Let's Learn Our Islam

ALLAH CREATED ALL OF US

You often hear people referring to "Allah." They usually form sentences such as, "May Allah bless you," "If Allah wills," "Insha'Allah," "May Allah forgive you" and so on.

These are the statements that are used when one remembers Allah, prays to Him or exalts Him.

For example, "May Allah protect you" expresses the fact that Allah has infinite power over you and every being-animate or inanimate-around you. It is Allah Who can save you, your mother, father and your friends from evil. For this reason, this phrase is often used when mentioning a natural disaster or similar unwelcome event. Think for a moment: Could your mother, father or anyone else you know prevent a natural disaster, for example, a flood? They certainly could not, because only Allah makes such events happen to man and, similarly, only He can prevent them.

The word "insha'Allah" means "if Allah wills." Therefore, when we say that we are going to do something or not going to do something, it is essential we say, "Insha'Allah." This is because only Allah knows the future and thus creates it as He wills. Nothing happens except what He wills.

When one of our friends, for instance, says, "I will certainly go to school tomorrow," he or she is making a mistake, because we cannot know what Allah wills him or her to do in the future. Maybe he or she will be sick and unable to go to school, or atrocious weather conditions may suspend classes.

For this reason we say "insha'Allah" when expressing our intentions for the future, and thereby acknowledge that Allah knows everything, that everything happens only by His Will and that we can never know anything beyond what Allah teaches us. This way, we show due respect to our Lord, Who possesses infinite might and knowledge.

In the verses of the Qur'an, Allah informs us that He wants us to say "insha'Allah" (If Allah wills):

Never say about anything, "I am doing that tomorrow," without adding "If Allah wills." Remember your Lord when you forget, and say, "Hopefully my Lord will guide me to something closer to right guidance than this." (Surat al-Kahf: 23-24)

You may not know a lot about these issues, but that is not really important. In order for you to come to know Allah, all you need to do is to look around and think.

Everywhere is full of beauty showing us the attributes of Allah and His infinite might. Think about a lovely white rabbit, the smiling faces of dolphins, the glorious colours of butterfly wings or the blue seas, green forests, various kinds of flowers and the other innumerable beauties in the world. It is Allah Who creates all of these. Allah has created the entire universe you see-the world and the creatures in it-from nothing. Therefore, looking at the beauty that He creates, you can see His infinite might.

It is a fact that our own existence is evidence of Allah's existence. So let us first think about our existence and how Allah has created us so perfectly.

The Existence of Man

Have you ever wondered how man came into existence? You will probably say, "Everyone has a mother and father." But that answer is inadequate. After all, it does not explain how the first mother and father, that is, the first man, came into being. You will most probably have heard some stories on this subject at school or from people around you. Yet the only accurate answer is that it is Allah Who created you. We will dwell on this issue in detail in the coming chapters. For now, there is one thing we must all know; The first human being who appeared on earth was the Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. All human beings are descended from him.

Adam, peace be upon him, was, just like us, a man who walked, talked, prayed and worshipped Allah. Allah first created him and then his wife. Then their children spread all over the world.

Never forget that Allah only needs to give a command in order to create. When He wishes something to be, He gives the command "Be!" and it comes into being. He has enough power to do anything. For example, He created Adam from clay. This is easy for Allah.

However, never forget that there are also people who deny Allah's existence. These people give other answers to the question of how people came into existence. They do not search for the truth.

If the boy in this cartoon says, "My picture here has been drawn by ink being spilt on a white sheet of paper by pure chance," this will just sound strange, since we know that it is an artist who drew this picture. Similarly, a man sounds strange if he fails to accept that Allah created him.

If a cartoon character said, "I came into existence when ink was spilt on the paper by chance. The paints were also spilt by chance and formed the colours. That is to say, I do not need anyone to draw my picture or shape me. I can come into being myself, by chance," you would surely not take it seriously. You know that the perfect lines, colours and actions in cartoons cannot be formed by randomly spilling paint here and there, since knocking over an ink bottle only makes a mess; It never forms a fine picture made up of regular lines. For something meaningful and with a purpose to come into being, someone has to think about it, design it and draw it.

