THE CALL TO PRAYER (Part 1)

Islam's call to prayer or azan is unique

in that it is an oral call. Others beat

drums, blow horns or ring bells.

Azan is a call to the Believers

to hasten to worship Allah The Merciful.

The 15 lines recited loudly in azan are:

1) Allah is Greatest (4 times)

2) I testify that there is no god

to be worshipped except Allah (twice)

3) I testify that Muhammad

is His final Messenger (twice)

4) Come to Prayer (twice)

5) Come to Success (twice)

6) Prayer is better than sleep (twice)

This call is for the dawn prayer only

7) There is no god to be worshipped

except Allah (once)

PERKIM

BULAN SYA'BAN

Keistimewaan bulan Sya'ban ialah:

seluruh amalan manusia diangkat untuk dihadapkan

kepada Allah swt, sewajarnyalah sepanjang bulan

ini diisikan dengan amal ibadah dan kebajikan.

Antara amalan yang digalakkan pada bulan Sya'ban adalah:

1. Memperbanyak puasa sunat

2. Bertaubat dan Beristiqhfar

3. Memperbanyak zikir dan berdoa

Malam Nisfu Sya'ban

Kelebihan Malam Nisfu Sya'ban itu telah disebutkan

di dalam hadis sahih daripada Mu'az bin Jabal r.a. Rasulullah saw bersabda yang maksudnya:

"Allah menjenguk datang kepada semua makhluk-Nya

di Malam Nisfu sya'ban, maka diampunkan dosa sekalian

makhlukNya kecuali orang yang menyekutukan Allah

atau orang yang bermusuhan."

Pada malam Nisfu Sya'ban juga, adalah di antara malam malam

yang dikabulkan doa. Mengikut pendapat Imam asy-Syafi'e

dalam kitabnya al-Umm telah berkata:

"Telah sampai pada kami bahawa dikatakan:

sesungguhnya doa dikabulkan pada lima malam,

iaitu:

pada malam Jumaat,

malam Hari Raya Adha

malam Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

malam pertama di bulan Rejab

dan

malan Nisfu Sya'ban

Kita boleh menghidupkan Malam Nisfu Sya'ban

dengan memperbanyakkan beribadat seperti:

sembahyang sunat

berdoa

berzikir

membaca al-Quran

Petikan dari PROJAKIM

HOW MUSLIMS DRESS (Part 4)

Humility and Thankfulness

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah likes to see the

signs of His bounties on His servants." (Tirmidhi)

He also said: "Eat, drink, wear clothes, and

give charity without extravagance and conceit."

(Bukhari)

Allah has not forbidden fine clothes, unless worn

in arrogance and wastefulness.

Allah's bounty should not be flaunted lest it provokes

envy and ill-feeling. Humility before The Creator and

fellow human beings is a virtue. It's difficult to be

humble when one is decked in thousand dollar suits!

However, Allah also dislikes slovenliness

as a pretentious show of one's poverty.

Moderation and simplicity is always the preferred way.

The liberated Muslim woman (and men)

Islamic dress does not degrade or oppress women.

Rather, it gives them dignity because it protects

them from exploitation as sexual objects, and

enslavement by the fashion, cosmetics, film and

advertising industries.

Dignity and protection, together with many rights

that Islam grants women (which the modern world has

recognised only in the last 60 years)

guarantees the high status of women in Islam.

The incorrect practice of Islam in many Muslim

countries does not represent TRUE ISLAM.

Regrettably, the movie industry has now begun to blatantly exploit male sexuality.

Islamic dress also preserves men's dignity.

By: Fatima Ebrahim Munshi

HOW MUSLIMS DRESS (Part 3)

How To Cover

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) admonished:

"Do not appear naked while fully clothed." [Bukhari]

Dress should not be transparent, showing the skin

or so tight-fitting that it reveals

the shape and sexual contours of the body.

Loose-fitting clothes make prayer easier to perform.

Dress should not have prints on it that offend.

Dress should not be so outlandish

or glamorous that it is provocative.

However, Muslims may be as provocatively dressed

(or undressed) as they like when they are

with their spouses in private.

