ummtaalib

Omitting a Surah in-between two Surahs Q: I have been told that if, for example one reads surah Nasr in the first rakaat, then in the next rakaat one cannot read surah Ikhlaas. One must recite the surah immediately thereafter or there should be at least a gap of two surahs. Please clarify this rule for me (e.g., does it apply only to short surahs? Does it apply to a 4 rakaat salaah as well?) A: In nafl Salaah it is permissible for one to omit one Surah in between two Surahs. However in fardh Salaah if one intentionally omits one surah between two surahs, it will be makrooh except in the case where the surah omitted is considerably longer than the surah before it, in that case it will be permissible to omit one surah. Hence you should not read surah Nasr in the first rakaat and surah Iklaas in the second rakaat of a fardh Salaah. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. لا بأس أن يقرأ سورة ويعيدها في الثانية وأن يقرأ في الأولى من محل وفي الثانية من آخر ولو من سورة إن كان بينهما آيتان فأكثر ويكره الفصل بسورة قصيرة وأن يقرأ منكوسا إلا إذا ختم فيقرأ من البقرة وفي القنية قرأ في الأولى الكافرون وفي الثانية ألم تر أو تبت ثم ذكر يتم وقبل يقطع ويبدأ ولا يكره في النفل شيء من ذلك قال الشامي : قوله ( ويكره الفصل بسورة قصيرة ) أما بسورة طويلة بحيث يلزم منه إطالة الركعة الثانية إطالة كثيرة فلا يكره شرح المنية كما إذا كانت سورتان قصيرتان وهذا لو في ركعتين أما في ركعة فيكره الجمع بين سورتين بينهما سور أو سورة فتح وفي التاترخانية إذا جمع بين سورتين في ركعة رأيت في موضع أنه لا بأس به وذكر شيخ الإسلام لا ينبغي له أن يفعل على ما هو ظاهر الرواية ا هـ وفي شرح المنية الأولى أن لا يفعل في الفرض ولو فعل لا يكره إلا أن يترك بينها سورة أو أكثر... قوله ( ولا يكره في النفل شيء من ذلك ) عزاه في الفتح إلى الخلاصة ثم قال وعندي في هذه الكلية نظر فإنه نهى بلالا رضي الله عنه عن الانتقال من سورة إلى سورة وقال له إذا ابتدأت سورة فأتمها على نحوها حين سمعه ينتقل من سورة إلى سورة في التهجد ا هـ واعترض ح أيضا بأنهم نصوا بأن القراءة على الترتيب من واجبات القراءة فلو عكسه خارج الصلاة يكره فكيف لا يكره في النفل تأمل وأجاب ط بأن النفل لاتساع بابه نزلت كل ركعة منه فعلا مستقلا فيكون كما لو قرأ إنسان سورة ثم سكت ثم قرأ ما فوقها فلا كراهة فيه (رد المحتار 1/ 546-547) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Caller: O Shaikh, I enter the toilet having my mobile phone and the whole Quran is stored on it, is that allowed? Shaikh: Yes, there is nothing wrong with that. Caller: But Shaikh!!! the Quran is saved there! how come??!! Shaikh: O borther! its okay, its only saved the memory of the phone. Caller: Shaikh!! THIS IS THE QURAN!!! HOW CAN IT BE IN THE TOILET??? Shaikh: Do you memorize any of the quran? Caller: Yea, I memorized many of it. Shaikh: Okay then. Whenever you wanna enter the toilet, leave your brain outside! (Halal and islamic funny stuff)

A father's advice to his daughter after marriage From the translation of a biography of Amir-ul-Hind Maulana sayyid As'ad Madani Source: Qafila The following is advice Maulana As'ad rendered to his daughter in a letter after her marriage. Indeed the advices in this letter are so valuable that it would be most appropriate if it could be framed and given to every newly-married girl to hang in her house and reflect on daily. The daughter writes; After getting married, my father sent me the following letter:

An Indispensable Weapon for the Believer – Divine Protection from Every Enemy Contained in the words below of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is an indispensable weapon for every sincere believer today who wishes to submit him or herself to a pure Deen that has become Ghareeb (lone, forlorn, strange) in this age in which such submission has been likened by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to holding onto burning coals with one’s bare hands, and one that will invariably attract a whole host of enemies from both within the Ummah and outside, and from both Mankind and Jinn. In his famous Tafseer entitled Ma’aariful Qur’an, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani quotes the great Muhaddith and Imam, al-Baghawi, as follows: Imam al Baghawi reports a hadith from the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in which he said, “It is Allah’s promise that anyone who recites, after every Salah, the Surah al Fatihah, the aayatul Kursi, two verses of Al-Imran, that is Shahidallaahu..(3:18) and the present verse: Qulillaahumma Maalikal Mulki upto Bi ghairi hisaab (3: 26, 27), He will make his abode in Paradise, and have him placed in the Sacred Enclosure, and bless him with His mercy seventy times every day, and fulfil seventy of his needs, and protect him against every envier and enemy and make him prevail over them”. Just as the efficacy and effectiveness of medicinal cures is wholly dependent on the diet and life-style of the patient, so too are the efficacy and effectiveness of Quranic cures dependant on our spiritual diet and lifestyle. Such spiritual factors include Yaqeen (conviction) in the absolute Power of Allah (azza wa jal) and His words, abstinence from Haraam and Doubtful matters, regular introspection of one’s own life, and sincere Tawbah (repentance) for any momentarily lapses. The relevant verses are as follows: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ {1} الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {2} الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ {3} مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ {4} إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ {5} اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ {6} صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ ۖ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ ۖ وَتَرْزُقُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

(Click on the picture to read)

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu Anhu) and his love for Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu Anhu) once addressed Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying: Though I am happy that my father embraced Islam, however the happiness I would have experienced with the Islam of your uncle Abu Taalib would be far greater. The reason is that if your uncle Abu Taalib embraced Islam, it would have brought great happiness to you. (Hikaayaate Sahaabah pg. 174) يَا رَبِّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ

Spelling Inshāallāh – another “MAJOR” concern of the Ummah By سليمان الكندي on April 28, 2013 I have been asked, both in cyber space and real life, why I’m not writing articles. Until such time as Allāh wills me to be up to speed, I thought I might as well reply to text and email queries via my blog. One such query is the spelling of inshāallah. The query is on the below message doing the rounds: We should not write it as “InshaAllah” or “Inshallah” because it means “Create Allah” (Naoazobil lah) [sic]. Whether arabic [sic] or english [sic]… please write it properly as “In shaa Allah” (In 3 separate words). This means “If Allah Wills” So make sure you forward this to everyone and help them correct their mistake. JazakAllah khair [sic]. As if the Ummah does not have enough problems, there are those dedicated to finding more problems for us to deal with! Qarīnah It is correct that inshā as a maṣdar (root-word) means “to create,” but to pull any word from an Arabic dictionary without further knowledge of at least Arabic grammar results in Fitnah, even if the person is sincere. A basic tool of translation and Tafsīr is Qarīnah (context). Thus Allāh says in al-Baqarah, “O people, worship your Rabb Who created you and those before you that you may acquire Taqwā.” The very same words can in terms of literal translation be translated as, “O People, worship your Rabb who created you and [worship] those who came before you that you may acquire Taqwā.” The dictionary fully supports both translations. It is only because of the monotheistic context of the Qurān that we can reject the second idiotic translation. Similarly, even if the dictionary says “inshā” is “to create” the Qarīnah of every Muslim is “if Allāh wills.” This is even more so since most non-Arabs never even heard of inshā, before that message got circulated. Amr If you were for some reason going to write “create Allāh” in Arabic, and for some reason you chose “inshā” إنشاء you would not simply grab the word from the dictionary and place it before “Allāh” الله. “inshā” would have to be changed into the Amr or the verbal command form of “inshā” which is “anshi” أنشئْ ending in a sākin. When any letter appears before “Allāh” , the Hamzah drops, thus it is “wallāhi” و الله not “wa Allāhi” Here too the Hamzah would drop, but leaving a conjunction of two sākins – one on the Hamzah in the end of “anshi” and one on the first Lām of “llāh”. As this is not possible in Arabic, the first Sākin is forced to become a Kasrah. Thus the sentence reads, “anshi illāha” أنشئِ الله a far cry from “inshāallāhu” Even the final Ḥarkah is different. Thus is the danger of applying and spreading incomplete knowledge. My spelling I don’t see what the big deal is, but I prefer inshāallāh. Yes, it is actually three Arabic words, but as the last two join, it looks cumbersome to leave the first on its own when the Ummah at large has adopted the phrase as a single word in the Latin script. I do not write a capital “A” because the Hamzah of Allāh drops as explained above. It is the Hamzah of shāa, not Allāh. Bigger picture Are they no issues of greater import to concern the Ummah than a transliteration issue? What is the state of knowledge of the Ummah when they jump at such half-baked “facts”? Muslims have become victims of technology, instead of utilising technology. Most spread every message they receive without verification. How about encouraging the use of inshāallāh in an age of increasing westernisation, instead of harping on the spelling of those who still use the phrase? The Ḥadīth forbids the phrase when directed at Allāh i.e. in Du‘ā. Thus for example we should say, “I am going to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh,” and pray, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj, āmīn,” but never, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh/if You so will.” Many people are ignorant of this fact. Why not educate people on what is in the Sunnah instead of sucking rulings from our thumbs? Kindi's Blog2