Everyone knows that a cartoonist drew all the attributes of cartoon characters, their shapes, colours, and their faculties such as walking, running and jumping.

To understand all this, you do not need to see the artist and the painter. You automatically understand that the cartoonist has given this character its attributes, shapes and colours, and the faculty of speaking, walking or jumping.

After this example, think seriously about the following: Someone who does not accept that Allah created him is also lying, just like that cartoon character.

Now let's assume that such a person talks to us. Let's see how this man tries to explain how he and everyone else came into existence:

"I, my mother, father, their parents and the very first parents who lived from time immemorial all came into existence by chance. Coincidences created our bodies, eyes, ears and all organs."

Even artificial high-tech robot organs remain very rough and primitive compared to the organs of human beings. Allah created man perfectly and every detail in the human body manifests this perfection.

These words of this man, who denies that Allah created him, are very much like the words of the cartoon character. The only difference is that the character is made up of lines and paint on a sheet of paper. The person who utters these words, on the other hand, is a man made up of cells. But does this make any difference? Isn't the man who utters these words a highly complex organism more perfect than the cartoon character? Doesn't he have more organs? In other words, if it is impossible for a cartoon character to come into being by chance, then it is even more unlikely for this man to have come into being by chance. Now, let's ask this man the following question:

"You have a very wonderful body that functions flawlessly. Your hands can hold objects with great delicacy-much better than the most developed machines. You can run on your feet. You have perfect eyesight, sharper than the highest quality cameras. You never hear a hissing sound in your ears; No hi-fi can produce such a clear sound. Many organs of which you are unaware work together to keep you alive. For instance, although you have no control whatsoever over the functioning of your heart, kidneys or liver, they continually operate flawlessly. Today, hundreds of scientists and engineers are working strenuously to design machines similar to these organs. However, their efforts have achieved nothing. That is to say, you are a flawless creature, the like of which cannot be manufactured by man. How do you account for all this?"

The man who denies that Allah creates these things will probably say:

"I also know that we have a flawless body and perfect organs. But I believe in the following: inanimate and unconscious atoms came together by coincidence to form our organs and bodies."

You will doubtless have noticed that these words sound unreasonable and odd. Whatever age he may be or occupation he may have, a person who puts forward such claims obviously fails to think clearly and has mistaken ideas. Surprisingly, one frequently comes across people who believe in such irrational notions.

Since even the simplest machine has a designer, a complex system like man could not have come into existence by chance. There is no doubt that Allah created the first human being. Allah also created the systems within the body of the first man to enable reproduction and the appearance of succeeding generations. Allah ensured the human race would continue by means of a programme inserted in its cells. We also came into existence thanks to this programme created by Allah, and continue to grow up in line with it. What you read about this subject in the following pages will enable you to attain a better understanding of the fact that Allah, Our Creator, possesses infinite power and wisdom.

The flawless programme in the human body

Despite some superficial distinctions between races, everyone shares such basic, unchanging features as the mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Due to the different programmes that Allah put in the human body, everyone enjoys the same fundamental characteristics, although they may look superficially different.

In the previous page, we mentioned a perfect programme Allah inserted into the human body. Thanks to this programme, every human being has eyes, ears, arms and teeth. Again thanks to this programme, despite some differences in their appearances, all human beings look reasonably similar. We resemble our relatives, and some peoples have their own distinctive characteristics because of this programme. For instance, the Chinese and Japanese generally resemble one another, and Africans have their unique skin colours, facial features, and mouth and eye structures.

In order for a computer to operate, software called a "programme" is needed. A person lives thanks to the information similar to software that Allah has placed in our genes.

Now let's explain what this programme is like with the following example:

You must have an idea of the way computers operate. An expert designs the computer. Experts in special factories with the help of advanced technologies also produce complementary components such as the microprocessor, monitor, keyboard, CD, loudspeakers and so on. Now, you have a machine capable of processing highly complex operations. You can either play games or write whatever you want. But for all this to happen, you need software called "programmes." Without these programmes, which are specially prepared by experts, your computer would fail to operate.

