Ramadhan Reminder – 27

You have 6 hours…

Abu Umaamah (radhiyaAllaahu anhu) reported from the Messenger of Allaah (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) who said:

إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الشَّمَالِ لَيَرفَعُ الْقَلَمَ سِتَّ سَاعَاتٍ عَنِ الْعَبْدِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْمُخْطِئ – أَوْ الْمُسِيء – ، فَإِنْ نَدِمَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ اللهَ مِنْهَا أَلْقَاهَا ، وَإِلاَّ كُتِبَتْ وَاحِدَهً

“The occupier of the left; raises [and holds] his pen for six hours –from the Muslim servant [of Allaah] who has wronged or committed a mistake- ; so if he regrets and seeks Allaah’s forgiveness from it: he returns it back, and if that is not the case; then it is written as one.”

Source: Mu’jam al-Kabeer: 7765, Saheeh Jam’i as-Sagheer: 2097 – Sheikh Albaanee rahimahullah said it is hasan.

Lessons & Benefits:

- Proof that there are Angels scribing the deeds of each one of us.

- Affirmation that there are two different Angels; one on the right [for the good deeds], and one on the left [for the sins].

- The importance of hastening onto the forgiveness of Allaah.

- The great importance of regretting from committing sins – and that it is a large part of- seeking forgiveness and/or repentance.

- The great, encompassing mercy of Allaah: such that we have six hours before the sin is written.

- The great, encompassing mercy of Allaah: such that a sin is only written as one, and not multiplied. While the good deeds are multiplied from ten up to seven hundred times.

Crescent and Star: Symbols of Islam?

The article below taken from here explains that the most common symbols associated with Islam don’t actually have anything to do with Islam itself. Just like the Star of David that’s used to represent the Jews and Judaism.

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The crescent and star sign has nothing to do with Islam

Indeed, the star and crescent symbol is a very ancient sign, dating back to early Sumerian civilization. And long after the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Ottomans had adopted it into their battle standard.

It should be emphasized that the twin sources of Islam — the Quran and the Sunnah — do not mention such a symbol. The flag of the Prophet was a black-and-white one inscribed with “Nasrun min Allah,” (meaning, “victory from God”).

Since the Ottoman times, there has been the public perception that the star and crescent is a symbol of Islam and Muslims, and so it came to be used in decorative arts and Saracen architecture, jewelry, and so on. Hence, they can be seen on the top of mosque buildings in some countries such as India and Pakistan.

As a matter of fact, Islamic scholars do not approve of the use of the crescent moon and star or any such figure as a “symbol” of Islam. This is because Islam has never adopted any symbol, and so there is no sense in Muslims adopting any such sign or emblem.

Probably the crescent was on top of the Kabah some 400 years before Prophet Muhammad, as suggested by some critics. However, there is no record of it at all, except for the dubious claims made by some critics of Islam. The real question is whether the Prophet allowed its use; and the answer is emphatically, no.

Remember that the first thing the Prophet did on re-entering Makkah after the Hijrah (the Prophet’s migration to Madiah), was to break all the idols in the Kabah, including that of Hubal, who has been called a moon god. Indeed, we have no evidence to say that Hubal was a moon god either.

Islam, as taught by Prophet Muhammad, has been consistently and strongly opposed to the use of all sorts of idols, icons, and symbols that may lead the believers away from the worship of the One and Only God.

In fact, the crescent and star sign pre-dates Islam by thousands of years. Information on the origins of the symbol is difficult to ascertain. Most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols were in use by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of sun, moon, and other celestial gods. There are also reports that the crescent moon and star were used to represent the Greek goddess, Diana.

The city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) adopted the crescent moon symbol. According to some reports, they chose it in honor of the goddess Diana. Others indicate that it dates back to a battle in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first day of a lunar month. In any event, the crescent moon was featured on the city’s flag even before the birth of Christ.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W., Islamic armies and caravans flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. In later generations, Muslim leaders continued to use a simple black, white, or green flag with no markings, writing, or symbolism on it.

It was not until the Ottoman Empire that the crescent moon and star became affiliated with the Muslim world. When the Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, they adopted the city’s existing flag and symbol.

For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the Muslim world. After centuries of battle with Christian Europe, it is understandable how the symbols of this empire became linked in people’s minds to the faith of Islam as a whole.

But the faith of Islam has historically adopted no symbol, and many refuse to accept what is essentially an ancient pagan icon.