ummtaalib

One Qurbani for multiple persons due to financial restraints Q. Due to financial restrains and being over committed this year,we don't have full money for atleast one qurbaani. Is it possible ,we and our kids join and pay to do one Qurbaani? (Question published as received) A. Qurbani is only be Wajib (obligatory) on a person who is: 1) Of sound mind - mature (has reached the age of puberty), 2) Muqeem (i.e. he is not a Shar῾i traveller) 3) Possesses the amount of 612.36 grams of silver or wealth equivalent to that value (Value as of 1st Zul-Hijjah 1436: R 4 168.52) which is in excess of one's basic needs and debts, on any of the three days of Qurbani. It is not necessary that this amount be in one's possession for a complete year. Therefore, only if a person meets the criteria which necessitate Qurbani will Qurbani be compulsory on him/her. A sheep, goat or ram can only be sacrificed on behalf of one person’s Wajib Qurbani. Similarly, a share in a camel, cow, bull or buffalo can only discharge the obligation of one person. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Moosa Salie Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Receiving nisaab amount before sunset of the twelfth of Zul Hijjah Q: If a person upon whom Qurbaani was not waajib received some money which equals the Nisaab amount just before sunset of the twelfth of Zul Hijjah, will Qurbaani be waajib upon him? A: Qurbaani will be waajib upon him. حتى لو كان مسافرا في أول الوقت ثم أقام في اخره تجب عليه وحتى لو كان فقيرا في أول الوقت ثم أيسر في اخره تجب عليه (الهندية ص292 ج5) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Optional Qurbani for multiple Marhooms (The Deceased) Q. Can 1 sheep or goat be sacrificed for all marhooms in the family. (Question published as received) A. If the Qurbani is an optional one, then the intention for more than one Marhoom (deceased) can be made. Hence, one Qurbani can be made for all the Marhooms in one’s family. (Fataawa Rahimiyah vol.8 pg.25; Darul Ishaat) And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Moosa Salie Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Must a woman slaughter? Question Is there any Hadith which specifically encourages women to slaughter themselves Answer I haven’t seen any such Hadith. However, Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) did encourage Sayyidatuna Fatimah (radiyallahu’anha) to be present when her animal was being slaughtered. (Musnad Bazzar, hadith: 1202, Al-Mu’jamul Kabir, hadith: [18] 600. Also see Targhib, vol.2 pg.155 & Majma’uz Zawaid, vol.4 pg.17) Note 1: When practicing the above, there should be no unawful intermingling. Note 2: The above encourages one to be present for the slaughter of his/her animal. One should therefore as far as possible, slaughter his wajib animal locally. We may donate our nafl animals as much as we wish to the needy around the globe. And Allah Ta’ala Knows best, Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar hadithanswers

Is it wrong to cry over the deceased? Question Please clarify if someone cannot control his tears while remembering his beloved child who has passed away, is there anything wrong with this? I have read that when tears flow, it is a kind of mercy from Allah and it is not haram. Answer Crying over a deceased is certainly allowed. There were numerous instances wherein Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) himself cried over a deceased or someone who was in the throes of death. Among them are the following: 1) Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says, “We visited Abu Sayf, the blacksmith, with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He was the father of the wet-nurse of Ibrahim [the son of Nabi -sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam-]. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) held Ibrahim, kissed him and smelt him. Then later we visited him when Ibrahim was breathing his last. The eyes of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) began to flow with tears. Sayyiduna ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf (radiyallahu ‘anhu) asked [out of astonishment], ‘Even you, O Rasulullah!’ [Why are you crying?] Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘O Ibn ‘Awf, it is mercy.’ Then more tears followed and he said, ‘The eye weeps and the heart grieves and we say nothing except what pleases our Rabb. O Ibrahim, we are grieved at your departure.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1303 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2315 with variation in the wording) 2) Sayyiduna Usamah ibn Zayd (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports, “The daughter [Zaynab -radiyallahu ‘anha] of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent a message to him saying, ‘One of my sons is passing away, so come.’ He sent his greetings to her and said, ‘Indeed what Allah takes is his and what He gives is his. Everything has a fixed term with Him, so she should adopt patience and anticipate reward.’ She again sent for him taking an oath that he should certainly come. He got up with Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit and some other men (radiyallahu ‘anhum).The child was brought to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he was shuddering. (I think he said, “Like an old water skin.”). Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)’s eyes began flowing with tears. Sa’d (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, ‘O Rasulullah, what is this?’ He said, ‘This is mercy which Allah has put in the hearts of His slaves. Allah is merciful to His slaves who are merciful [to others].” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1284 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 923) 3) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports, “Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah fell ill. So Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), came to visit him with ‘Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhum). When he arrived, he found him surrounded by his family and asked, ‘Has he passed away?’ They said, ‘No, O Rasulullah’. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then began to weep. When the people saw Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) weeping, they also wept. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then said, ‘Listen, Allah does not punish for the tears of the eyes nor for the sorrow of the heart, but he punishes or shows mercy on account of this,’ and he pointed to his tongue” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 924 and Sahih Bukhari, with slight addition in the wording, Hadith: 1304) The above narrations illustrate the permissibility of crying over a deceased as well as when remembering the deceased. However wailing and screaming has been prohibited, as explained in the following Hadiths: 1) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The deceased is punished in his grave for the wailing done over him.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1292 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 927) 2) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, Leave [the daughters of Khalid ibn Walid -radiyallahu ‘anhu] to cry over him, as long as they do not throw sand on their heads or shout. (Sub heading of Sahih Bukhari, before Hadith: 1291) And Allah Ta’ala Knows best. Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar hadithanswers

Performing nafl Qurbaani on behalf of someone without his consent Q: Is it permissible for one to carry out a nafl Qurbaani on behalf of someone without his consent? A: The nafl Qurbaani will be valid. الأصل أن كل من أتى بعبادة ما له جعل ثوابها لغيره وإن نواها عند الفعل لنفسه لظاهر الأدلة وأما قوله تعالى { وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعى } أي إلا إذا وهبه له كما حققه الكمال… ( العبادة المالية ) كزكاة وكفارة ( تقبل النيابة ) عن المكلف ( مطلقا ) عند القدرة والعجز ولو النائب ذميا لأن العبرة لنية الموكل ولو عند دفع الوكيل ( والبدنية ) كصلاة وصوم ( لا ) تقبلها ( مطلقا والمركبة منهما ) كحج الفرض ( تقبل النيابة عند العجز فقط ) لكن ( بشرط دوام العجز إلى الموت ) لأنه فرض العمر حتى تلزم الإعادة بزوال العذر (الدر المختار 2/597-598) قال الشامي: قوله ( لغيره ) أي من الأحياء والأموات بحر عن البدائع… قوله ( كما حققه الكمال ) حيث قال ما حاصله إن الآية وإن كانت ظاهرة فيما قاله المعتزلة لكن يحتمل أنها منسوخة أو مقيدة وقد ثبت ما يوجب المصير إلى ذلك وهو ما صح عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه ضحى بكبشين أملحين أحدهما عنه والآخر عن أمته فقد روي هذا عن عدة من الصحابة وانتشر مخرجوه فلا يبعد أن يكون مشهورا يجوز تقييد الكتاب به بما لم يجعله صاحبه لغيره (شامي 2/596) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

The World – an Abode of Trials and Tribulations Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) writes: This world is an abode of trials and tribulations. So if any difficulty befalls us, then before expressing ingratitude, we should reflect upon the fact that how indebted we all are to Allah Ta’ala for His boundless favours. Then, we shall realize that instead of us complaining over the small difficulty, we should be expressing our gratitude to Allah Ta’ala for all His bounties. (Fazaail-e-Sadaqaat [urdu], Part 2 –pg. 410) ihyauddeen.co.za

