Your Support Is Needed
Alhamdulillah, we were able to raise funds thanks to those of you who attended our fundraiser, however, the amount we raised is significantly less than last year. As you can see around you when you visit ICOI, we have been serving about 3,000 of you at Taraweeh, especially since many of you have come from far to hear the Sh. Mishary recite. You are all more than welcome, and we hope your experience at ICOI has been a pleasant one. Honestly, this whole program and our masjid has operating costs that exceed what we collected at our fundraiser.
We are addressing those of you that didn't have a chance to come to the fundraiser and those of you that have come from far, we need your help specifically. Insha'Allah, we are doing a fundraising drive starting now and culminating in a fundraising night on the night of 23rd, Saturday before Isha. Insha'Allah, we will be collecting funds and passing out pledge forms for a few minutes before Isha. PLEASE, bring your checkbooks. If you haven't donated yet to ICOI, please bring your checkbooks next Saturday and don't forget. Next Saturday we need your help, bring your checkbooks to help out this place that you have enjoyed during Ramadan and the year. Insha'Allah, may Allah SWT allow your reward to multiply during one of the last odd nights of Ramadan.
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Truthfulness as Part of our Character
| Khatib : |
Mohammad Allali |
| Khutbah No: |
167 |
| Khutbah Date: |
09/16/05 |
Have [i]taqwa[/i] in Allah(swt) and fear Him as He should be feared and revered and always say words directed to the right that He may forgive your sins.
[b]يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ [/b][b][i]Oh you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and be with those who are true[/i][/b][b][Qur’an 9:119][/b] Allah(swt) covets those who are truthful and He praised the Prophet Ibrahim “Verily, he was a man of truth, a Prophet” [19:41] as well as his son, the Prophet Isma’il “Verily, he was true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet.” [19:54]. Prophet Ibrahim indeed performed his job very well to prepare his son Isma’il for his task as one of Allah's(swt) messengers. When Ibrahim was commanded in his dream to slaughter his son, Isma’il replied “Oh my dear father do what you are commanded to do and you will find me by Allah’s will from the patient ones.” He had trust and confidence in Allah(swt) starting from a very young age. Even before Isma’il came to this world, Prophet Ibrahim was preparing him through his prayers"…Oh Lord! And make us submissive to You and of our offspring a nation submissive to You" [2:128]This is how we should prepare ourselves and our families to be true to our deen and principles. Should we wait until they are teenagers and until they get into trouble and then ask ourselves what went wrong? Or should we do like the Prophet Ibrahim and prepare our children before they come? This is the truthfulness of the father and his children.To find tranquility of the heart, one must stick to truthfulness. In a Hadith narrated by Al-Hasan ibn Ali(raa) the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught the believers to “Leave what is doubtful to what is free of doubt for truth is comforted and falsehood and lies are not.”The key to blessings in your life, your business or in your family- is truthfulness. There is a difference between
barakah and
ni’imah one may find in life.
Ni’imah is a bounty that can stay for an hour or a year but is not guaranteed and can depart.
Barakah is to keep this bounty for a long time. Muslims pray for
barakah or great blessings from Allah(swt) to shower their lives and the lives of others- truthfulness is the key to such blessings. In a Hadith narrated by Hakim ibn Hizam the Prophet(pbuh) said that in a business transaction between buyer and seller “If both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings (
barakah) of their transaction would be lost.”Truthfulness will lead believers to Paradise on the Day of Judgment. Allah(swt) says in Surat Al-Ma’idah:
[b]قَالَ اللّهُ هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ[/b]This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth[6:119].There are four parts to Truthfulness in Islam that are necessary for all Muslims to follow:[list][*]1.
Siddiq’ul Niya-
Truthfulness of the intention. Truly, to enter Paradise and meet our Lord, our intentions for all our good deeds must be pure. “So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [18:110] Worship that Master not the servant, the Creator not the created. If we are sincere in our intentions then we must please Allah(swt) the One who will not forget about us though we forget about Him. The word insaan (people) literally means forgetful beings as it is known that humans forget.[/*][*]2.
Siddiq'ul Lisaan-
Truthfulness of the tongue. There is a well-known story of a time when the Prophet(pbuh) visited one of the Sahaba and saw the mother of the house calling to her son with something in her hand. The Prophet (pbuh) asked her if she indeed had anything in her hands and warned her “By Allah if you did not have anything to give him it would be written against you as a lie.” How many times do we lie to our children? This all will be written as lies. If it is that serious we must be careful and watch what we say. The main organ in the body that takes people to hellfire is the tongue. Although it is a small organ it is very dangerous- everything big or small is recorded- Allah(swt) will not forget about anything.[/*][*]3.
Siddiq’ul Iman-
Truthfulness of our faith. Do we believe that through saying the shahada, a place will be waiting for us in paradise? Allah(swt) asks the believers “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested?” [29:2] Tests will come in different ways to the believers and our
iman comes with these tests. Such trials can come in a collective way where the community is tested. We brag about unity but is there truth in our communities?[/*][*]4.
Siddiqul Aa'mal-
Truthfulness in actions. In Surat Al-Fath, one of the most beloved surahs of the Prophet(pbuh), Allah (swt) forgives the Prophet for all of his sins and gives praise to the Sahaba. Still, though the Prophet was promised Paradise, he did not stop his efforts to spread Islam yet he persevered until the very last moments of his death. Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) is an example to all the Muslims. We must follow his footsteps and complete everything that we have started with perfection. Indeed, we must strive to give Allah(swt) only the most perfect and completed actions.[/*][/list]
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