sacred scrolls master notes

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Ahl Aldhikr wal jama’ah

Verily all the Praises are due to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, we praise Him, we seek His aid and we ask for

His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evil within our souls and from the evils of actions. Whomsoever Allah سبحانه و تعاىل guides, no one can misguide him and whomsoever He

misguides, no one can guide him. We bear witness that there is no God but Allah سبحانه و تعاىل and

that Muhammad صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is His final Prophet and Messenger.

We thank Allah سبحانه و تعاىل Who helped us all along the way in producing this document and it would be no exaggeration to say that without His Help we would have indeed failed. We also thank Him سبحانه و تعاىل who preferred us upon many of His believing slaves in preparing this document. This document contains the notes from the AlMaghrib seminar Sacred Scrolls which was taught by our own Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Hejazy & Shaykh Navaid ‘Aziz اهللا ماحفظه in Qabeelat Nasr on 23rd-25th October and 31st -1st October/November in the year 2009 AD which fell on 4th-6th and 12th -13th Dhul Qi’dah 1430 AH. AlMaghrib Institute or its instructors are not responsible for the material inside this booklet. There is no copyright associated with this work. It is highly encouraged to spread around this knowledge to everyone however, it should be done without editing. Allah تعاىل و سبحانه says,

“…and man was created weak…”1 So indeed, in this booklet you will find mistakes but since we are weak creatures, we do mistakes so please accept our apology in advance. JazakAllah khayr. Any mistakes found should be emailed to:

1 Surat an-Nisaa’:28

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[email protected] and insha’Allah we shall correct them. We ask Allah سبحانه و تعاىل to make us of those who will get His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His as we, insha’Allah, seek to amongst the youth who grew up in the worship of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل which is mentioned in the saying of Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم when he was telling us about the seven fortunate people,

"…a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic…'" 2

We hope that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل accepts from us this work and benefits the Muslims and non-Muslims alike as a source of guidance and away from misguidance, so that it can be a source of hasanaat for us even after death; as Prophet ى اهللا عليه و سلمصل said,

“When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and righteous offspring who will pray for him.”3 Ameen

Make du‘a for your brothers who have indeed drowned in the deep ocean of sins so that Allah would forgive their sins and admit them into Paradise under which the rivers flow سبحانه و تعاىلwherein they could reside for eternity.

Ahl Aldhikr wal Jama’ah Those who remember Allah سبحانه و تعاىل much

2 Sahih al-Bukhari 3 Sahih Muslim

mailto:[email protected]

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Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................................5

The Life of Imam Nawawi ...........................................................................................................6 Advice to those Seeking knowledge .........................................................................................10

Chapter 2: The Ahadeeth ..............................................................................................................15 Hadith 1: The Muslim is online .....................................................................................................16 Hadith 2: Do you know your religion? ..........................................................................................25 Hadith 4: Which end are you working for? ...................................................................................39 Hadith 5: The Muslim clings to the sunnah ...................................................................................47 Hadith 6: The Muslim is cautious ..................................................................................................50 Hadith 10: The Muslim strives for goodness .................................................................................52 Hadith 23: Thikr of Allah ..............................................................................................................56 Hadith 25: The race to Good ..........................................................................................................67 Hadith 27: Islamic Akhlaaq ...........................................................................................................73 Hadith 28: Farewell Advice ...........................................................................................................79 Hadith 30: Know your Limits ........................................................................................................84 Hadith 32: Eradication of Haram ...................................................................................................88 Hadith 33: The Burden of Proof ....................................................................................................93 Hadith 36: Path to paradise ............................................................................................................96 Hadith 37: How merciful is Allah ................................................................................................100 Hadith 38: Become the servant of Allah ......................................................................................103 Hadith 39: Power of pardon .........................................................................................................106 Hadith 40: A brief stopover .........................................................................................................108 Hadith 42: Don’t lose hope in Allah’s mercy ..............................................................................110

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This course is designed to cover a thematic overview of Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا’s 40 ahadith,

starting with coming to know its compiler: Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا. We will also go over some

of his advice to those seeking knowledge.

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His name: Yahya ibn Sharaf

His kunya : Abu Zakariyah [named after Yahya (John)]

His nickname [laqab]: Muhyideen [one who revived the religion] (he didn’t like being called this because it is praise). Common name was an-Nawawi, where he was born. Nawa is near Damascus [Syria]

His Birth: In the month of Muharram, 631 A.H. [or 12th century A.D.]

Imam an-Nawawi اهللارمحه lived in 7th century, which is about 800 years since his time, and his

books are known worldwide.

There were many senior schoalrs at the time of Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا. When Imam Nawawi

passed away, he was 45 years old. In his short lifetime he managed to compile books رمحه اهللا

which are widely read and known today: Gardens of the Righteous & 40 Hadith Nawawi.

Reason of his Success:

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل mentions in Surat Maryam:

ـن ودا ﴿إن الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات سيجعل لهم الر ﴾ ٩٦حم

“Definitely, those who believe and practice good deeds, the Most Gracious will make for them affection.”4

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has made it very clear that the ones who believe and do good deeds, he will

make others love them. When Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is pleased with someone, HE then tells the

angels to be pleased with that person and the angels will tell the inhabitants of earth to be pleased with that person.

4 Surat Maryam :96

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The Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“A man will do something only for the sake of Allah and, for that; he will be beloved to the people.” 5

Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا was known to have a very sincere intention. It is said that this is the

characteristic which granted his compilations such great success.

His description:

Imam Ad-Dhahabi رمحه اهللا describes him as:

“That he was pink in complexion, with a long beard, possessing the aura of the scholars, laughing little and avoiding jest. He worked hard to speak the truth even if it was bitter and he

did not fear the blame of others when it came to the rights of Allah.”

His Childhood:

“I was not created to play”

Imam Nawawi رمحه اهللا as a child had an attraction to seeking knowledge. Even at 7 years of age,

he was mostly interested in studying, rather than playing with his friends, to the extent that his colleagues made fun of him and beat him.

One ‘Alim noticed Imam Nawawi رمحه اهللا crying when his friends pressured him to go out to play;

however, he just wanted to study. The shaykh insisted on having this boy well educated.

He was known to uphold the truth throughout his life.

In his childhood, at the age of 7, he was with his family during the 27th night of Ramadan when he saw that that night; his house was full of light. When he told his father about this, his father decided that this must be Laylat-ul-Qadr, and their family spent the night in prayer. His father also decided to do his best … His father didn’t take action but later on he took him to learn the deen.

5 Muslim

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The Scholar’s praise of him:

Qutb al- Din Musa al-Yunani al-Hanbali Said about him:

“The scholar of hadith, the ascetic, the one engrossed in worship, the pious, the one who was honored by the sciences and the one who wrote many valuable works.”

Two main characteristics: [that contributed to the success of his works]

Ustadh Ahmad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Qasimi اهللارمحه divided these qualities into two categories:

1. Very serious in studying Islam; did not waste his time 2. Allah gave him Hikmah [wisdom – a less common trait among students of knowledge]

﴾٢٦٩﴿ كثريا خيرا أوتي فقد الحكمة يؤت ومن

“And whoever has been granted hikmah [wisdom] has been granted something great.”6

Hikmah: To place something in the proper place. Hikmah is given to prophets and few of their followers.

Qualities that were Gifts from Allah:

Zuhd [austerity, not caring about the dunya] vs. Wara’ [caution in avoiding the doubtful]

Zuhd – staying away from something, hoping that the Hereafter will offer a better reward. It is a feeling that this life is worth nothing. Ex: he would not eat from any of the luxury food and his main food was fig & bread.

Wara’ – Staying away from something, from fear that you may get into punishment in the Hereafter. Ex: he used to stay away from eating fruits of Damascus because the land on which they were grown was give away for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا & Zuhd – He would not eat from any of the luxury foods at the time.

His main types of food were fig, bread, dates and water.

Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا & Wara’ – stayed away from eating the fruits of Damascus. Why? There

were many Awqaaf [a generous person who would spend for the sake of Allah, whose fruits would be donated for the needy]; he would not eat the fruits fearful that he may be eating charity which did not belong to him, as he did not consider himself needy.

6 Surat al-Baqarah:269

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Inviting to the Good and Forbidding the Evil

E.g. His fatwa to sultan Bayburs – he attempted a fundraiser to support the army. All scholars wrote their support except Imam Nawawi رمحه اهللا. He said:

“Listen, O Imam! You are asking people to donate money to support the army to defend our people. However, I know that you have much wealth and goods, unless you, yourself donate

everything you have I will not write anything. You are responsible for us and we are not responsible for you”.

Then Imam Nawawi رمحه اهللا was ordered to leave Damascus. Later he was called back, as Bayburs

regretted their decision, and no one would support Bayburs without Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا’s

support.

His books:

1. Sharh an-Nawawi ‘Ala Sahih Muslim (an explanation of Sahih Muslim) 2. Riyadh us-Saliheen 3. Arba’een Hadith Al-Nawawi 4. Kitab ul-Adhkaar 5. At-Tibyaan Fi Adaab Hamalaat Al-Qur’an 6. Rawdhat ut-Talibeen 7. Al-Majmu’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab

His death:

In 676 AH, he got very sick and returned to his hometown of Nawa in Damascus. His parents took care of him while he was there. On Saturday, 24th of Rajab he passed away at the age of 45. Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا never got married and never had any children. When asked why he did

not get married, he replied: “I fear that if I do this Sunnah, it will come at the expense of doing Haraam”

Imam adh-Dhahabi رمحه اهللا said that there are three characteristics that Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا

perfected, and if any human being had any of these three, he would be worthy of being an Imam of the religion. Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا combined all three and perfected them.

1. Level of Scholarship. The depth of his knowledge is absolutely amazing. His writings and teachings and profundity of knowledge.

2. His asceticism and piety 3. He did not fear the rulers, and he advised them directly to their face. He feared none

but Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

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Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا began his work Majmu Sharh al-Muhadhdhab with a small treatise on

the etiquettes of seeking knowledge.

Blessings of Knowledge

1. Qur’an

﴾١١﴿ خبري تعملون بما والله ◌ درجات العلم أوتوا والذين منكم آمنوا الذين الله يرفع

“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is acquainted with what you do.”7

2. Sunnah

The Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

"He who treads a path in search of knowledge, Allah will direct him to tread a path from the paths of Paradise, and the angels would accord welcome to the seekers of knowledge, and all that is found in the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the water seek forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like that of the full moon at night over the rest of the

stars. Verily the scholars are heirs of the Prophets, who leave behind neither Dinar nor Dirham; they only leave knowledge as their heritage: so whoever acquires it has acquired a huge fortune."8

3. From the Salaf

Imam ash-Shafi’i رمحه اهللاsaid:

“After obligatory deeds, nothing is more beloved to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل than studying knowledge”

Abud-Darda رضي اهللا عنه said:

“Studying Islam for one hour is more rewarding than praying the entire night in tahajjud”

7 Surat al-Mujadilah: 11 8 Sunan At-Tirmidhi

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Imam az-Zuhri said:

“Nothing is better to worship Allah سبحانه و تعاىل than with knowledge of the religion”

Types of knowledge:

1. Mandatory to each Muslim [fard ‘ayn] Fard’Ayn: A Muslim must know: how to pray, pay zakat, the rights of Muslims, and permissibility of foods [halal / haram].

2. Mandatory to parts of the community [fard kifayah] Fard kifayah: need an imam, need someone who learned the Qur’an and can teach it.

3. Voluntary [nafl] Nafl : any other knowledge, may also include knowledge that facilitates things for people, an example; marketing skills to help fundraising for a mosque.

Which category does certain kinds of secular knowledge fall under?

Some are fard kifayah, or nafl. Most ayat and ahadith relating to the reward of seeking knowledge relate to Islamic knowledge.

What is knowledge that is praised?

Any type of knowledge which brings you closer to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is praised in Shari’ah. It may

not have the same value as learning tafsir or any other Islamic science , but there will be reward associated to it. If a physicist finds inspiration in his field of study and his intention is to gain the reward from Allah بحانه و تعاىلس , he will also find reward therein insha’Allah.

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Etiquettes of Gaining Knowledge Principle: SINCERITY is top priority.

Nothing will be accepted from Allah سبحانه و تعاىل unless it is purely for Him.

Imam ash-Shafi’i رمحه اهللا said:

“I wish that people learnt this knowledge from me without ascribing one letter of it to me.”

And he said:

“I never once argued with anyone hoping to win the debate; rather I always wished that the truth would come from his side.”

MUST avoid four characteristics:

1) Jealousy [hasad]

Hasad – you see a blessing upon someone, and you wish that they might lose it; different from Ghittah: you are happy to see someone have a blessing, you like it, but you have no ill intention against the person / you say “Ma sha’ Allah”.

2) Showing off [riya’]

Riya’ – doing something in order to have others see you and praise you; sum’ah is doing something so people will hear you.

3) Conceit [ghuruud] Ghuruud – has no appreciation for what Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has given him, leading him to think he is somehow special and achieved something out of his own work/ intelligence. He thinks he is something. i.e the ‘it’ syndrome.

4) Arrogance [kibr] towards others.

Kibr is thinking that you are better than others. The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“He will not get to Jannah, He who has an equal amount of an atom in his heart of arrogance”.

Kibr means to reject the truth when it comes from other than you and to look down at people. To avoid these, one must remind oneself of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s power to give or keep

everything from them.

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How to avoid the four characteristics:

Jealousy: is avoided by appreciating Allahسبحانه و تعاىل’s wisdom in giving what he pleases to

whom He pleases.

Showing off: is avoided by realizing that the entire creation put together can do nothing to help you or harm you and that you should not look for their praise.

Conceit: is avoided by appreciating that knowledge is lent to him from Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, and He

gives and takes as He pleases- it did not come to him from his own intelligence.

Arrogance towards others: is avoided by implementing what Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has commanded

us of good manners, increasing one’s worship, reciting the Quran, praying extra prayers, and fasting.

The Etiquettes:

1) Must be prepared to study with everyone: Mujahid رمحه اهللا was from the tabi’in and is famous for much of the tafsir. He said:

“Knowledge will never be gained by one who is shy or one who is arrogant.”

2) Must learn the sciences in their proper order, starting with priorities and working one’s way to the more exotic sciences.

3) Should begin by memorizing the Qur’an: Scholars of the past would not accept a student for hadith or fiqh until he had memorized the Quran.

4) Should try to memorize the names of the famous Scholars and Companions, and also know 4) their dates and accomplishments.

5) Must take advantage of each and every second we have by reading, writing, memorising and revising.

6) Must learn the importance of the statement ‘I don’t know’: Only someone with little knowledge and weak faith will feel shy to say ‘I don’t know’.

7) Must learn to overlook personal faults of one’s teacher: Some of the students of the past would make dua to Allah to hide from him the faults of his teachers.

8) Must instill in oneself reverence for one’s teacher: Better for him at this stage to give full credit to his teacher and consider him to be a master.

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9) Must show utmost respect to one’s teacher:

Imam ash-Shafi’i رمحه اهللا said:

“I would turn the paper in front of Imam Malik as gently as I could, out of respect for him. “

Imam al- Muzani رمحه اهللا said:

“By Allah, I could not even dare to drink water while Imam ash-Shafi’i was looking at me, out of respect for him”

10) Students should overlook harshness of one’s teacher: Whoever cannot bear the humiliation of learning for an hour, will remain ignorant for all his life.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas رضي اهللا عنهم said:

“I showed humility as a student, so I was given respect as a teacher”

11) The student should accompany the teacher as much as possible, and be regular in attending his lecture, and be punctual with the timings.

Yahya b. Abi Kathir رمحه اهللا said:

“Knowledge can never be gained by resting one’s body.”

Al- Khatib al-Baghdadi رمحه اهللا said:

“The best time to memorise is early morning, then, mid day, then early evening.”

12) Learn to ask with respect if one does not understand an issue

13) Student should learn from teacher more than from books.

Imam ash–Shafi’i رمحه اهللا said:

“Whoever learns from books will lose understanding of the rulings.”

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Why are there 42 ahadith in Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا’s book?

At times, the Arabs spoke in such manner that when they would forty, it would not mean the it is the figure 40 rather it means a number in the forties. It is also because the Arabs liked to use approximations. These are what Imam an-Nawawi رمحه اهللا considered the most important ahadith.

Styles of reading ahadith:

Traditional way of teaching involves a student reading.

Two styles of reading: Shami & Hijazi

1. Shami style is just simple reading the Arabic text 2. Hijazi style is reciting the hadith with tajweed

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It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu’minin, Abu Hafs Umar bin al- Khattab هرضي اهللا عن ,

who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, say:

"Actions are (judged) by motives (Niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated."9

9 Al- Bukhari & Muslim

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Background: This hadith is considered as one of the most important hadith. This is the very first hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and thus shows its great importance. It discusses the driving force behind our actions.

Narrator: ‘Umar ibn ul-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه

His title, “Amir al-Mumineen” which means Leader of the Believers as he was the second caliph in the Islamic history after Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه. He was known to be one of the people of ilham. They are those people who have good judgment. Ilham is the virtue of intuitively inclining towards the right decision. ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه had many of his decisions supported by the Qur’an. They can be found in the book “Life and times of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab” by Dr Muhammad ‘Ali as-Sallabi (HAF). ‘Umar ibn ul-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه was a man full of virtues some of them are as following:

1) The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم once said, “There were among those who came before you individuals spoken to. If anyone among my nation is one of these, it is surely Umar..”10

2) Allah's Apostle said, “O Ibn Al-Khattab! By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Never does Satan find you going on a way, but he takes another way other than yours.”11

3) Abu Hurairah (raw) said," Rasullah prayed salatul fajr and then he turned around and told us [sahabah] that once there was a man, pushing a cow and he then used the cow as a mount for trasnsportation, whilst beating it and forcing it to transport him. The cow upset, said we are not created for this, we are created for farming.The sahabah present in the salah said, 'SubhanAllah, a cow whose speaking!' Rasullah (alayhi salam) then said, 'I believe in that, so does Abu Bakr and Umar.' (Abu Hurairah said that Abu Bakr, and Umar were not even present) And then Rasullah said, 'and one day when a man was shepherding his sheep a wolf snatched away one of them so the man pursued the wolf and released his sheep, so the wolf said you were able to take the sheep from me now, but what will happen when one day when the sheep will have no shepherds but wolves. So, again, those present said, 'SubhanAllah a wolf is speaking!' So, Rasullah said, I believe in that so does Abu Bakr and Umar. (and again Abu Hurairah said they were not even present).12

‘Umar ibn ul-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه was killed shaheed by Abu Lu’lu’ al-Majusi on Wednesday 26th or

27th of Dhul Hijjah 23 A.H. at the age of sixty-three years.

10 Sahih al-Bukhari 11 Sahih al-Bukhari 12 Sahih al-Bukhari

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Lessons: Commentary:

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رمحه اهللا said about this hadith:

“One of the three hadiths that the precepts of Islam are based on”

This hadith basically speaks about:

1) Ikhlas (sincere intention to worship Allah سبحانه و تعاىل alone) 2) What to do 3) How to it

Two similar statements:

1. “Actions are judged by intentions” 2. “Each person will have what he intended”

But do these statements mean the same thing?

1. The first one says that there will be no consideration of the act whatsoever if there isn’t any intention to begin with.

2. The second one says how much reward you get out of it.

What does Niyyah mean?

Niyyah is an Islamic concept which is the intent one evokes in his heart only to perform an act of worship for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

Who you are doing the act for? It is one of the two conditions required for a deed to be accepted. A sign of sincerity is that a person’s niyyah is to gain the Pleasure of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل

and hypocrisy is it’s exact opposite. Thus, one can understand that a correct niyyah is the code of a tru believer in all of his acts of worship. According to the people of Salaf, it is one of the most difficult of the things to achieve in one’s life.

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What act are you doing? Niyyah is the very thing that distinguishes between acts. For example, if a person gives in charity, is he giving Zakah or a simple Sadaqah?

Reward of an action decreaes with a double intention, i.e. one being for the sake of Allah سبحانه و

.and the other for a halal wordly benefit تعاىل

Issues of Fiqh in the hadith:

1) In many cultures it is normal for a man to scare his wife by warning her of a divorce. Is that divorce (when pronounced) considered to be a valid divorce? The answer can be divided into two parts. If the person’s intention was to scare his wife only then he has to do the expiation of an intention. But, if his intention was to really divorce her, then he has actually divorced her and she becomes haram for him.

2) A person prayed Dhuhr on its prescribed time. Later on he forgets that he did offer Dhuhr and prays with the congregation. Will his second Dhuhr, done by mistake, counted as ‘Asr? The answer is no, the intention of the Imam (that is to pray ‘Asr) is not enough for prayers that are performed for specific reasons for example: the five Salawat, ‘Eid Salah or Istikhaarah. But, for Salawaat like Tahajjud, Taraweeh, Qiyam ul-Layl, the Imam’s intention is enough for the whole congregation. So, in other words, an intention made for a specific Salah can be changed to an intention for a general Salah but vice versa is not permissible. And example can be changing one’s intention during a fardh Salah to a Nafl Salah.

3) If a person leads a Salah and fakes up crying so people would become emotional cry along with him, what happens to his reward? If from the beginning his deed wrong and he couples it with a good intention, the he will lose the reward and will be committing a major sin. If he starts with a good intention, then tries to fight his nafs, he would be incurring no sin. And this is only applicable if the evil of intention comes and is replaced by goodness and this alternates. But, if bad intention prevails, then his reward is lost and he would be committing a major sin. And indeed, Allah سبحانه و تعاىل knows best.

Marriage, divorce and freeing a slave are 3 matters that are to be taken very seriously and should be dealt with caution.

What is Tawriyah?

It is saying something, not outright lying, but in a manner that could be understood in a different way. Example would of the Hijrah of the Prophet سلمصلى اهللا عليه و and Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه

to al-Madinah. On their way, they met a disbelieving man who asked Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه about

his companion (i.e. the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم and the man had never seen him but had heard

about the reward of bringing him to Quraysh). Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه replied, “He is my guide.”

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The man thought that the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم was Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه’s guide in the desert

but what Abu Bakr رضي اهللا عنه meant that he صلى اهللا عليه و سلم was his spiritual guide. And he said

this to protect the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم. Using Tawriyah in court is not allowed as whatever

should be said must be clear and explicit. Neither should an oath include tawriyah.

None of the Imams Abu Hanifah, Malik, ash-Shafi’i and Ahmad هم اهللارمح , ever said a person

should say his/her intention with the tongue, rather this is an innovation. The first time this appeared was in the 6th century A.H. – this was due to lack of knowledge at the time, and some people accepting Islam and finding it difficult to define Niyyah to themselves. However, in all classical texts, the Sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم, Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim رمحهما اهللا, none ever

discussed verbally declaring it.

Shaytan will always try his best to make a believer lose his reward.

Why were the Sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم better than the Tabi’in رمحهم اهللا?

The reason the Sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم were different from everyone else who came thereafter was

NOT only related to their number of acts of worship, but rather the high level of intention and sincerity that they had. The least of the Sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم are better than the highest of the

Tabi'in رمحهم اهللا. Why? Simple, they had a sincere intention. They were people who always made

ruku’ and sujud, and all they wanted was to seek Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s mercy, pleasure and reward.

Making sincere Niyyah for Halal acts

There is no need to make intention for acts that are not acts of worship. Except if you have another intention associated with this halal act. An example of that would be someone sayin, “I am sleeping so that I get enough rest, and I am able to wake for qiyam ul-layl.” Then the Halal act is sleeping which becomes a source of reward, an act of worship.

Mu’adh Ibn Jabal and Abu Musa Al Ash‘ari رضي اهللا عنهم were sent to Yemen to spread the message

of Islam. While they were there, each person was in a separate city and used to meet from time to time, in order to remind one another, and spend some time together. Abu Musa رضي اهللا عنه

said that he felt his level of Iman was not as high as when he was in the company of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم. Reasonably, this can happen. Mu’adh رضي اهللا عنه responded: “There is no

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single time that I eat or drink except that I have a good intention that this should make it easier for me to worship, and serve the Muslims.” This is how he maintained his Iman. The common believer on the other hand will neither be sinning nor be rewarded.

How can we change our habits to ensure we are being rewarded all the time?

1) Do Halal to avoid Haram 2) Do Halal to help and support a good cause

Types of Hijrah:

Hijrah means to leave someone, a place or something.

1) Hijrat ul-Makan: leaving the land . Example is of the famous hadith in which the man killed 100 people, then scholar advised him to move to a new place where he has good company as the land he lived in was full of sin

2) Hijrat ul-A’mal: stopping the act. Example is the addiction to drugs; when someone stops, he must leave the act completely.

Both of the above types are mandatory upon Muslims. Advice: when moving, move near a Masjid. Leave a land of disobedience or a habit of disobedience is mandatory, otherwise it is sinful.

3) Hijrat ul-‘Aamil: boycotting the sinner. A prime example is of the incident that took place after the battle of Tabuk. Hilal Ibn Umayyah, Ka’b Ibn Malik, Murarah Ibn Rabi’a did not participate in the battle due to improper reasons and were punished رضي اهللا عنهمby way of boycott. Muslims were told not to speak to them as a form of punishment. Thus, they regretted their mistake and repented to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل and eventually their repentance was accepted.

Do we boycott a person who does not pray?

Only if boycotting the person will make them feel bad and may lead them to repent. If not, we do not do this. Another example would be punishing a child who has lied; the mother wants to punish her by not speaking to her for a while. However, a teenage boy who is being disobedient, ignoring him may lead him further astray. Some people say: “If you see a man of innovation, do not talk to him.” – If you do this you may be avoiding the possibility of helping them find guidance. This may also make them your enemy.

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Muhaajir of Umm Qays رضي اهللا عنها:

Imam at-Tabarani رمحه اهللا narrates from Ibn Masu'd رضي اهللا عنه, the story of Umm Qays رضي اهللا عنها

and her muhaajir. Umm Qays رضي اهللا عنها was a muhaajirah and a man who hadn't made hijrah

wanted to marry her and she stipulated that he had to make hijrah in order for them to marry. So he made hijrah to Madinah and was known as the Muhaajir Umm Qays رضي اهللا عنها.

When can someone live in a non-Muslim land?

The person should have:

1) Enough Islamic knowledge to survive in the land. 2) Taqwa 3) A good cause.

Only when the interfering intention takes over does it lead to accumulating sin.

Acts of worship can be:

1) Solely for other than Allah تعاىلسبحانه و 2) For Allah and other than Allah سبحانه و تعاىل 3) Adding a worldly intention:

a) Fasting with intention of weight control is not shirk; he will have a lesser reward than the one who fasts only for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

b) Sadaqah with intention of tax exemption. Once again will reduce the reward of one who donates only for the sake of helping.

Do we have to have intention for other acts?

Any act of worship that has a reward attached to it necessitates an intention. However the qiblah is conditional to your prayer. However, wudhu has a reward [in performing wudhu sins are forgiven] therefore requires an intention.

A Basic principle: when a person has nothing but the Hereafter in his mind as he does an act of worship, his reward will be full. A person who also has in mind this dunya, his reward will be lessened.

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Q and A:

Q. Can someone join a prayer with a different intention?

Hanbali madhhab: It is ok to pray behind an Imam with a different intention. An example can be that an Imam is praying taraweeh, a person can join in and pray Salat ul-Isha with that intention Isha.

Hanafi madhhab: It is not permitted to do so.

Q. What should a common Muslim do? Follow a madhhab?

“Your madhhab is the madhhab of the one you ask (your Shaykh).” Accept and trust the Imam you ask from. We must respect all schools of thought. If we tend to trust a certain madhhab more than others, then we ask the shuyukh of that particular madhhab.

Two prerequisites to earn the trust of people:

1) Deep understanding of Islam (i.e. fiqh of al-Islam) 2) Taqwa

Q. What happens if we (a) have no wudhu or (b) have najaasah on clothing and only realize after the prayer?

If you miss something you were obligated to do, then you must do it again [if forgotten]: missing wudhu and prayer; but doing something impermissible because of not knowing about it or forgetting, you need not make up for it.

Q. How do you make a Niyyah?

Niyyah in Islam means that you know exactly what you are doing and who you are doing it for. Once you have this in your mind, that is called niyyah.

Q. Is it permissible to live in a non-Muslim land with the intention of staying there for good?

All scholars of Islam have said that if there is a true Islamic state, then no one can leave that except for very specific reasons. Unfortunately, today there is no such thing. Many “Muslim” countries place restrictions upon Muslims and their worship.

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A true Muslim should always look for a land where he can satisfy 2 conditions:

1) This is the best place you can worship Allah سبحانه و تعاىل in and you have no access to any other place that you can do a better job at worshipping Allah سبحانه و تعاىل; you have to always look for that place which permits you to worship best;

2) Must look for that land where you can serve the Muslims and the ummah better.

You can tell if you live in the right land if:

1) Making sure you have enough knowledge of your religion that you will not be afflicted by the non-Islamic thoughts that are present or circulating around in your environment; e.g. you cannot be fooled;

2) You should have enough piety, that if haram is presented in front of you, your piety will prevent you from falling into sin;

3) A good reason for staying where you are. Criteria should not be related to an extra $200; is this the place where you can serve Allah سبحانه و تعاىل best?

Q. What if (2) above applies to most of the family but not the whole?

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل does not ask you to do something you cannot accomplish. But we should do

what we can.

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Also on the authority of ‘Umar, رضي اهللا عنه, who said:

While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, there appeared before us a man dressed in

extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.

He sat down in front of the Prophet, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, rested his knees against his thighs, and said “O Muhammad!

Inform me about Islam.” Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, “Islam is to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that you should perform Salah,

(ritual prayer), pay zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).” Said he (the man), “You have

spoken the Truth.”

We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say. “Inform me about Iman (faith).” He ( the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم answered, “It is that you believe in Allah and

His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (Qadr), both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken truly.”

Then he (the man) said, “Inform me about Ihsan.” He (the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم) answered, “ It is that

you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you,” He said, “Inform me about the Hour” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, “about that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.” So he said, “Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. its coming).” Said he, “They are that the

salve-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.” Thereupon the man went off.

I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم) said, “O ‘Umar, do you know who that

questioner was?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.”

Background This hadith discusses the topics pertaining to etiquettes of knowledge, Islamic creed, meanings of Islam and Ihsan.

Narrator: More about ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه:

1) An incident with ‘Uthman رضي اهللا عنه when a camel escaped (the camel was assigned as charity). =’Umar رضي اهللا عنه ran after the camel but ‘Uthman رضي اهللا عنه said to him “O Amir ul-Mu’mineen, why don’t you ask one of your people to run after this camel for you?” ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه got so angry and said, “Would it be you or me that would be asked about the affairs of the people on the day of Judgement?”

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2) Once ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه found a healthy camel during Ramadan during one of the periods of starvation among the Muslims; it belonged to his son, ‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه. When asked about it he said the camel used to be skinny and grew. ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه said to his son: “Yes, you bought this camel when it was skinny, but people said ‘this camel belongs to the son of Amir ul-Mu’mineen, so let’s feed it and keep it well’ and people hoped that this favour would grant them favour with us. You have used the name of your father to acquire this camel. Go and sell this camel and distribute the wealth to the needy.” (keep the capital)

3) At the time of his death, he appointed his son to help with the decision of choosing the khalifah, but none of his family would be allowed to take a governing position in the following Khilafah.

More about ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه can be read in the book, “Life and Times of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab” by

Dr Muhammad ‘Ali as-Sallabi (HAF)


The hadith teaches the overall picture of Islam.

Ihsaan [Muhsin]Imaan

[Mu’min]Islam

[Muslims]Naas

[Mankind]

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Hadith in context:

The man who visited them was described to be clean, therefore not a traveller [who would be dusty from travel]. No one knew him, so where could he come from [small city, everyone knows each other]?

Moreover, Jibreel عليه السالم demonstrated the best way to sit with a student of knowledge or a

shiekh: the position is much like tashahud. This shows respect for the student, the teacher, and the kind of information you are receiving – the words of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل and His Prophet صلى اهللا

.عليه و سلم

Manners before knowledge!

Why show all that respect (for the teacher and the student/ subject)

1) The more you respect the Shaykh the more you will learn. 2) By doing that, you are also respecting the knowledge that is being received.