Part 2 The following are some of the practices that are meticulously carried out during the sacred occasions of Nikah and proposal despite the fact that they are either expressly forbidden in Shariah, or have no bases in Islam: 1. The engaged couple meet at a public gathering where the boy holds the girl’s hand and slips a ring onto her finger whilst the two look romantically at each other. This act is void of modesty and completely foreign to Islamic culture. It is furthermore, a flagrant violation of the Quranic Law of Purdah. It is an evil innovation of the godless west, and those indulging in it should take cognizance of Rasulullah's Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam stern warning that “those who imitate others will rise on the Day of Judgment as of them”. 2. The prohibition in Islam of the gathering and free mixing of the sexes is nowhere else more flagrantly violated than at engagement and wedding feasts. Members of both sexes, young and old, are accommodated in the same tent or hall without so much as a curtain partition between them and to add insult to injury, women, including immodestly dressed young spinsters, are waited upon by men. What shameless impudence on the part of the organizers, who appear to be blissfully unaware of the tremendous responsibility which they must shoulder for the resultant decline in the moral standard of the Muslims. 3. Another very indecent practice copied from the west is the joint appearance on the stage of the married couple after the Nikah. Here, the new husband presents his bride with a wedding ring, kisses her, and then (in a growing number of cases) allows his male friends to kiss her too! And that in full view of the hundreds of guests! This is indeed the total and tragic destruction of Islamic modesty and shame. 4. It has become a norm at Muslim weddings for the bridegroom to appear before his mother-in-law to be showered with confetti and gifts of rings, ties, hankies, etc. in full view of women guests whose envious eyes and flattering tongues add to the morbidity of the whole act. 5. The parents take great pride in making a public display of the bride’s “trousseau”, advertising all the individual items therein, thus wasting valuable time and effort which could otherwise have been more fruitfully spent in teaching the bride how to conduct her self with credit in her new responsibilities. This show (of the “trousseau”) is motivated by the spiritually destructive elements of “riya”(ostentation) and “takabbur”(pride). 6. A large number of Nikahs are performed in specially rented halls or tents. The Musjid as a central pivot of all Muslim religious activity is often ignored. It is no exaggeration to say that many people regard a Nikah at the Musjid as “inconvenient” simply because they are well aware that some of their ill-conceived western rituals are too shameless to be permitted there. However, according to the Tradition of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam marriages performed in the House of Allah, immediately preceded and followed by prayers, will attract the maximum of Allah’s Blessings, whereas this is not, and cannot, be the case where alternative venues are chosen with the express purpose of facilitating the performance of things Un-Islamic. 7. Many people are known to be labouring under the misconception that the conduction of marriages on certain specific Islamic dates is contrary to Islamic Law. Such beliefs are not only unfounded, but are also against the grain of common sense. Likewise, the notion that it is incumbent upon the bride to spend her first Ramadaan and Eid after marriage at the parents’ home has no basis in Islam. In recent years, more and more innovatory and satanic western practices have been added by the Muslim commercial elites whose coffers are bursting at the seams as a result of the inflationary trends and economic booms of the past decade. Among these are the European-orientated fashions of printing expensive, pictorially-embossed “thank you” cards, and, more despicably, the insidious practice of a male member of the family escorting the bride arm-in-arm from the comparative seclusion of her home, through the mixed crowd of envious guests, right on to the stage for the ultimate “puppet” show. All of these morbid, soul-destroying scenes being “shot” for posterity by specially appointed and professionally equipped “video and photography” teams, with a fully fledged and “high ranking” musical band in close attendance! Furthermore, the progressive deterioration of the bride’s wedding-day garments, from bad to worse, in the very latest and obnoxious “see-thru” materials has been causing grave misgivings among the Ulama , many of whom are known to have turned down invitations from close acquaintances for fear of being confronted with scenes too shameless to comprehend. Several more instances can be cited where a great deal of expense and trouble are incurred over acts that are counter-productive of Islamic ethical and moral values. It is a tragic fact that each year hundreds of thousands of Rand are squandered in the process of upholding and intensifying these senseless, soul-destroying procedures. “Lo! The squanderers were ever brothers of the devils, and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Rabb.” (Xvii-27) “The best of marriage is one over which the least trouble and expense have been incurred” is a most oft-quoted Hadith of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam. The Great Master’s sound teachings have been thoughtlessly and savagely thrown overboard and substituted by the fast-decaying cultural trends of the godless west. Someone was heard to remark at a recent wedding reception: “Here is part of the reason for the drought….and for escalating Muslim divorce rate…. (to heights unknown in previous generations)….and for downward plunge of the Muslims…. into the abyss of physical and spiritual destruction….in this world and the next……” It should be remembered that adopting Haraam at the time of Nikah and ‘Wedding’ does not lead to a blissful and happy marriage. May Allah grant Hidaayat, to one and all! Aameen Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians 223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban

The Westernized Muslim Wedding Of Today Part 1 The Western Whirlwind of Destruction has been constantly blowing across the developing world for decades and undermining the morals of the Youth. Of more recent times it has found new victims in young Muslim men and women who appear to be voluntarily stepping into its evil path. And whilst this “Tornado of the West” is leaving in its wake a continuous trail of crushed moral values amongst our young brothers and sisters, the parents are openly and unashamedly displaying an attitude of incredible irresponsibility by aiding and abetting the youngsters in their suicidal ventures. Clear evidence of this open disobedience can be found, for instance, at Muslim weddings and engagement parties where the type of conduct reminiscent of the western way of life is fully exercised in its most naked form. At such function Muslim men and women, boys and girls, act and do things that have nothing in common with the actions and doings of true Muslims. Indeed, some of the formalities which are considered indispensable (by modern standards) at these gatherings are in diametric conflict with Islam and reminiscent of the pre-Islamic times of jahiliyyah (ignorance). Notwithstanding the fact that western-styled garments are designed primarily to emphasize the shape of the female body and to attract the attention of members of the opposite sex, these immodest apparels are worn by Muslim women who, in anticipation of the opportunity to show themselves off at weddings or engagements, start making preparations on a lavish scale by acquiring the more “modern” versions of these shamelessly styled clothing. What is even more deplorable is the practice of subjecting the bride to a most humiliating display on an elaborately prepared stage after clothing her in a gaudy western wedding gown and obliterating all her natural beauty with western cosmetics. And to ensure perfection in the scrupulously observed rituals of the west, the bride is provided with a retinue of bridesmaids, flower-girls and page-boy, with their faces similarly disfigured with the same satanic object of attracting the maximum of lustful stares. Crowds of people, including fashionably dressed men, are then allowed to queue up to see the “puppet show” and quench their unholy thirsts whilst trampling under their feet all the Islamic standards of modesty. Thus the auspicious occasion of nikah commences with many sins the primary one being zina of the eyes. This slaughter of Islamic morals and principles by no means ends here. Some parents even go further and not only permit but actively encourage their off-spring to meet and speak, dine and dance and even roam around with strangers of the opposite sex in blatant violation of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam. These extremely dangerous divergences from traditional Islamic precepts are becoming more and more common and their perpetrators more and more shameless. In some Muslim weddings, even dancing forms part of these revolting innovations. In the words of Dr E.S. Sonners, “…..social dancing is fundamentally sinful and evil…..It is nothing more or less than damnable, diabolical, animal, physical dissipation”. It is not, certainly not, beyond one’s imagination to think of the lustful gazes and corruption of the minds of young, impressionable audiences which such diabolical displays are bound to cause. And as an ironical prelude, some invitation cards printed to advertise these most insidious and sinful programmes are headed: “In the Name of Allah…….” What a mockery of Islamic values! Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians 223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban

IJTIMA ijtima is an Islamic magazine which explores qualities of a good Muslim with a focus on the formation and preservation of the Muslim identity. We will publish on Wednesdays, Not every Wednesday - just when we have something to share. We will publish notes whenever we have something. HERE

Defend Yourself “What would you do if someone attacked you in the street? Would you just stand there and take the pain or would you fight back and defend yourself? You would definitely defend yourself. The same should be the case with Shayṭān; when he attacks you, you must fight back. Use the self-defence of willpower and protect yourself from spiritual injury.” Shaykh.org

