ummtaalib

Islam gives Women the right to Inherit!

Inheritance Laws for Women in other Religions In Judaism In Christianity In Hinduism Hindu and Zoroastrian inheritance systems

Inheritance in Pre-Islamic Arabia In order to truly appreciate the favours bestowed upon women by Islam, let us look at their before the advent of Islam. Arabs used to make unlimited bequest in favour of any person according to their own interest. The position of women was worse than that of the women of any other country. The women were not entitled to have the share of the property of their deceased husbands, fathers and other relatives. They regarded women as chattels. The Wife is a part of Inheritance The advent of Islam brought justice for everyone!

The Revival of Islam By Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera Zamzam Academy There is a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) related by a number of hadithscholars (including Imam Abu Dawud, and Imam Hakim in his Mustadrak) that is unanimously considered to be sahih, in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) made a very special statement. This article will discuss this hadith. Given the times that we are experiencing, people need glad tidings. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, Abshiru (or bashshiru): “Give glad tidings.” The hadith, narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him), is as follows: “Allah will send (or appoint) for this umma at the end of every century someone who will revive their faith for them”. At the end of every century, from the time when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) migrated from Makka to Madina Munawwara, every hundred years there has been at least one individual, if not more, who Allah has specially selected and appointed to be a reviver of the faith. What is the need for revival? We know that Allah has said in the Qur’an: “We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” (15:9). This is speaking about the Qur’an in particular. However, when we are speaking about the Qur’an, we are speaking about the religion in general, as the Qur’an is the heart and the soul of our religion and it is preserved until today. Allah has taken this responsibility upon Himself. Regarding the difference between this umma (nation) and the nations and communities of the past prophets (may the peace of Allah be upon them all), a hadithof the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) tells us that the Banu Israel (Israelites) had prophets that came one after the other among them. There was the rasul, the special messenger, which was Musa (upon him be peace) who came with a Sacred Law. After him numerous prophets came that revived the Sacred Law and message that Prophet Musa (upon him be peace) came with, and that is the difference between a messenger (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). Although we use these terms interchangeably, a messenger is a special type of prophet that Allah selects and gives a new Sacred Law to, one that would abrogate the previous one. Prophet Ibrahim (upon him be peace) was a prophet and a messenger, as was Prophet Musa (upon him be peace). With Prophet Musa (upon him be peace) he had Yusha’ ibn Nun (upon him be peace) and Harun (upon him be peace) who were prophets to support and assist him. The Israelites had many prophets that would come one after the other to redirect them to the Shari’a. In this umma, there will be no more prophets, neither rasul nor nabi, as the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) was the seal of the prophets (upon them be peace). Therefore, the responsibility of the revival of the religion has been given to the scholars. The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) has communicated in many hadiths the virtue of the scholars and how they are to continue the message of the prophets (upon them be peace): “The ulama are the inheritors of the prophets” (Abu Dawud). The first thing that we need to understand is that Islam has a very enduring nature. Islam will never be stamped out: “Allah will perfect His Light, although the disbelievers dislike it” (Qur’an 61:8). Allah will continue His Light until the last day, after which this world will end. While it is a fact that Allah is preserving this faith, yet there is a need for revival, and this is why Allah selects certain individuals from the umma, especially towards the end of each century, who revive the religion. Reviving the religion concerns aspects of it that have become corrupt. This could be because people have begun to spread innovations: in beliefs, ideologies or philosophies that are alien to the core fundamentals, and the soul and spirit of Islam. Whether it is an attack from outside of Islam or within it, there are individuals or groups Allah selects, in each field and discipline of Islam, who take the religion and purify it. There is another hadithnarrated from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) where he says: “This sacred knowledge of the religion is going to be taken and carried from every preceding generation by a group of the subsequent generation. They