Underage Animals There are certain conditions that are necessary for an animal to be acceptable for Qurbani. This is generally summed up by the animal being fit and healthy and free from defects. An additional requirement is the age of the Qurbani animal. Cattle must be at least 2 years old and sheep and goats must be at least one year old. There is a further concession in sheep only, that if a sheep is above 6 months and resembles a one year old sheep in size, then it will be permissible for Qurbani, otherwise not. We request the public to take special note when purchasing small sized sheep as reports have been received of sheep under 6 months being sold for Qurbani. Such a Qurbani will not be valid. Generally the emergence of the two bottom incisors are indicators that sheep are above 6 months old. We advise those who are selling animals to be fully acquainted with the requirements for a Qurbani animal. You will be accountable in the court of Allah if animals unfit for Qurbani are sold for this purpose. Masjid Poster downloadable here. Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

THE VIRTUES MONTH OF ZIL HIJJAH By E ISLAM TEAM Importance of First 10 Days of Zil Hijjah The Takbeeraat of Tashreeq Fasting on the day of Arafah(9 Zil Hijjah) Qurbani / Udhiyya IMPORTANCE OF FIRST TEN DAYS OF ZIL-HIJJAH The first ten days of Zul Hijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar. The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." (Hadith -Bukhari) Almighty Allah Ta'ala says, (By the dawn; by the ten nights) (Quran-Al-Fajr 89: 1-2). Ibn `Abbas, ibn az-Zubayr, Mujahid and others of the earlier and later generations are of the opinion that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Kathir said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 8/413) The Messenger of Allah, Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, has said, "One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship of "Lailatul-Qadr".(Hadith-Tirmizi) Every Muslim should avail oneself of this wonderful opportunity by performing as much Ibadah (acts of worship) as he or she can during this period THE TAKBEERAAT OF TASHREEQ It is Wajib (incumbent) for every adult Muslim male to recite the Takbeeraat of Tashreeq after every Fardh Salaat-performed with Jamaat or individually from the Fajr of the 9th of Zul-Hijjah to the Asr of the 13th of Zul Hijjah. The Takbeeraat should be recited once only. The words of the Takbeeraat of Tashreeq are as follows: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ Transliteration: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar laa ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu Akbar walillaahil hamd. Translation: “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity besides Allah and Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest and all praises belong to Him Alone.” NB. Men should recite this Takbeer audibly whilst females should do so softly. FASTING ON THE DAY OF ARAFAH (9 ZIL HIJJAH) It was reported from Abu Qutaadah that the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of 'Arafah ( 9 Zil Hijjah). He said, "It atones for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year." (Hadith-Muslim) QURBANI / UDHIYYA Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam (R.A.) reports that the Companions of Rasulullah (Sallalaho alihe wassallam) asked him: " Oh Prohpet of Allah (pbuh), what is this sacrifice?" He said: "It is the way of your forefather Ibrahim(AS) ." They asked:"What (reward) is for us therein?" He replied: "There is a reward for every hair (i.e. the reward for meat and useful parts of the animal's body will be very lofty in merit, but there will also be a great reward for the parts which are useless and thrown away such as the hair)." They asked: "For the wool, Ya Rasulullah?" He replied: "There is one reward for every strand of wool." (Hadith:Ahmed, Ibn Majah) For an informative article on how to benefit and not miss out on these blessed days of Zil Hijjah please visit http://eislaminfo.blogspot. com/2012/10/dont-miss-out-on- 10-blessed-days.html

