The Torch of Emaan

S05-Elements/Categories

2007-04-01T21:27:00.000+05:00

S-5

ELEMENTS WHICH ADULTERATE SINCERITY

Some elements confuse people regarding sincerity and make them think that they are acting out of sincerity whereas they are actually giving fuel to their own selfish desires.

Sometimes a person is in such a state that even though he may resent the idea of showing off, he feels great pleasure when his actions are mentioned and praised.

A person may showoff, not by advertising his actions but by making some gesture to suggest that he has performed some good deeds.

A person may even hide his actions but show an attitude that demands respect and honor.

A person may be offering the voluntary night prayer with great difficulty but when a guest arrives he performs them with great ease.

A person may preen at his actions and feel that he has accomplished them with great sincerity.

Sometimes the person may want to accept the invitation of someone because he knows the food at the invite will be much better than the food at his house.

Sometimes a person may visit someone who loves someone for the sake of Allah (swt) for the sole purpose of eating and drinking.

SHOWING OFF AND ITS CATEGORIES

Showing Off Physically: This is by displaying fatigue and leanness in order to show the fear of the Hereafter.

Showing Off Through Clothes: This is to wear certain specific types of attire in order to show off that he is a scholar.

Showing Off Verbally: Usually people who give religious talks and lectures are guilty of this by showing off their immense knowledge.

Showing Off Through Actions: This is like prolonging prayers, informing people of fasting and charity.

Showing Off Through Visitors and Companions: This is when a person forces his way to visit a scholar or when a person wants a religious person to visit him for the sake of vanity.

ELEMENTS THAT MAY BE DEEMED AS SHOWING OFF BUT ARE NOT

People praising someone for good.

A person deriving energy on seeking others to engage in worship.

Liking good clothes and shoes.

Not exposing sins.

Becoming popular without any efforts.

TREATING THE DISEASE OF SHOWING OFF

Realizing the Might, the Names and Attributes of Allah (swt) and knowing Tawheed as much as possible.

Only Allah (swt) benefits and harms as much as he wishes.

Allah (swt) is all seeing and hearing.

Allah (swt) is Mighty and His Might should be realized through the might of some of His creation.

Knowing the forms of punishment and bliss in the grave.

Knowing the ahadeeth that describes the punishment of Hell.

Knowing as much as possible of what Allah (swt) has prepared for the pious in Paradise.

Remembering Death and the shortness of Life.

Knowing the value of the world and the fact that it is not here forever.

Dua’a (Supplication).

Fearing that showing off will be the last phase of one’s life.

Performing good deeds without announcing them and without performing them in public.

Keeping the company of those people who may be regarded as having sincerity, goodness and piety.

Fearing the fact that one is showing off.

Running away from being condemned by Allah (swt).

Regarding the fact that Allah (swt) remembers and giving the preference to Allah (swt)
remembrance over the remembrance of people.

Knowing the Devil is repelled by (those mentioned below)

Note: Please see Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim for the description of Paradise and Hell.

WHAT REPELS THE DEVIL

1. When a person says “Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa ‘alaa kulli shay’in Qadeer (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise and He is Able to do all things).” 100 times a day.

“Whoever recites this one hundred times a day will have the reward of freeing ten slaves. One hundred Hasanat (rewards) will be written for him and one hundred misdeeds will be washed away. He will be shielded from Shaytan until the evening. No one will be able to present anything better than this except for someone who has recited more than this.” (Sahih Bukhari 4/95, Sahih Muslim 4/2071)

Note:

· Evening begins after Asr’ prayer so read evening adhkar (invocations) after Asr’ prayer.
· Any adhkar (invocation) done unmindfully is without reward.

2. Reciting the Ayatul Kursi (The Verse of Kursi) at the time of sleeping

t Whoever reads this when he lies down to sleep will have a guardian from Allah remain with him and Shaytan will not be able to come near him until he rises in the morning. (Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fath Al-Bari 4/487)

Hadith: Abu Hurairah (ra) guarding amanah catching thief who turned out to be Shaytan.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) ordered me to guard the Zakat revenue of Ramdan. Then somebody came to me and started stealing of the foodstuff. I caught him and said, “I will take you to Allah’s Messenger (saw)!” Then Abu Hurairah desribed the whole narration and said: That person said (to me), “(Please don’t take me to Allah’s Messenger (saw) and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit you.) When you go to your bed, recite Ayat-ul-Kursi (2:255), from then there will be a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn.” (When the Prophet (saw) heard the story) he said (to me), “He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; and it was Satan.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 6/5010)

3. When a person sees something which he dislikes, he should spit on his left side three times and seek Allah’s (swt) Refuge from the evil of what he has seen

Hadith: dreams are from Allah while nightmares are from Shaytan
Abu Salamah reported that Abu Qatadah (ra) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying: “A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So, if anyone of you sees (in a dream) something he dislikes, when he gets up, he should spit thrice (on his left side), and seek refuge from Allah from its evil, then it will not harm him.” (Bukhari 5747, Muslim 1516)

Hadith: telling / relating your dreams to other people

Abu Salamah: I used to see a dream which would make me sick until I heard Abu Qatadah saying, “I, too, used to see a dream which would make me sick until I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying, ‘A good dream is from Allah, so if you see a dream which you like, you should not tell it to anybody except to the one whom you love. And if you see a dream which you dislike, then you should seek refuge with Allah from its evil and from the evil of Satan, and spit three times (on your left) and do not tell anybody about it, then it will not harm him.’” (Bukahari 7044, Muslim 1517)

4. On leaving the house, a person should say: “Bismillahi, tawakkaltu ala Allah. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa Billahi Ta’ala (In the Name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah, there is no might and power except by Allah).”
Hadith: Angel will protect and guide you, Shaytan is diverted from you.

5. Remembering Allah (swt) when entering the house and when eating
Upon entering the house say “Bismillaahi walajnaa, wa bismillahi kharajnaa, wa ‘alaa Rabbinaa tawakkalnaa (In the Name of Allah we enter, in the Name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we depend).” Then say As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum to those who are present

When anyone of you begins eating, say: “Bismillaah (In the Name of Allah).”

Hadith:
Jabir bin Abdullah (ra) narrated: I heard the Prophet (saw) saying: “If a man enters his house and mentions Allah and when he eats and says the same; the Satan says: “No room to spend the night or have food.” And if he enters without saying: “With the Name of Allah’, Satan says: “We will spend the night (here).” Then if he does not say Allah’s Name when he eats, Satan says: “We will spend the night and have food.” (Muslim 1297)

6. On entering the masjid
Hadith: being protected for the rest of the day.
Abu Humaid (or: Abu Usaid) (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “When one of you enters a mosque, let him say ‘O Allah! Open for me the doors of Your mercy.’ And when he steps out, let him say: ‘O Allah! I ask for your bounty.’” (Muslim 247)

7. At the time of calling the adhan

Hadith: Shaytan running when he hears the adhan
t Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said: “When the Adhan is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels and passes wind to avoid hearing the Adhan. When the Adhan is over, he comes back, and again takes to his heels when the Iqamah is pronounced and after its completion, he returns to whisper into the heart of a person (to distract him from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall before until man forgets how many Rak’ah he prayed.” (Muslim 196)

Hadith: Prophet (saw) being distracted by Shaytan during tashahud, let go of Shaytan because of the dua’a of Sulaiman (as)

Abu Darda (ra) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (saw) stood (to perform prayer) and we heard him saying: “I seek refuge with Allah from you,” then he said: “ I curse you by the curse of Allah,” (thrice), and stretched his hands as if was catching something. When he finished the prayer, we said: “O Messenger of Allah, we heard you saying something (words) in the prayer which we have not heard you say before, and we saw you stretch your hands.” He said: “The enemy of Allah, Iblis, came (to me) having a burning brand of fire to keep (it) on my face. So I said: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from you’ (three times) then I uttered three times ‘I curse you by the curse of Allah’, but he did not slip back. Then I intended to catch him. By Allah if I had not remembered the supplication of my brother Sulaiman, I would have catch him and tie him so that the boys of Al-Madinah would make fun of him.” (Muslim 306)

8. At the time of seeking refuge from the devil

tNarrated Atiyyah as-Sa'di: AbuWa'il al-Qass said: We entered upon Urwah ibn Muhammad ibn as-Sa'di. A man spoke to him and made him angry. So he stood and performed ablution; he then returned and performed ablution, and said: My father told me on the authority of my grandfather Atiyyah who reported the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) as saying: Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution. (Book 41, Number 4766: Abu Dawood)

9. The Prophet (saw) said, “When you are aware of his (devil) presence then seek refuge in Allah (swt) from him and spit on your left side 3 times

10. Abu Zamil asked Ibnu Abbas: I find certain things confusing so he was told Hual Awwal Wal Aakhir Wazzahir Wal Batin Wa Huwa Bikulle Shaiin Alim

11. The Prophet (saw) said, “A strong believer is better and more liked by Allah than a believer who is weak, and there is goodness in everybody.”

12. At the time of having sexual intercourse: Allah (swt) has destined that a child should be born for them because of that co-habitation then the devil will never hurt that child

Hadith: dua’a on cohabitation
Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “If anyone of you intends to have an intercourse with his wife, he should say: “I begin with the Name of Allah, O Allah, keep Shaitan away from us, and keep Shaitan away from what you provide us.’ Then if Allah ordains a child for them, Satan will never be able to harm him.” (Bukhari 5165, Muslim 828)

13. Saying: “I seek refuge in Allah (swt) from the cursed devil” then his anger will go away with him

Hadith
Sulaiman Bin Surad (ra) narrated: Two men abused each other in front of the Prophet (saw) while we were sitting with him. One of the two abused his companion furiously and his face became red. The Prophet (saw) said, “I know a word the saying of which will cause him to relax if this man says it: ‘I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the outcast’.”
Thereupon, a person went to him who had heard that from the Prophet (saw) and said to him: “Do you know what the Messenger of Allah (saw) said? He said: I know of a wording; if he were to say that (the anger) would be no more (and the words are): ‘I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the outcast’.” And the person said to him: “Do you find me mad?” (Bukhari 6115, Muslim 1792)

14. Do not say: “May the devil perish!” but say: “in the name of Allah”

t Narrated a man: AbulMalih reported on the authority of a man: I was riding on a mount behind the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). It stumbled. Thereupon I said: May the devil parish! He said: Do not say: May the devil perish! for if you say that , he will swell so much so that he will be like a house, and say: By my power. But say: In the name of Allah; for when you say that, he will diminish so much so that he will be like a fly. (Book 41, Number 4946: Abu Dawood)

15. The Prophet (saw) said that when a person sees something that strikes him, amazes him or dreams about, he should ask Allah (swt) to give him barakah because evil eye is true

16. Seek protection against the Jinn and evil eye with Surah Falaq and An-Nas

It has been reported from Abu Sa’id that Allah’s Messenger (saw) used to seek protection against the evil eyes of the Jinns and mankind. But when the Mu’awwidhatayn (Surah Al-Ikhlas and Surah An-Nas) were revealed, he used them (for protection) and abandoned all else besides them (At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah)

17. The Prophet (saw) said, “When a son of Adam recites an ayah of Sajdah and falls into prostration, Satan goes into seclusion and weeps.”

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that when, the son of Adam recites the Ayat of Sajdah (prostration) and then falls down in prostration, the Satan goes into seclusion and weeps and says: Alas, and in the narration of Abu Kuraib the words are: Woe unto me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated and Paradise was entitled to him and I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused and am doomed to Hell. (Book 001, Number 0144: Sahih Muslim)

18. The Prophet (saw) said, “Do not make your houses as graveyards, satan runs away from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.”

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surah Baqarah is recited. (Book 004, Number 1707: Sahih Muslim)

19. The hadith of the Prophet (saw) with Abu Bakker and Umar regarding the recitation of the Qur’an

Ibn 'Abbas reported: The word of (Allah) Great and Glorious: 'And utter not thy prayer loudly, nor be low in it" (xvii. 110) was revealed as the Messenger of Allah (may peace beupon him) was hiding himself in Mecca. When he led his Companions in prayer he raised his voice (while reciting the) Qur'an. And when the polytheists heard that, they reviled the Qur'an and Him Who revealed it and him who brought it. Upon this Allah, the Exalted, said to His Apostle (peace be upon him): Utter not thy prayer so loudly that the polytheists may hear thy recitation and (recite it) not so low that it may be inaudible to your Companions. Make them hear the Qur'an, but do not recite it loudly and seek a (middle) way between these. Recite between loud and low tone. (Book 004, Number 0897: Sahih Muslim)

20. Imam Ahmed was asked: “Should a man point a finger in salah?” He said: “Yes he should do so vigorously.”

“When he raised his finger, he would move it, supplicating with it”, and he used to say, “It is surely more powerful against the devil than iron, meaning the forefinger.”(Ahmad, Bazzaar, Abu Ja'far al-Bukhteeri in al-Amaali (60/1), 'Abdul Ghani al-Maqdisi in his Sunan (12/2) with a hasan sanad, Rooyaani in his Musnad (249/2) & Baihaqi .)

FRUITS OF SHOWING SINCERITY TO ALLAH (SWT)

Help for the Ummah
Protection from the punishment of the Hereafter
Elevation of the status in the Hereafter
Being delivered from misguidance in the world
Increase in guidance
The people of the heaven like and love the people who are sincere
Acceptance is placed for the sincere person on earth by Allah (swt)
Good reputation among people
To dispel grief and worries of the world
Allah (swt) creates tranquility and peace in hearts
Faith is beautiful within the hearts and wickedness and disobedience is made distasteful
Keeping company of the sincere people
Bearing austere difficulties in this world no matter how severe they are
Sincerity in asking Allah (swt) repentance in the final stages of our life
The answering of invocations and prayers
The bliss and joy in the grave

PUNISHMENT IN SHOWING OFF

The defeat of the Ummah
Punishment in the Hereafter
The increase of misguidance in this world
The hatred of the people of heaven to the people who shows off
The hatred of the people of earth to the people who shows off
Feeling of anxiety and distress
Threat of a bad end
Embarrassment of the person who shows off in front of everybody

HADITH REGARDING SINCERITY AND WARNING AGAINST SHOWING OFF

There are three things that a heart of a believer does not aim to reduce:

- Sincerity to Allah (swt)
- Having a sense of well-being towards the Muslim Ummah
- Being close and sticking with group of Muslims

The Prophet (saw) said, “Allah helps this Ummah because of its weak people, their dua’a, their salah and because of their sincerity.”
Abu Dardah said, “This world is cursed, everything in it is cursed, except those occasions which are performed in order to seek the pleasure of Allah (swt).”
This Ummah has been given glad tidings about their religion, about elevation and about establishing authority on the Earth, so whoever does anything in the world they will have nothing in the Hereafter.

“Whoever shows off in his actions, Allah (swt) will embarrass him in front of people and He will reduce his status and He will look down upon him.”
The Prophet (saw) said, “Shall I not warn you about something which is more dangerous than Dajjal?” So he said, “The hidden shirk – a man performing salah and embellishes it when he feels somebody is looking at him.”

Shirk of secret
“He who associates anybody with Allah (swt), in any action, then he should seek the reward for that action with that person because Allah (swt) is most independent of all associates and partners.”

SOME GOOD SAYINGS ABOUT SINCERITY

If Satan approaches you during salah and says you are showing off, then increase the length of the salah.

A person asked, “Show me a deed that I shall keep forever for Allah (swt)’s sake.” He was told, “Make an intention to do good deeds, because even if you stop your actions, your intentions will continue.”

A person said, “I like to have an intention to everything that I do, even in my food, drink and in my sleep.”

A person who is sincere hides his good deeds just like he hides bad things.

Sincere actions suffice even though actions may be few.

Whoever sees sincerity in his sincerity then he needs sincerity in his sincerity.

Allah (swt) requires only sincerity from His creatures actions.

Sincerity is to forget observing people by observing Allah (swt) only

S04-Values of Sincerity in Actions(2)

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13. Sincerity in Giving Charity

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth and the servant who forgives Allah adds to his respect, and the one who shows humility Allah elevates him in the estimation (of the people). (Book 032, Number 6264: Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: One who makes efforts (for earning to be spent) on a widow and the destitute is like a striver in the cause of Allah, and I think he also said: He is like one who constantly stands for prayer and observes fast without breaking it. (Book 042, Number 7107 Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: One who looks after the orphan whether he is his relative or not, I and he would be together in Paradise like this, and Malik (explained it) with the gesture by drawing his index finger and middle finger close together. (Book 042, Number 7108 Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported: While a person was in the wilderness he heard a voice from the cloud (commanding it thus): Irrigate the garden of so and so. (After that the clouds slinked aside and poured water on a stony ground. It filled a channel amongst the channels of that land and that person followed that water and he found a person standing in the garden busy in changing the course of water with the help of a hatchet. He said to him: Servant of Allah, what is your name? He said: So and so. And it was that very name which he had heard from the clouds. And he said to him: Servant of Allah, why do you ask me my name? He said: I beard a voice from the clouds of which It is the downpour, saying: Water the garden of so and to like your name. What do you do (for the favour) shown to you by Allah in this matter? He said: Now as you state so. I look what yield I get from it and I give one-third as charity out of it and I and my children eat one-third of it and one-third I return to it as investment. (Book 042, Number 7112 Muslim)

14. Sincerity in Hajj

Hadith Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (saw) as saying. He who came to this House (Ka'ba) (with the intention of performing Pilgrimage), and neither spoke indecently nor did he act wickedly would return (free from sin) as on the (very first day) his mother bore him. (Sahih Muslim, Book 007, Number 3129)

15. Sincerity in Seeking Martyrdom

Hadith on seeking martyrdom, even if one dies on his bed his reward his like those of the martyr
Khalid Bin Walid

16. Sincerity in Guarding the Frontiers (or War Camps)
Hadith on the benefits of guarding the frontiers

Narrated Sahl bin Sad As-Sa'di: Allah's Apostle said, "To guard Muslims from infidels in Allah's Cause for one day is better than the world and whatever is on its surface, and a place in Paradise as small as that occupied by the whip of one of you is better than the world and whatever is on its surface; and a morning's or an evening's journey which a slave (person) travels in Allah's Cause is better than the world and whatever is on its surface." (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 142)

Salman Al-Farisi (ra) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “Keeping watch for a day and a night is better in reward than fasting and observing late night prayer for a whole month. If such a man dies while performing his duty, his (meritorious) deeds will continue and he will keep on receiving his reward for it perpetually, and will be saved from the test of the grave.” (Muslim 1075)

17. Sincerity in Equipping Warriors
Hadith: Whoever equips a warrior while in the midst of battle, Allah (swt) will give him a reward similar to the reward of the warrior.

Narrated Zaid bin Khalid: Allah's Apostle said, " He who prepares a Ghazi going in Allah's Cause is given a reward equal to that of a Ghazi; and he who looks after properly the dependents of a Ghazi going in Allah's Cause is (given a reward equal to that of) Ghazi." (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 96)

Narrated AbuUmamah: The Prophet (saw) said: He who does not join the warlike expedition (jihad), or equip, or looks well after a warrior's family when he is away, will be smitten by Allah with a sudden calamity. Yazid ibn Abdu Rabbihi said in his tradition: 'before the Day of Resurrection". (Abu Dawud, Book 14, Number 2497)

18. Sincerity in Jihad
Hadith on martyrs, 3 people of the hellfire

Hadith Qudsi 27: On the authority of Masruq, who said:

We asked Abdullah (i.e. Ibn Masud) about this verse: And do not regard those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead, rather are they alive with their Lord, being provided for (Quran Chapter 3 Verse 169). He said: We asked about that and the Prophet (pbuh) said: Their souls are in the insides of green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne, roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at them (1) and said: Do you wish for anything? They said: What shall we wish for when we roam freely in Paradise where we please? And thus did He do to them three times. When they say that they would not be spared from being asked [again], they said: O Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again. And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they were let be.

(1) i.e. at those who had been killed in the cause of Allah.
It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

t Anas bin Malik (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “A single trip in an expedition, or a trip back from fighting in the Cause of Allah is better than the whole world and what it contains.” (Bukhari 2792, Muslim 1076)

19. Sincerity in Repentance

Hadith on one committing 99 murders

“There was a man before you who had committed 99 murders and then wanted to repent. So he asked the most knowledgeable man in the area if he could repent. This person said no, so he murdered him as well and completed his 100 murders. Then he asked another wise person who told him that he could repent and told him to leave the area and move to a place where people worshipped Allah. He started out on his journey. However, he died half way to his destination, so the angels of mercy and punishment argued over him. The angels of mercy said that he had repented and had made his way to the town, but the angels of punishment said that he had never performed a good deed in his life. So an angel came to them in the form of a man and told them that to measure the distance between the two places. They did so and found out that he was actually closer to the destination than his home town, the angels of mercy claimed his case”. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah's Apostle said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert." (Sahih Muslim, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 321)

20. Sincerity in Seeking Forgiveness
Hadith in asking for forgiveness

“Allaahumma Anta Rabbee laa ilaaha illa Anta, khalaqtanee wa anaa ‘abduka, wa anaa ‘alaa ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, a’uthu bika min sharri maa sana’tu, aboo’u laka bini’matika ‘alayya, wa aboo’u bithanbee faghfir lee fa-innahu laa yaghfiruth-thunooba illaAnta.”

O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am Your slave. I keep Your covenant, and my pledge to you so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil that I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeeds. Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You.

Whoever recites this with conviction in the evening and dies during the night shall enter Paradise, and whoever recites this with conviction in the morning and dies during the day shall enter Paradise (Bukhari 7/150; An-Nasai; At-Tirmidhi)

Hadith Qudsi 34: On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Allah the Almighty said:
O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.
It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Its chain of authorities is sound.

21. Sincerity in Crying
Hadith: 7 shades

Abu Huraira reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying):" I fear Allah" ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given: and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears. (Sahih Muslim, Book 005, Number 2248)

22. Sincerity in Remembering Allah (swt)
See above hadith

23. Sincerity in Observing the Truth

'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth and endeavors to tell the truth is eventually recorded as truthful with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling of a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavors to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah. (Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6309)

Abu Huraira reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The servant speaks words for which he is sent down to the Hell-Fire farther than the distance between the cast and the west. (Book 042, Number 7120)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The servant speaks words that he does not understand its repercussions but he sinks down in Hell-Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west. (Book 042, Number 7121)

24. Sincerity in Patience

Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said: “The invocation of anyone of you is granted if it does not involve a sin or relatives and womb relationship abandonment. And if he does not show impatience by saying, ‘I invoke Allah but my request has not been granted,’ and feels desperate and invokes no more.” (Bukhari 6340, Muslim 1877)

25. Sincerity in Relying upon Allah (swt) – Tawakkul

26. Sincerity in Love and Visiting someone for the sake of Allah (swt)

t Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Verily, Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Where are those who love each other for My Glory’s sake? Today I shall shelter them in My Shadow when there is no shadow other than Mine.’” (Muslim 1768)

27. Sincerity in Obeying Parents

Abu Bakrah (ra) narrated: “We were with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he said: “Shall I inform you of the greatest of the major sins? (He repeated it thrice): (1) To ascribe partners to Allah, (2) to disobey parents, and (3) to give a false testimony.” The Messenger of Allah (saw) was reclining then he sat and he kept repeating it until we said would that he stop.”

28. Sincerity in Avoiding Sinful Acts for Allah’s (swt) Sake

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (ra): “The Prophet (saw) narrating about his Lord (azzawajal) said: Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and bad deeds be written, and He showed (the way) how (to write). If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him); and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times; and if somebody intended to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intended to do it (a bad deed) and actually did it, then Allah will write one bad deed (in his account).”

29. Sincerity in Giving Wages to Employees

Hadith: Three people trapped in the cave (See Appendix of previous article on sincerity). Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar…The Prophet (saw) added, “Then the third man said, ‘O Allah! I employed a few laborers and I paid them with their wages with the exemption of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: O Allah’s slave! Pay me my wages. Is said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allah’s slave! Don’t mock at me. I said: I am not mocking at you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.’ So, the rock shifted completely and the got out walking.”

30. Sincerity in Intention even if the Action is not realized

31. Sincerity in Abstaining from the World (Asceticism)

Narrated Son of a Companion: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: He then mentioned a similar tradition described above. This version has: Allah will fill his heart with security and faith. He did not mention the words "Allah will call him". This version further adds: He who gives up wearing beautiful garments when he is able to do so (out of humility, as Bishr's version has) will be clothed by Allah with the robe of honour, and he who marries for Allah's sake will be crowned by Allah with the crown of Kingdom. (Book 41, Number 4760: Abu Dawood)

32. Sincerity in Humbleness

Narrated Haritha bin Wahb: I heard the Prophet saying, “Shall I tell you of the people of Paradise? They comprise every poor humble person, and if he swears by Allah to do something, Allah will fulfill it; while the people of the fire comprise every violent, cruel arrogant person.” (Volume 8, Book 78, Number 651: Bukhari)

Haritha b. Wahb al-KhuzaIi reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: May I not inform you about the inmates of Paradise? (And then informing about them) said: Every meek person who is considered to be humble and if they were to adjure in the name of Allah, Allah would certainly fulfill it. May I not inform you about the inmates of Hell-Fire? They are all proud, mean and haughty. (Book 040, Number 6835: Sahih Muslim)

33. Sincerity in Constructing Mosques

Abdullah al-Khaulani reported that when Uthman b. 'Affan tried to rebuild the mosque of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) the people began to talk about this. Uthman b. 'Affan said: You discuss it very much whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: He who builds a mosque-- and the narrator Bukair said: I think he also said: (for) seeking the pleasure of Allah- Allah would build (a similar house for him in Paradise). and in the narration of Harun (the words are):" A house for him in Paradise." (Book 042, Number 7109)

Narrated 'Ubdaidullah Al-Khaulani: I heard 'Uthman bin 'Affan saying, when people argued too much about his intention to reconstruct the mosque of Allah's Apostle, "You have talked too much. I heard the Prophet saying, 'Whoever built a mosque, (Bukair thought that 'Asim, another subnarrator, added, "Intending Allah's Pleasure"), Allah would build for him a similar place in Paradise.'” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 441)

34. Sincerity in Visiting the Mosque of the Prophet (saw) for the sake of learning and teaching

Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) said: A woman fell ill and she said: “If Allah cures me, I will certainly go and perform prayer in Bait-ul-Maqdis (in Jerusalem).” When she recovered, she made preparations to go (to that place). She came to Maimunah, the wife of Allah’s Prophet (saw), and after greeting her she informed her about it, whereupon she said, “Stay here, and eat (the provision) which you have made, and pray in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saw) for I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “One prayer in it is better than one thousand prayers performed in other mosques except the mosque of the Ka’bah.’”

35. Sincerity in Equipping Warriors

Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “He who equips a fighter (with weapon and transport), will get reward as if he fought himself. And he who takes care of a fighter’s family, will be considered a fighter too.” (Bukhari 1143, Muslim 1092)

36. Sincerity in following the hearse of a Muslim

t Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), for him is the reward of one qirat, and he who attends (and stays) till he is buried, for him is the reward of two qirats. It was said: What are the qirats? He said: They are equivalent to two huge mountains. Two other narrators added: Ibn 'Umar used to pray and then depart (without waiting for the burial of the dead). When the tradition of Abu Huraira reached him, he said:" We have lost many qirats." (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 2062)

37. Sincerity in Feeding People

Surah Al-Insan (Man) or Ad-Dhar (Time)

7. They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide-spreading.

8. And they give food, inspite of their love it (or for the Love of Him), to the Miskin (the poor), the orphan and the captive,

9. (Saying): “We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish no reward, nor thanks from you.”

10. “Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislike to it).”
11. So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadrah (a light of beauty) and joy.

12. And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient.

38. Sincerity in Dua’a

S03-Values of Sincerity in Actions(1)

2007-04-01T20:29:00.000+05:00

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SINCERITY ENTAILS DOING GOOD DEEDS WITH A SENSE OF FEAR OF PUNISHMENT

These are the people who do not do deeds and wait for the people to reciprocate

Surah 23 Al-Muminoon (The Believers)
60. And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning).

Notes:
Al-Abrar – a righteous person is the one that does good deeds with the fear of the punishment of Allah (swt).
Reward from Allah (swt) not instant reward.
A person must quickly reaffirm his intentions
Most hurt are felt when deeds are not reciprocated or appreciated therefore to not feel hurt one must always reaffirm his intentions
Do something good and put them in the ocean. Even if it is in the deepest part of the ocean, if done with sincerity Allah (swt) will find it and reward you for it.

WHY THE PRAYER OF AN OPPRESSED PERSON AND THE DISTRESSED ARE ANSWERED

The Prophet (saw) said: “The prayer of an oppressed is answered. Even if he is a sinner, his sins will (not affect his prayer) remain with him.”

The Prophet (saw) said: “Ask Allah (swt) in a state of believing that your prayer will be answered. Allah (swt) does not accept the prayer of a person who is distracted and oblivious.”

Note: Be afraid of hurting even the disbelievers because their supplications are also answered especially if done with sincerity

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO VACATE ONE’S HEART FOR ALLAH (SWT)?

The term “vacate his heart for Allah (swt)” denotes that the person is totally absorbed by Allah (swt).

The wronged, the oppressed and the afflicted person totally vacates his heart at the time of supplication, so Allah (swt) answers his prayer as a result of his sincerity

Note:
Their hearts are completely sincere in the dua’a (supplication) to Allah (swt) because of the hurt and they have no one to turn to except for Allah (swt)
Therefore be careful of hurting people especially the oppressed

Hadith on people climbing the hill going to Paradise except for Ibn Ubay
Surah An-anam: If my Lord does not guide me… them among the losers (Noah/Ibrahim)
Iblees –asked respite until the Day of Judgment Hadith on entering Paradise
I want Paradise vs. save me from the Hellfire

KEEPING COMPANY OF THE SINCERE ONES AND BENEFITING FROM THEIR SINCERITY

Keep company of sincere people in order to benefit from their sincerity and supplications
The Prophet’s (saw) advice: “The devil seeks to establish his authority whenever there are three people in a village, or in the wilderness, or do not perform salah together. Keep together, for the wolf devours the lonely sheep.”

Note: No three people should be together except that they are praying, fasting or giving charity together.

Hadith on gatherings that remembering Allah (swt)

Hadith Qudsi 14: On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heavens. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhanallah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet (saw)) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet (saw)) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.
It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).
They are people in whose company no one is unfortunate.

VALUES OF SINCERITY IN ACTIONS

1. Sincerity in Tawheed
Understanding of Aqeedah
Practice of the Deen
Hadith on doors of heaven opening up for everyone who says “Laa Ilaha Illallahu” with sincerity

It is narrated on the authority of 'Uthman that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “He who died knowing (fully well) that there is no god but Allah entered Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0039)

It is narrated on the authority of Ubadah b. Samit that the messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: He who said:" There is no god but Allah, He is One and there is no associate with Him, that Muhammad is his servant and His messenger, that Christ is servant and the son of His slave-girl and he (Christ) His word which He communicated to Mary and is His Spirit, that Paradise is a fact and Hell is a fact," Allah would make him (he who affirms these truths enter Paradise through any one of its eight doors which he would like. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0043)

It is narrated on the authority of Mu'adh b. Jabal: I was riding behind the Prophet (may peace be upon him) and there was nothing between him and me but the rear part of the saddle, when he said: Mu'adh b. Jabal: To which I replied: At your beck and call, and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah! He moved along for a few minutes, when again he said: Mu'adh b. Jabal: To which I replied: At your beck and call, and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah! He then again moved along for a few minutes and said: Mu'adh b. Jabal: To which I replied. At your beck and call, and at your pleasure. Messenger of Allah He, (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you know what right has Allah upon His servants? I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Verily the right of Allah over His servants is that they should worship Him, not associating anything with Him. He (the Holy Prophet) with Mu'adh behind him, moved along for a few minutes and said: Mu'adh b. Jabal: To which I replied: At your beck and call, and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah! He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you know what rights have servants upon Allah in case they do it (i. e. they worship Allah without associating anything with Him)? I (Mu'adh b. Jabal) replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. (Upon this) he (the Holy Prophet) remarked: That He would not torment them (with the fire of Hell). (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0046)

2. Sincerity in Intention
Hadith on saying “Laa Ilaha Illallahu” (There is no god but Allah) when one is dying

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (saw) as saying: Exhort to recite “There is no god but Allah,” to those of you who are dying. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1996)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (saw) as saying: Exhort to recite “There is no god but Allah.” to those of you who are dying. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1998)

3. Sincerity in Salah
Hadith: Jannah is necessary for one who does a good wudu and stands and offers two rak’ahs in any salah. All his (minor) sins will be forgiven.

Humran, the freed slave of 'Uthman, said: Uthman b. 'Affan called for ablution water and this is how he performed the ablution. He washed his hands thrice. He then rinsed his mouth and cleaned his nose with water (three times). He then washed his face three times, then washed his right arm up to the elbow three times, then washed his left arm like that, then wiped his head; then washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then washed his left foot like that, and then said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) perform ablution like this ablution of mine. Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who performs ablution like this ablution of mine and then stood up (for prayer) and offered two rak'ahs of prayer without allowing his thoughts to be distracted, all his previous sins are expiated. Ibn Shihab said: Our scholars remarked: This is the most complete of the ablutions performed for prayer. (Sahih Muslim, Book 002, Number 0436)

'Amr b Sa'id b al-As reported: I was, with Uthman that he called for ablution water and said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) say: When the time for a prescribed prayer comes, if any Muslim perform ablution well and offers his prayer) with humility and bowing, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this applies to for all times. (Sahih Muslim, Book 002, Number 0441)

Advice on doing wudu: Think of all the things (especially the wrong ones) that you did involving the body part you are washing (e.g. thinking of all the bad things you said while washing the mouth, etc)

Narrated Nu'am Al-Mujmir: Once I went up the roof of the mosque, along with Abu Huraira. He perform ablution and said, "I heard the Prophet saying, "On the Day of Resurrection, my followers will be called "Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun" from the trace of ablution and whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so (i.e. by performing ablution regularly).' "(Sahih Bukahri, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 138)

4. Sincerity in Prostration
Hadith on the excellence of sujud (prostration) for Allah’s (swt) sake

Ma'dan b. Talha reported: I met Thauban, the freed slave of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and asked him to tell me about an act for which, if I do it, Allah will admit me to Paradise, or I asked about the act which was loved most by Allah. He gave no reply. I again asked and he gave no reply. I asked him for the third time, and he said: I asked Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) about that and he said: Make frequent prostrations before Allah, for you will not make one prostration without raising you a degree because of it, and removing a sin from you, because of it. Ma'dan said that then lie met Abu al-Darda' and when he asked him, he received a reply similar to that given by Thauban. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0989)

Rabi'a b. Ka'b said: I was with Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) one night and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Or anything else besides it. I said: That is all (what I require). He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0990)

5. Sincerity in Worshipping During Ramadan

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: He who observed prayer at night during Ramadan, because of faith and seeking his reward from Allah, his previous sins would be forgiven. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1662)

6. Sincerity in Worshipping During the Night of Power (Lailat-ul- Qadr)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: He who observed the fasts of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven, and he who observed prayer on Lailat-ul-Qadr with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1664)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) as saying: He who prayed on the Lailat-ul-Qadr (the Majestic Night) knowing that it is (the same night). I (believe) that he (the Holy Prophet also) said: (He who does) it with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), his sins would be forgiven. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1665)

7. Sincerity in the Love for the Mosque
Hadith: 7 given shade on Day of Judgment

Abu Huraira reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying):" I fear Allah" ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given: and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears. (Sahih Muslim, Book 005, Number 2248)

8. Sincerity in the Leaving of the House for the Mosque
Hadith on the rewards of going to the mosque for prayers

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A man's prayer in congregation is more valuable than twenty degrees and some above them as compared with his prayer in his house and his market, for when he performs ablution doing it well, then goes out to the mosque, and he is impelled (to do so) only by (the love of congregational) prayer, he has no other objective before him but prayer. He does not take a step without being raised a degree for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque, and when he is busy in prayer after having entered the mosque. The angels continue to invoke blessing on him as long as he is in his place of worship saying: O Allah, show him mercy, and pardon him! Accept his repentance (and the angels continue this supplication for him) so long as he does not do any harm in it, or as long as his ablution is not broken. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1394)

9. Sincerity in Waiting in the Mosque

Hadith: Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep. In the narration of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" (He waits) till he prays along with the Imam in congregation." (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1401)

10. Sincerity in Repeating what the Muadhin says
Hadith on the merits of repeating what the Muadhin says.

'Umar b. al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu'adhdhin says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and one of you should make this response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; (and when the Mu'adhdhin) says: I testify that there is no god but Allah, one should respond: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and when he says: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, one should make a response: I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to prayer, one should make a response: There is no might and no power except with Allah. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to salvation, one should respond: There is no might and no power except with Allah, and when he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, then make a response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: There is no god but Allah, and he who makes a response from the heart: There is no god but Allah, he will enter Paradise. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0748)

'Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When you hear the Mu'adhdhin, repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah; then beg from Allah al-Wasila for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah's servants, and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasila, he will be assured of my intercession. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 0747)

11. Sincerity in Fasting
Hadith on the merits of fasting

Abu Sa'id al Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years' distance. (Sahih Muslim, Book 006, Number 2570)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah He would remove his face from the Hell to the extent of seventy years' distance. (Sahih Muslim, Book 006, Number 2572)

12. Sincerity in Giving Zakah

Hadith: It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that a bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, direct me to a deed by which I may be entitled to enter Paradise. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) remarked: You worship Allah and never associate anything with Him, establish the obligatory prayer, and pay the Zakat which is incumbent upon you, and observe the fast of Ramadan. He (the Bedouin) said: By Him in Whose hand is my life, I will never add anything to it, nor will I diminish anything from it. When he (the bedouin) turned his back, the Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: He who is pleased to see a man from the dwellers of Paradise should catch a glimpse of him. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0014)

Hadith: It is reported on the authority of Talha b. 'Ubaidullah that a person with disheveled hair, one of the people of Nejd, came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). We heard the humming of his voice but could not fully discern what he had been saying, till he came nigh to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). It was then (disclosed to us) that he was asking questions pertaining to Islam. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Five prayers during the day and the night. (Upon this he said: Am I obliged to say any other (prayer) besides these? He (the Holy Prophet,) said: No, but whatever you observe voluntarily, out of your own free will, and the fasts of Ramadan. The inquirer said: Am I obliged to do anything else besides this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, but whatever you do out of your own free will. And the Messenger of Allah told him about the Zakat (poor-rate). The inquirer said: Am I obliged to pay anything else besides this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, but whatever you pay voluntarily out of your own free will. The man turned back and was saying: I would neither make any addition to this, nor will decrease anything out of it. The Prophet remarked: He is successful, if he is true to what he affirms. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0007)

S02 -WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR A DEED TO BE ACCEPTABLE

2007-04-01T20:16:00.000+05:00

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Reference: How to Achieve Sincerity by Hussain Al-Awayasha

Different people from all walks of life have the same goal, i.e. achieving happiness.
People often search for happiness in this dunya (world) forgetting the ahira (Hereafter).
Short term goals (happiness in this life e.g. material gains) vs. Long term losses (unprepared ness for the Hereafter, losses in the Hereafter)
Cure to achieve happiness: Performing good deeds for Allah (swt) with ikhlas (sincerity)
Remember that the dunya is a test to determine our place in the Hereafter (either Paradise or Hell)

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR A DEED TO BE ACCEPTABLE

There are 2 Prerequisites

1. The person doing the deed should intend Allah’s (swt) pleasure

2. The deed itself should be in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah

For example:

The Sunnah for drinking something is to sit down, use the right hand to hold the glass or cup and drink in small sips. For it to be acceptable, the drink itself must be halal (e.g. drinking wine vs. drinking water). The act of drinking wine will not be acceptable even if done in accordance with the Sunnah because wine itself is haram (prohibited).

For a deed to be acceptable, the deed itself should be halal

THE COMMAND TO BE SINCERE AND THE WARNING AGAINST SHIRK (SHOWING OFF AND ASSOCIATING PARTNERS WITH ALLAH (SWT)):

The Prophet (saw) said, “Actions are governed by intentions. Everyman receives (rewards) according to his intentions.”

Hadith: About the 3 people of Hellfire

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:

“The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Qur’an. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Qur’an for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Qur’an that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.” (Hadith Qudsi 6)

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

Notes:
Actions can not exist without intentions
Intentions are only known by Allah.

A WARNING AGAINST THE SATAN AND HIS PLOYS

The Qur’an and Sunnah offer a good cure for a very bad disease

Surah 35 Faatir (The Originator of Creation)

6. Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

268. Shaitan (Satan) threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins etc.); whereas Allah promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.

Notes: A poor man wouldn’t know he was poor unless he sees a rich man.

Surah 12 Yusuf (The Prophet Joseph)

5. He (the father) said: "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Shaitan (Satan) is to man an open enemy!

Surah 24 An-Noor (The Light)

21. O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan), then, verily he commands Al-Fahsha' [i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)], and Al-Munkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islam, etc.)]. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Surah 27 An-Naml (The Ant)

24. “I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Shaitan (Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from (Allah's) Way, so they have no guidance,”

Surah 18 Al-Kahf (The Cave)

50. And (remember) when We said to the angels; "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinns; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc).

Everyone has a companion from the jinns

Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
There is none amongst you with whom is not an attaché from amongst the jinn (devil). They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, with you too? Thereupon he said: Yes, but Allah helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand and he does not command me but for good. (Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6757)

Shaytan causing fitnah (trials)

Jabir reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying:
“The throne of Iblis is upon the ocean and he sends detachments (to different parts) in order to put people to trial and the most important figure in his eyes is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension.” (Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6754)

Jabir reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
“Iblis places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating dissension); the nearer to him in tank are those who are most notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: I did so and so. And he says: You have done nothing. Then one amongst them comes and says: I did not spare so and so until I sowed the seed of discord between a husband and a wife. The Satan goes near him and says: 'You have done well. A'mash said: He then embraces him.” (Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6755)

Jabir reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upqn him) said:
“The Satan sends detachments of his own in order to put people to trial and the highest in rank, in his eyes, is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension.” (Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6756)

Doing things opposite to that of the devils (e.g. taking naps, use of right hand, etc)

Picking up dropped food so as not to nourish the enemy (shaytan)

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

“When a morsel of any of you falls, he should pick it up and remove any of the dirt on it and then eat it, and should not leave it for Satan nor should wipe his hand with towel until he has licked his fingers, for he does not know in what portion of the food the blessing lies.'”[Muslim]

A person should always seek refuge in Allah (swt) because Shaytan is always trying to bring man to commit evil deeds or avoid doing good deeds.

Surah 41 Fussilat
36. And if an evil whisper from Shaitan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad (saw)) (from doing good, etc.), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as stating that Allah the Most High and Exalted said:
“I am the One, One Who does not stand in need of a partner. If anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah.” (Sahih Muslim Book 042, Number 7114)

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) said: I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me. It was related by Muslim (also by Ibn Majah) (Hadith Qudsi 5)

How to seek refuge in Allah:
Please see Fortress of the Believer for more details

Saying A’uthu billahi minash shaitaanir rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast)

Recitation of the two Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas, as they have wondrous effect in seeking refuge with Allah from his evil, weakening Shaytan and protection from him. This is why the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “No person seeks refuge with anything like the Mu`awwidhatayn (soorahs al-Falaq and an-Nas)”. [an-Nasaa’i, 5337]

Recitation of Ayat al-Kursi (2:255).
Whoever says this when he rises in the morning will be protected from jinns until he retires in the evening, and whoever says it when retiring in the evening will be protected from them until he rises in the morning. (al-Hakim 1/562, Nasa’i and At-Tabarani)
Whoever reads this when he lies down to sleep will have a guardian from Allah remain with him and Satan will not be able to come near him until he rises in the morning. (Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-asqalani, Fath Al-Bari 4/487)

Recitation of Surah Al-Baqarah. The Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, “The house in which al-Baqarah is recited is not approached by Shaytan.” [Muslim]

The final part of al-Baqarah. The Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, “Whoever recites the two last verses of al-Baqarah at night they will suffice him.” [Muslim]

STORIES OF SINCERITY

Note: Seeking Allah’s (swt) assistance through sincerity.
Please see Appendix for details

Yusuf (Prophet Joseph) (as) and his sincere deeds
Qur’an Surah 12 Yusuf (The Prophet Yusuf)

The boy who believed

Ibrahim (Prophet Ibrahim) (as) and his wife near the House of Allah

The three people in the cave

Sincerity entails doing good deeds with a sense of fear of punishment.

THREE PREREQUISITES FOR ISTIGFAR TO BE ACCEPTED BY ALLAH

1. You have to stop the sin itself
2. You have to promise not to do it again
3. Whenever you remember that sin, you have to hate it/despise it.

References:Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with Comments from Sahih Al
Bukhari Summarized in One Volume by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. (Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. 23rd Revised Edition: August 1998. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com/
Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic_English. Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. First edition 1996. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com/
Fortress of the Muslim. Researched and Compiled by Sa’id bin Wahf Al-Qahtani. Translation Revised by ‘Aqeel Walker. September 2000. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com/
http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.html
http://www.islamawareness.net/Prophets/

S01- What is Sincerity?

2007-04-01T20:10:00.000+05:00

Sincerity-01

SINCERITY

DEFINITION

Sincerity is the freeing of one’s intentions from all impurities in order to come nearer to Allah (swt)
Sincerity is a condition for Allah’s acceptance of good deeds performed in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw)

Notes
Doing all deeds purely for the sake of Allah (swt)
Sincerity goes hand in hand with truthfulness
For good deeds to be accepted it must be done with sincerity and in accordance with the Sunnah.

Evidences

Surah 98 Al-Baiyinah (The Clear Evidence)

5. And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.

Abu Umama has related that a man once came to the Prophet (saw) said, “What of a man who has joined in the fighting, his intention being for fame and booty?” The Prophet (saw) said, “He receives nothing.” The man repeated the question three times and each time the Prophet (saw) said, “He receives nothing.” Then he (saw) said, “Allah accepts actions that are intended purely for His pleasure.” (Sahih, an-Nisa’I, Kitab al-Jihad, 6/25)

A servant can free himself from Shaytan through sincere devotion, for Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an that Iblis said to Him:

Surah 38 Sa’ad (The Letter Sa’ad)

82. (Iblis) said: "Then, by Thy power, I will put them all in the wrong,-
83. "Except Thy Servants amongst them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."

Note: Sincerity is a weapon against Shaytan because a sincere person always reminds himself that his actions are for the sake of Allah (swt)

There are many great many actions where a man acts, thinking they are purely intended for Allah’s pleasure, but he is deluded, for he fails to see the defects in them.

It has been related that a man used to praying in the first row of the mosque. One day he was late for the prayer, so he prayed in the second row. Feeling embarrassed when the people saw him in the second row, he realized that the pleasure and satisfaction of the heart he used to gain from praying in the first row were due to his seeing people seeing him there and admiring him for it.

Note: Self admiration is the first action that removes sincerity. Therefore, remind yourself all the time of your intentions.

Hadith: On the three men who did things for the sake of showing off…on the Day of Resurrection Allah (swt) will expose their intentions .
Hadith Qudsi 6

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Qur’an. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Qur’an for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Qur’an that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.
It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

This is a subtle condition and actions are rarely safe from it. Apart from those whom Allah has assisted, few are aware of such delicate matters.

Those who do not realize it only come to see their good deeds appearing as bad ones on the Day of Resurrection; they are the ones referred to in Allah’s words:

Surah 39 Az-Zumar (The Groups)

47. Even if the wrong-doers had all that there is on earth, and as much more, (in vain) would they offer it for ransom from the pain of the Penalty on the Day of Judgment: but something will confront them from Allah, which they could never have counted upon!

48. For the evils of their Deeds will confront them, and they will be (completely) encircled by that which they used to mock at!

Note: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah (swt) will show a person his deeds/actions and his intentions for doing such deeds/actions.

A man of wisdom said: “A devout person is someone who conceals things that are good; in the same way he conceals things that are bad.”

This means that one’s deeds should be purified from any self-admiration.

Al-Fudayl said: “Forsaking action for the sake of other people is to seek their admiration. To act for the sake of their admiration is to associate others with Allah. Devotion is when Allah frees you from both of these states.”

THE NATURE OF INTENTION

DEFINITION
The intention of a person is not his utterance of the words, “I intend to do so and so.” It is an overflowing of the heart. At times it is made easy, at other times difficult.

Notes:
Intentions – are not the utterance words but should come from the heart
Sincerity - renewing intentions before actions (e.g. making dua’a before fasting, co-habiting, etc), some actions are more difficult to do with sincerity than others (e.g. nawfl or supererogatory fast)
Remember that on the Day of Judgment every action is judged by it’s intention

Evidence

The Prophet (saw) said, “Actions are only by intentions, and every man shall only have what he intended. Thus he whose hijra was for Allah and His messenger, his hijra was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose hijra was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his hijra was for that for which he made hijra.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Imam ash-Shafi said: “This hadith is a third of all knowledge.” The words, “actions are only by intention,” means that deeds which are performed in accordance with the Sunnah are acceptable and rewarded if only the intentions behind them are sincere.

The fundamental principle should be that the act is intended for the worship of Allah alone. If our intention is to show off, then these acts of worship will in fact become acts of disobedience.

As for the permissible deeds, they all involve intentions which can potentially turn them into excellent acts which bring a man nearer to Allah (swt)

e.g. changing diapers - intention only to clean the child vs. intention that cleanliness is half of eeman

Hadith: Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill upwhat is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves. (Sahih Muslim Book 002 The Book of Purification Kitab Al-Taharah, Number 0432)

e.g. jogging – intention only to lose weight vs. intention to gain strength so that you can pray longer

Note: A person can have more intentions for a single action (e.g. jogging for strengthening the body, to complete the adhkar, etc)

THE EXCELLENCE OF INTENTION

Evidence

Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) said, “The best acts are doing what Allah has commanded, staying away from what Allah has forbidden and having sincere intentions towards whatever Allah has required of us.” (Tahdhib al’Asma’ li-Nawawi, 1/173)

Some of our predecessors said: “Many small actions are made great by the intentions behind them. Many great actions on the other hand, are made small because the intentions behind them are lacking.”

e.g. giving sadakah – becomes a bigger action if you give even if you don’t have much to spare.

Hadith on charity:
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): A man came to the Prophet (saw) and asked, “O Allah’s Messenger which charity is the most superior in reward?” He replied, “The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say, ‘Give so much to such and such, and so much to such and such.’ (And it has already belonged to such and such (his heirs)) (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn Umar once heard a man who was putting on his ihram say: “O Allah! I intend to do the Hajj and Umrah.” So he said to him: “Why are you informing the people of your intention? Does not Allah already know what is in your heart?” (Sahih, Ja’mi’l-Ulum wa’l-Hikam, p.19)

It is because good intentions are exclusively the concern of the heart, that they should not be voice during worship.

POS10-SINCERITY

2007-04-01T19:56:00.000+05:00

POS-10

SINCERITY

DEFINITION

Sincerity is the freeing of one’s intentions from all impurities in order to come nearer to Allah (swt)
Sincerity is a condition for Allah’s acceptance of good deeds performed in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw)

Notes
Doing all deeds purely for the sake of Allah (swt)
Sincerity goes hand in hand with truthfulness
For good deeds to be accepted it must be done with sincerity and in accordance with the Sunnah.

Evidences

Surah 98 Al-Baiyinah (The Clear Evidence)

5. And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.

Abu Umama has related that a man once came to the Prophet (saw) said, “What of a man who has joined in the fighting, his intention being for fame and booty?” The Prophet (saw) said, “He receives nothing.” The man repeated the question three times and each time the Prophet (saw) said, “He receives nothing.” Then he (saw) said, “Allah accepts actions that are intended purely for His pleasure.” (Sahih, an-Nisa’I, Kitab al-Jihad, 6/25)

A servant can free himself from Shaytan through sincere devotion, for Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an that Iblis said to Him:

Surah 38 Sa’ad (The Letter Sa’ad)

82. (Iblis) said: "Then, by Thy power, I will put them all in the wrong,-
83. "Except Thy Servants amongst them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."

Note: Sincerity is a weapon against Shaytan because a sincere person always reminds himself that his actions are for the sake of Allah (swt)

There are many great many actions where a man acts, thinking they are purely intended for Allah’s pleasure, but he is deluded, for he fails to see the defects in them.

It has been related that a man used to praying in the first row of the mosque. One day he was late for the prayer, so he prayed in the second row. Feeling embarrassed when the people saw him in the second row, he realized that the pleasure and satisfaction of the heart he used to gain from praying in the first row were due to his seeing people seeing him there and admiring him for it.

Note: Self admiration is the first action that removes sincerity. Therefore, remind yourself all the time of your intentions.

Hadith: On the three men who did things for the sake of showing off…on the Day of Resurrection Allah (swt) will expose their intentions

Hadith Qudsi 6
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Qur’an. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Qur’an for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Qur’an that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.
It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

This is a subtle condition and actions are rarely safe from it. Apart from those whom Allah has assisted, few are aware of such delicate matters.

Those who do not realize it only come to see their good deeds appearing as bad ones on the Day of Resurrection; they are the ones referred to in Allah’s words:

Surah 39 Az-Zumar (The Groups)

47. Even if the wrong-doers had all that there is on earth, and as much more, (in vain) would they offer it for ransom from the pain of the Penalty on the Day of Judgment: but something will confront them from Allah, which they could never have counted upon!
48. For the evils of their Deeds will confront them, and they will be (completely) encircled by that which they used to mock at!

Note: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah (swt) will show a person his deeds/actions and his intentions for doing such deeds/actions.

A man of wisdom said: “A devout person is someone who conceals things that are good; in the same way he conceals things that are bad.”

This means that one’s deeds should be purified from any self-admiration.

Al-Fudayl said: “Forsaking action for the sake of other people is to seek their admiration. To act for the sake of their admiration is to associate others with Allah. Devotion is when Allah frees you from both of these states.”

THE NATURE OF INTENTION

DEFINITION
The intention of a person is not his utterance of the words, “I intend to do so and so.” It is an overflowing of the heart. At times it is made easy, at other times difficult.

Notes:
Intentions – are not the utterance words but should come from the heart
Sincerity - renewing intentions before actions (e.g. making dua’a before fasting, co-habiting, etc), some actions are more difficult to do with sincerity than others (e.g. nawfl or supererogatory fast)
Remember that on the Day of Judgment every action is judged by it’s intention

Evidence

The Prophet (saw) said, “Actions are only by intentions, and every man shall only have what he intended. Thus he whose hijra was for Allah and His messenger, his hijra was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose hijra was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his hijra was for that for which he made hijra.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Imam ash-Shafi said: “This hadith is a third of all knowledge.” The words, “actions are only by intention,” means that deeds which are performed in accordance with the Sunnah are acceptable and rewarded if only the intentions behind them are sincere.

The fundamental principle should be that the act is intended for the worship of Allah alone. If our intention is to show off, then these acts of worship will in fact become acts of disobedience.

As for the permissible deeds, they all involve intentions which can potentially turn them into excellent acts which bring a man nearer to Allah (swt)

e.g. changing diapers - intention only to clean the child vs. intention that cleanliness is half of eeman

Hadith: Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill upwhat is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves. (Sahih Muslim Book 002 The Book of Purification Kitab Al-Taharah, Number 0432)

e.g. jogging – intention only to lose weight vs. intention to gain strength so that you can pray longer

Note: A person can have more intentions for a single action (e.g. jogging for strengthening the body, to complete the adhkar, etc)

THE EXCELLENCE OF INTENTION

Evidence

Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) said, “The best acts are doing what Allah has commanded, staying away from what Allah has forbidden and having sincere intentions towards whatever Allah has required of us.” (Tahdhib al’Asma’ li-Nawawi, 1/173)

Some of our predecessors said: “Many small actions are made great by the intentions behind them. Many great actions on the other hand, are made small because the intentions behind them are lacking.”

e.g. giving sadakah – becomes a bigger action if you give even if you don’t have much to spare.

Hadith on charity:

Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): A man came to the Prophet (saw) and asked, “O Allah’s Messenger which charity is the most superior in reward?” He replied, “The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say, ‘Give so much to such and such, and so much to such and such.’ (And it has already belonged to such and such (his heirs)) (Al-Bukhari)

Ibn Umar once heard a man who was putting on his ihram say: “O Allah! I intend to do the Hajj and Umrah.” So he said to him: “Why are you informing the people of your intention? Does not Allah already know what is in your heart?” (Sahih, Ja’mi’l-Ulum wa’l-Hikam, p.19)

It is because good intentions are exclusively the concern of the heart, that they should not be voice during worship.

CD7-Glad Tidings of the Coming of Rasul Allah (saw)

2007-03-29T14:04:00.000+05:00

CD 7
BY: Imam Anwar Awlaki

Some of the Glad Tidings of the Coming of Rasul Allah (saw)”, before his prophethood

Ibn Ishaq said: Salamah bin Salam bin Waqsh relates: “We had a Jewish neighbor from Banu Ábd Al-Ash hal and he came out from his house one day to us. At that time I was the youngest of my household. I was wearing a fur gown and was lying in it in the courtyard at my family’s house. The Jew talked about the resurrection, the Day of Judgement, the Reckoning, the Scales, Paradise and Hellfire. This he told to polytheists who did not believe in any life after death. They replied: ‘Come on now, do you really think people can be sent after their death to someplace where there is a Paradise and a Hell where they will be punished for their deeds?’ ‘Yes, indeed’, he replied ‘and by Him by Whom oaths are sworn, anyone going into that Fire would prefer to be burnt in the hottest oven in the house and having it covered it and he being let out of it only next day.’ They said: ‘But what proof is there?’ He said: ‘A prophet is being sent from the hereabouts in these lands.’ And he gestured over towards Makkah and Yemen. ‘When will we see him?’ He looked over me, me being the youngest at that time, and said ‘If this lad lives a normal life span, he will live to this time.’ Salamah said: “A day and night scarcely came to pass thereafter and sent the Messenger of Allah who lived amongst us and so we believed in him.” However, this man didn’t believe in the Prophet (saw) when he was sent even though he knew of the prophecy in their scriptures out of envy.

In the Present-Day Bible –
Deutronomy 18:18 “I (God) will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, Moses, and will put My words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” This prophecy fits Muhammad (saw) perfectly and no one else.

Musa (as)
Muhammad (saw)
Ísa (as)
1. They both had parents
Only had a mother

2. They both had children
Never had any

3. Both were born in a natural way
Miraculous way

4. Accepted by their nations
Rejected by his nation

5. They were kings or rulers (they can implement death penalty)
He wasn’t a ruler

6. Both came with a new law (Torah and Qurán)
He followed the law of Musa

7. Both led them in Hijrah (mass exodus)
Never left his land

8. Both were victorious against their enemies
Never won (in the worldly sense)

9. They both died a natural death
He was killed (Christians), We believe that he was elevated

10. Buried in the ground
Never buried

11. No claim to divinity
They believe that Jeses was divine

12. Became prophets at the age of 40
30 yrs. Old

13. No claim to be resurrected after death
Christians claim he was resurrected after death

It could not have been a Jew because it is stated in Deutronomy 34:10 “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses.” The prophecy states “a prophet from among their brethren” so this excludes the Jews (from the progeny of Ishaq), and points to the Arabs (from the progeny of Ismail).

“and will put My words in his mouth” This prophet will be speaking not of out of his own will, but the words will be from Allah. “(Muhammad) is not speaking on his own”(An-Najm). All of the Qurán are the words of Allah revealed to the Prophet (saw). The Bible is different for they claim that it was inspired by God but written by men. Dr. Grams Grojy (author of “Human yet Divine”) “Yes, the Bible is human…those books have been passed through the minds of men, are written in the language of men, were penned by the hands of men, and bare in their style, the characteristics of men.” The Qurán is different, it is by Allah and Muhammad (saw) was the one only speaking it. It is the words of Allah put in his mouth.

“and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” He will not withhold any information. It is stated in the Qurán: “O Prophet of Allah convey everything that you have received and if you don’t do so then you have not conveyed the message.” Even when it was verses criticizing an action of his (Surah Abasa, at-Tahreem).

Isaiah 29:11-18 “And the Book is delivered to him who is not learned, saying ‘Read this!’ and he says: ‘I am not learned.’ Before the time of this man who will receive this Book, the people will be forsaking the words of God for the precept of man. ”

These were the exact same words that occurred between Jibril (as) and Rasul Allah (saw) during his first revelation. The first verses revealed of the Qur’an were: “Read in the name of your Lord who created man from clot. Read and your Lord is the most Bountiful who teaches man by the pen, who teaches man that which he knew not.”(Surah Alaq) The word ‘read’ in original Hebrew is ‘Qara’, exactly like Arabic.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and Saint Paul came and told them otherwise, such as circumcision by Jesus but Paul says not to, Jesus said to fulfill the law letter-by-letter, word by word, but Paul says you don’t have to. They left the law of God and followed the law of man.

Habakuk:3 “God his guidance came from Timan and the Holy One from Mount Taran, His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise.”

Timan/Tayma’ is an oasis just north of Madinah, Taran refers to Makkah, where Hajar and Ismail were left by Ibrahim. Islam spread from Madinah, after Rasul Allah (saw) left from Makkah due to persecution. So guidance from Allah came from from Madinah but the Holy One (Rasul Allah) was from Makkah. Muhammad means ‘the most praised’ and unto this day, the world is full of his praise. This prophecy fits the Prophet Muhammad exclusively and no one else.

Deutronomy 18: 21-22 “And if thine say in your heart ’how shall we knowthe word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing that the Lord has not spoken but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Thou shall not be afraid of him.”

Everything that a prophet says will come to happen. Qur’an, the words of Allah given to the Prophet (saw), contains miracles that we discover everyday. There might have been scientific verses in books the preceded Qur’an but there are mistakes since man writes them. In Qur’an there are no contradictions nor mistakes, it contains both future events and no errors. For it to be from God, everything has to be true, and this applies only to the Holy Qur’an. Proof: Challenge of the Qur’an.

Isaiah 21:7 “And he saw a vision, he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses and a chariot of camels.”
Christians believe that “a chariot of asses’ refer to Isa (as) because he was known to have ridden on donkeys. And so ‘a chariot of camels’ can only refer to Rasul Allah (saw) for he was known to have ridden camels. This was a prophecy that mentions both Prophets Isa and Muhammad (saw).

Isaiah 29:9 “And behold! Here cometh a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen and he answered and said: ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen!’ and all the graven images of her gods he has broken unto the ground.’
Babylon is in present-day Iraq, the prophecy is saying that this army will destroy all of the false gods of Babylon and erase all the images therein. This army refers to the army sent by ‘Umar bin al-Khattab to Iraq and they had succeeded in opening Iraq and eliminating all the idolatry therein.

Isaiah 21:14-15 “The inhabitants of the land of Timan/Tayma’, brought water to him that was thirsty. They prevented with their bread him that fled for they fled from the drawn sword and from the bent bow and from the grievousness of the war.”
Muhammad (saw) made hijrah and the Ansar supported him with bread.

Isaiah 21:16-17 “For thus the Lord said unto me, within a year according to the years of a higher land, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail. And the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished for Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”
Kedar – These are the names of the sons of Ismail by their names according to their generations, refers to the Arabs and the people of Quraish are descendants of Kedar (pronounced Qeedar in Arabic).
This prophecy refers to the year that happened one year after Hijrah – Battle of Badr (2 AH).
All of the leaders of Quraish were killed, who were the most brutal were eliminated (Abu Jahl, Omaiyyah bin Khalaf, ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ayt, and others)

Isaiah 11:1-2 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
Jesse – refers to Ismail, contraction of his name.
This cannot fit on anyone except Rasul Allah because he was the most prominent descendant of Ismail (as).

Deutronomy 33:1 “And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Sear unto them, he shined forth from Mount Taran and he came with 10,000 of saints from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”
Sinaa’ (Sinai) was where the message of Musa (as) came from, thus referring to himself. Sa’eer (Sear) stands for Isa (as) since it refers to a series of mountains in Palestine. Mount Taran (Makkah) refers to Rasul Allah (saw).
In this prophecy Musa (as) talks about his message, and how Isa will carry it further but then it will rise from Makkah, the fulfillment of the message.
10,000 saints refer to the Companions when they liberated Makkah.
The right hand stands for truth, justice, and strength.

John 16:7-14 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for me to go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart I will send him unto you. And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement. Of sin, because they believe not of me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more. Of Judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you to all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that he shall speak and he will show you things to come and he shall glorify me for he shall receive from mine and he shall show it to you.”
Refers to Rasul Allah (saw).

CD6-Time Preceding the Prophethood of Rasul Allah (saw)

2007-03-29T13:58:00.000+05:00

CD6
By: Imam Anwar Awlaki

Time preceding the Prophethood of Rasul Allah (saw)

It was a time of darkness, however, there were some glimpses of light here and there. Humanity was in dire need of guidance. But there were some individuals who had a sense of right and wrong and their hearts directed them to the truths.

Zayd bin ‘Amr bin Nufayl – went out in search of truth and out of Makkah, he was from Quraish. So he went to the Jews and inquired about their religion, but decided not to follow it. He did the same to the Christians, and he also decided not to follow it. At the end, he came to learn about the way of Ibrahim (as), al-Hanifiyyah, worshipping Allah alone. He became a Hanifi, a follower of Ibrahim (as). He was a lone voice in the sea of darkness in Makkah. Asma’ bint Abi Bakr said that she saw Zayd leaning against the Ka’bah speaking to the people of Quraish that none of you is following the way of Ibrahim except myself. People at that time were claiming they were the inheritors of Ibrahim, but Zayd would tell them this. He would also say: “O God! If I only knew the way most favored by You, I would worship You by it.” He would not participate in the killing of girls that existed in Makkah, he would even go to the father who plans to kill his daughter and tell him to give him his daughter and that he would take care of her. He refused to eat the meat slaughtered in Makkah. He died prior to the prophethood of Rasul Allah. His son, Sa’eed (one of the ten who were given the glad tidings of Paradise), inquired about his father. Rasul Allah (saw) told him that “your father will come on the day of Judgement as a nation alone.” It is an honor for him to stand as a nation alone and Allah will grant him Jannah because he knew the truth and worshipped Allah the best he could.

Waraqah bin Nawfal – the cousin of Khadija (ra), he was a Christian, a lettered man and used to copy the scriptures of the Christians and studied from them. He was a believer in one God, and there were still some Christians who believe in Tawheed and would not attribute divinity to ‘Isa (as). He was one of them, and he was the one Khadija consulted when he first received the revelation. Immediately after that Waraqah passed away, and people wondered his fate. They said he would be in Hellfire but Rasul Allah (saw) said: “I have seen him in a dream and he was wearing white clothes. If he was a man in Hellfire, he wouldn’t be wearing white clothes.” Later on Rasul Allah (saw) saw another dream and saw that Waraqah had two gardens in Paradise. So he was in Jannah for he had the right belief.

Salman Al-Farisi – Ibn Abbas (ra) went to Salman Al-Farisi in his old age and requested Salman to tell his story. He said: “I was a Persian man from Isfahan (Iran), from a village called Jih. My father was the head man of the village and I was striving and taking pains in the religion of Magian (belief in good and evil and worship fire). He grew in the religion until he became the keeper of the fire, lighting it and never letting it die. My father owned a large farm, one day he was busy constructing a building of his and wanted me to go out and take care of business in the farm. My father loved me so much he closeted me in his house and would never let me leave. But he told me ‘O my son, you know how dear you are to me if you are late I would be so concerned about you and you are more important to me than my farm or my building. So please come early.’ I was kept in his house like a slave-girl, not letting me go anywhere. I passed by a church and I heard them pray, and I went in to investigate. I never knew much about people since I wasn’t allowed to leave home. So this was something new to me and that I came to realize there was a new religion. I was quite impressed by their method of praying and I ended up staying with them until sunset and I ended up neglecting my father’s work. He became so worried about me that he sent people to search for me. I came back late and my father said ‘O my son, didn’t I tell you not to be late, what happened?’ He related the events and told his father that their religion is better than Magian. His father got even more worried that his son would change his religion that he chained him in the house and imprisoned him. While in shackles, he was able to send a message to the church telling them to inform him if there was a caravan going to ash-sham.

He went with this caravan all the way to the Holy Land in search of the truth. He arrived in Syria and asked about the most learned man of Christianity. He went to the Bishop and told him he wanted to study with him. Salman said that this man used to ask the people to donate and keep it to himself. He was an evil man and he hated him so much but he stayed with him. When the bishop died, the Christians wanted to have a burial for him but Salman exposed his evil deeds and led them to where he used to keep the money he wrongfully took. This angered the people and they ended up crucifying him instead. They appointed someone in his place, and he said about this man “I have never seen a man who attended to the five daily prayers such as this man, nor more ascetic, nor more devoted to worship day and night. I loved him as I had never loved before.” Salman ended up studying under this man, worshipping, in the church but death was approaching this man. Salman went to him at his death bed, asking where he could seek knowledge next but the bishop told him he didn’t know anyone on the same path as he is now except for one man in Mosul. So Salman traveled from Ash-Sham to Mosul in Iraq in search of knowledge. When he went to this man, he was accepted to be his student. But he was also an old man, approaching death, so Salman asked him for a recommendation again. He told him to go to the bishop in Nasibi.

He traveled there and spent time with the bishop of Nasibi. After he died, Salman traveled to Turkey and started a business and accumulated enough to buy sheep and goat. When he was dying he told Salman that the time has come for a prophet to be sent with Ibrahim’s religion who will come forth in the land of the Arabs. He will move to refuge to somewhere with date palms growing between two scorched rocky plains. He will have signs that are unmistakable. He will eat things given to him as gifts but not alms, and between his shoulders there is a seal of prophethood. If you can go there, do so.

So he looked for someone to transport him and found a caravan going there and told them that he would give them all his money and possessions if they would just bring him with them. They agreed and carried him and when they reached a place called Wadi-al-Qura, they betrayed him and sold him as a slave to a Jewish man. He was purchased by a relative of his master who live in Madinah. He relates: “I was taken from Wadi-al-Qura to Bani Quraydah and as soon as we saw Madinah I knew this was the place. One day, I was working on top of a palm tree and my master was sitting and said that one of his cousins came to him while being angry, cursing the children of Qayla (name attributed to Al-Aws and Khazraj) they have assembled in Quba in support of a man who came from Makkah who claims to be a prophet.

When I heard that a chill came down my spine and I started to tremble and I almost fell from the palm tree and land on my master.” Now he has heard the news he has been waiting years for. He said: “I came down the tree and I went to the man and I asked him questions. My master grabbed me and punched me in the face and me told me that it was none of my business and to get back to work. Later on that evening, I prepared some food, and I traveled to Quba and went to visit Rasul Allah at night. I went in and I told him ‘I heard that you are a very good man and that you have companions who are strangers and needy. So I have brought you this food as charity and I think that you are the one who deserves it most.’ Rasul Allah (saw) received the food from me and then he told his companions to go ahead and eat but he didn’t join in with them.

(Sign #1) I went back and later on I prepared some food to bring to Rasul Allah (saw) and he was on his way back to Madinah. I went up to him and greeted him and told him ‘Last night I presented you with food and told you that it was charity, and you refused to eat from it. So I want to honor you with this gift.’ I handed the food to Rasul Allah (saw) and he invited the companions to come in and eat and he joined with them.

(Sign #2) And then I went to him and visited him when he was at Baqi’ (cemetery of Madinah) and he was following a Janaazah. I went up to him and greeted him and then I went around him to see the sign on his back. Rasul Allah (saw) sensed I was trying to look for something that was described for me. So he uncovered his back, throwing off the cloak that was covering his shoulders. And right there in front of my eyes was the seal of the prophethood.

(Sign #3) When I saw the seal of the prophethood on his back, I fell down and prostrated myself to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and I started kissing his feet and I was crying. Rasul Allah (saw) immediately told me to stand up and he told me to tell him my story. And Rasul Allah told me to narrate the same story to his companions. I narrated my story to them just like I am narrating it to you now, Ibn Abbas. Because I was a slave, I ended up missing the Battle of Badr and Uhud, and the Prophet (saw) told me one day ‘O Salman, free yourself from slavery.’ Slaves can ransom themselves from slavery by making a contract with their masters to fulfill a certain amount of obligation.

His master told him to plant 300 palm trees that must survive, and you pay me 40 ounces of gold. So I went back to Rasul Allah (saw) and told him that this is a huge amount for me to pay. And Rasul Allah (saw) told him ‘Don’t worry’ and he gathered the Sahaba and told them to help their brother. Some of them would bring seedlings of palm trees until I had 300 seedlings. Rasul Allah told me that when I have collected 300 seedlings I should dig the hole for them but not to plant them and to go to him and tell him first. When he did so, he informed the Prophet (saw) and the Prophet (saw) would carry the seedlings and would plant them one by one with his own blessed hands. None of those 300 palm trees died and they all grew and survived. Now he had to pay 40 ounces of gold, and later on a small amount of gold was given to Rasul Allah (saw) and asked for Salman. He therefore told him to take this gold and free himself from slavery.

When he saw the gold, it seemed insufficient but when he took it to his master it weighed 40 ounces exactly. And he said: “And then I was free and I never missed anything with Rasul Allah (saw) after that. The first battle he participated in was the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq) and he was the one who came up with the idea of digging the trench.

The first man Salman studied under was evil and corrupt, and these are characteristics that could have made him turn away from seeking knowledge. Nowadays, we say that our actions are a reason why people are turning away from Islam. It’s true to a certain extent but if someone is sincere in their search for the truth, the truth is one thing and people’s actions are another. Salman did not reject Christianity due to the character of this man, he stuck with him and remained and rewarded him later on, by letting him by the side of the best man he had ever known.

We learn two things from this:
Allah states in the Qur’an that the ones who searches for guidance, Allah will give it to them but you have to look for it. If you walk towards Allah, Allah will run towards you, if you take one step towards Allah, He will take many steps towards you, but you have to take that first step. Salman was searching for it and got it. We shouldn’t be let down when we see someone not doing the right thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with the message itself. There were remnants of true believers before Rasul Allah (saw) but they were dying and didn’t leave anyone behind them.

The Muslim community must be supportive of their own brothers as the Sahaba freed Salman. We should take care of the needs of the new reverts, for this is part of Da’wah, being responsible for the people who joined your ranks. The risk is that if they don’t get help during those critical periods, they could apostate. These reasons are:

Many of them are stripped from social belongings, neglected by their families, and rejected by their friends. They are in need of a social belonging and a new association.
Some of them come with dire financial needs and if they don’t get them, they get sidetracked and instead focus on fulfilling these needs than learning about Islam.

CD5-The Marriage to Khadija (ra) and Reasons of Marriages

2007-03-29T13:49:00.000+05:00

CD5
By:Imam Anwar Awlaki

The Marriage of Rasul Allah (saw) to Khadija (ra)

Khadija was a well-known and prosperous woman in Makkah, not married, and elder in age. She has a business of trading from Makkah to Ash-Sham. In Surah Al-Quraish, it documents their journey going from Makkah to Syria and coming back, one in the winter and the other in summer. Khadija hired men to work for her and take care of her business and she hired the Prophet Muhammad (saw) since she heard of his honesty. She had her servant, Maisarah, accompany the Prophet (saw) during his journey. When he went to Ash-Sham and back, Maisarah told Khadija that the Prophet’s trustworthiness and honesty is amazing, and she was praising Rasul Allah. Khadija became interested in him and thought his character was admirable, so she said that she wanted to marry Rasul Allah (saw) and he agreed.

He was 25, and she was 40, and he never married anyone else before Khadija passed away. All of the children of Rasul Allah were from Khadija (Fatima, Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, al-Qaasim, and Abdullah). Rasul Allah loved Khadija so much and his loyalty even after she passed away by always remembering her and always mentioning her and that sometimes would cause jealousy among the other wives. He had so much respect for her because Khadija was the one who stood up for him and supported him when everybody else betrayed him.

Aisha (ra) would sometimes feel jealousy and said: “I did not become jealous of any of the wives of Rasul Allah except Khadija. And I had not seen her. The Prophet (saw) used to slaughter a sheep and would send the meat to the friends of Khadija. And one day I angered him by replying out of jealousy, and Rasul Allah said ‘I have been given by Allah her love’. In another hadeeth, Aisha said: “The Messenger of Allah used to not leave his home without praising Khadija, one of the days he praised her and out of jealousy I said ‘was she not but an elder woman that Allah has replaced for you with what is better?’ He became angered and said ‘No, by Allah, He did not send me a replacement with someone better for she had faith in me when the people rejected, she believed me when the people belied me, she made comfortable with what she had when the people denied me, and Allah has blessed me with children from her.”

This also shows us an aspect of the character of Rasul Allah, about his loyalty to those whom he loved. Before Rasul Allah (saw) passed away, one of the things he did was go and visit the cemetery of his friends who died in the Battle of Uhud. There were 70 companions, and when he felt that he was about to leave this world, he went to the cemetery and made dua’ for them, and he mentions in that dua’ that soon they will meet. He missed them so much that he wanted to be close to them and to join them together in Jannah. He had a strong relationship with the Sahabah and Khadija who stood with him in moments of difficulty.

Khadija was a special person. Jibril descended to Rasul Allah (saw) and said: “Khadija is going to approach you now and she is carrying some food. When she arrives, tell her Allah is giving her salaam and tell her that I am giving her salaam.” And then Jibril said: “and give her the glad tidings of a palace in Paradise.” Khadija is one of the four greatest women that ever lived. Rasul Allah (saw) said that they are Maryam bint ‘Imran, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, and Asiyah bint Muzah. All of these women had something to do with a Nabi. Two were mothers of the prophets (Maryam was the mother of ‘Isa (as) and Asiyah brought up Musa (as), Khadija was the wife of Rasul Allah, and Fatimah was his daughter.

Refutations to the claims of the enemies of Islam to smear the reputation of Rasul Allah (saw)

1. Rasul Allah (saw) reached the age of 25 and he was known as chaste in an environment that was corrupt. Aisha (ra) relates that there are four relationships between men and women in Makkah at that time. One was marriage, or brothels that were legal in Makkah and they have flags to indicate, women would sleep with men up to 10 and she can call this men in and can pick any one for the father of her child, a man would allow his wife to sleep with a noble man so that they would have a noble lineage. He was able to stay away from all of these corruptions until he got married to someone older than him and a widow.

2. He could have chosen for himself any women from Makkah. But he chose Khadija and remained to be married until he was 50 years old (25 years together) and it is a clear indication that he was noble and honorable in his intentions.

3. Khadija passes away and he remains a bachelor for 2-3 years. Later on he marries another widow, Saudah (ra). Reason for him marrying her was that her husband died and she was in Abyssinia. Out of his care for his companions he married her to provide for her. In the last ten years of his life he married many women and left behind 9 wives when he passed away.

Reasons for his marriages:

1. To forge alliances – when we study the marriage life and look at his life comprehensively, he devoted all of his efforts for the promotion of Islam, even his decision of marriage. He married them to bring the tribes closer to Islam like his marriage to Juwairiyah which ended up making the whole tribe of Banu Mustalaq Muslims.

2. Caring for his Companions – like the example of Saudah (ra).

3. Rasul Allah wanted to strengthen his ties with his closest companions – he had a strong brotherly feeling towards them. The relationship he had with the Sahaba was so strong and they were together through hardship and ease. So he married the daughter of Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab. And he married his daughter to Uthman. When his daughter passed away, he gave his other daughter. And when she passed away, Rasul Allah (saw) said: “If I had 99 daughters, I would marry them to Uthman one after another.” He married his most beloved daughter, Fatima, to Ali bin Abi Talib.

4. Conveying the religion – we are to follow his Sunnah as a statesman, imam, teacher, military leader, and as a family man. Rasul Allah (saw) did not have many children, so the wives would be the ones who would be able to convey to us how he was with his family. If he had only one wife, it would be difficult for this wife to recall every aspect of the family life of Rasul Allah, and she could easily be discredit because she was only one source. His family life is one of the most important aspects of his Sunnah for it relates to every one of us. Therefore, he had multiple wives so that they could convey to us this body of knowledge of how the Prophet (saw) conducted himself in his private life. Therefore it was important for Rasul Allah to have multiple wives and why he was excluded from the limit of four or less due to his special circumstances as a protection of His religion.

The most targeted marriages of Rasul Allah (saw) were his marriages to Aisha (ra) and Zainab bint Jahsh (ra). Aisha because he married her at the age of 6 and consummated the marriage at the age of 9, while Zainab was the wife of his adopted son and then Rasul Allah (saw) married her later on.

It just so happens that these marriages are the only two marriages that are divinely instructed. His marriage to Zainab was instructed in the Qur’an in Surah Al-Ahzab. “When Zayd left her, We commanded you to marry her.” And the marriage to Aisha was divinely inspired through the dream he saw, as he says: “Jibril (as) came to me and I saw you (Aisha) covered behind a silk curtain, and when I would uncover you I saw you and Jibril told me ‘this is your wife in Dunyah and in Akhirah’.” And he saw this dream twice, and as we know all dreams of the prophets are revelations and true.

The marriage to Aisha was so important because one of the greatest blessings of Allah to us as Muslims is that Rasul Allah (saw) married her. It was one of the best things that happened to us. She had the mind of a scholar, very bright and intelligent, and had an inquisitive nature. Aisha says of herself: “The companions of Rasul Allah used to hear the hadeeth and immediately followed it, while I used to ask Rasul Allah questions about it.” Being the wife and most beloved had this informal relationship with Rasul Allah (saw) so she could afford to question him and ask him while the others wouldn’t dare do that. But Aisha being young and playful, Rasul Allah could say something and she could ask and could argue. She became one of the greatest scholars of Islam. She comes fourth in the list of the top narrators of ahadeeth.
1. Abu Hurayrah (5000+)
2. Abdullah Ibn Umar (2600)
3. Anas bin Malik
4. Aisha (2200)

· Other marriages of Rasul Allah include Umm Habibah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan who was in Abbysinia and whose husband converted to Christianity. Later on, her husband passed away and Rasul Allah (saw) sent a letter to Najashi for him to marry Umm Habibah because Rasul Allah had sympathy for what she went through. Rasul Allah (saw) also wanted to soften the stance of his enemies since Abu Sufyan was happy that this marriage took place. He said: “And who is better to marry than Muhammad?” Abu Sufyan knows the lineage of Rasul Allah, from Banu Hashim so he was proud and happy his daughter married Rasul Allah.

· Umm Salamah was one of the ones who made hijrah to Abyssinia and came back to Madinah and when Abu Salamah passed away, he married her to take care of the wives of his companions. He was the caretaker of this ummah.

· An important event happened during his life. A flood happened and affected the structure of Al-Ka’bah, located in the low valley of the mountains. The flood caused cracks in the walls of Al-Ka’bah, so they rebuilt it. Al-Ka’bah has been built and re built 4 or 5 times depending on who was the first to build it. There is a difference of opinion of whether it was Ibrahim or Adam. However, the majority opinion is that it was Ibrahim. Those who say it was Adam don’t contradict the Qur’an since it is mentioned that Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House, meaning that there was already something there for them to raise it. But the common belief amongst our scholars is that it was Ibrahim. However, there is no dispute about the holiness of the place since the earth was created. And we know that it was the first house to be built for the remembrance of Allah. “First House established for My worship is the one in Bakkah (Makkah).”

1. Ibrahim built it
2. When Makkah was flooded, the people of Quraish wanted to rebuild it. They had to tear it down but none of them agreed to make that move. They were waiting with their equipment but no one moved because of the honor and respect they had for Al-Ka’bah even though they were Mushrikeen at that time but they feared Allah and thought it was dangerous. One of them said that he and his sons would do it so they came in the morning and started tearing it down whilst saying to Allah not to be afraid and that they only want good. This is a wrong concept they held about the greatness of Allah, since Allah knows what’s in their hearts. They brought wood from a Roman ship that had crashed and this became the first roof of Al-Ka’bah to be built.

The people of Quraish knew that money from interest was no good, and they made a decision that they will only use pure money. They ran short of funds so they shortened it from a rectangular shape to a square to save money. The area of al-Ka’bah which they excluded was the area of Al-Hijr, an enclosed area in a semi-circle that used to be part of the original building of Al-Ka’bah. It also used to have two gates and they made it one, and raised the doorstep, which means that you had to climb to get into it. Rasul Allah says, while talking to Aisha: “Don’t you know that your people had insufficient funds for the expenses, if it were not for the fact that your people were recently unbelievers, I would have torn down the Ka’bah and made for it one door in the east and one door in the west and I would have included the Hijr area within it.” When he opened Makkah, he wanted to restructure Ka’bah in its original foundations, but then he told Aisha that the reason why he wasn’t going to do this is because your people just became Muslim, still soft and eman is weak so it might become fitnah for them.

· There is an important lesson to be learned here and it is that the Da’ee has to keep in mind the condition of the people into consideration. Abdullah bin Mas’ood says: “When you tell the people something that is beyond their comprehension, or understanding, or eeman, it might become a trial for some of them.”

The reason why the Quraish made the door high is so that they could control who comes in and out of the Ka’bah, it was a matter of show of power.
Rasul Allah (saw) participated in the rebuilding of Ka’bah and reached to the holiest part of the Ka’bah, which is the black stone. They had a dispute about who would have the honor of placing the black stone because every tribe wanted to contribute. But every tribe wanted to put the black stone until they sought a resolution by Ommaya, the oldest man among them. He had a suggestion and said that let’s agree that the first man to walk in towards Al-Ka’bah will be given the complete authority in judging between us. They all gathered and waited for the first person to come, and it was the Prophet Muhammad (saw). They all stood up and said: “The truthful and the trustworthy, we all agree.” They knew of his fairness and they were pleased with this turn of events.

Rasul Allah (saw) told them to get a piece of clothe, and he placed the black stone in the middle of it and asked a representative from each clan to hold the cloth from one side, and they all raised it up together at the same time. Therefore every one of them participated in the lifting of the black stone, and when they reached the place where the black stone is situated, he picked up the black stone and placed it there. So it was rasul Allah who put the black stone in its spot.

3. Years later, Abdullah bin Zubair became the Amir of Makkah, and knew of the hadith regarding the structure of Al-Ka’bah that the Prophet (saw) wanted when the Ka’bah was burnt during the war between ibn Zubair and Bani Umayya. That damage could’ve been fixed without tearing down the Ka’bah but he wanted to take advantage of it and build the Ka’bah on its original foundation and fulfill the description stated by Rasul Allah in the hadeeth which he did.

4. Ibn Zubair was killed and Hajjaj bin Yusuf took over and the khalifah at that time Malik bin Marwan was not familiar with this hadeeth so he gave his commands to rebuild the Ka’bah to the way it was before Ibn Zubair rebuilt it. So the Ka’bah was shortened again according to the way the people of Quraish built it. After the khilafah of Bani Umayya, Banu’l Abbas took over and one of the member was thinking of rebuilding the Ka’bah again back to its original foundations (rectangular) and he consulted Imam Malik, but he told the Khalifah that “we do not want Al-Ka’bah to become a toy in the hands of kings. They keep changing its size every now and then, even though Rasul Allah’s wish is to keep it on the foundations of Ibrahim, but let’s keep it and not change it anymore.” It was a very wise advice from Imam Malik and the Khalifah followed it.

· The Ka’bah that we have today is built on the foundation of Quraish. But this is something good because if it was built on foundations of Ibrahim, we would’ve been deprived of the pleasure of praying inside the Ka’bah but since it is shortened, the area of the semi circle is still part of Al-Ka’bah and if we pray there it would be like we prayed inside the Ka’bah. And we know that the Prophet (saw), when he conquered Makkah, prayed 8 rak’ah inside Al-Ka’bah. So now we have the chance to pray inside al-Hijr and it would be counted as if you prayed inside the Ka’bah.

· Over the time, the height of the Ka’bah increased but the size of it remained the same. The stones that the Ka’bah are built of some of the stones that were used by Ibrahim (as). Other ones were introduced later but the Black Stone has never changed since the time of Ibrahim.
· There were many stories about the Black Stone, and there is an authentic hadeeth that the Prophet (saw) said: “the Black Stone was white but it turned black due to the sins of the sons of Adam.” And another one that states that it is the right hand of Allah on earth. It is very special and honored and respected and the only part of Ka’bah that is kissed and pointed from a distance.

· The Prophet (saw) would leave Makkah and spend time in the Cave of Hira’ in a mountain that is fairly close to Makkah. He would take some food and stay in seclusion in this cave worshipping Allah. From the cave, you can see Al-Ka’bah. He would spend nights and days there worshipping before prophet hood. It was a chance for him to reflect and contemplate on Allah and Allah was also training him through these moments of reflection for they purify the heart. Sa’eed Hawwa comments on this and says “Solitude was a tradition of some who would seek the guidance of Allah with the remembrance of Allah and worship. It was used to illuminate the hearts and remove its shadows by disconnecting it from its heedlessness and desires. Some would advice this at the beginning of the journey to belief, as this was the example of the Prophet when he spent time in solitude before and at the beginning of his prophethood.” As a muslim, you are recommended to spend some time alone in dhikr, remembering Allah.

· One should not go to extreme of going away from society completely or to indulge into the society completely. We should go through the middle road, by spending some time with people and socializing while also spending time alone between us and Allah. Qiyam-ul-Layl is a chance for solitude, praying at night alone and the sincerity is pure for the sake of Allah. It purifies the heart, and it is known that too much laughing and socializing obscures the heart and veils it. Spending some time worshipping Allah in solitude is the cure for this. Allah said: “Behold! In the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and the alternation of the night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides. And contemplate the wonders of creation in the Heavens and the Earth with the thought, ‘Our Lord not for naught has Thou created all this. Glory to You and give us salvation from the chastisement of the Fire.”

CD4-The Background of Arabia/Events Leading to Prophethood.

2007-03-29T13:42:00.000+05:00

CD4
By: Imam Anwar Awlaki

The situation in Arabia and the world was very desperate. It wasn’t entirely evil, people around the world still had good qualities. Al-Buti mentions some of the characteristics of the Arabs in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) like generosity and hospitality, fulfilling of a pledge, justice, firm will and determination, perseverance and deliberateness, pure and simple life. These were the aspects taken advantage by Islam. The Sahaba due to these qualities made them successful in spreading the word of Islam. The Sahaba were seen as a liberating army that would free them from servitude, like in Egypt and Syria. They also didn’t care for power and authority, they would train among the local people leadership and give the power back to them. They wanted to spread islam and not to conquer for power and take advantage of people and their wealth. They were strong and powerful and were true to their word, and that it why Allah chose that particular area to be the birthplace of Rasul Allah (saw) and to carry the eternal message of Islam.

Rasul Allah (saw) was born in the year of the Elephant, the year in which Allah destroyed the army of Abraha. Miracles during the birth of the Prophet (saw) are usually narrated weak but there are some authentic narrations. When his mother, Aminah, was giving birth, Abdullah was traveling to Ash-Sham but he ended up dying close to Madinah and he was buried there, and died before the birth of his son. Rasul Allah was born and his mother saw a light that was coming out of her and reaching to Ash-Sham. This was interpreted as the light of the message of Islam reaching to the world. Allah chose the best to be His messenger, Rasul Allah. Certain statements reached the Prophet (saw) and he mounted the pulpit and asked: “Who am I?” they replied and said: “You are the messenger of Allah.” And he replied: “I am Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttali, Allah divided the creation and made me part of the best creatures. He made them all into two groups, placing me in the better of them, divided them into tribes and put me in the best of them, subdivided into clans and placed me in the best one. I am the best of you in clan and in spirit.” Rasul Allah said he is not one good man amongst evil people but he is the best from among the best around him. Rasul Allah (saw) also said: “Verily Allah granted eminence to al-Kinanah from the descendants of Ismai’l and he granted eminence to the Qurais from al-Kinanah and he granted eminence to Bani Hashim from al-Qurash, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.” He also said: “I am a product of marriage and not fornication from Adam right on up to when my father and my mother had me. I was never tainted by the fornication of al-Jahiliyah.”

The famous names of the Prophet (saw) that we know are Muhammad and Ahmad but there are additional names.

1. Muhammad – named by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. It means “to be eternally praised”. Allah has fulfilled the meaning of his name, no other person has been praised as much as the Prophet Muhammad (saw). He is praised day and night.

2. Ahmad – come from the same root ‘hamd’ which means praise. It means “he praises” Allah. He was the most among us who praised Allah the most.

3. Al-Haashir – “The gatherer” to whom people will be resurrected in his wake. The Prophet is the first to be resurrected on the DOJ and then followed by others.

4. Al-Muqaffi – “The successor” for he was the last of the prophets and messengers and there shall be none succeeding him.

5. Al-Maahy – “The eraser” the one who erases and eradicates kufr. There is no prophet who will succeed in total eradication until the time of ‘Isa by the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) under his leadership.

6. Nabi ul-Malhamah – “the Prophet of the fierce battle”. Makhamah is a fierce battle and a series of battles. He was named so because his Ummah are the greatest in terms of Jihad. Also, it could be that the future of humanity after him will be that of fierce battles, like WWI and WWII.

· Rasul Allah (saw) was nursed initially by his mother and Umm Ayman (Barakah), an Abyssinian woman who lived in Makkah. Rasul Allah married her to his emancipated slave, Zayd bin Haritha. It was a tradition among the urban arabs to send their children to grow up in the desert, believing that it is more pure and a healthier environment to live in, as well as strengthen the character of the children due to the harshness of the desert. The Prophet was in the land of Banu Sa’d. To continue, refer to the book about Halimah and what happened when she chose the orphan child (Prophet Muhammad) and the blessings thereafter and the first cleaning of his heart and when he was returned to Aaminah.

· His mother died when he was 6 yrs. old, so now he lost his father and mother. Abdul Muttalib adopted him and he passed away when he was 8. Now he was taken care of by Abu Talib who helped him and supported him for the next forty years of his life.

Important Events leading up to his prophethood

Rasul Allah (saw) was protected by Allah, he would not commit sins which were usual and normal amongst his people. He narrates an example: “I was a shepherd and one day I told my friend tonight I want to go into Makkah to attend the parties my peers attend. So I told him to take care of my flock until I come back. I went and arrived to the place where the party was and as soon as I heard the music, Allah stuck my ears and immediately I fell asleep. By the time I woke up, the party was over. The next day, I decided to attend another party and the same thing happened. And I realized that it was a sign to me from Allah.” Zaid narrates: “There was a brass idol which the polytheists would touch as they would perform tawaaf. The prophet told him not to touch it. As I went around the Ka’bah I wanted to touch it just to see what would happen. When I did so, RA said were you not forbidden to do that? The Prophet (saw) never saluted an idol until when Allah gave him the revelation.” It was guidance coming from Allah, and he had a natural dislike for idol worshipping. He also influenced his family such as Zaid and Ali so they never worshipped idols.

The people of Quraish participated in all rituals of Hajj except participating in the day of Arafah. This is because Arafah was considered outside the boundaries of the sacred place. So all Arabs would go to Arafah except the people of Quraish saying that they are the dwellers of Al-Haram, how can we go outside of it? So they would stop at the borders of Arafat. Mut’am ibn Jubair lost his camel and ended up searching for it in arafah and to his amazement he finds the Prophet (saw). This is an indication that Allah was guiding the Prophet (saw) to the fitrah and the rituals of hajj.

