, Ishaaq, Yaa’qoob, the Lord of Mosa, E’esaa and all the Messengers and Prophets, and the Lord of Muhammad, the the Last Prophet, Thy blessings be on him and all of them. I beseech Thee in the name of Thy claim over them and in the name of their privileges Thou gave them, and in the name of Thy exclusive right (when Thou has blessed him and his children and all of them, and has treated me mercifully) to bless and satisfy me – a blessing that may not be revoked ever after. And give me all that I have asked for as a gift, keep alive my longing, fulfil my desires, strengthen my will and intention. Keep away from me that which is horrid and loathsome, frightening and dangerous, but keep me linked with that which does not threaten me. Away from family, possession, brothers and children, O Allah, unto Thee we come fleeing from our sins, so take us, the repentants, in under Thy shelter. Let us who ask for forgiveness be forgiven. Cover us, the seekers of refuge, with protection. Let us who pray for safety be granted asylum. We, submissive, deserve recompense. Do not let terror seize us. We long for peaceful sanctuary. We ask for rescue. Give to us this as a gift. Verily Thou gives favourable answer to the cry of help. Thou art close at hand. Thou gives positive answer. O Allah Thou art my Lord. I am Thy servant. It is the prerogative of a servant to make a request to his Lord. Thy servants do not turn to any one, like they do in Thy case, to ask for kindness and generosity. O the Last court of appeal for lodging complaints! O the ultimate hope of those who desire satisfaction of wants and needs! O He Who comes to help those who cry out for help! O He Who gives answer to the prayers of the needy! O He Who gives asylum to those who seek refuge! O He Who brings assistance to those who call Him for help! O He Who looks after the weak! O He Who unties the tightening rope of grief twisting around those who are in pain and agony! O He Who dispels the clouds of sorrows from over the heads of those who are surrounded by anguish! O He Who shall save from the anguish of the "Great event"! O Allah! O Beneficent! O Merciful! O the Most Merciful! Send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and overlook my transgressions, faults, abominations, ignorance, offences and violations with which I corrupt my soul, and give me means of livelihood from Thy store of bounties and mercy because no one has access to it other than Thee, forgive me and pardon me for all the past sins and keep a watch over me for the rest of my life so that I may not fall a victim again. Lay Thy protective covering over me, and over my parents, children, relatives and friends, and over those, from among the faithful men and faithful women, who made efforts in my cause, in this world and in the Hereafter. It is all because of Thee. Thy protective covering is all-embracing. So do not disappoint me O My Master, do not reject my request, do not let me be seized by the throat (die) unless that which I have asked for is accepted and put into effect, multiplied and augmented though Thy super abundance, because verily Thou art able to do all things. We call humbly and fervently upon Thee. O Allah all Thy names are beautiful, Thy allegorical attributes are sublime, greatest, and matchless. I beseech Thee is Thy name "Bismillaahir Rah’maanir Rah’eem", (if Thou has decided that in this night (Qadr) the Angels and the Spirit descend therein) to send blessings on Muhammad, and include my name among those who are blessed, and my best blessing would be to be with those who strived in Thy way and testified Thy truth with blood. For me the best favour would be a place at the summit, and forgiveness of my sins. Give me the gift of belief, which will give me joy, heart and confidence. And give me (thy) approval, which will become my destiny. Give me that which is good in this world and that which is good in the Hereafter and save me from the torment of the Fire. If Thou does not settle my affairs favourably in this night wherein the Angels and the Spirit descend therein, then which is the night when the delayed action will be taken in my case? Enable me to remember, thank, obey and sincerely worship Thee, in this night, and send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, "The best blessings" from Thee, O the Most Merciful, O the Unique, O eternally Independent, O Lord of Muhammad, today grow passionate for Muhammad and his pious children and wage war against their enemies to disperse them, track them down one after the other, do not leave off till there is not a single one from among them remains on the face of the earth, and do not ever, till eternity, spare them. O He Who is the best company! O He Who is the Ultimate reliance of the Prophets! Thou art the Most Merciful, the first before all, the original, like unto whom there is "no one", Everlasting, never neglectful, Everliving, never disappearing. Thou, every day, at all times, exercise (universal) power. Thou supported Muhammad, helped him and distinguished him above all. I beseech Thee to help the executor and vicegerent of Muhammad, who is the justly appointed guardian, belonging to the closely united group of his successors, Thy blessings be on him and on all of them. Rush Thy support to them O "There is no god save Thou" for the sake of "there is no god save Thou." Send Thy blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad and keep me with them in this world and in the Hereafter and through thy mercy and kindness let my affairs take the final shape, O the Most Merciful. Likewise Thou refers to Thyself, O my Master, as kind and friendly, and indeed Thou art, so send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad and show Thyself benevolent and favourable (to me) in whatever manner Thou wants. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad and provide me enough durable means to go for Hajj and Umrah in this year and to meet all my wants and needs of this world and the Hereafter.

Then say 3 times:
I seek forgiveness of Allah. I turn repentant unto Him. Verily my Lord is Nigh, Responsive. I seek forgiveness of Allah, my Lord, and I turn repentant unto Him. Verily my Lord is Merciful, Loving. I seek forgiveness of Allah, my Lord, and I turn repentant to Him. Verily He is Oft-Forgiving. O Allah forgive me. Verily Thou art the best of all mercifuls who show mercy. O Lord I transgressed and wronged myself, so forgive me. Verily no one can forgive sins except Thou. I seek forgiveness of Allah who is "There is no god save He", the Everliving, the Eternal, the most Lenient Indulgent, the Compassionate Forgiver of all sins, I turn repentant to Him, I seek Allah’s forgiveness.

Then recite the following:
O Allah I beseech Thee to send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and that which Thou has decided and made ready, through the unchallengeable commands, irrevocably, in the "Night of Qadr", is a decision as well as an execution which, neither can be changed nor kept in abeyance, so write down my name in the list of pilgrims who shall go to Thy "Sacred House" for Hajj, the pilgrims whose performance of Hajj is appreciated, their efforts cut off their link with the sins and atone for their wrongdoings. In this night please decide and make ready for me long life, enough means of livelihood, and it is my wish that I pay back my debts and things deposited with me as a trust. So be it, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah let happiness and freedom from care be my routine, and give me the daily bread from that which I can compute and also from that which I cannot measure, and protect me through that which I watch over myself and also through that which I cannot use for my safety, and send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and thoroughly keep them in peace.


dua 2
(1)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah! it is He who is the Hearer. There is nothing more "hearing" than He. He hears from the high Arsh that which (is spoken), down below the seven heavens, on the earths, He hears that which (is spoken) in the darkness of the land and the sea, He hears the sighings and the complaints, He hears the whispers and the secret thoughts, He hears the diabolical suggestions the devil puts into the mind, and voices (countless at a time) do not confuse His hearing.

(2)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah. It is He who is the Seer. There is nothing more "seeing" than He. He sees from the high Arsh that which (is done), down below seven heavens, on earths, He sees that which (is done) in the darkness of the land and the sea. Vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. He is the Subtle, the Aware. Darkness does not obscure His vision, and is not invisible to Him (anything) (even if) covered and concealed. Walls (barriers) do not render (anything) out of His sight, do not disappear from His sight (anything) in the land and the sea. No mountain can keep concealed from Him that which is in its inside, so also neither the heart, nor any part of the body. There is nothing small or big which can hide itself from Him. The tinest tiny, because of smallness, can not conceal itself from Him. There is nothing, in the heavens and the earth, hidden from Him. It is He who gives you the form and shape in the wombs, howsoever He wills. There is no god save He, the Mighty, the Wise.

(3)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah who raises the heavy clouds. The thunder sings His praise, so do the Angels in awe of Him. He launches the thunder bolts and smites with them whom He wills. He sends the winds as tidings heralding His mercy. He sends down water from the sky, under His command, and make plants and vegetation grow, through His omnipotence. (Not) a leaf falls (but) He knows it. Glory be to Allah. Not an atom’s weight, or less than that or greater, escapes Him in the heavens or in the earth, but it (inscribed) in a clear Book.