will expel from it the alteration made by those going beyond bounds, false claims of the liars and the false interpretations of the ignorant ones” (Bayhaqi). From every preceding generation, a group will take knowledge and they will purify from it any misrepresentation of the religion. For example, someone may have come with a new claim about religion and corrupted a number of people; after all, ideas are prone to exaggeration. The whole reason that communism came about is because the core need of man was to have economic stability. In Russia, there was a massive gap between those who had and those who did not, and that is why one need among the many needs of humanity—of economic stability—was promoted as the main need of that time. Eventually that particular need became the dominant aspect around which everything else began to revolve and they formed an entire system around it. Similarly, let us say there is a time when we need to promote politics in Islam, which is just one of its many aspects. If somebody takes that and makes it the entire crux and spirit of Islam, and begins to say that even your salat (prayer) is part of your Islamic politics and it is a type of training in obedience to the leader, and starts to reinterpret all other acts of worship around a political vision, he will corrupt the entire religion. He has taken one aspect of religion, and made it the core of religion. Therefore, Allah sends people to deal with the consequences of such corruption and innovation. They undertake the work of revival. Who are the revivers? When we look into our history, we see numerous individuals, some of whom are not considered revivers of faith because they did not live and pass away at the turn of an Islamic century. They may have passed away during the middle of the century. We have a number of hadiths in this regard, that speak about the enduring nature of our religion and the powerful nature of its continuity. However, people will fall off the bandwagon. There will be people who consider themselves to be Muslims, but are on the edge, just clinging on to their faith. When something unfavourable happens to Muslims in the world or some Muslims decide to perpetrate certain crimes or acts of aggression, and the media hypes up these events, such people become very confused. They look at these events and think ‘if my religion was the truth, why is it becoming so blameworthy to be a Muslim today?’ Shaytan is always looking for ways to confuse us. The spirit of this religion will constantly remain firm, and there will always be true ones on the straight path until the day of judgement. The question is whether we are among them and will we remain firm. This is the fitnah—the challenge. A hadithstates that there will always be a group of people from this umma who will remain steadfast, upholding the religion of Allah. Those who try to forsake them will not harm them. The Arabic word used here is khidhlan (to forsake). Khidlan means to leave somebody alone, to stop supporting them and assisting them, basically, to side-line them. This happens often. We see this happening, day in day out, today. People are side lined because they call to the truth. However, the fortunate ones are those who are not concerned or harmed in the least by those who forsake them until the command of Allah comes to them, which is that they meet their death or the day of judgement comes upon them. They will remain holding onto the religion. It is irrelevant whether you and I forsake the religion of Allah because there will always be a group who will uphold it. The religion is important, but it is also independent and self-enduring, because it is the religion of Allah Most High. It is not in need of you and I. We need Allah more than He needs us. So religion will continue. The question is whether we will continue on it or not. Imam Suyuti passed away in 911 Hijri. It is said nowadays that Imam Mahdi’s time is imminent. There is no categorical information that tells us when he will appear. If we look into history, we have been in far worse times than we are in now, more deadly and detrimental scenarios than what we face today. Back in the early 9th Hijri, as Imam Suyuti says in his poem, people were saying that the Day of Judgment was very near. The 1000th year of Islam was nigh and people thought the world was going to end. There have been many downs and dips in our history, but Allah be praised, we have also had our heights and elevations. When we look at our history, it fills us with joy and courage, as it shows that Allah Most High is with this umma. There were many times that it felt as though this religion was coming to an end, but Allah uplifted it again. Let us look to the time of the Tartars, for instance, when they went into Herat. Herat was a bustling city, one of the main cities on one of the main caravan routes, and in those times, a place of great magnificence. When the Tartars had finished sweeping through Herat, only 27 or so people emerged from the ruins. We have carnage today but maybe nothing that can compare with what the umma has experienced in the past. We have deaths in large numbers, which we