The first profession for Rasul Allah (saw) was shepherding. He said: “Allah has not sent a prophet except that he was a shepherd.” And his companions asked: “And you?” the Prophet said: “Yes, I used to herd sheep, with compensation from the people of Makkah.” Allah has trained all of his prophets going through this line of work. Lessons that they learned from being shepherds specifically of sheeps/goats (ghanam):

Responsibility – The Prophet (saw) said: “You are all shepherds, and you are all responsible for your herd. The Imam (leader of the Muslims) is responsible for the Muslims, man is responsible for the household, woman is responsible…” Shepherds are usually hired to tend the flock, they don’t own it but by someone else, therefore they have to report to a higher authority. Therefore, the shepherds have a responsibility of making sure that the sheep remain safe even if the herd is not responsible for themselves. This is a valuable lesson for a leader. And the prophets of Allah will be held accountable for their Ummah’s actions.

Patience – taking out sheep to graze, they take their time and they are slow so you have to wait and be patient. Shepherds usually just sit on the rock and look over the sheep while they graze, leaving in the morning and coming back at sunset. The prophets learned to be patient with their people, as Musa (as) was with Bani Israil and his experience being a shepherd for 10 years helped him deal with their disobedience. Nuh for 950 years, he tried all ways to bring his people to the call of Tawheed.

Protection – the shepherd protects the flock. There are various seen or unseen dangers (woleves, beasts, diseases), all of these the shepherd have to consistently make sure no danger comes to the flock. The prophets of Allah tried to protect their people from physical and psychological dangers. In Madinah, a commotion was heard so some of the Sahaba prepared with their horses and weapons. On the way there, they saw that the Prophet (saw) was already on his way back telling them that everything was fine. So eventhough the Sahaba were so fast and swift, the Prophet (saw) already checked things out and made sure that everything was in order. He used to warn us about Shaytan, of all dangers that could afflict us, and even events in the future (Dajjal). The Prophet (saw) said: “I have warned you about Dajjal more than any prophet before you. And if he comes us while I am amongst you, I will take care of that. If he comes out after I pass away, then everyone is responsible for their own protection.”

Sensing and detecting danger before it approaches the flock - These animals are closer to earth and sight limited, sheep can only see so far. Any small obstacle will block their view, but the human being standing up tall has a longer view and from that vantage point can see danger while it is approaching, while the sheep cannot. Because the shepherd is standing up, the first to notice the danger is the shepherd and he will give an advance warning to the flock. That is the case of the prophets of Allah, and they have the clearest vision, and the longest view, and the best vantage point that none of us has. And they know what is good for us. The Prophet (saw) said: “The analogy of me and you is like someone sitting next to a fire at night, and like moths you are attracted to it and jumping towards it while I’m grabbing you by your clothes dragging you away and you are forcing yourselves towards it.” The Prophet (saw) was inviting people to Jannah but they were insisting on Hellfire. And the shepherd might hit some of the flock but not because he wants to hurt them, but because he wants to save them. If we see the prophets addressing the people sternly and directly, it is because they care about their people. When the Prophet (saw) stood on the minbar and said: “I am warning you Hellfire! (in such a high voice that the people in the markets could here his voice, and repeating it over and over again).
Simplicity – a shepherd lives a very simple life. He eats simple food, accommodation, and teaches them to get accustomed to different environments and climates. He is the last to take cover, taking the animals in first and protect them. It teaches them to get accustomed to different to different ways of life.

o Closeness to the creation of Allah – it pulls you out from the artificial world, and brought them close to nature. Living our lives in this artificial world is against our natural disposition, we were created from this earth and we are part of it. Keeping us away from this nature, it also keeps us from contemplating on the creation of Allah. The Qur;an mentions the mountains, birds, seas, and other creations and He mentions these to draw our attention to these creation for they are a mirror to His abilities and attributes. If we want to learn of His wisdom, greatness, and all of His names, we find some of their reflection in all of His creation. A shepherd is given the chance to contemplate on nature, and the prophets of Allah took advantage of this opportunity.

Sheeps – why was it specific to them for all prophets? Because they are very weak animals, weaker than cows or camels. Therefore they need more protection, more care, and because of this weakness they could easily fall prey. When Rasul Allah (saw) wanted to warn us from Shaytaan, he brought in his experience and said: “Stick with the Jama’ah, because the wolf eats from the straying sheep.” So he learned as a shepherd that when a sheep strays, a wold will target the one that is alone and we are weak as these sheeps as we are weak towards shaytaan. Another lesson to learn is the fact that we are affected by the environment we work in. Our work leaves permanent influence in our personality. Shepherds of sheep are different from others because sheep tend to be very compassionate, very merciful, and weak, so the shepherd learns to become kind and merciful to them since they are fragile animals they cannot be harsh towards them. What we do affects us, like teachers tend to have a different personality than doctors and so forth. The influence is both ways.

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani is one of the classical scholars, he wrote the most prominent commentary on Al-Bukhari. He was prominent in areas of Hadeeth, Fiqh, Aqeedah. His work, Fath-ul-Bari, gained the most prominence amongst the commentaries on Bukhari. He comments on this hadeeth, “The wisdom behind having the prophets as shepherds before prophethood is that they may become skilled in herding a flock, as they will be responsible for their respective nations in the future. In herding, one attains forbearance and mercy and imbues patience for when a shepherd is obliged to gather his flock and herd it from one area to another at once, knowing the traits of one and all the while protecting the flock from predators he has thus attained the skills necessary to lead a nation and protect it from its enemies, both from within and from abroad. Thus the prophets learned patience when dealing with their people and attained an understanding of the different natures of people, and learned to show kindness to the weak and resolve with the dominant. The reasons for which Allah chose them the sheep as oppose to the communal cows and camels, is that they are animals that are weak and need extra guidance and attention. Sheep are more difficult to maintain as a flock because of their propensity to go astray and wander away. This is akin to human traits within the society and it is the divine wisdom of Allah to train His prophets accordingly. The Prophet (saw) mentioning of this humble trait shared by all prophets attests to his humility to Allah.

Muhammad Al-Abda, a writer, comments on Rasul Allah’s living in the desert and being brought up there and states “This faith excels through the free-thinkers, the courageous, the intelligent, and those who are just. And one cannot encompass it except by distancing themselves from lowly character. It is therefore incumbent upon the Muslims to take on the pure characteristics embodied in humanity’s natural disposition. This was the example sought by the early Khalifa, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, when he pleaded with his people to toughen up on how to ride the steed. He feared for his people the longing for this life and adopting reprehensible characteristics. This does not mean that one must abandon urban living in order to attain the stated objectives, but it does mean that one should abandon those things in their life that turn them away from the difficulties of this message.”

Half Al-Fudoul – there was a man named Zabeed who came from Yemen and he came to Makkah to do business. His merchandise was taken by Al ‘Aas bin Wa’il and promised to sell them and pay him back. He refused to pay this man and took advantage of the fact that he was a foreigner. He told him, I’m not going to pay you. He expected this man to just walk away but he stood up for his right and went to a public place in Makkah, and started calling the people of Quraish and told them: “I was oppressed in your place and are you people who will stand up for my rights or would you allow oppression to take over your land?” Some of the clans of Quraish decided to meet together to bring about an agreement in protecting the rights of the weak in Makkah. Among these families was the family of Rasul Allah (saw), his uncles. He was a young boy then, but he was in the meeting. It was held in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an, a generous and kind to others, and he was the person who would stand up for what is right. This happened before prophethood. They came together and decided to have an agreement between non-believers. Rasul Allah said: “I witnessed in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an, a pact made that I wouldn’t have exchanged it for the choicest herd, and if it had been suggested after Islam, I would’ve responded positively to it.” The important lesson to learn from this is that Muslims should side with what is right, no matter what the source it. Muslims should stand for human rights, for the oppressed, needy, no matter what their religious background is. The man was given back what belonged to him after that.

An incident happened afterwards during the period of The Umayyad Dynasty, when Al-Waleed bin Utbah bin Abi Sufyan, the governor of Madinah abused his power and wrongfully took the property of Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib. What Hussain did was he went to Al-Waleed and told him to give him back what belongs to him otherwise I am going to walk into the masjid and invite the people to Half Al-Fudoul. Abdullah bin Az-zubair was there with Al-Waleed at that time and said that he would stand there with his sword until Hussain gets his justice or we will all die together. Other people heard that and gave similar statements. Al-Waleed realized that it could become dangerous and he gave back Hussain what was rightfully his. This shows that Muslims should not allow anything wrong to happen in front of us and protect our brothers even if we have to give up our lives for it.

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali states: “This pact shows that no matter how dark life becomes, and oppressive dictators become, noble characteristics will still remain in noble people who stand up for what is right. Allah has made cooperation and enjoining good an obligation which he has called to in the verse: “and cooperate in virtue and taqwa and do not help one another in sin and transgression.” So for a group of Muslims to enter into a treaty or a contract such as the aforementioned is made permissible since it is only a reinforcement of the Islamic obligation. However, this by definition, must be dissimilar to the Masjid Ad-Diraar where the cooperation turns into a nationalistic or elitist strategy to exclude Muslims. As for the Muslims contracting with the people of other faiths in order to remove oppression or to face an oppressor, this becomes permissible for them if there is in it a welfare for Islam and the Muslims in the present and the future.”

CD3-The Background of Arabia

2007-03-29T13:35:00.000+05:00

CD3

By: Imam Anwar Awlaki

The Background of Arabia

Objective: To know the environment in which the Prophet (SAW) lived in.

The Arabs started with Tawheed due to the da’wah of Ismail. There were three religions at the time of the Prophet (saw) in Arabia, i.e. Idol-Worshipping, Christianity, and Judaism. How did these three religions come into existence?

Idol-Worshipping

· ‘Amr Al-Khuza’I, the leader of Khuzaa, was generous, strong, and respected by his people. His words were taken as law. He traveled to Syria (Ash-Sham, center is Jerusalem) and finds idols, he asked the people about them and they told him they are intermediates to God when we ask Him. They appeal to God in their behalf. ‘Amr then agreed that this is exactly what they also need in Arabia. He asked for an idol to take home, and he was given Hubal.

· He then took it to Makkah and established it near Ka’bah and told his people that it would intercede on their behalf to Allah. Makkah, being the spiritual center of Arabia, became the platform from which idol-worshipping was exposed to people. It then became common and spread all over due to the position of Makkah and of ‘Amr.

· It then became a business, wherein people in Makkah will make idols that travelers can carry with them home (‘portable idols’). It evolved to be made in different shapes and sizes, for different purposes. ‘Umar once related how, during the time of ignorance, he was traveling and forgot to bring his ‘god’ with him. And so he made one out of dates and when he got hungry, he ate it. Knowing the vital role that ‘Umar (r.a.) played later on in Islam, it just goes to show the miracle of Islam, having turned people from nothingness to great figures throughout history.

· Al-Ka’bah is now surrounded by 365 idols, and polytheism became so widespread all over Arabia. The Prophet (saw) said: “I saw Al-Khuza’I trailing his intestines in Hellfire because he was the first person to change the religion of the Arabs.”

Judaism

· The King of Yemen, Kabban As’ad, was traveling to do business in Ash-Sham and passed by Medina. He left his son in Medina for him to do business there, but the people of Medina killed his son. When he came back and learned about it, he decided to destroy Medina and attacked it. His armies were large in number and would have been enough to destroy it.

· The Jews then have settled in Medina due to their belief, as mentioned in their scriptures, that their Prophet will immigrate to a land which resembled Medina, since they saw all the signs point to Medina being the correct place. There were three tribes: Banu Qaynuqa’, Banu Nadeer, and Banu Quraydah. They are known to be Ethnic Jews from Khaybar and Medina.

· Then two rabbis came out and told As’ad that this land is protected by God and that if he tries to destroy it Allah will destroy him. They convinced As’ad and made him withdraw from attacking, and even embraced Judaism and invited these two rabbis to Yemen and they agreed.

· On his was back, Banu Hawazim were having problems with Quraysh and were starting a fitnah between As’ad and Makkah. The rabbis again told him that this land (Makkah) is also protected by Allah and that he shouldn’t attack it, instead, he should enter it and make tawaf. He did so, and he became the first person to clothe Al-Ka’bah, and he used to clothe it once a year. They used to clothe it by adding one over the other each year, since they consider the clothing of the Ka’bah to be sacred and couldn’t remove it, until it became so heavy that they decided to take it off and keep just one clothing at a time.

· As’ad and the rabbis then proceeded to Yemen and he gave them freedom to preach to the Yemeni tribes and many of them embraced the Jewish faith. They are known to be Jews by Conversion.

Christianity

· When ‘Eesa (as) was sent, his followers dispersed throughout the land and very early on, it was already divided into many sects. These sects then became disbelievers and misguided, however, there were some believers here and there who were able to preserve the true message of ‘Eesa (Tawhid). One of them reached Yemen and started preaching in the area of Najran and the religion was secretly and slowly spreading.

· By this time, As’ad was already dead and his son, Dhu Nawwas, took over his reign. News of this new religion reached him and he banned it and he persecuted the followers. In Sahih Muslim, where it relates the story about the ‘boy and the king’, many scholars relate this incident to Dhu Nawwas as the king. Also in Surah Al-Buruj, Allah described their sacrifice as victory, and it is the fact that they were able to hold on to Islam until their last moment, and were able to attain Paradise. That is the true essence of winning, although they lost a temporary battle in dunya.

· From the ‘People of the Trench’, there was one who survived, and he traveled to the Roman Empire, since they were also Christians although from a different sect. He sought help from the emperor, and the emperor sent a message to An-Najashi, and he sent an army led by a general named Ariat. Ariat invaded Yemen, and defeated Dhu Nawwas, who committed suicide eventually. They said that he was on his horse and just jumped into the Red Sea and killed himself. Now the Abyssinians ruled over parts of Yemen as a revenge for those Christians who were killed. Ariat ruled over and was strict, and one of his generals staged a coup against him. The Abyssinians were then divided between followers of Ariat, and that of Abraha and they were fighting.

· Ariat told Abraha to have a one-on-one fight, and Abraha agreed. But he made a secret agreement with his security guards that if they see him losing, they should come and help him, otherwise to leave him alone. Ariat was tall and thin, while Abraha was short and chubby so Ariat was able to strike him on his head and cut off his nose. When that happened, the bodyguards jumped in and killed Ariat.

· Abraha now took over and ruled over Yemen. He wanted to change the religion of the Arabs and force Christianity upon them. So knowing their attachment to the Ka’bah, he built a huge cathedral (Al-Qullays) in San’aa to compete with Al-Ka’bah. One man didn’t like this idea and went into Al-Qullays and desecrated it. Abraha became furious about this and decided to destroy Ka’bah.

· There were some resistance on the way, like the general Nufayl, but they were all defeated. Nufayl was then captured as a prisoner of war. They went on to Ta’if and they assisted Abraha, and one of them offered to be his guide to Ka’bah, Abu Raghal. Abraha made it to the outskirts of Makkah and took possessions of the camels that were grazing there. 200 of these camels belonged to Abdul-Muttalib. So Abdul-Muttalib came to Abraha and met with him. Nufayl, a friend of Abdul-Muttalib, became friends with Nuwais, an important member of the army and a pilot of the elephant, and arranged the meeting through Nuwais.

· Abdul-Muttalib was an impressionable man and Abraha looked at him with esteem, although they haven’t spoken to each other yet. He came down from the throne and sat with him on the floor. Abdul-Muttalib then asked that his camels be returned to him. Abraha then said that he has lost respect for Abdul-Muttalib since he was coming to destroy Ka’bah and he was asking about his camels. Abdul-Muttalib said that he was the owner of the camels, and that he was responsible for them. But the Ka’bah belongs to Allah and He will protect it. Abraha then gave him back his camels.

· When he went back to Makkah, Abdul-Muttalib told the people not to fight and that they should withdraw to the mountains. When Abraha finally came with his elephants, the elephants would not attack it. It is said that Nufayl whispered to the ear of the elephant that this is the house of Allah and that it should not be attacked. The elephant refused to move even though they poked and speared it, so they decided to leave it behind.

· Anything can be the army of Allah, like water or wind, as mentioned in the ayah “And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except He.” So He sent on the army of Abraha birds carrying missiles and destroyed them all. And this event was recorded in Surah Al-Fil.

· These were the events that happened that led up to the year that the Prophet (saw) was born, in the same year of the Elephant.

CD2- The Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma'il

2007-03-29T13:25:00.000+05:00

CD2
By: Imam Anwar Awlaki

Usually the authors who write about the Prophet Muhammad usually start with writing about what happened before him, about a few thousand years. Here we start from Ibrahim, and Ismai’l and Hajar, the ancestors of the Arabs.

The Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma’il

Ibrahim and his wife Hajar and new-born son Isma’il traveled to Hijaz, and Ibrahim took them to present day Makkah. It was a dead valley then, but the place of Ka’bah was already holy and sacred since the world is created. They arrived and in the place where Zamzam is, Ibrahim left his wife and son with some water and a bag of dates. He then turned away and left. Hajar followed him and asked him three times: “Ibrahim, are you going to leave us in a place wherein there is no cultivation and no one living?” and when Ibrahim didn’t answer she asked: “Did Allah tell you to do so?” and Ibrahim said, “Yes.” So she said: “Then Allah will not neglect us. If this is a command from Allah, then I trust that He will take care of us.” Ibrahim left and when he reached to a place where they couldn’t see him anymore, he turned towards Al-Ka’bah and made dua’: “O Allah! I’m leaving my offspring in infertile land, next to your sacred House, so that they may establish prayer, put love in the hearts of people towards them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may be grateful.”

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the foundation of the pyramid (basic human needs) has physiological needs (food and shelter) as the most important, then social needs (friends/belonging), then spiritual needs (religion), and at the end self-actualization. According to Ibrahim (as), the pyramid is inverted. The first thing he asked for is spiritual needs and then he asked for the social needs, and then physiological needs, but even when he asked Allah to provide them with fruits or worldly things, he also connected it to worship. And therein we find the true sense of self-actualization when Allah becomes everything for us and we do everything for His sake.

And then Ibrahim left and Hajar made use of the small amount of food until they ran out of food. She was breastfeeding Ismai’l and then her milk was drying up and Ismai’l started to cry. Hajar couldn’t stand seeing him in agonizing pain so she left him and started climbing a hill (As-Safa) to see if she can see anyone in the horizon, then she would climb down the hill until she reaches the valley and tuck up her clothes and ran to another hill (Al-Marwa) until she reached the top to also look for anybody. During this her son is still suffering, as she continued to go back and forth the hills until the seventh time, she reached the top and she heard a sound. To her amazement, she saw that the sound was coming from beneath the feet of Ismai’l. Jibril (as) descended and started digging the well of Zamzam and the water is coming from beneath Ismai’l’s feet. Seeing this, she made a pool around the water thinking that it would be absorbed by the desert if she didn’t do so. Rasul Allah (saw) said: “`May Allah have mercy on the mother of Ismail, if she had left the water alone, it would have been a flowing river.”

Think for a moment about the feelings of Hajar while she was going up and down the hills. Her heart must have been broken, crying because of the pain and suffering dying in front of her eyes. She was a believing and righteous woman and Allah was testing her and hiding for her something in the future. At that time, as a mother she was in extreme pain, but just imagine if Hajar was resurrected at the time of Hajj and she would have a chance to see what Muslims from all over the world are doing. Rasul Allah (saw) said: “And that is why we go between As-Safa and Al-Marwa.” So we are following her footsteps and if Hajar knew that she would’ve gone through everything with a smile on her face.

What we learn from this is that as believers, when we undergo certain trials we have a different mindset, a certain feeling, but we don’t know what Allah is hiding for us in the future. Just as Allah gave Hajar this honor in this dunya, we can just imagine what He will give her as a reward in al-Akhirah. So when we go through trials, we should always remember that Hajar went through this and honored her.

Similarly, Musa (as) also is narrated to have told his family when he saw that fire that he would go to it to bring them light and warmth and guidance since there would be people who could give them directions to Egypt. But Allah relates that when he went there Allah spoke to them, and rather than him going back with light for that night, he came back with light for humanity and guidance not to Egypt but to Jannah. He was given prophethood then and there. “I am Allah, there is no God besides Me, worship Me and establish prayer in My name.”

In the desert, when you have a source of water, different forms of life are attracted. There was a tribe called Jurhum, a nomadic tribe of that area. They come from Yemen, the birthplace of the Arab people and their language was Arabic. Their history relates back to when there were people who built the first dam in the world, and had a year-round source of water and source for irrigation. Because of their wealth, they didn’t feel any pain in traveling, wherever they would go there will be people. These people, due to their arrogance said, “we want to feel the pain of traveling like everybody else and make it difficult for us.” So Allah made it difficult for them, and for their rejection of Allah their dam was destroyed and so the people migrated to some other places and they were scattered all over. Jurhum was one of these tribes who moved out and went to Hijaz. They were familiar with the terrain of Makkah and knew there weren’t any water in the area. But when they saw there were birds hovering over the sky, they wondered what was going on in that particular area. Two men went and came back and reported that there is a well in that area. Now Jurhum went to the place where Zamzam was located and they asked Hajar: “Can we settle in this place?” and she said: “if you want to stay, I have a condition and that the water belongs to us.” They agreed and Rasul Allah said: “Deep in her heart she wanted them to stay since she was lonely.” And Jurhum ended up and settled there.

Ismai’l grew up with them and learned their language (Arabic), Ibrahim was from Iraq and spoke Aramaic. Ismail married a woman from among them and thus began the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Jurhum had the political leadership in Makkah, while the religious leadership belonged to Ismai’l and his descendants. Jurhum stayed in Makkah for 2000 and they became corrupt and tyrannical so Allah sent them Khuzaa’. And Khuzaa, also from Yemen and came to Hijaz, kicked them out of Makkah. Jurhum before they left did two things: First, they filled the well of Zamzam with sand and they erased all of its marks. Second, they stole all the treasures inside Al-Ka’bah. Khuzaa’ now became the new leaders of Makkah, while the descendants of Ismai’l already branched out and spread all over Arabia. But one branch remained in Makkah, the Quraish, who are also known as the descendants of Adnan.

The leader of Khuzaa’ was ‘Amr bin Luhyy al-Khuzaa’i and the leader of Quraish was Qusai bin Kilab. He was able to unify Quraish and to lead a revolt against Khuzaa’ and was able to drive them out completely from Makkah. Finally, a descendant of Isma’il now combine both the political and religious leadership in Makkah. Not only that but Qusai consolidated all the authorities and different aspects of power in his hands. He controlled Al-Hijaba, the guardianship of Al-Ka’bah, controlled siqayah and ifadah (providing food and water to the pilgrims), contolled an-nadwa (assembly or parliament of Quraish), held control over al-liwaa’ (banner) and had the power to declare war. He was the absolute ruler of Makkah.

When he died, these powers were split among his children. The grandson of Qusai, named ‘Amr ended up inheriting providing food and water to the pilgrims. He did something new in feeding the hujjaj. Instead of feeding them soup, he started crushing bread into the soup, an upgrade to their meals. The process of crushing the bread is called Hasham, and so he was called Haashim as a nickname and this was the great-grandfather of Rasul Allah (saw). Hashim married from Al-Madinah and went to Palestine to do business and died in Gaza. His wife became pregnant and gave birth to a child who was named Shaybah (old man), due to him being born with some grey hair. And they stayed in Madinah by his family there. One day, Al-Muttalib, Hashim’s brother, came to Madinah and claimed Shaybah his nephew. He wanted to take him back to Makkah, and convinced the family that he comes from a noble family of Quraish and that Shaybah has to come back and learn his heritage and responsibilities. Al-Muttalib brought Shaybah into Makkah and since he wasn’t seen ever in Makkah, they thought he was a slave and started calling him ‘Abd-ul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Three important events that occurred with Abdul Muttalib. First, the well of zamzam has been lost for over 300 years now ever since the Jurhum covered it before they got expelled from Makkah. So he saw a dream and tells him to “dig taibah (pure)”. The following night, the same voice tells him to “dig the precious”. The third night, the same voice tells him to “dig zamzam” and the voice told him “it will never fail or dry up, it will water the grand pilgrim, it lies between the dung and the blood near the nest of the crow with the white leg and the ants’ nest.” They were symbols and Abdul Muttalib was unable to decode all of these symbols. Then he went around the Ka’bah and saw dung and blood, a camel was slaughtered and was left with its insides and the blood and he saw a grow with a white leg in the same area and a colony of ants. And so he realized that this is where the well is. He called his son, Harith and started digging. Suddenly, the people heard Abdul Muttalib shout, praising Allah, and they found that he had uncovered the rim of zamzam. The Quraish then said that this well belongs to our father, Ismai’l and so we should all share. Abdul Muttalib said that he was the one who saw the dream, and he was the one who uncovered it and so it belongs to him and him alone. They said that we are all descendants and it belongs to all of us. When they were unable to solve the dispute and on the brink of war, someone suggested to go to the witch of Bani Sa’d for consultation. They searched for her in Syria and along the way they ran out of water. And so they went in different directions in search of water. After a short while, Abdul Muttalib found water, and they said that “If even in this barren desert Allah saved you, and you saw the dream and uncovered the well of Zamzam, this is surely an indication that it is a blessing for you and it belongs to you.” So they gave up all their claims and they went back.

Abdul Muttalib, since he only had one son at that time, prayed to Allah and said that if he was given ten sons, he will sacrifice one for His sake. And Allah blessed him with 10 male sons and 6 daughters. When he had 10, now it’s time for him to fulfill his promise. They had arrows next to Hubal and cast lots and leave their decisions in this random way. Abdul Muttalib had the names of his sons on all the arrows and it came upon Abdullah. The second and third time, it also came on Abdullah’s name. So Abdul Muttalib took his son, and took him next to Ka’bah to slaughter him but both sides of his family tried to convince him not to do it since it would become a sunnah thereafter since he was their leader. Abdul Muttalib said that this was a pledge that he made with Allah and that he cannot give it up.

To solve this dispute, they decided they had to go to the witch again. They went to the witch and told her the situation and she told them to come back the next day so she can consult her spirits. They came back the next day with an answer. She asked them what was the retribution that you pay to a person that was killed (diya). They said ten camels, and so she said to put 10 camels on one side, and Abdullah on the other and cast a lot. If it points towards the camels, slaughter them, and if it points to Abdullah, then add another ten camels. They agreed and went back and did it. They threw the arrows and pointed towards Abdullah until 100 camels were on one side and finally it pointed towards the camels. Abdul Muttalib wasn’t convinced and cast the lots second and third time until it was consistent on the camels. So he slaughtered 100 camels and refused to take any of the meat, and it was so much that it was enough to feed the humans and animals.

Now the people of the Quraish was right in saying that if Abdul Muttalib sacrificed his son the rest will follow because after that incident the diya was changed from 10 camels to 100. And this tradition is kept by Islam until this day, however, it is calculated in currency but based on that concept.

Abdullah and Aaminah were the parents of Rasul Allah (saw), and he was known to be the son of the two sacrificed ones, Ismai’l and Abdullah.

CD1-The Importance of Studying Seerah

2007-03-29T13:11:00.000+05:00

CD1
By: Imam Anwar Awlaki

Definition of Seerah

Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his lifetime. It also means conduct, comportment, demeanor, behavior, way of life, attitude, position, reaction, way of acting, and biography. Seerah can be a biography of any person, not just the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, we have used it with him so much, that we automatically refer it to his life.

Importance of Studying Seerah

1.The life of Muhammad is the history of Islam, we are studying a concise history of Islam by studying Seerah. We will find situations and incidences during his life that would help us in everything that we would need to know in our way of Da’wah. So his life is really the history of our religion. Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas said: “Our father would teach us the battles of the Prophet (saw), he would teach us the seerah and he would tell us that these are the traditions of our fathers, so study them.” They used to refer to Seerah as Maghaazi, which means battles since the later part of the Prophet’s life was spent in Maghaazi. Ali bin Hussain bin Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “We were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught Qur’an.” That was how important studying Seerah was for them.

2. It is to develop the proper love of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in our hearts. Loving him is worship, part of our religion. He said: “One of you does not attain true faith until you love me more than you love your parents, your children, and the whole world.” Umar once came to the Prophet (saw) and said: “Oh Rasul Allah, I love you more than anyone except myself.” Rasul Allah told him: “You will not be able to attain the perfect eman until you love me more than your own self.” He then came back and said: “O Rasul Allah, now I love you more than my own self.” Rasul Allah said: “Now you have attained the complete faith.” To love a person, you need to know them more and not just a shallow understanding about them. And this is especially true with the Prophet Muhammad (saw) because once you know him, the more you also love him. ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, before his death, was weeping and his son Abdullah reminded him of how the Prophet (saw) gave him the glad tiding of this and that. He turned around and said: “I have gone through three stages of my life.

The first stage was that the most despised man to me was Muhammad (saw), and my desire was that I could get my hands on him and kill him. If I had died at that time I would have been in Hellfire but Allah put the love of Islam in my heart and I went to the Prophet and I said that I want to become a Muslim. Extend your hand so that I could become Muslim. When the Prophet (saw) did so, I pulled my hand away and said that he has a condition to make that the Prophet (saw) pardon him for his great crimes against the Muslims. The Prophet smiled and said: “O ‘Amr, don’t you know that Islam erases everything before it, and hijrah erases everything before it, and hajj erases everything before it.” And so I became Muslim. At that stage, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) became the most beloved person to me in the whole world. I loved him so much and I respected him so much that I couldn’t even catch a full glimpse of his face. If I had died in that stage, I would’ve hoped to be in Jannah.

Sohail Ibn Amr, a well-known negotiator, was sent to the Prophet (saw) and came back saying: “I visited the Roman emperor, Persian, Najashi, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad (saw). I saw amazing things, such as when the Prophet (saw) would be making wudhu and the sahabah would be rushing to grab the water dripping form the body. So do whatever you want but these people will never give up their leader.” Until now, he remains the most beloved figure in the whole of history. The name Muhammad means the ‘Praised One’, and it really fulfilled the meaning. “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” (9:24)

3. To follow the way of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Hazm says: “Whoever seeks the preeminence of the Hereafter, the wisdom of this life, the just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad, the prophet of Allah.”

4. Understanding Qur’an. Seerah gives explanation for some ayaat in the Qur’an.

5. His life documents the methodological steps of the Islamic Movement. He went through stages, starting with the secret da’wah, and then public, and then later on, Jihad. These stages are important for Islamic movements to learn and study. Qur’an and Sunnah are verbal teaching and we see them applied in Seerah. Hadeeth about the black string and white string.

6. It is ‘Ibaadah. There is reward in studying Seerah, wherein each gathering is a circle of Dhikr that angels attend.

7. Developing a Muslim identity. Global culture is forced on us, protected and promoted. Thomas Friedman says that “the hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist.” McDonald’s will never flourish without McDonald Douglas, the designer of F15’s. This means that the global culture that is being promoted is a culture wherein there is no choice but to follow. You either accept McDonald’s or McDonald Douglas will send their F15’s. It is a very intolerant culture that cannot exist with anything else. Alexander Szoltsen, famous historian writer, says that “to destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. The way we can counter this and develop a Muslim identity is 1.) Study Seerah which is made up of the lives of the Prophets, the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, and the great figures of our history. 2.) Not to override our local identity to our Islamic identity. What happens in other muslim countries should concern us like it’s happening to us.

8.The Life of Muhammad is a testimony of his Prophethood. We get to know the miracles (the Qur’an), and how he became the political leader, military, religious, lawmaker, teacher, imam, head of a large family, and all he used to do within only 23, which is impossible for any other. This shows that we are studying the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Michael Hart, author, wrote a book about 100 most influential people that ever lived in history and chose the Prophet Muhammad. He states that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the only one who was supremely successful in both religious and Secular level. Al-Mustafa, a name of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which means “The Chosen One”.

Sources of Studying Seerah

Two primary sources for this course:

1. Seerah of Ibn Kathir, from Al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (the beginning and the end), where one of the volumes is about the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

2. Sahih As-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah by Ibrahim Al-Ali.

Other Books:
Minhaj Al-Haraki by Muneer Al-Ghadban –tried to construct a curriculum for Islamic movement.
Fiqh As-Seerah, Muhammad Al-ghazali – has tarbiyah lessons
Fiqh As-Seerah, Ramadan Buti
Ghurabaa’, Salman Al-‘Awdah
Al-Asas fis Sunnah, Saeed Hawwa
At tareeq fil Madeena, Muhammad Abda

Terminologies:

Sallah Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him)– first mention is mandatory, and then recommended.
Rasul Allah – Messenger of Allah
Jahiliyah - Ignorance of the Pre-Islamic era, time period and concept and refers ignorance of the message of Islam

SAW-03-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

2007-03-27T03:00:00.000+05:00

saw-3

Al-Aaqib: (The One who comes Last). He is the one who came at the end of the line of Prophets, and there is no prophet after him. In the ayah from the Qur’an, it is stated:

“Muhammad (SAW) is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.”
Al-Muqaffee: (The Last). He is the one who was sent with the characteristics of the Messengers who had preceded him, and was their seal.

Nabi at-Tawba: (the Prophet of Repentance). It was by him that Allaah opened the door of repentance for the inhabitants of the earth

[by them accepting his message], and Allaah forgave them with a forgiveness that was not given to the people before him.

And the Prophet (SAW) was the one who sought forgiveness from Allaah the most, to the extent that he would say, "My Lord forgive me and turn toward me, You are The Oft-Forgiving, The Oft-Returning " 100 times in a single sitting. And he used to say , "O people repent to Allaah, your Lord, for indeed I repent to Allaah 100 times in a day”.

And likewise the repentance of his (SAW) nation is more complete than the repentance of all the other nations, the fastest in being answered, and the easiest to be obtained. For the repentance of the previous nations was of the most difficult matters, to the extent that the repentance for the worshippers of the cow amongst the People of Israa`eel was to kill those worshippers. As stated in the
Qur’an:

“And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: "O my people! Verily, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf. So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves (the innocent kill the wrongdoers among you), that will be better for you with your Lord." Then He accepted your repentance. Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.”

But as for this nation, it is from the Kindness of Allaah that He has made repentance dependant upon sorrow and abstaining (from the sin in question).

Nabi al-Malhama: (The Prophet of Fierce Battles). He was the one who was sent with Jihaadto the enemies of Allaah, and no prophet before him did Jihaad to the extent that the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) and his nation fought Jihaad. And the like of the large wars that took place between him and the disbelievers were not seen before him. For his nation fought the disbelievers in lands to the ends of the earth.

Nabi ar-Rahma: (The Prophet of Mercy). He was the one whom Allaah sent as a Mercy for the universe. And Allaah was Merciful to all the people of the earth through him, both the believers and the disbelievers. In the Qur’an, it is clearly stated:

with one voice: "Al-Ameen (the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision."

It is important to note that the Prophet Muhammad was known to be of the highest and noblest character even before the advent of his prophethood. In the Qur’an, Allah states:

“And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are on an exalted standard of character.”

Al-Basheer: (the Bearer of glad tidings). He is the bearer of glad tidings for the one who obeys him of reward, and he is the Warner (an-Nadheer) of the one who disobeys him of punishment.And Allaah called him his servant (Abd) in many places in His Book for example,

‘Blessed be He who revealed the Furqaan to His servant’.

It is established that he (SAW) said, "I am the Master (Sayyid) of the children of Aadam [on the Day of Judgement] and I am not being arrogant."

And Allaah called him an Illuminating Lamp (Siraaj Muneer). And all praise is due to Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Ibn Hajar writes: “The other names of the Prophet (saw ) which are mentioned in the Qur’an are: al-Shâhid, al-Mubashshir, al-Nadhîr, al-Mubayyin, al-Dâ`î ilâ Allah, al-Sirâj al-Munîr, al-Dhikr, al-Rahmah, al-Ni`mah, al-Hâdî, al-Shahîd, al-Amîn, al-Muzammil, and al-Mudaththir. More names came in the hadîth related by `Abd Allah b. `Amr b. al-`Âs which is al-Mutawakkil.

Other famous names are: al-Mukhtâr, al-Mustafâ, al-Shâfi`, al-Mushaffa`, al-Sâdiq, al-Musaddiq and others.Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned other names in his book Zad al-Ma`âd such as al-Qâsim, al-Dahûk, al-Qattâl, `Abd Allah, Sayyid Walad Âdam, Sâhib Liwâ’ al-Hamd, Sâhib al-Maqâm al-Mahmûd. However, these are all descriptions and not really names.

What the questioner said regarding 99 names is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).

Ibn Dahiyyah writes in his book devoted to the prophetic names: “Some people said that the Prophet’s ( ) names are equivalent to Allah’s names (i.e., 99 names)... "If someone were to search for them, he would find them to be more like three hundred names.” He then goes on to enumerate these names in his book, referring them back to his sources in the Qur’ân and in different biographical works. He also mentioned the proper way of pronouncing these names and their meanings.

References

Quraan.com
Islamicnetwork.com

SAW-02-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

2007-03-27T02:44:00.000+05:00

saw-2

The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

The Prophet (SAW) has been called by many names and titles in the Qur`aan and Sunnah, each one of them describing a special quality of this exalted personality. And in understanding them and reflecting upon them, we can, by the permission of Allaah, increase in our love and following of the Messenger of Allaah (SAW). This discussion is taken from ‘Zaad al-Ma`aad’ (1/88-97) of ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, summarised.

The names of the Prophet are of two types:

1.Those names that are specific to him and none of the Messengers before him had these names, like Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Aaqib, al-Haashir, al-Muqaffee and Nabi al-Malhama.

2.Those names and qualities that are not specific to him, and were shared by the Messengers before him, but are found in him in the most complete and perfect forms. Like: Messenger of Allaah, His Prophet, His Servant, Prophet of Mercy etc.Through my research I have found that there are a lot of different lists of the Prophet Muhammad’s names that happen to be inauthentic and endorsed by mostly Sufi followers.

The most commonly propagated list of the Prophet’s names are the 99 Names, of which they have likened to the number of names of Allah that He has mentioned (He is not limited only to a certain number of names and attributes). This claim was refuted by Shaykh ‘Ali A. Al-Jumu’ah and stated that it “is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).” Ibn Dahiyyah writes in his book devoted to the prophetic names: “Some people said that the Prophet’s (saw ) names are equivalent to Allah’s names (i.e., 99 names)... "If someone were to search for them, he would find them to be more like three hundred names.” is not substantiated by any authentic hadîth related from the Prophet (saw ).

There are ahadith that state his names like in the hadîth related by Jubayr b. Mut`im that the Prophet said: “I have five names: I am Muhammad, I am Ahmad, I am al-Mâhî for Allah eliminates disbelief by me, I am al-Hâshir since all people gather under me at the day of Judgment, and I am al-`Âqib”. Other names have also been specifically mentioned in the Qur’an as referenced below.

Some of the authentic names that can be sourced are the following:

Muhammad: It is a passive participle, which means “to be eternally praised” and has qualities that are praiseworthy. It was given to him by his beloved grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib and it was not a common name at that time. The Prophet Muhammad is praised more than any other person, and this is why - and Allaah knows best - he was called by this name in the Torah, due to the many praiseworthy qualities which he, his religion, and his nation possess such that even Moses wished that he would be from them.

Ahmad: Derived, as is Muhammad, from the noun hamd (praise). A group of scholars said that it is a passive participle, meaning: his praising of Allaah is more than any other person’s praise of Him, and therefore he is the most deserving of being praised and the first. So in meaning Ahmad is similar to Muhammad except that the distinction is that he is Muhammad due to his possessing many praiseworthy qualities, and he is Ahmad due to his being praised in a more excellent way than the praise of any other. And this is the most complete meaning of this word, and the most extensive in commending him (SAW).

Also these two names stem from his character and the praiseworthy qualities that are specific to him, and it is because of these that he is called Muhammad (SAW) and Ahmad. And he is the one who is praised by the People of the Heaven, the People of the earth, the People of the world and the People of the Hereafter.

Al-Mutawakkil: (The One who puts his trust in Allaah). In the Saheeh of Bukhaaree from the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Umru who said, "I read the description of the Prophet in the Torah: Muhammad is Messenger of Allaah, My servant and Messenger, I have called him al-Mutawakkil. He is neither rude nor harsh and he does not shout in the markets, and he does not return an evil for an evil, rather he overlooks and forgives. And I will not make him to die until I make firm the nation through him, causing them to say: there is none worthy of worship except Allaah."He is the most deserving of this name, because the trust he put in Allaah to establish the religion was a trust unequalled by any other.

Al-Maahee: (the destroyer/effacer). This has been explained in the hadeeth of Jubair bin Mut`am: "al-Maahee: the one through whom Allaah destroys and effaces unbelief." Disbelief was not destroyed and removed by any single person as completely as was done by the Prophet (SAW). Indeed he was sent with the Truth, while all of the inhabitants of the earth were in disbelief, except for some remnants of the People of the Book. They consisted of the worshippers of idols, the Jews who had the Anger of Allaah on them, the Christians who had been misguided, the atheist Saabi`een, the worshippers of the stars and the fire, and the philosophers who did not acknowledge the laws of the Prophets. And Allaah effaced them all through His Messenger until He established His religion and made it supreme over all others, and made it spread to the extent that the night and day spreads, and made his call as the rays of the sun in the various lands.

Al-Haashir: (the Gatherer). He is the one who gathered and united the people at his feet, and therefore it was as if he had been sent for this purpose. The Prophet Muhammad has also been given by Allah the permission to intercede on the behalf of his followers so that they may enter Paradise. In an authentic hadeeth, it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah said: “I will be the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection.

Do you know why that is? Allaah will gather mankind, the first and the last of them, in one place, so that the caller will be able to make them all hear his voice and the watcher will be able to see them all. The sun will be brought close and the people will suffer such distress and trouble that they will not be able to bear it or stand it. The people will say, ‘Don't you see in the state you are in and the condition you have reached? Why don't you look for someone who can intercede for you with your Lord?’ The people will say to one another: ‘Go to your father, Adam.’ So they will go to Adam (peace be upon him) …

I [Prophet Muhammad] will go and prostrate beneath the Throne. Then I will be given words of praise such have never been given to anyone before me, then it will be said, ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head; ask, for it will be given to you, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.’ I will raise my head and say, ‘My ummah, O lord! My ummah, O Lord!’ It will be said, ‘O Muhammad, admit from among your ummah those who will not be brought to account from the right-hand gate of Paradise, and they will share the other gates with the people.’ He said, By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the distance between two of the gate-posts is like the distance between Makkah and Humayr, or between Makkah and Busra.”

This also shows us how the Prophet’s compassion is towards his followers and to all Muslims. Not only does this increase our love for him, but it also makes us want to follow his Sunnah as best as we could.

SAW-01-The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

2007-03-27T01:51:00.000+05:00

saw-1

The Names and Titles of the Prophet Muhammad

Introduction

The Prophet Muhammad ( ) was undoubtedly the greatest man to have walked on this earth. He was the last messenger of Allah and a mercy to mankind. He brought with him laws that if we ruled by them, justice will prevail amongst our societies. He exuded the best of character that if we applied to our own selves, we will be highly respected and looked up to. He led the people with such leadership that if we were to have leaders with the same qualities, we will be the most successful nation. And finally, he brought with him Islam, the perfect religion, that if we follow as he described it, we will never be astray.

All through his lifetime, the Prophet Muhammad ( ) was referred to by Allah with different names and titles, all of which describe his unique role and the message that he conveyed. I chose this topic because when we were discussing in class about the importance of studying Seerah, we talked about how cultivating one’s love for the Prophet Muhammad ( ) necessitates our knowledge of as much aspect of his life as we can acquire. Furthermore, by knowing his names and titles, it will also give us an idea of the roles that he played, and the honor and respect that was given to him by our Creator.

In this paper, I have approached this topic by defining Seerah, citing the importance of studying it, the names and titles of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) and their significance, and the lessons I have learned throughout this research.

Definition of Seerah

Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his lifetime. It also means conduct, comportment, demeanor, behavior, way of life, attitude, position, reaction, way of acting, and biography. Seerah can be a biography of any person, not just the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, we have used it with him so much, that we automatically refer it to his life.

Importance of Studying Seerah

1. The life of Prophet Muhammad is the history of Islam - we are studying a concise history of Islam by studying Seerah. We will find situations and incidences during his life that would help us in everything that we would need to know in our way of Da’wah. So his life is really the history of our religion. Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqqas said: “Our father would teach us the battles of the Prophet (saw), he would teach us the seerah and he would tell us that these are the traditions of our fathers, so study them.” They used to refer to Seerah as Maghaazi, which means battles since the later part of the Prophet’s life was spent in Maghaazi. Ali bin Hussain bin Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “We were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught before it, and hijrah erases everything before it, and hajj erases everything before it.”

And so I became Muslim. At that stage, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) became the most beloved person to me in the whole world. I loved him so much and I respected him so much that I couldn’t even catch a full glimpse of his face. If I had died in that stage, I would’ve hoped to be in Jannah. Sohail Ibn Amr, a well-known negotiator, was sent to the Prophet (saw) and came back saying: “I visited the Roman emperor, Persian, Najashi, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad (saw). I saw amazing things, such as when the Prophet (saw) would be making wudhu and the sahabah would be rushing to grab the water dripping form the body. So do whatever you want but these people will never give up their leader.” Until now, he remains the most beloved figure in the whole of history.

The name Muhammad means the ‘Praised One’, and it really fulfilled the meaning. “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” (9:24)

2. To follow the way of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Hazm says: “Whoever seeks the preeminence of the Hereafter, the 1. wisdom of this life, the just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad, the prophet of Allah.”

3. Understanding Qur’an. Seerah gives explanation for some ayaat in the Qur’an.

4. His life documents the methodological steps of the Islamic Movement. He went through stages, starting with the secret da’wah, and then public, and then later on, Jihad. These stages are important for Islamic movements to learn and study. Qur’an and Sunnah are verbal teaching and we see them applied in Seerah. Hadeeth about the black string and white string.

5. It is ‘Ibaadah. There is reward in studying Seerah, wherein each gathering is a circle of Dhikr that angels attend.

6. Developing a Muslim identity. Global culture is forced on us, protected and promoted. Thomas Friedman says that “the hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist.” McDonald’s will never flourish without McDonald Douglas, the designer of F15’s. This means that the global culture that is being promoted is a culture wherein there is no choice but to follow. You either accept McDonald’s or McDonald Douglas will send their F15’s. It is a very intolerant culture that cannot exist with anything else. Alexander Szoltsen, famous historian writer, says that “to destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. The way we can counter this and develop a Muslim identity is 1.) Study Seerah which is made up of the lives of the Prophets, the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, and the great figures of our history. 2.) Not to override our local identity to our Islamic identity. What happens in other muslim countries should concern us like it’s happening to us.

7. The Life of Muhammad is a testimony of his Prophethood. We get to know the miracles (the Qur’an), and how he became the political leader, military, religious, lawmaker, teacher, imam, head of a large family, and all he used to do within only 23, which is impossible for any other. This shows that we are studying the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Michael H. Hart author, wrote a book about 100 most influential people that ever lived in history and chose the Prophet Muhammad. He states that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the only one who was supremely successful in both religious and Secular level. Al-Mustafa, a name of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which means “The Chosen One”.

LIST OF QUALITIES THAT LEAD TO COMPLETENESS OF FAITH

2007-03-22T21:41:00.000+04:00

LIST OF QUALITIES THAT LEAD TO COMPLETENESS OF FAITH

Belief in Allah(swt): in His Existence and Oneness, in the perfection of His

Essence and Attributes; belief that everything other than Him is created by Him

Belief in the Messengers of Allah

Belief in the Books of Allah

Belief in the angels

Belief in the divine decree

Belief in the Last Day

Love of Allah (swt)

Fear of Allah (swt)

Hope in Allah (swt)

Trust in Allah (swt)

Loving the Prophet (saw)

Venerating the Prophet (saw) and following his Sunnah

Sincerity and not showing off

Repentance

Gratitude for the blessings of Allah (swt)

Patience

Mercy, compassion

Haya’ (modesty, shyness)

Reading and venerating the Qur’an

Seeking knowledge and teaching others

Spreading knowledge and teaching others

Du’aa’ (supplication)

Dhikr (remembering Allah) and praying for forgiveness

Guarding one’s tongue and avoiding idle speech

Purifying oneself physically and spiritually

Offering obligatory and Nawafil (optional) prayers

Giving obligatory and Nawafil Zakah

Observing obligatory and Nawafil fasts

Performing obligatory and Nawafil Hajj

I’tikaaf

Jihad for the sake of Allah (swt)

Guarding the borders for the sake of Allah (swt)

Being careful of one’s religious commitment

Offering expiation

Fulfilling vows

Keeping promises

Fulfilling trusts

Prohibition of crimes against people

Refraining from Haram (unlawful) sources of wealth

Moderation in spending

Protecting honour

Being happy when doing good and sad when doing bad

Obeying the ruler

Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil

Cooperating in righteousness and piety

Adhering to the way of the Jamaa’ah (the mainstream of Islam)

Being just

Honouring one’s parents

Upholding ties of kinship

Having a good attitude

Reconciling between people

Keeping away from the set limits

Establishing the command of Allah (swt)

Honouring one’s neighbour

Returning the greetings of Salam

Visiting the sick

Saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes

Honouring one’s guest

Ascetism (Zuhd’)

Protective jealousy (Gheerah)

Generosity

Compassion towards the young and respect towards the old

Loving for one’s brother what he loves for oneself

Being careful in spending by spending appropriately

Proper dealing by ensuring that one’s earnings are Halal (lawful)

Refraining from harming people

Offering the funeral prayer for the dead etc

Concealing those who have committed sin

Protecting children’s rights

Loving for the sake of Allah (swt)

Hating for the sake of Allah (swt)

Humility

Avoiding idle pursuits

Shunning the Kuffar

Drawing close to people of religious commitment

Accepting the divine decree

Removing harmful things from the road

References

1. Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with Comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari Summarized in One Volume by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. (Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. 23rd Revised Edition: August 1998. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com

2.Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic_English. Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. First edition 1996. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com

3.Beneficial Speech in Establishing the Evidences of Tawheed by Shaykh Muhammad Bin Abdil-Wahhaab Al-Wasaabee. November 2004.

4.The Jinn and Human Sickness Remedies in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Dr. Abu’l Mundhir Khaleel ibn Ibraaheem Ameen. 1st Edition. June 2005. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com

5. http://quran.islamicnetwork.com

ASMA UL HUSNA (Names of Allah)

2007-03-22T20:23:00.000+04:00

ASMA UL HUSNA (Names of Allah)

1. Allah (الله) The God
2. Al Rahman (الرحمن) The All Beneficent
3. Al Rahim (الرحيم) The Most Merciful
4. Al Malik (الملك) The King, The Sovereign
5. Al Quddus (القدوس) The Most Holy
6. Al Salam (السلام) Peace and Blessing
7. Al Mu'min (المؤمن) The Guarantor
8. Al Muhaymin (المهيمن) The Guardian, the Preserver
9. Al 'Aziz (العزيز) The Almighty, the Self Sufficient
10. Al Jabbar (الجبار) The Powerful, the Irresistible
11. Al Mutakabbir (المتكبر) The Tremendous
12. Al Khaliq (الخالق) The Creator
13. Al Bari' (البارئ) The Maker
14. Al Musawwir (المصور) The Fashioner of Forms
15. Al Ghaffar (الغفار) The Ever Forgiving
16. Al Qahhar (القهار) The All Compelling Subduer
17. Al Wahhab (الوهاب) The Bestower
18. Al Razzaq (الرزاق) The Ever Providing
19. Al Fattah (الفتاح) The Opener, the Victory Giver
20. Al Alim (العليم) The All Knowing, the Omniscient
21. Al Qabid (القابض) The Restrainer, the Straightener
22. Al Basit (الباسط) The Expander, the Munificent
23. Al Khafid (الخافض) The Abaser
24. Al Rafi' (الرافع) The Exalter
25. Al Mu'izz (المعز) The Giver of Honor

26. Al Mudhill (المذل) The Giver of Dishonor
27. Al Sami' (السميع) The All Hearing
28. Al Basir (البصير) The All Seeing
29. Al Hakam (الحكم) The Judge, the Arbitrator
30. Al 'Adl (العدل) The Utterly Just
31. Al Latif (اللطيف) The Subtly Kind
32. Al Khabir (الخبير) The All Aware
33. Al Halim (الحليم) The Forbearing, the Indulgent
34. Al 'Azim (العظيم) The Magnificent, the Infinite
35. Al Ghafur (الغفور) The All Forgiving
36. Al Shakur (الشكور) The Grateful
37. Al 'Ali (العلى) The Sublimely Exalted
38. Al Kabir (الكبير) The Great
39. Al Hafiz (الحفيظ) The Preserver
40. Al Muqit (المقيت) The Nourisher
41. Al Hasib (الحسيب) The Reckoner
42. Al Jalil (الجليل) The Majestic
43. Al Karim (الكريم) The Bountiful, the Generous
44. Al Raqib (الرقيب) The Watchful
45. Al Mujib (المجيب) The Responsive, the Answerer
46. Al Wasi' (الواسع) The Vast, the All Encompassing
47. Al Hakim (الحكيم) The Wise
48. Al Wadud (الودود) The Loving, the Kind One
49. Al Majid (المجيد) The All Glorious
50. Al Ba'ith (الباعث) The Raiser of the Dead
51. Al Shahid (الشهيد) The Witness
52. Al Haqq (الحق) The Truth, the Real
53. Al Wakil (الوكيل) The Trustee, the Dependable
54. Al Qawiyy (القوى) The Strong

55. Al Matin (المتين) The Firm, the Steadfast
56. Al Wali (الولى) The Protecting Friend, Patron, and Helper
57. Al Hamid (الحميد) The All Praiseworthy
58. Al Muhsi (المحصى) The Accounter, the Numberer of All
59. Al Mubdi' (المبدئ) The Producer, Originator, and Initiator of all
60. Al Mu'id (المعيد) The Reinstater Who Brings Back All
61. Al Muhyi (المحيى) The Giver of Life
62. Al Mumit (المميت) The Bringer of Death, the Destroyer
63. Al Hayy (الحي) The Ever Living
64. Al Qayyum (القيوم) The Self Subsisting Sustainer of All
65. Al Wajid (الواجد) The Perceiver, the Finder, the Unfailing
66. Al Majid (الماجد) The Illustrious, the Magnificent
67. Al Wahid (الواحد) The One, the All Inclusive, the Indivisible
68. Al Samad (الصمد) The Self Sufficient, the Impregnable, the Eternally Besought of All, the Everlasting
69. Al Qadir (القادر) The All Able
70. Al Muqtadir (المقتدر) The All Determiner, the Dominant
71. Al Muqaddim (المقدم) The Expediter, He who brings forward
72. Al Mu'akhkhir (المؤخر) The Delayer, He who puts far away
73. Al Awwal (الأول) The First
74. Al Akhir (الأخر) The Last
75. Al Zahir (الظاهر) The Manifest; the All Victorious
76. Al Batin (الباطن) The Hidden; the All Encompassing
77. Al Wali (الوالي) The Patron
78. Al Muta'al (المتعالي) The Self Exalted
79. Al Barr (البر) The Most Kind and Righteous
80. Al Tawwab (التواب) The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting
81. Al Muntaqim (المنتقم) The Avenger
82. Al 'Afuww (العفو) The Pardoner, the Effacer of Sins

83. Al Ra'uf (الرؤوف) The Compassionate, the All Pitying
84. Malik al Mulk (مالك الملك) The Owner of All Sovereignty
85. Dhu al Jalal wa al Ikram (ذو الجلال و الإكرام) The Lord of Majesty and Generosity
86. Al Muqsit (المقسط) The Equitable, the Requiter
87. Al Jami' (الجامع) The Gatherer, the Unifier
88. Al Ghani (الغنى) The All Rich, the Independent
89. Al Mughni (المغنى) The Enricher, the Emancipator
90. Al Mani'(المانع) The Withholder, the Shielder, the Defender
91. Al Darr (الضار) The Distressor, the Harmer (This attribute can only be found in hadith.)
92. Al Nafi' (النافع) The Propitious, the Benefactor
93. Al Nur (النور) The Light
94. Al Hadi (الهادئ) The Guide
95. Al Badi (البديع) Incomparable, the Originator
96. Al Baqi (الباقي) The Ever Enduring and Immutable
97. Al Warith (الوارث) The Heir, the Inheritor of All
98. Al Rashid (الرشيد) The Guide, Infallible Teacher, and Knower
99.Al Sabur (الصبور) The Patient, the Timeless

Please note that the English translation of names may have a slightly different meaning than the original Arabic word due to the words available in each language.

POS9-THe Resurrection of Bodies and Souls

2007-03-22T18:25:00.000+04:00

POS-9

THE RESURRECTION OF BODIES AND SOULS

On the Day of Judgment the trumpet will be blown with such a resounding thunder that all creatures of the heavens and the earth will die except whom Allah (swt) wills. This has been mentioned in numerous Qur’anic verses such as the following;

Surah 27 Al-Naml (The Ant)

87. And (remember) the Day on which the Trumpet will be blown and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth, will be terrified except him whom Allah will (exempt). And all shall come to Him humbled.

Surah 39:68
Surah 79:6-7
Surah 36: 49-51

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say,
“Then the Trumpet will be blown, and no one will hear it but will tilt his head. The first to hear it will be a man who will be fixing the trough for his camels. He will fall unconscious, and the people will fall unconscious. Then Allah will send – or he said, send down – rain, like dew (till) or shade (zill) (Nu’maan, a narrator, was uncertain), which will cause the bodies of the people to grow. Then the Trumpet will be blown a second time, and they will be standing, looking on (waiting).” (Muslim)

Once they arrive before Allah (swt), the process of Judgment will begin
In the end it is either to the pleasure of Paradise or the torments of Hell.
They will be in one of these two places with their bodies and souls united.

Description on the gathering of mankind

Narrated Aishah (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said,

“The people will be gathered barefooted, naked and uncircumcised.” I said, “O Messenger! Will the men and the women look at each other?” He said, “The situation will be too hard for them to pay attention to that.”

Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibbaan and Al-Haakim narrated that when Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri was dying, he called for a new garment and put it on, then he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say,

“The dead person will be resurrected in the clothes which he dies.”

Reconciliation between the first and second hadith:

1. The clothes will wear out after they are resurrected from their graves, so that when they reach the place of gathering they will be naked, then they will be clothed with the garments of Paradise.

2. What is meant by garments here is one’s deeds, i.e. they will be resurrected doing the same actions as they were doing when they died, whether good or bad.

State of the People on the Day of Resurrection:

Al-Miqdaad ibn al-Aswad said: I heard the Prophet (saw) say,

“On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will be brought so close to the people that it will be as close to them as one mile.” (Muslim)

Narrated Qais: Jarir said,

“We were with The Prophet (saw) and he looked at the moon on a full moon night and said, “Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So if you can avoid missing (through sleep or business) a prayer before the sunrise (Fajr) and a prayer before sunset (‘Asr’) you must do so.” He then recited Allah’s Statement: “And glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before (its) setting.” (Surah 50 Ayah 39).

Isma’il said: “Offer those prayers and do not miss them.” (Bukhari 554)

Narrated Safwan bin Muhriz: While Ibn ‘Umar was performing the Tawaf (around the Ka’bah), a man came up to him and said,

“O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman!” or said, “O Ibn ‘Umar! Did you hear anything from the Prophet (saw) about An-Najwa?” Ibn ‘Umar said, “I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, ‘The believer will be brought near his Lord.’” (Hisham, a sub narrator said, reporting the Prophet’s words), “The believer will come near (his Lord) till his Lord covers him with His Screen and makes him confess his sins. (Allah will ask him). ‘Do you know (that you did) such and such sin.’ He will say twice, ‘Yes, I know I did commit those sins.’ Then Allah will say, ‘I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today.’ Then the record of his good deeds will be folded up [i.e. the record (Book) of his good deeds will be given to him]. As for the others or the disbelievers, it will be announced publicly before the witnesses: “These are ones who lied against their Lord.’” (Bukhari 4865)

An-Najwa – the private talk between Allah and His slave on the Day of Resurrection. It also means, a secret counsel or conference or consultation.

Narrated Jundab (ra): The Prophet (saw) said,

“He who lets the people hear of his good deeds intentionally, to win their praise, Allah will let the people know his real intention (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who does good things in public to show off and win the praise of the people, Allah will disclose his real intention (and humiliate him).” (Bukhari)

Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said,

“Anyone whom Allah has given wealth and does not pay its Zakah; then, on the Day of Resurrection, his wealth will be presented to him in the shape of a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two poisonous glands in its mouth and it will encircle itself round his neck and bite him over his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth; I am your treasure.’” Then the Prophet (saw) recited this Divine Verse: “And let those who covetously withhold of that which Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty.” (Surah 3 Ayah 180) (Bukhari 4565)

Note: Read Islamic Creed Series Vol.5 The Final Day Part 2 The Day of Resurrection in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by ‘Umar S. al-Ashqar (IIPH) for more details

EVEN DEATH MUST DIE

Finally, since there is no further need for death after the Final Judgment, even death must die. For that reason it is slaughtered between Paradise and Hell as has been mentioned in a number of authentic hadith.

Hadith: Angel of Death will be turned into a ram

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said,

“When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise and the people of the Fire (Hell) have entered the Fire (Hell), Death will be brought and will be placed between the Fire (Hell) and the Paradise, and then it will be slaughtered, then a call will be made (that), ‘O people of Paradise, no more death! And ‘O people of the Fire (Hell), no more death!’ so the people of Paradise will have happiness added to their (previous) happiness, and the people of the Fire (Hell) will have sorrow added to their (previous) sorrow.

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said,

“On the Day of Resurrection, death will be brought forward in the shape of a black and white ram. Then a call-maker will call, ‘O people of Paradise!’ Thereupon they will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, ‘Do you know this?’ They will say: ‘Yes, this is death.’ By then all of them would have seen it. Then it will be announced again, ‘O people of Hell!’ They will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, ‘Do you know this?’ They will say, ‘Yes, this is death.’ And by then all of them would have seen it. Then it (that ram) will be slaughtered and the caller will say, ‘O people of Paradise! Eternity for you and no death. O people of Hell! Eternity for you and no death.’” Then the Prophet (saw) recited: “And warn them (O Muhammad (saw)) of the Day of grief and regrets when the case has been decided, while (now) they (i.e. the people of the world) are in a state of carelessness and they believe not.” (Bukhari 4730)

Recommended Readings

The Sword Against Shaytan
The Journey of the Soul by Laila Mabrook
Islamic Creed Series Volume 5 The Final Day (Part 1 The Minor Resurrection; Part 2 The Day of Resurrection; Part 3 Paradise and Hell). ‘Umar S. al-Ashqar. Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).

References

Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with Comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari Summarized in One Volume by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. (Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. 23rd Revised Edition: August 1998. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. www.darussalam.com
Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic-English. Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. First edition 1996. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. www.darussalam.com

Islamic Creed Series Vol. 5. The Final Day. Part 1. The Minor Resurrection In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. ‘Umar S. al-Ashqar. Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. English ed. 2 (2003). International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).
Islamic Creed Series Vol. 5. The Final Day. Part 3. Paradise and Hell In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. ‘Umar S. al-Ashqar. Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. English ed. 2 (2003). International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).
The Inevitable Journey Part IV: Life in Al-Barzakh. Muhammad al-Jibaly. 1998. Al-Kitaab & as-Sunnah Publishing.
http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/

POS8-The Torment and The Pleasure of Grave(2)

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bricks, and we went to its gate and asked (the gatekeeper) to open the gate, and it was opened and we entered the city and found in it men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across (the city) and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness (of their bodies) had disappeared, and they became of the best shape.”

