Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts

Friday, 10 April 2015

Answers



5 April Quiz Answers

Starter

Where is Jannah / Paradise?
  • Under the feet of your mother

Five Pillars of Islam
  • Shahada / Kalima
  • Prayer
  • Fasting (Ramadhan)
  • Zakat
  • Hajj

6 Articles of Faith / Belief (Aqeeda)
  • Belief in Allah.
  • Belief in the Angels.
  • Belief in Divine Books.
  • Belief in the Prophets.
  • Belief in the Day of Judgment.
  • Belief in al-Qadhaa Wal-Qadr.


Main Answers

1. What type of bird is this
Hud Hud (Hoopoe) Bird

2. Fill in the missing word
“The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as XXXXXXXXX, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get anything of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away [from the Right Path].” (TMQ 14: 18)
“The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as ASHES (mountain of Ash), on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get anything of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away [from the Right Path].” (TMQ 14: 18)

3. How long between the 2 shouts (2 blows of the Trumpet)
40

4. Fitna al-Qabr (Trials in the Grave) - What are the 3 questions the angels first ask?
“Ma rabbuk? Wa ma deenuk? Wa man nabiyuk?”
Who is your Lord?
What is your religion?
And who is your Prophet?

5. Exodus: Gods and Kings - In the film ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Musa* left Egypt in a parade. According to the Qur’an, when did Musa* actually set off ?
In the middle of the night after marking the houses.
We revealed to Moses: "Travel with Our servants by night. You will certainly be pursued." (Surat ash-Shu'ara: 52)

6. Who did Prophet Adam give 40 years of his life to?
Allah drew from Adam's back his descendants and showed him the Prophets among them, Adam saw amongst them a light shining brightly (man with a shining face), so he asked, 'O my Lord! Who is this man'?' Allah said, 'This is your son, Dawud.' He asked, 'O my Lord! How old will be he?' Allah said, '60 years.' He said, 'O my Lord! Increase his age.' Allah said, 'I will not increase it except out of your own age.' (Adam had known from Allah that his own age would be one thousand years) so he granted Dawud* 40 years of his age. When Adam's life came to an end, the angel of death came to take his soul. Then (Adam) said, 'There still remain 40 years of my age.' He forgot that he had gifted Dawud* with them.

7. What is the name of the monk / worshipper (Aabid) who diverted from the path of Islam and killed a mother & child to hide his crime and eventually bowed down (sujood) to Shaytan
The Story of Barsisa 
(summary)
Three men from the children of Israel had to go for a battle and left their sister under his care because he is the most righteous and trustworthy.
He said no then Shaytan said an evil person might corrupt her so he agreed.
She stayed in a separate house.
Barsisa would bring food and leave it on his doorstep (temple).
Then he left it on her doorstep.
“She’s coming out to get the plate and somebody can still see her. You have to deliver the plate into her own room.”
“it’s like she’s in prison, speaking to no one. Why don’t you take that responsibility and speak to her a little”
“Why don’t you make it a little convenient for each other? Don’t scream to each other. Sit in the same room.”
They started getting closer and closer until the great ‘aabid committed zina
She became pregnant. She delivered a child
“The only solution is that you murder the child and bury it.”
“Do you think the mother will keep the secret after you have killed her son? You’re a fool if you think so. You should kill her too”
The brothers came back and Barsisa said she died of an illness.
Brothers saw a dream. Shaytaan said, “Did you believe Barsisa? He’s lying! She is buried in her room, under the rock”
They took him to the king.
Barsisa said, “Please save me!” Shaytaan said, “Make sujood for me.”  Then was killed.
That is the danger of following desire. Sometimes we feel confident because of our knowledge or the Qur’an that we know or the ‘ibadah that we do. We should always be afraid and never be over confident.

8. What were the 3 things al-Khidr did that upset Musa*
Al Khidr took an axe and pulled up a plank (made a hole) in the boat
Al Khidr took a hold of the boy's head and plucked it with his fingertips as if he were plucking some fruit.
Then they saw therein a wall which was just going to collapse and Al Khidr repaired it just by touching it with his hands.
Al Khidr said: "This is the parting between you and me, and I shall tell you the explanation of those things on which you could not remain patient."

