"And establisheth prayer and giveth away the poor-rate and feareth not (anyone) but Allah; so these, it may be that they are of the rightly guided ones." 9:18
The Blessed Festival of Feast or
Fast-Breaking of the month of Ramadan is the
first day of the month of Shawwal. This marks the end during fasting of
the month of Ramadan and the first day of the Eid Al-Fitr AlMubarak. It is
subject to the confirmed sighting of the crescent of the new moon (Hilal), the
crescent of the month of Shawwal.
Muslims prepare to celebrate it by
thanking the Almighty Lord Who enabled them to fast and to remember the needy
and the poor. This is the day that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala),
as explained by His Rasool (Sallallahu Alayhi Waalihi
Wasalam),
urges the Muslim who has fasted in the
month of Ramadan with sincerity to ask Him, and He promises to respond. It is
also customary on this occasion to give gifts to the members of the family,
especially to children. If you have any questions, about the Zakat Al-Fitr, Eid
prayers, and the Eid Festival, please contact KCIK.
The KCIK
and the editors of the AL-KUFA Newsletter
express their sincere best wishes with their heartiest felicitation to all
Muslims around the world for this Eid. We pray to Allah (Subhanahu
Wa Ta'Ala)
to accept all the efforts of those who reaffirmed their commitment to the
Almighty through rigorous prayers and fasting in obedience to His command in the
month of Ramadan. May He also reward them in this world and in the Hereafter
according to the best of their deeds, and may He grant them happiness, good
health, true peace, and contentment. O' Lord, bless us on the day of
Eid which Thou hast ordained to be a festival and a day of joy, of gathering,
and of congregation for the people of Thy creed. O' Lord, unite the Muslims,
bring them closer to each other on this occasion and let the world be a save
place for all, Ameen.
Seek The Pleasure of The Lord, Most High
Shukr, the giving of thanks to Allah (Subhanahu
Wa Ta’Ala),
signifies loyalty to Him, and it is pleasing to Him. It exhibits gratitude to
one’s Benefactor in recognition of His benevolence and mercy. The Almighty
graced us with the ability to establish a positive step in the direction of
continuing the best of our programs in His Guidance. We cannot adequately praise
Him for His blessings and His gifts. He guides us to the proper course and He
rewards all those who are making every effort to help and lead mankind in
acquiring the true religion of Islam, and to share in His word of wisdom. The
Glorious Qur’an says, “Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be
thankful to Me.” 2:152
Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah),
with the help and mercy of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala),
we are bringing to you our first issue of Volume 7 of the periodical Newsletter AL-KUFA. It is a free monthly Islamic newsletter, and the only one
published in Southwest Virginia (Roanoke) since December 1994. The Center also
publishes free Monthly Messages, and the first one was published in April 1999.
It is hoped that with the grace of the Almighty and with the help of our
readers, the AL-KUFA Newsletter and
its Monthly Message will be able to fulfill its objectives. However, the numbers
of our readers (Muslims and Non-Muslims alike) have increased rapidly and are
now in thousands, and they continue to increase, Al-Hamdulillah. One of our
readers wrote, “I am not a Muslim, but it seems I receive great benefit from
the direct and frontal approach to devotion (as I perceive it) from what seems
to be the Islamic texts, especially poetry. We know so little of the real
Muslims in this country due to poor press and propaganda, and we are missing so
much. May we all find the Kingdom of Heaven In Peace.” The Glorious Qur’an
says: “Our Lord! Grant us what you have promised us on (the account of) your
Messengers.” 3:193
Insha’Allah the Center will soon
distribute Islamic booklets and articles free of charge We hope to be graced
with the favor of all those interested, whose sincere cooperation and efforts
enable such activities, giving greater success in the achievement of its goal to
continue the best of our programs to benefit Islam and humanity. The Glorious
Qur’an says, “O’ My Lord! Arouse me to be thankful for the bounties which
Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I do good such as Thou
would be pleased with, and admit me by Thy mercy, among Thy righteous servants.
Allah’s is the praise, the Lord of the worlds.” 27:19
& 10:10.May the Almighty help all
the seekers of truth and reality and guide those who seek His guidance, Ameen.
A large number of requests, through
phone calls, letters, and in person, have been received from those who are
interested in the AL-KUFA Newsletter,
Dawah program, the Prayer Time-Table
and also from those who filled the Free Subscription / Cancellation Form for the
AL-KUFA Newsletter. Insha'Allah, the
Center will continue publishing the prayer time-table for each month on KCIK’s
website. If you receive more than one copy of this newsletter via a duplicate
mailing, you can help us correct this by informing us and we thank you for that.
Please share this newsletter as well as other material you receive from us,
including the Glorious Qur'an with others, Jazakum
Allah Khair.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to
all of you. Because of the large numbers of letters that AL-KUFA has received, we will acknowledge and publish only some of
these letters each time. We are unable to include references due to space
limitations. Our purpose of publishing these letters is to (a) make a certain
plea known to the public in order that they might respond for the pleasure of
Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala), (b) make us all aware of certain
circumstances, or (c) to share a joyous news as well as to make Dua'as and
Prayers for those who are ill or have lost a loved one, and also for the one
they have lost. NOTE: For
those who are interested in announcing the birth of a child, sponsorship of
orphan/child, graduation, wedding, death, and
for those who are have lost in contact with a loved one or to publish matrimonial or employment interests or to participate in
the Muslim Inmate Rehabilitation Fund,
please contact the Kufa Center of
Islamic Knowledge {you
must include a telephone number for matrimonial requests and please
include your full name in English as well as your complete address, telephone number,
and identification number with
picture}. Those who send
letters and e-mails, please also provide the Center with your telephone numbers.
In addition, brothers and sisters who are requesting of us various Islamic
materials and messages, please provide us with a full name, postal address,
telephone number, and e-mail address. If this is to be sent to an institution,
please ensure that the institution will accept such material(s), even if it is
just the AL-KUFA Newsletter (please
inform us in this case about the committed
name and DC number for ID). Please type your request(s) and sign the paper.
Insha'Allah, we will continue sending this newsletter to whoever wishes to
receive it. Also, we request readers to let us know their new addresses when
they relocate. Thank you brothers and sisters, and may Allah (Subhanahu Wa
Ta’Ala) reward
all of you. Jazakum Allah Khairan.
We can arrange (at our expense) for people
to call specific individuals, or to call a group of Muslims over a speaker
phone, at an appointed time to provide lessons or answer questions on Islam,
Insha’Allah. Please not that the Center does not have any of worship or for
people to stay. You may visit KCIK's
Website to know about the Center.
Beneficiaries
of Fasting in Islam
Muslims fast the whole month of
Ramadan, fulfilling by that the commandment of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala),
seeking His pleasure. The month of Ramadan, is one of great blessings from Allah
(Subhanahu
Wa Ta Ta’Ala)
to the Muslims, and it is a month in which Allah (Subhanahu
Wa Ta’Ala)
showers His blessings generously on all obedient Muslims.
The month of Ramadan is the month of giving and benefits, which are perceived only by those who perform it with a strong belief and sincere faith. Unfortunately, some Muslims simply invert their schedules during the nights and the days during the month of Ramadan, eating, drinking, and working all night long, and sleeping all day long (but also praying). Helping fellow Muslims, feeding the hungry, and giving to the needy is an act of great reward, especially during this month.
One of the spiritual benefits of fasting is that it
develops one's self-discipline and reminds us of our accountability in this life
in our preparation for the Hereafter. Fasting is awareness, and training for the
body and soul, the strengthening of self-control and moral consciousness. It is
a renewal of life, encouraging the spirit of sharing and giving. It also teach
self-restraint, the fear of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala), instills in
the heart the essence of consciousness of the Creator, moral courage both in
secret and in what is manifested, guiding the heart, the seat of emotion from
spoilage and moral indecency. A Muslim plans his/her time in such a way that in
Ramadan he/she is not overwhelmed by the demands of the world. He/she lessens
work if possible and cuts down on activities which can be put to a halt for a
little while. The chance to earn rewards and blessings from Allah in this
special time will only last a limited time. He/she must make sure their daily
schedules allow maximum benefit of this special time. This is the genesis of the
fast in Islam. One, who while fasting does not guard his tongue from telling
lies and does not refrain from bad deeds, is not respecting his/her fast. Allah
does not approve of mere abstention from food. The income from His Gifts should
be used to improve the life of all and we
pray a day to come when this will be implemented, Ameen.
Muslims should follow the perfect code of that Islam prescribes in its totality. No benefit can be achieved by accepting a part of it while rejecting the rest. In this case, one would be abusing the name of Islam and their contributing toward do annihilation. Fasting promotes the spirit of charity and compassion towards the poor and the needy and to give them further comfort. Praise belongs to Allah Who guided us to His praise and placed us among the people of praise, that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence, and that He might recompense us for that with the recompense of the good-doers. O month in which attaining hopes neared, and in which good deeds increased. Peace be on this month which was a highly respected companion when present, and whose absence is lamented when it is gone. Peace be on thee as thou didst come to us with blessings and didst wash away from us the dirt of guilt. Let it be the best day that passed over us, the greatest attract or of pardon, and the greatest eraser of sin, Ameen.
The activities of the Center belong to
all and we would like to report a few things to you:
The time it takes to print the
Newsletter between three to five days, and some times more depending on the
printing company. The time it takes prepare to be mailed is from four to five
days for about 1,100 copies. The
time it takes to send the e-mail two to three days by circulate three thousand
since August 2000 and the numbers are increasing. If the computer system and its
printer are not working properly, it takes more because of the loss in time when
difficulties occur. This is an estimate based on one person working more than 10
hours per day.
