The Muslim Tearoom

[HardlyEverHoovers]

Salaams/peace to all! I'm already missing our old thread, so taking the bull by the horns and opening our very own Muslim Tearoom, all welcome (non-Muslims too of course), to chat, share, ask questions etc etc. Imagine a cosy cafe with floor cushions, tea and coffee of all kinds, and lovely cakes! Please join me!

Surah Ar rahman makes me cry. I read somewhere, that when the Prophet (saw) recited it to the sahabah they listened in respectful silence and when he recited it to the Jinn they called out La bi shai'in min ni'mati Rabbi-na nukadhdhib: 'We do not deny any of our Lord's blessings'.

I always make dua at the end of this surah that Allah make me amongst the grateful ones.

I just re-read my message and have realised I just killed that line! It should read:

my Allah is not so ungenerous that he will only accept the durood before and after the dua, but not the bit in between.'

Talk about ruining the meaning! Sorry.

fuzzy that is a beautiful dua to make because Allah loves those who are patient and grateful.

Salams defuse

Thanks for the reminder about duas. I once read this piece of advice somewhere that you should make a dua list so that when you pray you know what to ask for. This is my problem. I sometimes make the mistake of only remembering to make dua after my salahs when I really need something when I should be making dua all the time. My mum can sit for 5-10 minutes after her prayers just making dua.

By the way LittleTulip that is something I would recommend for you to do if you are going on umrah (I think it was you who mentioned it) make a looooooooooong list of things you want to ask Allah for and dont be shy ask for anything and everything. When you make tawaf round the kabah its such a huge opportunity to have your duas answered so if I were you I would also carry a dua book with me whilst making tawaf so you can do a mixture of sunnah duas and your own ones. Whilst on hajj I did this as my husband was holding on to me to make sure I didnt trip whilst reading my dua book. Also its a good idea to ask others as well if they would like you to make special duas for them too (Ill pm you a few requests ) as I read somewhere when you make dua for other people the angels make dua for you.

The Messenger of Allah ??? ???? ???? ???? said, “The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence will certainly be answered. Every time he makes a supplication for good for his brother, the angel appointed for this particular task says: `Ameen! May it be for you, too’.” [Muslim].

One sister I know got people to email her or write down their duas for her anonymously and she just opened them up when she was on umrah and made dua for them then. But most importantly believe your dua is going to be answered when you make it. I always find that when I am more confident when I make dua thats when it get answered but when I make dua with a heavy heart not expecting to be answered thats when it isnt. There is a good book I read by Ismail Davies called Getting the best out of hajj which also describes what you should do on umrah.

Getting the best out of hajj

Also there is one by Mamdouh Mohamed called Hajj and umrah from A-Z which is also quite good and is much smaller then Ismail Davies one so easier to carry with you when you are there.

Hajj and umrah: from A-Z

The best advice I can give you is make sure you prepare so that you can get the best out of your time there. Most of us dont get to go on hajj or umrah very often in our lives so when we do go we should make sure we jam pack our time there with ibadah. One thing I regret is that my hotel in Makkah was quite far from the masjid so I didnt get to pray my 5 daily prayers there as often as I would have liked mainly because I didnt organise myself to leave earlier so I had enough time to get to the masjid for the salaah. Anyway I really hope you enjoy your umrah and Allah SWT grants you all that you make dua for.

Back on to favourite verses. This one also lifts your emaan I find.

"Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!" (Holy Quran 13:28)

So very true and comforting to sit and remember God.

By the way what are we going to do when this thread finishes?

Happy Jummah/Friday.

Remember to recite or listen to surah Kahf today and remember the ummah and all of us in your duas today.

Rasulallah (Pbuh) said: "There is such an hour on Friday that if any Muslim makes dua in it, his dua will definitely be accepted.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

That looks really good, Jazakllah khayr.

I'm currently listening to the Dr Yasir Qadi Tafseer of Surah Yusuf (The story of Joseph), I listen to a part each day and my girls listen too pretty avidly and ask me questions afterwards. There are so many lessons to learn from surah Yusuf one being hope in Allah and to always make dua with the assurance that Allah will answer and to ask for forgiveness with the knowledge Allah will forgive.

I'm going to listen to the tafsir of Surah Kahf after I've finished the tafsir of Surah Yusuf Inshallah.

You know sis Defuse when I got divorced I used to recite surah Talaq (divorce) a lot and read its meaning, it provides so much comfort and directions of the rites and laws of divorce. I have not recited it in a while now, I do as I come across it during my Quran recitation, but not specifically, I think I will do tonight inshallah Jazaklalah Kahyr for the reminder.

Sis Crescent you will prolly be reciting like an expert if you listen to recitations enough inshallah, I sometimes catch my girls reciting along with surah Ya Sin when we listen to it.