Islam vs. Iman:

If you are Muslim you have to have Iman, and if you have Iman you should pray and do the other things. In this context the words Islam and Iman can be used interchangeably. However, Islam has more to do with your outer, physical acts, while Iman relates to what you do in your heart. Therefore, the best way to differentiate between these words is in different context, they are the same, but mentioned together Islam refers to physical actions, while matters of the heart refer to Iman.

Pillars of Islam:

Salah: It prevents a person from promiscuous and evil acts. In addition, it is a self-monitoring system by monitoring oneself from within; self-healing from the five daily reminders. Your day begins with prayer and your day ends with prayer. Meanwhile, during the day there are 3 other reminders. If this person prays in the right way, how can he ever do something wrong?

Zakah: Would help minimise wealth disparity between rich and poor. It is also a means to purify one’s wealth.

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Sawm: helps a person restrain his/her strongest of desires. It also allows him/her to feel how the people without proper food would feel.

Hajj: It gives an opportunity to a person to feel as if they were in the day of Judgement and an opportunity to see the similarity between humans, regardless of color or language.

Story of the Hadith (Ma’bad Aljuhani and belief in Qadr)

Imam Muslim اهللارمحه narrated this by way of Kahmas from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah from Yahya ibn Ya'mar who said, "The first to speak about the Decree in Basrah was Ma'bad al-Juhani. I and Humayd ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Humayri went on hajj or 'umrah saying [to ourselves], 'If we meet anyone of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we will ask him about what these people say about the Decree.' We were fortunate to meet ‘Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with both of them, as he entered the mosque. We went in shoulder to shoulder with him, my companion and I, one on his right and the other on his left. I thought my companion would delegate the talking to me and so I said, 'Abu 'Abd Ar-Rahman, people have appeared among us who recite the Qur'an and seek out and follow knowledge...'" and he told some of their story and that they claimed that there is no Decree and that the matter is happening for the first time without any prior decree. "He [Ibn 'Umar] said, 'When you meet those people tell them that I have nothing to do with them and that they are free of me. By the One whom ‘Abdullah ibn 'Umar swears by, if one of them has the like of Uhud in gold and spends it, Allah will not accept it until he has iman in the Decree!' Then he said, 'My father, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, told me, "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace..."'" and he mentioned the rest of the hadith completely. Then he [Muslim] narrated it by other paths some of which return to ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah and some to Yahya ibn Ya'mar, and mentioned that in some of their narrations there were things added in and things left out.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said that his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه, said:

In the city of al-Basra, in Iraq, a group of people lead by Ma’bad Aljuhani started to spread a new belief in Islam that is not true. They said the pillars of Iman are 5, not six, denying Qadr. Some of the people of Basra wanted to go to Makkah [through Hajj] and ask about this issue. ‘Abdullah told them of this hadith and warned that whoever does not believe in Qadr is not a Muslim. These people in Basra argued that Allah should not allow people to disobey Him. The only reason that Allah would create someone who might not worship Him is “unless He does not know”, and claiming that Allah does not know leads to kufr: they assumed that they know something about Allah’s wisdom and that Allah does not know until the events happen and this belief also leads to kufr. These people were called al-Qadriyyah. They may have started due to a lack of knowledge.

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Qada’ and Qadr are often sources of huge mistakes when studying ‘Aqeedah.

Al-Qadriyyah and Al-Jabariyyah:

The Jabariyyah asked, why does Allah سبحانه و تعاىل let bad things happen? They did not consider Allah’s

ultimate wisdom. Something that appears bad from our perspectives may in fact be good from a different perspective.

Why did they go wrong? (Was it Bad intention or lack of knowledge?):

Qadr is the divine decree that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has written; when it actually happens. “After the fact”, it

is called Qadhaa. They are the same, but Qadr is waiting to happen. What makes a person a true believer regarding Qadr and Qadhaa? The ranks of believing in Qadr and Qadaa are four:

1) Believe that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has full knowledge of everything that happened, is happening and will happen; and anything that has not happened and that He knows what it would be like should it happen; it was known before creation, without any beginning or end for Allah. He is the First and the Last.

2) Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has written this knowledge about His Creation 50,000 years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. “Allah has written the decree for all the creation before Allah created the heavens and the earth.” Are these 50,000 of our years? No. They are years according to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. These are written in al-Lawh [tablet] al- Mahfudh [protected].

3) Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s Will. There is nothing in this universe that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has created that will go against what Allah wants. Every creation will behave in the way / plan which Allah has provided. Allah has thus allowed for some people to believe in Him and others to disbelieve. There is a difference between what Allah wants and what He likes. Not everything He has allowed to happen will be something He likes.

4) Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has created people, as well as their actions. Includes behaviours, actions, words,

etc. When Allah سبحانه و تعاىل creates a certain action, this is Qadhaa.

What believing in Qadr implies:

1) Knowledge 2) Writing 3) Will 4) Creation

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Knowledge and Qadr: can we tell the wisdom behind Qadr?

• Musa and Al-Khidr عليهم السالم – story related about poor people who offered forage to Musa and Al-Khidr عليهم السالم Narrated Ubai bin Ka `b رضي اهللا عنه: The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said: "Once Prophet Moses

stood up and addressed Banu Israel. He was asked: "Who is the most learned man amongst the people?" He said: "I am the most learned." Allah admonished Moses as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So Allah inspired to him, "At the junction of the two seas there is a slave of mine who is more learned than you." Moses said: "O my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah Almighty said: "Take a fish in a large basket (and proceed) and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish." So Moses set out along with his (servant) boy, Yusha` bin Nun and carried a fish in a large basket till they reached a rock, where they laid their heads (i.e. lay down) and slept. The fish came out of the basket and it took its way into the sea as in a tunnel. So it was an amazing thing for both Moses and his (servant) boy. They proceeded for the rest of that night and the following day. When the day broke, Moses said to his (servant) boy: {Bring us our early meal. No doubt, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey}. Moses did not get tired till he passed the place about which he was told. There the (servant) boy told Moses: {Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish}. Moses remarked: {that is what we have been seeking, so they went back retracing their footsteps}, till they reached the rock. There they saw a man covered with a garment (or covering himself with his own garment). Moses greeted him. Al-Khidr replied saying: "How do people greet each other in your land?" Moses said: "I am Moses." He asked: "The Moses of Banu Israel?" Moses replied in the affirmative and added: "May I follow you so that you teach me of that knowledge which you have been taught." Al-Khidr replied: "Verily! You will not be able to remain patient with me, 0 Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which He has taught me and which you do not know, while you have some knowledge which Allah has taught you which I do not know." Moses said: "Allah willing, you will find me patient and I will not disobey you in aught, so both of them set out walking along the seashore as they did not have a boat. In the meantime a boat passed by them and they requested the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khidr and took them on board without fare. Then a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice in the sea. Al-Khidr said: "O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." Al-Khidr went to one of the planks of the boat and plucked it out. Moses said: "These people gave us a free lift but you have broken their boat and scuttled it so as to drown its people." Al-Khidr replied: "Didn't I

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tell you that you will not be able to remain patient with me." Moses said: "Call me not to account for what I forgot." The first (excuse) of Moses was that he had forgotten. Then they proceeded further and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khidr took hold of the boy's head from the top and plucked it out with his hands (i.e. killed him). Moses said: "Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed none." AI-Khidr replied: "Did I not tell you that you cannot remain patient with me?" Then they both proceeded till when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found there a wall on the point of collapsing. Al-Khidr repaired it with his own hands. Moses said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it." Al-Khidr replied: "This is the parting between you and me." The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon him)) added: "May Allah be Merciful to Moses! Would that he could have been more patient, he could have learned more about his story with Al-Khidr."13

Qadr can also be explained by an example. A child and his parents – a parent may withhold a large amount of candies from their child. The child, in its immediate gratification, in enjoying the candy now and not wanting to part with the sweets may believe his parents are being unusually cruel to him or her, when in fact the parent, out of their knowledge of something greater [ex. the harm of cavities, diabetes, etc.] puts an end to this instant gratification in order to save the child from a bad outcome.

Falsehood of Al-Jabriyyah:

Analogy of a teacher and passing and failing students: Five students attend a class. Two of them work very hard all the year, whilst the remaining three slacked off and never devote much time to their studies. The two are very dedicated, attend classes, ask questions. The remainder are absent most of the time. Exam time comes, and the teacher tells the two they will do well, and tells the three they will fail – it is not an easy exam. Indeed, the two do well while the three fail, and they turn to the teacher afterwards, whining “You’re telling us that we would fail caused us to fail!” Their logic is flawed – they set themselves up for failure, the teacher only warned them of their likely outcome due to their lack of devotion. Such is the lot of those who are warned that this life is a test, and some will succeed, while others will fail. We are given everything to know how to succeed – are we following the directions? Do we ready ourselves for the Exam? Or are we lazy, expecting endless happiness without effort?

Allahسبحانه و تعاىل ’s fairness with people:

1) Fitrah (natural inclination) – a human being has a natural inclination towards good and staying away from bad. Fitrah is what gives us that inclination but also what makes us feel good about doing good things, intuitively. Parents, environment, or circumstances can ruin this. All humans are created with

13 Sahih Al-Bukhari

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this fitrah. Yet, Allah does not follow people only because they did not follow their fitrah. This is not enough for Allah to punish this person…

2) Intellect – on top of fitrah, a person has discernment. With intellect, a criminal can be aware of their actions being bad. Analogy of entropy, a measure of randomness: for example, a group of people may sit in a room at random, unless energy is spent to organize it, such as sitting in rows. Likewise, planets might fly around aimlessly, except that they are on an orbit – as well the moon can be calculated by its orbit… going against the natural law of entropy, randomness.

3) Evidences – Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has shown signs to His creation. The skies, seas, trees and animals are

signs of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

4) Messengers – “We would never punish a people unless We send a messenger to them.”

People will never be punished unless Allah سبحانه و تعاىل provided them a chance.

A person came to Musaylamah al-Kadhdhaab from his own followers, asked him: “Are you Musaylamah?” “Yes, I am Rasul Allah.” The man then asked,“Tell me; is it wahi or satanic inspirations you receive?” He replied, “They are the satanic inspirations.” He then continued, “When this comes to you, does it come during the day or the night?” Musaylamah said, “At night.” The man realised the truth and said, “By Allah, you are a liar. And Muhammad is truthful, but the liar tribe of Rabi’a is more beloved to my heart than the truthful of Quraysh, therefore I will follow you.” Tawfiq only comes if a person’s heart is open to the truth.

We should not argue about Qadr! It is a complex topic, and most un-informed discussions will lead people to false conclusions

Q and A:

Q. Can we combine intentions? Can you combine intention of fasting Monday and making up for Ramadan? Yes you can. Can you combine intention of fasting 2 days in one? You cannot combine intention of 2 days.

Q. Can you combine intention of fasting Shawwal and making up for Ramadan? No.

What is the ruling here? If there is a specific reason to fasting a specific day, then you cannot combine it with anything else.

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The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said,

“Whoever fasted the full month of Ramadan and then follows it with six fats of Shawwal, is like the person who has fasted the full year.”14

Mondays and Thursdays are the days when our deeds are raised to Allah and the Prophet صلى اهللا

liked to have his deeds raised while he was recorded as being among those who are عليه و سلم

fasting.

Q. Is it allowed to combine the two raka’hs of the greeting of the Masjid with the two raka’hs of Sunnah? Yes.

Q. Can someone ask a question to a khateeb during his khutbah?

No, a person who speaks during the khutbah will have their Jumu’a annulled. However, one may speak if there is an emergency, such as a fire.

Q. How do you prevent your Niyyah from getting corrupted?

You should train yourself, and remind yourself regarding the rewards of sincerity. Just be patient regarding your development and realize that healing your psyche is more difficult than healing your physical body.

When does a person become Kafir?

Ahlus Sunnah’s belief about Islam and Iman (neither Murji’ah – as long as you have belief it doesn’t matter what sins you commit, you will be forgiven; nor Khawarij – a major sin makes you kafir) Ahlu Sunnah believe a person must fulfill the conditions stated in Hadith #2. However, in order to maintain this description of being Muslim, one should continue to follow the aspects of Iman, so long as he doesn’t commit something which takes him out of the fold of Islam; a person will be punished if he sins but they will not necessarily take him out of Islam.

However, some things may take a person out of Islam even if they say Laa ilaha illaa-Llah. Mocking the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم can take a person out of Islam.

As Ahlus Sunnah we should not point fingers and declare people as kafir. We must explain the truth to the people who appear to be on kufr and they reject it, the ulama may come to the conclusion that this person is kafir.

14 Sahih Muslim

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Kufr of the Act vs. Kufr of the doer: A person may commit an act of kufr [forced to do it or did it without knowing] without becoming kafir.

What is Ihsan? Ihsan in two levels:

1. If we trust Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, then when Allah سبحانه و تعاىلdescribes something it is as if we see it.

2. Ihsan means that you have full trust in what Allah says, as if everything you are told you have seen for yourself. No human is perfect – if we were, we would reach the level of angels. Ihsan is the only tool we have to reach towards that state of perfection.

Reward of Ihsan (“Ziyadah” after Jannah):

“And for those who practice Ihsan, Allah will give them al-husnah and ziyadah.” Ziyadah is seeing Allah سبحانه و تعاىل on the Day of Judgement for those who were Muhsin in their life. The

greatest reward from Allah is that He will say to His slave: “I am pleased with you.”

Hadith of Sahih Muslim about seeing Allah on the day of judgement

Narrated Abu Hurayrahرضي اهللا عنه, the people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we see our Lord

on the Day of Resurrection?" Prophet Muhammad صلى اهللا عليه و سلم replied, "Do you have any

doubt in seeing the full moon on a clear (not cloudy) night?" They replied, "No, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Do you have any doubt in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" They replied in the negative. He said, "You will see Allah (your Lord) in the same way. On the Day of Resurrection, people will be gathered and He will order the people to follow what they used to worship. So some of them will follow the sun, some will follow the moon, and some will follow other deities; and only this nation (Muslims) will be left with its hypocrites. Allah will come to them and say, 'I am Your Lord.' They will say, 'We shall stay in this place till our Lord comes to us and when our Lord will come, we will recognize Him. Then Allah will come to them again and say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say, 'You are our Lord.' Allah will call them, and As-Sirat (a bridge) will be laid across Hell and I (Muhammad) shall be the first amongst the Apostles to cross it with my followers. Nobody except the Apostles will then be able to speak and they will be saying then, 'O Allah! Save us. O Allah Save us.'15

15 Sahih al-Bukhari

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People came to the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم asking “Ya RasulAllah, are we going to see our Lord

on the day of judgement?” “On the day of judgement, people will be gathered together, it will be said to them: ‘Whoever used to worship something else, follow that now.’ Those who followed the sun, or the moon, or idols, or Jesus, they will follow a shape of what they used to worship and it will lead them into hellfire. Those who used to worship Allah will stay there, in front of Allah, including the hypocrites. Allah will enable them to see Him, including the hypocrites. Then they will be directed to cross the Sirat [the bridge over hellfire]; Allah will make this bridge either very spacious or tiny, depending on the deeds of the person. Each person will go through; the believers will be given light and will reach across, and meet the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم; the hypocrites will have light at the beginning, but once they are on the

bridge they will lose their light and fall off into hellfire. Others, in the middle, will walk across, sinful Muslims, and some of them will fall into hellfire. People from Jannah will enter and then will see Allah for the second time. In this way the hypocrites will be shown so that they are forever regretful.

Ihsan is to worship Allah سبحانه و تعاىل as if you see Him, cognizant that He sees you at all times.

Who is the least important watcher?

“Revere Allah that you may make Him the least significant watcher over you.”

Do not forget that Allah sees all that you do.

“Verily I know and I have been told about people from my own ummah, who will come on the day of judgement with good deeds with the likes of the mounts of Tuhama (huge amount of good deeds), and they are white with how

pure they were, and Allah will destroy all of this as if it were nothing.”

One of the Sahabah, Thuwban, asked:

“O Prophet of Allah, describe these people for us! [so that we may avoid being among them]”

He سلم و عليه اهللا صلى said:

“Verily those people are from my ummah, and they do pray the night prayers [like you], their appearance is so good. But they are people that, when they are by themselves, they do not mind doing things which will displease

Allah, and deal with Haram.”

Human beings are people with shortcomings, therefore how does a person live without sin? As such, most people will not commit sins publically.

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“Every person will be in good shape with their sins so long as they seek repentance, except for those who publicize their sins, speaking proudly of his sins.”