(4)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah who knows that which every female bears and that which the wombs absorb and that which they grow. Every thing with Him is measured. He is the Knower of the invisible, the Great, the Exalted. Equal (unto him) is he among you who hides the words and he who makes it known, and he who lurks in the night and he who goes freely in the daytime. For him are Angels ranged before him and behind him; they guard him with Allah’s command. Glory be to Allah who terminates the life and brings the deed to life, knows that which the earth takes (consumes) of them, and cause, what He wills, to remain in the wombs for an appointed time.

(5)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah, the Owner of sovereignty! Thou gives sovereignty unto whom Thou will, and Thou withdraws sovereignty from whom Thou will. Thou exalts whom Thou will and Thou abases whom Thou will. In Thy hand is the good. Verily Thou art able to do all things. Thou causes the night to pass into the day, and Thou causes the day to pass into the night. And Thou brings forth the living from the dead, and Thou brings forth dead from the living. And Thou gives sustenance to whom Thou chooses, without measure.

(6)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah with whom are the keys of the invisible. None but He knows them. He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but He knows it, not a grain grows in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry but (it is noted) in a clear Book

(7)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah whom the praise of the adorers can not specify and point out, and the grateful cannot thank (Him) for His bounties. And that which He says is more conclusive than what we say. Glory be to Allah as He praised Himself. "They encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He wills. His throne includes the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the sublime, the Tremendous".

(8)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah who knows all that enters the earth and all that emerges therefrom and all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends therein. That which enters the earth and that which emerges therefrom do not divert His attention from that which comes down from the sky and that which ascends therein; and that which comes down from the sky and that which ascends therein do not divert His attention from that which enters the earth and that which emerges therefrom. Awareness of one thing does not divert his attention from the awareness of another thing. Creation of one thing does not divert His attention from the creation of another thing. Watching over one thing does not divert His attention from watching over another thing. Nothing is comparable to Him, nor there is anything to rival Him. Not like unto Him is anything, and He is the Hearer, the Seer.

(9)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who appoints the Angels as messengers having two, three or four wings. He adds in creation what He wills. Verily Allah is able to do all things. That which Allah opens (grants) unto mankind of mercy none can withhold it; and that which He withholds none can release it thereafter. He is the Mighty, the Wise.

(10)

Glory be to Allah, the Creator of the breath of life! Glory be to Allah, the Illustrator! Glory be to Allah who created all the pairs, male and female! Glory be to Allah who fixed the darkness and light! Glory be to Allah who splits the grain of corn and the date-stone (for sprouting)! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of all things! Glory be to Allah, the Creator of that which is seen and that which is unseen! Glory be to Allah Whose Words spread out far and wide! Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! Glory be to Allah who knows that which is in the heavens and that which is in the earth; there is not secret conference of three but He is their fourth, not of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be; and afterwards, on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Verily Allah is knower of all things.

dua 3

Verily Allah and his Angels shower blessings on the Prophet. "O you who believe! Ask blessing on him and salute him with a worthy salutation." Here I am to obey Thee O my Lord, to find happiness and to glorify Thee. O Allah send blessing on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, and make Muhammad and his children happy as Thou blessed and made happy Ibrahim and children of Ibrahim, verily Thou art Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory. O Allah surround Muhammad and the children of Muhammad with Thy love and mercy as Thou loved and took care of Ibrahim and the children of Ibrahim. O Allah peace be on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad as Thou declared "peace be unto Nooh among the peoples!" O Allah give grace to Muhammad as Thou gave grace to Moosa and Haroon. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad because through them Thou distinguished us. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad because through them Thou showed us the Right Path. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad and raise them up in a station Praised; the ancient and (there are) others found their position enviable. Peace be on Muhammad and on his children, each time when the sun rises or disappears. Peace be on Muhammad and on his children, each time the eye-lids press together or open wide. Peace be on Muhammad and on his children, each time when peace is said or mentioned. Peace be on Muhammad and on his children, as often as the Angels glorify Allah or sanctify Him. Peace be on Muhammad and on his children in the beginning, and peace be on Muhammad and on his children in the end, and peace be on Muhammad and his children in this world and in the Hereafter. O Allah, the Lord of the sacred city (Mecca) and the Lord of the "Rukn" (the corner of the Holy Kaa’bah where the ‘Black Stone" is lying) and "Maqaam" (the place in the Holy Kaa’bah where Prophet Ibrahim used to pray), and the Lord of the lawful and the unlawful, convey our "Salaam" to Thy Prophet, Muhammad. O Allah, Muhammad has (as a prerogative given by Thee) beauty and brilliance, elegance and blooming freshness, joy and satisfaction, honour and dignity, enviable status, means to approach (Thee), position, authority, distinction, highest rank, and exclusive rights to recommend (our cases) before Thee on the Day of Resurrection. A peculiar and singular privilege shared by no other from among Thy creation Thou bestowed on Muhammad. The good that Thou gave to him has not been given to anyone, much more superior in number and power, countless, no one other than Thee can comprehend. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad, more pleasant, more pure, more meaningful, more prospering, and more excellent than Thou ever blessed with anyone from the beginning to the end, O the Most Merciful. O Allah send blessings on Ali, the Chief of the faithfuls, and be a friend of him who is the friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso takes part in acts of hostility against him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Fatimah, the daughter of Thy Prophet, Muhammad (peace be on him and on his children), and whoso displeases him by hurting her may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Hasan and Husayn, the Leaders of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is their friend, be an opponent of him who is their opponent, and whoso takes part in acts of hostility against them may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Ali son of Husayn, the Leader of Muslims and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad son of Ali, the Leader of the Muslims and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Jafar son of Muhammad, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Moosa son of Jafar, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso takes parts in acts of hostility against him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Ali son of Moosaa, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso acts infamously against him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad son of Ali, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Ali son of Muhammad, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on Hasan son of Ali, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be an opponent of him who is his opponent, and whoso does injustice to him may be severely punished. O Allah send blessings on the Successor, who came after, the Leader of the Muslims, and be a friend of him who is his friend, be and opponent of him who is his opponent, and please send him back as soon as possible in this world. O Allah send blessings on the off-spring of Thy Prophet. O Allah let the successors of Thy Prophet, from among his children, come, and O Allah firmly establish them in this world. O Allah let us follow, support and help them in their just cause, secretly and openly. O Allah investigate and claim retribution, requital, and return of their spilled blood on their behalf; and turn off from us and them and from all faithful men and women the rude power of evil (the tyrants, the insolent imposters and the blood-thirsty beasts) may inflict, (because) Thou alone can seize them by the fore-lock and punish them, verily Thou decisively set a warning example and conclusively inflict penalty.

The recite the following :
O my "Means" in my troubles! O my companion in my difficulties! O my Guardian in my happiness! O the Ultimate of my inclinations! Thou covers up my shortcomings affords security in the event of crisis and fearful disasters, therefore, overlook my transgression. O the Most Merciful.

Then say :
O Allah I call on Thee about the troubles which can not be driven off by anyone, other than Thee; about the kindness which does not come forward except from Thee; about the anguish which does not pass away unless be put to flight by Thee; about the affection which does not grow intense unless Thou give reins to it; about the wants and needs which remain unfulfilled unless Thou satisfies them. O Allah, so, as it was Thy pleasure that Thou allowed me to make a request to treat me mercifully on account of Thy glory I repeat frequently, then but O my Master it must surely have been Thy intention that what I ask for would be given, what I hope for would be made available in large quantity, of better quality, regularly, and would be kept safe from that which I avoid and run from unto Thee. May be I do not deserve to get Thy mercy, but certainly Thy mercy has the right to reach me and promote my cause. May be I am not entitled to satisfaction; but Thy generosity and kindness is able to encompass all things, therefore it will surely cover me also. O my Allah, O Compassionate, I beseech Thee in the name of Thy kindest disposition to send blessings on Muhammad and on his family, and remove my hardships, dispel my sorrows and troubles, have mercy on me through Thy mercy and keep me alive amidst Thy liberal bounties. Verily Thou art the Hearer of prayer, Nigh, Responsive.

Tagged by Sister Scorp, and Laylatul Qadr (from Yasin T. Jibouri's book)

10 FAVORITES
Favorite Color: depends on context. like I'd hate to see the sky red. But I like reds and blues and not greens.
Favorite Food: I'm not that picky if it is halal. But I like pasta stuff.
Favorite Month: Sha'ban and September
Favorite Song: no idea
Favorite Movie: Thunderheart
Favorite Sport: geocaching, snowshoeing
Favorite Season: fall
Favorite Day Of the week: Saturday or Sunday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Breyer's chocolate, or Ben & Jerry's Fossil Fuel
Favorite Time of Day: fajr, unless I'm running late for work

9 CURRENTS
Current Mood: complex
Current Taste: none
Current Clothes: what I slept in
Current Desktop: blue abstract stuff
Current Toenail Color: natural, no color
Current Time: 2 pm
Current Surroundings: computer desk in the second bedroom
Current Thoughts: Allah swt and Laylatul Qadr and decrees and the future and death and Imam Zaman (as)

8 FIRSTS
First Best Friend: Tana Bieker
First Kiss: too young to remember, but guessing it was mom
First Screen Name: dianab (CSU)
First Pet: Lady Ann, Shetland Sheepdog.
First Piercing: Ears, age 4
First Crush: I remember thinking Sting was really cool.
First Album: Soundtrack to Battlestar Galactica

7 Lasts
Last Cigarette: I think I tried a cigarette once when I was 12 with my friend Angie Premier.
Last Drink: water, sometime in the night last night
Last Car Ride: drive - to and from madressah yesterday. ride - with my mom on Friday evening
Last Kiss: mom
Last Movie Seen: Elizabethtown
Last Phone Call: telemarketers probably. Last non-telemarketer was I think Sheikh Idris.
Last CD Played: I don't think I have any, it has been too long to remember.

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: Doesn't exactly fit.
Have You Ever Broken the Law: I have been known to speed on occasion, but I'm working on that. Sort of.
Have You Ever Been Arrested: No
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: No
Have You Ever Been on TV: Not that I know of
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: No

5 THINGS
Thing You're Wearing: what I slept in
Thing You've Done Today: edit a journal article for a friend
Thing You Can Hear Right Now: my heater, my computer, one of the birds, and an airplane
Thing You Can't Live Without: Islam
Thing You Do When You're Bored: check e-mail/blogs

4 PLACES YOU'VE BEEN TODAY
1. bedroom
2. bathroom
3. prayer room
4. computer room

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
1. there aren't any people I'd tell anything to right now.
2. But I can tell Allah swt anything, He knows it all anyway.
3. And I can talk to myself.

2 CHOICES
1. Black or White: both
2. Hot or Cold: both

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. serve Imam Zaman (as)

Tag if interested: Hajar/Freda, Abdul-Rahim, Ihsan, Yousuf, anyone else who wants to.


The Night of Destiny
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted on page 265, Vol. 3, of al- Amin's work Miftahul Jannat, saying, "Allah has favored Friday over all other days, the month of Ramadan over all other months, and the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr) over all other nights." And Allah has favored the Holy Qur'an over all other Books which He revealed. Ibrahim, one of the companions of Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as), is quoted on p. 25, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, saying that he once asked the Imam (as) about how the Holy Qur'an was revealed during Lailatul-Qadr, knowing that it took more than twenty years to reveal. The Imam (as) answered by saying, "The Holy Qur'an was revealed as a whole during the month of Ramadan at the Ancient House (the Ka'ba), then from there it was revealed along the span of (more than) twenty years." Then he cited the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying "The Books of Ibrahim (as) were revealed on the first night of the month of Ramadan; the Torah was revealed on the sixth of the month of Ramadan; the Gospel (Injil) was revealed on the thirteenth of the month of Ramadan; the Psalms (Zabur) were revealed on the eighteenth of the month of Ramadan, and the Holy Qur'an was revealed on the twenty-fourth of the month of Ramadan." This tradition is also recorded on p. 80, Vol. 1, of al-'Ayyashi's Tafsir.
This name was used for Lailatul-Qadr because Allah Almighty determines in it for everyone all what will happen the entire next year. The "Qadr" in this sense means destiny. According to al- Qummi's Tafsir, as explained on p. 432 of its second volume, such destiny includes life and death, sustenance, abundance of crops or famine and everything good or bad. This means that Allah the Glorified and Exalted determines in this night each and every event to Occur during the next year to any and all of His creation.

Al-Majlisi quotes his father on p. 12, Vol. 94, of his own Bihar al Anwar quoting al-Nadar quoting Yahya al-Halabi quoting Ibn Maskan quoting Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as) saying, "During Lailalul-Qadr, the angels, the spirit, and the trusted scribes all descend to the lower heavens and write down whatever Allah decrees that year, and if Allah wishes to advance something or postpone it or add thereto, He orders the angel to erase it and replace it with whatever He decrees." This is also confirmed by al-Qummi in his renown Tafsir, exegesis of the Holy Qur'an. On p. 182, Vol. 1, of Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, and on p. 14, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, Ja'fer ibn Ali ibn Ahmed quotes al-Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Sadaqah quotes Muhammad son of 'Umer ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz quoting al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Nawfali quoting Sulayman al- Marzawi asking Imam al-Rida (as), "Could you please tell us why the Chapter of Qadr was revealed?" The Imam (as) said, "O Sulayman! Lailatul-Qadr is the night when Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, decrees what will take place from one year to another of life or death, good or evil, or regarding sustenance, and whatever He then decrees is sure destiny."

On p. 315 of Ma'ani al-Akhbar, and also on p. 18, Vol. 94, of Biharal-Anwar, Ibn Musa quotes Ibn Zakariyya citing Muhammad ibn al-Abbas quoting Muhammad ibn al-Sary quoting Ahmed ibn Abdullah ibn Yunus quoting Ibn Tareef quoting Ibn Nubatah quoting Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) saying, 'The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked me once, 'O Ali! Do you know the implication of Lailatul- Qadr?' I said, 'No, indeed, O Messenger of Allah!' He (pbuh) said, 'Allah, the Praised One, the Most Glorified, decreed in it what will take place till the Day of Judgment, and among what He, the most Exalted, the Most Great, decreed was your own Imamate and Wilayat and the Imamate and Wilayat of your offspring till the Day of Resurrection." Both Ma'ani al-Akhbar and Bihar al-Anwar quote Sa'd citing the great traditionist Abdullah son of 'Umer ibn al-Khattab quoting Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd ibn Mahran quoting Salih quoting Salih ibn 'Uqbah quoting al-Fadl ibn 'Uthman saying, "When the Chapter of Qadr was mentioned in the presence of Abu Abdullah Imam Ja'fer al-Sadiq (as), he was asked about its merits over other chapters, and he said, 'It was revealed with reference to the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) (as).' He (as) was asked, 'Do you mean Lailatul-Qadr for which we look in anticipation during the month of Ramadan?' He (as) said, 'Yes; it is the night in which the heavens and the earth were determined, and the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (as) was decreed."'

Ahmed ibn Muhammad and Ahmed ibn Ishaq, as recorded on p. 21, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quote al-Qasim ibn Yahya quoting others citing Imam Abu Abdullah (as) saying that Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) quite often used to say, 'We saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) once in the company of al-Taymi and a friend of his while the latter was reciting Chapter al-Qadr. He (pbuh) was profoundly moved and he kept weeping to the extent that he (pbuh) was asked, 'How so deeply moved by this Chapter your heart is!' He (pbuh) said, 'My heart is deeply impressed because of what my eyes had witnessed, and what my mind had comprehended, and because of what the heart of this man [meaning Ali (as)] will go through after me.' Both men asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), 'Did you really see all of that?! And what will he (Ali) see?' He (pbuh) would then recite the verse saying, 'The angels and the Spirit descend therein with the permission of their Lord for every affair; peace, it is, till the break of the morn.' Then he (pbuh) would pause and ask them, 'Is there anything left after the Almighty having verbally said 'every affair'?' They would both answer in the negative, and he (pbuh) would then ask them, 'Do you both know regarding whom it is revealed?' They would both say, 'No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah!' He (pbuh) would then say, 'Yes; is there going to be a Lailatul-Qadr after me (i.e., after my demise)?' They would answer in the affirmative, and he (pbuh) would then ask them, 'Will every affair descend therein?' They said: 'Yes.' He then asked them, 'To whom will it descend?' They answered, 'We do not know.' He (pbuh), with his hand on my head, pushed me gently forward and said, 'If you do not know, then it is regarding this person after me.' Both men, ever since the demise of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), used to be filled with awe whenever that night approached."'

The Almighty says, "Therein every wise affair is made distinct" (44:4). This means that in this night, the Exalted One decrees everything that will happen next year. It is also said in Arabic that someone has a "qadr," a social status or a certain prestige, which he enjoys among people. The "Qadr" in this sense, therefore, also connotes prestige and significance. The Almighty also says in the Holy Qur'an, "They did not honor Allah as He ought to be honored," that is, they did not glorify Him as He ought to be glorified; thus, "qadr" in this verse implies glorification. Lailatul-Qadr, then, is the great night which enjoys a great deal of prestige and high esteem with Allah and in which He determines and decrees the fate and sustenance of all His creation. It has a special status simply because obedience to Him during it is regarded with great seriousness and urgency, and a great reward awaits those who honor the month wherein it falls.

It is also said that it was so named because a Book from Allah which enjoys greatness of status was revealed to a Prophet who also enjoys a great honor and prestige. Another view is that it was named so because the earth becomes straitened due to the number of angels on it. "Qadr," according to this view, carries the meaning of straitness due to the fact that the Almighty has said "... and whoever He decides to straiten his sustenance...." and Allah knows best.

The Almighty has addressed His servant and Messenger, our master, Muhammad (pbuh), saying, "And what will make you comprehend what Lailatul-Qadr is? Lailatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months;" that is, "How would you know the greatness, significance, and sanctity of this night which I have decreed to be better than a thousand months?"

There are indications that the Holy Qur'an was revealed as a whole to the Messenger (pbuh). In the Holy Qur'an, we read: "Haa, Meem. By the Book that makes (the truth) manifest, surely We revealed it on a blessed night" (44:1-3), and also, "Surely We revealed it on Lailatul-Qadr" (98:1).

Ibn Abbas is quoted saying, "The Holy Qur'an was revealed as a whole from the Safeguarded Scroll from the heavens to the lower earth on Lailatul-Qadr, then Gabriel (as) used to reveal it unto Muhammad (pbuh) gradually." It is well known that the Holy Qur'an was revealed unto the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in installments during a period of twenty-three years. The first chapter revealed unto the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) at the Cave of Hira was the Chapter of al-'Alaq when Gabriel said to him: "(O Muhammad!) Read!" He (pbuh) said: "I cannot read." He repeated, "Read!" Again the Prophet (pbuh) said, "I cannot read." So he said once more, "Read in the Name of your Lord Who created..." (96:1), up to the end of the chapter. The last verse of the Glorious Book of Allah revealed unto the Messenger (pbuh) was: "Today have I completed for you your religion, perfected My blessing unto you, and accepted Islam as your religion" (5:3). Thus, suffices this blessed night the honor and dignity of being particularly chosen by the Glorified and Exalted One for the revelation of His Glorious Qur'an which is the shining and guiding light of the religion of Islam and the constitution of its adherents.

Why is Lailatul-Qadr better than a thousand months? Why not better than ten or a hundred thousands? ! Al-Qummi indicates on page 432, Vol. 2, of his Tafsir, that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) once saw in a vision monkeys climbing over his pulpit, and he felt very distressed; thereupon, the chapter of Qadr was revealed to remove his distress. The period of Banu Umayyad's government lasted roughly a thousand months: from 661 to 750 A.D., with the first ruler being Abu Sufyan and the last Mu' awiyah al-Himar. Both al-Kulayni in his Al-Kafi and al-Majlisi in his Bihar al-Anwar quote Ahmed ibn Muhammad quoting Ali ibn al-Hassan quoting Muhammad ibn al-Walid and Muhammad ibn Ahmed quoting Yunus ibn Ya'qub quoting Ali ibn 'Eisa al-Qammat quoting his uncle quoting Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as) saying, 'The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was shown in a vision how Banu Umayyah climbed over his pulpit (like monkeys climb over trees), so he felt very unhappy, whereupon Gabriel (as) descended upon him and asked him why he was so forlorn. He (pbuh) said, 'I have seen (in a vision) tonight Banu Umayya ascending my pulpit after having misled people from the Straight Path.' Gabriel (as) said, 'I swear by the One Who has sent me (as a messenger) with the truth, this is something with which I am not familiar.' Having said so, he ascended to the heavens. After a short while, he brought him one verse to remove thereby his grief; it said: 'Have you considered if We would let them enjoy themselves for (a few) years, then that with which they are threatened comes to them, so much so that whatever they were permitted to enjoy shall not avail them (in the least)?' (Holy Qur'an, 26:205-207). And he also brought him: 'We revealed it in Lailatul-Qadr, and what will make you comprehend what Lailatul-Qadr is? Lailatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months..., etc."'

Lailatul-Qadr is a blessed night also because the Almighty brings down during it goodness, bliss, and forgiveness for His servants. One tradition of the greatest of all prophets Muhammad ibn Abdullah (pbuh) states that when Lailatul-Qadr approaches, the Almighty orders Gabriel (as) to descend accompanied by a crowd of angels to the earth with a green banner. He would mount the banner atop the Ka'ba while having six hundred wings one of which is not spread except on Lailatul-Qadr; so, he would spread them during that night, and he and all other angels would greet everyone who is standing for his prayers, sitting, adoring, or reciting the Holy Qur'an. They would shake hands with them and pray the Almighty to accept their pleas, and they would continue doing so till daybreak. It is then that they would ask Gabriel: "What has the Almighty Allah done with the wishes of the believers among the nation of Muhammad (pbuh)?" He would answer, "The Almighty Allah has looked upon them on this night and forgiven them, all of them, except the following: one who is addicted to drinking, one who severs his ties with his kin, and one who is a trouble-maker."

The Almighty has said, "Lailatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months," meaning, mathematically, that this night, which is comprised of a few hours, is honored by Allah the Exalted and Praised over about eighty-three years which is the equivalent of a thousand months. The Umayyads fought Islam since its inception, then they fought the family of the Prophet (pbuh), that is, Ahl al- Bayt, the whole time they were in power. The first self-declared Umayyad ruler was Abu Sufyan, and the last was Mu'awiya al-Himar. If you trace the period extending from the first year during which Abu Sufyan forced his authority on the Muslims until the Umayyad lost grip over power, you will come to a figure equivalent to a thousand months. It is as if the Holy Qur'an is saying that one night in the sight of Allah is better than all the thousand months those corrupt Umayyads ruled the Muslim masses by sheer force.

The Almighty has also said, "Peace, it is, till the break of the moon," that is, "Lailatul-Qadr is a night of peace and tranquility against all evils, tribulations, and the mischief of the devils. No evil can take place during it, nor can a demon practice his evil designs. It is peace for the devotees who are greeted whenever they are met by the angels. The angels greet them and greet you, O Muhammad, and so does My Spirit, since the moment they descend from heavens and till the time of daybreak."

According to the book titled al-Iqbal which cites Kansul Yawaqeet by Abul-Fadl ibn Muhammad al-Harwi, the Prophet (pbuh) has said, "Whoever remains awake during Lailatul-Qadr and spends it in adoration will have his penalty postponed till the next year." According to the same reference, the Prophet (pbuh) says that Moses (as) once addressed the Almighty saying, "Lord! I desire to be near to You." The Almighty said, "Whoever desires nearness to Me is one who remains awake during Lailatul-Qadr (worshipping Me)." He said, "Lord! I wish to earn Your mercy." The Almighty said, "My mercy is granted to anyone who is merciful to the indigent during Lailatul- Qadr." He said, "Lord! I wish to pass on the right path." He said, "This is granted to anyone who spends alms during Lailatul-Qadr." He said, "Lord! I wish to enjoy the trees and fruits of Paradise!" The Almighty said, "This is granted to anyone who praises Me during Lailatul-Qadr." He said, "Lord! I wish to achieve salvation from the fire!" He said, "This is granted to anyone who seeks forgiveness during Lailatul-Qadr." He said, "Lord! I wish to achieve Your pleasure!" The Almighty said, "I shall be pleased with anyone who prays two (optional) rek'ats during Lailatul-Qadr."

The same book quotes the Holy Prophet (pbuh) saying that the gates of heaven will be opened during Lailatul-Qadr; every devotee who performs prayers during it will receive a tree in Paradise for each prostration he makes, a tree under whose shade a rider may keep riding for a hundred years without leaving its shade. And he will receive for each rek'a a mansion in Paradise of pearls, sapphires, chrysolites and diamonds. For each verse he recites he will receive one of the crowns of Paradise. The tradition is lengthy and it contains quite a generous reward indeed.

Al-Dooryasti, in Kitab al-Husna, relying on the authority of Abu Ja'fer al-Jawad who quotes his forefathers quoting Imam al- Baqir, peace be upon all of them, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is quoted saying that whoever spends Lailatul-Qadr adoring his Lord will have all his sins forgiven even if they had numbered as many as the stars in the heavens, the weight of the mountains, or the measures of the seas. Al-Harwi reported a similar tradition which is recorded in Kanz al-Yawaqeet.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, is quoted on page 5351 of Al-Sahih al-Jami' citing the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying, "Lailatul-Qadr is easy, airy, neither very hot nor very cold; the sun rises on its morning colored pale red." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is also quoted saying, "At the morning of Lailatul-Qadr, the sun rises without rays, looking like a washbowl, till it is high." This tradition is reported by Muslim and al-Tirmithi. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is also reported saying, "Lailatul-Qadr is a serene night, neither hot nor cold, and no comet is hurled during it. One of the signs of its advent is that the sun rises without a ray."

Zad al-Ma'ad quotes a few scholars who believe in its perpetuity, indicating that some of them say that it is at the conclusion of the year; therefore, it has to be observed during all nights of the year so that one of them will be it. Others say that it is in Sha'ban and the month of Ramadan, while still others say that it is the night of the middle of Sha'ban. Others say that it is the beginning of the month of Ramadan, while others say it is the middle of it; yet others say it is the seventeenth. Still others say it is the twenty-ninth of it, while others say it is the last night of it, and most Sunnis of our time are of the view that it is the twenty-seventh. This proves that the reason why it was not determined exactly is due to the purpose of observing the entire month.

On Lailatul-Qadr did the night journey (israa) to heavens take place, and the Almighty raised Jesus son of Mary (as) to Him. On it, His servant and prophet Moses (as) died, and so did Joshua son of Noon, the wasi of Moses, peace be upon both of them. Also on it was the commander of the faithful Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) martyred.

Relying on the authority of Abu Ja'fer, peace be upon him, a few narrators of hadith have indicated that the Prophet (pbuh) had been asked once about the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr). So he ascended the pulpit and, having praised the Almighty, he (pbuh) said, "You have asked me about the Night of Destiny. I have not concealed the knowledge of it from you out of my ignorance thereof. Be informed, O people, that whoever during the month of Ramadan is healthy, and he fasts during its days and performs prayers during a portion of its nights and is punctual regarding the obligatory prayers, and makes an effort to attend congregational prayers on Fridays during it and attends the Eid prayers as well, he will then have honored the Night of Destiny duly, and he will receive his reward from the Creator."

Do you need any more clues regarding the greatness of Lailatul-Qadr? Then let us tell you that the authors of Thewab al- A'rnal and Bihar al-Anwar have cited the son of al-Mutawakkil quoting Muhammad al-Attar quoting al-Ash' ari quoting Muhammad ibn Hassan quoting Ibn Mahran quoting al-Bataini quoting his father quoting Abu Busayr quoting Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as), the men whose truthfulness is not doubted even by the most skeptic scholar, saying that whoever recites Surat al-'Ankabut (The Spider) and Surat al-Rum (Romans) during the 23rd night of the month of Ramadan will secure admission into Paradise without any exception. On p. 19, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, the Imam (as) is quoted adding, "I do not fear lest Allah should record that I have committed a sin for having said s; surely these two Chapters enjoy a great status with Allah."

All shook up

All shook up
Feisty and rebellious, D-11 president Sandy Shakes explains her wild ride and defection from the pro-voucher crowd.
by Cara DeGette http://www.csindy.com (Colorado Springs Independent)

Two years ago, Sandy Shakes was elected to the District 11 Board of Education. She was on a slate of "pro-reform" candidates with an agenda that only became clear over time. That she defected is no secret. This is her account of why she turned, what's happened since -- and what likely will happen if new so-called "reformers" are elected Nov. 1. Supporting documents can be read in full online at csindy.com.


It all started with what seemed an innocent phone call.

Sandy Shakes was considering a run for the local school board. It made sense; a former schoolteacher of 29 years, she had all kinds of insider knowledge about what was right and what was wrong with the way the city's largest district was being run.

A pal suggested she give Steve Schuck a call. The wealthy Colorado Springs developer had a great interest in public education, Shakes was told, and might have some campaign money to toss her way.

Shakes called. She was warmly received. Teacher, wife of a district judge, sister of Penny Whitney, who was married to Craig Whitney of Whitney Electric Company -- Sandy Shakes certainly had the right pedigree.

The two agreed to meet.

Shakes, now 53, was invited to join the club. The chosen four, running for four open seats on the seven-member board, included Shakes, former local NAACP president Willie Breazell and private investigator and U.S. Army reservist Craig Cox. Eric Christen, a swaggering newcomer to the Springs who most recently had worked as a union buster in California, rounded out the team.

One of Shakes' biggest worries about running for public office was the required begging for campaign cash; she says she was delighted to be informed that she wouldn't have to worry about that. Nor would she have to concern herself with organizing, mobilizing volunteers or generally dealing with the messiness of running a political campaign.

The group of four, she was assured, would make headlines with its innovations to improve education. Schuck was a major player in the controversial national movement to install voucher systems in public schools, and the new board members, under his direction, would get coaching from hired gun John Gardner, a former school board member in Milwaukee who had pushed through a voucher program there. (See page 25 for more on Schuck's behind-the-scenes dream team.)

"They kept saying, 'Colorado Springs is in the foreground. Everyone is going to be watching what is happening here,'" Shakes says.

Glossy color mailers went out by the reams. The four candidates were painted as über-educators, champions of choice, true patriots with the combined superpower to fix all that was ailing. Opponents were stained in big, ugly brushstrokes as anti-education, anti-choice, anti-children.

In all, $150,000 was spent, a record for a local school board race. The other eight candidates, with their rudimentary photocopied brochures and grassroots campaigns, didn't stand a chance.


'You better watch out'

The day the new majority was to be sworn in, Shakes, Christen, Breazell and Cox were summoned to a meeting at the Radisson hotel near the airport. Technically, Shakes notes, it was not a quorum -- which requires public notification under Colorado's Open Meetings Law -- because the elected officials had not yet been sworn in.

But Shakes says the group took the opportunity to privately sort out, beyond public view, who would take on which board offices. She was to become president. The other three would be elected by "secret ballot" to other assigned leadership posts on the seven-member board. Shakes was handed a short statement, prepared by Gardner. At the top it said, "Statement by Sandy Shanks [sic], District #11 Board President."

The instructions were clear. At their first public meeting, after she was named president, Shakes was to read the screed and clear the room immediately. Four new sheriffs were in charge.

"The message [to any possible detractors] was very clear: 'You better watch out,'" Shakes says.

That night, Schuck was in the audience. So were Shakes' husband, her kids, longtime friends and former colleagues. She did as she was told. She was sworn in, became president, read the statement and thwacked the gavel down. Meeting over. No discussion. Spectators glared in disbelief.

Later, the four new board members met -- this time, in violation of the Open Meetings Law --at Old Chicago restaurant and bar in downtown Colorado Springs.

Shakes says everyone was slapping each other on the back, saying, "Oh, ho, ho, didn't we get them good?"

Shakes says she felt sick.

"It was horrible," she says. "It was one of those things like, 'Oh, my God, what have I gotten myself into? I thought I was just running for the school board.' I knew it was wrong and it was just bullying, and that's just not my style.

"But I just love it!" she laughs, recalling the statement that had been prepared for her. "They couldn't even spell my name right."


Ripe for a takeover

With 30,000 students, D-11 is the seventh-largest district in Colorado. It also is increasingly urban, and enrollment has dipped in recent years as the city's core population has aged and more families with school-aged children have moved to the far suburbs.

Leadership has been spotty, often replaced by a cheerleader mentality. Test scores -- which have become official meters of student success -- have been less than impressive. With the exception of a bond measure that passed in 1996, the district has not successfully convinced voters to approve tax hikes for the schools in more than 30 years.

Under these conditions, Shakes says, D-11 is ripe for a takeover by politicos who adopt the mantle of "reform" -- who play heroes, riding in on white horses to fix what they claim is a public school system in shambles. The local daily has adopted the description, routinely referring to them as "reformers."

But, Shakes maintains, people would be wise to question the true intent of the sort of "reforms" these activists have in mind.

In the extreme, she points out, Christen aggressively opposes government involvement in education in any form. In fact, he has signed a proclamation supporting ending government funding for education, sponsored by the Fresno, Calif.-based Alliance for the Separation of School & State.

"He wants to get rid of public education in any way, shape or form and privatize all education," Shakes says. "And he's on the school board!"

Shakes describes Cox as less strident than Christen, but with a decided mean streak of his own.

"Capitalism and competitiveness is what it's all about [for Cox]," she says.

Breazell, in Shakes' opinion, truly does have a desire to improve education, especially for minority students.

"Unfortunately," she adds, "I think he's chosen the wrong avenue to accomplish his goals."


'The bane of their existence'

The for-profit, free-market approach to education is just one driving force for reformers of the sort in District 11. Another is an obsessive desire to destroy teachers' unions, "the bane of their existence," as Shakes says.

Besides ensuring teachers' job security and competitive pay, unions usually back Democratic candidates in partisan elections, which, Shakes says, just enrages the newcomers to the D-11 board.

Ultimately, she says, it's about power and control.

"If [pro-voucher advocates] can get control of, say, 5 percent of public education dollars, then they've got billions of dollars. And what better way to do it than to go where you don't have to have compliance, without restrictions?"

Of course, Shakes knows this agenda because she once was in the club. She grew more and more wary, however, over a peculiar irony: The group she belonged to constantly was screaming that public school districts need to be held accountable. Yet, by operating in secrecy, the members refused public accountability for their own actions.

One telling example of their strategy comes from a Nov. 24, 2003 e-mail from Dan Njegomir, former editorial page editor of the Gazette. Then working as an adviser to the four new board members, Njegomir counseled the following: "Resist the urge to [publicly] discuss vouchers at all ... When there is a specific policy you can indulge to help with implementation of vouchers -- to be discussed as time goes by -- implement it without fanfare ..."

Says Shakes: "There's nothing wrong with what they're doing, if it's done without an agenda. It's totally appropriate to question what public schools are doing -- but not if you set it up so the end results are going to support what you want to happen.

"Make no mistake. This is not about reform. This is about a scam to take public funds and work it into private pockets," she says. "And what's outrageous is they are playing the heartstrings of the poor and minorities [as the chief beneficiaries]."

How low can you go?

During the six months between the November 2003 election and the vote that officially made her former friends into her virulent enemies, Shakes became increasingly struck by just how mean they could be.

Almost immediately after the 2003 election, for example, Shakes confronted Christen on his aggressiveness, which was obvious from the get-go.

He tearfully offered, at the time, to quit the board, Shakes says. Three months later, in a Feb. 27, 2004 e-mail, Christen threatened to resign a second time, citing as his "final straw" that a majority of his colleagues were not planning to immediately fire then-Superintendent Norm Ridder.

"This man is an embarrassment to any thoughtful person," Christen wrote.

Earlier this year, Christen again offered to quit, passing Shakes a handwritten note in the middle of a board meeting. His offer contained a caveat: He would leave only if he got to choose his replacement.

In an April 2 e-mail, Christen wrote, "It is quite apparent that Sandy [Shakes] does not want what's best for the district but what is best for her. My reason to step down is very simple: Sandy is not a well person and her irrational, out of control behavior both at board meetings and out in public ... is hurting the district. Seeing how I am a big part of what sets her off I have offered to step down so as to take away this excuse ... She desperately needs to seek help."

Shakes informed Christen that his self-replacement scheme was not in line with Colorado law, and the matter hasn't come up again.

Then there was the Mary Wierman incident. Shortly after the 2003 election, the full board held a retreat. Along with the four new majority members, the D-11 board membership included Wierman, Karen Teja and David Linebaugh.

After the retreat, Wierman approached Christen and politely said something along the lines of, "You know, Eric, I've had a chance to talk with everyone else on the board. I would like to sit down with you; I'm sure there are some things we agree on."

"Mary's got a heart of gold. She's just the nicest lady with the deepest concern for poor children," Shakes says. "Eric just looked at her and said, 'There's absolutely nothing I want to talk with you about. It would be a waste of my time.'

"Afterward, coming out of the conference room, he just yukked it up like, 'Oh didn't I get her?' And Mary was back in the room, just crying."

"It was just mean. Mean, mean, mean, mean, mean."


The bloody revolution

As the months of the new board members' first year wore on, it became increasingly clear that Shakes was not linked ideologically with her three cohorts.

She is surprised that her teammates didn't fully comprehend her positions earlier, she says. Yes, she wanted to affect true reform. Yes, she agreed, the district needs overhauling and, yes, leadership has been spotty. But, yes, the teachers deserve fair contracts, protection and decent pay.

On May 5, 2004, the board gathered in executive session to discuss the terms of the new teachers' contract. Such secret meetings are designed to allow governing boards to discuss sensitive topics about personnel, legal and land issues. Four board members -- Shakes, Wierman, Teja and Linebaugh -- tentatively agreed to approve the new contract for teachers, pending a formal vote in public that was scheduled for the following week.

Less than two hours later, Christen, who had not been at the meeting but clearly had been briefed, leaked what had been discussed during the executive session.

In an e-mail to Schuck, Christen wrote: "A majority of the board agrees that we 'just don't need this fight right now [with teachers] and that we should let them 'have what they want because the unions will strike if we don't cave on this.' "

"Three new seats will open up next November, a date that cannot and will not come soon enough for far too many children who expected and needed so much more.

"Until then the district can expect a guerilla warfare campaign unlike anything they have ever seen by those who are exceedingly proficient at it."

Shakes voted for the new contract. She says, "The next day, Toby Norton [a pro-voucher activist and close ally of Schuck's], called and said, 'Boy, Schuck's really mad at you.' And I said, 'For what?' And she said, 'For your vote on the teachers.' And I just said, 'Well, he knows how to get in touch with me -- he should call me. I don't want to hear it from you.'