Going out to work during iddat Q: My husband has given me divorce via text message saying talaaq more then three times. I have asked two muftis and three Aalims. They say I am now divorced. I am now doing iddat in my parents home. What is the Shar'ee ruling regarding a woman sitting in iddat? Can I go to work? A: It is impermissible for a woman sitting in iddat to leave her home. Hence if the needs are being fulfilled by the family members then leaving the home for her will be impermissible. However, if there is no person to see to her needs and the expenses of the home during the iddat period and she is forced to work, then she may leave in a very unattractive way (without any make-up or any type of attractive clothing) and return as soon as the work has ended. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( ولا تخرج معتدة رجعي وبائن ) بأي فرقة كانت على ما في الظهيرية ولو مختلعة على نفقة عدتها في الأصح اختيار أو على السكنى فيلزمها أن تكتري بيت الزوج معراج ( لو حرة ) أو أمة مبوأة ولو من فاسد ( مكلفة من بيتها أصلا ) لا ليلا ولا نهارا ولا إلى صحن دار فيها منازل لغيره ولو بإذنه لأنه حق الله تعالى بخلاف نحو أمة لتقدم حق العبد ( ومعتدة موت تخرج في الجديدين وتبيت ) أكثر الليل ( في منزلها ) لأن نفقتها عليها فتحتاج للخروج حتى لو كان عندها كفايتها صارت كالمطلقة فلا يحل لها الخروج فتح (الدر المختار 3/ 535-536) قال الشامي : قوله ( لأن نفقتها عليها ) أي لم تسقط باختيارها بخلاف المختلعة كما مر وهذا بيان للفرق بين معتدة الموت ومعتدة الطلاق قال في الهداية وأما المتوفي عنها زوجها فلأنه لا نفقة لها فتحتاج إلى الخروج نهارا لطلب المعاش وقد يمتد إلى أن يهجم الليل ولا كذلك المطلقة لأن النفقة دارة عليها من مال زوجها اه قال في الفتح والحاصل أن مدار حل خروجها بسبب قيام شغل المعيشة فيتقدر بقدره فمتى انقضت حاجتها لا يحل لها بعد ذلك صرف الزمان خارج بيتها اه وبهذا اندفع قول البحر إن الظاهر من كلامهم جواز خروج المعتدة عن وفاة نهارا ولو كان عندها نفقة وإلا لقالوا لا تخرج المعتدة عن طلاق أو موت إلا لضرورة فإن المطلقة تخرج للضرورة ليلا أو نهارا اه ووجه الدفع أن معتدة الموت لما كانت في العادة محتاجة إلى الخروج لأجل أن تكتسب للنفقة قالوا إنها تخرج في النهار وبعض الليل بخلاف المطلقة وأما الخروج للضرورة فلا فرق فيه بينهما كما نصوا عليه فيما يأتي فالمراد به هنا غير الضرورة ولهذا بعد ما أطلق في كافي الحاكم منع خروج المطلقة قال والمتوفي عنها زوجها تخرج بالنهار لحاجتها ولا تبيت في غير منزلها فهذا صريح في الفرق بينهما نعم عبارة المتون يوهم ظاهرها ما قاله في البحر فلو قيدوا خروجها بالحاجة كما فعل في الكافي لكان أظهر (رد المحتار 3/ 536) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Some questions on what is permissible in Iddah Rules of Iddat By Mufti Shafiq Jakhura (Darul Ihsan Centre) Posted: 4 Jamad-u-Thani 1430, 29 May 2009 Q.Here are some questions regarding a woman in her iddat (the mourning waiting period for a widowed woman). Can she wear colored clothes? use hair oil? wear ear rings to keep the piercing open? step outside her home out of necessity? receive guests? use the phone and Internet? A. 1) What is meant by colored clothes is those clothes which are worn to beautify oneself. Such clothes should not be worn. However, if the clothes are not new and are not generally used for beautification then they could be worn even though they may be colored. (Hindiya 1/533) 2) If a lady has a headache and applies oil that does not have a fragrance with the intention of medication and not with the intention of beautification then this is acceptable. 3) If the ear rings are worn occasionally with the intention that the ears that have been pierced do not close up and they are not exposed then this is acceptable. 4) It is permissible for a lady in Iddat to go into her garden, veranda and to hang the clothes. (Fataawaa Mahmoodiya 13/402) 5) It is not objectionable for other women to visit the lady during her Iddat, provided the laws of Shariah regarding hijab and the like are not flouted. This practice helps the bereaved lady to overcome her grief. 6) It is permissible to speak on the phone, read the newspaper (permissible content) and use the internet for permissible purposes. And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Accounts of fascinating places visited by Mufti Mahmud of Bardoli (India) at-tabligh.com (with thanks to brother Abdur Rahmanibn Awf who brought it to our attention here) Karguzari of a tour of Russia, Bukhara and Samarkand (PART1 )10-09-2013 https://archive.org/details/2013-09-10KarguzariOfATourOfRussiabukharaSamarkand Karguzari of a tour of Russia, Bukhara and Samarkand (PART 2) 22-09-2013 https://archive.org/details/2013-09-22KarguzariOfATourOfBukharaSamarkand-2 More HERE Turkey Turky k safar ki karguzari - Surat 07-09-2014 Middle-East Tours Middle-East tour - 1 ( Ashabe kahaf & Yushaa al qabar) 22-06-2014 Middle-East tour - 2 (jange Muta place) 23-06-2014 Middle-East tour - 3 (Jordan and Moosa al qabar) 24-06-2014 Palestine - Masjidul Aqsa Masjid e Aqsa aur Ambiya ki sarzamin ki karguzari 31-08-2014

Qailoolah Q: What is the correct time for qailoolah? If a person rests even before zawal e.g. 11 am, would this also be considered qailoolah? A: Qailoolah (siesta) generally refers to the afternoon nap (i.e. the time after midday). However according to some Ulama' it also refers to resting for a little while before midday. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. (باب القائلة بعد الجمعة ) أي هذا باب في القائلة بعد صلاة الجمعة والقائلة هي القيلولة وهي النوم بعد الظهيرة وقال ابن الأثير المقيل والقيلولة الاستراحة نصف النهار وإن لم يكن معها نوم يقال قال يقيل قيلولة فهو قائل (عمدة القاري 22/ 263) ( قوله باب القائلة بعد الجمعة ) أي بعد صلاة الجمعة وهي النوم في وسط النهار عند الزوال وما قاربه من قبل أو بعد قيل لها قائلة لأنها يحصل فيها ذلك وهي فاعلة بمعنى مفعولة مثل عيشة راضية ويقال لها أيضا القيلولة وأخرج بن ماجة وبن خزيمة من حديث بن عباس رفعه استعينوا على صيام النهار بالسحور وعلى قيام الليل بالقيلولة وفي سنده زمعة بن صالح وفيه ضعف وقد تقدم شرح حديث سهل المذكور في الباب في أواخر كتاب الجمعة وفيه إشارة إلى أنهم كانت عادتهم ذلك في كل يوم وورود الأمر بها في الحديث الذي أخرجه الطبراني في الأوسط من حديث أنس رفعه قال قيلوا فإن الشياطين لا تقيل وفي سنده كثير بن مروان وهو متروك وأخرج سفيان بن عيينة في جامعه من حديث خوات بن جبير رضي الله عنه موقوفا قال نوم أول النهار حرق وأوسطه خلق وآخره حمق وسنده صحيح (فتح الباري 11/ 72) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

O My Dear sisters, the Mother of Believers, The daughter of Lions of the Ummah, O the Queens of Islam! Know, my dear Muslim sister, that you are man’s sister and half of humanity. You are a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grand daughter or grand mother. You are a member of the great nation of Islam, the best nation ever produced for mankind. No other nation on earth has more great men, leaders and conquerors than this nation. It is the nation of guidance and the straight religion, and it leads humanity to righteousness and truth. It transforms people from worshippers of slaves to worshippers of the Lord of slaves, from life’s pressures to the pleasures of the Life after, and from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam. Your ancestors, great women of Islam, were one of the main reasons for this great nation to take this great place among all nations. Allah, Who granted Islam to this nation, made a high place for Muslim women, and decreed that they share in the responsibilities of enjoining truth, forbidding evil and raising the flag of Islam. He said, what translated means, “The believers, men and women, are loyalists of one another, they enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, they offer their prayers perfectly and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will leave His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” [Noble Quran 9:71] Allah has given Muslim women what they can bare of orders and duties. “Should He not know what He created? And He is the Most Kind, All-Aware (of everything).” [Noble Quran 67:14] My dear sister, you are called upon today to truly become an active member of the Muslim nation, strive to establish victory for Allah’s Word, implement the Quran and help build the generation of Iman. O Sisters, What Do Your Enemies Want From You? There are those who want to distract you from doing your duty. They want to distract you from meeting your noble obligation, that is, to defend the religion of Allah and raise His Word high. Those enemies use many methods: First: They distract you from what Allah created you to perform of worship, belief and Da’wah (propagating Islam). They use this worldly life as their bate: Jewelry stores, fashions that originate in non-Muslim countries, new models all the time, desires raised, hunger that can never be satisfied, pleasures and competition for them and endless ways for joy. Allah did not create us for this. Indulging in these matters is usually accompanied by wasting time and money and igniting enmity and competition between the rich and the poor. Second: They ignite enmity between you and man. To those sinners, you are a daughter that is put down, a humiliated mother, an abused wife and an oppressed sister! Men are always unjust, hypocrites, dictators, freedom- preventers and suppressers, according to them. There is a fabricated war that those evil ones are starting for no reason other than to direct you to rebel against your father, be arrogant with your brother and disobedient to your husband. They do not call for justice, mercy and unity. They call for hatred, arrogance and destruction. Third: They do not stop at their call for rebellion against parents, brothers and husbands, rather, they plot against Islam. They call upon you to rebel against the obligations of Islam and the decrees of the All-Knowing King. Islam, to them, is unjust and Islamic laws are imperfect and restrictive. They call upon you, day and night, to rebel and insist on the disobedience of this religion. They try to rid you of your religion. They try to rid you of comfort and safety under generous parenthood, happy marriage and good brotherly relations. Those devils portray piety and honor as chains on freedom. To them, Hijab does not cover the head, but also covers the mind; prayer, fasting and Zakat are a waste of time and effort; and obedience to husbands is slavery and a return to the stone age. They distorted all facts and changed all truths, all to serve their evil goals. My Dear Sister, The goals that your enemies and the enemies of your religion are seeking to achieve are well known. They want you to be available for them to fulfill their evil desires whenever they wish. They want you to be a mistress that has no honor. They want you to be found everywhere, on roads and in places of sin, without honor, religion or manners. They seek for you only what they want you to do. The Western world has gone through this all. Women of the West are the part of society that is facing injustice and dishonor. They strive to please men who keep changing partners and seek pleasures but with no responsibility and no consideration of the evil consequences of their sinful actions. O Muslim sister, read and know about those women who discarded shyness and honor and followed their desires, what was the result of their deeds? Was their end honorable and desirable, or was it a shameful and hated end? Advice For My Sister In Islam Be proud of your religion and the religion of your ancestors. Be a good example for your sons and daughters and sincere in your belonging to this mighty nation. Know that honor is an honor to all wise people, and that adultery is dishonorable to all nations, even if some called it freedom. Know that adultery is also done with the eyes by seeing, with the ears by listening, and with the mouth by kissing, as was mentioned in a Hadith related by Imam Muslim. Your happiness is in being an obedient and believing daughter, a loyal and generous wife and a pious and merciful mother. Know that prayer is the cornerstone of Islam. Charity is a cause for gaining forgiveness and for repentance to be accepted. Hijab is an honor and protection for you. My Dear Sister, These are words from the heart. These are words of good and sincere advice. Beware of the loyalists of Shaytan who want to lead you astray. Be a slave of Allah, righteous and descendent of righteous women and know your role in building this great nation. Perform your duty and do not be a cause for destruction. Be a maker of righteous generation that will lead mankind, again, to what is right and proper, to the great religion of Islam. idealwoman

How beautifully Shaykh Yunus Patel (Raheemahullah) explained things!

Our eyes will only really open when the time comes for them to close. Open your eyes now, before it is too late! Extract from ‘Words to Treasure’

Duaa at the time of Sunrise One should recite the following Duaa at the time of sunrise: اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَقَالَنَا يَوْمَنَا هَذَا وَلَمْ يُهْلِكْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala, who has removed our problems and difficulties on this day and did not destroy us due to our sins. عن أبي وائل قال غدونا على عبد الله بن مسعود يوما بعد ما صلينا الغداة فسلمنا بالباب فأذن لنا قال فمكثنا بالباب هنية قال فخرجت الجارية فقالت ألا تدخلون فدخلنا فإذا هو جالس يسبح فقال ما منعكم أن تدخلوا وقد أذن لكم فقلنا لا إلا أنا ظننا أن بعض أهل البيت نائم قال ظننتم بآل بن أم عبد غفلة قال ثم أقبل يسبح حتى ظن أن الشمس قد طلعت فقال يا جارية انظري هل طلعت قال فنظرت فإذا هي لم تطلع فأقبل يسبح حتى إذا ظن أن الشمس قد طلعت قال يا جارية انظري هل طلعت فنظرت فإذا هي قد طلعت فقال الحمد لله الذي أقالنا يومنا هذا فقال مهدي وأحسبه قال ولم يهلكنا بذنوبنا قال فقال رجل من القوم قرأت المفصل البارحة كله قال فقال عبد الله هذا كهذ الشعر إنا لقد سمعنا القرائن وإني لأحفظ القرائن التي كان يقرؤهن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثمانية عشر من المفصل وسورتين من آل حم (مسلم رقم 822) Hadhrat Abu Waail (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that on one occasion he proceeded to the house of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radhiallahu Anhu) after the Fajr salaah… Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radhiallahu Anhu) continued to engage in zikr until the time came when he felt that the sun had rose. He thus asked his slave girl to check whether the sun had rose or not. When she had informed him that the sun had rose, Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radhiallahu Anhu) recited the following duaa اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَقَالَنَا يَوْمَنَا هَذَا وَلَمْ يُهْلِكْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا Ihyaauddeen.co.za

عن ابن عمر قال قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم سنن أبي داود 2/55 Rasoolullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam said, "The one who emulates a people will be counted from amongst them" (in the court of Allah Ta’aala)

Concept of Marriage Anniversary and Happy Birthday in Islam Question Asslam u alaikum Mufti Sahab I want to calarify that. what is concept of Marriage Anniversary and Happy Birthday in Islam, we can celebrate these occassion, whehter sahriya can give any permissions to celebrates these occassions if yes then what is the limitation. please calarify me awaiting for your valuable suggestion Moahammed Imtiaz Ali Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu `alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. The celebration of wedding anniversaries and birthdays is the way of disbelievers. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Salam) stated one who imitates a nation is from them.[1] Almighty Allah commands us in His Quran to obey His Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Salam).[2] Attached is a detailed article prepared by Mawlana Abdul Hannan Nizami, a fellow student of the Darul Iftaa. And Allah knows best. Mawlana Saeed Ahmed Golaub Westmoreland, Jamaica, West Indies Student Darul Iftaa Checked and Approved Mufti Ebrahim Desai daruliftaa.net In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. There are major differences between the thinking of muslims and the non-muslims. The life of a non-muslim is confined to the pleasures and the luxuries of this world. A non-muslim is not concerned regarding the hearafter. Enjoyment, celebration etc. are the absolute objectives of their lives. The true purpose of their life has been forfeited. There remains nothing for the non-muslims in the hearafter. Contrary to that, while we as muslims mark happy occasions, that is not the end of it. Our greatest concern is the hearafter. True happiness and pleasure can only be achieved in the hearafter. When one completes a year of his life, that is a great bounty of Allah. It is a moment of happiness. For that, one should thank Allah and ask Allah for a long life span and barakah (blessings) in his life. This is how we should celebrate our birthdays. The happiness during ones birthday should not be expressed like the customary birthday celebrations in which there is only entertainment and merry. The prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam has mentioned in a Hadith: مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ) سنن أبي داود (4/ 44) “Whosoever emulates a nation is amongst them.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4/44) Let us examine the origin of birthdays: Development of Calendars Early people had no way of keeping track and marking time except by the moon, sun or by some important event. Little attention was paid to the anniversary of a person's birth. Everyone realized, of course, that people grew older as time passed; but they didn't mark any special milestone for it. Only when ancient people began taking notice of the moon's cycles, did they pay attention to the changing seasons and the pattern that repeated itself over and over and so they began to mark and note time changes. That's the beginning of birthday in history. Eventually, the first calendars were formulated in order to mark time changes and other special days. From this tracking system, came the ability to celebrate birthdays and other significant anniversaries the same day each year. Birthday History History of Birthday observance can be traced back before the rise of Christianity. Birthday celebrations began as a form of protection. In pagan culture, it was believed that evil spirits visited people on their birthdays. To protect the person from the evil effects, friends and family members used to surround him and make merry. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off the evil spirits. A lot of noise used to be created in such parties to scare away the evil spirits. In those times, there was no tradition of bringing gifts and the guests who attended the birthday parties would bring good wishes for the birthday person. However, if a guest did bring gifts, it was considered to be a good sign. Later, flowers became quite popular as a Birthday gift. Popular Birthday Celebrations in History Best known birthday in the history is that of Jesus Christ. For nearly 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Christians have been honoring the day as Christmas. About 4,000 years ago King Pharaoh used to celebrate his birthday by giving a feast to his court followers. King Herod is said to have celebrated his birthday by treating lords, high captains and special friends with a special supper party in Galiliee. Common people and especially children never celebrated their birth when the idea came about. This trend has been explained by a theory that noble ones were the only people wealthy enough to throw such celebrations, and quite possibly were the only ones thought to be important enough to have been written about or remembered. Some historians believe that these early birthday bashes resulted in the custom of wearing birthday "crowns" as time went on. History of Popular Birthday Traditions and Symbols Many of the popular Birthday traditions and symbols that we see today, originated hundreds of years ago. Some believe that the tradition of “Birthday Cake” was started by early Greeks who used to take a round or a moon shaped cake to the temple of Artemis (the Goddess of Moon). Others believe that the custom of Birthday cake initiated in Germany where people used to make bread in the shape of baby Jesus’s swaddling cloth. The popular custom of lighting candles on cakes is said to have originated from the Greeks since they used to light candles on the cake taken to Artemis to make it glow like a moon. Some believe that the custom originated from a religious belief that the gods lived in the sky and the lighted candles helped in sending signals or prayers to the god. Germans are said to have placed a big candle in the center of the cake to symbolize ‘the light of life’. Even today people make silent wishes as they blow out candles. It is believed that blowing out all candles in one breath brings good luck. More in birthday history: The song "Happy Birthday to You" was composed by two sisters, Mildred and Patty Hill, in 1893, but nobody really paid much attention to it until the original words "Good Morning to You" were changed to "Happy Birthday to You", words that are sung in virtually every home across the world at least once a the year.[ii] As muslims, we should endeavor to follow the lunar calendar as two tenets of Islam are based on the lunar calendar. Ramadan falls on the 9th month of the lunar calendar. Haj is performed in Zil-Hijjah which is the 12th month of the lunar calendar. Eid-ul-Fitr falls in Shawaal, the beginning of the 10th month of the lunar calendar. The calculation of Zakāt in 1 year will be calculated according to the lunar calendar and not the solar 1 year. The determination of a person’s age is according to the lunar calendar. When a child reaches the age of 15 years, according to the lunar calendar, he will be considered bāligh (mature) and obliged to adhere to the laws of Shari’āh. This is approximately 6 months earlier than the solar calendar since the lunar calendar is about 10-11 days shorter than the solar calendar. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mawlana Abdul Hannan Nizami, Student Darul Iftaa USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net

A solution to make your entire day full of reward !! | Amazing Must Listen!