How do we reconcile these two hadith?

Two hadiths about hidden sins

Every person may at one point or another commit sin in private.

The people mentioned above are in fact the people who have double standards: in public they are the best of people, but when they are alone they strive to commit sin and are pleased in doing so. This is not like the people who occasionally commit sin, while feeling remorseful about this. Also, committing sin with a group of bad people is like committing a sin in public. Usually this is something they are insistent upon, and is habitual.

Advice: never go with a friend who is setting out for ma’siyah [bad deeds], so that you do not fall into sin yourself.

Signs of the day of judgement

The servant woman will give birth to her master. Islam came at a time when slavery was rampant. It encouraged release of slaves, spoke of reward in freeing a slave. Kaffaraat = if someone does something that is not permissible, must repent and do kaffaraa to complete his repentance, e.g. freeing a slave, fasting a few days, feeding the needy. Ex. someone makes an oath by Allah’s name but does not uphold it, he should abide by this ayah:

“Allah forbids you from giving an oath and not fulfilling it, if not you must: feed 10 needy people, or clothe 10 needy people or free a slave. And whoever cannot do any of these three, he can fast 3 days.”

Fasting the 3 days should not be skipped to ignoring the other 3 options before it – it is sequential. Fasting is only an option if the 3 others cannot be done – ex. a person can neither afford to feed, or clothe ten people, and has no slaves to free [no longer applicable today]. As a result of this encouragement of ending slavery: then as a woman gives birth to her daughter who is then freed, the woman will now see that her daughter is a free woman, and her daughter will grow to be independent and wealthy and now able to buy her mother from the previous master, becoming her mistress. Then her daughter sets her free, so does a servant woman give birth to her master or mistress. Islam was the first religion which came and encouraged the freeing of slaves. Islam gradually changed the world, such that a sign of the day of judgement is that slavery will be non-existent:

1. The poor barefooted shepherds going for lofty buildings (love of life and wealth)

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2. Shaykh was born & raised in Riyadh [36 years ago], when he was 10, during time of King Faisal, the King had a plan to have the Bedouins move out of the deserts into the city of Riyadh. He granted them free land and assisted them with building homes. Many buildings were being built from clay. The Bedouin built their homes, had their back yards, and set up a tent in the backyard and slept there because they were uninterested in the leisure of a roof overhead. During King Khalid’s time, a 35-storey apartment building was built, further encouraging the Bedouin to move into the urban lifestyle. Today, prince Al-Waleed is building a high-rise building which will be 1.6 km high. This seems to herald the coming of the end of days. Suddenly these people whose lives were all about camels and cattle and tents is now attached to malls, high-rise buildings and money.

3. Other signs

Q. What about nadhir [oath made with Allah; if You grant me such-and-such, I will do such and such…]? (It’s halal but discouraged)

Kaffaraat should be done. A promise without oath is a sin without needing kaffaraa, but it is still a sin.

Al-yameen al-ghamuus = an oath about the past. Lying about this in the form of an oath is something which will dip a person into hellfire.

“There are 3 types of people which Allah will never give His attention to on the Day of Judgement.” One of them is “one who uses an oath in order to sell merchandise, lying with his oath.”

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Abu ‘Abd Al- Rahman ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud, رضي اهللا عنه, reported: The Messenger of Allah, sallallah ‘alayhi

wassallam, the most truthful, the most trusted, told us:

Verily the creation of any one of you takes place when he is assembled in his mother’s womb; for forty days he is an a drop of fluid, then it becomes a clot for a similar period. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for

a similar period. Then an angel is sent to him, who breathes the ruh (spirit) into him. This angel is commanded to write four decrees: that he writes down his provision (rizq) his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be among

the wretched or the blessed.

I swear by Allah- there is no God but He- one of you may perform the deeds of the people of paradise till there is naught but an arm’s length between him and it, when that which has been written will outstrip him so that he

performs the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire; one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Hell Fire, till there is naught but an arm’s length between him and it, when that which has been written will overtake him so

that he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters therein.

Background Narrator: Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin Masu’d رضي اهللا عنه

Used to be known by the Ibn Ummu ‘Abd [kunya]

“Whoever likes to recite Qur’an the way it was revealed onto me, then let him recite it the way Ibn Umm ‘Abd recites it.”

He was among the first to believe in Islam, one of the early Sahabi. One day, the few Muslims used to meet at Dar ul Arkam, and then they felt someone should recite the Qur’an in case the Quraish people had never heard it,

“Why can’t someone go to the Ka’ba and recite the Qur’an out loud?”

‘Abdullah offered to do this, though he did not have a powerful tribe to protect him, but he said,

“Allah is the protector”.

‘Abdullah went to the Ka'ba and began reciting out loud. The Quraish came to him and started to beat him almost to death. During the night, the Sahabah nursed him. When he came to he said,

“That was the most enjoyable moment, and I would do it again today.”

He believed, and did not care what people said about him.

Once ‘Abdullah Ibn Masu’d - may Allah be pleased with him - was walking with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and as they walked by a tree, the Prophet asked him to climb the tree and break off a twig to clean his teeth with. Ibn Masu’d climbed up the tree, since he was very slim

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and small, and began to break off a twig. Meanwhile, the wind blew, blowing his garment and exposing his shins that were very thin and bony. When people saw this, they laughed.

At that point, the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said, "What are you laughing at, the thinness of his shins? By Allah, they are heavier than Mount Uhud in the Scales!" [Ahmad]

How good did ‘Abdullah Ibn Masu’d have felt when the Prophet defended and praised him after the people had laughed at him?16


When to offer prayer for the miscarried fetus?

Ruling of:

1. Abortion – the only valid reason for abortion is if the delivery is going to kill the mother, or injure her in a way that is not curable. Abortion is NOT permissible if the child has a disease that could lead it to a short life span… ISLAM does not fix mistakes by making other mistakes; therefore a baby conceived through zina [fornication] cannot be aborted. Killing the baby is worse than the zina. If the baby is > 120 days old, the mother can only abort the baby if the delivery will cause death to the mother; if the baby is < 120 days old and the delivery may cause severe injury, it may be aborted. Why? Preference is given to the mother if the case means death to the mother.

2. Contraception – ‘azl in Arabic; in the time of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم they practiced withdrawal. However, now there are many forms of contraceptives. Generally, if the parents are trying to limit the number of children to a certain number, then this is haram. If parents are trying to keep things under control, especially for the mother’s sake, then it is permissible. If birth control is permanent it is haram, but if it is temporary, it is permissible.

Writings of the Malak [when Ruh is put into the body]

1. Provision 2. Life span 3. Deeds 4. Good or bad

Two scenarios of miscarriage:

(1) Dies before 120 days; no need to have it buried in a special manner. (2) Dies after 120 days. This one has to be named, needs ghusl, then janaza, needs to be buried in

Muslim cemetery, and needs to have ‘aqeeqah for it. Because this now is a human being.

16 Ahmad

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Q and A:

Q. What if you don’t know how many days it has been?

If you can see the shape of the baby (arms, legs) then it is considered for it to be more than 120 days. If what the woman gets has the shape of a human being, then it should be treated as if it were > 120 days old.

Some people who follow Hanafi madhhab do not perform those rituals after 120 days. This is wrong. They think it is part of Hanafi madhhab but it is not.

Q. Can a menstruating woman enter a Masjid?

Only in those places that are waqaf, designated as a place of prayer only.

However, if it becomes harmful for her iman for her to avoid entering a Masjid, then she may consider entering if the situation is desperate.

The rectangle represents the lifespan of a person.

The line represents his hope. Always, a person’s hope is beyond his lifespan.

All of a sudden, all their hopes fade away at the moment of death.

The small lines are the divine decrees which Allah has decreed.

Allah knows what was in the past, what is currently happening, and what is going to happen in the future, and what might happen and if it were to happen, Allah knows what it would look like.

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The small lines of Qadar, if the line [hopes] hits upon the lines of Qadar, they may not hit other certain lines… this also means Allah does not force us to do certain things. Allah knows which ones we will be doing.

“Your Qadar will not change unless you make du’a.”

Allah gives you many alternatives. If you make du’a, that du’a may make you choose one over another. From all the decrees that are available, your du’a will lead you towards a certain path and Qadar; the du’a itself is a Qadar.

In other words, if you choose du’a, you will be lead towards a line of Qadar… may lead towards a series of actions which you may not have chosen without that du’a.

Allah does not force people to do things. When Allah wrote what we will do, he also wrote what we will NOT be doing.

This is the virtue of salatul-Istikharah, the prayer of doubt.

In surat Maryam, Allah تعاىل و سبحانه says:

ـن اتخذ وقالوا يتفطرن السماوات تكاد ﴾٨٩﴿ إدا شيئا جئتم لقد ﴾٨٨﴿ ولدا الرحم

ـن دعوا أن ﴾٩٠﴿ هدا الجبال وتخر الأرض وتنشق منه ﴾٩١﴿ ولدا للرحم

And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son." (88). Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing (89). The heavens almost rupture there from and the earth splits open and the mountains

collapse in devastation (90). That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son (91).17

The heavens would tear apart from it, and the earth will tear apart and the mountains will collapse over this saying that Allah has begotten a child. In this a person is saying that Allah is equal to His creation, thereby insulting the majesty of Allah.

Again… the angel will write the provision, life span, deeds, and whether that child will grow to be good or bad. The angel will be given a part of the nature of the future of the baby. This will be written, but not all the knowledge will be given. It will not include all details. Each person will have angels looking after him, so that they record his actions.

The Qadar that is known by the angel may be changed by the du’a of a person, so the angels would need to go back to the lawhul-mahfuz to verify with the true Qadar. When a Qadar occurs, it may change in response to a du’a.

Three Types of writings:

17 Surat Maryam: 88-91

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1. The first writing is in lawhul-mahfuz. 2. The second writing is in the womb. 3. The third writing is the records of the 2 angles on each shoulder.

Writing of Qadar:

1. Al-Lawh al Mahfuz 2. The writing of the angels

Du’a and Qadar

Writing of the angels after the fact!

The angels are recording… so that on the day of Judgement we can read our record for ourselves. Allah has full knowledge. What is being written in lawhul-mahfuz reflects his knowledge. What the angels are recording throughout our lives reflects His fairness. It is a record that is only recorded once the act is done.

Good end vs. Bad end

A Story regarding 80-year-old retired MIT professor. Frequently visiting the Sheikh’s cousin’s computer shop. He asked to become Muslim, and then died a month later from cancer. Not a single person will make a step towards Allah that Allah will come to them in leaps and bounds.

On the other side, a person may live their entire life in goodness and die upon sin. The Sahabah were fearful, and asked how to guarantee that he can die upon Islam.

“A person will spend his entire life doing something good the way it appears to people.”

In other words, he was living his life pleasing other people, not Allah.

Allah does not like that His people are misguided after they have already been guided.

Allah will not punish us until He has shown us what is right to fear Him and strive for Him. Some people who are against Islam claim that this hadith talks about throwing people in Hellfire even though they have lived their life in good. This is for bad people who were showing off. At the time of death Allah will expose him.

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Reasons for a good end / Reasons for a bad end

“In the time before us, the time of Musa (AS), there used to be a man who used to go to his temple all the time. He was like a monk. Every time he would go out of the temple he would witness a person committing sin, and he would

advise them to stay away from sin. Until one day where he saw someone committing a major sin, and he said “I swear by Allah, Allah will never forgive you.”

And Allah said,

“Who is it that says a lie about Me? Truly, I have already forgiven him and you have destroyed all your good deeds.”

The Ulama say about this that the arrogance in his heart is what led to his being exposed and having his good deeds destroyed. Never allow your good deeds to lead you to arrogance, which will destroy your deeds and lead to hellfire.

Being in good company – ex. two youth were driving, while listening to music, and were in an accident… the first youth died immediately, though while the 2nd was dying the police tried to encourage him to say the shahadah, but he died only able to sing from his songs; another person was changing a tire and was hit by a car; as he was passing away, he was reciting Qur’an, and at the time of death he recited the Shahadah. The police went to the person’s family to ask about him. The man’s father said that he was hafiz, but also he used to visit his grandmother frequently, and visit the Masjid, and used to carry candy with him so that he would pass these out to children to reward them for being at the Masjid.

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It is narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm ‘Abdullah 'Aishah, رضي اهللا عنها, that

the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said:

“Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected.”

Background Narrator: Aisha bint Abi Bakr رضي اهللا عنها

One time during Eid, the children of Habashah would come to the Masjid and do a play and give a show with spears. The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم carried her so she could see the show. Occasionally, getting

tired, he صلى اهللا عليه و سلم would ask if she had seen enough. She kept saying no, until eventually she said it

was enough and he put her down. Later when she was asked about this, she said:

“I wanted to know how much he loved me.”

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Aisha رضي اهللا عنها was the 2nd most narrating person, after Abu Hurairah عنهرضي اهللا . She was considered

Ummul-Mu’mineen. She is in a position of our mother – it is in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

أمهاتهم وأزواجه ◌ أنفسهم من بالمؤمنني أولى النبي

“The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers”18

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم was a human being - whatever he did, it is possible for us to attempt to copy

him. Had Allah sent angels, people would say,

“Give me a role model from among human beings so that I know how to live my life.”

Lessons Commentary:

Significance of the Hadith

Islam teaches what, for whom, and how. This hadith discusses the how: according to the Sunnah.

Worship vs. transaction

Some people believe Dawah is a way of making worship – this is not correct. Dawah can be innovative, in that it must be best suited to the person being approached for Dawah. The Means & Tools of Dawah can be anything so long as they are not in conflict with our teachings.

What makes an act an innovation (bid’ah)?

Any act of worship, unless it has its roots from Qur’an or Sunnah, it is considered haram.

Ex. Niyyah is in the heart – not on the tongue. Adding another aspect to this religion would change the whole of the religion – yet Allah has promised us that this religion is complete.

“Verily today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have bestowed upon you My blessings, and I have allowed that Islam is your only acceptable religion.”

18 Surat al‐Ahzab: 6

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In this, Allah and His Messenger صلى اهللا عليه و سلم have completed the religion. To introduce something

new is to say that Allah did not complete the religion as He promised.

There are many innovations: people praying in front of or towards a grave [the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم

warned us against this – may take the person outside the fold of Islam]; Maulid-Nabawi [the birth of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم – not permissible at all to celebrate, only started showing up ~500 years after the

death of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم]; reciting Quran over a dead person.

There are 5 things which you can do for a dead person:

1. If this person missed a fard fast, then you can make it up for them; 2. Make donation on behalf of someone who is dead; 3. Hajj on behalf of someone, especially if that person was unable 4. Make Umrah on behalf of someone who has passed away – so long as you have made your own

Hajj and Umrah; 5. Du’a.

There is no narration to support reciting Quran over a dead person. Some scholars accept this, including Ibn Taymiyah, but to have people gathering for reciting is likely bida’. Reciting al-Fatihah at a funeral is not supported by hadith.

Rulings of divorce:

1. Sunni 2. Bid’ee [a divorce which is against the teachings of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, which is during

menstruation or after intercourse] 3. Raj’ee 4. Ba’en

We frequently hear about the rulings of marriage but few discuss the rulings of divorce. Divorce cannot take place except:

(1) she is not in her period (2) there has been no intercourse in that period

These rules are in regard to women. During her period, the woman may be more emotional, stressed, psychologically unstable, etc. Once she has stopped menstruating, and is more level-headed, the man may realize his anger was not founded.

Also, a man may be hot-headed after having his desire satisfied.

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On the authority of Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nu’man bin Bashir رضي اهللا عنه, who said: I heard the Messenger of

Allah, عليه و سلم صلى اهللا , say:

Truly what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful tings keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware; in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.19

19 Sahih Al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim

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Examples of:

1. Permissible, Halal – anything is Halal to eat except there is evidence to say it is haram. 2. Impermissible, Haram 3. Doubtful, Mutashabih – may appear to some people as permissible, and to some as non-

permissible.

Do not eat anything upon which Allah’s name is not mentioned.

“And the slaughtering of the People of the Book is permissible to you.”

If the Christians or the Jews do NOT slaughter it, it is haram. In fact, even if a Muslim does NOT slaughter, it is haram as well.

“Any bird that attacks from its claws is haram; any animal living on land that attacks with its fangs is haram.” “Anything which lives in water is halal.”

