SECRETS OF SURAH AL-KAHF Ever wondered why Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked us to recite Surat Al-Kahf every Friday?

Lets nd out today insha Allah This Surah has Four stories in it,having some morals,lets see them and understand what they are saying to us: 1) The People Of The Cave Its the story of young men who lived in a disbelieving town, so they decided to migrate for the sake of Allah and run away. -Allah rewards them with mercy in the cave and protection from the sun - They woke up and found the entire village believers. MORAL:TRIAL OF FAITH. 2) The Owner Of Two Gardens A story of a man whom Allah blessed with two beautiful gardens, but the man forgot to thank the One who blessed him with everything and he even dared to doubt Allah regarding the afterlife.So His garden was destroyed - He regretted ,but was too late and his regret did not benet him . MORAL:TRIAL OF WEALTH. 3) Musa(AS) and Khidr(AS) When Musa(AS) was asked-Whos the most knowledgeable of the people of earth? Musa(AS) said: Me,but Allah revealed to him that theres someone who Knows more than him.Musa(AS) traveled to the man and learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad. MORAL: TRIAL OF KNOWLEDGE. 4) Dhul-Qarnayn Its a story of the great King that was given knowledge and power and was going around the world, helping people and spreading all thats good.He was able to overcome the problem of Yajooj-Majooj and build a massive dam with the help of people whom he could not even understand. MORAL:TRIAL OF POWER In the middle Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials: Behold! We said to the angels Bow down to Adam: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!

Now let us see whats the relationship between Surat Al-Kahf and the Dajjal (Anti-Christ)? Dajjal will appear before Day of Judgement with the 4 trials: ***Hell ask people to worship him and not Allah: Trial of Faith . ***Hell be given powers to start/stop rain and tempt people with his wealth: Trial of with his wealth. . ***Hell trial people with the knowledge and news he gives them: Trial of Knowledge . Hell control huge parts of the Earth. Trial of Power . How to survive these trials? The answers are in Surat Al-Kahf # Survival Kit 1: Good companionship. And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds. (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 28) # Survival Kit 2: Knowing the Truth of this World . Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earths vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 45) # Survival Kit 3: Humbleness. Moses said: Thou wilt nd me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught.(Surat Al-Kahf, verse 69) # Survival Kit 4: Sincerity. Say: I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner. (Surat Al- Kahf, verse 110) # Survival Kit 5: Calling to Allah . And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can

change His Words, and none wilt thou nd as a refuge other than Him. (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 27) # Survival Kit 6: Remembering the Hereafter. One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you rst: aye, ye thought We shall not full the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!: And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof ! They will nd all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice. (Surat AlKahf, verses 47-49) 10 Ways of Developing Love for Allah Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim (rah) says: The reason which cause mahabbah (love) of ALLah to develop, are ten: First: Reciting the Quran, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent. Second: Drawing closer to Allah the Most High through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties. Third: Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs under all circumstances. The more continuant the dhikr, the more muhabbah develops and intensifies. Fourth: Giving precedence to what ALLah loves over personal loves, when being overcome by desires. Fifth: Contemplating and deliberating over the Names and Attributes of ALLah. Sixth: Recognizing and remembering the favors and bounties of ALLah both manifest and hidden. Seventh: To be humble and submissive before ALLah and this is the greatest matter. Eighth: To be in seclusion reciting the Quran, during that time in which ALLah descends to the lowest heaven (which is the last third of every night), finishing this recitation with seeking ALLahs forgiveness and repenting to Him. Ninth: To sit in the gatherings of the true and sincere lovers of ALLah, reaping the fruits of their speech, and not to speak except if there is benefit in it and that you know that such talk will increase you in goodness and that it will benefit others as well. Tenth: To stay clear of all those causes this distances the heart from ALLah the Mighty and Majestic. So these are the ten reasons which cause the person to develop true love for ALLah and to reach the rank of al-muhabbah, by which he reaches his Beloved.

Ibn Qayyim s (rah) Madarij-us-Saalikeen

Nine great benefits of reciting the Quran 1 - Reading and reflecting over the Quran fulfils an Islamic duty. Indeed the Prophet (sallALLahu alaihi wa sallam) summarised this Religion with his statement: The Religion is naseehah (sincerity)! So then Tameem ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, then said, We asked, To whom? He said: To Allah, HI S BOOK, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their common folk. [Muslim] The sincerity that is due to the Book of Allah includes its regular recitation, learning the rules of tajweed and reciting it beautifully, learning about its tafseer and the reasons for its revelation, affirming that it is the Truth, the perfect Speech of Allah and not part of the creation, honoring it and defending it, abiding by the orders and prohibitions found in it, teaching it and calling to it. [See Jaamiul -Uloom wal-Hikam of Ibn Rajab Al-Hambalee] So by reading and reflecting over the Quran, one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded for that. Upon fulfilling this obligation, the Quran then becomes a proof for him on the Day of Judgment! And that is our second benefit we will take by embracing this Noble Book... 2 - The Quran will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment. This is due to the statement of the Messenger: And the Quran is a proof for you or against you. [Muslim] So one of two thi ngs will occur with this proof, the Book of Allah. It will either be in your favor, a proof for you on the Day when you will need every single good deed, or it will be something standing against you, the very Speech of your Creator, a proof against you! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allahs own Speech is against him?!?! Think carefully, dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the Quran! Are you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you thi nking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgment.?! O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Quran a proof for us! O Allah! Dont make the Quran a proof against us on that Day, and save us from the hellfire! For if Allah makes the Quran a proof in our favour on that Day, then it would also be an intercessor for us, when NO intercession will take place except by His Permission. 3 - The Quran will intercede for us on the Day of Judgment. The proof: Aboo Umaamah relates that the Prophet (sallALLahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Read the Quran, for verily it will come on the Day of Standing as an intercessor for its companions. [Muslim] 4 - Your status in this life will be raised. In Saheeh Muslim, we find a lovely story, about how a man from the people of Jannah, Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, understood this principle. Some men came to question him during his khilaafah about the leadership of Makkah, they asked, Who do you use to govern Makkah? He said, Ibn Abzaa. They asked, And who is Ibn Abzaa? Umar replied, A freed slave from those we freed. They remarked, You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)!?!? So he ans wered them, Verily he is a reader of the Book of Allah and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the Muslims. Havent you heard the statement of your Messenger: Verily Allah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it. 5 - You will be from the best of the people. Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (sallALLahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others [Al-Bukhari] 6 - There are ten rewards for each letter you recite from the Quran. As an authentic hadith in At-Tirmithee proves: Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that Alif, Laam, Meem is a letter, rather I am saying that Alif is a letter, laam is a letter and meem is a letter. So increase your recitation of the Quran to gain these merits, and to gain the following merit as well. 7 - The reciters of the Quran will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. Aaishah, may Allah be pleased with her, relates that the Prophet (sallALLahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have TWICE that reward. [Al -Bukhari and Muslim] So dear brother or sister Muslim, do not let the Shaytaan give you false excuses, such as I am not an Arab, or Its not my language. This hadith is a firm proof against these whisperings. Dedicate yourself to the Book of Allah, whether you are an Arab or not! The excuses have been eliminated and the pathway has been cleared for you to embrace the Book of Allah without holding back or offering excuses! And surely you will not hesitate to seek a teacher or a study circle for the Quran once you hear the last and perhaps greatest benefits of reading and contemplating over the Quran...

