Learning about islam...

[amr123]

JazakAllah Khair for the time all you have taken to reply to my post, brothers please, i request that this does not turn into a bickering thread.

My journey on learning about islam has involved quite a few stages, the first of which I believe to be of the utmost importance is to ensure that my absolute fundamentals - my salaah and my aqeedah are in true keeping with what the noble Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to convey to us along with the Qur'an and Sunnah. this has involved me in the past 2 years developing my salaah, my arabic reading and understanding of what it is that I'm actually reciting in front my Rabb when I stand in Salaah. I am now at the stage that I feel I need further guidance on the deeper topics and hence the reason for starting this thread. I did not intend for it to be a platform for bickering to begin as this does nothing to develop unity in my eyes - a key fundamental in the Islam that I have been brought up to believe in.

http://www.islamicbulletin.com/servi...ils.aspx?id=67

is the version on that website sufficient until I have a paper copy in my hands?

JazakAllah Khair for all your help, I apologise if anything I have said has caused any offence.

bro.

If you have doubts regarding Salah you can always ask your query in the Hanafi fiqh section. Mufti Abu Hajira will help you out .

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/foru...-A-Hanafi-Fiqh

[sudoku]

Please keep on topic everyone.

@ br alexi- if you have specific questions you may also ask in the Islam Q/A section on this forum.

edit: jazak br amr

[amr123]

Salah according to Hanafi Fiqh. You can compare the steps bro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq5Nv2-ZKXA

[alexi_c]

JazakAllah Khayr for the replies brothers and sisters,

the youtube video was informative, I have been reading through Taleemul Haq and that too has been extremely informative, I am working on learning the content within that, and my copy of 'gift for muslims' should be arriving soon.

[alexi_c]

:Salam:

So which one of

Taleemul Haq
Gift for Muslim
Al-Fiqh Al-Islami

would be suitable for someone who does not necessarily have a background in learning under a scholar and for self-study?

[amr123]

:Salam:

Taleemul Haq

[Nomadic]

Talimul Haq is a basic book to get things started.
For you Talimul Haq is what you need.

Al Fiqhi Islami is a manuel that attampts to answer question arising from daily life
Once you have gone through the basic pillar of islam, you can have a look at Al Fiqhi Islami or Haveanly ornament! I seldom look into it as most of the time I ask scholar and simple yes and no answer suffices.

If you have queries when going through the books, just ask a scholar here!!
Allahualam

[alexi_c]

Salam

Is there any way whatsoever that a moderator/scholar could possibly email me/PM me please? i have some questions that i would like to ask and would prefer it to be done relatively 'privately' if possible....

JazakAllah khair

[Rahmaniyyah]

Salam

Is there any way whatsoever that a moderator/scholar could possibly email me/PM me please? i have some questions that i would like to ask and would prefer it to be done relatively 'privately' if possible....

JazakAllah khair

Have sent you an email using the address you used to sign up to the forum

Sorry about this delay

[mh16388]

Salam

I would like to introduce myself, i am a brother from the midlands who a few years ago 'rediscovered' his islam...

as will be familiar with most people, being born into an asian/pakistani family i was sent to the local 'aunty' on the road to learn how to read 'arabic' (alif, beh, teh, seh) at the age of 7/8, completed 2 recitations of the Qur'an by the age of 11 and this was considered 'enough' alongside being taught to memorise a few short surah's and salaah... events happened over the following 8/9 years which i'd rather not go into but lets just say i was a little far removed from any islam, not being surrounded by much of an environment which was particularly 'islamic', and then when a few 'events' began to happen at a local 'large' mosque 5/6 years ago i was taken along by my father... now, i did not see any benefit to be derived from the events which took place as i did not understand a word of what was being spoken there (all talks were in urdu, of which i do not speak and can barely understand - let alone the type which is spoken at talks!) and a lot of the things which were taking place just did not seem to sit right with me...(i would rather not mention any particular 'madrassah' and/or 'sect' for i wish not to risk 'slander' nor risk triggering any such 'discussion')

following a few these i began to seek answers to questions... was told i shouldnt ask and that i should just follow - as an academic this didnt sit right with me either!... so i sought answers elsewhere which led me to the amazing institution of As-Suffa, some of my colleagues at college at the time were able to answer some of the very simple questions i had and put my mind at rest and made me realise that indeed what my family held beliefs in did not sit right with me - try as i might to discuss this with them, it did not help...

now, the gap of 8/9 years between finishing reciting the Qur'an meant a lot of things were forgotten, i was able to reteach myself how to read arabic with the help of a brother from As-Suffa, the internet and of course youtube. I have gone on to learn the basics of wudu and salah and I have been slowly trying to find literature which will allow me to gain an understanding of the basics further before i delve deeper...

this is where i humbly request the help of the members of sunniforum for any guidance on where I may begin with this endeavour as i feel i am not doing enough to advance my islamic knowledge with the necessary understanding.

JazakAllah Khayr

Ali

(If this is the wrong section then I apologise for I did not know which other section this would fall under...)

i see you have been gifted many books and given guidance to institutes you may study.
you read the books and join the institutes today, tomorrow or later depending on your schedule.
but what about now?

you have been gifted the path back to Islam by Allah. your job now is to hold fast to it. you will find that knowledge does matter in this task but more importantly guidance from Allah (SWT). Yet this guidance does not come without action from your part.
now which action am i talking about?
i am talking about what you can do right now. and that thing is salah!

salah is simple. you already have the books so you can easily perfect the basics in no time. but the important thing is to improve your connection with salah. how you do that is you better your concentration of salah, you offer the fard salah on time and in congregation and you also find some time for nafl ibadah.

you may ask: which of them should come first?
my answer is all three together. but if you are unable to perform the three tasks at once you should first try and pray the fard salah on time (alongwith the nafl associated with them). then try and pray the fard salah with congregation and in parallel you should improve your concentration in salah.

how to improve your concentration in salah?
- focus on your recitation. form the words in your mind.
- try and learn the meaning of the arabic you are reciting. note: doesnt require you to actually learn the language : )
- keep your eyes focused on place of prostration.
- move slowly and deliberately so that you know what you are doing. simply put: pray like old people : p
- realize you are standing with your head bowed and hands folded. why? this is because you are standing before Allah (SWT)! focus on this fact when you do ruku and sujood and notice the great feeling in your heart. it is this feeling that will in sha Allah make you wish to pray more.

once you have started to concentrate more and it is increasing day by day you now have to tackle the big question. how do i increase my concentration without letting it decrease?
the answer is: nafl ibadah. the best example is of tahajjud. i am sure a quick google will give you the ahadith on the benefits of tahajjud. i'll summarize them for you:
tahajjud (or in fact any nafl ibadah, but tahajjud is the chief among them) brings you closer to Allah. it gives you ma'arifat (whereby you recognize Allah (SWT) and washes away your bad habits and replaces them with good ones.

you offer tahajjud for these benefits. but to keep offering it you have to work on your salah and refrain from sins (minor or major). for salah is the nutrition of the soul and heart. just like spending day without food makes you inactive in a short time, a day without salah or 'good salah' makes you inactive in doing good deeds. just like eating something bad makes you ill so is doing sins which slowly reduces your capacity to do good deeds. so it is a cycle and it is only with Allah's help can one stay in it.

so please make dua for yourself and for us too that we all be guided and then remain guided. and best of luck!