How to Clean The Heart The sin of malice and discord is serious. Even on auspicious occasions despite Allah’s abundant mercy, we always find one particular class of people that are deprived; those who harbour ill-feelings in their hearts towards others. In addition to this, some narrations state that such people’s salah is not accepted by Allah. (At-Targheeb, vol.3 pgs.455-462) Hereunder are a few prescriptions (from the hadith and advice of seniors) to remove ill-feelings from the heart: 1. Recite the following ayah in abundance: “Rabbanagh fir lana wa li ikhwaninal lazheena sabaquna bil iman, wala taj’al fee quloobina ghillal lillazheena amanu Rabbana innaka Raoofur Raheem” (Surah: 59 Ayah: 10) 2. Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) said: “Offer gifts to each other, for this creates affection and removes the anger of the hearts” (Muwatta Imam Malik, see Al-Tamheed, vol.15 pg.85-91 & Takhreejul ihya, hadith: 1453) 3. Greet each other with Salam and shake hands. This is also a way of bonding the hearts. (Sahih Muslim, hadith: 192) 4. Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) said: “By fasting during the month of Ramadhan and 3 days of every other (Islamic) month, the rancour of the heart is removed” (At-Targheeb, vol.2 pg.121) 5. Make du’a for the the person from whom one is disillusioned. 6. Praise him in his absence. By implementing the above with the sincere intent of freeing ourselves from ill-feelings, Allah Ta’ala will cleanse our hearts Insha Allah. Inspiration from a Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhu) Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says: “We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) when he said: “A man who is from the inmates of Jannah is about to arrive.” Soon thereafter, a Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhu) came in, with his shoes in his left hand and the water of wudhu dripping from his beard. When the gathering ended, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘As (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) followed this person (with the motive of learning the reason for him being blessed with such a glad tiding) He said to him: “I have taken an oath that I will not go home for 3 days. Is it possible for you to accommodate me for this time?” The Sahabi agreed. Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr stayed with him for 3 days, but noticed nothing extraordinary in his routine. i.e, he never engaged in additional voluntary deeds as expected. However, whenever this Sahabi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) would go to bed at night, he would recite some form of dhikr, then sleep till fajr. Furthermore, during these 3 days he did not hear him utter any word besides good. Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) says: “After three nights I almost deemed his deeds as “nothing so special”. I approached him and explained that my real motive for staying with him was to discover the special act that he may be engaging in, which warranted his guarantee of Jannah.” Then I asked him: “How did You achieve such a rank?” He said: “I have no special deeds beside whatever You have seen during your stay.” I accepted this and was about to leave when he exclaimed: “O, Yes! there is something. I do not harbor any evil or malice in my heart against any fellow Muslim. I am not jealous over whatever good Allah bestows upon any of them.” Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) said: “That is precisely the reason for You reaching such a lofty status.” (Musnad Ahmad & Nasaai. Hafiz Ibn Katheer -rahimahullah- has declared the chain of Nasaai as authentic, in accordance to the standards of Imams Bukhari & Muslim. refer: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, surah:59, Ayah: 9) We often look for extraordinary deeds to acquire success, when the solution lies in the basics… May Allah Ta’ala guide us all. Ameen. al-miftah

How Should A Menstruating Woman Perform Hajj? HERE...