Furthermore, we know that not every programme is compatible with every type of computer, which means that the programmer must know both the computer and the software compatible with it. As we have seen, one needs both a machine and a proper programme to operate a computer. But more importantly, if nobody designed and produced all these things, your computer would again fail to work.

The human body has a highly complex system far superior to and much more complex than a computer. While nobody claims that this computer came into existence by chance, some people claim that our bodies have acquired these features by chance.

The human body is similar to a computer. As we said earlier, there is a programme in our cells that brings about our existence. Now the question is, how did it happen that this programme came into existence? The answer is obvious:

Allah, the Almighty, specially creates every human being. It is Allah Who has created our bodies as well as the programme that shapes them.

But don't get me wrong. From another point of view, it is quite impossible to compare the human body to a computer. Our bodies are infinitely superior to the most complex computer. Our brain alone, for instance, is many times more complex than a computer.

Now let's see how a baby is born into this world:

Initially, there exists a tiny piece of flesh in your mother's womb. In the course of time, this tiny piece of flesh expands and takes shape.

Your height, the colour of your eyes, your eyebrows, the shape of your hands and hundreds of other features are all predetermined from the very first moment of your existence. All this information is stored in that initial programme Allah placed in your cells. This programme is so flawless and detailed that scientists have only recently come close to understanding how it operates.

In compliance with the programme Allah has placed in our bodies, we grow gradually. The sight of a newborn baby suddenly turning into an old person before our very eyes would certainly astonish us.

In accordance with the programme Allah placed in our bodies, we grow gradually. That is why the growth of our body does not seem odd to us. It takes us years to grow. We would no doubt be astonished if this programme worked faster. The sight of a newborn baby suddenly turning into an old man before our very eyes would be quite amazing.

How Did Other Living Things Come Into Existence?

Human beings are not by any means the only creatures who exist on earth. There are thousands of other living things, some of which you know and many others you do not. Some of them are all around you; you see them everywhere. Some of them, however, are so far away that you only have the chance to see them in books or movies. But a closer look at these beings would show you that they all have one feature in common. Can you guess what that feature is? We can call it "compatibility." Now, let's enumerate what a living thing is compatible with. They are compatible with:

The environment in which they live,

Other living things with which they co-exist,

The elements that maintain the balance of nature,

The factors that provide benefits for human beings.

Allah created every living being in an environment in which it can survive. Fish can breathe in water, birds can fly in the sky and mammals can live on land.

Before expanding on these, let us take a simple example to clarify the meaning of "compatibility." Think about the sockets and plugs in your home. They are perfectly compatible with one another. But how can you tell that they are perfectly compatible with one another? Because there are openings in the socket into which the prongs of the plug fit. Do you think these are enough? The width of the plug's metal prongs is just the same as the width of the openings in the socket. If this were not the case, the plug would never fit the socket. The distance between the plug's prongs and the distance between the socket's openings are also the same. If they were not the same, the plug would never fit in the socket. However, these features alone would not be enough to establish the compatibility of the plug and the socket. If the plug were very long, this would again be a failure in terms of compatibility. If the prongs of the plug were non-metallic, they would fail to conduct the electricity in the socket. If the plug were not made of plastic, then every time you held it you would receive an electric shock. As you see, a lack of compatibility in even the simplest device renders that device inoperative. This means that the same person designed the plug and the socket. And he designed them to be compatible with one another. He made them functional. It is unlikely that the metal and plastic could have come together by coincidence and that they were planned separately and independently of each other, because in that case you could never find a socket and plug compatible with one another.

Bees carry the pollen of the flowers they visit to other flowers. This is the process that ensures the reproduction of flowers. Similarly, cleaning fish clean larger fish.

The compatibility of living things is far more complicated than the compatibility in a socket and plug, because living things contain thousands of systems and organs that have to co-exist harmoniously and work together flawlessly. Any attempt to write down these systems one by one would fill a library of hundreds of books. Therefore, in the following pages we will dwell in brief on these flawless features of the living things created by Allah:

Living things are compatible with the environment in which they live

There is a balance in the creation of living things in nature. Owing to this flawless balance, they can survive as species for millions of years.