9. What is this sin regarding Punishment in the Grave:
And so we proceeded and came across a river.” I think he said, “…. red like blood.” The Prophet added, “And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. He returned and every time the performance was repeated, I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these (two) persons?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’
..And the man whom you saw swimming in the river and given a stone to swallow, is the eater of usury (Riba / interest)

10. List ALL 9 signs (ayat) given to Musa* in dealing with Pharaoh according to Islam?
Snake / Staff
White Hand
Years of drought / Scarcity of fruits*
Floods
Locusts
Lice / ticks / fleas
Frogs
Blood
Splitting of the sea*

11. After the Sun rises from the West, the beast will appear. What is he carrying in his hands?
The Prophet* said, “The beast would come out carrying the seal of Suleiman [Solomon] and the stick of Musa [Moses]. It would mark the face of the believer with Musa and would stamp the face of the nonbeliever with the seal of Suleiman. People would be eating together and they would say, ‘Give me this, believer’ or ‘Hand me this non-believer.’” [at-Tarmidhi]

12. To Pharaoh, Musa* was a terrorist and was challenged to a competition with which people?
He said, "Have you come to us to expel us from our land by means of your magic, Moses? We will bring you magic to match it. So fix a time between us and you which neither we nor you will fail to keep at a place where we can meet halfway."
He (Moses) said, "Your time is the day of the festival. The people should gather in the morning." (Surah Ta-Ha: 57-59)
(They said) "To bring you all the skilled magicians."
The magicians came to Pharaoh and they asked, "Will we receive a reward if we are the winners?"
He (Pharaoh) said, "Yes, and you will be among those brought near." (Surat al-A'raf: 112-114)

13. In Summary, what is the secret for individual Muslims to be happy
Find pleasure in doing things that Please Allah.



Hence Allah alone decides what is ‘Right’ and ‘Wrong’, what is ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’, what makes Him ‘pleased’ and what ‘angers’ Him, and so what should make us ‘Happy’ and ‘Sad’

Our priority as Slaves of Allah is to make Allah Pleased with us (like the yearning of a child to his mother)

‘In Truth, In the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest/tranquillity’ [TMQ 13:28] and focus on pleasing Allah for our own happiness as He knows what is best for us as He created us that way


14. What is the name of the Night which is better than a thousand months
Lailat al-Qadr
"Verily, We have sent it down in the Night of Al-Qadr.
And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is
The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.
Therein descend the angels and the Ruh by their Lord's permission with every matter.
There is peace until the appearance of dawn.“
Surah al-Qadr [97]


15. Who was the King when Dawud* killed Jalut (Goliath)
Talut  (Saul)


16. In the famous hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (transmitted in Abu Dawud) what did the Prophet* describe a Muslim is to his brother? "A believer is a xxxxxxx to another believer"
In the famous hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (transmitted in Abu Dawud) what did the Prophet* describe a Muslim is to his brother?
"A believer is a mirror to another believer"


17. Who did Musa* slap in the face so hard his eye came out?
Abu Hurairah narrated: "The Angel of Death was sent to Moses*. When he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye. The Angel returned to his Lord and said: 'You have sent me to a slave who does not want to die.' Allah said: 'Return to him and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox and for every hair that will come under it, he will be granted one year of life.' Moses said: 'O Lord! What will happen after that?' Allah replied: 'then death.' Moses said: 'Let it come now!' Moses then requested Allah to let him die close to the Holy Land so that he would be at a distance of a stone's throw from it."


18. What is a Mihrab?
Prayer niche showing direction of prayer


19. In Surah al-Baqarah, why were Bani Israel ordered to slaughter a cow?
A wealthy man died, leaving behind an only son, who inherited his father's wealth. His cousins envied his good fortune and secretly killed him so that they could inherit it.
The dead boy's other relatives came to the Prophet Moses and asked his help in tracing the boy's murderer.
Moses instructed them to slaughter a cow, remove part of it and place it on the corpse. This would reveal the murderer, he told them.


20. What were the 3 Darknesses that Prophet Yunus/Jonah* was in when he made the Du’a to Allah
Darkness of the Belly of the whale
In the Darkness of the bottom of the ocean
In the Darkness of the night

21. ‘Freedom of Speech’ - 'Charlie Hebdo Magazine'  itself censored, apologised and then fired long-time cartoonist Siné for a caricature insulting who?
'Charlie Hebdo Magazine'  itself censored, apologised and then fired long-time cartoonist Siné for a caricature insulting the son of former president Nicholas Sarkozy and his wife Jessica Sebaoun-Darty, while staunchly standing on their 'right' to repeatedly troll Muslims, minorities & immigrants e.g. by showing Muhammad naked and bending over—which tells you something about the brand of satire they practice and that they’d rather be aiming downward towards minorities than upward

22. Who built the barrier that has trapped Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog & Magog)
They will ask thee of Dhul-Qarnayn. Say: "I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him. Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto every thing a road. And he followed a road. Until, when he reached between two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: “O Dhul-Qarnain! Verily! Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog) are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?” He said: “That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord had established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me pieces (blocks) of iron,” Then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: “Blow,” till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: “Bring me molten copper to pour over it.” So they [Ya'juj and Ma'juj] were made powerless to scale it or dig through it. Dhul-Qarnain) said: “This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true.” And on that Day [i.e. the Day Ya'juj and Ma'juj will come out], We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another, and the Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.”

23. Courtroom cases: Missing case
Case 1:  The case of 99 Sheep and a good talking man with one man and his only sheep
Case 2:  The case of Sheep grazing in neighbours field destroying his livelihood
Case 3:  The case of a worshipper admiring horses and missing their prayer
Case 4:  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Case 5:  Mothers disputing about whose child survived the wolf attack
Case 1:  The case of 99 Sheep and a good talking man with one man and his only sheep
Case 2:  The case of Sheep grazing in neighbours field destroying his livelihood
Case 3:  The case of a worshipper admiring horses and missing their prayer
Case 4:  The case of what to do with the first batch of Prisoners of War
Case 5:  Mothers disputing about whose child survived the wolf attack

24. The Prophet*’s birthday happens in which month (according to most authentic sources)?
Rabi’ul-Awwal - (3rd month)

Islamic months:
  1. Muharram
  2. Safar
  3. Rabia Awal  
  4. Rabia Thani (Rabiul-Akhir)
  5. Jumaadil Awal (Jumaada al-Ula)
  6. Jumaada at-Thani
  7. Rajab
  8. Sha‘ban
  9. Ramadhan
  10. Shawwal
  11. Dhul-Qa'dah
  12. Dhul-Hijjah


25. When was Musa* made a Prophet by Allah
Burning Bush
"Moses! I am your Lord. Take off your sandals. You are in the holy valley of Tuwa. I have chosen you, so listen well to what is revealed. I am Allah. There is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish prayer to remember Me." [TMQ 20:11-14]
"Take hold of it and have no fear. We will return it to its original form." [TMQ 20:21]
"Have no fear, Moses. In My Presence the Messengers have no fear." [TMQ 27:10]


Thank you and Well Done

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

5 April 2015: Quiz

5 April 2015: Quiz

Here are the Quiz Questions - Answers will be uploaded shortly (inshaAllah)




Harborne Islamic Study Circle Quiz

Topics from May 2014 – March 2015


Starter Questions

  • Where is Jannah / Paradise?
  • Five Pillars of Islam
  • 6 Articles of Faith / Belief (Aqeeda)


Main Questions

1. What type of bird is this




2. Fill in the missing word

“The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as XXXXXXXXX, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get anything of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away [from the Right Path].” (TMQ 14: 18)


3. How long between the 2 shouts (2 blows of the Trumpet)


4. Fitna al-Qabr (Trials in the Grave) - What are the 3 questions the angels first ask?


5. Exodus: Gods and Kings - In the film ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Musa* left Egypt in a parade. According to the Qur’an, when did Musa* actually set off ?