Anything that lives in water is permissible. We can eat fish, shark, shrimp…

• Can we eat cat? No. • Can we eat frog? No.

“Don’t kill frogs.” – Authentic hadith; there is a weak hadith that is a continuation saying “for their croaking is tasbih.”

• Crocodile – one of the doubtful matters, as it does live in water, but also on land; while it does attack with its fangs.

• Surprisingly, hyena is halal. Why? Because it waits for prey, then they all gather to eat. • Donkeys are not halal if they are used in the town – i.e. wild donkeys can be eaten. • Horsemeat is a doubtful matter – therefore we should avoid it.

Why did scholars disagree?

Imam Abu Hanifah رمحه اهللاand the pot of yogurt

Imam Abu Hanifah was asked by one person: “Ya Imam, I was at my home and left some yogurt there, when I returned home I saw a dog coming out with yogurt around its snout, and some yogurt missing from my bowl. Is it Halal or Haram?” The Imam knew this man to be a person who makes a big fuss out

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of nothing, so he gave him a personalized fatwa, saying “Did you see him by your own eyes? No. It’s OK, Halal.”

Taking a gift from someone who deals with Haram?

If the person’s business is mixed between halal and haram, then you can take it but you have the right not to take it. If the person’s business only deals with haram [cigars only, alcohol only, etc.] then he should not take a gift from this person’s wealth.

“It is not your fault [a parents sin, i.e. mortgage / inheritance of a home bought through revenue bought by a banker]; that person got the means out of people’s rights, then the home is not yours… but if you inherited something from a mixed source that did not violate other people’s rights, then it is permissible”

Expiation against Riba: 2 verses

1. “Whoever stops Riba, then let him use everything he has made, and his repentance is up to Allah to accept or not.

2. “And if you were to repent sincerely to Allah, then only keep your capital, and the rest you must give away.”

If you want to make sure your repentance is accepted, then keep your capital but get rid of everything else. If you want to take a chance, keep your money but repent and do not go back to dealing with riba.

Warding off Haram

There are things that are halal, permissible, which you stop in order to stop people from reaching towards haram. Some Halal things may lead people to commit haram.

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Abu Hurairah, رضي اهللا عنه, reported that the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said:

Verily Allah the Exalted is pure. He does not accept but that which is pure. Allah commanded the Messengers. Allah the Almighty has said: “O you Messengers! Eat of the good things and act righteously” [23:51-53]. And Allah the

Almighty also said: “ O you who believe! Eat of the God things that we have provided you with “[2:167-172]. Then he the (the prophet) mentioned (the case of) the man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty and who

stretches out his hands to sky (saying): “O Lord! O Lord!” (While) his food was unlawful, his drink was unlawful, his clothing was unlawful, and he is nourished with unlawful things, so how can he be answered? 20

Bac20 Sahih Muslim

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Background: Narrator: Abu Hurairah رضي اهللا عنه

He has reported the greatest number of ahadith. Abu Hurairah رضي اهللا عنه’s mother was not a Muslim and

she used to curse Islam. One day he came to the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم crying. He صلى اهللا عليه و سلم asked

“What is wrong with you?” He answered, “I have always been patient with my mother, but today my mother has cursed not only Islam but also you personally.” The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم raised his hands,

“Oh my Lord, guide the mother of Abu Huraira رضي اهللا عنه:” When he heard the du’a, he returned home

full of confidence. His mother asked him to wait outside; she went to make ghusl and asked her son to bring her to the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم so she could declare her shahadah.


Can you give charity from Haram?

“Allah will not accept from you unless you pay from something pure.”

One must always be careful where you earn our money from. If money comes to you from a halal source, it is permissible. Money does not inherently become impure – it is the means by which we acquire it that determines if it is halal or haram. Shaykh Ibn Baz said that any money given, even if it were acquire through haram means but given in a halal means, therefore they can use it in any way. E.g. a person inherits a house that was earned through mortgage – the person who paid the mortgage committed sin, but the child was void of this sin.

Etiquettes of Duaa

This person who is travelling, dishevelled, dusty, he is looking weathered and is desperate and tired, and he is asking out of desperation, but his food and his drink and his provision came from haram source, how can Allah answer his du’a?

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم was once asked how to ensure our du’a are accepted, he صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“Make sure what you earn, you earn through halal and Allah will answer your du’a.”

“Make sure every penny you make is halal.”

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Losing Barakah with Haram:

Imam Bukhari’s father

Imam al-Bukhari’s father, Ismail was asked how he raised this man, he said:

“I made sure, throughout my life, that I would never earn any wealth from haram, nor fed my family anything that was through haram money.”

“Every flesh that has grown on your body out of haram money, it deserves nothing but hellfire on the day of judgement.”

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On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin ‘Asim al-Ash’ari, رضي اهللا عنه, who said: The Messenger

of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“Purification is half of iman (faith). Saying Al-Hamdulillah’ (Praise be Allah) fills the scales. Saying Subhanallah wa al Hamdulillah’ (Exhalted be Allah and Praise be to Allah) fills the space between the

havens and the earth. Salah (prayer) is a light. Sadaqah (charity) is a proof. Sabr (patience) is a shining glory. The Qur’an is an argument either for you or against you. Everybody goes out in the morning and

sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.”21

21 Sahih al-Muslim

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Background: This hadith covers about Iman and some other specific acts of worship. After mentioning about Iman, the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم mentions ways to increase our Iman. Also in this

hadith the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم mentioned the virtue of sabr and a very significant

characteristic of the holy Qur’an.

Narrator:

The narrator of this hadith is Abu Malik al-Harith bin ‘Asim al-Ash’ari رضي اهللا عنه who was known

by very few people. Collecting a biography for this companion became challenging – likely his name was al-Harith. Only two things are known about him with some level of certainty:

1. He died in the year of 18 A.H. 2. He narrated 27 ahadith.

Lessons: Purification is half of Iman (faith):

There are three different opinions regarding to what al-tuhur means in this hadith.

1) The first opinion states that here the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is telling us about the nature of Islam. He صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is clarifying between affirmation and negation. Freeing oneself from disbelief and purifying oneself from it (the evil of disbelief). e.g. when taking the shahadah.

2) According to the second opinion al-tuhur is specifically referring to physical purification. e.g. Masjid al-Qiblatayn [the place where the ayat were revealed regarding changing the qiblah from Jerusalem to the Ka’ba]; masjid-Al-Quba [first masjid ever built, first masjid after hijrah]. These two places: “Allah loves the people of Quba and Qiblatayn.” “Why these people specifically? Why is it that these people are so significant?” They said: “We take special precaution regarding cleansing ourselves after using the washroom.”

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Also for salah we need to purify ourselves through wudu’. Besides purifying ourselves on Eid, before ihram, on the day of Juma’a is highly recommended through ghusl. Spiritual cleansing follows physical cleanliness.

3) In the third opinion al-tuhur is referring to salah. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل mentions in the Qur’an,

◌ إميانكم ليضيع الله كان وما

“Allah would not let your belief go to waste.”22

This ayah is mentioned in the context of changing the Qiblah. And Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is

mentioning that the prayers done to the 1st qiblah will not be in vain. Half of salah is the making of wudu. Also, one must know what you are saying during salah. In saying Allahu akbar in salah, a person acknowledges that the salah is conversation with Allah, is above all matters. Through salah we cleanse ourselves from the distractions of this dunya.

Dhikr - means remembrance. It can be done with the heart, the tongue, and the hands.

If you say something and feel it with your heart, it increases its sweetness and effect on your heart. One can transform the acts of one’s body into dhikr by performing halal acts for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. He سبحانه و تعاىل says in Qur’an,

ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب

“Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”23

As such, the role of dhikr is to ensure the remembrance of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is in our hearts at all

times.

22 Surat al-Baqarah: 143 23 Surat ar-Ra’d: 28

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Alhamdulillah fills the scales:

Surat Al-Fatihah begins with this word. It is in itself a great praise. Alhamd, almadh, ash-shukr these three terms are used to express praise and thanks. However they differ in certain ways, as described below:

1) Al-hamd - to praise someone for good and perfect qualities / you praise someone who dresses well, consistently; however, with al-hamd, we are saying the praise is for Allah, meaning the praise (all-encompassing) is belonging to Allah – because Allah owns all good and perfect qualities. One can do hamd with the heart and the tongue.

2) Al-madh - to praise someone for something that they have control over or something that they do not have control over. e.g. One person who may be good-looking [which is part of his creation], therefore something that he does not have control over [his own creation]. This type of praise is referred to al-madh.

3) Shukr - to thank someone, to praise someone, to show appreciation for someone, after someone has done something for you. Another distinguishing characteristic (differing it from hamd) is that shukr is also demonstrated by physical actions. Which means whatever Allah gives you; you use it for a halal and good means only. For instance, if you want to make shukr, you only look at halal things with your eyes. If you want to make shukr with your wealth, you give it out for the sake of Allah in a halal way.

Important note: The opposite of shukr is kufr, which is denying of a blessing and hiding the truth. The greatest blessing a person may have is to be guided to Islam; therefore, actively turning away from it is denying the biggest blessing, therefore it is kufr.

What scales are filled with Alhamdulillah: Two opinions:

1) The act of Alhamdulillah is a very great act; metaphorical meaning 2) The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is referring to the scales on Yawm al-Qiyamah. Allah سبحانه و

,says تعاىل

﴾٨﴿ يره شرا ذرة مثقال يعمل ومن﴾ ٧﴿ يره خيرا ذرة مثقال يعمل فمن

“7. So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. 8. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.”24

Every single of our deeds will be shown on Yawm al-Qiyamah, and those will have certain weight on the scale. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل also says,

24 Surat al-Zalzalah: 7-8

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موازينه خفت من وأما﴾ ٧﴿ راضية عيشة في فهو﴾ ٦﴿ موازينه ثقلت من

﴾٩﴿ هاوية فأمه﴾ ٨﴿

فأما

“6. Then as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy, 7. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise). 8. But as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light, 9. He will have his home in

Hawiyah (pit, i.e. Hell).”

Story of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي اهللا عنه:

Once ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي اهللا عنه was walking with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and as they walked by a tree, the Prophet asked him to climb the tree and break off a twig to clean his teeth with. ‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه climbed up the tree, since he was very slim and small, and began to break off a twig. Meanwhile, the wind blew, blowing his garment and exposing his shins that were very thin and bony. When people saw this, they laughed.

At that point, the Prophet said, "What are you laughing at, the thinness of his shins? By Allah, they are heavier than Mount Uhud in the Scales!"

How good must ‘Abdullah ibn Masud رضي اهللا عنه have felt when the Prophet defended and praised him after the people had laughed at him?25

Iman is given heavy weight, while disbelief is given no weight at all – the deeds of people of disbelief will amount to nothing.

“Subhanallah wa al-Hamdulillah fills the space between the heavens and the earth”:

Subhanallah means to make tanzih – to negate association of any impurity and any negative attribute with Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. He is the bearer of all the excellent names, such as:

Al-Hayy – the ever-living

Al-Qayyum – attending all needs of those in the dunya

25 Musnad of al-Imam Ahmad

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Alhamdulillah and Subhanallah – how do they complement each other?

By saying Subhanallah you free Allah سبحانه و تعاىل from anything negative, while you say

Alhamdulillah to attribute Allah سبحانه و تعاىل with all good attributes. In this way, the two

terms complement each other fully.

One of the ways to calm oneself is in the remembrance of Allah. This is a great thing about Islam. We have something to take away our stress, calm ourselves, and find tranquility: the remembrance of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل.

The Messenger of Allah ليه و سلمصلى اهللا ع said,

“If a person says "Subhanallah" (glory be to Allah) 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away.”26

Car accident analogy: Imagine you are in a car, backing up to come out of the parking lot. You performed a shoulder check and, you checked the rear-view mirror and side-mirrors. You are backing up slowly. All of a sudden you hear..... “Thud”....you hit something.....What is the first word that came out of your mouth? Most probably be that is the word you utter every time when you are struck with a calamity. Most probably that is what you have in your mind instead of the dhikr of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. Think about it.......

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said,

“Whoever’s last words are ‘Laa Ilaha Illaa-Llah’, they will enter Paradise.”27

Some Quotes Regarding Dhikr:

• “Just as a man needs food to survive, the soul needs dhikr to survive.” – al-Haafidh Ibn ul-Qayyim رضي اهللا عنه

26 Sahih al- Muslim 27 Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Hakim

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• “Dhikr is to a human being as water is to a fish.” – Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رضي اهللا عنه

Some Suggestion Regarding Dhikr:

Saying Bismallah is another great dhikr. Integrate this Bismillahi-Rahmaanir-Raheem in everything that you do. Make it into a habit, so that even when a calamity befalls you the first expression that comes out is the praise of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. As well, it will prevent you from

haram. One does not say Bismillah while stealing something, nor does one enter a room saying Bismillah and start doing something haram.

Three Kinds of Light:

1) “Salah is a light”: Noor is that light, which is not harmful, meaning that light, which when you look at it, it does not hurt you. Also it is a light that when you are near it, it does not harm you with its heat. It could also mean reflected light (as the moon has noor that it is not its own, rather it is reflected light of the Sun). Salah is light of guidance. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل mentions in the Qur’an,

والمنكر الفحشاء عن تنهى الصلاة إن

“Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked

deed, etc.)”28

Another group of scholars say that it is the light on the day of Qiyamah, Surah 66, last verses:

وبأيمانهم أيديهم بين يسعى نورهم ◌ معه آمنوا والذين النبي الله يخزي لا يوم

قدير شيء كل على إنك ◌ لنا واغفر نورنا لنا أتمم ربنا يقولون

28 Surat Al-`Ankabut: 45

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“The Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with (their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands they will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we

cross over the Sirat (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.”29

One of the events of the Day of Judgement is crossing as-Siraat, Walking across it. Its properties are that it will be sharper than a sword and thinner than an eyelash; the only light provided to you will be the light of Iman – those without Iman will be crossing in the dark. More salah is going to provide greater light around a person at that time.

2) “Sadaqah is burhan”: In this part burhan is another form of light. This is rays of light, a proof of light. Sadaqah is a proof or indicator of Iman. One of the biggest proofs of Iman is that you would help someone while you yourself are in hardship. Imagine the story of Hijrah – imagine moving, you have nothing but the clothes on your back, your wealth is gone. The Muhajiroon and the Ansar were paired. An Example from the Seerah of Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم:

After Hijrah, one of the four main steps that were taken by the Messenger of Allah صلى

was to establish a brotherhood unlike anything that preceded that date. In اهللا عليه و سلم

each pair one Muhajir was joined with his brother from al-Ansar. Thus Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf and Sa’d ibn ar-Rabi’رضي اهللا عنهم were joined as brothers. The example of the

generosity of Sa’d ibn ar-Rabi’ is unmatched in this example. He said to his brother Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf رضي اهللا عنه, "I am the richest man amongst the Helpers. I am glad

to share my property half and half with you. I have two wives, I am ready to divorce one and after the expiry of her ‘Iddah, (the prescribed period for a woman divorcee to stay within her house unmarried) you may marry her." But ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf was not prepared to accept anything: neither property nor home. So he blessed his brother and said: "Kindly direct me to the market so that I may make my fortune with my own hands." And he did prosper and got married very shortly by his own labour.30

29 Surat at-Tahrim: 8 30 Sahih al-Bukhari

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3) “Sabr is a shining glory”: Dhiyaa’ another form of light. Patience is illumination. It is considered the light of the Sun. The light of the Sun is so bright that looking at it for long is painful; it is giving off heat and is painful to bear, but the light of the Sun is most important for the vegetation on Earth, it is the most prominent member of the solar system. Thus sabr is a light, and it can be painful, and it requires dedication, but the rearward of sabr is great.

The highest level of purification is sabr.

a. Sabr – linguistically speaking, it is to stop something, to prevent oneself from doing something haram in the face of adversity. There are three types of sabr.

i. Patience upon obedience - patience with following the commands of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, especially with those acts which go against our nafs. e.g. waking for Fajr;

ii. Patience upon avoiding disobedience - patience in abstaining from the disobedience of Allah. e.g. lowering the gaze

iii. Patience in the face of calamity – Allah has struck you with great calamity, will you be patient? The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said,

“Patience is when it [calamity] first strikes.”31

When a calamity strikes the eyes shall shed tears, the heart will feel grief. But the distinguishing characteristic of a believer: “The tongue should not say except that which pleases Allah”.