The Prophet (saw) further added, “My two companions (angels) said to me, ‘This place is the Adn Paradise, and that is your place.’ I raised up my sight, and behold there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, ‘That (palace) is your place.’ I said to them ‘May Allah bless you both! Let me enter it (one day).’ I said to them, ‘I have seen many wonders tonight. What does all that mean that which I have seen?’ They replied, ‘We will inform you:

As for the first man you came upon whose head was being smashed with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Quraan and then neither recites it nor acts on its orders, and sleeps neglecting the enjoined prayers. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.
As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies that are spread all over the world. He will be continued to be tortured in this way until the Day of Resurrection.

And those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven, they are the adulterers – fornicators, and the adulteresses – fornicatresses; and the men that you saw swimming in the river, and was given a stone to swallow, is the eater of Ribaa; and the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going around it, is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell; and the tall man whom you saw in the garden, is Ibrahim (Abraham), and the children around him are those who die on Al-Fitrah (The Islamic Faith of Monotheism).’” The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Prophet (saw), “O Allah’s Messenger! What about the children of Al-Mushrikin?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “and also the children of Al-Mushrikun.’

The Prophet (saw) added, “My two companions added, ‘The man you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another that was evil but Allah forgave them.’” (Bukhari 7047)

Aishah (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Indeed Allah increases the punishment of a disbeliever because of the weeping of some members of his family over him.” (An-Nasai)

‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “The dead (person) is punished in his grave because of the wailing over him.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

t Abu Musa (ra) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Whenever a person dies, and one of his mourners stands up and cries, ‘O you whom we used to rely on! O you who used to rescue us!...,’ and so on, two angels are appointed to hit him in the neck saying, ‘Were you truly as they say?’” (Tirmidhi)

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) passed by two graves and said,

“Both of them (persons in the grave) are being tortured, and they are not being tortured for a major sin. This one used not to save himself from being soiled with his urine, and the other used to go about with calumnies (among the people to rouse hostilities, e.g. one goes to a person and tells him that so and so says about him such and such evil things).” The Prophet (saw) then asked for a green branch of a date palm tree, split it in two pieces and planted one on each grave and said, “It is hoped that their punishment may be abated till those two pieces of the branch get dried.” (Bukhari 6052)

Thus it is clear that the soul and the body together experience the effect of torment or pleasure, not just one or the other as some have erroneously contended.

Hadith: Shown place (in heaven or hell) while waiting for the Day of Judgment

Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet (saw) said, “None will enter Paradise but will be shown the place he would have occupied in the

(Hell) Fire if he had rejected faith, so that he may be more thankful; and none will enter the (Hell) Fire but will be shown the place he would have occupied in Paradise if he had faith, so that, that may be a cause of sorrow for him.”

According to the hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), “The Prophet (saw) said, ‘When anyone of you dies, he is shown his abode morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the people of Hell. And it is said to him, ‘This is your place until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.’” (Bukhari 3/243, Muslim hadith no. 2866)

Things which save one from the trial and torment of the grave.

What can save a person from the torment of the grave is to be prepared and ready for death, so even if death comes suddenly, there will be no cause for regret. Some of the ways of preparing for death are hastening to repent, fulfilling one’s obligations and doing a lot of righteous deeds, because faith, prayer, fasting, Zakah, hajj, jihad, honoring one’s parents, upholding the ties of kinship, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other kinds of good deeds will protect the believer, and by means of these righteous deeds Allah will provide him a way out of every difficulty.

Hadith on good character:

The good character will stand before you and protect you from the trials of the grave.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) told us that righteous deeds will protect a person in his grave. Ibn Taymiyah said: “According to the famous hadith of Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saw), narrated by Abu Haatim in his footsteps as they depart from him. If he was a believer, prayer stands by his head, fasting stands to his right, zakah stands to his left and good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly stand at his feet. He is approached from the direction of his head, and prayer says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his right, and fasting says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from his left, and zakah says, ‘You can not get past me.’ Then he is approached from the direction of his feet, and his good deeds such as honesty, upholding ties of kinship and treating people kindly say. ‘You can not get past me.’ …”

According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, the Messenger (saw) said

“…There comes to him (according to one report, there appears to him) a man with a handsome face, fine clothes, and a pleasant scent. He says, ‘receive the glad tidings of that which will delight you.’ (Receive the glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah, and Gardens in which is everlasting joy). This is your day which you were promised.’ (The deceased) says, ‘(May
Allah bless you), who are you? Your face is a face which portends good.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds. (By Allah, all I ever knew of you was that you were quick to obey Allah and slow to disobey Him; may Allah reward you with good).’…”

The Lessons of Death
Remember death always

“Know that death is the greatest calamity, the most terrifying thing, the cup whose taste is most hateful and bitter. It is the destroyer of delights, which puts an end to all comforts and brings all that you dislike. The thing that cuts off your limbs, separates your body parts and destroys your strength is indeed a terrifying thing, an immense calamity, and the day when it happens is a terrible day.” (Al-Qurtubi, 24)

“Where is the wealth that you have gathered and prepared for hardship and terror? There is no money in your hand when you are dying. The wealth and pride that you enjoyed have been replaced with humiliation and poverty. What has become of you, O’ prisoner of your burdens. O’ you who have been taken away from your family and your home? (Al-Qurtubi)
t Narrated Anas (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him; and if he can not, but long for death, then he should say, ‘O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.’” (Bukhari 6351

POS7-THE TORMENT AND THE PLEASURE OF THE GRAVE(1)

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THE TORMENT AND THE PLEASURE OF THE GRAVE

It has already been mentioned that the soul is returned to the body in the grave at the time of questioning. [See the trial of the grave] The fact that the soul returns to the body for questioning at this time proves that the torment is experienced by both the body and the soul together.

Does the Torment in the Al-Barzakh affect the soul, the body or both?

The view of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is that the soul is that the soul is distinct from the body but is connected to it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “The torment and the blessings happen to both the soul and the body, according to the consensus of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. The soul is blessed or tormented separately from the body and is tormented in connection with the body, and the body is connected to it. So the blessings and torment happen to them both together in this situation, and it happens to the soul separately from the body.”

The Terrors of the Grave

Haani’, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affaan, narrated that whenever ‘Uthman (ra) stood over a grave he would weep until his beard would be wet. It was said to him, “You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but when you remember the grave you weep?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw)say,

‘The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. Whoever passes through it safely, whatever comes after that will be easier for him, but if he does not pass through it safely, whatever comes after that will be harder for him.’” He said, “And I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, ‘I have never seen any disturbing scene, more terrifying than the grave.’” (Tirmidhi)

The Squeezing of the Grave

When the deceased is placed in his grave, he is squeezed in a manner from which no one, great or small, righteous or immoral can escape.

It is reported from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “There is squeezing in the grave; if anyone were to have been saved from it, it would have been Sa’id ibn Mu’aadh.” (Saheeh al-Jaami 2/236)

Narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “If anyone were to have been saved from the squeezing of the grave, it would have been Sa’id ibn Mu’aadh. He was squeezed once and then released.” (Saheeh al-Jaami 5/71)

Squeezing of the grave – both the body and soul experiences it
In the case of the disbeliever, the grave closes in on the body, squeezing the rib cage so tightly that it cracks and the ribs of the right side enter between those on the left.

“Know that the torment of the grave is the torment of Al-Barzakh. Everyone who dies and deserves punishment will receive his share of it, whether he is buried in a grave or not, whether he is eaten by wild animals or burned until he becomes ashes which are blown away by the wind, whether he is crucified, or drowned at sea. His soul and his body will experience the same torment as those who are buried in graves. And he will be made to sit up (to be questioned) and his ribs will interlock (when he is squeezed by the earth), and so on, as was narrated. It is essential to understand what the Messenger (saw) meant, without adding and taking away anything.” (Sharh al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah, p. 451)

According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, the Messenger (saw) said that the angels question the believer in his grave and when he answers well,

“…a voice cries out from the heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth; supply him with furnishings from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’ So there comes to him some of its fragrant scent, and his grave is expanded for him as far as the eye can see. There comes to him (according to one report, there appears to him) a man with a handsome face, fine clothes, and a pleasant scent. He says, ‘receive the glad tidings of that which will delight you.’ (Receive the glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah, and Gardens in which is everlasting joy). This is your day which you were promised.’ (The deceased) says, ‘(May Allah bless you), who are you? Your face is a face which portends good.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds. (By Allah, all I ever knew of you was that you were quick to obey Allah and slow to disobey Him; may Allah reward you with good).’ Then a door to Paradise is opened for him, and a door to Hell, and it is said, ‘This would have been your place had you disobeyed Allah, but Allah has replaced it with this for you.’ And when he sees what is in Paradise, he says, ‘O Lord, hasten on the Hour, so that I may return to my family and my wealth.’ (And it is said to him. ‘Be calm and feel at ease.’)”

And the Prophet (saw) said that after the kaafir or evildoer has given a bad reply (to the angels’ questions),

“…a voice cries out from the heaven, saying ‘He has lied. Supply him with furnishings from Hell, and open a door to Hell for him.’ So there comes to him some of its heat and hot wind. His grave compresses him until his ribs interlock. Then there comes to him (according to one report, there appears to him) a man with an ugly face, horrible clothes and a foul stench. He says, ‘Receive the tidings of that which will distress you. This is your day which you were promised.’ (The deceased) says, ‘(May Allah curse you), who are you? Your face portends evil.’ He says, ‘I am your evil deed. (By Allah, all I ever knew of you was that you were slow to obey Allah and quick to disobey Him;) (may Allah requite you with evil.)’ Then Allah appoints over him one who is blind, deaf and dumb, in whose hand is an iron rod which, if he were to strike a mountain with it, it would turn o dust. He strikes him with it until he turns to dust, then he is restored to his former state, and he is struck again. He utters a scream which everything can hear except for mankind and jinn. Then a door to Hell is opened for him, and his grave is furnished from Hell. And he says. ‘O’ Lord, do not let the Hour come.’”

In Sunan al-Tirmidhi it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger (saw) said that the two angels say to the believing slave, after he has answered their questions correctly:

“We knew that you would say that.” Then his grave is expanded for him, seventy cubits by seventy, and it is illuminated for him. Then it is said to him, ‘Sleep.” He says, “Let me go back to my family and tell them.” They say, “Sleep like the bridegroom who will not be woken by anyone except the dearest of his family to him, until Allah resurrects you from your place of rest.” But they say to the hypocrite, “We knew that you would say this.” Then it is said to the earth, “Squeeze him.” So it squeezes him until his ribs interlock. And he will be tormented until Allah resurrects him from his grave. (at-Tirmidhi hadith no. 1071)

The Prophet (saw) was also shown the torment of various punishments commensurate with their heinous crimes and transgressions.

Narrated Sumurah bin Jundub (ra): Allah’s Messenger (saw) very often used to ask his Companions, “Did anyone of you see a dream?” So, dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah willed to relate. One morning the Prophet (saw) said,

“Last night two persons (angels) came to me (in a dream) and woke me up and said to me, ‘Proceed!

I set out with them and we came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man’s head, smashing it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and took it back. By the time he reached the man, his head returned to its normal state. The thrower then did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

So we proceeded and came to a man lying in a prone position, and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck), and similarly ear his nose from front to back, and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other (second) side when the first side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions. ‘Subhan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said to me, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

So we proceeded and came across something like a Tannur (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread).” I think the Prophet (saw) added, “We looked into it and found naked men and women, and behold, a flame of fire was reaching to them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

And so we proceeded and came across a river.” I think he said, “– red like blood.” The Prophet (saw) added, “And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth and the latter (on the back) threw a stone into his mouth whereupon he went swimming again. Then again he (the former) returned to him (the latter), and every time the former returned, he opened his mouth, and the latter threw a stone into his mouth, (and so on) the performance was repeated, I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these two persons?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

And we proceeded till we came to a man with a repulsive appearance, the most repulsive appearance you ever saw a man having! Beside him there was a fire, and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, ‘Who was this (man)?’ They said to me ‘Proceed! Proceed!’

So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colors. In the midst of the garden there was a very tall man, and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen. I said to my companions, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, Proceed! Proceed!’
So we proceeded till we came to a majestic huge garden, greater and better than I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, ‘Ascend up’ and I ascended up.” The Prophet (saw) added, “So we ascended till we reached a city built of gold and silver

POS6-Death and Resurrection (2)

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The disbelievers and hypocrites are doomed to endless torture in the Hellfire. Surah 7 Al-A’raf (The Heights)

40. Verily, those who belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc) and treat them with arrogance, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will never enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle(which is impossible). Thus do We recompense the Mujrimun (criminals, polytheist, sinners).

Surah 40:70-76; 74:42-47; 41:25-28; 9:68; 4:145; Surah 7:36; 43:74; 35:36; 2:39; 2:161-162; 9:17; 9:63; 5:37; 10:52Surah 3:151; 10:8; 29:68; 57:15; 38:55-56 Sinful Muslims who maintain correct beliefs (affirming Tawheed) are also liable for a term of punishment in the Hellfire (may Allah protect us from it) but by Allah’s Mercy may enter heaven at a later time.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Allah will admit the people of Paradise to Paradise, and He will admit whomsoever He wills by His Mercy. And He will admit the people of Hell to Hell, then He will say: ‘Look for anyone who has the weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart, and bring him out.’”

Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet (saw) said, “Whoever says Laa ilaaha illa-Allah and has a barley-grain’s weight of goodness in his heart, will be brought out of the Fire. Then whoever says Laa ilaaha illa-Allah and has a wheat-grain’s weight of goodness in his heart will be brought out of the Fire. Then whoever says Laa ilaaha illa-Allah and has an atom’s weight of goodness in his heart will be brought out of the Fire.” (Muslim)

Abu Huraira (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said, “…When Allah will finish judging mankind, and would want to bring whomever He would will, out of Hell by His Mercy, He will order angels to bring out those upon whom He wishes to bestow His Mercy, of the people who never associated anything in worship with Allah, and who said ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Allah.’ The angel will recognize them in Hell, and will know them by the mark of sujood on their foreheads. The Fire will consume all of a man except the mark of sujood, which Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume. They will be brought forth, having been burned in the Fire; the water of life will be poured on them, and they will grow like seeds left by silt after a flood.”

Surah 4:97-98; 4:29-30; 4:10; 3:130-131; 2:275; 11:113;

NOTES:

Feelings/thoughts when seeing the graves: fear, loneliness, darkness, questioning, torture, tightness, will tell you where you will be forever (Paradise or Hell), fear of Hellfire, reminder that all body parts will testify on the Day of Judgment

Kaffir – torture starts upon death (upon taking of the soul, i.e. like iron skewer passing through wet wool)

Disobedient Muslim / Hypocrite – similar to being deaf, dumb and blind.

Hadith on the Intensity of the Fires of Hell (An-Naar)

The Prophet (saw) told us: “Fire as we know it is one–seventieth part of the Fire of Hell.” Someone said. “O’ Messenger of Allah, it is enough as it is!” He (saw) said, “It (the Fire of Hell) is as if sixty-nine equal portions were added to fire as we know it.” (Bukhari)

Narrated An-Nu’man bin Bashir (ra): I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, “the least punished person of the (Hell) Fire people, on the Day of Resurrection will be a man under whose arch of the feet, two smoldering embers will be placed because of which his brain will boil just like al-Mirjal (copper vessel) or a Qum-qum (narrow-necked vessel) is boiling with water.”

SOULS OF THE DEAD MEETING WITH EACH OTHER

Abu Hurayrah reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said: “Verily, the soul of the believer (after death) soars up to the heavens, whereupon the souls of the other believers come to it, seeking news about those they know from the people of the earth.” (Al-Suyuti & Nasirudeen al-Albani)

EVIDENCE FROM THE QUR’AN AGAINST RETURN

There are a number of Qur’anic verses whose text unequivocally prove that souls of the dead do not return to earth.

Allah (swt) says:

Surah 23 Al-Mu’minoon (The Believers)

99. Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back,
100. "So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.

There are no contraindications among the various explanations by these scholars. Rather, they all point to one undeniable fact; the soul, having been separated from its earthly body, enters into a realm behind which there is a barrier prohibiting any return.

However, although these verses specifically refer to the polytheist of Makkah (who denied the possibility of the resurrection of the soul); it includes all the souls of the dead, regardless of who they are.

Note: Surah Al-Mu’minoon disproves the validity of the ff: séances, ghosts, reincarnation, seeing the spirits of dead relatives

EVIDENCE FROM THE SUNNAH AGAINST RETURN

There are a number of texts from the Sunnah which further support the contention that even the pious and the most righteous believers’ souls can not return to the earth. One example is sufficient to prove this point. As it is well known, the souls of Muslim martyrs are freed upon death to roam Paradise to partake of some of its pleasure in a limited fashion.

The following hadith relates that the martyr desires to return to the world but can not:

The Prophet (saw) said, “No servant who has good in store for him with Allah and dies wants to return to the earth – even if he were to have the whole world and everything that is in it – except for the martyr. And that is due to what he sees in the nobility of martyrdom. Verily, he would like to return back to the earth in order to be martyred another time.” (Al-Tirmidhi and Muslim)

Narrated Anas bin Malik (ra): The Prophet (saw) said, “Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world, even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah’s Cause).” (Bukhari 2795)

The preceding texts of both the Qur’an and the Sunnah clearly illustrate that the souls of the dead do not come back to the earth to visit relatives or friends, neither in the form of a spirit or an apparition nor in their previous bodies or in any other person’s body

POS5-Death and Resurrection(1)

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DEATH AND RESURRECTION

BARZAKH – Literally a barrier between two things, a partition; Phase between Death and the Day of Resurrection (An interim period between death and resurrection.)

Surah 23 Al-Mu’minoon (The Believers)

99. Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back,

100. "So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.

According to Islam and all divinely revealed religions, when a person dies on earth he will not be reborn until the Day of Resurrection. After the destruction of the world, all of mankind will rise up from the dead to be judged by Allah (swt). From the time a man dies until he is resurrected, he remains in a suspended state known in Arabic as the Barzakh

THE TAKING OF THE SOUL AND THE STATE OF THE GRAVE

The Coming of the Angels of Death:

According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn Aazib, The Messenger (saw) said:

“When the believing slave is about to depart this world and move to the Hereafter, angels come down to him from the heavens, with white faces like the sun. They bring with them a shroud from Paradise and aromatics (for embalming) from Paradise, and they sit in front of him as far as the eye can see. The Angel of Death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘O good soul, come out to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.’ Then it comes out like a drop of water from the mouth of a jug and they take it…”

“But when the disbelieving slave (according to one report immoral slave), is about to depart this world and move to the Hereafter, angels come down to him from the heavens, (harsh and severe) with black faces, bringing sackcloth (from Hell). They sit in front of him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head, and says, ‘O evil soul, come out to the anger of Allah and His wrath.’ Then it cowers within his body and is dragged out like a (many-hooked) iron skewer passing through wet wool (with which veins and nerves are cut)…”

The Stupor of Death

This stupor is the distress and hardship of death.

There is a severe form of rebuke to both the deceased kaafir and the deceased disobedient and hypocritical Muslim who did not practice their religion.
It is an appropriate symbol as it signifies his spiritual circumstances in earth – deaf, dumb and blind

Believer’s Joy at Meeting His Lord

Anas ibn Maalik narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as Saamit that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” Aishah or one of his wives said, “We do not like death.” He (saw) said, “That is not what I meant. But when the believer is dying, he is given glad tidings of the pleasure and honoring of Allah, so there is nothing dearer to him than what lies ahead of him. So he loves to meet Allah and Allah loves to meet him. But when the kaafir is dying, he is given the tidings of Allah’s punishment and torment, so that nothing is more hated by him that what lies ahead of him. So he hates to meet Allah and Allah hates to meet him.” (Bukhari 11/357)

The disbelievers, hypocrites and sinful Muslims do not want the establishment of the Last Hour and subsequently, the Resurrection and Judgment.

The Soul’s Departure and Journey to Heaven

According to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, in which the Messenger (saw) described a person’s journey after death to Al-Barzakh, he said:

“…until when his soul comes forth, every angel between heaven and earth, and every angel in heaven, sends blessings on it. The gates of heaven are opened for him and there is no one among the gatekeepers who does not pray to Allah to let him ascend through where they are. When he (i.e. the Angel of Death) takes it (that soul), they (the angels) do not leave it in his hand even for a twinkle of an eye, before they take it and put it in that shroud and that embalming perfume…”

[This is what Allah (swt) says … “Our messengers (Angel of Death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. (Surah 6 Al-An’ am (The Cattle):61)]

“…There comes forth from it (a fragrance) like the finest musk to be found on the face of the earth. They take it up, and do not pass any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this good soul?’ They say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so’ – calling him by the best names by which he was known in this world. Then when they reach the first heaven, they ask for it to be opened for them, and it is opened for them. (In each of the heavens), the angels who are closest to Allah walk with him (to bid him farewell) as he moves to the next heaven, until he reaches the seventh heaven. Then Allah (swt) says, ‘Place the book of My slave in ‘Illiyyeen (the Register of righteous

deeds).’ So they place his book in ‘Illiyyeen, then it is said, ‘Take him back to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them, and from it I shall bring them forth again…”

And the Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke of the evil soul which is dragged forth from the kaafir or evildoer. He said that after it is dragged forth, “(Then every angel between heaven and earth, and every angel in heaven, curses it, and the gates of heaven are shut. There is no one among the gatekeepers who does not pray to Allah not to let him ascend through where they are). When he (i.e. the Angel of Death) takes it (that soul), they (the angels) do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling of an eye, before they take it and put it in the sackcloth. There emanates from it (a stench) like the foulest of dead flesh to be found on the face of the earth. They take it up, and they do not pass any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this evil soul?’ They say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so.’ – calling him by the worst names by which he was known in this world. Then when they reach the first heaven, they ask for it to be opened for them, and it is not opened for them.”

[Then the Messenger of Allah recited the ayah “…for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will never enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle…” (Surah 7 Al-A’raf (The Heights):40)]

“Then Allah (swt) says: ‘Record his book in Sijjeen (the Register of evil deeds), in the lowest earth.’ Then He says, ‘Return my slave to the earth, for I have promised them that from it I created them, to it I will return them, and from it I shall bring them forth again.’ So they throw it down from heaven, (until it returns to his body).”

[Then he (saw) recited the ayah “… and whoever assigns partners to Allah, it is if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place.”(Surah 22 Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage):31)].

Then his soul is returned to his body, so that he hears the thumping of his companions’ shoes as they walk away from his grave…”

The Trial (Fitnah) of the Grave

In Bukhari it is narrated that Asmaa’ bint Abi Bakr (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) stood up to deliver a Khutbah. He mentioned the trial of the grave with which each person will be tested. When he mentioned that, a nervous hubbub arose amongst the Muslims.” When the hubbub died down, I asked a man who was near me, “May Allah bless you, what did the Messenger (saw) at the end?” He said: ‘[The Messenger of Allah (saw)] said: “It has been revealed to me that you will be tested in your graves (with a trial) that is similar to the trial of the Dajjal.”

Narrated Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, the Messenger (saw) said,

“…Two (very harsh) angels come to him (and treat him roughly) and make him sit up. They say to him, ‘Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?’ This is the last trail to which the believer is subjected. So he says, ‘My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my Prophet is Muhammad (saw).’ Then a voice cries out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth.’…”

And he (saw) said concerning the kaafir or evildoer:

“…Two (very harsh) angels come to him (and treat him roughly) and make him sit up. They say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ They say to him, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ They say, ‘What do you say about this man who was sent among you?’ He can not remember his name, so they tell him, ‘Muhammad.’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ (I heard the people saying such and such.’ They say to him, ‘May you never know and may you never say what the people said!’) Then a voice calls out, ‘My slave is lying’…” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasaa’i)

POS4- Deaths

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POS-4

4. Death due to Diseases or Accidents (Al-Bukhari and Ahmad)

It is reported in a hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Yasaar: “I was sitting with Sulayman ibn Sard and Khaalid ibn ‘Arfatah, and they said that a man had passed away. He had died of stomach disease, and they wished that they had attended his funeral. One of them said to the other, ‘Didn’t the Messenger of Allah (saw) say,

“Whoever dies of a stomach disease will not be tormented in his grave?” And the other said, ‘Yes he did.’” According to another report, “You have spoken the truth.”

e.g. A medical condition which is characterized by inflammation of the pleura (a delicate serous membrane lining each half of the breast plate and folded over the surface of the lung of the same side) and is accompanied by fever, difficult and painful respiration and coughing.
E.g. Poisoning and dysentery

E.g. A wall or a house collapsing on a person or a landslide, etc

5. Death in Defense of One’s Rights (Abu Dawud and An-Nasa’i)

6. Death on Jumu’ah (Friday) (Ahmad and Tirmidhi)

According to the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, the Prophet (saw) said:

“There is no Muslim who dies on Friday, but Allah will save him from the trials of the grave.” This is narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi.

7. Perspiring brow upon Death (Ahmad and An-Nasa’i)

8. Death during or after Good Deeds

References
Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with Comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari Summarized in One Volume by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. (Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. 23rd Revised Edition: August 1998. Darussalam Publishers and Distributors. http://www.darussalam.com/
Islamic Creed Series Volume 5. The Final Day Part 1. The Minor Resurrection (What Happens After Death) In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by ‘Umar s. al-Ashqar translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. English Edition (2003). International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/

POS3-THE DEATH EXPERIENCE

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pOS-3

THE DEATH EXPERIENCE

Surah 3 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

185. Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).

HARDSHIPS AND AGONIES

Surah 50 Al-Qaf

19. And the stupor of death will come in truth: "This is what you have been avoiding!"

In a Hadith:

Aishah (ra) related: (On the occasion of his approaching death), Allah’s Messenger (saw) had a small vessel of water placed before him. He began to dip his hands in the water, and wiping his face with them. He said: ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Indeed death brings with it agonies!’ Then he raised his hand up and kept repeating, ‘In the most exalted company’ until his soul was taken away and his hand fell limp. (Bukhari)

From what has preceded, it is clear that death causes agony and hardship.

Even the Prophet (saw) prayed to Allah (swt) to help him overcome the great test placed upon him.

“If such great agonies were experienced upon death by the prophets, the messenger and the pious believers…

How can the likes of ourselves be heedless about it – too busy and neglectful in preparing for it?

Two benefits can be derived from the occurrence of such agonies and hardships to the chosen prophets.

The First:

Information given to man of the extent of death’s pain and calamity

Although one may assume that the person died with ease because it appeared that he expired effortlessly. Man can be sure of the agonies faced by the dying person (other than martyrs). Even the Prophets were especially honored by Allah (swt), because they still (experienced and) informed us about the fierce pangs of death.

The Second

In one of Al-Bukhari’s narrations, the Prophet (saw) informed us that the most severely tested are the prophets and then the most righteous

of other men and then those lesser in degree of righteousness. Thus, even though He could have eased their agonies and lightened the pangs of death, Allah (swt) wished to test them in order to complete their virtues and to raise their degrees (in heaven).

However, it is important to understand that Allah (swt) did not intensify their agony to a point greater than that inflicted upon sinful, disobedient people. Therefore, there is no comparison between the two.

APPEARANCE OF SATAN

There is no doubt that Satan comes even to a dying believer. He is ever present, tempting and troubling one during life, even up to the point when one’s soul exits the body. This continuous harassment is indicated in an authentic hadith:

The Prophet (saw) said:” Verily, Satan comes to all circumstances and affairs of life, even at the time of eating.” (Muslim)

Other scholars mentioned that during those critical moments (of death), the Shaytaan (Satan) comes to a person in the form of certain loved ones such as parents, brothers, sisters and friends, etc and encourages him to die a Jew or Christian or some other principles that go against Islam.

‘Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, said: “My father was dying, and I had my hand in a piece of cloth with

which to bind his beard. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, and gesturing with his hand to say ‘No, no.’ He did this several times, and I said to him, ‘O my father, what was that?’ He said, ‘The Shaytaan was standing near me, biting his fingertips (i.e. trying hard) and saying, ‘Come on Ahmad!’ and I was saying ‘No, no,’ – until he died.” (Tadhkirat al-Qurtubi, 34)

Qurtubi said: “I heard our shaykh, Imam Abul-‘Abbaas Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Qurtubi, saying, ‘I visited a brother of our shaykh, Abu Ja’afar Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Qurtubi in Qurtubah (Cordova), when he was dying. It was said to him, “Say Laa ilaha illallah,” and he was saying, “No, no.” When he came to consciousness, we mentioned to him that. He said, “Two devils came to me on my right and on my left. One of them was saying, ‘Die as a Jew, for it is the best of religions,’ and the other was saying, ‘Die as a Christian, for it is the best of religions,’ and I was saying to them. ‘No, no’”… (Tadhkirat al-Qurtubi)

It is clarified that these “narrations” are not based on authentic related prophetic traditions, but rather they are stories of people’s experiences.

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyah mentioned that the Shaytaan is at his most keen to mislead a person at the time of death, because it is such a critical time. In support of this view he quoted the hadith which is narrated in As-Saheeh: “It is man’s final deed (before death) that counts.” And he (saw) said:

“A person may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is no more than a cubit between him and it, then the decree overtakes him and he does an action of the people of Hell and thus enters it (Hell). Or a person may do the deeds of the people of Hell until there is no more than a cubit between him and it, then the decree overtakes him and he does an action of the people of Paradise and thus he enters it (Paradise).” Hence it is narrated that “the Shaytaan tries his hardest to tempt the son of Adam at the time of death, and he says to his helpers, ’Try to catch this one, for if he gets away you will never catch him,’” (Majmoo’ al-Tataawa, 4/256)

REPENTANCE BEFORE DEATH

Surely death is one of the most traumatic experiences which man must undergo. The Prophet (saw) ordered his followers to seek refuge in Allah from the fitnah (trial and tribulation) of death in the final supplication of every formal prayer:

When any of you completes the last tashahhud of his prayer, let him seek refuge in Allah from four things, saying, ‘O Allah, verily I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the Hellfire and the torment of the grave; from the fitnah of life and death; and from the evil fitnah of the false messiah. (Muslim, Nasai and others)

Every believer should hasten to repent for what sins and shortcomings have preceded s death may come at any time. Prophets (saw) indicating the last moment up to which repentance is accepted:

“Allah accepts the repentance of the servant so long as his spirit has not arrived at his throat.” (Tirmidhi, al-Haakim, Ibn Hibabaan)

Upon the spirit’s reaching the throat, the dying person glimpses at what is in store for him
(Mercy or disgrace). At this point, neither repentance nor the declaration of his faith is of any benefit.

SIGNS INDICATING A GOOD END

Signs which foretell a good end for the deceased believer and consequently, a blissful existence in the life of the Hereafter are:

1. The Pronouncement of the Shahadah (Muslim and Ibn Hibban)

2. Martyrdom on the Battlefield

Surah 3 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

169. Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.170. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet

martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve.
171. They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers.

Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karb narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“The shaheed (martyr) will have six blessings from Allah: he will be forgiven from the first drop of blood shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise; he will be spared the torment of the grave; he will be protected from the great terror (of the Day of Judgment); A crown of dignity, will be placed on his head, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy two of al-hoor al-‘iyn; and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.” This is narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah.

3. Death in the Path of Allah

The Prophet (saw) said:
“Every deceased person’s works are sealed (by his death) except by a warrior at his station who died in the path of Allah; for indeed his deeds are increased until the Day of Judgment, and he is protected from the trial of the grave.” (At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad)

E.g. Hijrah (Migration)
E.g. Jihad
E.g. Hajj (Pilgrimage)
E.g. Fasting
E.g. Salah (Prayers)
e.g. Du’aa (Supplications)E.g. reading the Qur’an

POS2-THE NAFS AND THE RUH

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POS-2

THE NAFS AND THE RUH

Do these terms signify one and the same thing or are they two distinctly different entities? The nafs (soul) and the ruh (spirit) are two names for one and the same thing. However, others maintain that they are two different entities. The latter is not a tenable position because it lacks clear, unequivocal delineations of these two terms from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Rather, it is a result of misunderstanding of the terminology in these texts and personal conjecture. One group, consisting of some hadith scholars, jurists and Sufis, states that “the ruh is other than the nafs.”