6. Who did Prophet Adam give 40 years of his life to?


7. What is the name of the monk / worshipper (Aabid) who diverted from the path of Islam and killed a mother & child to hide his crime and eventually bowed down (sujood) to Shaytan


8. What were the 3 things al-Khidr did that upset Musa*


9. What is this sin regarding Punishment in the Grave:

And so we proceeded and came across a river.” I think he said, “…. red like blood.” The Prophet added, “And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the bank) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. He returned and every time the performance was repeated, I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these (two) persons?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’


10. List ALL 9 signs (ayat) given to Musa* in dealing with Pharaoh according to Islam?


11. After the Sun rises from the West, the beast will appear. What is he carrying in his hands?

 
12. To Pharaoh, Musa* was a terrorist and was challenged to a competition with which people?


13. In Summary, what is the secret for individual Muslims to be happy


14. What is the name of the Night which is better than a thousand months


15. Who was the King when Dawud* killed Jalut (Goliath)


16. In the famous hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (transmitted in Abu Dawud) what did the 
Prophet* describe a Muslim is to his brother? "A believer is a xxxxxxx to another believer"


17. Who did Musa* slap in the face so hard his eye came out?


18. What is a Mihrab?


19. In Surah al-Baqarah, why were Bani Israel ordered to slaughter a cow?


20. What were the 3 Darknesses that Prophet Yunus/Jonah* was in when he made the Du’a to 
Allah


21. ‘Freedom of Speech’ - 'Charlie Hebdo Magazine'  itself censored, apologised and then fired long-time cartoonist Siné for a caricature insulting who?


22. Who built the barrier that has trapped Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog & Magog)


23. Courtroom cases: Missing case

Case 1:  The case of 99 Sheep and a good talking man with one man and his only sheep
Case 2:  The case of Sheep grazing in neighbours field destroying his livelihood
Case 3:  The case of a worshipper admiring horses and missing their prayer
Case 4:  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Case 5:  Mothers disputing about whose child survived the wolf attack


24. The Prophet*’s birthday happens in which month (according to most authentic sources)?


25. When was Musa* made a Prophet by Allah

Friday, 13 March 2015

8 March 2015 - Prophet Dawud* and Final Signs of the End of the World

8 March 2015 - Prophet Dawud* and Final Signs of the End of the World



Lives of the Prophets - Prophet Dawud* (continued)

Fasting of Dawud*
The Prophet* said, "The most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of Prophet Dawud*, and the most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of Prophet Dawud*. He used to sleep the (first half) of the night and pray for one third of it and then sleep one-sixth of it, and he used to fast on alternate days and would not flee on facing the enemy."
In addition to his melodious voice, Prophet Dawud*, was fast in reciting his Book, the Zabur (Psalms). Imam Ahmad reports that The Prophet* said: "The reciting (of the Psalms) was made easy for Prophet Dawud*. He used to order that his riding animal be saddled, and would finish reciting the Qur’an before it was saddled. And he would never eat except from the earnings of his manual work. " The word 'Qur'an' in this Hadith refers to the Psalms which Allah revealed to him. Allah the Almighty says: "And We gave to Dawud* (the gift of) the Psalms." (AI Israa': 55)
As for Allah's saying, "We strengthened his kingdom", it means that Allah granted him great power and authority and respected, sound judgement.
Allah says: "O Dawud! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent (Khalifah) on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): nor follow thou the lust (of thy heart), for it will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account." (Saad: 26)
Ibn Kathir maintains: This speech of Allah has been directed to Dawud*, yet it is also directed to all rulers and commanders. They are all commanded to abide by justice and follow the truth revealed by Allah, not their whims and desires. Then Allah warns them that if they deviated from Allah's path, they would suffer a grievous chastisement on the Day of Judgement.
Dawud* set the best example of justice and sincere and intense worship to Allah. He offered several extra devotional acts and made his family follow his example. Thus Allah praises them saying, "Work ye, Sons of Dawud*, in thanks! But few of My servants are grateful." (Saba': 13)