Discussion Regarding Patience and Some Suggestion:

In our society, people encourage others to drown your problems and emotions. A lot of people do this through getting drunk, or seeking certain kinds of company, seeking high levels of emotions, going into environments with strong physical stimulation… anything to dull the aching of their hearts which have forgotten how to remember their Creator.

The solution is turning back to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل and having faith that whatever is happening is

better for you in your dunya and your akhirah.

Whatever Allah takes away from you, if you are patient, it will be replaced with something better, because Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has a plan.

31 Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih al-Muslim

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“The Qur’an is a ‘hujjah’ (argument) for, or against you.”

The Qur’an is defined as: The Arabic speech of Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad صلى اهللا عليه و

in wording and in meaning, and it is preserved in the mus-haf عليه السالم by the way of Jibreel سلم

by way of mutawatir transmission. And its recitation is obedience and worship to Allah سبحانه و

.تعاىل

Since reciting Qur’an is an act of worship and obedience to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, He will therefore

reward the reading of it. The Messenger of Allah اهللا عليه و سلم صلى said,

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter,

“laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” So increase your recitation of the Qur’an to gain these merits.”32

Hujjah - a proof, an evidence. The Qur’an on the day of judgement, the Qur’an will testify on our behalf on the day of judgement.

Qur’an as a proof against you:

To understand how Qur’an can be proof against us, we need to ask the following questions:

1) How much we recite Qur’an – how much of a relationship do we have with the Qur’an?

2) In terms of staying away from the prohibitions & following its commandments, how well do we follow its advice?

The answer of these questions will help one to determine whether the Qur’an could be a proof for him or against him. If someone is maintaining a good relation with the Qur’an by reciting it, comprehending it and applying the message in it, then by Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s permission the

Qur’an will be proof for him on the Day of Judgement.

“Everyone starts their day as a vendor of their soul, and they either free themselves or destroy themselves.” – will you be one who follows this and frees their soul, or will you be one of those who destroy themselves with their deeds? In Surat ul-Insaan, we find,

32 At-Tirmidhi

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﴾٣﴿ كفورا وإما شاكرا إما السبيل هديناه إنا

“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.”33

This dunya is a race towards more material gains. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says in the Qur’an,

﴾٢﴿ المقابر زرتم حتى﴾ ١﴿ التكاثر ألهاكم

“(1) The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you, (2) Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).”34

The keys to staying away from distracting oneself with material gains are included in this hadith.

Q and A:

Q. Qur’an & Hadith ul-Qudsi – what are the differences?

1) Hadith ul-Qudsi is not always mutaawatir but Qur’an is.

2)Hadith ul-Qudsi not always through Jibreel unlike the Qur’an.

3) Qur’an by wording and meaning Hadith ul-Qudsi sometimes only in meaning (and not in wording).

33 Surat al-Insan: 3 34 Surat al-Takathur: 1-2

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Abu Dharr, radiyallahu ‘anhu, reported that some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, :said to him ,صلى اهللا عليه و سلم

“O Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away all the rewards. They observe the prayer as we do, and they give Sadaqah (charity) from their surplus riches.” Upon this he (the Prophet) said: “Has Allah not

prescribed for you (a course) by following which you can also by sadaqah? Verily in every tasbih (i.e. saying Subhanallah) there is a sadaqah, every takbir (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar) is a sadaqah, every

tahmid (i.e. saying Alhamduallah) is a sadaqah, every tahlil (i.e. saying lailaha illallah) is a sadaqah, enjoying of good is a sadaqah, forbidding of evil is a sadaqah, and having sexual intercourse with your

wife is a sadaqah. They (the companions) said: “O Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us?” He said: “Tell me, if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he should have a

reward.”35

35 Sahih al-Muslim

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Background: Narrator: Abu Dharr رضي اهللا عنه

Abu Dharr رضي اهللا عنه’s actual name was Jundub ibnu Junadah. He was from the tribe of Nidharah.

According to some, he was the 5th person to accept Islam, while others say he was simply among the early Muslims. He witnessed all of the battles with the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم except

the battle of Badr. He was known as one of the more knowledgeable and one of the more ascetics of the Sahabah. He was often sought after for advice by many.

Abu Dharr رضي اهللا عنه used to go to homes, criticizing people who beautified their homes.

Uthman رضي اهللا عنه approached him about this. Abu Dharr رضي اهللا عنه commented “During the time

of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, people knew what to do with wealth, and now they have

forgotten.” He used to take away some of the wealth from the wealthy people and give it to the poor. Uthmaan رضي اهللا عنه told him to stop doing this, but he [Abu Dharr] could not bear the fact

that people were using their wealth to beautify their dunya, so he kept doing what he thought would be good for people. However, the situation became complicated and people started to complain, so Uthman رضي اهللا عنه sent him outside of Madinah.

He died approximately in the year 32 A.H. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي اهللا عنه lead his Janazah.


The hadith proves that the Companions of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم were so eager to perform

good deeds and acts of charity to please Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. The poor amongst the sahabah were

sad because they could not afford donating money to charity. They were especially saddened as it was being done by the wealthy sahabah and they [being poor] were incapable of doing the same. They wanted to be like their [wealthy] peers in terms of rewards, who were collecting hasanaat by using their wealth for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. They were able to perform

salah, fasting and other ‘ibadah but the one thing that they could not do was give money or sadaqah because they did not have any to begin with. Instead they were told to do more dhikr which is equal to giving money or charity in terms of rewards.

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We can see here how the Companions were very keen in performing all sorts of ‘ibadah in order to please Allah سبحانه و تعاىل. This should be the case with every Muslim. We should be eager

to do every good deed that pleases Allah. We should at least have the will and desire to do good even if we cannot do it. We should ask ourselves when the last time we complained to someone was, and what is it that we complained about. And thus compare it to the compliant that some of the sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم made. Their main concern regarding their complaints was that they

were falling behind in collecting hasanaat.

How do we view riches compared to the Sahabah رضي اهللا عنهم?

The sahabah used to view wealth differently, their riches and worldly wealth were only at their hands, and did not occupy their hearts. But, as for present days, material gains have possessed people’s hearts. The sahabah used their riches to increase their reward in the Hereafter.

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل tests us by giving us wealth as well. A person may have money and not know

what to do with it. It is a harder test to have money and refraining from using it to do haram, rather than it is to not have money and not be able to invest in bad.

Sadaqah:

Sadaqah is not only about wealth, but also in actions and statements. Every tasbih, tahmid, takbir and tahlil is a sadaqah.

Sadaqah in Islam is of 2 types:

1) One that is beneficial to you: adhkar, mostly for yourself. Some scholars have said that adhkar actually is beneficial to both yourself and others, because it develops a certain kind of individual, which tends to make them more giving and helpful in nature.

2) One that is beneficial to others.

This hadith is divided in two parts and addresses both types of sadaqah.

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A Story from Battle of Tabuk:

In the Battle of Tabuk, as soon as the Muslims heard the voice of the Messenger of Allah calling them to fight the Byzantines, they rushed promptly to comply صلى اهللا عليه و سلم

with his orders. Tribes and parties from here and there began pouring in Madinah. Almost all the Muslims responded positively. Only those who had weakness in their hearts favored to stay behind. Even the needy and the poor amongst the sahabah who could not afford a ride came to the Messenger of Allâh صلى اهللا عليه و سلم asking for one, so

that they would be able to contribute their help in the fight against the Byzantines. But the Prophet (SWAS) did not have enough to provide mounts for them, so he answered and Allah سبحانه و تعاىل recorded,

وأعينهم تولوا عليه أحملكم ما أجد لا قلت لتحملهم أتوك ما إذا الذين على ولا

ينفقون ما يجدوا ألا حزنا الدمع من تفيض

“Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said: "I can find no mounts for you," they turned back, while their eyes overflowing with tears of grief

that they could not find anything to spend (for Jihad)”36

Comments: The teaching from the story is again the love of the sahabah to gain hasanaat. They were eager to join the battle with the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, but when

they could not arrange mounts to join, they came out crying.

Times for Remembrance:

The general rule is that Allah can be remembered in all instances, except in those specified places where we are not allowed, e.g. while in the washroom etc.

Important Note: In terms of the WAY of doing adhkar, we must follow the example of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم and His Companions. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي اهللا عنه upon

finding a group of people performing collective adhkar condemned them.

36 Surat at-Tawbah: 92

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“Enjoining of good and forbidding evil is sadaqah”:

Hisbah - enjoining good and forbidding evil; word meaning these two matters combined.

Usually enjoining good is something which, if the matter is fard, then the person should encourage others to do it, regardless if he/she is doing this or not. In case of voluntary issues, the person should do them himself before reminding others about it. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says,

تفعلون لا ما تقولون لم آمنوا الذين أيها يا

“O you who believe, why do you say something that you do not do?”37

On the other hand while forbidding evil, if it is haram then a person should forbid others to do it, even if it that person does it himself/herself. If it is makruh, then one should stop doing it himself/herself, before telling someone not to do it.

Legal Intimacy with One’s Wife is sadaqah:

Islam has the middle path, we are allowed to be with those we marry, unlike Christianity, where one must be celibate at all times. In Judaism, some sects of the Jews believed there was no concept of marriage.

In this part of the hadith, the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said that enjoying intimacy with one’s wife

in a halal way is considered a sadaqah.

Deriving Example of Modesty from the hadith:

If we go back to the Arabic words, and follow the exact translation then this part of the hadith describes, “A part of you, in which there is sadaqah”. The word used here is ‘mudd’, which means ‘a part’, but the concept of intimacy was not explicitly mentioned here, which shows us the way of the Prophet لمصلى اهللا عليه و س regarding how to address

such issues in a modest way.

37 Surat as-Saf: 2

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Use of Analogical Deduction:

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said at the end part, “Similarly, if he were to devote it to something

lawful, he should have a reward.” Here, analogical deduction and reasoning is used. In this way there is an idea that is extrapolated. Here, the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is teaching His

Companions how to do qiyas (analogical deduction). He صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is also teaching them

how to think critically. A quality of a good leader is that he teaches his people how to think.

Sciences involved in jurisprudence:

1) Usul-al-Fiqh – rules that are applied to the Qur’an and Sunnah to derive rulings. An important principle applied here is, “A commandment necessitates obligation.” When Allah gives us a commandment, we derive from it an obligation, until it’s proven otherwise.

2) Fiqh - rulings derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah says in the Qur’an many times,

وأقيموا الصلاة

“Establish Salah.” The ruling derived here is that establishing salah is fard.

3) Al-Qawaa’id al-Fiqhiyyah: Legal maxims in Islam

Where do we derive our rulings from? Four sources of proof:

1) Qur’an 2) Sunnah – The sayings, actions and acceptances of the Prophet عليه و سلم صلى اهللا ; 3) Ijma’a – consensus of the scholars of a Muslim nation upon a particular issue, e.g. there

are only 5 salah which are compulsory in Islam / charity is legislated in Islam; 4) Qiyas – analogical deduction. How do we know that drugs and smoking marijuana is

haram? Through Qiyas. There is a common factor between two actions, where the first action has reasoning behind a certain legislation regarding it; therefore the legislation of the first action is applied to the second one. E.g. Alcohol is prohibited due to its intoxication; it alters the normal, physical and mental state of a human. Marijuana also has an intoxicating effect, therefore it too is haram.

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Al- Nawwas bin Sam’an رضي اهللا عنه that the Prophet, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about.”38

38 Sahih al-Muslim

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According to Wabisah bin Ma’bad, رضي اهللا عنه who said:

“I came to the Messenger of Allah he said: “consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and from in the breast, even though people give you their opinion ( in your favour) and continue to do so.”39

Background: Narrator: An-Nawwas bin Sam’an رضي اهللا عنه

An-Nawwas رضي اهللا عنه came to Madinah from Syria. He stayed an entire year in Madinah as a

visitor. So his father suggested him that he might as well just migrate to Madinah. However, he did not want to migrate and the only reason of his prolonged stay was due to fact that the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم used to give priority to the visitors when it was the time for questions.

In the year 8th or 9th A.H. he returned to Syria. He narrated 17 ahadith, many of which were in the format of question and answer.

Narrator: Wabisah bin Ma’bad رضي اهللا عنه

Wabisah bin Ma’bad رضي اهللا عنه accepted Islam ~8-9 A.H. He met the Prophet of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و

in “Aam al-Wufood” (the Year of Delegations). We don’t know much about his past, as he سلم

did not speak of his past. He had given up everything. He used to live among Ahlus-Suffah.

Lessons: Akhlaaq: to act in the most appropriate manner, given the circumstances at hand.

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم used to make dua’,

“O’ Allah, beautify my morals as you have beautified my appearance.”

39 From the Musnads of the two Imams, Ahmed bin Hanbal and Al- Darimi

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The scholars have differed in their opinions, whether good character is something we are born with, or whether it is something that we may learn. It appears to be both. People can improve their character.

Examining Comfort Zones

First of all, let us examine how we behave as human beings. All of us have comfort zones; developing our own selves is by attempting to spread out or expand our comfort zones. A person develops as they expand their comfort zone. E.g. ihram is uncomfortable for a lot of hajjis. If a person’s comfort zone shrinks, they tend to be more negative.

Righteousness is good character:

Birr has two connotations,

1) Anything good or virtuous in Islam (cooperation or work with one another in righteousness).

2) Also the good conduct that we show to other individuals. Example: - The good conducts we show to our parent, which is called birr-al-waalidayn.

Three types of Akhlaaq:

1) Character with oneself: The way we maintain and retain ourselves. Also includes looking after oneself, keeping balance, including one’s psychology.

2) Akhlaaq with others: How to engage with others. E.g. smiling to others, addressing someone in good manner.

3) Akhlaaq with Allah: It means abstaining from the things He has forbidden, as well as submitting to His commandments.

Attaining Good Character:

Four ways to improve one’s akhlaaq:

1) Going back to the text of Qur’an and Sunnah, e.g. al-Mawrad al-Mufrad / al-Adab ash-Shariyah; in this one should look for ayat or hadith that specifically speak about good character.

2) The company around us affects the way we act. We need to look after external factors such as our surroundings and those who we spend our time with. When with friends we must try to avoid bad companionship and seek the righteous company that invokes in us the good character and good morals. In summary, we must seek good company;

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3) As human beings, we are susceptible to fear. E.g. A baby that suffers a burn from a fire will then learn to stay away from it. The issue of domestic abuse, or any sort of evil act or mannerism, has some negative repercussions; by reflecting on the consequences, we can help ourselves get away from such characteristics;

4) Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says in Surat al-Ahzab,

وذكر الآخر واليوم الله يرجو كان لمن حسنة أسوة الله رسول في لكم كان لقد

كثريا الله

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.”40

When someone studies the seerah for the purpose of integrating the characteristics of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم and his closest companions, one may reach something that

by his/her actions alone may not be able to achieve.

TRY IT: Read about seerah and attempt to implement the character of the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم.

Side notes: That which comes easily will not be appreciated, while the things you work hard for will be worthwhile. People remember things through emotional attachment. Extreme emotions tend to burn events into our memory.

An Example of a Strong Character:

Going back to the time of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه; ‘Abdullah ibn Hudafah رضي اهللا عنه was

sent to an expedition, where he along with some other members of the expedition were held captives by the Roman leader. ‘Abdullah ibn Hudafah رضي اهللا عنه was told to marry the daughter

of one of the Roman leader, so that this man’s lineage would be mixed. The Roman leader had

40 Surat al-Ahzab: 21

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heard about the Muslims and how strong they were in character and determination, and wished for his bloodline to be augmented by having one of the Muslims marrying his daughter. In return, he [the emperor] promised that the other Muslim captives would be set free if ‘Abdullah agreed to his terms. ‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه refused to marry his daughter, despite

threats made by the Roman leader, knowing full well that acting against the requirement of the Roman leader might put his life at risk. At his [‘Abdullah’s] continuous refusal, the Roman leader resorted to punishment and he ordered to bring a hot pot of oil in which one of the Muslims was thrown in. ‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه watched as the person’s skin withered away. Still

‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه did not give in. The Roman leader then demanded that ‘Abdullah kiss his

forehead as a bare minimum, as an act of homage to him. ‘Abdullah رضي اهللا عنه agreed to do so

only under the condition that all the Muslims would be set free, which the Roman leader accepted.

When ‘Abdullah ibn Hudafah رضي اهللا عنه went back to Madinah and the incident was reported to

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي اهللا عنه, he said, “Today, a man has freed a nation. Go and kiss the head

of Hudafah as he kissed the head of the Roman ruler.”

If you do not prepare yourself for greatness, it will be impossible for you to be ready when your time comes.

Al-Fitrah:

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has created us with that golden compass which steers our way. Our hearts

show us how to sense the value and virtue of our actions, right from wrong. And that golden compass is our fitrah. In English we can call it ‘conscience’ or ‘intuition’.

Each and every one of us has that guideline. For instance, if there is something you would normally do on your own time, that would cause you discomfort or embarrassment to redo in the presence of others, then it is likely sinful.

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has given us many gifts. How many people think about their breathing, and

how they do not need to make a conscious effort to take each breathe? And what about the natural, self-functioning system which creates blood flow within the body? What about society? People have a tendency to go towards bad behaviour, and our inclination towards our

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natural intuition or our natural instinct calls forth our guilty conscience. The more you train your fitrah, the better you can use it to distinguish between right and wrong.

In Surat ar-Rum, Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says,

◌ الله لخلق تبديل لا ◌ عليها الناس فطر التي الله فطرت ◌ حنيفا للدين وجهك فأقم

ـكن القيم الدين لك ذ يعلمون لا الناس أكثر ول

“So set you (O Muhammad SAW) your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifan (worship none but Allah Alone) Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism), with which He has

created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq-illah (i.e. the Religion of Allah Islamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not.”41

The Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم says about fitrah,

“No child is born except on al-fitrah and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian, as an animal produces a perfect young animal: do you see any part of its body amputated?”42

How do we define sin?

It is 2 things:

1) Doing something prohibited; 2) Abstaining from something that is obligatory.

The primary benefit of this hadith is that it informs us that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has created us in

the best of manners, and that He has given us an internal monitor.

41 Surat al-Rum: 30 42 Sahih al-Bukhari

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It was narrated on the authority of Abu Najih al- Irbad bin Sariyah, رضي اهللا عنه who said:

“The Messenger of Allah (SAWS, delivered an admonition that made out hearts fearful and our eyes tearful. We said: “O Messenger of Allah, it is as if this were a farewell sermon, so advise us.” He said, “I

enjoin you to have Taqwa of Allah and that you listen and obey, even if a slave is made a ruler over you. He among you who lives long enough will see many differences. So for you is to observe my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-principled and rightly-guided successors, holding on to them with your molar

teeth. Beware of newly-introduced matters, for every innovation (bid’ah) is an error.”43

43 Abu Dawud & Al-Tirmidhi

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Background: Narrator: Abu Najih al-Irbad bin Sariyah رضي اهللا عنه

Abu Najih al-Irbad bin Sariyah رضي اهللا عنه was once “one forth of Islam”; which is actually

implying that in his locality, he was the fourth Muslim. He was one of those men mentioned in Qur’an who cried as they did not have any wealth to go to Jihad, during the Battle of Tabuk.

He lived a very long life and died 75 A.H. He was probably close to 90 years old when he passed away.


This hadith was a motivational speech from the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, which made

the hearts of the sahabah fearful and their eyes tearful.

In today’s society, we usually associate tears and crying with fearful, terrible, sad things. However, the sahabah used to cry over many different things. The ability to cry for the sake of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, or while thinking of your sins, is something great. The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم

made du’a:

“Oh Allah I seek refuge in you from knowledge that has no benefit, and from a heart that doesn't fear [you] and from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a du'a that is not answered”

The closest a person will ever feel to Allah is when they are alone with Him, crying for His sake. A person will only feel the sweetness of this relationship only if they give up their sins.

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The most lachrymose moment in the seerah of Prophet سلمصلى اهللا عليه و was the time when he

was passing away.

Principle: In chasing desire, a person destroys their capacity to feel their emotions. A person who has had their desires fulfilled has numbed their emotions. They indulge their senses at the cost of their hearts.

“I enjoin you with having taqwa of Allah.”

Taqwa has many definitions. One of these definitions is:

‘Ali رضي اهللا عنه said, “Taqwa is fear from the Sublime One, action according to the revelation,

contentment with little and preparation for the day of departure.”

“Obey Allah, the Messenger of Allah, and those in authority amongst you.”

Obedience to Allah and the Messenger is unconditional. Whatever they say, you have to do. However, those in authority over you, you only obey so long as they are in obedience to Allah and His Messenger صلى اهللا عليه و سلم.

“…Even if a slave is made a ruler over you.” – in other words, if a time comes when a slave fights back against tyranny, frees himself and takes over [or a group of them accomplish this together], if they speak truth, enjoining good and forbidding evil, they should be obeyed.

Following the Sunnah; following a good example will give you success in this life and in the hereafter. The key to success is following the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم.

Certain aspects of his Sunnah will be preserved. Other things may not be preserved – “follow the rightly guided khulafah”

Difference of opinion:

1 – The four khulafah (strongest opinion)

2 – The four Khulafah + ‘Umar ibn Abdul’Aziz

3 – Any rightly guided Muslim leader

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“…holding onto them with your molar teeth.” –be steadfast upon their example.

“For every innovation (bid’ah) is an error.”

Bid’ah [conventional shar’i definition] – any action that we do seeking reward from Allah, that the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم did not do or approve of.

With this definition, you can refute anyone who is trying to introduce new matters of religion. For example, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم.

Create a frame of mind to remember Allah much. Read Qur’an and Sunnah so that you understand, and grow in taqwa. It takes effort to become a person of taqwa.

Once you’ve attained this, and then make sure everything you do is in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, and in return your deeds will be accepted.

Finally, a key to protecting this religion: do not allow innovations. Damage from the inside will corrode the believer, destroying the religion from the inside.

Discussion on Science of Hadith:

Not all the hadith not all hadith in Imam Nawawi’s 40 ahadith are authentic. Haith # 30 is an example, as the chain of narrators is broken. In this regard it is important to mention how do to know when a hadith is authentic or not?

For a hadith to be Sahih, it must meet 5 conditions:

1) Chain of narration must be connected 2) All of the narrators must be righteous individuals 3) All the narrators must be known for precision in their memories and their narrations 4) The narrators should not be opposing one another in their narration, nor should the

text oppose a text which is more authentic 5) There should not be any hidden defects which are harmful to the hadith

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Seven people under the Shade of Allah on the Day of Judgement:

1) A youth raised up in the worship of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل; 2) A just ruler; 3) One who cries in seclusion remembering Allah سبحانه و تعاىل; 4) Two people who love each other for the sake of Allah, they unite upon it and part upon

it; 5) To give charity so secretly that the left hand does not know what the right hand has

given; 6) A man who is seduced by a woman of beauty and good lineage, but fearing Allah he

walks away; 7) A man whose heart is attached to the masjid.

There is one version of this hadith which mentions that money is given with his left hand without the right hand knowing – this hadith is in Sahih Muslim; Imam Muslim mentions that there is a hidden defect in the hadith.

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It was narrated on the authority of Abi Tha’labah Al- Khushani Jurthum bin Nashir, عنه رضي اهللا

that the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said:

“Verily Allah the Almighty has prescribed the obligatory deeds, so do not neglect them; He has set certain limits, so do not go beyond them; He had forbidden certain things, so do not indulge in them; and He has

said nothing about certain things, as an act of mercy to you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not go enquiring into these.”44

Background:

Issues Regarding the Authenticity:

Problem 1: Chain of narrators is disconnected.

Problem 2: “He has said nothing about certain things, as an act of mercy to you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not go enquiring into these.” – This part of the hadith falls into the fifth point mentioned for a hadith to be weak. It carries a severe hidden defect. Because, in Islamic

44 Related by Al- Daraqutni and others- Al- Nawawi said this is a hasan (fine)

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Shari’ah, where there is not an explicit order from Allah سبحانه و تعاىل and or from the sunnah, the

rulings are derived from Ijma’a and Qiyas. And not everything that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل has not

mentioned is a blessing. Thus this hadith carries a hidden defect. Therefore, it is a weak hadith; however, some of its meanings are true.

Lessons: “Verily Allah the Almighty has prescribed the obligatory deeds, so do not neglect them”:

Here the word is literally “do not lose them” or “do not allow them to get lost”. An individual prays his 5 daily prayers, his recommended prayers, and his nawafil. When a person’s Iman begins to weaken, the first thing to go will be his nawafil, then the recommended prayers, and eventually his fard prayers. To protect one’s fard prayers, one should surround it with extra deeds, such as praying the sunnah prayers and other voluntary prayers.

To protect our zakah we can give regularly in charity, or do ‘Kard-hasanah’. For the fard fasting [fasting in Ramadan], we could protect it by regularly fasting Mondays and Thursdays, fasting in the month of Sha’ban, or fasting every second day like Dawud عليه السالم.

Thus, to protect our obligatory deeds we should perform other recommended and voluntary deeds.

“He has set certain limits, so do not go beyond them”:

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s boundaries are much like a magnet. The closer the people are to the

boundaries of Allah, the harder it is to get away from them – there is a magnetic force which pulls you in (figuratively).

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“He has forbidden certain things, so do not indulge in them”:

This part of the hadith, is very explicit in warning us to stay away from things that Allah سبحانه و

.has forbidden تعاىل

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل first spoke of the obligatory deeds, and boundaries, and then the muharamat.

This describes the steps that may lead you to the destruction of your soul: falling away from obligatory acts of worship and obedience, getting near a bad thing, and then indulging in it – loving it.

Q and A:

Q. What about celebrating the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم birthday?

Premise is made that a person will remember Allah سبحانه و تعاىل on this day and this day only.

If there’s a person that only shows up for the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم’s birthday, he is probably

not there to worship Allah سبحانه و تعاىل, but rather he is coming for the free food and the

celebration.

In most cases, bid’ah will usually replace a sunnah. When a bid’ah is being accepted, then a sunnah is being rejected.

Ibn ‘Abbas عنهرضي اهللا spoke of how idolatry began amongst the people of Nuh عليه السالم. Based on

that we can derive some hints and lessons how celebrating the birthday of Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و

.could be harmful to our deen سلم

While it is important to remember Allah حانه و تعاىلسب and show respect to our Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و

doing it in a manner that was not shown to us by the Prophet (SAW) is not justified, and ,سلم

hence the necessity for it to be done the right way. Celebrating a birthday is not how we do it.

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Q. Surat Yasin recital at the graves?

The Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said,

“Recite Surat Yasin to your dead people.” 45

The majority of scholars feel that this was meant for recital to a dying person to soothe them. One should not recite to graves/ already dead people.

A dead individual: it is said that all they can hear is the footsteps of people walking away from them after they have been buried, and this will be the last thing they will hear of this dunya.

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم mentioned 3 things that may benefit a dead person.

1) If a person has not done their compulsory Hajj, it can be done on his/her behalf; 2) Nadhr – an agreement with Allah, “O Allah, do such and such and I will do such and

such” – such an act is disliked but acceptable. Someone can fulfill the nadhr made by a person who passed and could not finish it.

3) When a child/ relative makes du’a for a deceased person.

There are other ahadith which describes things that can benefit a dead person.

Financial support which can benefit a deceased person:

1) Buying a Qur’an and giving it on their behalf; 2) Building a well on their behalf; 3) Planting of a tree on their behalf; 4) Building an institute [learning institute] on their behalf; 5) Building a place to accommodate a traveller or guest; 6) Facilitating a river for the people [preventing block-offs]; 7) 3 things a person can do before they die:

a. Knowledge that we leave behind that people benefit from after we die; b. A Muslim who spent his life protecting and guarding Muslims, then his

reward will continue until the day of judgement [could be a policeman, etc.]; c. If an individual facilitates a continuous charity which outlives him,

including the points above.

Looking at all the above authentic methods of receiving reward, why would we want to do something inauthentic to gain reward, e.g. reciting Yasin over a grave?

When a person passes away: his burial service should be paid for, his debts should be settled, and then his inheritance should be handed down as prescribed by Allah.

45 Imam Ahmad, al-Nasai’ and Ibn Majah

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It was related on the authority of Abu Sa’id Sa’d bin Malik bin Sinan al- Khudri, رضي اهللا عنه

That the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”46

[An excellent Hadith which Ibn Majah, Al-Daraqutni and others related to have a sound isnad, but which Malik related in his Muwatta’as of broken isnad from ‘Amr bin Yahya, from his

father, from the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, but dropping (the name of Abu sa’id, This Hadith has

lines of transmission which strengthen one another (so that it may be regarded as of sound isnad).]

46 Ibn Majah

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Background: Narrator: Abu Sa’id Sa’d ibnu Malik bin Sinan al-Khudri رضي اهللا عنه

Abu Sa’id Sa’d ibnu Malik bin Sinan al-Khudri رضي اهللا عنه was from the tribe of Khazraj. He first

met the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, when the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم reconciled these two tribes. He

was 13 years old at that time. He wanted to fight at the battle of Uhud but was not allowed because he was so young, and his father (Malik) died during that battle. He became one of the 7 top sahabah in narrating hadith, as 1170 ahadith came from him. He died in the year 64 A.H.

Lessons: This is a very short hadith that tells us the general principle of Islam, which is to minimize harm.

What is Harm?

Anything that opposes the six objectives of the Shari’ah, which are the preservation of:

1) Life – cannot kill; absolute top priority 2) Wealth – cannot steal 3) Progeny – cannot stop the continuation of progeny 4) A person’s honour (the scholars differed upon this) 5) Religion 6) ‘Aql (intellect). e.g. drugging you

General Discussion: Reflecting on the Qur’an and Nature of Shari’a

Throughout the Qur’an, it calls upon us to use our intellect and contemplate upon the Qur’an itself. Many times when we think about contemplating about the Qur’an, we think about improving ourselves, answering our own questions about our purpose, reaffirming our belief, Qur’an and science, the majestic nature of the Qur’an, seeking support in making a decision, or increase our appreciation etc. Each person will reflect upon the Qur’an in different ways. There are so many deep, delving issues which a person can derive from reflecting on the Qur’an.

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‘At-Taharir at-Tanweer’ was written ~80 years ago by Ibn Ashara. He comments upon the Qur’an in many ways that are not common reflections. He did at some point talk about Sharia’. In its nature and with its rulings, the purpose of it is to benefit of mankind and minimizing harm.

For example, a sick person who needs to make wudu’ with water from a glacial lake, but he cannot as it is freezing. According to Shraia’ ruling it is haram for this person to harm himself to achieve an obligation.

The hadith being discussed mentions how you should not harm a person nor should you allow others to harm you.

Relationship between Usul al-Fiqh & Fiqh:

Usul-al-fiqh: the principles applied to Qur’an and Sunnah to derive fiqh. It is understood that if Allah commands us to do something, it is an obligation to follow it. An example of applying it, “Establish the prayer.” The use of Usul-al-fiqh here is to use the principle ‘Commandment necessitates obligation’, the fiqh is prayer is compulsory upon us.

Al-Qawa’id al-fiqhiyah:

These are legal maxims; re-occurring themes in fiqh which become universal laws. There are 5 legal maxims that are agreed upon:

1) Al-umur bi maqasidiha – matters are judged according to their objectives; Many of the 40 Hadith Nawawi became part of the legal maxims.

• A boy prays, not because of fearing Allah, but because his parents force him. Therefore, his intention is to please his parents, so he will only be rewarded for his effort to please his parents, but not on the part that he prays.

• A person runs over a cyclist and kills him. The cyclist ignored a light and it was an accident – is this considered murder?

This principle judging by objectives/ intentions is shown by this hadith.

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2) Alyaqeenu laa yazulu bil-shak – certainty is not dissolved by doubt; • The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said,

“When one of you is in Salat, and he feels something in his stomach, he should not abandon his prayer until he hears something or smells something (meaning he has

passed gas).”47

• A person made wudu’ for Dhuhr and he prayed. When the time of ‘Asr comes he is in doubt that whether he has wudu’ or not. Because it is certain that he made wudu’ for Dhuhr, and he is in doubt, he has to consider that he has wudu’.

3) Al’adatu muhakamatun – the norms of a people will take precedence; • Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says,

وهن بالمعروفوعاشر

“And live with them honourably.”48

This is actually “live with them with the good social norms of your society”. Meaning, a social norm should be provided to a wife. With globalization, and interexchange of cultures, there are fewer cultural norms that are solid. Social norms may change over time.

• In Madinah, at the university, a student showed up wearing a pink shirt and that caused a riot. It was a big deal there, which is not the case in Canada.

• If the Shari’a does not have explicit information regarding a certain issue, the norm of a culture takes over so long as it does not contradict Islam.

• Being an outcast in your society is not encouraged by Islam.

4) Almashakatu tajlibu al taysir – hardship brings about ease; • Necessities are allowed to be filled due to the size and seriousness of its

necessity. Staying alive may necessitate eating something haram. • Likewise, if a woman needs to work in a dodgy environment, she should do so

for as long as she needs to for fulfilling her necessities and anyhow no longer than that.

Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says,

47 Sahih al-Bukhari 48 Surat an-Nisa’: 19

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﴾٦﴿ يسرا العسر مع إن﴾ ٥﴿ يسرا العسر مع فإن

“So, verily with hardship, there comes ease; verily, with every hardship, there is ease.”49

Travelling is a piece of punishment, but Sharia’ rules are there to bring about ease:

a. Combining prayers b. Shorten your prayers c. If Ramadan, fasting is not fard d. During nawafil prayers, do not need to face qiblah

5) Al- dararu yazul – all harm is to be removed; This is proven by Hadith #32.

• Someone attacks you in the street is about to kill you. Are you allowed to kill this person? No. You are allowed to defend yourself but not to kill.

• Farmer Jack has a bonfire, but it begins to harm his neighbour farmer Bob. In Islamic Law, it is considered that it is better for Farmer Jack not to have his bonfire.

• You rent out a field of wheat, and its yield cannot be re-possessed so long as its fruits are not taken by the person(s) who reaped the wheat itself.

• Harm cannot be removed with a similar harm. If someone cheats you, it does not mean you cheat them back.

49 Surat as-Sharh: 5-6

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Ibn ‘Abbas, رضي اهللا عنه, said that the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said:

“Were people to be given according to their claims, some would claim the wealth and blood of others. But the Burden of proof is upon the claimant and the taking of an oath is upon the one who denies (the

allegation).”50

[An excellent hadith which albo

Background:

-Bayhaqi and others have related. Parts of it is in the two Sahih oks. (i.e. in al-Bukhari and Muslim).]

In every judicial dispute there are at least two litigating parties, the plaintiff and the defendant. The former claims what is contrary to the apparent fact; the second holds to the apparent fact and denies the claim.

This hadith mentions the principle of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل’s system of justice, and how it has given

us the tools to solve our differ nces. e

50 Al-Bayhaqi

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Lessons: Disputes will always take place, and we should not expect that no disputes will ever occur. A drunk driver kills a person who was out of his car changing a tire. Islamic law would have him, as a minimum offer blood money to the family. Under Canadian law, this person was given probation and 6 months community service.

Definition 1:

The Plaintiff: The one who is not charged, and can remain silent, and can give up the claim and not press charges.

The Defendant: He is the one who cannot remain silent and he is the one who is being charged.

Definition 2 – Maliki madhaab:

Plaintiff: The plaintiff is the one that claiming other than what is apparent.

Defendant: The one who is claiming that which is apparent.

Judge asks the defendant “Do you accept the charges?”

Bayyinah (the proof):

• 1st Level: A Qara (admitting guilt) – if the defendant accepts that which the claimant claims.

• 2nd Level: This level is the proof of witnesses. Preferably 2 witnesses; except in the case of zina(fornication/adultery) 4 witnesses are needed. In some cases of not-so-severe scenarios, one witness is enough.

• 3rd level: Subsidiary proofs, like fingerprinting, videotaping, etc. are up to the discretion of the judge whether to use them or not.

Q: What about “The testification of a woman is worth that of half of a man”?

This is only in the case of financial disputes. One of the scholars mentioned that Allah سبحانه

تعاىلو did not want to put women under this kind of pressure, thus a second woman is

required and recommended.

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Requirements of a witness:

1) Has to be at the age of distinction (about 8+ years old) 2) Has to be sure about what s/he saw is providing witness about 3) Must have integrity (be truthful)

Plaintiff makes claim in front of judge

↓

Judge asks defendant → Do you admit to the charges

NO

↓

⎯⎯⎯→yes Case decided in favour of plaintiff

Judge asks plaintiff for evidence

NO

↓

⎯⎯⎯→yes In general judgement is in favour of plaintiff and the defendant does not even have to respond (if evidence is sufficient)

Judge asks defendant to take an oathNO

↓

⎯⎯⎯→yes When defendant takes oath charges are dropped due to lack of evidence

Hanafi and Hanbali → Case in favour of plaintiffShafii and Maliki → Plaintiff required to take oath, otherwsise case is dropped due to lack of cooperation

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It was related on the authority of Abu Hurairah, رضي اهللا عنه that the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم said:

“Whosoever relieves from a believer some grief pertaining to this world, Allah will relieve from him some grief pertaining to the Hereafter. Whosoever alleviates the difficulties of a needy person who cannot pay his debt, Allah will alleviate his difficulties in both this world and the Hereafter. Whosoever conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his fault in this world and the Hereafter. Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant (of His) aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah,

reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, Mercy covers them, the angels surrounds them, and Allah makes mention of them amongst those who are

in His presence. Whosoever is slowed down by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage.”51

51 Sahih al-Muslim

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Background:

Islam pays a lot of attention to the community and the society. We talked about enjoining good and forbidding evil. This hadith primarily focuses on the way of strengthening the ties of brotherhood and sisterhood.

Lessons: General Discussion:

In order for bonds to be strengthened, then we must take a proactive approach. You do not wait until a person is in dire need before seeking to help them out – rather you initiate good before the person is desperate.

Relationships either are increasing or they are degenerating and becoming less. Friendships, marriages, parents and their kids – if one person says “I don’t care anymore” it becomes difficult to fix this problem. Islam tries to help people before we reach that level.

We should remember that Allah سبحانه و تعاىل will treat us the way we treat each other.

Benefit of Praying in Congregation:

As a Muslim community, one of the benefits of praying in congregation is that we get a chance to gather and meet one another. Islam encourages people to help each other.

In the meantime, the way we react to a sin and that others react to that sin makes a world of difference. When someone sins, do something, even if small, to make that person feel better. Sometimes, concealing the fault of a Muslim can help strengthen your relationship with that person. There is an important point regarding concealing a sin as against forbidding the evil. We must distinguish how to do this wisely.

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“Allah will aid a servant of His, so long as his servant aids another servant”:

When Muslims complain that Allah is not helping them, they forget that we must first help ourselves as a community.

“Whoever seeks onto the path of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise”:

Treading towards knowledge has much reward. Islam greatly emphasises on this issue.

Q. Why does Allah attribute achieving Paradise with seeking knowledge?

The simple answer is that to reach Paradise a person must learn the righteous acts which will lead him towards this.

A scholar will not cease to remain in a state of ignorance until he begins to apply his knowledge. Allah سبحانه و تعاىل says in Qur’an,

“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.”52

Virtues of Gathering:

This hadith describes the virtues of gathering where the book of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is recited and

studied. The virtues mentioned are four,

1) Tranquility descends upon the gathering 2) Mercy of Allah سبحانه و تعاىل is bestowed upon them 3) The angels surround them and 4) Allah سبحانه و تعاىل mentions them in a gathering of angels.

52 Surat al-Fatir: 28

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The Best Act of Dhikr We Can Do Is Reciting Qur’an.

“Whosoever is slowed down by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage”:

Each of us was created by clay. We are all equal before Allah سبحانه و تعاىل except those who are

more righteous in their actions. The end of this hadith reminds us that no lineage, poor or rich, will make a difference when judgement comes, if we do not amass deeds to elevate our status in the Hereafter.

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Ibn Abbas, رضي اهللا عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, related from his Lord

(glorified and exalted be He):

“Verily Allah has reported the good deeds and the evil deeds. “Then he clarified that: “whosoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah records it with himself as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it with Himself as ten good deeds, up on seven hundred times, or more than that. But if he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, Allah records it with Himself as a

complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it down as one single evil deed.”53

53 Shih al-Bukhari and Sahih al- Muslim

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Background The Four ‘Abdullahs: known for their knowledge, their piety:

1. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas رضي اهللا عنه 2. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr رضي اهللا عنه 3. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضي اهللا عنه 4. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Aas رضي اهللا عنه

Narrator: Ibn ‘Abbas رضي اهللا عنه

He was the cousin of the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم and was very dear to him. He صلى اهللا عليه و سلم

made a special du’a for him. One day the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم went to the washroom, and

when he returned he was looking for water to make wudu, and ibn ‘Abbas رضي اهللا عنه ran and

fetched water for him. After making wudu’, the Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم made du’a for him

saying: “O Allah, increase him in understanding of this deen and of this Qur’an.”

Never belittle a small act of goodness. You never know if a person may make supplication for you and it may be accepted.

Four categories of deeds:

(1) make intention to do a good deed, but you are prevented from it – e.g. making intention to visit a sick person, but get a flat tire and cannot make it, Allah will still reward you for that intention;

(2) you intend to make a good deed and you actually accomplish it – the reward of this deed will be multiplied, related to the effort of that deed; putting your heart into it, and doing it sincerely, increases it tremendously, 10 times, 700 times more, or even more;

(3) Intend to do an evil deed, but you do not do it [may refrain from it or leave it off] – here Allah will record it as one good deed… how peculiar! This is an example which highlights the greatness of the mercy of Allah;

(4) You intend to do an evil deed, and then acts upon it – this will be recorded as one sin upon you – our sins will not be multiplied as our rewards are multiplied.

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Dawud Tabarani رمحه اهللا said:

“Even after committing a sin, Allah gives you 6 hours to make tawbah and seek forgiveness for that sin. If you seek repentance within that time frame, it will be as if you had not committed the sin.”

Here we learn about teaching, especially children:

If they do something wrong, make them aware that they are doing something wrong, but do not make it a severe punishment. Otherwise, reward them greatly for good acts. Make it big. Teach your children to go read a page of Qur’an when they do something good, read it with them, so that they learn a positive association with the Qur’an.

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Abu Hurairah, رضي اهللا عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said;

Allah the Almighty has said: ‘Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made

obligatory upon him to do. And my servant continues to draw nearer to me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shell surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant

him it.’54

54 Sahih Al-Bukhari

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Background Narrator: Abdurrahman ibn Sakhr as-Dawsi رضي اهللا عنه

Abu Hurairah رضي اهللا عنه says:

"I wish you had seen some of us living on a starvation diet for several days, successively, so much so that we could not even stand erect. On account of spasms of hunger, I would lie on my belly and press my stomach against the ground or keep a stone tied to my abdomen. Once, I intentionally sat in wait for some notable people to pass that way. As Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) came along, I joined in conversation with him, intending to continue the talk till we reach his home, where I expected him to invite me to share his meals, as was his wont. But his answer was brief, and my plan did not work.. The same thing happened with Umar, (may Allaah be pleased with him) when he chanced that way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself was the next to come. A smile spread on his face when he saw me, for he at once divined why I was sitting there. 'Come with me, Abu Hurairah', he said, and I accompanied him to his house. He took me in, where a bowl of milk was brought before him. He asked, 'Who brought this milk?" and was told that somebody had sent it as a present. He bade me to go and invite all the Suffah friends. The Suffah people were treated as everyone's guests by all the Muslims. They were such persons who had neither hearth nor home of their own, nor any other means of livelihood. Their number varied with time. But at this particular juncture, they mustered seventy in all. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would send them in groups of two or four each to the well-to-do Sahabah as guests. He himself would pass on to them all that came to him as 'Sadaqah', and would share the gifts too with them." Abu Hurairah (may Allaah be pleased with him) says: "When the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me to invite all these persons, I naturally had some misgivings, for the milk was so little that it could hardly suffice a single person. Also, I was aware that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would ask myself to serve the milk to the others first, and a server is always the last and, more often than not, gets the least of the lot. Anyway, out I went, and fetched them all. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to me: Abu Hurairah (may Allaah be pleased with him),

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do serve the milk to them.' I took the bowl to each person in turn, and he drank the contents to his heart's desire, and returned the same to me, till all of them were served. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then held the goblet in his own hand, smiled at me, and remarked; Only two of us are left now!' 'Quite so', I replied. 'Then take it,' he said. I needed no second bidding, and took enough. He exhorted me to have more, and I had my fill; till I declared that I had no room for any more. He then took hold of the bowl, and drank the still remaining milk."

Lessons Commentary:

Awliya – when Allah سبحانه و تعاىلpeaks of Wali, one of two people:

(1) The scholars – the closest slaves to Allah; (2) Those who protect their chastity but are still accused of illicit promiscuity.

When Allah loves an act, He makes it compulsory; when He likes an act, He makes it recommended; when He hates an act, He makes it forbidden.

What does love feel like? What about Allah’s love?

• When Allah loves you, He raises your status in this dunya. • When Allah loves you, He will protect you from harm. • When Allah loves you, He puts peace, tranquility and happiness in your lives. • When Allah loves you, He will grant you Jannatal-Firdaus.

Getting closer to crying for Allah: think about Jahannam [hellfire], and what would be the worst of it for you?

Allah’s declaration of war is figurative, and likewise Allah becoming the hands/ feet/ ears etc. of a person.

Allah facilitates the actions that comes with these limbs, and blesses these. In this way, Allah blesses that which you do, see, walk towards, etc.

One of the Du’a of the Prophet عليه و سلمصلى اهللا : “O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger,

and I seek refuge in Your pardon from Your punishment, and I seek refuge from You in You.”

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Ibn Abbas, رضي اهللا عنه, reposted that the Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, said;

“Truly Allah has for my sake pardoned the mistakes and forgetfulness of my community, and for what they have done under force or duress.”55


Pardon and Forgiveness: a time for this is often Ramadan.

Aisha رضي اهللا عنها asked “What should I ask for on the Night of Laylatul-Qadr?”

The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم in response:

“O Allah, You are indeed the Pardoner, and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”

55 Sunan ibn Majah, Sunan Al- Baihaqi and others

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Pardoning of those who

1. make mistakes [unintentionally] 2. forgot what we intended 3. forced or under duress [compelled to do so] 4. that which we do when we temporarily lose our consciousness or sanity: sleep or

madness

Q: When a person makes a mistake, is that person pardoned?

E.g. making the mistake of eating during Ramadan unintentionally.

However, intentionally having intercourse during a day of Ramadan: kaffaraa needed, need to make up day.

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On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, رضي اهللا عنه, who said: The Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم took

me by the shoulder and said:

Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer. Ibn ‘Umar used to say: “when evening comes, do not expect ( to live till) morning, and when Morning comes, so not expect (to live till)

evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death.”

Background

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar رضي اهللا عنه, son of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, was from the 4 famous ‘Abdullahs

.spent most of his life in Medina, he died ~ 60 A.H ,رضي اهللا عنهم

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Lessons: The Prophet صلى اهللا عليه و سلم is teaching us that if you are conveying an important message, make

sure you have the attention of those you are speaking to.

Eternity exists only in either of two places: Heaven or Hell.

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From Anas, رضي اهللا عنه, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, صلى اهللا عليه و سلم, say;

Allah the Almighty has said; ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds in the sky and were you then to ask for forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having associated anything with Me, I

shall grant you an earthful of pardon.56

56 Al-Tirmidhi

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Ending on the note of forgiveness is as part of the Sunnah of Allah and His Messenger – reminding people to seek forgiveness.

Allah explains his blessings: the magnitude of sins does not prevent the immensity of Allah’s mercy. We are encouraged to seek forgiveness frequently.

The Messenger of Allah صلى اهللا عليه و سلم sought forgiveness:

1. Seeking forgiveness for leaving behind certain recommended acts. 2. Seeking Allah’s forgiveness for being neglectful.

Compulsory forgiveness: upon doing something wrong, one needs to seek forgiveness. All our sins gradually accumulate. They could amass to fill the earth, yet Allah would forgive us.

Two important points:

1) Make sure throughout your life you never associate any partners with Allah سبحانه و تعاىل 2) If you want to increase your level in Jannah, then seek forgiveness with Allah سبحانه و تعاىل

End of Sacred Scrolls – all praise is due to Allah سبحانه و تعاىل alone.

sacred scrolls master notes

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