THE CORRECT VIEW

As maintained by the vast majority of Muslim theologians and endorsed by the scholars of the Ahl As-Sunnah, the terms “nafs” and “ruh” are interchangeable. However, the term “nafs” usually applies when the soul is inside the body, and the word “ruh” is used when the soul is apart from the body. Although these terms may be used interchangeably in relation to their essence, the difference between them is merely a difference in attributes and usage. Each one has clearly distinct and restricted applications in certain contexts.

THE NAFS

For example, the term “nafs” may be used to mean blood as indicated saying, “Salat nafsuhu (His blood flowed).” Since death resulting from the flowing of one’s blood necessitates the exit of one’s soul, blood came to be referred to as “nafs”

“Nafs” may be used to mean “the eye” (“ayn”) – commonly referred to as “the evil eye.” For instance, it is said, “Asabat fulanan nafsun (‘So and so has been struck by an [evil] eye.’)”

Upon occasion, the word “nafs” may represent the self (dhat) is evident in a number of Qur’anic verses.

Surah 24 An-Nur (The Light)

61.There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your father's brothers, or the houses of your father's sisters, or the houses of your mother's brothers, or the houses of your mother's sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin on you whether you eat together or apart. But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah (i.e. say: عليكم As-Salamu 'Alaikum - peace be on you) blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat (these Verses or your religious symbols and signs, etc.) to you that you may understand.

Different kinds of nafs

The nafs which is inclined to evil (the tempting self)

Surah 12 Yusuf (The Prophet Joseph)

53. "And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self (nafs) is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

The nafs which is self-reproaching (conscience)

Surah 75 Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection)

2. And I swear by the self-reproaching person (nafs) (a believer).

The nafs which is in (complete) rest and satisfaction (the soul of a believer)

Surah 89 Al-Fajr (The Break of Day or The Dawn)

27. (It will be said to the pious): "O (you) the one (nafs) in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
28. "Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing unto Him!
29. "Enter you, then, among My honoured slaves,
30. "And enter you My Paradise!"

This does not mean that each person has three souls; what it means is that these are attributes and conditions that may apply to one soul. The commentator on at-Tahaawiyyah said, after mentioning the different kinds of nafs: “In fact they are one nafs which has different attributes. It is inclined to evil, but if is influenced by faith, it becomes self-reproaching, so it may commit sin but then it blames itself and alternates between doing and not doing. If faith becomes strong, it becomes the soul in (complete) rest and satisfaction.” (Sharh at Tahaawiyyah, p 445)

THE RUH

Just as the term “nafs” has several different connotations, so does the term “ruh”. It is never used to refer to the physical body (badan) alone or to the soul when it is inside the body. Rather it has various usages in Arabic language and in religious literature.

In the following words of Allah to His Messenger (saw), it is used to mean revelation, specifically, the Qur’an:

Surah 42 Al-Shura (The Consultation)

52. And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad SAW) Ruhan (an Inspiration, and a Mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Quran) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism).

In other places in the Qur’an the word “ruh” is used to designate Angel Jibreel, whom Allah entrusted with the conveyance of divine revelation.

Surah 26 Al-Shu’ara (The Poets)

192. And truly, this (the Quran) is a revelation from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists),

193.Which the trustworthy Ruh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] has brought down;

The various forces and senses contained in the human body are also spoken of as “spirits.”

“ar-ruh al-basir” (“the seeing spirit”) and “ar-ruh as-sami” (“the hearing spirit”)

The senses are extinguished upon the death of the physical body, and they are different than the ruh, which does not die or disintegrate.

Finally, the term “ruh” is sometimes used in an extreme restricted sense to designate the spirit of faith which results from one’s knowledge of Allah, from turning to Him in repentance and from seeking Him with love and aspiration

Allah (swt) says:

Surah 58 Al-Mujadilah (The Woman who disputes)

22. You (O Muhammad SAW) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their

22. kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And We will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful.

In this manner, knowledge is a “ruh” (“spiritual force”), as in sincerity, truthfulness, repentance, love of Allah and complete dependence on Him

Authentic traditions from the Prophet (saw) clearly establish that the ruh and the nafs are essentially one and the same thing.

Umm Salamah reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying: When the ruh is taken out, the eyesight follows it.” (Muslim)

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “Do you not see when a person dies his gaze is fixed intently; that occurs when his eyesight follows his nafs (as it comes out).” (Muslim)

Clearly, the word “ruh” was used in the first narration and the word “nafs was used in the second, the two terms are, in essence, interchangeable.

POS1-The Soul

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POS-1

PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL

THE SOUL

Fifth Principle of Dream Interpretation (from Dream Interpretation: According to the Qur’an and Sunnah by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips)

One may implement what is seen in a good dream. That is, if a person sees himself or herself doing something that is commendable in a dream, it is permissible for a person to carry out the act in the waking state.

Souls do not meet

‘Umaarah quoted his father, Khuzaymah ibn Thaabit, as saying he had a dream in which he prostrated himself on the Prophet’s head. When he told it to Allah’s Messenger (saw), he said, “Indeed, souls do not meet.” Then the Prophet (saw) bent his head and placed his forehead on the Prophet’s forehead (Musnad Ahmad, vol.5 p 215)

THE NATURE AND ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN SOUL
(By Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi)

Scholars of various schools of thought differ greatly regarding the nature and essence of the soul (nafs)

Some points of contention:

* Is it part of the physical body or a non-essential characteristic of it?
* Is it an entity consigned to dwell within the physical body? Or is it an independent essence in itself?
*Is the nafs (soul) the same as the ruh (spirit)?
* Finally, what happens to the soul upon death?
* Is it confined to its body and its grave? If not, is it free to move in the unseen spiritual world and on the earth?

Various Incorrect Theories

*Abul-Hasan al-Ash’ari’ : Differed regarding the ruh(spirit), nafs (soul) and hayah (life force)

*An-Nadhdham, one of the leaders of the Mu’tazilah is attributed with having said that the nafs is the form of the ruh and that the ruh is alive (i.e. animate) and exists independently.

*Other scholars alleged that the ruh is a non-essential characteristic of the human being unable to exist independently of itself.

*The proponents of another theory claimed that man consists of a particular form contained within a physical body; however, they differed as to precisely what this form is.

The Correct View
What is considered as the most accurate view regarding the nafs and the ruh is that of Ibn al-Qayyim which is affirmed by Ibn Abul-‘Izz al-Hanafi in his commentary on Al-Aqeedat at-Tahawiyyah. They base their position on various verses of the Qur’an and the traditions of the

Prophet (saw) as well as on sound logic and rational thought. According to them:

· Man consists of a spirit and a body together.

· The spirit is an entity which differs from the physical, tangible body. It is a higher type of luminous (or light-like) being, alive and moving, and it penetrates the limbs, circulating through them as water circulates throughout the petals of a rose, as oil circulates throughout the olive and as fire circulates throughout the burning embers of coal

· One may reasonably perceive the soul filling and occupying the body; its form, though non-physical, is molded into the body’s shape. The soul will maintain its penetration of the limbs of the physical body and continue to affect their sense, movement and will as long as these limbs remain sound

· However, if they are overcome and no longer accept the forces enacted upon them by the soul, the soul leaves the body and enters the spiritual world.

Ruh = Nafs : Ruh and the nafs is the same thing (spirit/soul)

QUR’ANIC EVIDENCE FOR SOUL

Surah 39 Az-Zumar (The Groups)

It is Allah who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during sleep He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term

42. appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.

Two points where Allah (swt) “holds unto’ the soul

1. Sleep
2. Death

Surah 6 Al-An’am (The Cattle)

93. And who can be more unjust than he who invents a lie against Allah, or says: “A revelation has come to me” whereas no Revelation has come to him in anything; and who says, “I will reveal the like of which Allah has revealed.” And if you could but see when the zalimun (polytheist and wrongdoers) are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): “Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc) with disrespect.

EVIDENCE FROM THE SUNNAH

The following portion is of a long, authentically related hadith;
“The Angel of Death (says), ‘O you foul soul, come out to the anger and wrath of your Lord.’ The soul inside the disbeliever’s body is overcome by terrible fear [and does not want to deliver itself up], whereupon the Angel of Death violently pulls it out like multi-pronged

skewers being yanked out of wet wool – tearing with them the arteries and the nerves.”

This hadith gives an example of the physical and physiological punishment awaiting the disbelievers.

Umm Salamah reported “Allah’s Messenger (saw) entered upon Abu Salamah (i.e. his corpse), whose eyes were wide open. The Prophet closed the lids and then said, ‘When the ruh (spirit) is taken out, the eyesight follows it (i.e. watches it ascend).’”

This hadith indicates that the soul is a form and can be grasped and extracted hence the eyes can visualize it.

The Prophet (saw) described how the believer’s soul comes out of the body:

“The Angel of Death comes to the (dying) believer, sits at his head and says, ‘O, you good soul, come out and receive your Lord’s forgiveness and pleasure.’ Then the soul flows out effortlessly just as water flows from the mouth of a waterskin.”

This hadith indicates how the believer’s soul comes out of the body and reaffirms the soul’s separate existence from the body.

The soul is being carried up through the skies, the angels ask, “Who is this?”

This question reaffirms the soul’s separate existence from the body. The angels would not pose such a question unless they have seen a distinct form. This hadith indicates the soul is being carried and reaffirms its separate existence

Abu Hurayhah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said: “When the soul of the believer comes out (of its body), two angels receive it and rise with it towards the heavens, whereupon the inhabitants of heaven say, ‘A good soul has come from the earth. Allah has blessed you and the body which you used to occupy.’”

This hadith indicates that the soul inhabits the body, filling and possessing the whole of it and after leaving the body becomes independent. This hadith also reaffirms the soul separates from the body

FT23-THE UNION OF GOD WITH MAN

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Ft-23

THE UNION OF GOD WITH MAN

Nothing escapes Allah’s knowledge therefore; the wise are those who act accordingly. They feel His presence at all times.

The more someone strengthens his obligatory practices by performing voluntary acts, the more his life conforms to the Sharee’ah, the will of Almighty Allah.

Allah conveyed this principle through Prophet Muhammad (saw) in a Hadeeth saying:

“The most beloved thing with which My slave may come close to me is that which I have made obligatory (Fard) on him. My servant will continue to come closer to me by voluntary acts (of worship) until I love him. If I love him, I will be his hearing by which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand by which he grasps, and his foot by which he walks. If he asks Me anything I would give it to him and if he seeks refuge in Me I would protect him.” (Al-Bukhari, vol.8 p336-7, no.509)

This Walee of Allah would only hear, see, grasp and walk to what is Halal (lawful) while conspicuously avoiding all Haram (prohibited) as well as that which leads towards it.

Allah’s love can only be attained by strictly following the directives (Sunnah) of His Apostle (saw) and by carefully avoiding all innovations in religious matters.

Surah 4 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

31. If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).

Roohullaah: The “Spirit” of Allah

Support for the mystic belief in the re-unification of the human soul with Allah has also been falsely deduced from some verses of the Qur’an itself. The following verses in which Allah said

Surah 32 As-Sajdah (Adoration)

9. Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul (created by Allah for that person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and hearts. Little is the thanks you give!

Surah 38 Sad (The Letter Sad)

72. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him."

Reference has also been made to Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus) about whose mother Allah said

Suarh 21 Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)

91. And (remember) she who guarded her chastity [Virgin Maryam (Mary)], We breathed into (the sleeves of) her (shirt or garment) [through Our Ruh Jibrael (Gabriel)], and We made her and her son ['Iesa (Jesus)] a sign for Al-'Alamin (the mankind and jinns).

Surah 66 At-Tahreem (The Prohibition)

12. And Maryam (Mary), the daughter of 'Imran who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (the sleeve of her shirt or her garment) through Our Ruh [i.e. Jibrael (Gabriel)], and she testified to the truth of the Words of her Lord [i.e. believed in the Words of Allah: "Be!" and he was; that is 'Iesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary); as a Messenger of Allah], and (also believed in) His Scriptures, and she was of the Qanitin (i.e. obedient to Allah).

Thus it is believed among mystics that this divine eternal spirit within man yearns to reunite with its origin from whence it came

As for the spirit (Rooh), it is one of Allah’s creations. Allah states in the Qur’an

Surah 17 Al-Isra (The Night Journey)

85. And they ask you (O Muhammad (saw)) concerning the Ruh (the Spirit); Say: "The Ruh (the Spirit): it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little."

Islam does not consider God to be an incorporeal Spirit, as do some religions like Christianity

He has neither corporeal body nor is He a formless spirit.
He has a form befitting His Majesty, the like of which no man has ever seen or conceived
And which will only be seen (to the degree of man’s finite limitations) by the people of paradise

When Allah refers to the blowing of a spirit from Himself into prophets Adam and ‘Eesa (Jesus), special honor is given to their created spirits due to the prominence of Prophet Adam’s position in relation to the rest of mankind and to clarify the confusion regarding Maryam’s (Mary) virgin birth of Prophet ‘Eesa (Jesus)

Even Allah’s attribution of the act of blowing to Himself, is in fact, a clarification of His Will and Supreme Power, for it is the angels who actually insert and extract souls in to man.

This fact is evident from the following Hadeeth of Ibn Mas’oud who reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Verily your creation is combined in your mother’s womb for forty days in the form of an oily fluid, then as a leech-like clot for a similar period and as a clump of flesh for another similar period. Then an angel is sent to him to blow the spirit into him…” (Al-Bukhari vol.4 p290-1 no. 430and Muslim vol.4 p1391 no.6390)

Allah has the spirit blown into every human by one of His angels. By saying that ‘He blew’, Allah in fact reminds us that He is the primary cause of all that takes place in creation, as He said:

Surah 37 As-Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks)

96. "While Allah has created you and what you make!"

Just prior to the Battle of Badr the Prophet (saw) threw a handful of dust at the enemy ranks assembled hundreds of yards away, but Allah caused some of the dust particles o miraculously reach all eyes of the enemy.

Allah referred to the Prophet’s action as follows:

Surah 8 Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

17. You killed them not, but Allah killed them. And you (Muhammad SAW) threw not when you did throw but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Allah also refers to the Angels sent to inform Maryam as “His spirit”

Surah 19 Maryam (Mary)

17. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.

The Qur’an is a totality. Its verses explain themselves and the sayings and practices of the Prophet (saw) further clarify its meanings. When verses are taken out of context, the meanings of the Qur’an can easily be distorted.

For example:

Surah 107 Al-Maa’oon (Small Kindnesses)

4. So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers)

This verse by itself is in total contradiction to the rest of the Qur’an and Islam. Salah has been made obligatory throughout the Qur’an. However, the verses which follow it clarify the intended meaning as:

Surah 107 Al-Maa’oon (Small Kindnesses)

5. Who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times,
6. Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men),
7. And refuse Al-Ma'un (small kindnesses e.g. salt, sugar, water, etc.).

In Islam, there is no distinction between the Arabic term Rooh (spirit – pl. Arwaah) and Nafs (soul – pl. Anfus) with respect to man except that when it is connected to the body it is usually referred to as Nafs.

In the Qur’an Allah (swt) states:

Surah 39 Az-Zumar (The Troops)

42. It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.

The successful souls will be made to enter paradise as Allah said to the righteous souls

Surah 89 Al-Fajr (The Daybreak)

27. (It will be said to the pious): "O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
28. "Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing unto Him!
29. "Enter you, then, among My honoured slaves,
30. "And enter you My Paradise!"

Thus, in the end, the righteous human soul will not become extinguished in God nor unite with His Supreme Being, but will remain a finite spirit reunited with a finite body enjoying the pleasures of paradise for as long as Allah wishes.

DUA TO ALLAH AZAWAJAL

O Allah! Protector of our Hearts, keep our hearts firm in your true and pure deen, and send your blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wa sallam).

ALLAHUMMA AAMEEN

FT22- OTHER DEVIATED BELIEFS

2007-03-20T20:36:00.000+04:00

Ft-22

OTHER DEVIATED BELIEFS

FANAA: THE UNION OF MAN AND GOD

This principle is very similar to the ultimate state of being in Buddhism known as Nirvana
This concept also forms the core of a philosophy known as mysticism.

Mysticism is defined as an experience of union with God and the belief that man’s main goal lies in seeking that union.

A parallel concept can also be found in Hinduism’s identification of Atman (human soul) with Brahman (the impersonal Absolute), the realization of which is the ultimate goal or release from existence and rebirth.

Greek mystic thought blossomed in the Gnostic Christian movements which reached their peak in the second century CE.

These trends were combined in the third century with the Platonism by the Egypto-Roman philosopher, Plotinus (205-270 CE), to form a religious philosophy known as Neo-Platonism.

The mystic tradition kept alive in monastic Christianity began to find expression among Muslims from about 8th century CE, a century after the borders of the Islamic state had expanded to include Egypt and Syria and its major centers of monasticism.

A group of Muslims who were not satisfied with what the Sharee’ah (Islamic Law) had to offer, a developed parallel system which they named the Tareeqah (the way)

The ultimate goal of this movement became Fanaa (the dissolution of the ego) and Wusool (the meeting and unification of the human soul with Allah in this life).

All these practices were attributed to the Prophet (saw) through chains of narration in order to validate them, but there does not exist any authentic support for them in any of the classical books of Hadeeth

A multiplicity of systems evolved, and orders, similar to those among Christian monks, appeared named after their founders, like the Qaadiri, Chishti, Nakhshabandi and Teejani orders.

And just as Christian and Hindu monks chose special isolated structures (i.e. monasteries) in which to house their communities, the Sufi orders developed similar housing schemes called Zaawiyahs (lit corners).

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Most Sufi orders claim that Allah could be seen when the state of Wusool (arrival) was achieved.

Yet when ‘Aishah asked the Prophet (saw) if he saw Allah during Mi’raaj (ascension) he replied that he had not.

Prophet Musa was also shown that neither he nor any man could withstand seeing Allah (swt) in this life by Allah revealing some of His Being to a mountain which crumbled to dust during the revelation.

The mundane obligations of Sharee’ah like five daily prayers were no longer obligatory

Most of them prescribed that prayers to Allah (swt) could be sent through the Prophet (saw) or through the so-called saints; many also began the practice of making Tawaaf, animal sacrifices and other acts of worship around the shrines and tombs of the saints, around the Darghas of countless saints and holy men in India and Pakistan.

The Sharee’ah came to be looked at as the outer path designed for the ignorant masses while the Tareeqah was the inner path of an elite enlightened few

Music was introduced in most circles and drugs like marijuana could be found in others as a means of heightening the pseudo-spiritual experience which they all sought.

The Ritual Dance or Sema

The Mevlevi (also spelled as mawlawi) Ritual dance or sema consists of several stages with different meanings.

During the Sema itself there are four selams or musical movements, each with a distinct rhythm.

At the beginning, during and close of each selam, the semazen testify to God’s existence, unity, majesty and power

The Four Kinds of Selam

The First Selam represents the human being’s birth to truth through feeling and mind. It represents his complete acceptance of his condition as a creature created by God.

The Second Selam expresses the rapture of the human being witnessing the splendor of creation in the face of God’s greatness and omnipotence.

The Third Selem is the rapture of dissolving into love and the sacrifice of the mind to love. It is complete submission, unity and the annihilation of self in the Beloved. This is the state that is known as Nirvana in Buddhism and fana fillah in Islam. The next stage in Islamic belief is the state of servant hood represented by the Prophet, who is called God’s servant foremost and subsequently His ‘Messenger’. The aim of Sema is not uncontrolled ecstasy and loss of consciousness, but the realization of submission to God.

In the Fourth Selam, just as the Prophet ascends to the Spiritual Throne of Allah and then returns to his task on earth, the whirling dervish, after the ascent of his spiritual journey, returns to his task, to his servant hood. He is a servant of God, of His Books, of His Prophets, of His whole Creation

FT21-SAINT WORSHIP IN PRE-CHRISTIAN HINDU AND BUDDHIST TRADITON

2007-03-20T20:14:00.000+04:00

ft-21

Saint Worship-3

SAINT WORSHIP IN PRE-CHRISTIAN HINDU AND BUDDHIST TRADITON

Teachers who were supposed to have climbed the ladder of spiritual excellence and who had performed supernatural feats were also given the titles like Guru, Avatar, etc., indicating spiritual superiority
These designations have led the masses to either seek intercession through them or to worship them as gods.

Examples:

KENDAI WATER FALL
It is a natural water fall situated on the Bilasipur road about 85 km from District

DEEPADIH
This is the place of mythology. Depadih is situated in Kusmi block about 70 km from Ambikapur district place and 15 km from Kusmi. According to Mr.K.K. Shukla from the Archeologist department, specimens found in Deepati tells the story of 6th Century to 12th Century.

This is the main temple in Samant Sarna at Deepadhi, which is Lord Shankar.
This temple is surrounded by 4 Devs, which are there to guard the Lord Shiva.
They are also serving the Lord Shiva with their various activities.

These 4 Devs were Lord ganesh, Lord Kartikay, Lord Vishnu with all his “Avatars”and Goddess MahaDurga.

SAINT WORSHIP IN ISLAM- deviates from the Qur’an and Sunnah

Even the excessive praise of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) who said, “Do not praise me excessively as the Christians did to ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, verily I am only a slave, so call me instead the slave of Allah and His messenger.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim vol.4 p.435 no.654)

THE WALEE (pl. Awliyaa): The “SAINT”

The term saint has been used to translate the Arabic word Walee (pl. Awliyaa) which Allah used, to designate those who were close to Him. But, a more appropriate translation is “close friend” because Walee literally means an “ally.”

Allah (swt) even uses it to refer to Himself in the verse

Surah 2 Al- Baqarah (The Cow)

257. Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are Taghut [false deities and false leaders, etc.], they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Surah 3 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

68. Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim (Abraham) are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad (saw)) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.

Surah 42 Ash-Shura (The Consultation)

9. Or have they taken (for worship) Auliya' (guardians, supporters, helpers, protectors, etc.) besides Him? But Allah, He Alone is the Wali (Protector, etc.). And it is He Who gives life to the dead, and He is Able to do all things.

Surah 45 Al-Jathiya (Bowing the Knee)

19. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you). Verily, the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, etc.) are Auliya' (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another, but Allah is the Wali (Helper, Protector, etc.) of the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2).

It is also used in the Qur’an to indicate closeness between men, for example,

Surah 3 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

28. Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment) and to Allah is the final return.

Surah 4 An-Nisa (The Women)

139. Those who take disbelievers for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory with them? Verily, then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory.

Surah 4 An-Nisa (The Women)

144. O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

Surah 5 Al-Maidah (The Table Spread with Food)

51. O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya' (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya' to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya', then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not

By Allah! This is a Shaykh who has no lie! He is unique in the age, unique in the whole.

2. Shaykh Fayturi:
Oh the seeker of gnosis and the stations of serenity. Keep the company of a close friend who has fully met the obligation of slaveness to Allah. Do not be content with words. Arise and embark on deeds without delay! You will reach the Station of perfection – there is no god except Allah. If you desire the meaning of the name of His essence, then seek annihilation. Often and openly – you will obtain encounter with Allah. You will obtain the goal by it – you will be given the cup of witnessing to drink. Then you will see all of existence outwardly manifest by the light of Allah. Remember Him in meaning and the senses – you are taking it from light. You will enter the Station of intimacy – your joy is constantly with Allah

Allah (swt) says:
Surah 10 Yunus (The Prophet Jonah)

62. No doubt! Verily, the Auliya' of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve,

63. Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds).out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Consequently, Muslims are not allowed to designate certain believers as being Awliyaa of Allah and not others.

In spite of this clear Islamic position, a hierarchy of so-called Muslim saints has become a prominent feature in Sufi circles and among the masses who blindly follow them. In ascending order of merit they are:

The Akhyaar (chosen) who number 300
The Abdaal (substitutes) numbering 40
The 7 Abrar (pious)
The 4 Awtaad (pegs)
The 3 Nuqabaa (watchmen)
The Qutb (pole) who is considered the greatest saint of his time
And at the top of the list is the Ghawth (Succor), the Greatest Saints, who is believed in some circles, to be capable of taking on his shoulders a portion of the sins of the believers.

According to the beliefs of the “mystics”, the saints of the top three classes are present invisibly in Makkah at the hours of prayer.
When the Ghawth dies, the Qutb replaces him and there is a moving up all through the series. The purest soul of each class rising to the next degree. This body of methodology has been borrowed from Christianity just as Dhikr beads were adopted from the Christian rosary and the Mawlid from the Christian celebration of Christmas

FT20-Taqwa

2007-03-20T20:05:00.000+04:00

ft-20

Saint Worship-2

TAQWAA

A living faith drives the one who possesses it to shield himself from whatever displeases Allah. This shield in Arabic is called “Taqwaa.” It has been variously translated as “fear of God”, “piety”, as well as “God-consciousness”; and it carries all these meanings and more.

Allah clearly expressed the superiority of Taqwaa as follows:

Surah 49 Al-Hujaraat (The Inner Apartments)

13. O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “A woman is married for four (reasons): her wealth, her nobility, her beauty and her piety. Choose the pious one and be successful.” (Al-Bukharee vol.7 p.18-19 no.27 and Muslim vol.2 p.249 no.3457)

No matter how beautiful, rich or well-bred a woman might be, if she is not pious, she is inferior to a pious, ugly, poor woman from a dishonorable family.

The converse is also true, as the Prophet (saw) said, “If a man who practices the religion satisfies you, asks for your daughter

in marriage, you should marry them; otherwise there will be corruption in the land.” (Abu Hurayrah and collected by Tirmidhi)

The Prophet (saw) once reprimanded Abu Dharr for derisively calling Bilal, ‘son of a black woman’, then he went on to say, “Look! Surely you are not better than a brown man nor a black man except by fearing Allah more than them.” (Abdullah ibn Amr and collected by Ahmed)

The most pious individuals are only known to Allah (swt). Allah made that abundantly clear in the following verse:

Surah 2Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

204. And of mankind there is he whose speech may please you (O Muhammad (saw)), in this worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents.

Therefore, it is not permissible for humans to designate certain people as being particularly saintly and pious to a degree beyond the reach of ordinary humans.

When the Prophet (saw) said concerning those who make a pledge of allegiance known as Bay’ah ar-Ridwaan, “No one who made a pledge beneath the tree will enter the hellfire,” (Muslim vol.3 p.1034 no.4576) he was confirming the Qur’anic verse revealed to that effect

Surah 48 Al-Fath (Victory)

18. Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave their Bai'a (pledge) to you (O Muhammad (saw)) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory,

Similarly, he (saw) judged some whom everyone thought were destined to Paradise to be among those destined for Hellfire. All such judgments are based on revelation.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said that he was told by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that on the day (of the battle) of Khaybar, some of the Prophet’s companions came and said, “So and so is a martyr and so and so is a martyr,” but when they came to a man about whom they said, “So and so is a martyr,” Allah’s Messenger declared, “By no means! I have seen him in hell in a cloak which he took (from the spoils) dishonestly.” Allah’s Messenger then said, “Go, Ibn al-Khattaab, and announce among the people three times that only the believers will enter paradise.” (Muslim vol.1 p.65 no.209)

Hadith on the Prophet (saw) hearing Bilal’s footsteps in Paradise

SAINT WORSHIP IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
SAINT WORSHIP IN THE JEWISH TRADITION

FT19- Saint Worship

2007-03-20T19:51:00.000+04:00

Ft-19

Saint Worship-1/1

SAINT WORSHIP

It is part of man’s nature to elevate some human beings over others. He likes to hold them in high esteem and prefers to follow them rather than make decisions on his own.

This is a direct result of the fact that Allah (swt) has favored some people over others, in various ways:

Man has been placed over woman socially

Evidence

Surah 4 An-Nisaa (The Women)

34. Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.). As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance). Surely, Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great.

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

228. And divorced women shall wait (as regards their marriage) for three menstrual periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses, etc.) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect, etc.) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

And some men have been placed over other men economically

Evidence

Surah 16 An-Nahl (The Bee)

71. And Allah has preferred some of you above others in wealth and properties. Then, those who are preferred will by no means hand over their wealth and properties to those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in respect thereof. Do they then deny the Favour of Allah?

The Tribe of Israel was favored over the rest of mankind by divine guidance

Evidence:

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

47. O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you to the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of your time period, in the past).

The Prophets were favored over all mankind by revelation and Allah favored some of the Prophets over the others

Evidence

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

253. Those Messengers! We preferred some to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour); and to 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), We gave clear proofs and evidences, and supported him with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Verses of Allah had come to them, but they differed - some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another, but Allah does what He likes.

Hadith on the 5 prophets favored by Allah (swt)
Nuh (Noah
Musa (Moses)

Ibrahim (Abraham)
Eesa (Jesus)
Muhammad

Yet Allah has told us not to desire the things by which He has favored some of mankind over others

Evidence

Surah 4 An-Nisaa (The Women)

32. And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All Knower of everything

Allah will not give us a reward for having them, although we will be held accountable for how we used them. Thus Allah’s Messenger (saw) advised us: “Look at those below you and not those above you. It is better for you, so that you do not deny Allah’s blessings on you.” (Al-Bukhari vol.8 p.328 no.497 and Muslim vol. 4 p.1530 no.7070)

Everyone has been placed above others in some way or another, and everyone has certain responsibilities for which he will be held accountable. The Prophet (saw) said, “Everyone of you is a shepherd, and everyone is responsible for his flock.” (Al-Bukhari vol.3 p.438 no.730 and Muslim vol.3 p.1017 no.4496)

The greatest test of responsibility is that of Allah’s favoring man over all creation. This favor was confirmed by Allah’s command to the angels to prostrate to Adam and the responsibility is twofold:

It carries a personal responsibility of accepting Islam: total submission to Allah (swt) (i.e. knowledge and understanding of the Deen)
It also carries a group commitment of establishing Allah’s laws throughout the earth. (i.e. teaching it to everybody, making da’wa, delivering and propagating the Deen)

Note: Allah (swt) elevated man above creation because of his knowledge and his ability of choice. The prostration of the angels to Adam (as) was a prostration of respect / reverence because of the knowledge and ability of choice given by Allah (swt) to Adam (as)

Please see Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir or try this link:
http://www.islamchannel.tv/kidsSection/ProphetStories/Adam.html

Thus believers are far superior to disbelievers in Allah’s sight because of their acceptance of their responsibilities.

Evidence

Surah 3 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)
110. You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah. And had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are Al-Fasiqun (disobedient to Allah - and rebellious against Allah's Command).

IN51-The Excellence of Remembering Allah/How to Glorified/Goodness & Good

2007-03-16T23:24:00.000+04:00

IN-51

The excellence of remembering Allah

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Whoever says:
Subhaanallaahi wa bihamdihi.

Glorified is Allah and praised is He.

one hundred times a day, will have his sins forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.
Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/168, Muslim 4/2071, see also invocation no. 91 of this book.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Whoever says:

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.

ten times, will have the reward for freeing four slaves from the Children of Isma'il.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/67, Muslim 4/2071, see also invocation no. 93 of this book.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Two words are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and are loved by the Most Merciful One:

Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdihi, Subhaanal-laahil-'Adheem.

Glorified is Allah and praised is He , Glorified is Allah the Most Great.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/168, Muslim 4/2072.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: For me to say:

Subhaanallaahi, walhamdu lillaahi, wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu, wallaahu 'Akbar.

Glory is to Allah, and praise is to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Most Great.

is dearer to me than all that the sun rises upon (i.e. the whole world).

Reference: Muslim 4/2072.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said:

"Is anyone of you incapable of earning one thousand Hasanah (rewards) in a day?" Someone from his gathering asked, "How can anyone of us earn a thousand Hasanah':'" He said, "Glorify Allah a hundred times and a thousand Hasanah will be written for you, or a thousand sins will be wiped away."

Reference: Muslim 4/2073.

Whoever says:

Subhaanallaahil-'Adheemi wa bihamdihi.

Glorified is Allah the Most Great and praised is He.

will have a date palm planted for him in Paradise.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/511, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Thahabi agreed 1/501. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 5/531 and Sahih At-Tirmithi3/160.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "O Abdullah bin Qais, should I not point you to one of the treasures of Paradise?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." So he told me to say:

Laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa billaah.