Every living thing, whether on land or in the air, is perfectly compatible with its habitat. This is how they are created. Various perfect systems secure the nutrition, protection and reproduction of living things. That is to say, each living thing is specially designed in accordance with its habitat.

The organs and the lifestyles of living things are all compatible with the conditions in their environment. For instance, birds have perfect wings to fly in the sky. Fish have specially created gills with which to breathe under water. If they had lungs like us, they would drown.

Living things are compatible with other living things with which they co-exist

We need nutrients such as meat, milk, eggs, chicken, honey, vegetables and fruit every day. Many other fundamental sources of nutrition are blessings Allah created for us, in return for which we need to give thanks to Him.

Some birds and insects contribute to the reproduction of plants. That means that, although they are unaware of it, they help the growth of plants. For instance, while visiting one flower after another, bees carry pollen. Thanks to this process, plants are able to reproduce. In some cases, animals perform actions that are beneficial to other animals. Cleaning fish, for instance, clean micro-organisms off the skins of big fish and thus provide the basis for a healthy life for them. This is another form of compatibility.

Living things are compatible with the elements that secure the balance of nature

No living thing, apart from man, disturbs the balance in nature. Furthermore, they are created with features that maintain that balance. Yet, the balance of the earth is always vulnerable to man's ignorant behaviour. For instance, if man hunts a species beyond reasonable limits, that species becomes extinct. The extinction of that species causes its prey to increase in numbers far too much, which in time endangers the lives of human beings and even nature itself. So, there is an innate balance in the creation of living things; They are totally compatible with the balance of nature, but man alone has the potential to destroy that delicate balance.

Living things are compatible with the factors that provide benefits for human beings.

For instance, think about how good honey is for you. How do bees know that you need such a type of nutrition, and how do they produce it? Could a chicken, cow or sheep know the nutritional needs of human beings and produce perfect nutrients to meet those needs? Of course not.

This astonishing harmony between living things is obvious evidence that a single Creator creates them. It is thanks to the flawless creation of Allah that these balances exist on earth.

-originally by Harun Yahya

When...

10 Amalan Sunat Di Aidilfitri

1. Bertakbir
Takbir pada hari Aidilfitri bermula ketika terlihatnya anak bulan dan berakhir setelah selesainya imam membaca khutbah. Disunatkan juga untuk kita bertakbir di sepanjang perjalanan dari rumah menuju ke masjid utk menunaikan solat aidilfitri.

2. Lafaz ucapan selamat
Majoriti amalan umat islam di Malaysia akan mengucapkan antara satu sama lain pada hari lebaaran dengan ucapan ‘selamat hari raya, Maaf zahir batin’. Namun diceritakan al-hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani r.h yang dinukilkan daripada Jubair Nufair r.a katanya :- ” Apabila para sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w bertemu di hari Raya, sebahagian mereka mengucapkan kepada yang lain “taqabbalullah minna waminka”(semoga Allah menerima amalan kami dan amalanmu [waminka di atas boleh ditukar kepada waminkum untuk diucapkan kepada orang ramai] ).”

3. Meneruskan Qiamullail
Jika sepanjang Ramdahan kita telah bersungguh-sungguh menghidupkan malam kita dengan pelbagai ibadah contohnya melalui solat tarawih, maka ia seharusnya diteruskan juga pada hari-hari berikutnya dengan mengerjakan solat tahajjud.

4. Mandi sunat pagi hari raya
Disunatkan mandi di pagi hari raya sebagaimana mandi wajib iaitu sebelum berangkat menuju ke tempat perlaksanaan solat aidilfitri.

5. Makan sebelum solat Aidilfitri
Disunatkan kaum muslimin menjamah makanan sebelum berangkat menunaikan solat Aidilfitri. Perbuatan ini bertujuan menutup segala andaian bahawa dibenarkan berpuasa pada hari raya. Kebiasaannya Rasullullah s.a.w akan memakan kurma dalam jumlah yang ganjil pada pagi hari raya. Namun, tidak bermakna umat islam perlu menyediakan buah kurma untuk dimakan pada hari raya Aidilfitri.Mereka bebas memakan apa sahaja.

6. Memakai pakaian yang indah
Disunatkan kamu muslimin memilih pakaian yang terbaik serta indah-indah mengikut kemampuan masing-masing untuk menuju tempat solat. Disunatkan juga kaum lelaki memakai wangi-wangian tetapi tidak disunatkan kepada kaum wanita.

7. Berjalan kaki menuju tempat dikerjakan solat hari raya
Berjalan kaki menuju ke tempat solat lebih afdal berbanding menaiki kenderaan. Disunatkan juga mengikut jalan yang berbeza ketika pergi dan kembali dari mengerjakan solat hari raya. Ada pendapat menyatakan ia dilakukan agar dapat bersalam dengan orang-orang yang melalui kedua-dua jalan itu. Selain itu, orang yang berjalan ke masjid, salah satu langkah kakinya akan meninggikan darjat.

8. Mengerjakan solat aidilfitri
Syiar yang paling utama dalam menyambut Aidilfitri adalah perlaksanaan solat Aidilfitri sebanyak 2 rakaat oleh seluruh umat islam.

9. Bergembira pada Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Setelah sebulan umat islam memberi tumpuan sepenuhnya untuk beribadah kepada Allah s.w.t, makan tiba masanya untuk menyambut kejayaan itu dengan kegembiraan dan kemeriahan. Suasana kegembiraan ini berbeza mengikut adat setempat. Bagi kita di Malaysia, kegembiraan sambutan hari raya aidilfitri dapat dilihat dengan memakai baju-baju baru yang indah , selutruh ahli keluarga berkumpul, ziarah-menziarah sesama umat islam.

10. Puasa sunat 6 hari pada bulan Syawal
Sesiapa yang berpuasa pada bulan Ramadahan lalu diiringi dengan puasa 6 hari di bulan Syawal, seolah-olah dia telah berpuasa setahun.
Cara paling afdal untuk melaksanakannya adalah memulakan berpuasa sesudah hari raya secara berturut-turut (bermula pada 2 syawal. Namun seseorang bebas memilih mana-mana hari sepanjang bulan syawal samada secara berturut-turut atau berpisah-pisah.

Doa Waktu Dhuha

“Ya Allah bahawasanya waktu duha itu waktu duhamu, kecantikan itu ialah kecantikanmu , keindahan itu keindahanmu, kekuatan itu kekuatanmu ,kekuasaan itu kekuasaanmu dan perlindungan itu perlindunganmu “. ” Ya Allah jika rezekiku masih di atas langit , turunkanlah dan jika ada di dalam bumi, keluarkanlah, jika sukar mudahkanlah, jika haram sucikanlah. ,Jika masih jauh dekatkanlah. Berkat waktu duha, keagungan, keindahan, kekuatan dan kekuasaanmu, limpahkanlah kepada kami segala yang telah engkau limpahkan kepada hamba-hambamu yang soleh"

Adab Berpuasa Dan Solat Terawih

Setiap orang yang mengerjakan puasa perlu mematuhi beberapa peraturan dan adab yang boleh menyempurnakan ibadah tersebut. Antara yang terpenting adalah:

1. Menjaga lidah daripada berdusta, mengumpat dan mencampuri urusan orang lain yang tiada kena-mengena dengannya;

2. Memelihara mata dan telinga daripada melihat dan mendengar perkara yang dilarang oleh syarak dan yang sia-sia;

3. Mengawal perut daripada merasai makanan dan minuman yang haram atau yang mengandungi unsur syubhat terutama ketika berbuka dan berusaha sedaya mungkin untuk menghasilkan pemakanan yang halal lagi bersih.

Ulama silam pernah berpesan: “Apabila kamu berpuasa maka perhatikanlah apa yang akan dijadikan makanan berbukamu dan di manakah kamu akan berbuka?” Ia adalah panduan yang terbaik bagi mengawasi diri daripada terjebak dengan unsur-unsur makanan yang tidak halal;

