An Important Rule Often Neglected 4

Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani

From the email-contact from Sayed Sistani - 

Important for those of us working on checkouts in retail supermarkets such as Tesco's, Asda's, Wallmart, Costco etc

The 3 different types Hearts

...Muhammad ibn Ya`qub (al-Kulayni), from `Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from al-Nawfali, from al-Sakuni, from Abu 'Abd Allah (al-'Imam al Sadiq) (A) that he said: 


"Amir al-Mu'minin (A) used to say: 
`Arouse your heart to contemplation; keep your side clear off the night; and be heedful towards your Lord."


What is the Heart? 
There are various applications and denotations of the word `heart'. 
For physicians and the common people it is a tiny piece of flesh, whose contractions and expansions cause the flow of blood through arteries and veins, which generates a subtle elan vital. 
The philosophers (hukama) use it for a certain seat of the psyche (nafs). 
The `urafa' assign to it grades (maratib) and stages (maqamat), and to go into their details is not our concern here.


In the Holy Quran and the ahadith, it has been used both in its general as well as its particular senses in different places.
In the verse `...the hearts reached to the throats ' (33:10), `heart' is used in the same sense as used by physicians.
And in "They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not' (7:179), it is used in the sense used by the philosophers.
And in `Therein verily is a reminder for him who hath a heart, or giveth ear with full intelligence' (50:37), `heart' is used in the same sense as used by the `urafa'.


Imam Khomeini; Forty Hadith, Twenty Seventh Hadith

An Important Rule Often Neglected 3

A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West: 
Youth's issues » General Rules
Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani


500. It is not permissible for a Muslim man to go to unisex swimming pools and other places where people go about half-naked. That is if it entails a harãm act. Based on obligatory precaution, one must refrain from going to such places, even if it does not entail a harãm act.

Dhul Qa'ada - one of the three sacred months!

Comments by Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi (ra): "Know, that this month is the first of the 3 months in which are titled "Al-Haram" which Allah (swt) has made known in his excellent Book and the Sayyid Ibn Tawoos (ra) narrated in a Hadith that the Month of Dhu Al-Qa'ada is the domain of answered supplications upon encountering a catastrophe or a tragedy.


And it has been narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Allah (saw) that a prayer on Sundays in this month has numerous virtues, and among them is that whoever has prayed them his
- repentance to Allah is accepted, and
- every sin he has committed since the day he was born has been forgiven, and
- Allah is pleased with him on the Day of Judgment and
- he has died in pure faith (Iman). Also,
- his grave is made spacious and it is enlightened by Allah with light from Him (swt), and
- his father shall be pleased with him and
- his ancestors and descendants' sins shall be forgiven. Also,
- his blessings shall increase and
- the Angel of Death will be merciful upon taking his soul to Allah (swt) and
- his soul shall be taken from the body in a manner that is easy and fast.


How to Perform this Form of Prayer:
A) He should begin the day of Sunday by performing the rituals of Ghusl and make Wudhu'
B) Then to recite 2 units of 2 Rak'ah Prayer and in each of  the Rak'ahs to recite Surat Al-Fatiha, Surat Al-Ikhlas 3 times, The 2 'Al-Maw'adhatayn' Surahs (i.e. Al'Nas, Wal-Falaq) once.
C) After completion of the prayer, to ask forgiveness from Allah 70 times (Astaghfirullah), then to say
"La Hawla Wala Quwwata Ila Billah Al'Alyli 'Adheem"
 "Ya 'Azeezu Ya Ghaffaar ighfirli dhunubi wa thunuba jami' l-mu'mineen wal-mu'minaati fa innahu la yaghfirudh- dhunuba illa ant."("There is no power and strength except that what is in Allah, the High, the Almighty." Then he should say, "O the All-Powerful, the All-Forgiving, Forgive my sins and the sins of the believers from the male gender and from the female gender, for there is no one that forgives our sins except you." )
Know, that from our Ahadith is that one who fasts from this month 3 specific days: Thursday, Friday and Saturday Allah (swt) writes for him the worship of 900 years.
And the Shaykh 'Ali ibn Ibrahim Al-Qummi (ra) has said that sins in the 3 months of "Al-Haram" (Specifically: Muharram, Dhul Hijjah, Dhul Qa'ada) decrease and the good deeds increase.
Reference to this salaat: Mafateeh Al Jinan by Shiek Abbas Qummi (page 247), A'maal the month of Dhil Qa'da