18 sources of barakah (blessings) If we were to look for an Islamic definition of Productivity, it’ll probably be summarised in the word “barakah” or Blessing. Being able to achieve more with little resources, doing much in little time, and generate a lot with little effort surely is a blessing from Allah (SWT). Yet Barakah has somehow become a lost treasure these days; everyone’s looking for it, but no one seems to find it! You always hear people complaining that there’s no barakah in their time, no barakah in their sleep, no barakah in their money..etc. In this post, we’ll solve this mystery inshaAllah, we’ll find out what Barakah is and where you can find it! What is Barakah? A Well-known daee explains it as follows: “Barakah is the attachment of Divine goodness to a thing, so if it occurs in something little, it increases it. And if it occurs in something much it benefits. And the greatest fruits of Barakah in all things is to use that barakah in the obedience of Allah (SWT)”. Sources of Barakah I’m a firm believer that Barakah is not a lost treasure, it’s right in front of our eyes! This treasure is only available and ready to be handed over to the one who works for it. Below I list some of the sources of Barakah. It’s not an exhaustive list, therefore, I do hope you can contribute to it with your comments below inshaAllah so we can all share and extend our understanding of this great treasure! 1. Good Intentions If you want something to have barakah attached to it, have good intentions for it. More specifically, make sure that deed is intended for the sake of Allah (SWT). Looking at the definition of Barakah again, you may guess that without us intending what we have or do to be for thesake of Allah, the “Divine goodness” won’t be attached to it. 2. Piety and Belief in Allah Allah says in the Quran: “If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth…”(Surat Al-A’raf, verse 96). And He says in the Quran: “And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine” (Surat Al-Talaq, verses 2-3). 3. Putting your trust in Allah Allay says in the Quran: “And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is ((Allah)) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (Surat Al-Talaq, verses 3) Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “If only you relied on Allaah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs.” 4. Reading Quran This is the fountain of the Barakah! But subhanaAllah, we rarely drink from it! Allah says in the Quran: “And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings, and confirming (the revelations) which came before it…” (Surat Al-An’am, verse 92). So read the Quran, and note the blessings and barakah of Allah coming to your life. The further we are from this book, the less barakah we’ll have in our lives, trust me. 5. Saying Bismillah When you say bismillah before anything you do, you’re invoking the name of Allah on that activity, not only will that activity be blessed but shaytaan cannot take part in it! So always say bismillah before anything you do! SubhanaAllah, it’s easy for us to forget to say Bismillah or be conscious of saying it. Sometimes we’re so used to saying it that we can’t remember if we said it or not! Try to be conscious of saying Bismillah and understand what you’re saying. 6. Eating with People Anyone who had the experience of inviting guests to his/her house will know this one. No matter how little you think the food you’re presenting to your guest is, it’s always enough! (note: this is not an excuse to be miserly when you invite guests over, in fact we should follow the sunnah of our Prophet Ibhraim (Peace be upon him) who when the angels visited his house and he didn’t know they were angels he went and prepared a large meal for them). What I’m referring here is the blessing that occurs with eating together, this is confirmed in the hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who said :”Eat together, for blessing is in Jamma’a (congregation or being together)…” and in another hadeeth “Whoever has food enough for two persons, should take a third one, and whoever has food enough for four persons, should take a fifth or a sixth (or said something similar).” 7. Honesty in Trade This is for all of the business people out there (include ebayers!), don’t think that lying and deceiving people would make your trade profitable, on the contrary, it’ll remove the blessing from your trade. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “The buyer and the seller have the option ofcancelingor confirming the bargain unless they separate, and if they spoke the truth and made clear the defects of the goods, them they would be blessed in their bargain, and if they told lies and hid some facts, their bargain would be deprived of Allah’s blessings.” Yes, it’s difficult to be honest when you’re trying to sell something, but trust me it’s worth it. 8. Dua Ask Allah for barakah! If you listen to some of the Duas from the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) you’ll notice how the Prophet used to make dua for barakah. We always say “May Allah bless you!” well, guess what? That’s a source of barakah! Also, when you’re invited to someone’s house, Prophet Muhammad advised us to make the following dua for the host:”O Allaah, bless for them, that which You have provided them, forgive them and have mercy upon them.” 9. Halal income/money Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “O people, Allah is good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good”Scholars refer this to Halal income and the importance of Halal income. A scholar also said that the one who eats Haram his limbs will disobey Allah whether he likes it or not, and the one who eats Halal and seeks Halal income his limbs will also do good and would be given the permission to seek goodness. This concept of your limbs being “blessed” and enabled to do good, is truly a blessing and a barakah we should all seek. Reminds me of a story of the old man, who jumped a large distance that young people couldn’t do. So when the young men asked the old man how he did it, he replied: “These are limbs, we’ve protected it from doing sins when we were young, so Allah preserved them from us when we got old” 10. Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad in all things I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the most Productive Man in the history of humanity is Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him), therefore, by just following his lifestyle and the sunnahs we so often hear about, is a great source of Barakah! Some of these sunnahs include: Eating Suhoor, eating with the right hand from the side of the plate, going out for Eid Salat, licking your fingers after finishing eating, sleeping on your right hand side, using the siwaak, and many more. Look out for these sunnahs and follow them, for imitating the life of the most blessed man on earth, is surely a source of blessing! 11. Praying Istikhara Praying istikhara in all matters and handing over the matters to Allah and accepting his decree is a great source of barakah. And Prophet Muhammad have taught us this beautiful dua which helps us make decisions and not regret the choices we make with the permission of Allah in the following hadeeth: On the authority of Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullah he said: The Prophet (S) would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a chapter from the Qur’an. He (S) would say ‘if any of you intends to undertake a mater then let him pray two supererogatory units (two rak’ah naafilah) of prayer and after which he should supplicate: ‘O Allaah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allaah, if You know this affair -and here he mentions his need- to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life, and end, then decree and facilitate it for me, and bless me with it, and if You know this affair to be ill for me towards my religion, my life, and end, then remove it from me and remove me from it , and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with such.’ One who seeks guidance from his Creator and consults his fellow believers and then remains firm in his resolve does not regret for Allaah has said: ‘…and consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allaah…” 12. Giving thanks to Allah in abundance Allah says in the Quran: “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you” A scholar once told me if you look into this verse, the Arabic word that is used to confirm that Allah will favours unto the person who thanks Allah is actually in the form of an Oath “La azidannakum” so Allah is promising the person who thanks Him that He’ll increase him, and Allah never breaks his promises. 13. Charity In the Hadeeth Qudusi, Allah says: “O son of Adam, spend (in charity), and I’ll spend on you!” Whenever you are broke, or you feel barakah is zapped out of our life and urgently need it back, the quickest of way of getting barakah in your life is giving charity. Not only because of the above hadeeth, but let’s say barakah has been removed from your life because of a sin you’ve committed, charity cleanses your sins and adds good deeds and is truly a source of barakah. I cannot describe the instantaneous gratification of giving charity and the barakah that follows it! Try it NOW! 14. Tying your ties of kinship Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Allah created His creation, and when He had finished it, the womb, got up and caught hold of Allah whereupon Allah said, “What is the matter?’ On that, it said, ‘I seek refuge with you from those who sever the ties of Kith and kin.’ On that Allah said, ‘Will you be satisfied if I bestow My favors on him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favors from him who severs your ties?’ On that it said, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah said, ‘That is for you.’ ” Abu Huraira added: If you wish, you can recite: “Would you then if you were given the authority. do mischief in the land and sever your ties ofkinship.” 15. Waking up early Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “Allah made the early hours blessed for my Ummah.” This hadeeth was the reason for me to start Such gems of productivity are actually sources of blessings that we should seek to make our life productive. Waking up early is such an important part of being blessed and feeling blessed throughout your day. Try to wake up for tahajjud, pray, and then work during the hours before fajr salaat and tahajjud. If you can’t, then at least wake up for fajr and stay up till sunrise before you go back to sleep. Those hours are so blessed. If you’re able to go to work in those hours, do so, you’ll get much more work done than the whole day put together! 16. Marriage Allah says in the Quran: “Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things.” 17 Salaat Allah says in the Quran: “Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness”. To illustrate the point of Salaat further, just imagine your life without salaat, where would barakah come from? For those of you who are still wavering in their Salaat, please get back on track, this is your lifeline in this life and hereafter, and the daily food for your soul. 18. Asking Allah for forgiveness The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “If anyone continually asks forgiveness from Allah, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not reckon.” Mufti Faraz al-Mahmudi Source

Edited posts to turn videos to audio. Please use the recently added option of "Youtube Audio" in the Special BBCode (Third option from the left)..Jazakallaah

Regarding the haram tragedy yesterday.... Words of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat He mentioned in tonight's majlis about these people who were made shaheed were indeed the fortunate ones. Look at their death...In the mataaf of the Haram, on the day of Jummah, during the blessed Asr and Magrib time. We should envy their death as we have yet to know how we will pass away. And as mentioned by someone else: Instead of looking at the pictures and videos of the tragedy and discussing it at length, let us remember death and make abundant istighfaar. Let us make du'a for the families and all the hujjaaj.

Does paying tax count as Zakaat Q. Does paying taxes count as part of zakaat? (Question published as received) A. Paying taxes does not count as part of Zakaat. Zakaat is an Islamic obligation which has specific rules and regulations in regards to its calculation and disbursement. Zakaat bears no resemblance to government taxes. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Abdullah Ghadai Confirmation: Mufti Moosa Salie Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Jumu'ah once more! Don't forget to recite Suratul Kahf, sending Durood upon Nabi sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam and du'a!

A woman in distress once came to the renowned student of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (rahimahullah), Baqiyy bin Makhlad (rahimahullah), and begged him for help. She cried to him saying, “My beloved son has been taken prisoner by the Romans. My grief at his loss and yearning to meet him is such that I am unable to sleep for even a moment of the entire night. All I possess is my small home and I can find nobody to purchase it from me. Will you please find someone who will pay my son’s ransom? Days and nights have passed and I can find no solace, no peace and no happiness.” Baqiyy (rahimahullah) replied, “You may return home. I will try to see to your problem insha-Allah.” Saying this he lowered his head and began making earnest du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala for the freedom of the son. Just a few days had passed when the woman came back to Baqiyy (rahimahullah) – this time with her son! She made du‘aa for Baqiyy (rahimahullah) and said to him, “Listen to his story, may Allah Ta‘ala have mercy on you.” Baqiyy (rahimahullah) asked the son, “What happened to you?” He replied, “I was taken prisoner by the soldiers of one of the Roman kings. I belonged to a group of prisoners who would be forced to labor in the desert every day. We would labor until sunset after which the guard supervising us would escort us back in our chains. One day while returning, to my utter surprise, the shackles around my ankles fell off on their own! The guards in charge of me immediately began swearing at me and demanded to know why I took the shackles off. I pleaded with them saying, ‘No! I didn’t! By Allah it fell off on its own without me even realizing it!’ Since I was now unfettered they called the blacksmith. When he arrived he clad me in a new pair of shackles – but to no avail. I stood up and had only taken a few steps when the new shackles also miraculously fell off. They were completely puzzled and perplexed, so they summoned their priest and asked him what to do. He asked me, ‘Do you have a mother?’ When I replied in the affirmative he said, ‘It seems that she has made du‘aa for you and it has been accepted. It is better that you are set free.’ So they released me and even guarded me until I reached the border of the Islamic territories.” When he heard this, Baqiyy (rahimahullah) enquired, “On which day and at what time did your shackles fall off?” When the boy replied, they realized that it was the exact moment that Baqiyy (rahimahullah) had raised his hands to Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa. (Al-Muntazam li Ibnil Jawzi – vol. 12, pg. 274) Lesson: Everybody has his own “shackles” – be it a problem in marriage, the desire for a child, or a financial burden. Each and every person has the ability to raise his or her hands and beg from Allah Ta‘ala. When the power of sincere du‘aa is unleashed, a person will be able to free himself from the fetters frustrating and binding him, sometimes for years. Du‘aa and especially our Parents Duas is indeed the solution to our every sorrow. uswatulmuslimah.co.za

Keeping the Balance In this world everything goes well if it is in correct proportion. If the tyres in a car are inflated in correct proportion, then the car will move smoothly. Accordingly, if all the vitamins in the body are well-balanced then one will enjoy a good quality of life, otherwise one’s health will suffer and life will be difficult. By the same token, you are in a marital life and you want it to continue well. So the proportion of attachment and affinity needs to be right between the people that you have in your life. If you do not give quality time to your wife and instead you give more time to work then this will cause instability and your life will be rocky. Moulana Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) used to say that the fight between the husband and wife is the root of all fights. Source: Al-Haadi

Giving Qurbaani meat to non-Muslims

Who are the Ahmadiyyah and can we pray behind them? Question Are Ahmadi Muslims from alul sunnah wal jamah? Please respected ulama can you explain me what there beliefs are and can we pray salah behind them?? Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. The Qadiyaniyya/Ahmadiyya are a deviant religious movement who claim to be Muslims. It was founded in India near the end of the 19th century and originated with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani. He claimed that Rasūlullah Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam was not the last messenger because of which he claimed prophet hood.[1] The adherents of the Qadiyaniyya/Ahmadiyya movement are referred to as Qadiyanis or Ahmadis. They are divided into two groups: those who believe that he was a prophet and those who believe that he was only a reformist and saintly figure. Mirza Ghulam held many corrupt beliefs, such as He claimed he was a prophet He claimed that his prophet hood was prophesized in the previous divine scriptures He would disparage the Ambiyā’ He asserted that his “miracles” were greater than that of Nūh ‘Alaihissalām.[2] Qadiyanies/Ahmadies are simply not Muslims.[3] And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Muntasir Zaman Student Darul Iftaa USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. [1] فتاوي محموديه مكتبه محموديه- ت مفتي فاروق 4/89 [2] المرجع السابق – 4/93 [3] المرجع السابق – 4/109 Source

Conversing With Qadiyanis Question Assalaamu ‘AlaykumI always understood Qadiyanis to be like non-Muslims and therefore I would treat them just as the kuffar including my views that doing business with them and talking with them is permissable. However, I was recently told that it is not permissable to talk to Qadiyanis. I took this to be just another misconception but in order to clear my understanding can you please tell me whether it is true, that we are or aren’t allowed to talk to Qadiyanis? Jazakumullaah Answer: In the name of Allah (swt) the All knowing We are allowed to talk to Qadiyanis (also known as Ahmadis) the same way we are allowed to talk to other non-believers. Our communication in speech will be the same for them as for other non-believers. I.e. not go greet them with Salam etc. (Fatawa Mamodiyaah Vol 10 and Vol 16) And Allah knows best 2 September 2005 Mufti Abubakr Karolia Batley, U.K Founder of the “Islamic Foundation for Theology and Research” (I.F.T.A.R) Source

Can a muslim eat and stay for a night or two at Qadiani colleague’s house? Answer Qadianis are not Muslims. The ruling of staying with a Qadiani at his home is the same as staying with a non-Muslim. If there is no genuine need to stay by the Qadiani colleague, then a Muslim should not do so. If there is a need and there is no alternative then the Muslim will be excused. The Muslim should exercise precaution when eating with non-Muslims as the food my be haraam or contaminated. He/She may eat vegetable meals that is not contaminated with any impure ingredients. The opportunity may be embraced to explain the Qadiani the correct Islamic belief with wisdom. and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai FATWA DEPT. Source

Marriage Performed by Qadiani Imam Q: Is a nikah (marriage) conducted by an Ahmadi (Qadiani) imam valid? If a Sunni man marries a daughter of a Qadiani who is not a Qadiani herself, and the wife’s father insisted that the nikah be conducted by a Qadiani imam, would that nikah be valid even if the husband and wife are not Qadianis? A. Even if the boy and girl are not Qadiyanis, a Nikah performed by a Qadiyani Imam is not valid. The Nikah should be re-performed by a Sunni Imam. Moulana Yusuf Laher Checked by: Mufti Siraj Desai Source

Marriage with Qadianis