Gender-Appropriate

Men are not allowed to dress (and behave) like

women, or as women. They are forbidden to wear

pure silk and gold. Muslim men must be manly!

Likewise, women should not imitate men in dress

(and behavior too). Muslim women are feminine.

Islam sets distinct and complementary roles for

men and women in harmony with the natural

disposition of goodness (fitrah) that Allah created

them with. Gender-appropriate dressing helps

men and women fulfil their roles better.

Men in white, women in black

In Islam, there are no "holy" colors.

Islam does not require women to be always

dressed in black or blue in public.

This is a cultural tradition practiced in some Muslim

countries, or a rule imposed by certain Muslims

authorities so as to enforce greater morality.

Darker colours are worn because they conceal better.

Muslim men need not always wear white.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wore clothes of

various colours. However he recommended that white

clothes be worn on Fridays and other assemblies.

The purity and simple beauty of white befits

the honour and dignity of man [An Nasa'i]

The Prophet (pbuh) also grew a beard and often wore

a turban on his head. Muslim men, out of their

love for the Prophet, emulate him not only in

character and conduct but also in dress and grooming.

With compliments: Majlis Agama Islam WP

HOW MUSLIMS DRESS (Part 2)

When should Muslims be dressed best?

O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel

at every time and place of prayer. [7:31]

Islamic Dress: an Identity, not a uniform

Islam, being a universal religion, has not set

any particular form or style of dress.

All manner of dress is acceptable as long as

certain guidelines are followed.

These guidelines apply to both men and women.

What to cover

Islamic dress must cover the 'aurah.

'Aurah is the parts of the body

which cannot be exposed to others.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) defined 'aurah.

'Aurah is different for men and women.

A man's 'aurah extends from his navel to his knees.

Most men choose to cover more than

this minimum requirement.

A woman's 'aurah outside her home and/or in

the presence of non-mahram (not close relatives) men

is her whole body except her face, hands and feet.

Some scholars also include her feet.

The head covering or hijab is a command of Allah.

The face-veil or niqab is not a requirement,

but some Muslim women choose to wear it

for greater modesty, out of conviction that Islam

requires it, or because of cultural tradition.

Muslim women are not permitted to cover

their faces during prayer,

while performing the pilgrimage rites in Meca,

when giving legal testimony, or when

identification is crucial for security purposes.

In her home, Muslim women may uncover

their heads, arms, feet and legs below the knees.

and in privacy with her husband,

no part of her needs to be covered!.

With compliments: Baitulmal

HOW MUSLIMS DRESS (Part 1)

Allah makes a natural covering for all His cretures

but not for His best creation: the human being.

Instead, Allah tells us why and how we should clothe

ourselves. Then allah leaves us to choose

whether to obey.

True Muslims always choose to obey Allah's commands.

The Nobele Qur'an says:

O children of Adam! We have sent clothing

to you to cover the shameful parts of your body

and to serve as a protection and decoration;

but the best clothing is the clothing of piety (7:26)

Why cover? In Islam, dress has four functions.

Covering

Dress conceals the private parts of the body

that are called 'aurah in Islam.

Muslims do not expose what Allah commands

to be kept private. Allah forbids nudity.

Protection

"And (Allah) has made garments to protect you

from the heat (and cold)...." (16:81)

Dress protects the body from the weather,

or heat, cold, wind and rain.

People living in desert regions cover their heads

and faces to prevent sand carrying living micro-

organisms entering their ears, noses, eyes and mouth.

Adornment

Dress is worn to adorn and beautify

the human personality, bestowing on it dignity.

allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. (Muslim)

Moral Function

Islamic dress helps safeguard the modesty

and decency of a person and the moral ideals of

society, where sex is permitted only in marriage.

There is a deep impact which outer modesty

makes on inner spiritual well-being.

Also, inner spirituality is reflected on one's appearance.

In Islam, both men and women should be custodians

of the morality of society.

With compliments: BAITULMAL

THE MUSLIM IDENTITY

Muslim men and women who dress as Allah

commands them present an image

of dignity, modesty and morality.

This is the Muslim identity, unmistakably

recognized anywhere in the world.

Obey Allah and be loved by Him!

By: Fatima Ebrahim Munshi