ABOUT FIVE ON FRIDAY

I have been addicted to reading for as long as I can remember. I was very bookish even as a child and, I fear, perhaps even extremely boring! I would pester my older brother for his books and whenever I stayed over at my aunt's or grandmother's during the school holidays, I would raid my cousins' shelves and school bags for something to bury my nose into.

It was my father who planted and nurtured this love for reading. Bedtime meant going over a few lessons on Islam and then reading a good story. Even when my father was struck by multiple myeloma,  he would not cease reading and learning. He is no longer with us now - he passed away in November 2002 after fighting the cancer for two years, inna lilla wa inna ilayhi raji`oon. I went through his shelves shortly after his death and saw that he was part way through "Minhaj al-Muslim", various books on Fiqh and Seerah. All were carefully bookmarked, as if he had intended to finish them as soon as he was out of the hospital.

I missed my father a great deal and still do. I wanted to do something for him, and was greatly heartened when I read these ahadeeth:

The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "When a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except three: sadaqah jaariyah (ongoing charity, e.g. a waqf or endowment), beneficial knowledge (which he has left behind), or a righteous child who will pray for him." (at-Tirmidhi)

Ibn ‘Abbaas radhiallahu `anhuma reported that the mother of Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah radhiallahu `anhuma died when he was away from her. He said: "O Messenger of Allaah, my mother has died and I am away from her. Will it benefit her anything if I give in charity on her behalf?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then I ask you to be my witness that I am giving my garden al-Mikhraaf (so called because it bore so many dates) in charity on her behalf." (al-Bukhari)

So, I have begun this site in the hopes that it will be a form of sadaqa jaariyah for my father.

I had seen various weblogs participating in weekly questionnaires. I wanted to do something a little different... something catered to Muslims. So I came up with Five on Friday - a set of questions and answers based on chosen themes published online each Jumu`ah, our day of worship.

I hope that the snippets provided in Five On Friday will inspire you to dig deeper in seeking knowledge of the deen inshaa Allah. Please make du`aa for me, my father and all of my family.

Let us all strive together in seeking Paradise. May Allah give us the best in this world and the hereafter, ameen.

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