4. Berusaha menjaga kesemua pancaindera dan anggota tubuh badan daripada mendekati atau melakukan maksiat dan perkara yang sia-sia. Dengan demikian ibadah puasanya akan suci dan sempurna. Terdapat ramai yang memenatkan diri dengan berlapar dan berdahaga, membiarkan diri terdorong kepada perlakuan dosa dan noda, kerana itu puasanya rosak binasa dan keletihannya tidaklah berbaloi sebagaimana maksud sabda Rasulullah s.a.w.: Ramai yang berpuasa tidak mendapat ganjaran daripada puasanya melainkan lapar dan dahaga. (Riwayat an-Nasaei)

Meninggalkan maksiat menjadi kewajipan kepada seluruh orang Islam sama ada mereka sedang berpuasa atau tidak. Apatah lagi bagi yang berpuasa, ia lebih dituntut dan diwajibkan. Sabda Rasulullah, Puasa itu adalah ‘perisai', sekiranya seseorang daripada kalangan kamu sedang berpuasa janganlah dia bercakap kotor, melakukan keburukan dan berbuat cerdik sungguh.. Jika ada orang lain yang mengejinya atau cuba memeranginya maka hendaklah dia katakan kepada orang itu: “Saya sedang berpuasa.” (Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim);

5. Jangan membanyakkan tidur pada siang harinya dan makan pada malamnya, bahkan bersederhanalah pada kedua-duanya bagi menyelami kejerihan lapar dan dahaga. Dengan demikian sanubarinya terkawal, keinginan nafsunya kurang dan hatinya ceria. Itulah rahsia dan intipati puasa yang perlu dicapai;

6. Jauhkan diri daripada mengikut dorongan nafsu ketika berbuka dengan beraneka jenis makanan yang lazat-lazat. Sebaik-baiknya adat makannya sama sahaja pada bulan puasa dan bulan-bulan yang lain. Penggemblengan diri dalam mengurangkan tuntutan jasmani dan keinginan perasaan memberikan kesan yang positif terhadap kecerahan hati nurani yang amat dituntut terutama pada bulan Ramadan.

Mereka yang menjadikan keinginan nafsu perut sebagai tunggangan akal ketika berbuka yang menyalahi kebiasaan pada bulan-bulan lain sebenarnya terpedaya dengan pujukan iblis. Rayuannya bertujuan menghilangkan barakah (berkat) ibadah puasa mereka, nikmat limpahan ketenangan daripada Allah s.w.t., kekhusyukan diri ketika bermunajat dan berzikir kepada-Nya.

Kenyang

Sepatutnya orang yang berpuasa mengurangkan kadar pemakanannya sehingga terserlah kesan puasa itu kepada dirinya. Kekenyangan adalah punca kelalaian, kealpaan, keras hati dan malas untuk taat kepada Allah s.w.t..

Sabdanya: Takungan jelek yang dipenuhkan oleh manusia adalah kantong perutnya, memadailah baginya beberapa suapan yang dapat meneguhkan tulang belakangnya. Jika dia enggan maka berikanlah sepertiga (bahagian perutnya) untuk makanan, sepertiga kedua untuk minuman dan sepertiga terakhir bagi pernafasannya. (Riwayat Ahmad dan at-Tarmizi)

Terdapat ulama yang mengungkapkan kata-kata berikut: “Sekiranya perutmu kenyang anggota-anggota lain akan lapar (akan menurut turutan nafsu) tetapi sekiranya perutmu lapar kesemua anggotamu akan kenyang.”

As-Salaf as-Soleh (mereka yang terdahulu) mengurangkan perkara kebiasaan dan dorongan diri serta memperbanyakkan amal ibadat pada bulan Ramadan secara khusus bahkan itulah adat mereka sepanjang masa;

7. Tidak menyibukkan diri dengan urusan duniawi pada bulan Ramadan, bahkan mengambil kesempatan bagi beribadat kepada Allah dan mengingati-Nya sebaik mungkin. Justeru, dia tidak melakukan perkara duniawi melainkan sekadar keperluan hariannya atau kepada mereka yang berada di bawah tanggungannya. Demikian yang selayaknya dilakukan pada bulan Ramadhan yang mulia ini sama seperti pada hari Jumaat yang sepatutnya dikhususkan bagi amalan akhirat;

8. Mempraktikkan amalan sunah seperti segera berbuka apabila masuk waktunya, berbuka dengan buah tamar (kurma) dan jika ia tiada memadailah dengan segelas air serta melambatkan makan sahur.