Salaam everyone,

Going to put surah kahf on to listen to then inshallah read it after jumah salaah. Jazakallah khair to you all for reminding me (and my mum )

About mawlid, i quite like this opinion: (suhaib web)

'Whoever wants to celebrate the Prophet’s (sa) birthday should celebrate it and avoid doing any action contrary to Islamic Law. This act should be done with an intention that it is not a sunna nor an obligatory act. If these conditions are observed, and one is careful not to contradict Islamic Law, out of sincere love for the Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah upon him), then, Allah willing, there is nothing wrong with this action and this person will be rewarded.'

Commenting on this, the Shaykh of Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (May Allah have mercy upon him) said, “Indeed, such a person will be rewarded because of his intention.” Likewise, for the one who shuns this celebration, seeking to cling to the sunna out of fear of falling into innovation, then this person will also be rewarded, Allah willing. It is important to note that this is not a big issue. Nor is it necessary to give it more attention then it deserves.'

I personally would be more comfortable 'celebrating' it to teach my DC about our prophet, by telling them stories, telling them of our prophet's (pbuh) actions in face of hostility and the general good manners that muslims should have.

I am lucky in that i have performed hajj (may Allah accept it) and whilst on hajj, we had a learned imam who said that we love our prophet (pbuh) very much. To express our love, people may want to do tawaaf for our prophet muhammed (saw). He then said that our prophet does not need our tawaafs, he has his place in jannah. It is us who need all the help that we can get! Indeed, for all the worship and all the tawaafs we do, the reward will also go to our prophet (saw) without the need to do it to make his status even higher, because it was he, who brought us this message. Even when we do worship, to benefit ourselves, for the sake of Allah, our nabi is rewarded for it. He truly was mercy to the worlds.

Gone on a bit again...sorry.

When this thread reaches it's limit I vote we start another one, It's nice meeting you all and learning from you alhumdulillah.

salaam everyone. just wanted to say am really really struggling today. its just so hard being alone and all the people i have tried to contact are busy now or tied up with christmas plans. i am really struggling with level of iman too. usually at this time i take the chance to make up all the missed fasts of ramadan and do extra ones as i do normally enjoy fasting.

but i just cant seem to find the physical or mental strength to do it and feel very bad about that. maybe as i havent really eaten properly for a really long time and only just sort of started again so feel like i cant risk disrupting eating again while so fragile? but i am angry with myself for not fasting as well.

its so painful and feel like i should start drinking or smoking or something as there is so much stress and tension but no release

it could go either way i am either just about to fall totally off the straight path or fix myself more firmly to it and i honestly dont know what to do.

You've got to take care of yourself sis for your childrens sake if nothing. If you start smoking and or drinking with the latter who will care for your children if you aren't able too? If you smoke your potentially causing harm to yourself and your children when they breathe it in.

If you've not been eating properly I wouldn't attempt to fast right now.

Try and get into a routine of just normal mundane things, sleeping on time, waking on time, eating on time, taking kids to school, pray on time.

Do you have any friends or family who are close and don't celebrate christmas? Could you go stay with friends or family?

Have you spoken to your GP about how you feel? Ask for a referral for counselling?

Make plans to do stuff with your children, just spend time being together and creating your own little world inshallah?

I plan on spending the christmas break watching whatever reruns on Iplayer with my girls we'll have duvets downstairs and lie around in our PJ's eating snacks all day and just enjoy being together inshallah. Could you do something like that?

unfortunately cant do normal routine as school now broken up and everything pretty much shuts down over xmas.

no friends or family and those friends are busy with their own families and their own xmas plans. would have usually gone over to my mum in laws as everyone would be off but its too awkward now as ex has moved back in with his mum and i am seen as the bad one for having driven him away or whatever and obv its his family so they support him and are in complete denial about his behaviour and think i have been making up stories. so anyway cant go there

have been having counselling but again it has ended for xmas resumes in jan

normal kids things we do are term time only and most play areas etc also shut

just feel very isolated and alone and at the moment just feel like asking him to come back even if just to help with kids

Would you be safe if he was back in the house?

you need to develope your own routine with the chidlren for when they are off school.

Are there any plays or anything you can go see with the children during the winter break?

Sis Crescent I agree with you.

This thread has been very informative and its been really lovely getting to know everyone.

I presume a lot of Muslim posters odn't post as this thread is very slow so barely ever in active convos, or maybe they don't want to be identified. Who knows.

But you're reasons seem imminently sensible to me sis Crescent.

I've been a dip-in-dip-out kinda gal and haven't posted because 1. I can't keep up with how fast the topic changes 2. It gets very political and I've tried to understand but have found it too complicated 3. You are all so knowledgeable I feel I don't have anything worthy to contribute.

However, I would be interested in a book-club type of thread or a sister's circle. So one of you very knowledgeable Sisters could start a discussion on a surah or a hadith or a topic, we all go away and think/read up on it and come back to discuss it. And have a new thread for each topic so it's easier to keep track of. What do you think?