"It's really making me mad when someone sends little people out to yabber at me instead of picking up the phone and yabbering at me in person."

The breaking point for Shakes, she says, came on May 25, 2004. That day, accompanied by Ridder, she drove to Denver to attend a conference, called "Revolutions in Colorado Education."

In attendance were about 50 wealthy charter school and voucher advocates. The two arrived just as Denver businessman and voucher proponent Alex Cranberg was introducing Schuck as the next speaker.

"Steve got up there, and he was red and he was beating and pounding his fist on the podium, screaming 'This is the revolution, and we are going to have to be willing to get bloody!' and that moment is when I said, 'It's over the line,'" Shakes recalls.

"It's not about kids for these guys. It's about a revolution, and the revolution is that the haves are going to have and the haves are going to control, and we are going to tell people how it is going to be, without any discussion about what would be adequate for these kids.

"A revolution? Getting our hands bloody? I just looked at Norm and said, 'He's lost it.' "


District without borders

The next month it became clear that the Schuck-supported slate intended to pave the way for a local voucher program with potential ramifications for school districts across Colorado.

Over the past 13 years, Colorado voters twice have rejected vouchers for public schools. Yet, in 2003, the then-Republican-controlled Legislature adopted a law incorporating a statewide school voucher plan.

The next year, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. So, Shakes says, a plan was hatched to approve a voucher plan on the local level.

She recalls the private meeting she attended to hash over the draft of a resolution, called "Educational Services to Meet the Needs of Every Child." It was held at the private law office of Bob Gardner, a GOP operative and local attorney who had helped coordinate her election. Shakes says Gardner helped draft the legal document.

Joining the group were Ridder and the school district's attorney from the law firm Holme, Roberts and Owen.

Njegomir, the former Gazette editor who currently works for the state's Senate Republican Communications office, also was in attendance. His earlier advice to D-11 candidates -- to implement voucher-friendly policies without fanfare -- was coming home to roost.

The resolution directed the superintendent to "establish a program of contracting for the provision of educational services at educational institutions selected by the parents of children who are either at risk or have other special needs that the parents believe can be met more effectively at an educational institution other than a District school."

One of the document's more interesting points was the possibility of including students living "outside the territorial limits of the District."

Shakes says that Njegomir explained the concept: Not only would D-11 students be able to use tax dollars to attend private schools, but kids living anywhere in Colorado -- say, Greeley, Grand Junction or Denver -- officially could become D-11 students.

The Colorado Springs district would keep 20 percent of the allotted per-pupil operating revenue (which currently is $5,750), and students all over Colorado could then take the rest of the money and apply it to whichever religious or other private school in their hometown would "meet their educational needs."

Njegomir maintains that, as the board president, Shakes had called the meeting "in an effort to try to get more latitude for educational options."

"I was only too happy to be enlisted and add my two cents," he says.

Shakes recalls the discussion a bit differently.

"They kept saying things like, 'This will boost enrollment [at D-11],' but what this was, was a clearinghouse," she says. "They were calling it 'child-centered,' and I just said, 'Don't snooker people; call it what it is.'

"It was just a fancy way of trying to dupe people."

When the proposal crossed Teja's desk, Shakes says Teja immediately recognized it for what it was. Teja, who has had numerous clashes with board members Christen, Cox and Breazell, revised the resolution. She watered it down, including limiting its scope to "special needs students" and eliminating the portion that included students living "out of the territorial limits of the District." The amended resolution passed 4 to 3, and, Shakes says, her onetime pals were furious.

So they went after Teja. More specifically, they went after Teja's daughter.


Dog with a meaty bone

In a nutshell, Cox and Christen obtained from District 11 the education record of Teja's daughter, a D-11 student who legitimately had received district-paid tutoring to help her with a learning disability.

They took the private records, and leaked them to the Gazette. They talked about the private records on a local radio talk show. They talked about them during at least one school board meeting. They claimed that Teja, who is opposed to vouchers, was a hypocrite, and that her daughter was getting preferential treatment; in their minds, the tutoring represented the same thing as a voucher.

A resulting federal investigation conducted through the Colorado Department of Education exonerated Teja and found that the district had violated federal laws by releasing her daughter's records to Cox and Christen. The district was instructed to provide written assurance that it would not happen again, lest it risk losing millions in federal education funds.

But the damage to a child was done.

"They never thought that Karen would have done what she did," Shakes said of Teja's sabotaging the voucher resolution. "So that's why they held onto Karen like a dog with a meaty bone. They just wouldn't let go of it. It just goes to the heart of how far they will go to destroy someone."

There is also Douglas Bruce's lawsuit against D-11 to consider. Last Oct. 26 -- egged on by Christen, Cox and their supporters -- Bruce alleged that administrators illegally had engaged in stumping for an upcoming capital improvements bond and mill levy override election on the taxpayers' dime.

Among Bruce's "proof" was an audiotape that he claimed board member Christen had of administrators politicking at Jenkins Middle School. Christen and Cox were formally identified in court documents as "aligned with [Bruce] in this matter."

Over the next four months, the court ordered the transcribed audiotape to be submitted as evidence. At first, Bruce insisted that Christen had it; therefore, District 11 officially was in possession of the tape.

But Christen claimed that Bruce had the tape. The alleged tape never was submitted to the court, and ultimately the charges against D-11 were dismissed with prejudice. Bruce's lawsuit cost district taxpayers more than $50,000.

As Shakes puts it: "Board members involved in lawsuits against their own district? Actively working against their own district?

"They want District 11 to be in total chaos and to have nothing but one problem after another, because it's very hard to improve, and move forward with positive things -- like a focus on education -- when you're spending your time on shenanigans like this."

'Bring it on'

Shakes remembers vividly the last time one of her former allies approached her in a conciliatory manner. It was 14 months ago.

"Toby Norton came over to my house in August [2004]. It was a Saturday, about 9:30 a.m.

"She came unannounced. My whole family was there. She said, 'Steve [Schuck] sent me,' and I said, 'About what?'"

Here was the deal from Norton, Shakes says. If she would bring back the voucher resolution and vote for it, Christen would support the 2004 bond issue, an issue Shakes considered critical to the future of improvements in the school district.

"I said, 'I don't need Eric, I don't want Eric.' And at that point, Toby said, 'I like you, Sandy, but you're doing the wrong thing.' She said -- and these were her words, I'll never forget them -- 'You don't know what they're going to do. [They'll] take you down and publicly destroy you. Don't do it.'

"I said, 'Tell him to bring it on,' " Shakes says. "Those were my last words. So as you can see, this is what has happened."

In a little more than two weeks, on Nov. 1, D-11 voters will elect three new school board members. Wierman and Teja are term-limited from office; Linebaugh has declined to run for a second term. As it did two years ago, the pro-voucher movement has recruited three candidates -- Carla Albers, Robert Lathen and Reginald Perry -- and is pouring money into their campaigns.

Schuck, who has declined interview requests during this year's election campaign, could not be reached for comment for this story.

However, the local Grand Old Party's machine has jumped into the fray this year, endorsing those three candidates in a largely Republican community, in what is supposed to be a nonpartisan race.

If just one is elected, the Christen, Cox and Breazell faction would take over the school board. Shakes has no doubt about what would happen next.

"To start off with, you would immediately have five school closures," she says. "[Lower-performing elementary schools like] Ivywild, Hunt, Adams, Monroe, and if they're paying attention, Wilson, would be closed.

"You would have the teachers' contract revoked immediately," likely leading to a strike.

The district's new superintendent, Sharon Thomas (Ridder resigned earlier this year), immediately would be fired, Shakes predicts, and voucher proponent and State Representative Keith King, "or someone of the same mindset," would be ushered in.

Shakes' worst-case scenario is being the lone public school advocate, with six angry, hungry school board members surrounding her on the dais, clamoring to eat her alive for her betrayal.

