A few questions & thoughts

[crimsontide06]

When I want to make wudu,with socks, do I wipe over them each once or three times?

I want to read or listen to the biography of Muhammed(pbuh). I have several e-books (one of them being "the sealed nectar". I also have a link to a verbal series by Abdul Nasir Jangda(they seem pretty drawn out though...)[h=2] http://www.qalaminstitute.org/category/podcast/abdul-nasir-jangda/page/11/#.VTeAFCFVikp[/h]
One thing that bothers me,when reading or listening..I get bad thoughts like "wow,thats crazy...or weird...etc).

When reading the biography of the prophets for example,Abraham...I start feeling sorry for his first wife Sarah,that he kinda pushed her aside & got a new wife...then threw that wife & his kid away in the desert. The sealed nectar talks about this(as a prelude to everything else) & the author claims that Sarah was intensely jealous & told Abraham & throw her in the desert...

Another thing I dont understand is, why does his second wife dust her tracks away to keep Sarah from finding her, is she afraid of her? This is why I prefer verbal lectures...etc...the English translation is so bad(Quran...e-books that were meant to be in Arabic but were translated).

Also,.I want to listen to tafseers...is Nouman Ali Khan good at Tafseers,meaning...does he know what he is talking about?
http://islamsearch.org/tafseer/nak-tafseer-list.html found this...

Whenever I listen to lectures I wonder; is this person good? There are corrupt Christian priests....Sometimes I think, I should not take any/everything a Muslim speaker says as fact just because Islam is the correct religion...

I have had these about 2,000 Islamic e-books(on several different subjects such as imann,prayer,duas,law,supplications,biographies of prophets+sahaba...& much more) for a long time but have been to lazy to read(partly because of the bad English,not understanding the Arabic names of places...people...& the feeling of...is this a halal/correct book).


So far I have constricted myself to(whenever I do listen to speakers,I have not listened in a few months); Nouman Ali Khan, Abdul Nasir Jangda, & Yasmin Mogahed....since I am afraid of listening to someone who might be "deviant"..etc.

Maybe I will stick with those 3 for now, but..whether or not he is good....dont suggest Zakir Naik; I have tried to listen to him but (in all due respect) I cannot understand anything he says...

I need to refocus I believe because I have been too focused on other people;trying to fix them,change them,make them care more about religion..but I need to focus on myself, & if they see a change..etc, maybe they will be encouraged.


Is this ok? All worship..etc is done for Allah, but is it ok to have this feeling of "I hope my family/others will see what I am doing & be encouraged to ask about Islam/take religion seriously for family who are Muslim already...etc)...& if they are then my 2 wants would be..

I will be glad that they are on the right path...because I care for them &
Reward from Allah.


If I have more questions or thoughts, I will ask....probably wont be online till late tonight.
Thanks!

My main problem is procrastination & once I start..the feelings of doubt I get,not understanding things...etc.

 

[greenhill]

That's quite an explanation

Where's a good place to start? It's about doubts and care. Having too much and not knowing where to start. List some topics you find interesting and start your research. Go through what you have and see the differences in approach, explanation, etc and question thereafter. It may then all fit together.. later.

On the doubts, yes it is common to all. It affects us in different ways though.

As long as you do remember and keep questioning, you at least have the mind to keep yourself from straying too far. If that stops, you will be free falling. So, you don't need anymore backlog stuff. Show yourself that you bought those books etc find out what they had to offer. Bundle them into categories and begin. It is a long journey. . .and it begins with a single step, but you have to keep taking that one more step.

And be patient


eace:

 

[Signor]

When I want to make wudu,with socks, do I wipe over them each once or three times?

Better to have a look at these links and choose what you inquired for.

http://islamqa.info/en/cat/2035
http://sunnahonline.com/library/fiq...ng-the-wiping-over-the-socks-for-purification
http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-...on/464436-is-wudu-a-must-for-each-prayer.html
http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=232978

I want to read or listen to the biography of Muhammed(pbuh). I have several e-books (one of them being "the sealed nectar". I also have a link to a verbal series by Abdul Nasir Jangda(they seem pretty drawn out though...) http://www.qalaminstitute.org/catego.../#.VTeAFCFVikp

If I could recommend a book on seerah besides Muslim authors,it would be none other than La vie de Mahomet by Romanian writer and diplomat Constantin Virgil,however,you only found it in few languages.

Start a book or listening to an audio series which seems captivating or select a random chapter or part of audio where story takes a turn.

One thing that bothers me,when reading or listening..I get bad thoughts like "wow,thats crazy...or weird...etc).

Well,We all get through ups and downs while listening or reading,a reaction is normal.Just avoid words like Holy Schit,Jeez or other inappropriate terms.

When reading the biography of the prophets for example,Abraham...I start feeling sorry for his first wife Sarah,that he kinda pushed her aside & got a new wife...

Ibrahim (A.S) had been married to Sarah (A.S) for a while but they did not have any children. As time went on, they prayed much to Allah to grant them some off spring. Sarah (A.S) felt that she was getting too old and may not be able to bear children. She told Ibrahim (A.S) to take her slave girl, Hajar(A.S), as his wife and maybe Allah would bless them with a child through her.

then threw that wife & his kid away in the desert.

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'ba under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward.

Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her

Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:
'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37)

Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).

When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it."

The Prophet added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." The Prophet further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Kaba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water)." The Prophet added, "Ishmael's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?" She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." The Prophet further said, "Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.

After Ishmael's mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael's marriage in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not find Ishmael there. When he asked Ishmael's wife about him, she replied, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied, 'We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,' complaining to him. He said, 'When your husband returns, convey my salutation to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of his house).' When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife, 'Has anyone visited you?' She replied, 'Yes, an old man of so-and-so description came and asked me about you and I informed him, and he asked about our state of living, and I told him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.' On that Ishmael said, 'Did he advise you anything?' She replied, 'Yes, he told me to convey his salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your gate.' Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' So, Ishmael divorced her and married another woman from amongst them (i.e. Jurhum).

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her, 'How are you getting on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. She replied, 'We are prosperous and well-off (i.e. we have everything in abundance).' Then she thanked Allah' Abraham said, 'What kind of food do you eat?' She said. 'Meat.' He said, 'What do you drink?' She said, 'Water." He said, "O Allah! Bless their meat and water." The Prophet added, "At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it." The Prophet added, "If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected, unless he lives in Mecca." The Prophet added," Then Abraham said Ishmael's wife, "When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his gate.' When Ishmael came back, he asked his wife, 'Did anyone call on you?' She replied, 'Yes, a good-looking old man came to me,' so she praised him and added. 'He asked about you, and I informed him, and he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in a good condition.' Ishmael asked her, 'Did he give you any piece of advice?' She said, 'Yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.' On that Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and you are the threshold (of the gate). He has ordered me to keep you with me.'

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished, and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father). Abraham said, 'O Ishmael! Allah has given me an order.' Ishmael said, 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked, 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said, 'I will help you.' Abraham said, Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it." The Prophet added, "Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e. the Ka'ba). Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building, while Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying, 'O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.' The Prophet added, "Then both of them went on building and going round the Ka'ba saying: O our Lord ! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (2.127)

(Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583)

Heartless man show no signs of remorse instead of making dua for family's safety.

Never try to interpret divine wisdom with human limited senses,reading the whole life of Prophet Ibrahim(A.S) will make things clear Insha Allah.

Also,.I want to listen to tafseers...is Nouman Ali Khan good at Tafseers,meaning...does he know what he is talking about?

If you don't want to get bogged down in the debate of left and right,Nouman Ali Khan is the right choice(in my opinion).

Try listening to Mufti Ismail Menk too.

Whenever I listen to lectures I wonder; is this person good? There are corrupt Christian priests....Sometimes I think, I should not take any/everything a Muslim speaker says as fact just because Islam is the correct religion...

I have had these about 2,000 Islamic e-books(on several different subjects such as imann,prayer,duas,law,supplications,biographies of prophets+sahaba...& much more) for a long time but have been to lazy to read(partly because of the bad English,not understanding the Arabic names of places...people...& the feeling of...is this a halal/correct book).


So far I have constricted myself to(whenever I do listen to speakers,I have not listened in a few months); Nouman Ali Khan, Abdul Nasir Jangda, & Yasmin Mogahed....since I am afraid of listening to someone who might be "deviant"..etc.

Maybe I will stick with those 3 for now, but..whether or not he is good....dont suggest Zakir Naik; I have tried to listen to him but (in all due respect) I cannot understand anything he says...

Read everything. Listen to everything. Don't trust anything unless you can prove it with your own research(Fixed sources are only two:Quran and Sunnah[Actions+Sayings]),rest are based on interpretations,some look at spiritually while others can look at them metaphorically,some use rationale to justify their stance while others think words should be taken literally).

If you think you're on the right side I can assure you are on the wrong side no matter which side you are on(speciallly in matters of fiqh and madhab).

Each of us individually must begin to study, research and learn the truth.Learn to think for and find the truth for yourself because that is the only salvation.

Why not try listening to Ahmed Deedat,Zakir Naik's teacher.The way Deedat's talk is incomparable so is his knowledge,you will never feel tired while listening to him.

I need to refocus I believe because I have been too focused on other people;trying to fix them,change them,make them care more about religion..but I need to focus on myself, & if they see a change..etc, maybe they will be encouraged.

Is this ok? All worship..etc is done for Allah, but is it ok to have this feeling of "I hope my family/others will see what I am doing & be encouraged to ask about Islam/take religion seriously for family who are Muslim already...etc)...& if they are then my 2 wants would be..

I will be glad that they are on the right path...because I care for them & Reward from Allah.

It reminds me of this hadith:

Hammam b. Munabbih reported: Abu Huraira reported us some ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) amongst many, (and) one is this that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: A person lit fire and when the atmosphere was aglow, moths and insects began to fall into the fire, but I am there to hold them back, but they are plunging into it despite my efforts, and he further added: That is your example and mine. I am there to hold you back from fire and to save you from it, but you are plunging into it despite my efforts. Sahih Muslim

I think you are doing good bro.

My main problem is procrastination & once I start..the feelings of doubt I get,not understanding things...etc

Read those tips from lifehack.org,Insha Allah will help.

Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination