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Assalatu
Khayrum Minan Naum |
The
phrase “Assalatu Khayrum Minan Naum”
means, “Prayer is better than sleeping“. This phrase
is an integral part of the Adhan (Call
for Prayers) for the Fajr (Morning)
Salah (Prayers).
In the Adhan
(Call for Prayers) for the Fajr
(Morning)
Salah (Prayers),
“Assalatu Khayrum Minan Naum” is repeated
twice after “Haiyyah alal falah”.
Adhan (Call for Prayers) for all other Salah
(Prayers)
remain the same and do not use this phrase.
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Astaghfirullah
/ Istaghfar |
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The
phrase Astaghfirullah is a combination
of two words Astaghfar and Allah.
Astaghfar means “Asking for
forgiveness”. Astaghfirullah
means “Asking for forgiveness from Allah”.
Despite of our good intentions, at times we end up making
mistakes unintentionally and must ask for forgiveness from
Allah (God)
all the time. A perfect human being, Muhammad
S, the Messenger of Allah,
who was sent as mercy to mankind, used to spend many
of his nights, seeking forgiveness from Allah
(God). Muslims
should repeat the phrase Astaghfirullah
as many times as possible for seeking forgiveness from Allah
(God).
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A’udhu bil-lahi minash shaytanir-rajim |
A’udhu
bil-lahi minash shaytanir-rajim
means I seek Allah (God)’s
protection from Shaytan (Satan)
who is accursed. This phrase is called Ta’wwuz
and is recited in the first Rak’ah (Unit)
of each Salah (Prayers)
after Thana (Praise
of Allah).
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Auqiyah |
| Auqiyah
is a unit of measure for weight that was used in the early Islamic
days. One Auqiyah equals to the weight of 40 Dirham
coins. Each Dirham coin is 2.975 grams in weight,
making an Auqiyah equal to 119 grams.
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| Ayah
(Verses)
/ Surah / Suratan
/ Suwar |
| Literal
meaning of Ayah is sign. The term is
used in the Holy Qur-an for the signs of Allah
(God). In the broader
Islamic context, the smallest portion of the Qur-an
is called an Ayah (Verse).
Several Ayat (Verses)
make a chapter of the Qur-an, which is called
a Surah. Suratayn (Two
Chapters of the Qur-an) is the word used
for two chapters of the Qur-an. Suwar
is used for more than two chapters of the Qur-an.
Total number of Suwar (Verses)
in the Holy Qur-an is 114 containing 6,236 Ayah
(Verses). The
Qur-an was revealed to Muhammad
S, the Messenger of Allah,
in small portions consisting several Ayat
(Verses) at a
time. Lengths of all Suwar (Chapters,
plural of Surah) vary from
3 Ayat [(Surah
al-Kauthar) Qur-an 106] to
286 Ayat [(Surah
al-Baqarah) Qur-an 2]. The
Ayat (Verses) and the Suwar (Chapters,
plural of Surah) of the Qur-an
are not arranged in the chronological order of their revelation.
The existing arrangement of Ayah
(Verses) and
Suwar (Chapters,
plural of Surah) was done
by the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad S. Name of a Surah (Chapter)
does not represent the topic of the chapter, it only indicates
that there is a mention of the title somewhere in that chapter.
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Ayyam Tashriq
(Days
of the drying of meat) |
| Literal
meanings of Ayyam at-Tashriq are
the days of drying meat. Fourth and fifth day of Hajj
(Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah)
and the day next to it (11th,
12th, and 13th days of Dhul
Hijjah). The pilgrims stay at Mina
on these days and perform Rami by throwing
pebbles at Jimar (Three
Stone Pillars symbolizing Satan). After performing
Rami, they go to Makkah to
perform the final Tawaf (Walk
around) Ka’bah called Tawaf
(Walk around)
Wada’ (Farewell)
and drink Zamzam water.
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Ayyub
A
(Job) |
| Ayyub
A
(Job) was a Rasul
(Messenger) of Allah
(God). He was a descendent
of Ibrahim A (Abraham)
and a nephew of Ya’qub A (Jacob).
He was a rich man with farmlands, cattle and a lot of wealth.
He always used his wealth for the cause of Allah
(God). Allah
(God) tested him for his
faith in many severe ways. He lost all his wealth. Most of his
family died. He accepted the losses very patiently because he
knew that all of it was bestowed to him by Allah
(God) and it is He who
had taken it back. Ayyub A (Job)
got a very bad decease. He had a very repulsive presense.
Only his wife of many years stayed with him, and she was very
sad by his sufferings. Ayyub A (Job)
was steadfast and always thanked Allah (God).
One day he prayed to Allah (God)
(The Qur-an 21:83). Allah (God)
granted him His favors (The Qur-an 21:84). Ayyub
A (Job) remained
steadfast amidst all adversities and was amply rewarded by
Allah (God)
(The Qur-an 2:155-157). Muslims believe
in Ayyub A (Job)
and all other Rusul (Messengers)
of Allah (God).
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