Inmates and/or Chaplains contacted the Center and requested visitors to their institutions to give lecture(s), while others requested prayer rugs, Islamic caps (Kufis), Glorious Qur'an and other Islamic publications.
Those who call, write and/or e-mail for
whatever reasons, please provide us with a full name, postal address, telephone
number, and e-mail address, and if there are any changes, in this information,
please let us know too. Some mail was returned from those who requested; our
publications, please check with the institution (prison) if they allow you to
receive AL-KUFA Publications and/or
other items.
During the month of November of this year, over about a two hours period, the Center received 115 e-mails from a group who forwarded their e-mail to the Center. Also, the Center receives a great deal of e-mail from others. And we are often unable to reply to them all because of our other duties.
If you do not wish to
receive further mailings, please let us know. Those
group(s) who forward their e-mails, please first conduct some research on your
own, and only if you still need guidance, then seek outside help. The Center
would appreciate if you would summarize your questions.
There are many who contacted the
Center for advertisins their businesses in our newsletter and/or website. One
Muslim wrote after the Islamic greeting, “I took a brief look at your website.
If you would like help with it, I would be willing to trade about 20 hours worth
of work [a $500 value] with you in exchange for putting a banner of my site on
your front page. Keep up the good work. Insha' Allah you will reap great
rewards.” The Center is non-commercial, and
we only acknowledge assistance, but encourage Muslims to perform goodness as a
charity to their own souls.
Our thanks and appreciation to our
readers, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, for their support and kindness. Our
thanks to those who came forward to donate the cost of and to help the Center,
and others who sent their Islamic dues and/or donations, and even those who sent
stamps. Our computer system and its printer are not working, properly, and we
thank those who came forward to help by trying and printing the text, also
copying and folding the time-table Salat. Those who calls, sent letters and/or
e-mails, or come and in persons to say Salam, check or inform the Center about
any things.
We thanks donating the cost of the
website (www.kufa.org),
the family in New York who own Net, Inc. as well as the brother from Virginia
who design the initial website, for donating of $15 each month toward printing AL-KUFA
Newsletter as well as for the time quick response for it to be ready from
Multimedia Creations, Inc. Most of all, we thank The Almighty Lord, the One Who
makes goodness come from and benefit whomsoever He willed. Insha’Allah all of
these will improve our mission.
Wealth and sovereignty belong to The
Almighty Lord. He says in Sura 32:3-5,
“A guidance and a mercy unto the righteous one. Those who establish prayer and
pay the poor-rate (in alms), and they are certain, of the hereafter. These are
on the guidance from their Lord, and these are they who are successful. And let
not those with bounties among you swear against giving to their kindred, to the
poor, and the emigrants in the way of Allah, and they should pardon and turn
away (overlook with forgiveness); what! Love ye not that Allah should forgive
you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.”
The Almighty Lord is the One Who
decides whatever He will, and we pray that He rewards amply those who observe
the trust, with honesty and sincerity, making every effort to help, with
kindness and care, being dedicated to serve Him and Humanity. He says in Sura 11:88
that the believing one declares, “I desire naught but to reform what I am able
to (do); and my guidance is not but with Allah; On Him (alone) do I rely, and
unto Him (alone) do I turn.” It is reported, “No-one knows a favor except
the one who thanks, and no-one thanks a favor except the one who knows.” Let
us pray together for all of usto be in the best of health and Spirit, bestowed
with of success from Him. May The Almighty Lord reward you all, and may He
shower us with His blessings, Ameen.
A genuine believer looks forward to the
month of Ramadan. He/she enjoys the beauty of the spirit of this month, the
warmth of carrying out the orders of Allah (Subhanahu Wa
Ta’Ala),
and hopes to achieve His mercy, forgiveness, and pleasure, and the anticipates
with longing the joy of meeting Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala).
O’ Lord Who made coming of the month of Ramadan a crescent of blessings. O’ Lord Who appointed this month, as one of Mercy, Forgiveness, and protector from the fire, before the sorrow of its passing! Make incumbent upon us Thy pardon for our falling short of Thy rights in this month, and make our lives which lie before us of its noble and plesing to Thee before the coming of the next month of Ramadan! O’ Lord, we repent to Thee in our day of Eid, which Thou hast appointed for the faithful as a festival and a joy, and for the people of Thy creed as a time of assembly and gathering. O’ Lord! Forgive us our sins that would change Your divine favours (into disfavours). O’ Lord, let us be pleasing do Thee, and be well pleased with us, Ameen.
Nabiy Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Waalihi Wasalam) said, “Keep your stomachs hungry and thirsty, and make your bodies used to hardship, perhaps your heart will then have a chance of seeing Allah’s Glory.”
"Renunciation of eating and drinking is the easiest thing which has been made compulsory upon the fast observers.”