Nabi s.a.w. berbuka dahulu sebelum Baginda mengerjakan solat Maghrib. Sabda baginda: Umatku sentiasa berada dalam keadaan baik (berkat) selama mana mereka mempercepatkan berbuka (apabila masuk waktunya) dan melambatkan makan sahur. (Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim);

9. Menyediakan makanan berbuka kepada orang yang berpuasa sekalipun dengan beberapa biji tamar atau segelas air. Sabda baginda s.a.w.: Sesiapa yang menyediakan makanan berbuka bagi orang yang berpuasa baginya ganjaran seumpama pahala orang yang berpuasa tanpa mengurangi sedikitpun pahalanya (orang yang berpuasa). (Riwayat al-Baihaqi dan Ibnu Khuzaimah)

10. Memenuhi malamnya dengan amalan sunat seperti solat terawih, witir dan sebagainya.

Adalah dinasihatkan kepada para imam supaya tidak mempercepatkan solat terawihnya seperti mana amalan kebiasaan di masjid dan surau.

Perbuatan tersebut menjejaskan mutu ibadat solat tersebut kerana meninggalkan ‘wajib-wajib' solat seperti meninggalkan tomakninah semasa rukuk dan sujud, mencacatkan bacaan al-Fatihah sebagaimana sepatutnya lantaran ingin kecepatan dalam mengejar waktu sehingga menyebabkan makmum di belakang tertinggal rukun-rukun penting dalam solatnya. Amalan terawih seperti itu adalah tidak sempurna dan berkurangan pahalanya.

Oleh itu berwaspadalah terhadap cara demikian dengan kembali mengamalkan ibadah solat seperti waktu-waktu lain, menyempurnakan kiam, bacaan al-Fatihah, rukuk, sujud, khusyuk, hadir hati dan semua peradaban solat dan rukunnya.

Bagi makmum pula disyorkan supaya sentiasa bersama imamnya sepanjang solat terawih itu sehinggalah selesai sama ada 20 rakaat ataupun lapan rakaat. Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w., Apabila seseorang menunaikan solat bersama imamnya sehinggalah imam itu (selesai dan) beredar, dikirakan untuknya (makmum) pahala qiam semalaman. (Riwayat an-Nasaei)

Amalan-amalan sunah pada bulan Ramadhan

Selain puasa yang Allah wajibkan pada bulan Ramadhan ada berbagai amalan yang disunahkan pada bulan ini di antaranya:

1. Mengkhatamkan Al-Qur’an
Bulan Ramadhan adalah bulan Al-Quran. Pada bulan inilah Al-Qur’an pertama kali turun dari lauhul mahfuz ke langit dunia sekaligus. Allah berfirman:
"Bulan Ramadhan, bulan yang di dalamnya diturunkan (permulaan) Al Quran sebagai petunjuk bagi manusia dan penjelasan-penjelasan mengenai petunjuk itu dan pembeda (antara yang hak dan yang bathil)"
(al baqarah: 185)

2. Shalat tarawih
Rasulullah Saw. bersabda: “Barang siapa yang menghidupkan malam bulan Ramadhan karena iman dan mengharap pahala dari Allah akan diampuni dosa-dosanya yang telah lalu.”
Sebuah riwayat mengatakan bahwa Nabi Saw. pernah shalat 11 rakaat, terkadang 13 rakaat atau kurang dari itu. Ketika ditanya tentang shalat malam beliau bersabda: “Dua rakaat dua rakaat, jika seseorang diantara kalian khawatir masuk waktu subuh hendaklah shalat satu rakaat witir.”

3. Memperbanyak doa
Orang yang berpuasa ketika berbuka adalah salah satu orang yang doanya mustajab. Oleh karenanya perbanyaklah berdoa ketika sedang berpuasa terlebih lagi ketika berbuka. Berdoalah untuk kebaikan diri kita, keluarga, bangsa, dan saudara-saudara kita sesama muslim di belahan dunia.