Would she quit?

"You know," she says, laughing, "it might be funny to be the only sane one left on the board."

Imam Sajjad (as)'s supplication when sick

His Supplication when Sick

His Supplication when Sick or Visited by Distress or an Affliction


1 O God, to Thee belongs praise
for the good health of my body
which lets me move about,
and to Thee belongs praise,
for the ailments
which Thou causest to arise in my flesh!
2 For I know not, my God,
which of the two states deserves more my thanking Thee
and which of the two times is more worthy for my praise of Thee:
3 the time of health,
within which Thou makest me delight
in the agreeable things of Thy provision,
through which Thou givest me the joy to seek
the means to Thy good pleasure and bounty,
and by which Thou strengthenest me
for the acts of obedience
which Thou hast given me success to accomplish;
4 or the time of illness
through which Thou puttest me to the test
and bestowest upon me favours:
lightening of the offenses
that weigh down my back,
purification of the evil deeds
into which I have plunged,
incitement to reach
for repentance,
reminder of the erasure of misdeeds
through ancient favour;
5 and, through all that, what the two writers write for me:
blameless acts,
which no heart had thought,
no tongue had uttered,
and no limb had undertaken,
rather, as Thy bestowal of bounty upon me
and the beneficence of Thy benefaction toward me.
6 O God,
bless Muhammad and his Household,
make me love
what Thou hast approved for me,
make easy for me
what Thou hast sent down upon me,
purify me of the defilement
of what I have sent ahead,
erase the evil
of what I have done beforehand,
let me find the sweetness
of well-being,
let me taste the coolness
of safety,
and appoint for me
a way out from my illness to Thy pardon,
transformation of my infirmity into Thy forbearance,
escape from my distress to Thy refreshment,
and safety from this hardship in Thy relief!
7 Thou art gratuitously bountiful in beneficence,
ever gracious in kindness,
the Generous, the Giver,
Possessor of majesty and munificence!

Du'a for Sahar (Dawn)

Du'a for Sahar

This is a very beautiful du'a. Its poetic language and heartfelt message makes for an outstanding prayer. The all encompassing mercy of the Almighty is analogized with the vastness of the sea, while the needy are passengers on a ship waiting to cross.

Humility is an essential part of the etiquette of Du'a. An acknowledgemnt of one's sins and shortcomings is most becoming to a supplicant. This is succintly expressed in the following Du'a.

In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.

My God,

the beggars are standing at Your door,

the needy have taken refuge with Your Honor.

The ship carrying the poor and humble people,

is standing at the shores of the sea ,

of Your generosity and grace,

hoping for permission to cross ,

to the shores of Your mercy and blessings.

My God, if You do not forgive,

in this honored month,

except the one who has sincerely purified himself for You,

in his fasting and prayers,

then who is there for the negligent sinner,

when he drowns in the sea of his sins?

My God, if You do not have mercy on any,

except the obedient,

then who is there for the disobedient?

And if You do not accept from any,

except the performers of (good) actions,

then who is there for those who fall short?

My God, those who fast have profited,

those who stay up in prayer have won,

and those who are sincere have succeeded,

but we are Your sinful servants!

So be kind to us through Your mercy

and save us from the fire through Your forgiveness, O Gracious

O most merciful.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family, the purified ones.

birds

The neighborhood birds always feast when a storm comes in.....

...

Sorry for not posting much; I've been pretty sick and don't have a computer at home either right now. So insha'allah more when I get a chance.

another weekend

Well we have our first snow of the year last night and today. Mostly raining but some snow around. Not enough to close schools, though. :( Most district are off today anyway for Columbus Day, but my district doesn't get that day off. Leo (the neighborhood cat) was very happy to stay inside my house last night and today.

I ended up going to Denver twice this weekend and ate up the rest of my gas budget for the month. My madressa class keeps growing every week.

We celebrated my dad's birthday Saturday evening but it is actually today. I forgot he has the day off and tried to call to wish him Happy Birthday before he went off to work but he was still sleeping. It was kind of a mellow family get together because lots of us were sick, sorry for dad. But we had a good dinner and he seemed to like his gifts.

Wednesday and Friday this week are the anniversaries of the deaths of Abu Talib and Bibi Khadija, uncle and wife of the Prophet (saw). Abu Talib was his main protector against enemies in Mecca and his death contributed to the migration to Medina. Khadija had suffered greatly in the three-year siege just prior and lost her health as a result.

Reading the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan in a language one understands is very peaceful and beautiful. It speaks to you.

My mom has been upset that since their dog died a few weeks ago she hasn't seen it; she usually has had visions of the deceased pets around the house after they passed away. But, she is convinced that one of the cats has seen her so that has seemed to appease her a little bit.

month of Ramadan

Well it seems for most of us month of Ramadan starts officially tomorrow, October 5. Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah swt grant you success with your goals (if you made them) and then some!

Food tastes so much better for iftar, doesn't it? But you also get full so quickly. And lose energy during the day. And I find I really don't feel like talking much during the day if I am fasting. But I am so much more efficient at paperwork - it is amazing how much more can get done just by not eating/drinking.

Mom and I were going to go to a Winter Gardening Community Ed class Thursday night, but not enough people signed up so it was canceled. Bummer. We're celebrating dad's B-day this Saturday insha'allah but really it is next Monday.

I think I have a student teacher (now called a "teacher candidate") coming next week. He's been in a middle school for 8 weeks and then 8 weeks with me in high school. First quarter ends next Friday. 1/4th through the year - yaay!

The house between my parents' house and my brothers' might bo up for sale next year - that would be too cool if we could all three get houses in a row - but I don't think I can budget it without some major unforeseen financial changes. It is strange, I got a raise, but I actually have less money now - because now I am paying back the school loan but also a lot of my bills - utilities, etc., went up significantly because of various stuff going on in the world.

weekend

Friday mom and I saw "The Greatest Game Ever Played" with Logan. It is a nice movie, I would recommend it. Saturday went up to Denver for madressah then came back and went to my parents' house to haul wood. After we finished, we had my birthday dinner. It was nice. I got a new gps from my parents - a smaller one that fits on your wrist or handlebars. I got a big griddle from my brother and his family.

Sunday I was really tired, I guess from hauling wood. But I got a few chores done - not all of them, though. And Laura wanted to go see "The Island" at the dollar theater so we went to that - it was good, I liked it - it was much better than I thought it would be. I would recommend it, too, especially for a dollar.

Took someone to do some first-time caching and ate leftover birthday dessert - the best - Four Layer Pudding.

Seven Things Meme

Seven things I plan to do before I die (insha-Allah):

1. Ziarat in Karbala, rest of Iraq, and Iran and Syria
2. Get out of debt
3. Learn to recite Qur'an more fluently and with more understanding and memorize more of it
4. Get my PhD
5. Have a nice garden and share what grows in it
6. keep trying to be a better person
7. Stay active and keep trying more new things

Seven things I can do:

1. Proofread - at least people have asked me to do it and said I do a good job.
2. Teach - although it often doesn't feel like it!
3. Learn new technology and have fun doing it.
4. Read.
5. I can do math! (At least I hope so, seeing as I teach it.)
6. Nothing - I'm pretty good at doing nothing.
7. Be patient - I have had lots of occasion to practice, alhumdooleluh.

Seven things I can't do:

1. Cook - at least not much.
2. Sew - except maybe a button if I'm not too lazy.
3. move far away from mom
4. hoola hoop
5. blow bubbles with bubble gum
6. listen to ditto heads
7. get to the gym nearly as often as I should

Seven things I say most often:

1. Please be quiet.
2. insha'allah
3. salaam
4. bismillah
5. Do you have your homework?
6. okay
7. hello

Seven things that attract me to people:

1. kindness/generosity
2. intelligence
3. looks (just be honest here)
4. passion/drive/ambition
5. level-headedness
6. tolerance/flexibility
7. piety

Seven people I want to do this:

Anyone who hasn't yet & would like to!