Imam al-Ghazali and the signs of the ‘Ulama Edited by Ismaeel Nakhuda Editor’s note – In his masterpiece, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din, Imam al-Ghazali writes passionately about the evils of not acting on knowledge and the signs of the ‘ulama of the hereafter. A condensed version of this lengthy passage was rendered into Urdu by Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi and produced in par two of Fada’il-i-Sadaqat, which was subsequently translated from Urdu into English by M. Tayyab Bakhsh Badayuni. These twelve signs have, under the instructions of Dr. Hanif Kamal, been edited and are now being reproduced on Deoband.org; this is primarily for the benefit of the editor, the ‘ulama in general, and — since we live in confusing and delicate times — for the general lay populace to allow them to identify the true inheritors of the prophets (peace be upon them). I pray Allah Most High grants us all, through His divine accordance, the correct understanding of His din, the ability to live according to His noble wishes and desires, and acceptance to serve His din with sincerity. Ismaeel Nakhuda. Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah mercy him) writes: An ‘alim who is enamoured of the world is meaner and lower in spiritual status than an ignorant person; he will be punished in the hereafter more severely. Successful indeed are the ‘ulama who have been favoured with nearness to Allah Most High and who are ever concerned about the hereafter. There are certain distinguishing signs of such ‘ulama: The First: an ‘alim is one who does not try to acquire wealth through his learning. The lowest of rank among the ‘ulama is one who is fully aware that this material world is despicable, mean, polluted and temporary; and that the life hereafter is vast, everlasting and glorious beyond imagination, the bounties whereof are absolutely pure. Besides, every true ‘alim fully understands that this world and the hereafter are opposed to each other. They are, so to say, like two wives married to one and the same husband — when one is pleased with him, the other is naturally displeased. To give another example, they are like two scales of a balance, when one goes down, the other goes up automatically. Indeed, the present world and the world hereafter are poles apart. They are like two wives of a person — if you seek to get closer to one, it will be at the expense of the other. He who does not realise that this material world is of low value and impure, the pleasures of which are gained at the cost of hardships in this world and in the hereafter, is not of sane mind. It is a common experience that all worldly joys involve taking pains in this world and unavoidable sufferings in the hereafter. How can a person of such insane mind become an ‘alim? Furthermore, a person who has no idea of the magnificence of the hereafter and its everlastingness is not a believer. How can such a person be an ‘alim? If a person does not realise that this world and the next have opposing interests and wishes to combine both, then he is trying to do something that is undesirable. Such people are in fact ignorant of the code of life of all of the prophets of Allah Most High. If a person knows all these facts and still gives preference to his worldly interests, he is a slave of Satan, ruined by lusts and facing an evil fate. Such a lost soul cannot, obviously, be counted among the ‘ulama. Sayyiduna Dawud (peace be upon him) relates that Allah Most High says, “If an ‘alim prefers worldly desires to My love, the least I do to him is that I deprive him of the bliss of having communion with Me, he cannot experience the sublime joys inherent in the remembrance of Allah Most High and in supplications to Him. O Dawud, have no regard for an ‘alim who has been intoxicated by his lust for this world, for he would lead you astray from My love. Such people are robbers. O Dawud, if you find someone who really seeks My countenance, become his servant. O Dawud, if anyone comes to me running, I record his name as a sane wise person and I do not punish such a man.” Yahya bin Mu’adh al-Razi (may Allah mercy him) said, “When knowledge and wisdom are employed for gaining worldly advantages, then they are divested of lustre and glory.” Sa’id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah mercy him) said, “If you find an ‘alim remaining constantly with princes, then consider him a thief.” Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “If you find an ‘alim enamoured of this material world, then he must be blameworthy in religious matters, for everybody occupies himself with things which are dear to him.” Someone asked a divine, “Can anyone who takes pleasure in sinful deeds become an ‘arif (a gnostic) of his Lord”? The divine replied, “I can say, without hesitation, that he who prefers this world to the next cannot be an ‘arif; relishing sins is a far greater evil.” It should also be borne in mind that no ‘alim can be regarded as one concerned about the hereafter merely due to his rejection of worldly wealth, unless he also has no ambition for worldly honour or status. For these ambitions are more harmful to the soul than the lust for wealth. In other words, all of those warnings that have been mentioned above about giving preference to the world and seeking it not only include earning wealth but also include even more the seeking of grandeur. This is because the pitfalls and harms of seeking glory are greater than seeking wealth. The Second distinguishing characteristic of a true ‘alim is that there should be no contradiction between his knowledge and his practice of din. He preaches good to others and does not practice himself. Allah Most High says: “Do you enjoin righteousness upon others while you ignore your own selves, although you keep reciting the Book?” (Al-Baqarah: 44) He says elsewhere: “It is severely hateful in Allah’s sight that you say what you do not do.” (Al-Saff: 3) Hatim al-Asam (may Allah mercy him) said, “On the day of Resurrection, none will be more grieved than an ‘alim who imparted knowledge to others which they acted upon and were granted eternal success, while he himself did not act upon his knowledge and, therefore, failed miserably.” Ibn Simak (may Allah mercy him) said, “There are many who enjoin the remembrance of Allah Most High upon others, but do not remember Him themselves; they admonish others to fear Allah, but they themselves disobey Him most audaciously; they persuade others to cultivate proximity to Allah, but are remote from Him themselves; they invite others unto Allah, but themselves flee from Him.” ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Ghanam (may Allah mercy him) said that ten Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) related to him the hadith, “We were once sitting in Masjid Quba and learning (religious) knowledge when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came and said to us, ‘Acquire as much knowledge as you will but Allah Most High will not reward you unless you act upon what you know.'” The third distinguishing characteristic is that he is always concerned with such branches of knowledge that are beneficial for the hereafter and which exhort one to perform good deeds. He is least interested in that branch of knowledge that has no or little use in the hereafter. In our foolishness, we also regard that type of knowledge as ‘ilm, the purpose of which is only earning the world, even though it is sheer ignorance for such a person to consider himself educated [of the religious sciences]; it is then the case that such a person is not particular about learning religious knowledge. An illiterate person, on the other hand, is in the least conscious of his ignorance and therefore tries to acquire religious knowledge. Great indeed is the loss of a man who believes himself to be an ‘alim though he is steeped in (sheer) ignorance. Hatim al-Asam (may Allah mercy him) was a renowned saint and favourite pupil of Shaqiq al-Balkhi (may Allah mercy him). Once the shaykh asked him, “Hatim, how long have you been here in my company?” He replied, “Thirty-three years.” The shaykh said, “What did you learn during these years from me?” Hatim (may Allah mercy him) replied, “I have learnt eight issues.” At this, Shaqiq (may Allah mercy him) out of sheer disappointment recited, “We are surely Allah’s and we shall surely return unto him.” He said regretfully, “You learnt only eight lessons during these long years of association with me? I have wasted all my life in associating with you.” Hatim (may Allah mercy him) said, “I have learnt only eight lessons — I cannot lie to you”. The shaykh said, “Tell me, what are those eight lessons?” Hatim (may Allah mercy him) answered: 1] “I have found that everybody loves someone or something (wife, children, property, friends, etc.), but I know that as soon as he is laid in the grave, the loved ones part company with him. Consequently, I have cultivated love for good deeds so that when I do pass into the grave my loved ones accompany me and after death I am not alone.” Shaqiq (may Allah mercy him) said, “You have done well.” 2] “I have read in the Holy Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘Whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the (evil) desire, Paradise will be the abode.’ (Al-Nazi’at: 40-41) “I know that whatever Allah Most High says is true. Therefore, I have restrained myself from worldly desires until I became steadfast in devotion to Him. 3] “I saw in the world that those things which are most dearest and precious to men are preserved with great care and protected with diligence. “Then I read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘What is with you shall perish and what is with Allah shall last.’ (Al-Nahl: 96) “Accordingly, whenever I came by something which was of great value to me, or which I prized above other things, I consigned it to the custody of Allah (spent it for the cause of Allah Most High), so that it should be preserved forever. 4] “I have observed that (for honour and glory) some men turn to wealth, some to nobility of parentage and others to other things of pride. That is, they take pride in wealth, high parentage etc., and assert their superiority over others. “But I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘Surely the noblest of you, in Allah’s sight, is the one who is most pious of you.’ (Al-Hujarat: 13) “I have therefore cultivated piety in myself, so that I should become the noblest of men in the sight of Allah Most High. 5] “I have noticed that people upbraid others, revile them or find fault with them. This is all out of jealousy in that one is jealous of the other. “Then, I read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘We have allocated among them their livelihood in the worldly life, and have raised some of them over others in ranks, so that some of them may put some others to work.’ (Al-Zukhruf: 32) (That is to say, if all men were alike and equal in rank, no one would work for others or serve anybody and, consequently, there would be disorder and chaos in the affairs of the world.) “Therefore, I have restrained myself from jealousy and ceased to concern myself with other people’s affairs. I know for certain that the distribution of livelihood is entirely in the hands of Allah Most High and He grants as much as He pleases to whomsoever He likes. I therefore ceased to harbour enmity against anyone, realising that a man’s personal effort has little to do with his prosperity or adversity. It has rather been foreordained by Allah Most High Who is the Sovereign Lord of the worlds. So, I do not feel angry with anyone. 6] “I have observed that nearly everyone in this world is hostile to someone or the other. Having paid attention, I noticed that Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: ‘Surely Satan is an enemy for you. So, take him as an enemy. He only invites his group (to falsehood) so that they become inmates of the blazing fire.’ (Al-Fatir: 6) “So, I have directed all my hostilities against Satan alone and I try to keep away from him by all possible means. Since Allah Most High has commanded us to treat him as an enemy, I bear no enmity against anyone save Satan. 7] “I have observed that all people are struggling hard to seek livelihood, so much so that they disgrace or abase themselves before others and adopt unlawful means for procuring their daily bread. “But I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘There is no creature on earth whose sustenance is not undertaken by Allah.’ (Hud: 6) “Considering that I am also one of the creatures that move on earth whose sustenance depends upon Allah Most High, I occupied myself with paying what I owe to Allah Most High and ceased to worry about what Allah Most High has taken the responsibility to provide. 8] “I have observed that all men have faith upon and put their trust in things which have themselves been created by Allah Most High. Some have faith in their estates or businesses, others in their own craftsmanship, and there are still others who trust their health and strength. In short, all people have put their trust in things that are created like themselves. “I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘And whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him.’ (Al-Talaq: 3) “I have, therefore, put my trust and faith in Him alone.” Shaqiq (may Allah mercy him) thereupon said, “Hatim, may Allah bless you with tawfiq (divine aid for performance for good deeds). I have seen the teachings of the Torah, the Injil, the Zabur and the Holy Qur’an, and I believe that these eight moral lessons form a gist of all that is really good and beneficial for man. Therefore, anyone acting upon these precepts will be deemed to have practised the learning contained in all of the four scriptures revealed by Allah Most High.” Such learning can only be attained by those ‘ulama who are really concerned about the hereafter (‘ulama al-akhirah). These truths lie too deep for those (so-called) ‘ulama who are ambitious for material wealth and who hanker after worldly honour and recognition. The Fourth distinguishing characteristic is that ‘ulama of the hereafter are least interested in the elegance of dress or delicacies of food. Such an ‘alim should, rather, exercise moderation in these matters, and follow the example of his seniors. He should bear in mind that simplicity in dress and food will be helpful to him to advance in nearness to Allah Most High and place him at a high rank among the ‘ulama of the hereafter. Quite relevant here is an amazing episode about Shaykh Hatim al-Asam (may Allah mercy him) narrated by one of his pupils, Shaykh Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Khawwas (may Allah mercy him). He relates, “Once, we were with our shaykh in a village called Ray. There were three hundred and twenty persons with us and we were all going for the Hajj. We were a group of mutawakkilin[1] and we had no provisions or any kind of equipment but had faith in Allah to look after our needs. In the village, we came across an ordinary businessman who, though he looked rather an ascetic person, invited the entire group to dinner and we stayed there for the night. “The next morning he said to Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) that he was going to enquire about the health of an ‘alim who was ill, and that the shaykh could accompany him if he so wished. Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) said, ‘It is a blessed deed to enquire after an ailing person and visiting an ‘alim is an act of devotion; I would be pleased to accompany you.’ This ‘alim was Shaykh Muhammad bin Muqatil, the qadi of that area. When Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) reached his house and saw its magnificence, he was lost in thought. He exclaimed to himself, ‘Allahu Akbar! An ‘alim living in such a tall house?’ Anyhow, we requested permission to enter and when we walked in we saw that its interior was most magnificent — neat, clean and spacious, with curtains hanging all round. Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) gazed upon all these things and began to wonder. Soon we reached the qadi’s room; he was lying in an extremely soft bed. A slave stood at his head fanning him. “The businessman made salam, sat besides him and enquired about his health. Shaykh Hatim remained standing. The qadi motioned him to sit down, but the shaykh refused to take a seat. The qadi said, ‘Have you got anything to say?’ The shaykh said, ‘I want to ask you about a religious matter?’ The qadi said, ‘Say it.’ Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) said, ‘Sit up in bed?’ At this, the servants helped him and the qadi sat up in bed. “Shaykh Hatim: ‘From whom did you acquire your knowledge?’ “Qadi: ‘I learnt it from the reliable ‘ulama.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Who did these ‘ulama learn from?’ “Qadi: ‘The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted it to them.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Who imparted it to the Companions?’ “Qadi: ‘The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) imparted it to them.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Who conveyed it to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace).‘ “Qadi: ‘Jibril (peace be upon him) conveyed it to him.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Who revealed it to Jibril (peace be upon him)?’ “Qadi: ‘Allah Most High revealed it to him.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Is there any indication, in the entire body of knowledge revealed by Allah Most High to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) through Jibril (peace be upon him) and transmitted to you through the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and reliable ‘ulama, to the effect that the taller a man’s house the more exalted he is in the sight of Allah Most High?’ “Qadi: ‘There is no such indication in that knowledge.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘If not, what occurs in that body of knowledge?’ “Qadi: ‘It occurs that, in the sight of Allah Most High, those are exalted to positions of honour who abstain from the world, desire the hereafter, love the poor, and spend for the cause of Allah, thereby treasuring up their charities with Allah Most High for the Hereafter.’ “Shaykh Hatim: ‘Then, whose example are you following? Are you following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace)? Are you imitating the Companions (may Allah be pleased with the) and god-fearing ‘ulama? Or, are you following in the footsteps of Fir’awn and Nimrud? O wicked ‘alims. The ignorant people of the world who are enamoured by it say when they see men like you, “If such is the plight of the ‘ulama, then it is normal for us to be worse than them.”‘ “Saying this, Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) went away. This severe admonition had a bad effect on the qadi’s health and he grew worse. There was much talk about this incident and someone told Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) that Shaykh Tanaffasi (may Allah mercy him), who lives in Qazwin (a city eighty-one miles from Ray) leads an even more luxurious life. So, Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) set out on a journey to Qazwin with a view to admonishing him. On reaching there, he said, ‘I am a man from a non-Arab country. I beseech you to instruct me in din, beginning with its rudiments. That is, I would like you to demonstrate to me how wudu is performed, for wudu is the key to Salah.’ Tanaffasi said, ‘With great pleasure,’ and asked someone to fetch water. He then performed wudu before the shaykh to show him how it is performed. “Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) said, ‘Allow me to perform wudu before you, so that I may learn it properly.’ At this, Shaykh Tanaffasi got up and the shaykh sat in his place. He began to perform wudu and washed his hands four times. Shaykh Tanaffasi said, ‘This is extravagance; you should wash every limb thrice only.’ At this Shaykh Hatim said, ‘Glory to Allah Most High. It is extravagant of me to use a little extra water for wudu, but is it not extravagant of you to make use of all these accessories and accoutrements that you possess?’ Then, of course, Shaykh Tanaffasi realised that Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) had not come to learn, but to admonish him. “After this, Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) went to Baghdad. When Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (may Allah mercy him) learnt about him and his affairs, he came to see him. The imam asked him, ‘How can one be safe from the taint of the world?’ Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him) replied, ‘You cannot protect yourself from the evil influence of the world unless you possess four qualities: you forgive people for their ignorant behaviour towards you, you do not behave towards them in the same manner they behave with you, you spend on others whatever you have, and you do not feel greedy for what other people possess.’ “Later, when Hatim (may Allah mercy him) reached Madinah Munawwarah, people who heard of him, came to see him and gathered around him. He said, ‘Which city is this?’ The people said, ‘It is the city of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).’ Shaykh Hatim said, ‘Which is the palace of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)? I would like to pray two rak’ahs in his palace.’ They said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not live in a palace, but in a humble low-roofed house. Shaykh Hatim (may Allah mercy him), ‘Show me then the palaces of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).’ The people said, ‘The Companions also had no palaces to live in; they lived in small houses with low roofs a little above the ground.’ Shaykh Hatim said, ‘Then this must be the city of Fir’awn.’ The people seized the shaykh and presented him before the ruler (because they thought he was guilty of sacrilege in calling Madinah Munawwarah the city of Fir’awn). When the ruler demanded an explanation, Hatim said, ‘Don’t be in such a hurry. Listen to what I say till I have finished. I come from a non-Arabic country. When I entered this city, I asked which city it was and they said that it was the city of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).’ The shaykh then repeated the entire conversation that had passed between him and the people of Madinah and thereafter recited the following verse from the Qur’an: ‘There is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah — for the one who has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah profusely.’ (Al-Ahzab: 21) (This verse means that, in all circumstances, one should follow the example of the Messenger of Allah [may Allah bless him and grant him peace]). “He then said, ‘Allah Most High commands us to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah. Now tell me whether you are following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah or the way of Fir’awn?’ At this the people released him.” Relating to this, it should be noted that it is not forbidden to enjoy things that are permissible (mubah), nor is it unlawful to have an abundance of such things in one’s possession. However, the affluence of such luxuries creates a strong liking for them to such an extent that it becomes difficult to do without them. One has to consequently busy himself in providing these things for oneself, and in increasing one’s means of income. And, the one who devotes himself to increasing his wealth often adopts a compromising attitude towards his religion. What is worse, such people often commit sinful deeds. If it had been easy to involve oneself in worldly affairs without getting contaminated, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would not have so seriously admonished his Ummah to abstain from absorption in worldly pursuits, nor would he have been so personally particular about avoiding worldly taint to the extent that he refused to wear an embroidered robe. In a letter to Imam Malik bin Anas (may Allah mercy him), Yahya bin Yazid al-Nawfali (may Allah mercy him) wrote, after praising Allah Most High and invoking His choicest blessings on the Prophet of Allah: “I have come to know that you put on fine clothes, take fine bread and sleep in a soft bed. You have also appointed a doorkeeper at your house. All this looks odd, considering that you are one of the great and renowned ‘ulama and people come to you from far off places to learn religious knowledge. You are our imam and preceptor and people follow your example. I suggest you should be very cautious in these matters. I am submitting these lines merely as a sign of my sincerest regards for you and no one except Allah Most High knows about this letter. The end. Wa al-salam.” In reply to this letter, Imam Malik (may Allah mercy him) wrote: “I received your letter, which contained much advice and admonition for me, besides being a sign of your kindest regard for me. May Allah bless you with piety and righteousness; may Allah grant you the best rewards for this advice; may Allah grant me tawfiq (divine aid) to act upon your advice. Indeed, nobody can perform good deeds or protect himself against bad deeds without help and favour from Allah Most High; what you have heard of me is true. I am in the habit of using all these things. May Allah forgive me. However, all these things are permissible under Shari’ah. Allah Most High says: ‘Say, “Who has prohibited the adornment Allah has brought forth for His servants, and the wholesome things of sustenance?” Say, “They are for the believers during this worldly life (though shared by others), while they are purely for them on the day of Resurrection. This is how We elaborate the verses for people who understand.”‘ (Al-‘Araf: 32) “I am fully aware that, notwithstanding their permissibility, it is far better not to make use of these adornments. I should hope that, in future, you would be kind enough to write to me from time to time. I shall also continue to write letters to you. With regards. Wa al-Salam.” Imam Malik (may Allah mercy him) has made a very subtle point. He has given a legal opinion (fatwa) about the religious permissibility for using the good things of life and, at the same time, admitted that it is better to abstain from them. The Fifth distinguishing trait of the ‘ulama al-akhirah is that they (without any necessity) keep away from sultans and rulers, and never visit them. Rather, if they do then they keep their meetings short, because their companionship may involve seeking their pleasure and winning their goodwill. Besides, such people are often involved in oppressive and impermissible deeds, the disapproval of which is necessary, along with exposing their oppression and admonishing their sinful deeds. Remaining silent in such matters amounts to compromising one’s religion. Furthermore, if one is obliged to praise them with a view to winning their favours, then this amounts to speaking lies; and if one feels inclined towards and a yearning for their wealth, then this is forbidden. In short, associating with them leads to several detrimental issues. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that whosoever lives in the wild becomes hardhearted; the one who is fond of hunting becomes neglectful (of everything else); and the one who visits the kings frequently falls into temptations. Sayyiduna Huzayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Beware of the places of temptation.” On being asked what they were, he said, “The doors to the houses of princes. Whosoever visits them will have to approve of their misdeeds and (by way of praise) he will have to attribute to them such qualities that they do not possess.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) once said that the worst among the ‘ulama are those who visit princes and the best among the princes are those who visit the ‘ulama. Shaykh Samnun (may Allah mercy him) (one of the companions of Shaykh Sirri al-Saqati [may Allah mercy him]) narrates that if you hear about an ‘alim as being enamoured of the world, consider him at fault in his religion. I experienced it myself. Whenever I went to see the king, on coming back I looked within my heart and found the ill-effects of the visit affecting my soul even though I talk to the kings with severity, contradict their views sternly and do not partake of anything that belongs to them, to the extent that I abstain from even drinking plain water so long as I am with them. Our ‘ulama are worse than the rabbis of the Children of Israel. For they go to the rulers and show them dispensations, and seek to win their favours. If they were to tell the rulers about their responsibilities in plain words, they would feel them a burden and would not like their coming; whereas their truthfulness would be a means of eternal salvation. Indeed, for the ‘ulama to visit rulers is a major fitnah and a means of Satan leading them astray, especially in the case of those who can speak eloquently. Satan tells them, “Your visiting them will lead to their rectification, they will refrain from tyranny on account of this and the symbols of Islam (shi’ar) will be preserved.” Consequently, the said person will believe that visiting them is also an act of religion, though the fact is that visiting them leads one to compromise to win their hearts, and praise them unnecessary, which is fatal to one’s din. In a letter to Hasan al-Basri (may Allah mercy him), ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (may Allah mercy him) wrote, “Send me the names and addresses of suitable persons whom I should ask to assist me in the affairs of the caliphate.” Hasan al-Basri (may Allah mercy him) replied: “The people of religion will not come to you and you will not select worldly people (and, of course, the greedy and avaricious persons should not be entrusted with such tasks, for they will corrupt the affairs of the government). Because of this, I suggest you employ persons of noble descent because their sense of honour will not allow them to tarnish their inherited nobility with dishonest deeds.” This was the reply sent by Hasan al-Basri (may Allah mercy him) to ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (may Allah mercy him) whose piety, equity and justice are exemplary, so much so that he is known as the Second ‘Umar. This view is held by Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah mercy him), but this humble author (Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya) feels that unless it becomes necessary to decline such offers for religious reasons, there is no harm in accepting the responsibility (to assist the caliph) in the affairs of the caliphate, provided that one is watchful and capable of protecting one’s self. Rather, sometimes, it becomes imperative to accept such responsibilities in the interest of the din or because necessity demands it. However, it is very important that one does not accept such tasks for personal motives, personal interests, material gains or worldly honour and glory. One should, instead, keep in view the needs of the Muslim community. Allah Most High says: “Allah knows him who spoils (does not try to improve the lot of the people) from him who improves (the lot of the Muslims).” (Al-Baqarah: 220) The Sixth distinguishing sign of the ‘ulama al-akhirah is that they do not take hasty decisions when giving verdicts in religious law (fatwas) and are very careful in giving advice on religious matters. They refer, as far as possible, cases to someone else whom they consider to be capable of making such decisions. Shaykh Abu Hafs Nishapuri (may Allah mercy him) says, “A true ‘alim is one who, while giving an opinion in religious matters, is afraid and thinks that he will have to explain, on the Day of Resurrection, the authority on which he had given a decision in such and such a case.” Some of the ‘ulama have said that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would greatly avoid four things: 1] Becoming an imam (one who leads the obligatory prayers); 2] The guardianship of a deceased person (i.e. the responsibility to distribute his property according to the will made by him); 3] Accepting a trust; 4] Giving decisions (fatwas) in religious matters. And their five great interests in life were: 1] Reciting the Holy Qur’an; 2] Remaining in the masjids; 3] Remembrance of Allah Most High; 4] Enjoining what is good; 5] Forbidding evil. Ibn Husayn (may Allah mercy him) said, “Some people hurriedly pronounce a decision (fatwa) on religious law in such important matters which, if they had been presented to Sayydiuna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then he would have gathered together all the leading Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who had participated in the Battle of Badr and consult them.” Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) is such an illustrious Companion that he spent ten years in the service of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Still, whenever he was asked regarding an issue of fiqh, he would say, “Ask Mawlana Hasan.”[2] (This Hasan al-Basri [may Allah mercy him] was from among the famous jurists, Sufis and Tabi’is.) When Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) (who was an illustrious Companion and was given the title ra’is al-mufassirin [Leader of the Commentators of the Qur’an]) would be asked his view, he would direct people to Jabir Ibn Zayd (may Allah mercy him) who was a Tabi’i well versed in issuing fatwas. Sayyiduna ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), himself an illustrious Companion and a profound scholar of fiqh, referred cases to the Tabi’i Sa’id Ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah mercy him). The Seventh distinguishing characteristic of the ‘ulama al-akhirah is that they are seriously interested in the esoteric science, in other words Suluk. They strive greatly in purifying their inner selves and hearts, as this is a means of progressing in the exoteric knowledge. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whosoever acts upon what he knows, Allah Most High will grant him knowledge of that which he has not acquired.” It occurs in the scriptures of previous prophets (peace be upon them): “O children of Israel, say not, knowledge lies in the skies above; who can make it descend upon us? Nor should you say, knowledge lies in the bowels of the earth, too deep for us to dig out. Nor say, knowledge lies across the seas too far away for us to reach it. Knowledge lies within your own hearts. Remain in My presence, observing proper etiquette in the manner of great spiritual beings and cultivate the pious manners of the siddiqin; I shall cause knowledge to spring forth from your hearts, so much so that you will be overwhelmed by knowledge.” Experience shows that the pious beings who have attained nearness to Allah Most High are granted access to such knowledge and insight which cannot be found in books. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah Most High said, “No means whereby My servant seeks My Favour are more pleasing to Me than the observance of the fard actions (such as Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj etc.). My servant keeps coming closer to Me with nafl actions, until I make him My favourite, and when I make him My favourite, I become his ears with which he hears, his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his feet with which he walks. If he asks Me for something, I fulfil his desire, or if he seeks refuge against anything, I grant him refuge.” (Al-Bukhari) Meaning, his walking, seeing, hearing and all actions conform to the pleasure of Allah Most High. Some other versions of the hadith add: “Whosoever despises or bears enmity against any one of my friends has declared war against me.” Since the thoughts and contemplation of the walis of Allah are connected to Him, the subtle knowledge of the Holy Qur’an are revealed to them, and its secrets are made clear to them; this is especially the case with those who remain constantly engaged in the dhikr and meditation of Allah Most High. And each individual receives from this, with tawfiq from Allah Most High, an amount that is equivalent to his concern for good actions and efforts. In a lengthy hadith — quoted by Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (may Allah mercy him) in his book, Miftah Dar al-Sa’adah and by Abu Nu’aym (may Allah mercy him) in his book Al-Hilyah – Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have mentioned the qualities of the ‘ulama al-akhirah. Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said hearts are like vessels and the best hearts are those that preserve good as much as possible. He also said that gathering knowledge is better than accumulating wealth for knowledge gives you protection while wealth needs your protection, and knowledge increases through use while wealth decreases when spent. The benefits of wealth do not remain after it has been spent, but the benefits of learning are eternal. He then heaved a deep sigh and said, within my bosom, there is much knowledge. I wish I could find people who would be capable of receiving this knowledge. However, I find those who employ religious pursuits to amass wealth; or I find people who indulge in sensual pleasures, bound by the shackles of following their desires; or involved in amassing worldly wealth. Anyway, this is a long passage and I (Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalwi) have only quoted a portion of it here. The eighth distinguishing characteristic is that their faith and belief in Allah Most High is ever increasing and they are always concerned about this — firm belief is [a believer’s] capital. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Firm belief (yaqin) is iman in its entirety.” He also said, “Learn how to believe truly.” The meaning of this hadith is that one should diligently sit with those who possess strong belief and follow their example so that, by virtue of their blessed companionship, one can attain perfect faith. He should have perfect belief in the absolute power and attributes of Allah Most High just like his belief in the existence of the sun and the moon. He should have perfect belief that Allah Most High alone is the doer of all things, all the various material means are under His sole control and He employs these means as He wills. This is like a stick in the hands of a person who beats someone with it, but nobody holds the stick responsible for it. When this belief becomes firmly rooted in the heart, it will become easy for him to cultivate the qualities of tawakkul (trusting in Allah alone), rida (willing acceptance of what has been decreed by Allah Most High) and taslim (submission to the supreme will of Allah Most High). He should also have perfect belief that Allah Most High is the sole individual responsible for providing sustenance (rizq), and that He has taken the responsibility for the rizq of every individual as has been predetermined; he will, under all circumstances, receive it. That which has not been predetermined will not reach him under any circumstance. When this belief becomes firm, one will exercise moderation in the struggle to earn one’s livelihood. Such belief checks greed and avarice and one will not feel grieved if one fails to achieve something. He should also have firm belief that Allah Most High is watching all deeds, good or bad, at all times; that even an iota small good or bad deed is in the knowledge of Allah Most High; and that reward or punishment will certainly reach him. He should strongly believe that all virtues are rewarded just as he believes that eating bread satisfies one’s hunger. Similarly, he should believe that evil has certain consequences, just like the bite of a snake (in short, he should be attracted by good deeds, as a hungry person is by food; and should feel afraid of sins, as he is scared of a snake or a scorpion). When he is firm in this, then he will have complete yearning to perform every type of good deed and total care to refrain from every type of evil deed. The ninth distinguishing characteristic of the ‘ulama al-akhirah is that, under all conditions, they should wear a true expression of being inspired with the fear of Allah Most High. His greatness, magnificence and fear should manifest from their every gesture — from the style of their dress, from their personal habits, from their speech and even from their silence. A mere look at such an ‘alim’s face will inspire one with the remembrance of Allah Most High. Calmness, serenity, modesty, and humbleness should have become his manner. He abstains from idle or meaningless talk, and his manner of speaking is natural and unassuming, as this is born of pride and haughtiness, and indicates a lack of fear of Allah Most High. Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Acquire knowledge, and acquire calmness, proper poise and gentleness for knowledge; behave modestly with those from whom you learn, and let those who learn from you be humble with you. Do not become one of the tyrannical ‘ulama for your knowledge cannot be based on ignorance.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The best of my Ummah are those who in public look happy thinking of the infinite mercy of Allah Most High, but in private weep and cry for fear of His punishment. They are bodily on earth, but their hearts are absorbed in the heavens.” Someone asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), “Which is the best act of virtue?” He replied, “Abstaining from what is unlawful and keeping your tongue occupied continuously with the dhikr of Allah Most High.” Someone asked, “Who is the best companion?” He replied, “He who warns you of negligence in good deeds and aides you in performing them.” Someone asked, “Who is a bad companion?” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “The one who does not warn you when you are negligent in your good actions, nor helps you when you want to do them.” Someone asked, “Who is the greatest ‘alim?” He replied, “The one who lives in greatest fear of Allah Most High.” Someone asked, “With whom should we associate most frequently?” He replied, “Those who inspire you with the dhikr of Allah Most High.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The carefree person in the life Hereafter will be the one who remained concerned in this life; the one who will laugh the most in the Hereafter will be he who wept most in this life (for fear of Allah Most High).” The tenth distinguishing feature of the virtuous ‘ulama is that they are more concerned about those regulations of Islamic law which pertain to religious practices; to what is lawful and unlawful. That is to say, they are interested in actions that it is obligatory to perform and are very keen to know things that are necessary to avoid. Similarly, they are very particular in learning about things that may undo any virtue (for example things which make Salah invalid, the virtues of using a miswak etc.). They do not indulge in discussions relating to abstruse branches of knowledge for the sake of being regarded as a research scholar, a sage or great philosopher. The eleventh distinguishing characteristic of a virtuous ‘alim is that he has studied, with deep insight, various branches of knowledge. He does not accept the opinions of others, for we are bound to follow the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and seek guidance from his sayings alone. We follow the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) simply because they closely observed and followed the ways of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Since following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is of fundamental value, a true ‘alim should be very particular about collecting the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and should make them the object of his serious consideration. The twelfth distinguishing feature of the ‘ulama al-akhirah is that they are strict and stringent in their avoidance of bid’ah. Something becoming a common practice does not means that the thing is a reliable religious practice, for true religion consists in following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). It should be seen what the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did in such matters. Hence, it is imperative to undertake a thorough study of the ways and manners of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and to remain deeply involved in this. Hasan al-Basri (may Allah mercy him) said: “Two types of person are innovators and they have introduced two kinds of innovations in Islam: [1] He who thinks Islam is that which he understands, and only he who agrees with him will attain paradise, and [2] he who lives a life of comfort and worships the world, he likes those who struggle to achieve worldly things and dislikes those who do not try to earn worldly wealth. Leave both of them alone for the hellfire. As for him whom Allah Most High has protected from these people, he is following the footsteps of the pious predecessors. He has adopted their manners and practices. It is they who will be generously rewarded in the hereafter by Allah Most High.” Sayyiduna ‘Abd Allah Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Yours is the age in which desires are restrained by (religious) knowledge; a time will soon come when knowledge will be subservient to desires.” Meaning people will try to justify whatever pleases their fancy with their knowledge. Some Divines said, “During the times of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), Satan sent forth his detachments to all four corners of the world. They roamed the world and came back, disheartened and exhausted. Satan asked, ‘How did you fare?’ They said, ‘These people (the Companions) worry us. We cannot affect them in any way; we are in great difficulty because of them.’ Satan said, ‘Don’t worry. These people are the Companions of their Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace); influencing them is difficult. Soon, you will have people who will do what you desire.’ Then, once again, Satan sent forth his detachments in all directions during the times of the Followers (Tabi’in). Satan’s disciples again came back, worn out and cast down. When he asked them how they fared, they said, ‘They annoyed us; they are a strange people. During the day, we do succeed to a certain extent in tempting them. But as soon as the evening falls, they repent of their sins so sincerely that all our labours are lost.’ Satan again said, ‘Don’t worry. A time is soon coming when people will behave in a manner most pleasing to you. They will follow their own desires, taking them to be a religious duty. They will not think of repentance; they will rather give religious sanction to their irreligiousness.’ After some time, Satan introduced into Islam such innovations, which were accepted as a part of religion. How could they possibly repent from such sins when they believed themselves to be on the right path?” This is a brief account of the twelve distinguishing characteristics of the virtuous ‘ulama that have been thoroughly discussed by Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah mercy him). The ‘ulama should, therefore, particularly fear the Day of Reckoning because their reckoning will be severe and they have a greater responsibility. The Day of Resurrection, the day on which this reckoning will take place, is a difficult day. May Allah Most High, in His Infinite bounty and mercy, protect us all from the severity of that day. _____________________________ Sufis who placed their trust (tawakkul) in Allah Most High (editor). [↩] The word mawlana is used explicitly by Imam al-Ghazali in the Arabic of Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din. Sayyiduna Anas’ (may Allah be pleased with him) usage of the word to describe a man of learning is an early precedent for its use in this context (editor). [↩] Deoband.org