4. Memberi buka puasa (tafthir shaim)
Hendaknya berusaha untuk selalu memberikan ifthar (berbuka) bagi mereka yang berpuasa walaupun hanya seteguk air ataupun sebutir korma sebagaimana sabda Rasulullah SAW yang berbunyi:" Barang siapa yang memberi ifthar (untuk berbuka) orang-orang yang berpuasa maka baginya pahala seperti orang yang berpuasa tanpa dikurangi sedikitpun". (Bukhari Muslim)

5. Bersedekah
Rasulullah Saw. bersabda: “Sebaik-baik sedekah adalah sedekah pada bulan Ramadhan” (HR. Tirmizi).
Dan pada akhir bulan Ramadhan Allah mewajibkan kepada setiap muslim untuk mengeluarkan zakat fitrah sebagai penyempurna puasa yang dilakukannya.

6. I’tikaf
I’tikaf adalah berdiam diri di masjid untuk beribadah kepada Allah. I’tikaf disunahkan bagi laki-laki dan perempuan; karena Rasulullah Saw. selalu beri’tikaf terutama pada sepuluh malam terakhir dan para istrinya juga ikut I’tikaf bersamanya. Dan hendaknya orang yang melaksanakan I’tikaf memperbanyak zikir, istigfar, membaca Al-Qur’an, berdoa, shalat sunnah dan lain-lain.

7. Umrah
Ramadhan adalah waktu terbaik untuk melaksanakan umrah, karena umrah pada bulan Ramadhan memiliki pahala seperti pahala haji bahkan pahala haji bersama Rasulullah Saw. Beliau bersabda: “Umrah pada bulan Ramadhan seperti haji bersamaku.”

8. Memperbanyak berbuat kebaikan
Bulan Ramadhan adalah peluang emas bagi setiap muslim untuk menambah ‘rekening’ pahalanya di sisi Allah. Dalam hadits yang diriwayatkan Ibnu Khuzaimah dan Baihaqi dikatakan bahwa amalan sunnah pada bulan Ramadhan bernilai seperti amalan wajib dan amalan wajib senilai 70 amalan wajib di luar Ramadhan. Raihlah setiap peluang untuk berbuat kebaikan sekecil apapun meskipun hanya ‘sekedar’ tersenyum di depan orang lain. Ciptakanlah kreasi dan inovasi dalam berbuat kebaikan agar saldo kebaikan kita terus bertambah.
“dan untuk yang demikian itu hendaknya orang berlumba-lumba.”

Semoga kita termasuk orang-orang yang bisa memanfaatkan momentum Ramadhan untuk merealisasikan ketakwaan diri kita dan bisa meraih predikat “bebas dari neraka.” Amin
Wakullu Am wa Antum bikhair

Doa Nabi Ibrahim

Keluarga yang taat kepada Allah adalah idaman hidup. Setiap orang ingin demikian, walaupun idaman mulia tersebut harus dibina melalui teladan ketua keluarga yang taat. Keinginan keturunan yang baik itu bukan saja timbul dari keluarga yang taat, tetapi juga bersemayam dalam hati ketua keluarga yang dangkal pengalaman agamanya; kecuali pada lingkungan yang acuh tak acuh.

Betapa banyak ayah yang jarang solat, sering meninggalkan puasa dan sebagainya, namun mereka menuntut agar anak isterinya menjadi orang baik baik. Ketenteraman batin pada sebuah keluarga ditandai oleh keberhasilan mengumpulkan harta, namun ketenteraman abadi hanya terletak pada rumah tangga keluaga yang berbudi dan taat pada ajaran agama Mereka hidup taat dengan ajaran agama, bijak dalam bergaul dan rukun dalam kekeluargaan. Al-Quran menceritakan, dalam surah Ibrahim ayat 40, betapa kerinduan Nabi Ibrahim mendapatkan keluarga yang mulia, bijak, taat dan selamat di akhirat:



Ertinya:
"Ya Tuhan, jadikanlah aku dan keturunanku, orangyang tetap menegakkan solat. Ya Rab, perkenankanlah doa aku. Ya Rabbanaa, ampunilah dosaku dan dosa kedua ibu bapaku, juga dosa-dosa sekalian orang mukmin pada hari terlaksananya hisab nanti."
(Ibrahim: 40-41)