The Age of Dawud*:
There is a Hadith reported about the creation of Adam mentions that when Allah drew from Adam's back his descendants and showed him the Prophets among them, Adam saw amongst them a light shining brightly (man with a shining face), so he asked, 'O my Lord! Who is this man'?' Allah said, 'This is your son, Dawud.' He asked, 'O my Lord! How old will be he?' Allah said, '60 years.' He said, 'O my Lord! Increase his age.' Allah said, 'I will not increase it except out of your own age.' (Adam had known from Allah that his own age would be one thousand years) so he granted Dawud* 40 years of his age. When Adam's life came to an end, the angel of death came to take his soul. Then (Adam) said, 'There still remain 40 years of my age.' He forgot that he had gifted Dawud* with them.

Death of Prophet Dawud*
The Prophet* said: "(Prophet) Dawud* was a very private man. When he left his house, he used to lock it up so that none may enter it until he returned. One day he went out and locked up the house. Then while his wife was walking in the house, she found a man standing in the middle of the house. She asked those who were in the house (i.e. its inhabitants), 'How did this man enter the house though it is locked up? By Allah, Dawud* will reproach us today.' When Dawud* came back, he found the man standing in the middle of the house. He asked him, 'Who are you?' He (the man) replied, 'I am the one who does not fear nor be prevented by gatekeepers. Dawud* said, 'By Allah, you are the angel of death. Welcome to Allah's command. Dawud* remained until the angel took his soul. After he was washed and wrapped in the shroud, the sun rose over him. Solomon said to the birds, 'Give Dawud* shade.' They did so till it became dark. Then Solomon said to the birds, 'Hold one wing in. ' Abu Hurairah said that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, began to show us how the birds held a wing in and held his arm in and the falcons gave him more shade than other birds that day. "

Lessons from Life of Dawud*

Sins Make You Become Weak
Bani Israel became weak because of their sins. The Philistines took away from them the ark of the covenant. The Philistines were able to defeat them.
Even Though Bani Israel didn’t like to fight They Admitted That Jihad Was The Solution To Their Problems