do not consider trivial, but we have fared worse. This should not make us despondent, nor should it make us question whether we are on the truth, or why the help of Allah does not appear to come to us. People asked these questions of Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) and this angered him. He related to them stories of past nations who had their flesh torn from their bones, but it did not stop them from believing in Allah. This is all a part of life in this world. Allah did not promise us paradise in this world; Allah has promised us paradise in the hereafter. Allah Most High says: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient” (Qur’an 2:155). As has been mentioned before, many scholars such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam Suyuti and numerous others have written that there were great scholars who did many exceptional things, and at times, their achievements were greater than some of the mujaddidin (revivers). Imam Bukhari’s work, for instance, in the collection, verification and compilation of hadiths, has been an important and enduring work from his time to our time. As monumental as his work is, Imam Bukhari is not considered a reviver of the religion because he passed away in 256 Hijri, which is the middle of the century, and not towards the end of it, as the hadith is said to indicate. There is an agreement by consensus that the reviver of the first century was ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, and he is probably the greatest of the revivers. He was able to combine scholarship and rule. In his two years and five months as the caliph, he managed to achieve what many had not attained before him or after him. According to many great scholars, he is considered the first and greatest reviver. The reviver of the second century was Imam Shafi’i; he was born in 150 Hijri and passed away in 204 Hijri. Scholars have said that after the first few centuries it was very difficult to have only one reviver of the religion. A reviver is the one who is still alive at the turn of the century, the beginning of the new century. He becomes knowledgeable of both the internal and external sciences; he is in conformity with the Sunna of Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and he speaks out against the innovations and corruption in the religion. This is generally something that is recognised by the ‘ulema who notice and acknowledge certain traits and characteristics and come to the conclusion that a particular individual must be a reviver. It is difficult for a single person to possess characteristics to reform the many different corruptions that may occur in the religion in its different aspects: the political, the judicial, the Sunna, hadith, Qur’anic interpretation, spirituality and so on. This is why the ‘ulama entertain the idea that it doesn’t have to be one person who is the reviver at the end of each century. There may be a reviver for the science of hadith, one for Qur’anic studies, one in reformatory guidance and spirituality, and so on. There could be revivers in each of the different fields of the religion. Revivers throughout history From the revivers of the early centuries, we have mentioned ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz in the first century, but in individual disciplines such as the science of hadith for example, we have ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. Then, we have Qasim ibn Muhammad, Salim ibn ‘Abdillah and Hasan al-Basri. We had the likes of ibn Sirin, the great muhaddith, mufassir and dream interpreter. We had Muhammad al-Baqir. In the second century, we had people like Yahya ibn Ma‘in along with Imam Shafi’i, as has been already mentioned. In the third generation, we had Imam Nasa’i, Qadi Abu ’l-Abbas ibn Surayj. In the fourth generation, we had Imam Hakim al-Nishapuri, a great hadithscholar who collected and compiled narrations that he felt were at the same level as those in Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim’s works which were not mentioned by them. There is Hafiz ‘Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa’id al-Misri and Abu Hamid al-Isfirayini, who were among the great Ash’ari scholars, along with Imam Baqillani Abu ’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari. In the fifth century, we had Imam Ghazali, who definitely deserves the position of a reviver, as agreed upon by many scholars. In the sixth century, there was Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. In the seventh century, many say it was the great ibn Daqiq al-‘Id. In the eighth century, another great Ash’ari theologian named Imam al-Bulqini and Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi, the great hadithscholar. In the ninth century, the reviver was Imam Suyuti, and in the tenth century, Imam Shihab al-Din al-Ramli. After the tenth century we also have Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, also aptly known as Mujaddid Alf Thani (Reviver of the Second Millennium) who emerged at the turn of the second Islamic millennium. The amount of work he did to deal with the corruption of the ruler of the