8 - Your position in Paradise is determined by the amount of Quran you memorize in this life! Abdullaah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas heard the Prophet (sallALLahu alaihi wa sallam) saying: It will be said to the companion of the Quran: Read and elevate (through the levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do wh en you were in the dunyaa! For verily, your position in the Paradise will be at the last verse you recite! [Aboo Daawood and At -Tirmithee, saheeh] 9 - The Quran will lead you to Paradise! The Prophet said: The Quran is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire. [An au thentic hadith found in At-Tabaraanee, on the authority of Abdullaah ibn Masood] Know, dear brother or sister, that these nine benefits from the many benefits available can only be attained by a sincere commitment to the Book of Allah, not by a persons mere statement, I love the Quran, its beautiful. Rather th e heart must be sincerely attached to Allahs Book and the limbs and tongue will follow in this attachment. You must know that we only mentio ned a few of the numerous benefits of reading and reflecting over the Quran. There are many benefits that await yo ur reading in the Quran and books of hadith, like the chapter of the Quran that will argue on your behalf in the grave, and that it is a phys ical healing, a source of rest and relaxation for your heart, among many other things. And Allah knows best. (Taken from Look 4 Islam)
Today's hadith is more valuable than gold, more valuable than diamond, more valuable than anything in this world. Read it carefully and surely you will find the peace of your mind and the peace of your heart. Ameen.

Khalid ibn El Waleed narrated the following hadith: A Bedouin came one day to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and said to him, "O, Messenger of Allah! I've come to ask you a few questions about the affairs of this life and the Hereafter. " - Ask what you wish. - I'd like to be the most learned of men. - Fear Allah, and you will be the most learned of men. - I wish to be the richest man in the world. - Be contented, and you will be the richest man in the world. - I'd like to be the most just man. - Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be the most just of men. - I want to be the best of men. - Do good to others and you will be the best of men. - I wish to be the most favored by Allah. - Engage much in Allah's praise, and you will be most favored by Him. - I'd like to complete my faith. - If you have good manners you will complete your faith. - I wish to be among those who do good. - Adore Allah as if you see Him. If you don't see Him, He seeth you. In this way you will be among those who do good. - I wish to be obedient to Allah. - If you observe Allah's commands you will be obedient. - I'd like to be free from all sins. - Bathe yourself from impurity and you will be free from all sins. - I'd like to be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light. - Don't wrong yourself or any other creature, and you will be raised on the Day of Judgment in the light. - I'd like Allah to bestow His mercy on me. - If you have mercy on yourself and on others, Allah will grant you mercy on the Day of Judgment. - I'd like my sins to be very few. - If you seek the forgiveness of Allah as much as you can, your sins will be very few.

- I'd like to be the most honorable man. - If you do not complain to any fellow creature, you will be the most honorable of men. - I'd like to be the strongest of men. - If you put your trust in Allah, you be the strongest of men. - I'd like to enlarge my provision. - If you keep yourself pure, Allah will enlarge your provision. - I'd like to be loved by Allah and His messenger. - If you love what Allah and His messenger love you will be among their beloved ones. - I wish to be safe from Allah's wrath on the Day of Judgment. - If you do not lose your temper with any of your fellow creatures, you will be safe from the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgment. - I'd like my prayers to be responded. - If you avoid forbidden actions your prayers will be responded. - I'd like Allah not to disgrace me on the Day of Judgment. - If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the Day of Judgment. - I'd like Allah to provide me with a protective covering on the Day of Judgment. - Do not uncover your fellow creatures faults, and Allah will provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgment. - What will save me from sins? - Tears, humility and illness. - What are the beet deeds in the eyes of Allah? - Gentle manners, modesty and patience. - What are the worst evils in the eyes of Allah? - Hot temper and miserliness. - What assuages the wrath of Allah in this life and in the Hereafter? - Concealed charity and kindness to relatives. - What extinguishes hell's fires on the Day of Judgment? - Patience in adversity and misfortunes. Imam El Mustaghfiri said: "I have never heard a tradition more comprehensive of the beauties of religion, and more beneficial than this hadith. It collects all the good things of Islam but not put to use." (Related by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal)