ummtaalib

Signs Indicating Towards the Creator A Bedouin once recited the following couplet: البعرة تدل على البعير و آثار الأقدام على المسير فسماء ذات أبراج و أرض ذات فجاج كيف لا تدل على اللطيف الخبير "When a lump of dung indicates that a camel had passed by and footsteps indicate that a person had passed by, then how could a sky filled with constellations and an earth crossed with paths not indicate the existence of the Creator who is most-gracious and all-aware?" (Noorul Anwaar page. 173) Source: Whatisislam.co.za

Reciting Tasbeeh-e-Faatimi before Retiring to Bed One should recite Tasbeeh-e-Faatimi before retiring to bed: i.e. 33 times Subhaanallah, 33 times Alhamdulillah, and 34 times Allahu Akbar. عن علي رضي الله عنه أن فاطمة رضي الله عنها أتت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تشكو إليه ما تلقى في يدها من الرحى وبلغها أنه جاءه رقيق فلم تصادفه فذكرت ذلك لعائشة فلما جاء أخبرته عائشة قال فجاءنا وقد أخذنا مضاجعنا فذهبنا نقوم فقال على مكانكما فجاء فقعد بيني وبينها حتى وجدت برد قدميه على بطني فقال ألا أدلكما على خير مما سألتما إذا أخذتما مضاجعكما أو أويتما إلى فراشكما فسبحا ثلاثا وثلاثين واحمدا ثلاثا وثلاثين وكبرا أربعا وثلاثين فهو خير لكما من خادم. و في رواية: قال علي : فما تركته منذ سمعته من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قيل له : ولا ليلة صفين ؟ قال : ولا ليلة صفين. (البخاري رقم 5361) Hadhrat Ali (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that on one occasion Hadhrat Faatimah (Radhiallahu Anha) went to the house of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to complain about the difficulty she was experiencing while using the handmill. The news reached her that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had received some slaves (so she had thought that she would request Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) for a slave to assist her in her daily chores). However, (upon reaching the home) she did not find Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) present, hence she informed Hadhrat Aaisha (Radhiallahu Anha) of her reason for coming. When Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) reached home, Hadhrat Aaisha (Radhiallahu Anha) informed him regarding the request of Hadhrat Faatima (Radhiallahu Anha). Subsequently, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then came to our home at the time we were retiring to bed. (Upon seeing him) we intended to wake up (out of respect for him), but Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told us to remain as we were. He then came and sat between us until I could feel the coolness of his feet on my stomach (i.e. due to being seated so close to us in between, his mubaarak feet touched the side of my body). He then said: “Should I not show you something better than what you had requested (i.e. better than me giving you a slave to assist you in your daily chores)? Before retiring to bed, then recite Subhaanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu Akbar 34 times, for certainly this is better for you (in assisting you in your daily chores) than acquiring a slave. (According to another narration) Hadhrat Ali (Radhiallahu Anhu) further said: “I did not leave out this practice from the time I heard it from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).” Someone present asked: “Not even on the night of Siffeen (i.e. the night of the battle of Siffeen)?” He replied: “Not even on the night of Siffeen.”

I just looovvve these stories! I too wish everyone is blessed to see the beauty of Islam. Unfortunately we Muslims are not a very good example for others to follow ) :

An Open Letter to the Broken Hearted Do you remember how it had all begun? This world did not leave you; it was you who had left this world and its glamorous ornamentation. You had made that choice for Allah with a firm determination. I know it’s been long and you are tired of failure and frustration, but don’t be so quick – yet – to mess with your prioritization. Revisit, revise, review, and never forget why you had undertaken this expedition. Do not stop. Do not pause. Do not take time-out for scrutinization. Do not let any hindrance push you away from your final destination. If you have fallen, get back up. If you have lost, try again. Take another chance, another leap, and another plunge. It’s not unusual to find pleasure through pain, victory through defeat and love through separation. So you are going through some tough conditions? And are not up to the mark with society’s expectations? On the other hand, you are not doing so well even in your religion? Failure is constant, and rejection is coming at full force from every direction? And your life is going haywire – not at all the way you had put forth to Him in your proposition? But… Hold on a second’s fraction. Your life is going exactly the way Allah has planned in His Preserved Scripturum; sorrow, failure, grief, the feeling of pain so intense that you wonder whether you are dying of apprehension; it is all from Him. You can’t understand God’s love till you understand pain; till you find out the reason behind suffering, and loss, depression, anxiety, and the reason why you keep turning in the middle of the night in great agitation. And you can’t understand God’s love till you learn to appreciate pain, for pain detaches us from this world and pushes us out of our comfort zones on a hunt to feed our hungry souls that are near-destruction; death loses its petrification; sin loses its temptation! And when you are feeling extremely low, just remind yourself that Allah has always helped you, and has never abandoned you in any situation. And remind yourself that Allah always keeps His special gaze on the one who is suffering from consternation. And remind yourself that when you are heartbroken, it’s easier to connect with Qur’an, and it can truly feel like Allah is there for your consolation. And remind yourself how He has sent random people to comfort you when you were crestfallen. They wouldn’t know, but He knew. And they would always say the right things to your heart’s satisfaction. And remind yourself how He has decorated His sky for you with magnificent moon and little twinkling stars and makes them follow you wherever you go so that no matter how lonely and sad you feel, no matter how abandoned you are, you can always look up, and find them in their spectacularation. And remind yourself of your late-night prostrations. Remind yourself of those tears of desolation. And of those guilt-ridden conversations, admitting that you have failed, yet again, in desperation. Remind yourself that, no matter how great the fall, He has always taken you back without any complications. To experience pain is a gift of nature. It has the power to break us, for the sake of spiritual liberation. So, really, if you are broken, or shattered, and if you don’t understand anything anymore and are too scared to even plan anything out, that’s a beautiful manifestation. Leave it to Him and trust His formulation. By a ZA Student zaynabacademy

Abu Hanifa’s Advice to His Son to Practice 5 Hadiths Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam Question: I heard a mufti speaking about Abu Hanifa’s advice to his son saying that the practice of 5 hadith would equate to the practice of 500,000. It is in Jami‘ Usul fi al-Awliya in the Imam’s counsel to his son, Hammad. My question is: what are these 5 hadiths and is there any associated explanations which may be relevant? Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah. In his Bustan al-Muhaddithin, `Abd al-`Aziz al-Dihlawi relates, “Abu Dawud said, ‘In our view, four traditions (hadith) of that [= the 4800 that he collected in his Sunan] are enough for a person’s religion: his word’s (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘Actions are according to intentions;’ second, ‘Part of the good of a person’s Islam is to abandon what does not concern him;’ third are his words (Allah bless him and give him peace), ‘A believer is not a believer until he is pleased for his brother with what he is pleased for himself;’ and fourth is, ‘The lawful is clear and the forbidden is clear, but between the two are ambiguous matters. Whoever guards himself against ambivalent matters has gone to the utmost limit in seeking to be clear in his religion and honour.’’” [Dihlawi, Bustan al-Muhaddithin] Then in Jami` al-Usul fi al-Awliya is the bequest of Imam Abu Hanifa to his son Hammad in which he says that he chose five traditions from five hundred thousand— the four previously mentioned [and chosen by Abu Dawud], and a fifth: “The Muslim is one whom others are safe from their tongue and hands.” (1) Actions & Intentions The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Actions are only by intentions, and each man has only that which he intends. Whoever’s emigration is for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever’s emigration is for some worldly gain which he can acquire or a woman he will marry, then his emigration is for that for which he emigrates.” [bukhari & Muslim] We are rewarded to the extent of our intentions, not actions. Thus, each person shall only get the reward and benefit of what they intended. The greatest thing that you can intend is Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). It is possible to have this intention in everything, and this is why the scholars say, “Through intentions habits become worship.” Allah is always the primary intention. And secondary intentions show how you are seeking Allah in that particular action. `Abdullah ibn Mubarak (Allah be pleased with him), said, “How often it is that a small action becomes great by its intention. And how often it is that a great action becomes small by its intention.” The upshot is that if there is nothing in it for Allah, there is no benefit in it. See also: Actions Are Rewarded Due To Intentions and: The Reality and Importance of Intention (2) Minding your own Business The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “From a person’s Islam being good is his leaving what does not concern him.” [Tirmidhi] From the excellence of a person’s Islam and the perfection of his faith is to leave anything which doesn’t concern nor befit him, whether in word, speech, looking, thought, or anything else. The excellence of a person’s Islam is an indication of his perfection in his faith. And the scholars also explain “that which concerns him” as being anything in which there is a real worldly or next-worldly benefit. See also: Is One Being Nosy by Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil? and: Can We Deny Having Committed Sins After We’ve Repented From Them? (3) True Belief: Loving for Others The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [bukhari & Muslim] The phrase “loves for his brother” refers to loving of the good (khair), which includes worship, the religiously and worldly permissible, and excludes forbidden matters. And likewise he hates for his brother of the evil what he hates for himself. Moreover, the generality of the word “brother” also encompasses the non-believer, thus he should love for him to be guided and attain unto ultimate salvation just as he loves for his Muslim brother to remain on guidance. See also: Can One Love a Disbeliever? and: Shunning and Reviling a Fellow Believer (4) The Lawful is Clear and the Unlawful is Clear The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart.” [bukhari & Muslim] Taqwa is at the root of the relationship between the servant and His Creator. It is literally akin to putting a barrier between oneself and the Hell Fire. The upshot is that the heart is the king and the limbs are the flock. Allah is looking for sound hearts, and sins darken and dirty the heart. There are consequences for those who make contraventions, yet we have a Merciful Lord. Whoever turns to Him in repentance will never regret it. [see: A Reader on Tawba (Repentance)] See also: Differences of Opinion & Determining Sound Scholarship and: The Muslim Standard of Excellence in Work and Life – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani (5) True Islam: Not Harming Others The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The Muslim is one whom others are safe from their tongue and hands.” [bukhari & Muslim] The true believer is one from whom others are safe from his tongue; so he doesn’t swear, curse, backbite, slander, or do anything that will hurt them. And likewise, they are safe from his hand in that he won’t physically harm them nor oppress them in any way. Harming a fellow believer is from a deficiency in faith. The Noble Shari`ah has called us to have restraint in regards to harming others, whether outwardly or inwardly. Believers are brothers and sisters, and trueness entails that you never cause harm to another believer. See also: Characteristics to be Adopted: Controlling the Tongue – Imam Zaid Shakir – New Islamic Directions and: IslamCast Daily Hadith – 8. The Muslim as a Source of Safety and Trust [Qari’, Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih; Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir Sharh Jami` al-Saghir; Ibn `Allan, Dalil al-Falihin li Turuq Riyad al-Salihin] And Allah alone gives success. wassalam, Tabraze Azam Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani Source

Delaying Maghrib Salaah till a little while before the time of Esha sets in Q: How many minutes before Esha can one perform Maghrib Salaah without it becoming qadha? In other words till what time does Maghrib Salaah time remain? A: The Maghrib time remains until the disappearance of twilight (i.e. the disappearance of the white glow that is seen after the red glow). When the white glow disappears from the sky, the time of Maghrib terminates and the time of Esha enters. This will fluctuate in different seasons. It is difficult to give an exact time. Hence, if the Maghrib Salaah was read within this time, the Salaah will be valid and will not be regarded as qadha. It is masnoon to perform the Maghrib Salaah immediately when the time sets in without any delay. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا ﴿سورة النساء ١٠٣﴾ وأول وقت المغرب إذا غربت الشمس وآخر وقتها مالم يغب الشفق وقال الشافعي رحمه الله مقدار ما يصلى فيه ثلاث ركعات لأن جبريل عليه السلام أم في اليومين في وقت واحد ولنا قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام أول وقت المغرب حين تغرب الشمس وآخر وقتها حين يغيب الشفق وما رواه كان للتحرز عن الكراهة ثم الشفق هو البياض الذي في الأفق بعد الحمرة عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى وعندهما هو الحمرة وهو رواية عن أبي حنيفة وهو قول الشافعي لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام الشفق الحمرة ولأبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام وآخر وقت المغرب إذا اسود الأفق وما رواه موقوف على ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما ذكره مالك رحمه الله في الموطأ وفيه اختلاف الصحابة وأول وقت العشاء إذا غاب الشفق (الهداية 1/ 81) ويستحب تعجيل المغرب لأن تأخيرها مكروه لما فيه من التشبه باليهود وقال عليه الصلاة والسلام لا تزال أمتي بخير ما عجلوا المغرب وأخروا العشاء (الهداية 1/ 83) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Advice to a Young Cancer Patient Answered by Sidi Abdullah Anik Misra Question: I know a sister who has cancer and she is young. What advice do you have and how should she deal with this illness? Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful, As salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, Thank you for your question. I ask Allah Most High to send his healing and blessings upon our sister who has this illness, and upon all our ailing brothers and sisters in this world. The first thing is to understand the reality of life and its temporary nature. It must be put into perspective against our ultimate return and eternal life with our Most Loving Creator. Then, to see this illness as a test placed in our life that reminds us of our purpose here, and brings out the best of us as believers. For a believer, it is a source of reward and forgiveness. After understanding this reality, we should take every worldly means to overcome our trials, while staying positive and productive throughout. Then, we should be try to be content with what has happened, and what we cannot change, all the while putting our trust in Allah. It cannot be stressed enough to think positively- about Allah, yourself and life. Putting Life Into Perspective The first thing the person should realize is the reality of this life. For each and every one of us, not just those who are sick, we must remember that life is temporary and limited. Allah Most High created us and gave us all a specified lifespan that cannot be decreased or increased in the slightest by our actions alone, though we take the means to try. The point of life is to return to our Creator in the best state possible, through living a life of faith with a sound heart and good works. Experiencing some type of loss or difficulty is often the way Allah Most High brings our attention back to this fact. These illnesses or losses, then, are just a test. They don’t necessarily imply that someone is bad, or cursed or being punished. When these tests come, will we understand their purpose, and realign our hearts with the ultimate goal, or will we continue to be heedless? Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: “Do you expect to enter Paradise without being tested, like those before you [were]?” [Qur’an 2:214] Allah also says: “And We will most certainly test you until we know which amongst you are those who strive and those who are patient, and so We can bring out your true qualities [whether obedient or sinful, etc].” [Qur’an 47:31] However, these tests will pass. Those who accept this sooner often fare better through the challenges they face, in that they do not succumb to excessive fear, depression or despair due to the worldly events around them. This does not mean one has to be morbid in any way however. Everything in a Believer’s Life is Good The good news is, for the believer, everything that happens in their life is good for them, as long as they deal with the events in their life with the correct outlook. Our beloved Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) said, in wonder at the affair of a believer: “Truly, [the believer’s] entire affair [ie. all events in his life] is good. And it isn’t that way [ie. entirely good] for anyone except a believer. If some happy event occurs with him, he gives thanks [for it, to Allah], and [his doing so] is good for him. And if some harmful event affects him, he is patient [with it], and [his doing so] is good for him.” [Muslim] The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said: “Nothing affects a Muslim, whether fatigue or illness or stressful worry or grief or injury or deep sadness – not even a thorn that pricks him- except that Allah covers up his sins through it.” [bukhari and Muslim] So, by being patient and content with Allah’s decree, the sickness actually becomes a cause for earning rewards from Allah Most High. Take the Best Means AND Put Your Trust in Allah It is from the sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to take the best of means. When he was ill, he himself took medicine and sought treatment, and told others to do the same. He (peace be upon him) said that “indeed, for every sickness, there is a treatment… so when the treatment correctly addresses the sickness, a person is cured- by the permission of Allah.” [Muslim] Thus, one’s hope should be in Allah and not on the medicine which one takes. It is important to remain engaged in good works. Learn and recite the dua’s that have been recorded in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), as well as the famous litanies for healing written by the great spiritual masters of the Islamic tradition. One should also give optional charity as much as possible, read the Qur’an and make the dhikr of Allah. Also, supplications are best answered when a person removes as much of the unlawful elements in one’s life as possible. This includes leaving sins, and only eating, earning, and wearing what is lawful and wholesome. It also means looking at the debts one has to Allah, in the form of missed prayers, fasts or charity, as well as the things that are owed to people, and working to fulfill those obligations with a plan in place. It is important to note however, that some people take on a religious lifestyle and its works only for the purpose of getting the outcome they want. If they don’t get it, they feel let down or disillusioned with Allah. This means that they have missed the point about why we worship Allah- it’s not about earning outcomes. Nothing and no one can force Allah’s will by any amount of righteousness, nor expect that they deserve anything. Rather, by increasing in good works, one should understand that they are worshipping Allah because He alone deserves to be worshipped, and that they want to improve themselves for His sake, and knowing that whatever the outcome is, Allah will give them what is best for them whether we see the immediate benefit or not. Staying Positive and Staying Productive Finally, the person should stay positive and think well of Allah. Allah Most High is quoted in a hadith as saying, “I am to My servant the way he expects me to be towards him. And I am with him when he remembers Me.” [bukhari] Allah Most High loves us seventy times more than our own mothers. A Muslim is an optimist at all times, seeing some good in every situation. A person who is sick should never fall into despondency or depression, and stop pursuing their goals in life, to the extent possible. They should continue learning and improving themselves and their world around them with dedication and excellence. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that if while a person is planting a sapling, the Day of Judgment suddenly seems to erupt on the earth, to carry on and finish planting the tree [Musnad Ahmad], since one never knows what will actually happen, and what benefit they can bring to the world. I ask Allah Ta’ala to grant this sister and all those who are ailing in the Ummah of our master Muhammad (sal Allahu a’alaihi wasallam) ease, healing, blessings and forgiveness of sins. Below is a good answer for supplications when one is sick: Prophetic Supplications to Cure Illnesses Wasalam, Abdullah Anik Misra Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani Source

A British Woman on a Mission Sidra Khan reports on Aisha Bhutta's bid to convert the world to Islam The Guardian Newspaper, London Thursday 8th May 1997 Aisha Bhutta, also known as Debbie Rogers, is serene. She sits on the sofa in big front room of her tenement flat in Cowcaddens, Glasgow. The walls are hung with quotations from the Koran, a special clock to remind the family of prayer times and posters of the Holy City of Mecca. Aisha's piercing blue eyes sparkle with evangelical zeal, she smiles with a radiance only true believers possess. Her face is that of a strong Scots lass - no nonsense, good-humoured - but it is carefully covered with a hijab. For a good Christian girl to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim is extraordinary enough. Butmore than that, she has also converted her parents, most of the rest of her family and at least 30 friends and neighbours. Her family were austere Christians with whom Rogers regularly attended Salvation Army meetings. When all the other teenagers in Britain were kissing their George Michael posters goodnight, Rogers had pictures of Jesus up on her wall. And yet she found that Christianity was not enough; there were too many unanswered questions and she felt dissatisfied with the lack of disciplined structure for her beliefs. "There had to be more for me to obey than just doing prayers when I felt like it." Aisha had first seen her future husband, Mohammad Bhutta, when she was 10 and regular customer at the shop, run by his family. She would see him in the back, praying. "There was contentment and peace in what he was doing. He said he was a Muslim. I said: What's a Muslim?". Later with his help she began looking deeper into Islam. By the age of 17, she had read the entire Koran in Arabic. "Everything I read", she says, "was making sense." She made the decision to convert at16. "When I said the words, it waslike a big burden I had been carrying on my shoulders had been thrown off. I felt like a new-born baby." Despite her conversion however, Mohammed's parents were against their marrying. They saw her as a Western woman who would lead their eldestson astray and give the family a bad name; she was, Mohammed's father believed, "the biggest enemy." Nevertheless, the couple married in the local mosque. Aisha wore a dress hand-sewn by Mohammed's mother and sisters who sneaked into the ceremony against the wishes of his father who refused to attend. It was his elderly grandmother who paved the way for a bond between thewomen. She arrived from Pakistan where mixed-race marriages were evenmore taboo, and insisted on meeting Aisha. She was so impressed by thefact that she had learned the Koran and Punjabi that she convinced the others; slowly, Aisha, now 32, became one of the family. Aisha's parents, Michael and Marjory Rogers, though did attend the wedding, were more concerned with the clothes their daughter was now wearing (the traditional shalwaar kameez) and what the neighbours would think. Six years later, Aisha embarked on a mission to convert them and the rest of her family, bar her sister ("I'm still working on her). "My husband and I worked on my mum and dad, telling them about Islam and they saw the changes in me, like I stopped answering back!" Her mother soon followed in her footsteps. Marjory Rogers changed her name to Sumayyah and became a devout Muslim. "She wore the hijab anddid her prayers on time and nothing ever mattered to her except her connections with God. " Aisha's father proved a more difficult recruit, so she enlisted the helpof her newly converted mother (who has since died of cancer). "My mumand I used to talk to my father about Islam and we were sitting in the sofa in the kitchen one day and he said: "What are the words you saywhen you become a Muslim?" "Me and my mum just jumped on top of him." Three years later, Aisha's brother converted "over the telephone - thanks to BT", then his wife and children followed, followed by her sister's son. It didn't stop there. Her family converted, Aisha turned her attentionto Cowcaddens, with its tightly packed rows of crumbling, gray tenement flats. Every Monday for the past 13 years, Aisha has held classes in Islam for Scottish women. So far she has helped to convert over 30. The women come from a bewildering array of backgrounds. Trudy, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow and a former Catholic, attended Aisha's classes purely because she was commissioned to carry out some research. But after six months of classes she converted, deciding that Christianity was riddled with "logical inconsistencies". "I could tell she was beginning to be affected by the talks", Aisha says. How could she tell? "I don't know, it was just a feeling." The classes include Muslim girls tempted by Western ideals and need ingsalvation, practicing Muslim women who want an open forum for discussion denied them at the local male-dominated mosque, and those simply interested in Islam. Aisha welcomes questions. "We cannot expect people blindly to believe." Her husband, Mohammad Bhutta, now 41, does not seem so driven to convert Scottish lads to Muslim brothers. He occasionally helps out in the family restaurant, but his main aim in life is to ensure the couple's five children grow up as Muslims. The eldest, Safia, "nearly 14, alhumidlillah (Praise be to God!)", is not averse to a spot of recruiting herself. One day she met a woman in the street and carried her shopping, the woman attended Aisha's classes and is now a Muslim. "I can honestly say I have never regretted it", Aisha says of her conversion to Islam. "Every marriage has its ups and downs and sometimes you need something to pull you out of any hardship. But the Prophet Peace by upon him, said: 'Every hardship has an ease.' So when you're going through a difficult stage, you work for that ease to come." Mohammed is more romantic: "I feel we have known each other for centuries and must never part from one another. According to Islam, you are not just partners for life, you can be partners in heaven as well, for ever. Its a beautiful thing, you know." Source: islamfortoday.com

Aminah Assilmi (1945 - 2010), an energetic caller to Islam who traveled around the nation giving lectures and inspiring other, and President of the International Union of Muslim Women once said: “I am so very glad that I am a Muslim. Islam is my life. Islam is the beat of my heart. Islam is the blood that courses through my veins. Islam is my strength. Islam is my life so wonderful and beautiful. Without Islam I am nothing, and should Allah ever turn His magnificent face from me, I could not survive” Sister Aminah died in a car accident in the early morning of March 5, 2010, outside of Newport, Tenn. She was returning with her son from a speaking engagement in New York. Her son, who was injured in the accident, was taken to a hospital in Knoxville. She was 65. . To Allah we belong and to Allah we will return. The following write-up is excerpted from a longer write-up on Sister Aminah’s biography. -- TML It all started with a computer glitch. She was a Southern Baptist girl, a radical feminist, and a broadcast journalist. She was a girl with an unusual caliber, who excelled in school, received scholarships, ran her own business, and were competing with professionals and getting awards – all these while she was going to college. Then one day a computer error happened that made her take up a mission as a devout Christian. Eventually, however, it resulted into something opposite and changed her life completely around. It was 1975 when for the first time computer was used to pre-register for a class in her college. She was working on her degree on Recreation. She pre-registered for a class and then went toOklahoma City to take care of a business. Her return was delayed and she came back to college two weeks into the class. Making up the missed work was no problem for her, but she was surprised to find that the computer mistakenly registered her for a Theatre class, a class where students would be required to perform in front of others. She was a very reticent girl and she was horrified to think about performing in front of others. She could not drop the class for it was too late. Failing the class was also not a choice, for she was receiving a scholarship that was paying for her tuition and receiving an ‘F’ would have jeopardized it. Advised by her husband, she went to her teacher to work out some other alternative to performing, such as preparing costumes, etc. Assured by the teacher that he would try to help her, she went to the next class and was shocked by what she saw. The class was full of Arabs and “camel jockeys”. That was enough for her. She came back home and decided not to go back to the class anymore. It was not possible for her to be in the middle of Arabs. “There was no way I was going to sit in a room full of dirty heathens!” Her husband was calm as usual. He pointed out to her that God has a reason for everything and that she should think about more before quitting. Besides, there was the scholarship that was paying her tuition. She went behind locked doors for 2 days to think about. When she came out, she decided to continue the class. She felt that God gave her a task to convert the Arabs into Christianity. Thus she found herself with a mission to accomplish. Throughout the class, she would be discussing Christianity with her Arab classmates. “I proceeded to explain to them how they would burn in the fires of hell for all eternity, if they did not accept Jesus as their personal savior. They were very polite, but did not convert. Then, I explained how Jesus loved them and had died on the cross to save them from their sins. All they had to do was accept him into their hearts.” They still did not convert, and so she decided to do something else: “I decided to read their own book to show to them that Islam was a false religion and Mohammed was a false Prophet”. At her request, one student gave her a copy of the Qur’an and another book on Islam. With these two books she started on her research, which she was to continue for the next one and half years. She read the Qur’an fully and another fifteen books on Islam. Then she came back to the Qur’an and re-read it. During her research, she started taking notes that she found objectionable and which she would be able to use to prove that Islam was a false religion. Unconsciously, however, she was changing from within which did not escape the attention of her husband. “I was changing, just in little ways but enough to bother him. We used to go to the bar every Friday and Saturday, or to a party, and I no longer wanted to go. I was quieter and more distant.” She stopped drinking and eating pork. Her husband suspected her of having an affair with another man, for “it was only for a man that a woman changes”. Ultimately, she was asked to leave, and she soon found herself living in a separate apartment “When I first started to study Islam, I did not expect to find anything that I needed or wanted in my personal life. Little did I know that Islam would change my life. No human could have ever convinced me that I would finally be at peace and overflowing with love and joy because of Islam.” Throughout these times, she continued studying Islam and although she was changing subtly from within, she remained a devout Christian. Then one day, there was a knock on her door. It was a man in traditional Muslim robe, who appeared to her as a “man in a long white night gown with a red and white checkered table cloth on his head”. His name was Abdul-Aziz Al-Sheik and he was accompanied by three other men in similar dress. She was very offended by Muslim men coming to her in nightgowns and pajamas. She was further shocked when Abdul-Aziz told her that he understood that she waited to be a Muslim. She replied that she was a Christian and she did not have any plan to become a Muslim. However, she had some questions to ask if they had the time. At her invitation, they came inside. She now brought up the questions and objections that she noted down while she was researching. “I will never forget his name”, she said of Abdul-Aziz who proved to be a very patient and soft-mannered person. “He was very patient and discussed every question with me. He never made me feel silly or that a question was stupid.” Abdul-Aziz listened to every question and objection and explained it within the proper context. “He explained that Allah had told us to seek knowledge and questions were one of the ways to accomplish that. When he explained something, it was like watching a rose open – petal by petal, until it reached its full glory. When I told him that I did not agree with something and why, he always said I was correct up to a point. Then he would show me how to look deeper and from different directions to reach a fuller understanding.” It would not be long before she would externally submit to what she had already been submitting to internally during the last one and half years. Later in that same day, this Southern Baptist girl would declare in front of Abdul-Aziz and his companions: “I bear witness that there is no god but God and Mohammed is His Messenger.” It was May 21, 1977. Conversion to Islam, or to any other religion for that matter, is not always a simple thing to do. Except for a few fortunate ones, a new Muslim usually face consequences. The convert may face isolation from family and friends, if not pressure to go back to the family faith. Sometimes, a convert may even face sever economic hardship, as in the case of those who are asked to leave the house because of converting to Islam. Some converts are fortunate to continue to be well respected by family and friends, but most of them face minor to severe hardship especially during the first few years after the conversion. But the difficulty that Aminah Assilimi had to go through and the sacrifice that she had to make for the sake of her conviction and faith is almost unheard of. There are few who could rely so much on Allah as she did, standing firm and meeting the challenges, making sacrifices, and yet maintaining a positive posture and influencing people around with the beauty of what she found and believed in. She lost most of her friends, for she was “no fun anymore”. Her mother did not accept her becoming a Muslim and hoped that it was a temporary zeal and that she would soon grow out of it. Her “mental health expert” sister thought that she lost her mind. She attempted to put her in a mental health institution. Her father was a calm and wise man. People would come to him for advice and he could comfort anyone in distress. But when he heard that his daughter became a Muslim, he loaded his double-barrel shotgun and started on his way to kill her. “It is better that she be dead rather than suffering in the deepest of Hell”, he said. She was now without friends and without family. She soon started wearing hijab. The day she put it on, she was denied her job. She was now without family, friends, and job. But her greatest sacrifice was yet to come. She and her husband both loved each other very much. But while she was studying Islam, her husband misunderstood her for her apparent changes. She became quieter and stopped going to the bar. Her changes were visible to him and he suspected her of having affair with another man, for whom she must have been changing. She could not explain to him what was happening.“There was no way to make him understand what was changing me because I did not know.”Eventually he asked her to leave and she started living separately. After she openly accepted Islam, it went worse. A divorce was now inevitable. This was a time when Islam was little known, much less understood for what it is. She had two little children whom she loved dearly and whose custody should have rightfully be given to her. But in a grave violation of justice, she was denied their custody just because she became a Muslim. Before giving the formal verdict, the judge offered her a harsh choice: either renounce Islam and get custody of the children, or keep Islam and leave the children. She was given 20 minutes to make a decision. She loved her children very dearly. It is perhaps the worst nightmare that a mother can have: asked to willfully leave her child - not for one day, month, or year, but forever. On the other hand, how could she keep the Truth away from her children and live as a hypocrite? “It was the most painful 20 minutes in my life”, she said in an interview. Those of us who are mothers and fathers, especially of young children, little imagination is needed to feel the pain and torment that she must have passed every second in those 20 minutes. What added further to her pain was that according to doctors, she could never bear another child because of certain complications. “I prayed like I had never done before … I knew that there was no safer place for my children to be than in the hands of Allah. If I denied Him, there would be no way in the future to show my children the wonders of being with Allah.” She decided to retain Islam. Her two dear children – one little boy and one little girl – were taken away from her and given to her ex-husband. For a mother, is there a sacrifice greater than this – a sacrifice that is done for no material reason but only for faith and conviction? “I left the court knowing that life without my babies would be very difficult. My heart bled, even though I knew, inside, I had done the right thing” . She found comfort in the following verse of the Qur’an:There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). (Quran 2: 255) Perhaps the air of Colorado was too thin for justice. Or perhaps there was a plan in Allah’s greater scheme of affairs. Aminah Assilimi later fought back and took her case to the media. Although she did not get custody of her children again, a change was made in the Colorado law that one cannot be denied child custody on the basis of his or her religion. Indeed Allah’s love and mercy engulfed her so much that, as if, she has been granted the touchstone of Islam. Wherever she goes, people are touched by her beautiful words and Islamic manners and become Muslim. By accepting Islam, she became a changed person, and a much better person. So much so that her family, relatives, and people around her started appreciating her mannerism and the faith that brought about such changes in her. Despite her family’s initial reaction, she remained in touch with them and addressed them with respect and humility, just as the Qur’an enjoins the Muslims to do. She would send cards to her parents on different occasions, but she would always write down a verse from the Qur’an or the Hadith without mentioning the source of such beautiful words of wisdom. It was not long before she started making a positive influence among her family members. The first to become Muslim was her grand mother. She was over 100 years old. Soon after accepting Islam, she died. “The day she pronounced Shahada, all her misdeeds had been erased, while her good deeds were preserved. She died so soon after accepting Islam that I knew her “book” was bound to be heavy on the good side. It fills me with such a joy!” Next to become Muslim was her father, the one who wanted to kill her after she became Muslim. Thus he brought alive the story of Umar ibn Khattab. Umar was a companion of the Prophet (peace be on him) who persecuted the early Muslims before he converted to Islam. When he heard one day that his sister became a Muslim, he went out with an open sword to kill her. But upon hearing some of the verses from the Qur’an that his sister was reciting, he recognized the truth and went straight to the Prophet and accepted Islam. Two years after she (Assilmi) accepted Islam, her mother called and said that she appreciated her faith and hoped that she would keep it. Couple of years later, she called again and asked her about what one would need to do to become a Muslim. Assilmi replied that one had to believe that there is only One God and Muhammad was his Messenger. “Any fool knows that. But what do you have to do?”, she asked again. She replied that if that is what she believed, then she was already a Muslim! At this, her mother said, “Well … OK. But let’s not tell your father just yet”. She was not aware that her husband (Assilmi’s step father) had the same conversation with her a few weeks earlier. Thus the two lived together as Muslims for years in secret without knowing that the other was also a Muslim. Her sister who wanted to put her in mental institution accepted Islam as well. She must have realized that becoming Muslim is indeed the most healthy and sound thing to do. Her son, upon becoming adult, accepted Islam. When he turned 21, he called her and said that he wanted to become a Muslim. Sixteen years after the divorce, her ex-husband also accepted Islam. He said that he had been watching her for sixteen years and wanted his daughter to have the same religion that she had. He came to her and apologized for what he had done. He was a very nice gentlemen and Assilimi had forgiven him long ago. Perhaps the greatest reward for her was yet to come. Assilmi later married another person, and despite the doctors’ verdict that she could never conceive another child, Allah blessed her with a beautiful boy. If Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala makes a gift to someone, who can prevent Him? It was truly a wonderful blessing from Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, and so she named him Barakah. The sacrifice that Assilmi made for the sake of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala was tremendous. And so Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala turned in mercy to her and rewarded her with enormous blessings. Her family discarded her after she accepted Islam, and now by Allah’s mercy, most of them are Muslim. She lost her friends because of Islam, and now she is being loved by so many. “Friends who loved came out of nowhere”, she said. Allah’s blessings came upon her so much that wherever she goes people are touched by the beauty of Islam and accept the Truth. Both Muslims and non-Muslims now come to her for advice and counseling. She lost her job because of wearing hijab, and now she is the President of the International Union of Muslim Women. She delivers lectures nationwide and is on high demand. It was her organization that successfully lobbied for the “Eid Stamp” and had it approved by the United States Postal Service, but it took many years of work. She is now working on making the Eid Day as a national holiday. She has tremendous trust on Allah’s love and mercy and she never looses faith on Him. She was once diagnosed with cancer some years ago. Doctors said that it was in an advanced stage and that she would live for another year. But her faith in Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala remained strong. “We must all die. I was confident that the pain I was experiencing contained blessings.” As a brilliant example of how much one can love Allah, she mentions about a friend of her named Kareem Al-Misawi who died of cancer when he was in his 20’s: “Shortly before he died, he told me that Allah was truly Merciful. This man was in unbelievable anguish and was radiating with Allah’s love. He said: “Allah intends that I should enter heaven with a clean book.” His death experience gave me something to think about. He taught me of Allah’s love and mercy.” All praise is due to Allah, she continues to live in good health. She now thinks that having cancer was the greatest blessing that she ever had. Source: famousmuslims.com

The Four Imams: Information Sheet taken from www.ask-imam.com IMAM ABU HANIFA (ra) Nu'man bin Thabit ibn Zauti,- well known in Islamic History as 'Imam Abu Hanifa' and 'Imam Azam' - was the son of a Persian merchant. He was born in Kufa, Iraq - in the Year 80 A.H. His father - Thabit - was privileged to meet Hazrat Ali (ra) who had at the time, made Kufa his capital. Kufa was founded in 17 A.H. by Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (ra) the 2nd Khalif. Kufa had become the 3rd most important centre of learning during Hazrat Umar's (ra) Khilafat. A large number of Sahaba (ra) were sent to this new city to settle here by Umar (ra). These included Hazrat Abdulla ibn Ma'sood, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Ammar, Huzaifa & Abu Moosa etc. (ra). Records indicate the presence of 1050 Sahaba in Kufa of whom 24 were the participants of Badr. At the age of 20, Imam Abu Hanifa turned his attention towards the pursuit of advancing his Islamic knowledge. Among his 1st and the most important tutors was Imam Hammad (Died 120 A.H.) whose educational lineage is linked with Hazrat Abdulla Ibn Mas'ood (ra). Imam Abu Hanifa is also a Tabi'ee = One who saw and benefited from at least one Sahabi. Imam Abu Hanifa benefited from nearly 4,000 Shaikhs. In those days, the Hajj season was the best means of spreading and deriving Islamic knowledge as Muslims from every corner of the Islamic world assembled in Makka. In his lifetime Imam Abu Hanifa is reputed to have performed fifty Hajj. Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) had joined his father's business wherein he showed scrupulous honesty and fairness. Once his agent had sold a consignment of silk cloth on his behalf but forgot to mention a slight defect to the customers. When Abu Hanifa learnt of this, he was greatly distressed because he had no means of the refunding the customers; so he immediately ordered the entire proceeds of the sale ( 30,000 Dirhams ) to be given in charity. The Imam was also keenly interested in education. He established a school at Kufa, which later became a famous College of Theology. Here he delivered lectures on Islamic Law and related subjects. Fiqah or Islamic Law was systematically studied by his students under his expert guidance. A large number of his devoted and highly intelligent students worked under him for 30 years, and it is the labour of these students that gave us the Hanafi School of thought. Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) was the 1st of the Imams to advocate the use of "reason" in the consideration of religious questions based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. He was also the 1st Imam to arrange all the subjects of Islamic Law systematically. His most important work is the Kitab-ul-Aasaar which was compiled by his students - Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. In {164 A.H.} 763 A.C. Al-Mansoor - the Banu Abbas Khalifa of the Muslim Empire at Baghdad whose capital was Baghdad - offered Imam Sahib the post of Chief Qazi of the state, but the Imam declined to accept the post and chose to remain independent. In his reply to Al-Mansoor, the Imam excused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post offered. Al-Mansoor, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused the Imam of lying. "If I am lying," the Imam said, "then my statement is doubly correct. "How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qazi?" Incensed by this reply, Al-Mansoor charged the Imam with contempt, had him arrested and locked in prison. Even in prison, the Imam continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him. It was here in prison that the Imam was administered a dose of poison in 150 A.H. Realizing that the end was near, the Imam prostrated in prayer and passed away in this condition in the month of Rajab, 150 A.H. The news of his death soon spread throughout Baghdad 17. The whole town came out to pay their last homage to the greatest Imam of Islamic Law. More than 50,000 people participated in the first Janaza Salaat. People continued to flock and before the Janaza could be finally taken for burial, the Salaatul Janaza was offered 6 times in all. For days, people came in large numbers to pay their respects at the grave side. Among the four Imams, Abu Hanifa has the largest number of followers even today in all parts of the world {M.A.R.K.}. IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra) Abu Abdullah Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Abi Aamir (ra) was born in Madina in the year 93 A.H. (714 A.C) He came from a respectable family. His ancestral home was in Yemen, but his great grandfather - Aamir - settled in Madina after embracing Islam. His grandfather - Maalik - was an important Taabi-ee and a famous reporter of Ahadith. He was greatly attracted to the study of Islamic Law and devoted his entire interest to the subject after completing his primary education. Madina was the most important seat of Islamic learning as the immediate descendants of the Sahaba-e-Kiraam were inhabitants of the City. For the purpose of his study, he sought out over 300 "Tabi'een" = those who saw the Sahaba/Companions of the Holy Prophet (saw), and acquired from them the knowledge of the Holy Prophet's (saw) Ahadith and Sunnah. He spent his entire life in Madina where he studied Fiqah from 95 Shaikhs. It is these Shaikhs from whom he recorded the Ahadith in his Kitab-ul-Muatta. This Kitab contains 1725 Ahadith of Rasulullah (saw). He studied Qira'at & Hadith for nearly ten years under Hazrat Naafe' the slave of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (ra). Hazrat Naafe' had served his master for nearly 30 years. Naafe' was once sent by Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (ra) to impart knowledge in Egypt. Although he is the author of numerous books, his most important work is the Kitab-ul-Muatta, which deals with the subject of Islamic Law based on Ahadith and Sunnah. The Kitab-ul-Muatta is the earliest surviving book of its kind - written around 150 A.H. - and it is used in all Islamic institutions as one of the text books in the final year studies by graduating Ulama. Imam Malik had the highest regard for the Holy Prophet (saw) as well as for his Ahadith. He never tolerated indiscipline whilst Hadith-e-Rasul was under discussion. He even rebuked Al-Mansoor for talking loudly when some Ahadith were being discussed. The Imam always made Wudu or Ghusal, wore fresh clean attire and applied perfume before conducting lessons on Ahadith. He delivered lectures on Islamic Law, and issued fatwas (Islamic Rulings) for nearly 62 years. Approx. 1,300 people have reported Ahadith from him. He had the honour of occupying the home of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (ra) and conducting lessons from the same spot where Rasulullah (saw) spent his time for I'tikaaf, in the Masjid-un-Nabi. Imam Malik was famous for his piety and integrity, and courageously stood up prepared to suffer for his conviction. For example, in 135 A.H., When the governor of Madina demanded and forced people to take the oath of allegiance in favour of Khalifa Al-Mansoor, the Imam issued a Fatwa that such an oath was not binding because it was given under duress. Since this fatwa was not in the interest of the ruler, the governor arrested the Imam and had him publicly flogged for the "crime". Al-Mansoor, learning of this outrage, apologized to the Imam and dismissed the errant governor. Imam Malik (ra), was offered 3,000 gold coins (dinars) by Mansoor, as travelling expenses to Baghdad and subsequent residence in the Capital, but the Imam politely refused the offer saying that he prefered to live in Madina near Rasulullah (saw). Imam Malik never intended the formation of a school of thought bearing his name. It was his disciples & followers who later developed a Fiqah School based on Imam Malik's rulings. Malikis are found mostly in North & West Africa - Tunis, Algeria, Morrocco and Egypt. This Great Leader of Islamic Law died in Madina on the 11th Rabi-ul-Akhir 179 A.H. at the age 86 years. He lies buried in the Jannatul Baqi in Madina. (M.A.R.K.) IMAM MALIK IBN ANAS (ra) - ADDITIONAL FACTS Madina was the most important centre of knowledge as scholars flocked to the City to pay their respects to Rasulullah (saw). The home of Imam Malik too was a centre of Ilm-e-Nabawi. Among his first tutors was Imam-ush-Shua'raa Hazrat Naafe' bin Abdur Rahman (died - 169 A.H.) from whom he mastered the Qur'an. Later, whilst still a youngster he joined the Hadith classes of Naafe'. Physical description: Tall, heavily built, fair but reddish, wide eyes, beautiful nose, very little hair on the forehead, heavy long beard which reached his chest. trimmed moustache above/edge of the lip. He considered the shaver of moustache as Makrooh and a Mussla (disfigurer). He wore expensive clothing and used much Ittar. He wore a silver ring with a stone and engraved was 'Hasbun'Allahu wa Ne'mal Wakeel'. On his door was written 'Maa Sha Allah'. This house originally belonged to Abdulla ibn Mas'ood (ra). He started teaching at the age of 17. It was only after seventy Ulama certified him as an authority, did he commence issuing Fatwa. His seat in the Masjid-e-Nabawi was the same seat that was occupied by Hazrat Umar (ra). He never answered the call of nature within the perimeter of the Haram, except during illness or some Uzar. He never rode during his entire life on an animal in Madina. He used to say, "How can I ride an animal whose feet tramples the ground in which lies resting of the Master (saw). During his advancing years, he never went out of Madina - hoping to be buried therein. During Hadith lessons if anyone raised his voice, he would reprimand him and quote the Qura'nic verse ... adding that the command was applicable even now. IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra) - POLITICAL ERA During the Khilafat of Mansoor Abbasi, oppression was on the increase. Muhammad Zun-Nafs az-Zakiyah in Madina and his brother Ibrahim in Basra were compelled to raise the flag of rebellion against the the injustice directed mostly towards the Sayeds. Imam Malik issued a fatwa in favour of these two and against the government. 2. This led to his arrest by the governor of Madina and subsequent flogging - seventy lashes. Later when Mansoor learnt of this, he expressed regret and sent an apology to the Imam and requested the Imam to come to Baghdad, but the Imam refused. When Mansoor came for Hajj, he visited Madina as well and treated the Imam with great respect. Haroon ar-Rasheed Haroon ar-Rasheed was a patron of the Ulama. He had great regard for Imam Malik. He personally, with his two sons, journeyed to Madina to listen to the Muatta. He invited the Imam to come to his camp in order to give lessons but the Imam refused. So Haroon brought his sons to the Imam. His death Imam Malik was 86 years and had become quite weak, but he still continued to give lesson and issue fatwas. It was Sunday when he became ill and for the next 22 odd days it got worse. He passed away on the 11 th Rabi-ul-Akhir, 179 A.H. He had taught and issued fatwas for 62 years. IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra) - ORIGIN OF MALIKI FIQAH The Fuqaha-e-Saba' of Madina are: Saeed ibn Musayyib, Died 94 A.H. Ubaidullah ibn Uttba ibn Mas'ud, Died 98 A.H. Urwa, Died 94 A.H. Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, Died 108 A.H. Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman bin Haris ibn Hisham, Died 94 A.H. Sulaiman ibn Yasaar, Died 109 A.H. Kharija Zaid, Died 109 A.H. These 7 were the centre of Ilm-e-Fiqah and Hadith in Madina. Their unanimous ruling was the basis of any verdict in the court of Madina in matters of Fiqah. The basis of Imam Malik's Fiqah and Fatwa originates from this Fiqah of Madina. Allama ibn Qayyim (ra) states that the promotion of Deen, Fiqah, and Ilm in the Ummah is due to the students of Ibn Mas'ud, Zaid bin Thabit, Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas (ra). Ibn Mas'ud stayed in Madina but was later ordered to reside in Kufa. Therefore the above 7 were instrumental in the promotion of Ilm in Madina. And it is from these persons that the Shaikhs of Imam Malik benefitted, in particular Hazrat Rabi'atur Raai who is the most important Shaikh of Imam Malik (ra). Imam Malik based his rulings in his Fatwas from the Fiqah of the above and this eventually became the "Maliki Fiqah. IMAM SHAFI'EE (ra) Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Idrees Shafi'ee (ra) was a descendant from the Quraish tribe. He is the Only Imam who is related to Rasulullah (saw). Imam Shafi'ee (RAH) was born in Ghazza, Syria in 150 A.H. (765 A.C.) He lost his father during infancy and was raised by his mother under very poor circumstances. He completed Hifz of the Qur'an at the tender age of 7 years, and at the age of 13 memorized the Kitabul-Muatta of Imam Malik (ra). He spent some time among the Beduins outside Makka, to acquire a good knowledge of the Arabic language. At the age of 20, (170 A.H./785 A.C.) he went to Madina and became a student of Imam Malik (ra) who was greatly impressed with the young student who had memorized the Muatta. He stayed with Imam Malik for some time; thereafter he returned to Makka. He also came into contact with other learned men (81 Shaikhs) from all of whom he acquired the knowledge of the Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah. In 184 A.H./799 A.C., Imam Shafi'ee was arrested and taken to Baghdad to appear before Haroon Ar-Rasheed on "trumped up" charges of treason. It was due to the recommendation of Imam Muhammad (the state Qazi and student of Imam Abu Hanifa) that Imam Shafi'ee was discharged. He was then 34 years old. Imam Shafi'ee remained in Baghdad as a student of Imam Muhammad for over three years to add further to his knowledge of Islamic Law. He returned to Makka where he stayed for 9 years delivering lectures on Islamic Law. It was during this period that Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal came into contact with Imam Shafi'ee. In 199 A.H., he went to Egypt where he was received with much honour and respect. He remained here until his death. Imam Shafi'ee was the author of over 100 books, the most important of which is the Kitab-ul-Umm. It contains the rulings of the Imam on all subjects of Islamic Law. He left behind a large number of dedicated students in Makka, Baghdad and Egypt. The Shafi'ee School of Thought emerged from these students who propagated the views and rulings of the Imam through their writings and preachings. Imam Shafi'ee (ra) never committed a major sin nor spoke a lie, nor did he swallow an unlawful morsel of food in his entire life. He never at any time performed Jumma without Ghusal. He was an extremely generous personality who on numerous occasions gave away all he possessed to the poor and needy. He died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday evening after Maghrib, 29th Rajab, 204 A.H. (20th Jan, 820 A.C.) after a short illness, at the age of 53-54 years. { M.A.R.K. } IMAM SHAFI'EE (ra) - ADDITIONAL FACTS Abu Abdulla Muhammad ibn Idris ibn Al-Abbas bin Usman bin Shafi'. His ancestry joins the Prophet at Abd Manaaf. His title is 'Naasirun Sunnah'. He was honoured as Al-Imaamul Mujaddid in that he is the Mujaddid of the 2nd century. His birth place is Ghazza/Asqalaan - a place two stages from Jeruselam. He was born in Rajab 150 A.H. He was two years old when his parents moved to Makka and made it their home. His mother was a Yemeni of the famous Bani Azd tribe. His ancestor - Shafi'- was the flag bearer of the Banu Hashim in Badr. He was taken prisoner and released after ransom. Thereafter he embraced Islam. Another report states that he met the Prophet (saw) as a youngster and became a Muslim. However his father - Saa'ib - was the flag bearer..... Imam Shafi'ee completed Hifz at 7 and memorised Muatta at 10 years. At 15 with the permission of his SHAIKH - Muslim bin Khalid Zanji (the Mufti of Makka) - he started issuing fatwas. Earlier he spent his time in Arabic literature and poetry. One day at Mina, he heard a voice behind saying: "Aliaka bil Fiqah" - (GRASP THE FIQAH). Muslim bin Khalid who had noticed his remarkable intelligence, etc., advised him to study Fiqah. He spent three years with the Shaikh, until the age of 13. Later he went to Madina to study under Imam Malik. Besides Imam Malik, he studied Hadith under 81 Shaikhs. In Makka his tutor was Sufyan bin Ainiyyah. Imam Shafi'ee said about these two: "Had it not been for Imam Malik and Sufyan, then Ilm Would not have remained in Hidjaz." He spent 8 months with Imam Malik, then returned to Makka. He came into contact in 184 A.H. with Imam Muhammad - state Qazi - at Baghdad and stayed with him for over 3 years. Taking into account future visits to the Imam, he spent 10 years with Imam Muhammad. Comments: "I never came across a greater Alim of Kitabullah than Imam Muhammad (ra). Imam Muhammad made this comment: [a] The door of Fiqah was shut to the people, Allah opened it because of Shafi'ee. Imam Shafi'ee is the Mujaddid of Deen. Imam Malik made this comment: No Scholar more brilliant than Muhammad ibn Idris Shafi'ee ever came to me as a pupil. Fiqah Shafi'ee The Imam had mastered both Maliki and Hanafi Fiqah. Keeping both before him, he formulated the basis of the Shafi'ee Fiqah. His pupils compiled his works, Fatwas, teachings, etc., and promoted the Shafi'ee School of Fiqah. IMAM AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD HAMBAL (ra) Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hambal Shaibani Al-Maruzi was of pure Arab descent whose ancestery joins Hazrat Ebrahim (as). He was born in Baghdad in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, 164 A.H. He lost his father when he was only three years old. Baghdad being the Capital of the Muslim State was an important centre of learning during the Banu Abbas Era. Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) completed Hifz of the Qur'an at an early age. In 180 A.H., when he was 16 years old, he began to persue the knowledge of Ahadith under the Imam Abu Yusuf (the most important pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra)). He stayed with him for 3 years, during which time he recorded so much information, that the volumes filled 3 book shelves. Later he also attended the classes of Imam Muhammad (another prominent pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra)). After accumlating knowledge from numerous scholars in Baghdad, he journeyed to Kufa, Basra, Makka, Madina, Yemen, Syria, Jazira in order to increase his knowledge of Ahadith. After meeting with over a hundred Shaikhs, he is reputed to have made a collection of over a million Ahadith. It was in 187 A.H. that he met Imam Shafi'ee (ra) in Makka for the first time. Later when Imam Shafi'ee came to Baghdad, Imam Hambal also joined him during the Imam's residence here and mastered from him Fiqah. Imam Shafi'ee (ra) too on the other hand relied very much on the knowledge of Ahadith and Sunnah which Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) possessed. It was in 204 A.H., only after he had reached the age of 40, that Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) started conducting lessons and delivering lectures. Being a prominent figure, his lectures attracted a huge gathering of at least 5,000 students among whom nearly 500 took down notes daily. Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and Imam Tirmizi (ra) were also amongst his noteworthy students. The Mu'tazila controversy regarding the "immortality and creation of the Qur'an" was the cause of much trial in the life of the Imam, who suffered much over a period of nearly 15 years. The Banu Abbas rulers - Al-Ma'moon and Al-Mu'tasim who were influenced by the Mu'tazila - tried to force the Ulama to accept the Mu'tazila doctrine. Being a devotee of the Sunnah, and an opposer of Bid'at it fell upon the shoulders of Imam Hambal (ra) to oppose this doctrine vigorously. Al-Mu'tasim even ordered the flogging and imprisonment of the Imam for several months. Imam Hambal succumbed to the sufferings rather than deviate from the beliefs and practices of the Sunnah. The sufferings of Imam Hambal ended when Al-Mutawakkil took over as ruler, restored the traditional teachings of Islam and accorded the Imam the honour befitting the great scholar. Among his several works is the Encyclopaedia of Ahadith called Masnad, compiled by his son Abdulla from his lectures, and amplified by references to over 28,000 Ahadith. His other important works include a collection of his fatwas (Islamic rulings on religious matters) - covering over 20 volumes. These fatwas form the basis of the Hambali School of Thought. The Hambalis represent the smallest group in the four Sunni Schools of Fiqah. Imam Hambal (ra) died after a short illness in Baghdad, on Friday evening, 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 241 A.H. (855 A.C.) at the age of 77 years. His Janaza Salaat was attended by nearly 1,000,000 people who came to pay their respects to this great scholar of Islam. {M.A.R.K.}

The Value of Humanity in Islām By Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh Following atrocities committed in the name of Islām, such as those in Paris, once again misconceptions regarding Islām and Muslims make the headlines and infuse tensions in our society. I believe all of us are duty-bound to contribute to efforts that clear these misconceptions and misunderstandings and share the true nature of this beautiful religion. The value of life In light of Islām’s teachings of mercy and tolerance, it is impossible that oppression or the taking of innocent life is permitted in any circumstance. The life of every human, Muslim and non-Muslim, is equally precious and sacred. The value of life is captured in the following verse of the Glorious Qur’ān: ...whoever kills a person not in retaliation for a person killed, nor (as a punishment) for spreading disorder on the earth, is as if he has killed the whole of humankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole of humankind... (5:32) As Muslims, we value human life irrespective of geography, race and gender. We do not distinguish between the poor and the wealthy, women from men, the less able from the able bodied, as a life is a life, hence sacred and precious. Therefore, a loss of life in any corner of the world is a cause of grief and sorrow for every true Muslim. During such moments we pray to Allāh ta‘ālā, the Creator, that He grants everyone guidance and fills this world with peace and security. For those who have suffered loss of life, may Allāh ta‘ālā grant them patience and courage. If families have lost their breadwinner, may Allāh ta‘ālā safeguard them from want and poverty. May Allāh ta‘ālā grant relief to all from oppression and give every human the good fortune to live in peace and prosperity. When the hearts and minds of humans become corrupt, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, then they no longer remain human. In their eyes, the worth of a human life becomes devalued and no thought is given to who is being killed, how many are killed and how the lives of innocent people, children, the elderly and women are destroyed. There is total contempt for humanity. We pray that Allāh ta‘ālā grant those involved in killing innocent people, whether they be individuals, groups or governments, the essence of humanity and the ability to recognise the value of human life. Developing a proper understanding of Islām Following the tragic events in Paris, there is a significant focus on Islām and Muslims. At this juncture I would urge my fellow citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims, to learn the teachings of Islām from practising Muslims with knowledge; not from the media. Those in the mainstream media, have not studied Islām in the correct manner and therefore do not appreciate the sciences of Islām and the relationship between them. Many times they comment on verses of the Qur’ān and Ahādīth which are out of context, as they are unaware of the method of how to interpret them and as a result reach incorrect conclusions and cause confusion. It is unfortunate that non-Muslims and ill-informed Muslims also express views based on their own interpretation, without the appropriate requisite knowledge. This has led to the distortion of Islām resulting in the misconceptions we see today amongst the general public, with regards to Islām and its teachings. I therefore urge all Muslims to study and embrace the teachings of Islām and live their lives according to it. We need to deepen our understanding of the true essence of Islām by benefitting from reliable ‘Ulamā and reading authentic literature. This will enable us to spread the correct message to others and explain the true qualities, attributes and characteristics of Islām. We must also ensure our individual mistakes do not tarnish and distort the image of Islām and Muslims. We must all study Islām to the extent that we are able to present and explain, without any hesitation, the Islāmic point of view regarding topics that are commonly misunderstood by non-Muslims. Bringing a change We also need to bring a positive change in our lives by wholeheartedly turning to Allāh ta‘ālā and repenting sincerely from the disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā. Not only have we neglected our Dīn on a personal level, we have also not shared its beauty with others; a major negligence on our part. In our current circumstances Tawbah and Istighfār will be extremely beneficial, as it is stated in a hadīth: Whosoever holds fast to Istighfār, Allāh will make for him a way out from every difficulty and will grant him relief from every anxiety and will grant him sustenance from where he expects not. (Abū Dāwūd) Let us refrain from every act of disobedience to Allāh ta‘ālā and become firm on our belief and worship. It is only when we become the personification of Islām through our dealings (mu‘āmalāt), social conduct (mu‘āsharat) and good character (husn akhlāq), that the true merciful and tolerant character of Islām will be observed and appreciated by all. May Allāh ta‘ālā grant us all the tawfīq. Āmīn. © Riyādul Jannah (Volume 24, Issue 12)

Imam Abu Hanifah (Raheemahullah) and the Atheist The story of Abu Hanifa (radi Allahu 'anhu), and his neighbour

Duaa before Sleeping – 4 One should recite the following duaa before going to sleep: اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَ أَحْيَى O Allah. It is only with Your name do I die and live. عن حذيفة رضي الله عنه قال كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أخذ مضجعه من الليل وضع يده تحت خده ثم يقول اللهم باسمك أموت وأحيا وإذا استيقظ قال الحمد لله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا وإليه النشور. (بخارى رقم 6314 ) Hadhrat Huzaifa (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that when retiring to bed at night, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) would place his (right) hand under his (right) cheek and would recite the duaa اللهم باسمك اموت و احيى , and upon awakening would recite الحمد لله الذى احيانا بعد ما اماتنا واليه النشور

Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) and the Three Questions of the Roman Emperor The Emperor of the Romans once sent a large amount of wealth to the Khalifah of the Muslims. Before dispatching his representative with the wealth, the Emperor commanded him to pose three questions to the ‘Ulamaa’ of the Muslims. The Roman representative, as instructed, posed the three questions to the ‘Ulamaa’ but they were unable to give him satisfactory answers. Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was, at that time, still a young boy and he happened to be present with his father. When he saw that the ‘Ulamaa’ were unable to adequately answer the three questions, he approached the Khalifah and asked him for permission to respond to the challenge of the Romans. The Khalifah granted him permission and he turned to the Roman representative who was seated at a raised pulpit and asked, “Will you be posing the questions?” When the representative replied in the affirmative, Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) said, “In that case, you should descend to the floor so that I can be seated at the pulpit.” The representative complied and climbed down, allowing the young Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) to ascend. The Roman representative then put forth his first question, “What was in existence before Allah?” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) replied by likewise asking a question, “Do you know mathematics?” The representative replied, “Yes.” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) continued, “What precedes the number ‘one’?” The representative replied, “One is the first number; there is nothing before it.” Imam Abu Hanifah then concluded his answer explaining, “If there is nothing before the figurative number one, how can there be anything before the actual One (Allah Ta‘ala)?” The representative then posed the second question. He asked, “In which direction is Allah facing?” Once again, Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) answered by posing a question of his own, “When you light a lamp, in which direction does the light shine?” The representative replied, “The light shines equally in all four directions.” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) explained, “If a light that can be lit and extinguished is not restricted and limited by direction, how can the light of the Creator of the heavens and earth, which is eternal and overpowering, ever be restricted and limited by direction?” The representative then asked his third and final question, “What is Allah doing?” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) answered, “He has brought down a disbeliever such as yourself from the pulpit and raised a believer such as myself from the ground.” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had correctly and efficiently answered all three questions and the Roman representative admitted defeat and departed. (Ashbaah wan Nazaa’ir page. 415) Source: Whatisislam.co.za

Forgotten Heroines: The Housewifes Lament Money is tight. The kids are demanding. Skin is raw from all the cooking, cleaning and chores that have to be done every day. There’s absolutely no time to spare for anything else, whether it’s pursuing further education or volunteering for a special cause. Does this sound familiar? There are Muslim women all over the world who find themselves at home, living life as domestic stay-at-home mums and housewives. It’s a physically and emotionally demanding job and it’s also a pretty thankless one. How can spending all day serving others, instead of being involved in some kind of noble, public cause, ever be truly fulfilling and worth recognition – not just by people, but by Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'ala) Himself? Fatimah bint Muhammad is known to be one of the four most perfect women in the entire world. “Prophet Muhammad (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) drew four lines and said to the Companions, “Do you know what these are?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “The best women of the women of Paradise are Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran and Aasiyah bint Muzahim (the wife of the Pharaoh).” (Ahmad) Yet when we look at the biography of Fatimah bint Muhammad (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam), one could say that in comparison to others amongst the early Muslim women, her life was relatively unremarkable. She grew up during a difficult time for her parents, when her father was being publicly mocked and derided for preaching his message; she lost her mother at a relatively young age and she married her cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib when she was about fifteen years old. Some of the most well-known ahadeeth related by her mention how physically demanding her lifestyle was, such that her hands would crack and bleed from the wheat-grinding that she used to do. What made Fatimah so special? So special, in fact, that she will forever be known as one of the greatest women of Paradise? Fatimah bint Muhammad is not known for an act of dramatic courage such as that displayed by Nusaybah bint Ka’b during the battle of Uhud, but she too provides an example for a situation that many Muslim women around the world live and continue to face: the everyday drudgery of life as a wife and mother. Fatimah may have been the most beloved daughter to the Messenger of Allah, who was also the head of the Islamic State and leader of the Muslim army, but that didn’t mean that her life was one of luxury or ease. Quite to the contrary, Fatimah was the mother of two young boys and ran her household single-handedly. Life was difficult back then, with none of the technologies that smooth our way through tedious tasks today. She used to grind the wheat for her bread with her own hands, to the point that her hands would crack and bleed. Her husband, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, was an employee of one of the Ansaar, but the income was meagre and they struggled to survive on a daily basis. One day, weary and despairing of the toll that their lifestyle was taking on her, Fatimah decided that she would approach her father, RasulAllah (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam). At the time, the Muslims had won a battle and, as a result, had captured several prisoners and other spoils of war. With the reasoning that as a member of the Ummah, she was entitled to some relief, Fatimah went to visit one of RasulAllah’s homes. She did not find her father present, but seeing her stepmother A’ishah, Fatimah shared the story of her bleeding hands and her wish for a maidservant to take on a share of the burdens. Fatimah went back to her home, and when RasulAllah returned to his own house, A’ishah told him about his daughter’s visit. That same night, RasulAllah slipped into his daughter’s home, where she and ‘Ali were already lying in bed. ‘Ali narrates, “I wanted to get up, but the Prophet said, ‘Remain in your place.’ Then he sat down between us until I felt the coolness of his face on my chest. The Prophet said, ‘Shall I teach you a thing which is better than what you have asked me? When you go to bed, say, ‘Allahu akbar’ thirty-four times, and ‘subhanAllah’ thirty-three times, and ‘Alhamdulillah’ thirty-three times for that is better for you both than a servant.’” (Bukhari, Book #57, Hadith #55) After this, Fatimah never repeated her request for a maid ever again. It may seem to be a small, insignificant thing, but subhanAllah this was one of the reasons for which Fatimah earned her position as one of the queens of Jannah. Her life was spent quietly serving her Lord, through her sincere intentions behind caring for her husband and children. Around her, there were many sahabiyaat whose lives seemed much more exciting, full of adventure and grandeur. Her stepmother, A’ishah, was a great scholar; her great-aunt Safiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib was fierce in battle and the women of Madinah were renowned for their boldness in approaching any matter. Nonetheless, for Fatimah bint RasulAllah, the path to Paradise was simple – though never easy. For every stay-at-home-mother and housewife who feels that her life is too consumed by daily drudgery, who worries that her life is too dull to be of consequence, the quiet strength of Fatimah bint RasulAllah is an inspiration and a reminder that no deed, however small or seemingly insignificant, is overlooked by Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Just. For indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. (Surah Hud, verse 115) Jannah is not only for the Prophets, the martyrs, the ascetics, or the scholars; Jannah is attainable by every Muslimah, no matter her occupation or station in life. In the eyes of Allah, every sincere Muslim woman who pledges her life to pleasing her Lord is a heroine of Islam. Zainab bint Yunus

Umrah Made Easy – Point by Point Compiled by Mufti A.H.Elias Intention: اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أُرِیْدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فَیَسِّرْهَا لِيْ وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّيْ. O Allaah, I intend to perform Umrah, so make it easy for me, and accept it from me. Talbiyah: لَبَّيْكَ اَللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَوَالْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَكَ Tie the Ihraam from the Meeqaat, make the intention, and after reciting the Talbiyah, perform the Umrah in the following sequence upon entering Masjid al-Haraam.Recite Talbiyah in abundance. 4 things to be done before beginning Tawaaf: 1. Stop Talbiyah recitation once you start the Tawaaf 2. The males should take the upper Ihraam cloth from under the right armpit and place it over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder un-covered, i.e. Istibah 3. A few steps just before coming in line with the Hijr al-Aswad, face the Baytullaah and make the intention of performing Tawaaf, ‘O Allaah, I intend to perform Tawaaf of Your Noble house, make it easy for me and accept it from me.’ (It is a necessary condition to perform Tawaaf in the state of Wudhoo) 4. Now, without turning the chest away from the Baytullaah, face the Hijr al-Aswad, i.e. place both palms towards the Baytullaah and lift the hands upto the ears. Then make Istilaam, i.e. make an indication with the palms towards the Hijr al-Aswad and say (بِسْمِ اللهِ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وِلِلهِ الْحَمْدُ), then kiss the palms, now begin the Tawaaf. Do 4 things upon commencing Tawaaf: 1. In Tawaaf, only the males should do Raml, i.e. one should take short steps, with the chest out, walking like a brave person 2. During Tawaaf and between Rukn Yamaani and Hijr al-Aswad, it is proven to recite رَبَّنَا اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ The rest of the Tawaaf, one should recite the third Kalimah, Istighfaar, Durud Sharif or one can recite the Qur’aan. (Rukn Yamaani is the corner to the left of the Hijr al-Aswad. 3. One should face the Hijr al-Aswad at the commencement of each circuit and make Istilaam. (If there is a crowd, then one should make Istilaam with the right hand, without facing the Hijr al-Aswad and begin the next circuit). 4. During Tawaaf, one should not face the Ka’bah completely, one should not face the back to the Ka’bah. Do 4 things upon the completion of Tawaaf (7 circuits): 1. After completing the 7 circuits, perform Istilaam the 8th time and make du’aa’. (There is perform applied onto the Multazam, do not touch it 2. Cover the right shoulder, and perform 2 Rak’at Waajib Salaah behind the Maqaam Ibraaheem, or anywhere in the Haram. This is when it is not the Makruh time. One should also make du’aa’. 3. Drink Zamzam water in abundance and recite the Du’aa’ (اللهم إِنِّيْ أسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَّافِعًا، وَّرِزْقًا وَّاسِعًا وَّشِفَاءً مِّنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ) Allaah, I ask of You beneficial knowledge and wide sustenance and cure from every ailment 4. Before going to Safa and Marwa, first do a ninth Istilaam in the direction of Hijr al-Aswad Do 4 things when going to Mount Safa: 1. Go to Mount Safa from Baab Safa or in any other easy way. Upon reaching there, face the Ka’bah and make abundant du’aa’ 2. Begin the Sa’ee from Safa. Upon reaching Marwa, one circuit is completed. Then go from Marwa to Safa, the second circuit is completed. In this way, the seventh circuit will be completed at Marwa. (During Sa’ee, the males should walk fast between the green lights). 3. Go to the Masjid and perform 2 Rak’at of Nafl Salaah (Safa and Marwa are out of the boundary of the Masjid.) 4. The males should shave or trim the hair. Females should cut a fingertip amount from all the hair of the head, or from at least a quarter of her hair. Alhamdulillaah, all the fundamentals of Umrah are complete. There are two Fardh (obligatory) actions in Umrah: Ihraam, Tawaaf. Two Wajib (compulsory) actions: Sa’ee, Shaving, or trimming the hair Two Sunnat acts: Raml and Ithabah (leaving right should open)-for males only Two Mustahab acts: Drink Zam Zam and go to Multazam to make duaa if possible. Do not forget the 9th Istlilam before going to make Saee.

Is zakaat compulsory on an extra house Q: Does a person have to pay zakaat on an extra house he bought and which is rented out? Similarly does one have to pay zakaat on the rent? A: Zakaat is not payable on the extra house, but zakaat is payable on the rent received. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ولو آجر عبده أو داره بنصاب إن لم يكونا للتجارة لا تجب ما لم يحل الحول بعد القبض (البحر الرائق 2/ 224) ( ولا في ثياب البدن ) المحتاج إليها لدفع الحر والبرد ابن ملك ( وأثاث المنزل ودور السكنى ونحوها ) وكذا الكتب وإن لم تكن لأهلها إذا لم تنو للتجارة. (شامي 2/265) ( وسبب لزوم أدائها توجه الخطاب ) يعني قوله تعالى { وآتوا الزكاة } وشرطه أي شرط افتراض أدائها ( حولان الحول ) وهو في ملكه ( وثمنية المال كالدراهم والدنانير ) لتعينهما للتجارة بأصل الخلقة فتلزم الزكاة كيفما أمسكهما ولو للنفقة ( أو السوم ) بقيدها الآتي ( أو نية التجارة ) في العروض إما صريحا ولا بد من مقارنتها لعقد التجارة كما سيجيء أو دلالة بأن يشتري عينا بعرض التجارة أو يؤاجر داره التي للتجارة بعرض فتصير للتجارة بلا نية صريحا واستثنوا من اشتراط النية ما يشتريه المضارب فإنه يكون للتجارة مطلقا (شامي 2/267) ( و ) اعلم أن الديون عند الإمام ثلاثة قوي ومتوسط وضعيف (فتجب ) زكاتها إذا تم نصابا وحال الحول لكن لا فورا بل ( عند قبض أربعين درهما من الدين ) القوي كقرض ( وبدل مال تجارة ) فكلما قبض أربعين درهما يلزمه درهم ( و ) عند قبض ( مائتين منه لغيرها ) أي من بدل مال لغير تجارة وهو المتوسط كثمن سائمة وعبيد خدمة ونحوهما مما هو مشغول بحوائجه الأصلية كطعام وشراب وأملاك ويعتبر ما مضى من الحول قبل القبض في الأصح ومثله ما لو ورث دينا على رجل ( و ) عند قبض ( مائتين مع حولان الحول بعده ) أي بعد القبض ( من ) دين ضعيف وهو ( بدل غير مال ) كمهر ودية وبدل كتابة وخلع قوله ( في الأصح ) قد علمت أنه ظاهر الرواية وعبارة الفتح و البحر في صحيح الرواية قلت لكن قال في البدائع إن رواية ابن سماعة أنه لا زكاة فيه حتى يقبض المائتين ويحول الحول من وقت القبض هي الأصح من الروايتين عن أبي حنيفة اهـ ومثله في غاية البيان وعليه فحكمه حكم الدين الضعيف الآتي (شامي 2/305) (أحسن الفتاوى 4/271) فتاوى محمودية 14 /141 Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

The First Step to Heaven As Salaamu alaikum. I am Zamiya, eleven years old. I pour love from my heart and soul into everything I write. I never thought I would actually cover my head until, what, eighth grade? To me, it seemed like a tiny, unnecessary part of my life, not an actual purpose. My mother wore the headscarf, and at school, hardly any girl was wearing the Hijab. I thought I would stand out, like neon yellow in a darkened background. I never thought it really was obligatory to wear it at all- until the day I found a special book. Books are important to me. Writing is my heart and soul, and is not a passion, but a mechanism of survival. I needed it in my life- so of course, when I read that particular piece of art, I could not help, but become mesmerized. It told about a seemingly simple girl from the United States of America, who was struggling with keeping her headscarf – covered head high – she was strong, fiery, and fearless in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. Along the way, she was faced with uncountable challenges – her scarf had been forcibly removed, Fitnah, discrimination, and a lot more. When I realized how indifferent she was, even with the Hijab – and that putting it on after reaching puberty was necessary. I finally went up to my mother one fine day, my thoughts clashing with each other. You don’t need to wear it. You look better with your hair all styled up. Don’t do it for yourself or for others; you must look best in the Eyes of Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa'ala). I went up to her as she typed an article and told her my final decision. “Mom, I have finally decided to wear the Hijab from the first day of school,” I anxiously announced. It turned out that she was overjoyed, gave me a hug, and took the whole family out for lunch the very next day. She styled my Hijab with pretty pins and a cool outfit, and we all went out. Even though my hair fell out quite a bit due to forgetting an under cap, all went well. I did not wear it for the rest of the summer vacation, though. However, I did keep my promise for the first day of school! When I went to school on the first day, my specially-bought blue Hijab wrapped around my head and my eyes sparkling with determination, I felt unbeatable – but also a bit nervous. However, it seemed to be totally okay. Loads of girls complimented me on the style and how well it suited me (even though some were plain snarky); the older girls and teachers congratulated me – and three other girls had worn the wonderful headscarf, too! By the end of the day, the three other Hijabis and I were discussing how we decided on wearing the Hijab. My mother took me out as some kind of celebration after school as well. Now, it has been almost three months since I put on the scarf and strode with pride. I am now encouraging and doing Dawah, representing how a good Muslim girl should behave in public – but at the same time, being the same old silly girl I always was, striving for good grades, crying over anything and being all smiley the next moment, and being just the same person I was. Nothing has changed during this time. I am sure that when I go to non-Muslim countries like the United Kingdom or the States, I will be faced with puzzled looks and fierce remarks. Still, I will never take off my scarf Insha’Allah. Instead, I will show all of them what a Muslim is, and hopefully change the minds of even the most ignorant ones with the help of Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa'ala). My journey has just begun. I have a lot more to do – to influence the world with my talents, give them my earned knowledge, and much, much more. After all, I am still a little girl who has a lot more to learn about this world. I pray that our Ummah improves more and converts into something legendary- something so extraordinary that generations will praise us and we are in good books everywhere. Wearing the Hijab was only the first step of the stairway to Jannah – and I profusely hope, with all my heart, that I step upon each and every one of them, and that I eventually reach the glowing gates of the ineffably beautiful place all Muslims hope to reach one day: heaven. I will keep on climbing up to the next level of my Iman, Hijab on my head and eyes determined – being the same girl I always was. By Zamiya Jay

Duaa Between Azaan and Iqaamah عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم الدعاء لا يرد بين الأذان والإقامة قال أبو عيسى حديث أنس حديث حسن صحيح (ترمذي رقم 212) Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The duaa made between azaan and iqaamah is not rejected.” ihyaauddeen.co.za

Duaa before Sleeping – 3 One should recite the following duaa before going to sleep بِاسْمِكَ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي فَاغْفِر لِي With Your name (O Allah) have I placed my side down (i.e. I have lay down to sleep), so forgive my sins عن عبد الله بن عمرو أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لرجل : ما تقول إذا أويت إلى فراشك ؟ قال : أقول : باسمك وضعت جنبي فاغفر لي ذنبي . فقال النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم :أصبت وفقك الله. رواه الطبراني وفيه رشدين بن سعد وهو ضعيف وقد قبل منه ما حدث به في فضائل الأعمال (مجمع الزوائد رقم 17043) Hadhrat Abdullah bin Amr (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once asked a person, “What do you recite when retiring to bed?” The person replied, “I recite بِاسْمِكَ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي فَاغْفِر لِي.” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) approved of this and said: “You have done well, may Allah Ta’ala grant you tawfeeq (to carry out righteous works).”

wa'alaykumus salaam ...I hope so sis : )

The Place of Taqwa is in the Heart Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Do not have envy of one another. Do not inflate prices on one another. Do not hate one another. Do not turn your backs on one another. Do not undersell one another; but rather, be worshipers of Allah and brothers. The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim. He does not oppress him, nor does he abandon him, nor does he lie to him, nor does he belittle him. Taqwa is here” and he pointed to his chest three times. “It is a sufficient act of evil that a person belittles his Muslim brother. Every Muslim to another Muslim is sacred, his blood, his wealth, and his honor.” [sahih Muslim] The place of Taqwa (fear of Allah) is the heart. So when the heart has fear of Allah, then the limbs have fear of Allah.

Incident of Imam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) and an Atheist An atheist once asked Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) to prove the existence of the creator, Allah Ta‘ala. Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) answered, “Look at the leaves of the mulberry tree. The colour, taste, smell, composition and properties of every leaf are the same. Despite being exactly the same, when consumed by the silk worm, silk is produced. When visited by the bee, honey is produced. When consumed by the goat, dung is produced and when consumed by the musk deer, musk is produced. Only the design of a creator who is eternal and all powerful could cause so many diverse things to be produced from one substance. Otherwise, logic would demand that the end product of all be the same as the substance which entered all was the same.” (‘Aqaa’id-ul-Islaam page.42)

“Happy New Year!” Pre-Historic Calendar The New Year is one of the oldest festivals of the world, dating back to the pre historic era. The New Year History itself forms an extensive area of study. The history of New Year has undergone a series of changes over the ages to achieve its global form. The urge of celebrating New Year as a vibrant festivity emerged at the dawn of civilization. At present, New Year is celebrated on January 1 and it had been an essential part of the cultural and traditional practices of the different communities inhabiting the world. The wide spread acceptance of January 1 as the New Year is confined only within the past four hundred years. Therefore, this is the principal reason that the New Year traditions vary from country to country. The earliest instance of New Year is found in Mesopotamian culture. It was about 2000 BC, when the people of Babylon used to observe New Year celebrations on the day of the Vernal Equinox that is during the middle of March. It was the Romans, who recognized March 1, 153 B.C as New Year Day in their calendar. Prior to that March 25, the date of the vernal equinox, was celebrated as their New Year's Day. And this was considered to be the beginning of New Year by most Christian European countries during the early medieval era. At that time there were only ten calendar months beginning from March. The relevance of this fact can still be seen in the names of some months, which were set according to their respective sequences in the calendar. As in the calendar of the present time, the months from September to December are placed as the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth months respectively, previously they were positioned as the seventh, eighth, ninth and the tenth months. In Latin, 'Septem' means, seven, 'Octo' means, eight, 'Novem' means, ninth and 'Decem' means ten. New Year The Israeli term for New Year’s night celebrations, “Sylvester,” was the name of the “Saint” and the Roman Pope who reigned during the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.). The year before the Council of Nicaea convened, Sylvester convinced Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem. At the Council of Nicaea, Sylvester arranged for the passage of a host of viciously anti-Semitic legislation. All Catholic “Saints” are awarded a day on which Christians celebrate and pay tribute to that Saint’s memory. December 31 is Saint Sylvester Day - hence celebrations on the night of December 31 are dedicated to Sylvester’s memory. It was in the Gregorian calendar established by Pope Gregory XII that the New Year was firmly positioned on January 1. It was readily accepted by the Catholics and then by the Protestants and soon became a holiday recognized by the entire world slowly and steadily.[1] Advice: It is apparent from the history of New Year that it is traced back to the beliefs of the pagans and their gods and Christian motivations. A muslim is sensitive to his Iman. He is averse to anything that is contrary to his Iman. Celebrating New Year of the Gregorian calendar has its roots in shirk and Christianity. It is therefore not permissible for a muslim to celebrate New Year or wish others Happy New Year. Furthermore, it is a norm for people to celebrate the end of the year and welcome the New Year through music, dancing wining etc. It does not behold a muslim to be in such an environment especially when celebrating New Year has its roots in kufr and shirk. For us as muslims, we are in the month of Safar, the second month of the lunar calendar 1433H. The 31st of December or the 1st of January is just another day of our lives. We should guard and protect ourselves from the influences of kufr, shirk and sins. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mawlana Abdul Hannan Nizami, Student Darul Iftaa USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net [1] http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html http://www.theholidayspot.com/newyear/history.htm http://www.123newyear.com/history/ http://www.goalsguy.com/events/n_facts.html قَالَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - (وَالْإِعْطَاءُ بِاسْمِ النَّيْرُوزِ وَالْمِهْرَجَانِ لَا يَجُوزُ) أَيْ الْهَدَايَا بِاسْمِ هَذَيْنِ الْيَوْمَيْنِ حَرَامٌ بَلْ كُفْرٌ، وَقَالَ أَبُو حَفْصٍ الْكَبِيرُ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا عَبَدَ اللَّهَ خَمْسِينَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ جَاءَ يَوْمُ النَّيْرُوزِ، وَأَهْدَى لِبَعْضِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بَيْضَةً يُرِيدُ بِهِ تَعْظِيمَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ، وَحَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ، وَقَالَ صَاحِبُ الْجَامِعِ الْأَصْغَرِ إذَا أَهْدَى يَوْمَ النَّيْرُوزِ إلَى مُسْلِمٍ آخَرَ، وَلَمْ يُرِدْ بِهِ التَّعْظِيمَ لِذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، وَلَكِنْ مَا اعْتَادَهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ لَا يَكْفُرُ، وَلَكِنْ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ لَا يَفْعَلَ ذَلِكَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ خَاصَّةً، وَيَفْعَلُهُ قَبْلَهُ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ تَشَبُّهًا بِأُولَئِكَ الْقَوْمِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - «مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ» ، وَقَالَ فِي الْجَامِعِ الْأَصْغَرِ رَجُلٌ اشْتَرَى يَوْمَ النَّيْرُوزِ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَشْتَرِيهِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ إنْ أَرَادَ بِهِ تَعْظِيمَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ كَمَا يُعَظِّمُهُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ كَفَرَ، وَإِنْ أَرَادَ الْأَكْلَ وَالشُّرْبَ وَالتَّنَعُّمَ لَا يَكْفُرُ. (تبيين الحقائق ج 6 ص 228) askimam

Rabi’ul Awwal has arrived, again… Allah Ta’ala declares, “There certainly is an example in Allah’s Messenger for he who fears Allah and the last day and remembers Allah abundantly” (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse: 21) Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “He who holds firm to my sunnah when corruption is rampant in my Ummah will attain the reward of a hundred martyrs.” (Al-Bayhaqi fi-Zuhd; “hasan” –sound- according to Hafiz ibn Hajar; see: HidayaturRuwat, Hadith: 174) Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) affectionately advised him: “Whoever cherishes my sunnah, indeed cherishes me and whoever loves me will be with me in Jannah.” (Sunan Tirmizhi, Hadith: 2678. Classified as “hasan” –sound- by Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) Sentimental events The above and other such verses and Ahadith are frequently heard and recited during the month of Rabi’ul-Awwal, the month in which the birth and demise of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) occurred. Huge gatherings are held, sentiments are elevated and hearts become soft upon hearing the details of these events. Resolutions of adhering to the sunnah are made, and love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is increased. As muslims, we believe that every sunnah of our beloved Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is filled with nur (divine light) and blessing of Allah Ta’ala. Therefore, the illustrious Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) and Muhaddithun (Scholars of Hadith) took great pains in preserving the noble Ahadith and sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam). Through their sacrifices Allah Ta’ala has facilitated a huge amount of literature in which the sacred Hadith is preserved up to this day so that it can be adopted even by the Ummati (follower) of the 15th century of Islam. But alas! How pitiful is the condition of that “lover” of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) who resolved to adopt more sunnats of his beloved the previous year, but failed to do so thus far? One who discards the sunnah is warned severely by Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) with the words: “I curse him, Allah curses him and so does every Prophet of Allah” (Mustadrak Hakim, vol.1 pg.36; Hidayatur Ruwat, Hadith: 105. Considered “sahih”- authentic- by Imam Hakim rahimahullah) This clearly highlights the cause of most of the social mishaps prevalent in the Muslim community today. How can the blessing and mercy of Allah be found in that home whose inhabitants abandon the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam)? Rabi’ul-Awwal has dawned once again, this time for the 1487th time’ since the birth of Rasulullah (sallallahu álaihi wasallam). During this long period, there were many who took such resolutions and stuck by them thereby attaining the virtues promised by Allah and his Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) as well as the success of both the worlds. There is no certainty as to how many more Rabi’ul-Awwals we will witness. Hence let not the procrastination of shaytan dominate us. Lets make an effort and also seek the assistance of Allah sincerely for the strength to adopt every sunnah of our beloved Master (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) before it is too late. Comprehensiveness of the sunnah The sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is not restricted to acts or places of worship only. Instead, it is comprehensive and covers all aspects and situations of life such as ones social and moral conduct, business dealings, one’s dressing etc. It also applies to all places whether the Masjid, business place, the home or even while one is on journey. In every situation, one should draw guidance from the lifestyle of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) thereby turning habits into acts of worship. Not seasonal The study of the seerah (lifestyle of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is not only for Rabi’ul Awwal, rather it should be done throughout the year. Every muslim should endeavour to study the complete seerah at least once in his or her lifetime under the guidance of a qualified ‘alim (scholar) al-miftah