There is no power and no might except by Allah.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/213, Muslim 4/2076.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: The most beloved words to Allah are four:

Subhaanallaah, Walhamdu lillaah, Wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah and Wallaahu 'Akbar.

Glorified is Allah, The praise is for Allah, There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Allah is the Most Great

Reference: Muslim 3/1685.

A desert Arab came to Allah's Messenger (SAW) and said, "Teach me a word that I can say. " The Prophet told him to say:

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, Allaahu 'Akbaru kabeeran, walhamdu lillaahi katheeran, Subhaanallaahi Rabbil-'aalameen, laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa biilaahil-'Azeezil-Hakeem.

There is none worthy of worship but Allah , Who has no partner, Allah is the Great, the Most Great, and praise is to Allah in abundance, glory is to Allah, Lord of the worlds . There is no power and no might but by Allah the Mighty, the Wise.

He said, "That is for my Lord, but what about me?" The Prophet (SAW) told him to say:
Allaahummaghfir lee, warhamnee, wahdinee warzuqnee

O Allah forgive me, and have mercy on me and guide me, and provide for me.

Reference: Muslim 4/2072, Abu Dawud reports the same Hadith with the addition: and when the Arab left, the Prophet (SAW) said: "He has filled his hands with goodness." 1/220.

Whenever anyone accepted Islam, the Prophet (SAW) used to teach him how to pray then he would instruct him to invoke Allah with the following words:

Allaahummaghfir lee, warhamnee, wahdinee, wa 'aafinee warzuqnee.

O Allah forgive me, and have mercy on me and guide me and give me good health and provide for me.

Reference: Muslim 4/2073, and in one of Muslim's reports there is the addition: 'For these words combine [the goodness of] this world and the next.'

The most excellent invocation is:

Alhamdu lillaah.

Praise is for Allah.

Laa'ilaaha'illallaah.

There is none worthy of worship but Allah.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/462, Ibn Majah 2/1249, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Tbahabi agreed 1/503. See Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 1/362.

The good deeds which endure are:

Subhaanallaah, Walhamdu lillaah, Wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah, Wallaahu 'Akbar and Wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa billaah

Glorified is Allah, The praise is for Allah, There is none worth of worship but Allah, Allah is the Most Great and There is no power and no might except by Allah

Reference: Ahmad (no. 513) (Ahmad Shakir, ed.) and its chain of narration is authentic. See Majma'uz-Zawa'id 1/297. Ibn Hajar mentions it in Bulughul-Maram saying that Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim considered it authentic

How the Prophet (SAW), glorified Allah

Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) said: "I saw the Prophet (SAW) counting the glorification of his Lord on his right hand."

Reference: Abu Dawud with a different wording 2/81, and At-Tirmithi 5/521. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami'As-Saghir 4/271 (no. 4865).

Types of goodness and good etiquette for community life

When evening descends, bring your children indoors for the devils scatter out at this hour. Then after the passing of an hour (i.e. the first hour) of the night, (you may) let them (the children) go. Close your doors while mentioning the Name of Allah, for the devil may not open a closed door. Fasten your waterskins mentioning the Name of Allah. Cover your eating vessels mentioning the Name of Allah even if you just put something over it, and extinguish your lamps.
Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 10/88, Muslim 3/1595.

IN50-Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness

2007-03-16T23:20:00.000+04:00

IN-50

Repentance and seeking forgiveness

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah, and repent to Him more than seventy times in a day.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/101.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "O people, repent to Allah, for I verily repent to Him one hundred times a day.

Reference: Muslim 4/2076.
250. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Whoever says:

'Astaghfirullaahal-'Adheemal-lathee laa 'ilaaha 'illaa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyoomu wa 'atoobu 'ilayhi.

I seek the forgiveness of Allah the Mighty, Whom there is none worthy of worship except Him, the Living, the Eternal, and I repent to Him, Allah will forgive him even if he has deserted the army's ranks.

Reference: Abu Dawud 2/85, At-Tirmithi 5/569, and Al-Hakim who declared it authentic and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him 1/511. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/182. See also Jami'ul-'Usool li-'Ahdaith Ar-Rasool 4/ 389-90 checked by Al-Arna'ut.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "The closest that the Lord comes to the slave is in the last portion of the night. So, if you are able to be among those who remember Allah in this hour, then be among them."

Reference: At-Tirmithi, An-Nasa'i 1/279 and Al-Hakim. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/183, and Jdmi'ul-'Usool with Al-Arna'ut's checking 4/144.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "The closest that the slave comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so invoke Allah much (in prostration)."

Reference: Muslim 1/350.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "It is a heavy thing for my heart if I do not seek Allah's forgiveness a hundred times a day."

Reference: Muslim 4/2075. Ibn 'Athir explains that the Prophet (SAW) was always vigilant in his remembrance and drawing near to Allah, and if he forgot to do any of what he normally did from time to time, or it slipped his mind, he felt as if he had wronged himself and so he would begin to seek the forgiveness of Allah. See Jami'ul-'Usool 4/386.

IN49-Slaughtering/ To Foil Devil's Plot

2007-03-16T23:15:00.000+04:00

IN-49

What to say when slaughtering or sacrificing an animal

Bismillaahi wallaahu 'Akbar [Allaahumma minka wa laka] Allaahumma taqabbal minnee.

With the Name of Allah, Allah is the Most Great! [O Allah, from You and to You.] O Allah, accept it from me.

Reference: Muslim 3/ 1557, Al-Bayhaqi 9/287

What to say to foil the devil's plots

'A'oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaatil-latee laa yujaawizuhunna barrun wa laa faajimn min sharri maa khalaqa, wa bara'a wa thara'a, wa min sharri maa yanzilu minas-samaa'i, wa min sharri maa ya'ruju feehaa, wa min sharri maa thara'a fil-'ardhi, wa min sharri ma yakhruju minhaa, wa min sharri fitanil-layli wannahaari, wa min sharri kulli taariqin 'illaa taariqan yatruqu bikhayrin yaa Rahmaan.

I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah -which neither the upright nor the corrupt may overcome - from the evil of what He created, of what He made, and of what He scattered, from the evil of what descends from the heavens, and of what rises up to them, from the evil of what He scattered in the earth and of what emerges from it, from the evil trials of night and day, and from the evil of every night visitor, except the night visitor who comes with good. O Merciful One.

Reference: Ahmad 3/419, with an authentic chain of narration, and Ibn As-Sunni (no. 637). Al-Arna'ut, graded its chain authentic in his checking of Al-'Aqidah At-Tahawiyyah p. 133. See also Majma'uz-Zawa'id, 10/127

IN48-Feel Pain/Afflict with Evil eye/Feel Frightened

2007-03-16T23:11:00.000+04:00

IN-48

What to say when you feel a pain in your body

Put your hand on the place where you feel pain and say:

Bismillaah.

With the Name of Allah (three times).

Then say :
'A'oothu billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa 'ajidu wa 'uhaathiru.
I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against.

Reference: Muslim 4/1728.

What to say when you fear you may afflict something with the evil eye

If you see anything of your brother that pleases you, or of his person or of his property [then ask Allah to bless him in it] for the envious eye is real.

Reference: Ahmad 4/447, Ibn Majah, Malik. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 1/212. Also see Al-Arna'ut's checking of Ibn Al-Qayyim's Zadul-Ma'ad 4/170.

What to say when you feel frightened

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah!

There is none worthy of worship but Allah!

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 6/181, Muslim 4/2208

IN47-Surprised or Startled/Something Pleases

2007-03-16T20:56:00.000+04:00

IN-47

What to say when surprised or startled

Subhaanallaah!

(Glory is to Allah)

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 1/210, 390, 414 and Muslim 4/1857.

Allaahu 'Akbar!

(Allah is the Most Great)

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 8/441. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 2/103, 235, Ahmad 5/218.

What to say when something that pleases you happens

Whenever something happened that pleased him or made him happy , the Prophet if! used to prostrate himself in thanks to Allah, the Blessed, the All-Mighty.

Reference: Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmithi. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 1/233, and 'Irwa'ul-Ghalil 2/226

IN46- Hajj and Umrah

2007-03-16T20:44:00.000+04:00

IN-46

The pilgrim's announcement of his arrival for Hajj or 'Umrah

Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk, labbayk laa shareeka laka labbayk, 'innal-hamda, wanni'mata, laka walmulk, laa shareeka laka.

I am here at Your service , O Allah , I am here at Your service. I am here at Your service, You have no partner, I am here at Your service . Surely the praise , and blessings are Yours , and the dominion . You have no partner.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 3/408, Muslim 2/841.

Saying Allahu 'Akbar when passing the Black Stone

The Prophet (SAW) performed Tawaf riding a camel. Every time he passed the corner (containing the Black Stone), he would point to it with something that he was holding and say: Allaahu 'Akbar (Allah is the Most Great)!

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 3/476. See also 472. The 'something' that was referred to in this Hadith was a cane.

Invocation to be recited between the Yemenite Corner and the Black Stone

Rabbanaa 'aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wa fil-'aakhirati hasanatan wa qinaa 'athaaban-naar.

Our Lord, grant us the good things in this world and the good things in the next life and save us from the punishment of the Fire.

Reference: Abu Dawud 2/179, Ahmad 3/411, Al-Baghawi, Sharhus-Sunnah 7/128. Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih Abu Dawud 1/354. The Ayat is from Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:201

Invocation to be recited while standing at Safa and Marwah

Whenever the Prophet (SAW) approached Mount Safa, he would recite:

'Innas-Safaa wal-Marwata min sha'aa'irillaah. 'Abda'u bimaa bada'allaahu bihi.

Surely Safa and Marwah are among the signs of Allah. I begin by that which Allah began.
He began (his Sa'y) at Mount Safa climbing it until he could see the House. He then faced the Qiblah repeating the words:

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah, Allaahu 'Akbar

There is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Most Great.

Then he said:
Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer, laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu ilahaahu, 'anjaza wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazamal 'ahzaaba wahdahu.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner, His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things . None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, He fulfilled His Promise, He aided His slave, and He alone defeated Confederates.
Then he would ask Allah for what he liked, repeating the same thing like this three times . He did at Mount Marwah as he did at Mount Safa.

Reference: Muslim 2/888.

Invocation to be recited on the Day of Arafat

The Prophet (SAW) said: The best invocation is that of the Day of Arafat, and the best that anyone can say is what I and the Prophets before me have said:

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.

Reference: At-Tirmithi. Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/184, and also Silsilatul-'Ahadith As-Sahihah 4/6.

Supplication to be recited at the sacred area of Muzdalifah

The Prophet (SAW) rode his camel, Al-Qaswa', until he reached the sacred area (Al-Mash'aril-Haraam). Then he faced the Qiblah and invoked Allah, and repeatedly said the words: Allaahu 'Akbar (Allah is the Most Great), Allaahu 'Ahad (Allah is One) and Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah (There is none worthy of worship but Allah). He remained stationary until the sky became yellow with the dawn, and then pressed on before sunrise.

Reference: Muslim 2/891.

Saying Allahu 'Akbar while stoning the three pillars at Mina

The Prophet (SAW) said Allaahu 'Akbar (Allah is the Most Great) with each pebble he threw at the three pillars. Then he went forward, stood facing the Qiblah and raised his hands and called upon Allah. That was after (stoning) the first and second pillar. As for the third, he stoned it and called out Allaahu 'Akbar with every pebble he threw, but when he was finished he left without standing at it (for supplications).

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 3/581, 3, 4, and Muslim

IN45-Spoken Ill/Praising/Praised

2007-03-16T20:38:00.000+04:00

IN-45

Invocation for someone you have spoken ill to

Allaahumma fa'ayyumaa mu'minin sababtuhu faj'al thaalika lahu qurbatan 'ilayka yawmal-qiyaamati.

O Allah, whomever of the believers I have abused, give him the reward of a sacrificial slaughter for it on the Day of Resurrection.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/171, Muslim 4/2007. The wording in Muslim's report is: 'make it a purification for him and a source of mercy

How a Muslim should praise another Muslim

If any of you praises his companion then let him say :

'Ahsibu fulaanan wallaahu haseebuhu

I consider (such and such a person) , and Allah is his Assessor ,

wa laa 'uzakkee 'alallaahi 'ahadan

(meaning : and I cannot claim anyone to be pious before Allah) if you know of this (good character trait in the person) to be such and such (saying what he thinks is praiseworthy in that person).
Reference: Muslim 4/2296.

What a Muslim should say when he is praised

Allaahumma laa tu'aakhithnee bimaa yaqooloona, waghfir lee maa laa ya'lamoona [waj'alnee khayram-mimmaa yadhunnoon].

O Allah , do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of [and make me better than they imagine].

Reference: Al-Bukhari, Al-'Adabul-Mufrad no. 761. See Al-Albani, Sahih Al-'Adabul-Mufrad (no. 585). The portion between brackets if from Al-Bayhaqi, Shu'ab Al-Iman 4/228, and comes another account.

IN44-Cock's Crow/Bray of a Donkey/Barking Dog

2007-03-16T20:29:00.000+04:00

IN-44

Invocation upon hearing the cock's crow or the bray of a donkey

When you hear the cock's crow, ask Allah for His favor upon you for surely it has seen an angel . When you hear the bray of a donkey, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, for surely it has seen a devil.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 6/350, Muslim 4/2092

Invocation upon hearing a dog barking in the night

When you hear a dog barking or a donkey braying in the night , then seek refuge in Allah from them , for surely they have seen what you see not.

Reference: Abu Dawud 4/327, Ahmad 3/306. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih Abu Dawud 3/961.

IN43-Displease You/Blessing Upon Prophet/Salam

2007-03-16T20:14:00.000+04:00

IN-43

What to say if something happens to please you or to displease you

When something happened that pleased him , the Prophet (SAW) used to say:

Alhamdu lillaahil-lathee bini'matihi tatimmus-saalihaat.

Praise is to Allah Who by His blessings all good things are perfected .

And if something happened that displeased him , he used to say :

Alhamdu lillaahi 'alaa kulli haal.

Praise is to Allah in all circumstances.

Reference: Ibn As-Sunni, 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic 1/499. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 4/201.

The excellence of asking for Allah's blessings upon the Prophet (SAW)

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Whoever prays for Allah's blessings upon me once, will be blessed for it by Allah ten times."

Reference: Muslim 1/288.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Do not make my grave a place of ritual celebration, but pray for Allah's blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me from wherever you are.

Reference: Abu Dawud 2/218, Ahmad 2/367. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih Abu Dawud 2/383.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned yet does not pray for Allah's blessings upon me."

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/551 and others. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/177 and Sahihul-Jarai' As-Saghir 3/25.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Indeed Allah has angels who roam the earth and they convey to me the greetings (or prayers of peace) of my 'Ummah (nation)."

Reference: An-Nasa'i, Al-Hakim 2/421. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih An-Nasa'i 1/274.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "No one sends greetings (or prayers of peace) upon me but Allah returns my soul to me so that I may return his greetings."

Reference: Abu Dawud (no. 2041). Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih Abu Dawud 1/383.

Spreading the greetings of Salam (Peace)

The Prophet (SAW) said: "You shall not enter Paradise until you believe, and you have not believed until you love one another. Shall I tell you of something you can do to make you love one another? Spread the greetings of Salam (peace) amongst yourselves (i.e. between each other).

Reference: Muslim 1/74 and others.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "There are three things which whoever gathers all of them together, then he has gathered Iman (Faith): justice with oneself, greeting people with greetings of Salam (peace), and freeing oneself from stinginess."

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 1/82 as a statement of the Companion 'Ammar (RA).

Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA) said: A man asked the Prophet (SAW), "What is the best act of Islam?" He said, "To feed others and to give greetings of Salam (peace) to those whom you know and to those whom you do not know. "

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 1/55, Muslim 1/65

How to reply to a disbeliever if he says Salam to you

If one of the People of the Scripture (i.e. Christians and Jews) greets you saying As-Salaamu 'alaykum, then say (to him):

Wa 'alaykum
And upon you .

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/42, Muslim 4/1705

IN42-Traveller's Invocation

2007-03-16T20:06:00.000+04:00

IN-42

The traveler's invocation at dawn

Sami'a saami'un bihamdillaahi wa husni balaa'ihi 'alaynaa. Rabbanaa saahibnaa, wa 'afdhil 'alaynaa 'aa'ithan billaahi minan-naar.

He Who listens has heard that we praise Allah for the good things He gives us. Our Lord, be with us and bestow Your favor upon us. I seek the protection of Allah from the Fire.

Reference: Muslim 4/2086, the meaning of sami'a saami'un (who listens has heard) is that 'a witness has witnessed our praise of Allah due to His blessings and favor upon us.' It could also be read samma'a saami'un, in which case it means 'one who has heard this statement of mine will convey it to another and he will say it as well.' This is due to the attention given to the Thikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplications made during the early morning hours. The meaning of his saying 'Our Lord, be with us and bestow Your favor upon us' is: 'Our Lord, protect us and guard us. Bless us with Your numerous bounties, and avert from us every evil.' See An-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 17/39.

Invocation for a layover (stopping along the way) on the journey

'A'oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaati min sharri maa khalaq.

I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.

Reference: Muslim 4/2080.

What to say upon returning from a journey

From every elevated point say Allaahu 'Akbar (Allah is the Most Great) three times and then recite:

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'alaa kutti shay 'in Qadeer, 'aa'iboona, taa'iboona, 'aabidoona, lirabbinaa haamidoona, sadaqallaahu wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazamal-'ahzaaba wahdahu.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone , Who has no partner . His is the dominion and His is the praise , and He is Able to do all things. We return repentant to our Lord, worshipping our Lord , and praising our Lord . He fulfilled His Promise, He aided His slave, and He alone defeated the Confederates.

Reference: Bukhari 7/163, Muslim 2/980. The Prophet (SAW) used to say this when returning from a campaign or from Hajj.

IN41-Vehicle Fails/Leaves Behind/Traveler/Glorifying/

2007-03-15T22:43:00.000+04:00

IN-41

Invocation for when your vehicle or mount begins to fail

Bismillaahi.

With the Name of Allah.

Reference: Abu Dawud 4/296. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih Abu Dawud 3/941.

The traveler's invocation for the one he leaves behind

'Astawdi'ukumul-laahal-lathee laa tadhee'u wadaa'i'uhu.

I leave you in the care of Allah , as nothing is lost that is in His care.

Reference: Ahmad 2/403, Ibn Majah 2/943. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 2/133

The resident's invocations for the traveler

'Astawdi'ullaaha deenaka, wa 'amaanataka, wa khawaateema 'amalika.

I leave your religion in the care of Allah , as well as your safety, and the last of your deeds.
Reference: Ahmad 2/7, At-Tirmithi 5/499. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 2/155.

Zawwadakal-laahut-taqwaa, wa ghafara thanbaka , wa yassara lakal-khayra haythu maa kunta.
May Allah give you piety as your provision, forgive your sins, and make goodness easy for you wherever you are.

Reference: At-Tirmithi. See Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi, 3/155.

Glorifying and magnifying Allah on the journey

Jabir (RA), said: Whenever we went up a hill we would say Allaahu 'Akbar (Allah is the Most Great) and when we descended we would say Subhaanallaah (Glory is to Allah).

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 6/135

IN40-Riding Vehicle or Animal/Traveling/Entering Town & Market

2007-03-15T22:29:00.000+04:00

IN-40

Invocation for riding in a vehicle or on an animal

Bismillaah , Alhamdu lillaah . Subhaanal-lathee sakhkhara lanaa haathaa wa maa kunnaa lahu muqrineen. Wa 'innaa 'ilaa Rabbinaa lamunqaliboon . Alhamdu lillaah, alhamdu lillaah, alhamdu lillaah, Allaahu 'Akbar, Allaahu 'Akbar, Allaahu 'Akbar, subhaanakal-laahumma 'innee dhalamtu nafsee faghfir lee, fa'innahu laa yaghfiruth-thunooba 'illaa 'Anta.

With the Name of Allah . Praise is to Allah . Glory is to Him Who has provided this for us though we could never have had it by our efforts. Surely, unto our Lord we are returning. Praise is to Allah. Praise is to Allah. Praise is to Allah. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Glory is to You. O Allah, I have wronged my own soul. Forgive me, for surely none forgives sins but You.

Reference: Abu Dawud 3/34, At-Tirmithi 5/501. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi3/156.

Invocation for traveling

Allaahu 'Akbar, Allaahu 'Akbar, Allaahu 'Akbar, Subhaanal-lathee sakhkhara lanaa haathaa wa maa kunnaa lahu muqrineen. Wa 'innaa 'ilaa Rabbinaa lamunqaliboon. Allaahumma 'innaa nas'aluka fee safarinaa haathal-birrawattaqwaa, waminal-'amalimaa tardhaa, Allaahumma hawwin 'alaynaa safaranaa haathaa watwi 'annaa bu'dahu, Allaahumma 'Antas-saahibu fis-safari, walkhaleefatu fil-'ahli, Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika min wa'thaa'is-safari, wa ka'aabanl-mandhari, wa soo'il-munqalabi fil-maaliwal'ahli.

Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Glory is to Him Who has provided this for us though we could never have had it by our efforts. Surely, unto our Lord we are returning. O Allah, we ask You on this our journey for goodness and piety, and for works that are pleasing to You . O Allah , lighten this journey for us and make its distance easy for us . O Allah, You are our Companion on the road and the One in Whose care we leave our family . O Allah , I seek refuge in You from this journey's hardships, and from the wicked sights in store and from finding our family and property in misfortune upon returning.
(Upon returning recite the same again adding :)
'Aa'iboona, taa'iboona, 'aabidoona, Lirabbinaa haamidoon.
We return repentant to our Lord, worshipping our Lord, and praising our Lord.

Reference: Muslim 2/978

Invocation for entering a town or city

Allaahumma Rabbas-samaawaatis-sab'i wa maa 'adhlalna, wa Rabbal-'aradheenas-sab'i wa maa 'aqlalna, wa Rabbash-shayaateeni wa maa 'adhlalna, wa Rabbar-riyaahi wa maa tharayna. 'As'aluka khayra haathihil-qaryati wa khayra 'ahlihaa, wa khayra maafeehaa, wa 'a'oothu bika min sharrihaa, wa sharri 'ahlihaa, wa shard maa feehaa.

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and all they overshadow, Lord of the seven worlds and all they uphold, Lord of the devils and all they lead astray, Lord of the winds and all they scatter. I ask You for the goodness of this town and for the goodness of its people, and for the goodness it contains. I seek refuge in You from its evil, from the evil of its people and from the evil it contains.

Reference: Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Tfaahabi agreed 2/100, and Ibn As-Sunni (no. 524). Al-Hafidh graded it good in his checking of Al-'Athkdr 5/154. Ibn Baz said in Tuhfatul-'Akhydr p. 37, that An-Nasa'i recorded it with a good chain of narration.

Invocation for entering a market

209. Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, yuhyee wa yumeetu, wa Huwa hayyun laa yamootu, biyadihil-khayru, wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise. He brings life and He causes death, and He is living and does not die. In His Hand is all good, and He is Able to do all things.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/291, and Al-Hakim 1/538. Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih Ibn Majah 2/21 and Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/152

IN39-Fear of Shirk/Allah Bless You/Against Evil

2007-03-15T22:23:00.000+04:00

IN-39

Invocation for fear of Shirk

Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika 'an 'ushrika bika wa 'anaa 'a'lamu, wa 'astaghfiruka limaa laa 'a'lamu.

O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I associate anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I know not.

Reference: Ahmad 4/403. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 3/233 and Sahihut-Targhib wat- Tarhib 1/19.

Invocation for someone who tells you: "May Allah bless you."

Wafeekabaarakallaahu.

And may Allah bless you.

Reference: Ibn As-Sunni, p. 138, (no. 278). See also Ibn Al-Qayyim, Al-Wdbil As-Sayyib, p. 304, with checking by Basheer Muhammad ‘Uyoon

Invocation against evil portent

Allaahumma laa tayra 'illaa tayruka, wa laa khayra 'illaa khayruka, wa laa 'ilaaha ghayruka.

O Allah there is no portent other than Your portent, no goodness other than Your goodness, and none worthy of worship other than You.

Reference: Ahmad 2/220, Ibn As-Sunni (no. 292). See also Al-Albani, Silsilatul-'Ahadlth As-Sahihah 3/54, (no. 1065). As for bodings of good, these used to please the Prophet (SAW) and so when he heard good words from someone, he used to say: "We have taken from you a good portent from your mouth," Abu Dawud, Ahmad. See also Al-Albani, Silsilatul-'Ahadith As-Sahihah 2/363, and it is with Abu Ash-Shaikh Al-Asfahani in 'Akhlaqun-Nabiyy, pg. 270.

IN38-False Messiah/Love For Allah's Sake/Share & Lend Money

2007-03-15T22:14:00.000+04:00

IN-38

Invocation for Allah's protection from the False Messiah

Whoever memorizes ten 'Ayat (Verses) from the beginning of Surat Al-Kahf, will be protected from the False Messiah 1 if he recites them in every prayer after the final Tashahhud before ending the prayer, seeking the protection of Allah from the trials of the False Messiah.

Reference:1 Muslim 1/555, another version mentions the last ten 'Ayat, Muslim 1/556. 2See invocations no. 55 and 56 of this book.

Invocation for someone who tells you: "I love you for the sake of Allah"

'Ahabbakal-lathee 'ahbabtanee lahu.

May He for Whose sake you love me, love you.

Reference: Abu Dawud 4/333. Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih Abu Dawud 3/965

Invocation for someone who offers you a share of his wealth

Baarakallaahu laka fee 'ahlika wa maalika.

May Allah bless you in your family and your property.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-BAri 4/88.

Invocation (upon receipt of the loan) for someone who lends you money

Baarakallaahu laka fee 'ahlika wa maalika, 'innamaa jazaa'us-salafil-hamdu wal'adaa'.

May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth , surely the reward for a loan is praise and returning (what was borrowed).

Reference: An-Nasa'i, 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylahp. 300, Ibn Majah 2/809. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah2/55.

IN37-Assembly/Someone Does Good for You

2007-03-14T23:36:00.000+04:00

IN-37

What to say while sitting in an assembly

Ibn Umar (RA) said: Allah's Messenger(SAW) used to repeat in a single sitting:

Rabbighfir lee wa tub 'alayya 'innaka 'Antat-Tawwaabul-Ghafoor.

My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, You are the Ever-Relenting, the All-Forgiving.

Reference: Sahih Ibn Majah 2/321. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/153

The Expiation of Assembly - Kaffaratul-Majlis

Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, 'ash-hadu 'an laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta, 'astaghfiruka wa 'atoobu 'ilayka.

Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise is to You. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.

Reference: Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmithi and An-Nasa'i. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/ 153. Aishah (RA) said: "Allah's Messenger (SAW) did not sit in a gathering, and did not recite the Qur'an, and did not perform any prayer without concluding by saying ... (then she quoted the above)." This was reported by An-Nasa'i in 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah (no.308), and Dr. Farooq Hamadah graded it authentic in his checking of the same book, p. 273. See also Ahmad 6/77

Invocation for someone who says: "May Allah forgive you"

Walaka

And you.

Reference: Ahmad 5/82, and An-Nasa'i in 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah p. 218, with checking by Dr. Farooq Hamadah.

Invocation for someone who does good to you

Jazaakallaahu khayran.

May Allah reward you with good.

Reference: At-Tirmithi (no. 2035). See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 2/200 and Sahihul-Jami' (no. 6244).

IN36-Anger/Misfortune/

2007-03-14T23:31:00.000+04:00

IN-36

Invocation for anger

'A'oothu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-rajeem .

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast from that which You provide for us.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/99, Muslim 4/20

What to say if you see someone afflicted by misfortune

Alhamdu lillaahil-lathee 'aafaanee mimmab-talaaka bihi wa fadhdhalanee 'alaa katheerin mimman khalaqa tafdheela.

Praise is to Allah Who has spared me what He has afflicted you with, and preferred me greatly above much of what He has created.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/493,4. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/153

IN35-Groom/Before Intercourse

2007-03-14T23:24:00.000+04:00

IN-35

Invocation for the groom

Baarakallaahu laka, wa baaraka 'alayka, wa jama'a baynakumaa fee khayrin.

May Allah bless you, and shower His blessings upon you , and join you together in goodness.

Reference: Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and At-Tirmithi. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 1/316

The groom's invocation and what he says upon purchasing an animal

When any of you marries a woman or purchases a maid-servant then let him say :

.Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka khayrahaa wa khayra majabaltahaa 'alayhi wa 'a'oothu bika min sharrihaa wa sharri maajabaltahaa 'alayhi.

O Allah, I ask You for the goodness of her and the goodness upon which You have created her, and I seek refuge in You from the evil of her and from the evil upon which You have created her.

If you purchase a camel then take hold of the top of its hump and say the same.
Reference: Abu Dawud 2/248 and Ibn Majah 1/617. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 1/324.

Invocation to be recited before intercourse

Bismillaah. Allaahumma jannibnash-Shaytaana, wa jannibish-Shaytaana maa razaqtanaa.

With the Name of Allah. O Allah, keep the I Devil away from us and keep the Devil away from that which You provide for us.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 6/141, Muslim 2/1028.

IN34-When Sneezing

2007-03-14T23:19:00.000+04:00

IN-34

Invocation for sneezing

When you sneeze , then say :

Alhamdu lillaah

All praises and thanks are to Allah.

Your companion should say :

Yarhamukallaah

May Allah have mercy upon you .

When someone says Yarhamukallaah to you then you should say:

Yahdeekumul-laahu wa yuslihu baalakum.

May Allah guide you and set your affairs in order.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/125.

What to say to the disbeliever if he sneezes and praises Allah

Yahdeekumullaahu wa yuslihu baalakum.

May Allah guide you and set your affairs in order

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/82, Ahmad 4/400, Abu Dawud 4/ 308. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 2/354.

IN33-First Dates of the Season/

2007-03-14T23:14:00.000+04:00

IN-33

Invocation for when you see the first dates of the season

Allahumma baarik lanaa fee thamarinaa , wa baarik lanaa fee madeenatinaa wa baarik lanaa fee saa'inaa, wa baarik lanaa fee muddinaa.

O Allah , bless us in our dates and bless us in our town, bless us in our Sa' and in our Mudd.

Reference: Muslim 2/1000 (Sa' and Mudd are both dry measures used for agricultural produce by the Arabs in the Prophet's time. Of the two, the So.' was the larger measure.) (Translator)

IN32-Host/Invitee/Fasting and Someone is Rude to You.

2007-03-14T21:15:00.000+04:00

IN-32

A dinner guest's invocation for his host

Allaahumma baarik lahum feemaa razaqtahum, waghfir lahum warhamhum.

O Allah , bless them in what You have provided for them , and forgive them and have mercy on them.

Reference: Muslim 3/1615.

Invocation for someone who gives you drink or offers it to you

Allaahumma 'at'im man 'at'amanee wasqi man saqaanee.

O Allah , feed the one who has fed me and drink to the one who has given me drink.

Reference: Muslim 3/126.

Invocation for a family who invites you to break your fast with them

'Aftara 'indakumus-saa'imoona, wa 'akala ta'aamakumul-'abraaru , wa sallat 'alaykumul-malaa'ikatu .

With you , those who are fasting have broken their fast, you have fed those who are righteous , and the angels recite their prayers upon you.

Reference: Abu Dawud 3/367, Ibn Majah 1/556, An-Nasa'i, 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah 296-8. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih Abu Dawud 2/730.

Invocation for someone who offers you food when you are fasting, which you decline.

When you are invited (to eat) then reply to the invitation. If you are fasting then invoke Allah's blessings (on your host), and if you are not fasting then eat.

Reference: Muslim 2/1054

What to say when you are fasting and someone is rude to you

'Inneesaa'imun, 'innee saa'imun.

I am fasting . I am fasting.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-BAri 4/103, Muslim 2/806