They asked a king to be appointed to lead them in jihad. The Prophet* said: “Whenever a people abandon Jihad, Allah envelopes them with His punishment” [Tabarani]
Bani Israel Objected To Talut (Saul) As Their King Because Of His Poverty
When you are poor, people use it to look down on you.
Historically, Bani Israel Have A Problem With Allah's Decisions
They had a problem with Talut being appointed as the king. They rebelled and said they have more wealth than him so he can't be their king.
Humans Cannot Tell Allah Who To Bless
The people of Mecca used to ask why Allah sent the Quran down on Muhammad*. You can't tell Allah who to bless. But Allah chooses for His Mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty. (Al-Baqarah 2:105)
Hypocrites Sometimes Join The Caravan/Crowd for ulterior motives
Talut realised there were hypocrites in the army. This took place in the time of the Prophet* as well. They want the booty or right hand possess. Only a few passed the test of not drinking water.
Always Have Tawakkul When You Go To The Frontline
But those who knew with certainty that they were to meet their Lord, said: "How often a small group overcame a mighty host by Allah's Leave?" And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). (TMQ 2:249)
Always Make A Dua Before You Fight The Enemy
The Prophet* did it at Badr. King Talut did it before he fought the Philistines. And when they advanced to meet Jalut (Goliath) and his forces, they invoked: "Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, set our feet firm and make us victorious over the disbelieving people." (TMQ 2:250) Always make a dua before you take on the enemy.
Youth Are Effective On The Battlefield
A lot of the sahabas were teenagers when they went to the battlefield. Dawud* killed Goliath when he was a teenager. When Tariq bin Ziyad conquered Spain, he was only 18. When Muhammad al Fateh conquered Turkey in 1453, he was only 19.
Dawud* Didn't Allow Fame To Get To His Head
He didn't allow the fame to get to his head because of his taqwa. When fame gets to your head, you are no longer sincere.
Allah Elevated Dawud* Because He Remained Humble
Dawud* didn't let the fame get to him.
Always Listen To Both Sides Of The Story
Dawud* had to make tawba because he only listened to one side of the story when he was tested by two angels.
It Is Possible For People To Promise You Something And Then Change Their Mind
Adam* did it to Dawud*. Adam* promised to give Dawud* 40 of his years. Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Prophet* said: He (Adam) said: 'O Lord! Add forty years from my life to his.' So at the end of Adam's life, the Angel of death of came to him, and he said: 'Do I not have forty years remaining?' He said: 'Did you not give them to your son Dawud?'" He said: "Adam denied, so his offspring denied, and Adam forgot and his offspring forgot, and Adam sinned, so his offspring sinned." [at-Tirmidhi] When the angel of death came to him, Adam* changed his mind.
Prophet Dawud* Was Skilful With Time Management.
As a believer, you need to respect time He divided his day into four parts:
·         1/4 to earn a living
·         1/4 to take rest and ibada
·         1/4 to listen to the problems of the people and to adjudicate in matters
·         1/4 to give classes to the people.
You learn from Prophet Dawud* that he did not waste his time. He used to have a night routine too:
·         sleep the (first half) of the night and
·         pray for one third of it and
·         then sleep one-sixth of it,
Also, he used to fast on alternate days and would not flee on facing the enemy.
Prophet Dawud* Was Very Patient With His Flock
The litigants jumped over the wall. A litigant is a person who takes his case to the courthouse and demand; his rights because he assumed his oppressed. The litigants jumped over the wall to see Prophet Dawud*. Prophet Dawud* quickly passed the verdict before hearing the complete story and realized they were angels. He begged Allah to forgive him.
Judging Between People Is A Spiritual Status
For someone to pass judgement, you have to be pious. Disputes are a never-ending thing until the day of judgement. “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well­ Acquainted with what you do.” (An-Nisa 4:135)
This verse is hung up at Harvard University. Harvard University is impressed by this verse No other verse can surpass this verse in regards to justice. 
Even Though The Litigants Had Bad Manners, He Still Had To Give Them The Correct Verdict
Prophet Dawud* was still obligated to give the right verdict even though they had bad manners.
Even Prophets Are Tested
The two men who jumped over wall to complain to Prophet Dawud*, was a test because he listened to only one side of the story. They came in the form of men but they were angels and itt was halal for them to jump over the wall because they were angels': angels have no human desires. They came to test Prophet Dawud*
To Have A Sweet Voice Is A Great Blessing From Allah
When Prophet Dawud* use to recite the psalms all the animals would gather around Allah does not like the harsh voice; harsh voice is referred to as the voice of the donkey. Abu Huraira is reported to have heard The Prophet* as saying: Allah does not listen to anything, (more approvingly) as He listens to a Prophet reciting loudly the Qur'an in a sweet voice. [Bukhari]
"And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass." (Luqman 31:19)


Main Topic: Final Signs of the Day of Judgement

·         The Smoke
·         Rise of the Sun from the West
·         The Beast
·         The Fire

The Smoke
There is an entire surah in the Qur’an – Surah ad-Dukhaan. Allah says: “Wait until smoke comes down from the heavens.” This smoke is punishment for the non believers. We don’t know more about the smoke. It will come down on the earth as a punishment for the non-believers.
Rise of the Sun from the West
Allah says, “When some of the signs of Allah approach, then a soul that did not believe, their belief will not do them any good.” The tafsir of this ayah is the rise of the sun from the west.
“Do they then wait for anything other than that the angels should come to them, or that your Lord should come, or that some of the Signs of your Lord should come (i.e. portents of the Hour e.g., arising of the sun from the west)! The day that some of the Signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his Faith. Say: “Wait you! we (too) are waiting.”

The Prophet* says, the day of judgment will not occur until the sun rises up from the west. When that happens, everyone would believe. That is when belief would not give them any good. [Bukhari] There is a finality about this sign – such that people see this extra-ordinary sign there is no other explanation for it and it marks the ‘End of the World’ or the ‘End of Time’ as any deeds done after that will not count as the ‘book of deeds’ is already closed. People will know that death is imminent and final and there is no time for repentance. Al-Qurtubi explains this and says that when the sun rises from the west, people would know it is the end. Therefore, it is just like death. When people are dying and they see the angel of death and they cannot make tawbah (repentance)  because it is too late.
If someone becomes a Muslim in that moment, their iman will not do any good. That means, if someone who claims to be a believer but was not doing good, their good will not do them any good after the sun rises from the west. Therefore, after the sun rises from the west, your record of deeds will remain the same. If you were doing righteous deeds, the reward of those deeds would continue even if the sun rises from the west.

The Beast
Allah says: “And when the decree of Allah (or the Word of Allah) befalls them, we would send out to them a beast from the earth. It would talk to them. The people do not believe in Our signs.” The scholars say that the Beast will either talk to them or mark them. This beast would come out and talk to people: “You are a believer” “You are a non-believer” and it would stamp them on the faces.
Abu Hurayrah says that The Prophet* says, “Three things, when they occur, no soul would benefit from imaan/belief after that. 1) Rise of the sun from the west. 2) ad-dajjaal. 3) the beast.” During the time of ad-dajjaal, because there will be so much fitna. In the time of the beast, you will be stamped as a believer or a non-believer.
The Prophet* said, “The beast would come out carrying the seal of Suleiman [Solomon] and the stick of Musa [Moses]. It would mark the face of the believer with Musa and would stamp the face of the nonbeliever with the seal of Suleiman. People would be eating together and they would say, ‘Give me this, believer’ or ‘Hand me this non-believer.’” [at-Tarmidhi]
Everybody has it written on their face. People would call each other, “ya kaafir” or ”ya mu’min.”

The Fire
The final sign of the Day of Judgment is the fire. The Prophet* says, “And in the end, a fire would come out from Yemen, sending the people towards al-mahshar.” This is a fire that will push all of the people towards the holy land. This fire will continuously follow them until they go to Palestine/Syria. People will be running from it. Whoever is left behind, it will burn them. It follows them day and night.
The Prophet* pinpointed the area and said it will come from the basin of Adan.
The Prophet* pointed towards ash-Shaam and said, “This is where you would be assembled.” In another hadith in Abu Dawud, The Prophet* said, “There will be hijra after hijra. The best of people of the world will be in the place of the hijra of Ibrahim.”
Ash-Shaam is the area of Jerusalem, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. The most holy of it is Jerusalem. There are many ahadith where The Prophet* praised that place. In one hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmad, Abu Dardaa reports that The Prophet* says, “I was sleeping and I saw a dream where the pillar of the Book [Qur’an] was taken away from me. And I thought it would be taken away from me. So I followed it and saw it placed in Ash-Shaam. In the time of trials and tribulations (fitan), that is where Imaan will be.”
In another hadith in Tabarani, The Prophet* says, “When I was in the trip of al Isra`, I saw a white pillar like a banner of war taken away from me and I asked the angels, ‘Where are you taking it?’ They said, ‘We are going to take it and place it in Ash-Shaam.’”
This is the end of the signs of the Day of Judgment. It is important to reiterate that altough these are going to happen in the future, probably not in our lifetime, we still have an obligation to know and to prepare for our End because our Day of Judgment begins when we die.
We talked about the hadith of the Prophet* where the man asked him about the Hour: a Bedouin came into the masjid and asked the Prophet*, “When is the Hour?” He came in and interrupted the Prophet* when he was giving a speech. RasulAllah* kept on going and didn’t give him any attention. The man insisted and asked a second and a third time. By now, the sahabah are upset and want him to calm down. They thought that RasulAllah* is not responding because he doesn’t like the question. When RasulAllah* was done with his speech, he said, “Where is the one who was asking about the Hour?” He then asked the Bedouin, “What have you prepared for it?” The man then said, “I did not prepare for it a lot of fasting and prayer, but I have prepared for it with love for Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet* said, “You will be with the ones that you love.”
InshaAllah, we make du’a that we also have love for Allah and the Prophet* and are also with the ones we love on the Day of Judgment. Ameen