time, who tried to mix the religion of Islam with Hinduism, is quite phenomenal. For this reason, he was considered a reviver of his time. In the eleventh century, there was also Ibrahim ibn al-Hasan al-Kurdi al-Qurani and Sayyid Murtada al-Husayni al-Zabidi who wrote a profound commentary on Imam Ghazali’s Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din. Some scholars say that if all the other books were destroyed, then this commentary would suffice for us. Some say Shah Waliyullah al-Dihlawi was among the revivers of the eleventh century, and the same for Imam al-Haddad and Mulla Ali al-Qari. In the twelfth century, we have Imam Saleh ibn Muhammad ibn Nuh al-Fulani. In more recent times in the thirteenth century, we have Imam al-Tahtawi, Shah ‘Abd al-Aziz al-Dihlawi and ‘Uthman bin Fudi (may Allah have mercy upon them all). For the recent century, we will leave it to the ‘ulama. And Allah knows best. How Allah (glorified and exalted be He) uses individuals for His work Imam Hasan al-Basri was a remnant of the Companions. He was not one of them, as he came after the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) departed from this world but he was among the generation that saw the sahaba, and he acted as a bridge between them and the people that came after them. He had lived at a time when the spirit of Islam was strong and people were enthusiastic about their faith, upholding the best of values and morals. Then, as he witnessed the sahaba leaving the world, he became aware of the decline of the umma and how the rulers of the time were corrupt, who in turn were being followed by the people in their corruption. He had benefited from the sahaba, so he would deliver heart-rending speeches, drawing people back to the true ways of Islam. It was through his powerful and emphatic speeches that Allah rekindled the spirit of Islam. Although he is not generally considered a reviver he was considered to be a saviour of the Islamic spirit. In the first century, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was appointed the caliph of the Muslims. In two years and five months, he had completely turned around the state of the umma. His efforts were so great that the entire umma, which by then spread all the way across the north of Africa, had become so affluent and successful that there was not a single person who was eligible to receive zakat. This was because of the distribution of wealth in a just manner that people had sufficient sustenance. The suffering that we have today is because the laws of Islam are not implemented, including the absence of proper zakat discharge and distribution. This is why others are progressing further than the Muslims. After ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz and Imam Shafi’i, came Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. During his time came a new and even greater trial. The texts of the Greeks, such as Aristotle, Plato and other philosophers started becoming available in translation in the Arabic language due to the translation movement by Harun al-Rashid and his son Ma’mun al-Rashid. Many Jewish and Christian Arabs were employed to translate Greek and Syriac works into the current Arabic language, and slowly these began to circulate in the Muslim lands. Those who could read and had scholarly interests began to take these philosophical works and decided that it would be appropriate to adopt some of the views and amalgamate them with the religion of Islam. Benefitting from such works on a very supplementary and auxiliary level, using them just in some subsidiary manner may have been acceptable, as some scholars did later on. Instead they decided to mix them with the religion of Islam, which caused it to become corrupt with foreign elements being introduced, thus changing its image. This became a very big issue when they could not reconcile between it and a hadith or Qur’anic verse. Whenever a perceived clash arose, they gave preference to their own understandings over the clear sacred text. They innovated many deviant ideas and beliefs; one of their biggest deviations being their belief that the Qur’an was a creation of Allah’s rather than His eternal uncreated word, contrary to the beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunna wa ’l-Jam’a. This issue became so widespread that ‘ulama who opposed their views were persecuted, and in many cases, killed in the inquisition. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was brought before the caliph of the time, Mu’tasim bi’ Llah to answer questions on certain aspects of his beliefs. He remained steadfast on the beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunna wa ’l-Jam’a. Though he was lashed, punished, tortured and imprisoned, he fought against these deviant beliefs and upheld the true beliefs. Allah used Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal to preserve the true beliefs of Islam in the face of deviation, and today we do not see people from this deviant group anymore. During the fifth century of Islam, a new fitna occurred. Several Hellenistic philosophers such as Alfarabi, ibn Sina (Avicenna) and later ibn Rushd (Averroes) held the idea that the Qur’an was revealed for people who lacked intellect, and that there were certain people that Allah had chosen who could grasp the realities of the world using only their intellect. They believed that people like Aristotle and Plato were at the same level of the prophets (may the peace of Allah be upon all the prophets) and that Allah had chosen to give them intellect rather than revelation. These philosophers felt that they could reconcile their ideas with the Qur’an and introduced the idea of double truths. They became so strong in their belief that there was no scholar to respond to them in a comprehensive way. Allah then sent the reviver of the fifth century, Imam Ghazali, who despite his busy life as the rector of the Nizamiyya College in Baghdad, read all the books of the philosophers over the course of two years in his free time, and wrote a book titled The Objective of the Philosophers. After this, he wrote another book in response to the philosophers titled The Incoherence of the Philosophers, refuting their ideas. Up until his time, there was no one who could respond to them. Nobody possessed the requisite knowledge and methodology, and so Imam Ghazali learned their ways and did so. The manner in which he responded to them was to be marvelled at. Whilst being cautious yet bold and at times sarcastic in his remarks, he was capable of making light work of their claims, often questioning what had possessed them to make such statements that he believed even children would not make. Mawlana Abu ’l-Hasan Ali Nadwi writes that for about a hundred years there was nobody who was able to respond to Ghazali’s refutation. This is said to have caused a heavy blow to Hellenistic philosophy, and according to some caused their decline. What is important for us is that Allah used Imam Ghazali to remove corruption in the religion of Islam during the 5th century and fulfilled His promise of the ever-enduring nature of Islam. Reviving Islam in the present day We have to realise that whether the Imam Mahdi comes in our time or not is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to do something for our religion ourselves, which is to teach our children and to learn ourselves. Our responsibility is to hold fast to the religion of Allah Most High. When we go wrong, we correct ourselves and try to do better. We have to realise that there will be many difficulties. However, there could also be another glorious period of Islam before we even hear about Imam Mahdi’s appearance. The point is that we need to strengthen our own faith because that is our responsibility. On the day of judgement, we cannot go to Allah and give the excuse that we were awaiting the arrival of the Mahdi. Even if we have lost hope of becoming revivers of Islam ourselves, then we can at least hope that the revivers are from among our children, but we need to give them the right environment. We need to give them the correct upbringing at home. We have to build our communities to do that which attracts people to the religion of Islam out of the darkness. We are not a people that exist only in a contemporary period. We are products of a legacy that has existed for over 1400 years, we have had rises, and we have had falls, but just as history repeats itself, so will time repeat itself. Allah takes for the service of His faith many different people in many different ways. We pray that Allah Most High chooses us for His work and makes us a means of reviving the din of Islam. Transcribed by Usamah Muttakin Edited by Abdul Aziz & Adnan Ashraf

The woman who dropped out of Cambridge PhD to enter into polygamous marriage to Muslim businessman with two other wives 16 September 2014 Sam Creighton for Daily Mail Nabilah Phillips dropped out of Cambridge to marry Hasan Phillips She is one of three women married to the businessman and charity worker There are as many as 20,000 polygamous Muslim marriages in Britain New documentary, The Men with Many Wives, exposes rise in these unions Studying for a PhD in engineering at Cambridge, she might not seem like a prime candidate to enter into a polygamous marriage. But that is what Nabilah Phillips did, dropping out of university to become the second woman married to businessman Hasan Phillips who has since acquired a third wife. Yesterday it emerged that Mrs Phillips, from North London, is among thousands of Muslim women entering into such relationships which are illegal in the UK but allowed under sharia law which permits men to have four wives. new television documentary, The Men with Many Wives, exposes the rise in these unions – of which there are believed to be as many as 20,000 in Britain – and the dating agency, Muslim Marriage Event, responsible for setting many of them up. Copy link to paste in your me The couple were interviewed in this week's Radio Times Having already been through a divorce Mrs Phillips, 35, originally from Malaysia, signed up to a similar matrimony service specifically looking for a married man. She told the programme: ‘I was looking for someone who had been married or was already in a marriage. ‘I was married before and having gone through one divorce, you kind of know what you want in marriage, so I wanted someone who already knows how to be a husband. ‘I really enjoy being in a polygamous relationship. We are not stupid people who are forced into this type of relationship.’ Through the service she signed up to she met 32-year-old Mr Phillips – also divorced but re-married to City worker Sakinah, 33, – and decided to abandon her studies to become his second wife. The wives occasionally meet when Mr Phillips, who as well as being a businessman also works for a charity aiming to spread the word of Islam, organises family outings. Nabilah Phillips said: ‘If any problem happens between co-wives it’s usually his fault. Praising somebody too much. “Why don’t you be more like her, she’s this, she’s that”. If he didn’t say that, we would all be happy.’ She has two children with Mr Phillips, who has six in total, and helps to run his import-export business. But abandoning her high-flying academic career was not her only change after she married. She also began wearing the Muslim veil, the niqab. She told Radio Times: ‘I wanted to wear one before I got married – being married to Hasan has given me the opportunity to wear one and be steady at it. The only prejudice I have met so far has been from other Muslims.’ During filming Mr Phillips, who converted to Islam from Christianity when he was 16, marries a third woman, Somalia-born Anub, 41. He did not invite his other two wives to the small ceremony, held at the local mosque, saying: ‘I don’t think it would be right to invite them. Even though they are accepting of polygamy, you don’t want to really rub it in their faces, “Look, I’m getting married”, and expect them to be happy and have a party about it.’ Each wife lives in a separate house in London and Mr Phillips spends three nights in each home before moving on to the next.

Mirror, mirror on the wall By Sadaf Farooqi At times, we get so used to reciting Masnoon Du’as and Adhkaar (supplications and words of remembrance) in our day-to-day lives that we lose sight of their deep meanings and how relevant they are to our everyday thought processes and attitudes. For example, in our contemporary world of increasing mental diseases, personality disorders and psychological problems, psychiatrists, self-help gurus and life coaches help clients or patients to “think positively” and “develop a positive self-image”. Yet, this positive thinking was deeply-entrenched in the life, teachings and habits of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – if only we paused for a moment to reflect. Take just one Du’a. For example, the Du’a he would recite aloud when he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The translation is: “O Allah! The way you have beautified my physical form/body (‘khalqee’), thus beautify (also) my character (‘khuluqee’).” Another Hadith added in the end: “...and make my face forbidden for the Hell-Fire”. The starting words of this short and simple, yet profound, Du’a reflect positivism. When a person looks in the mirror, he or she sometimes does so with a critical eye (women in particular). What needs to be spruced up or fixed is analyzed in detail. The “defects” are loathed over and people turn into being ungrateful. “O Allah, the way you beautified my physical creation...” The believer follows the Sunnah. He or she calls out to Allah when looking into the mirror and acknowledges that Allah created the physical form in a beautiful manner. This is the first step towards positive thinking – a step that gives negative thoughts a kick in the teeth. Nowadays the more people look into the mirror, the more they complain about their looks – they criticize their height, anatomical proportions, their graying or balding hair, and complexion. However, this Du’a that the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited is guidance for all believers to be grateful to Allah for their physical form. The next few words of the Du’a form the gist of the invocation: “So beautify my conduct.” The word Khulq means a person’s dealings with others, his character and his personality. After acknowledging the beauty or perfection of his physical appearance, instigating gratitude in the heart, a believer now turns to Allah in prayer and asks Him for what is much more important than superficial, outward physical looks, i.e. good conduct. Allah says about the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Qur’an: “And verily, you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) are on an exalted (standard of) character.” (Qur’an, 68:4) His wife Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her), when asked about the Khulq of Allah’s Messenger, stated, “His Khulq (character) was the Qur’an,” implying that his actions embodied the character that is in complete accordance with the commands of the Qur’an. In the looks-obsessed world of today, society finds it harder and harder to give importance to a person’s innate good traits and character. Plastic surgery, fitness training, fashionable looks and wellness, panoramic skin care regimens and products, and anti-ageing devices are the rage of the day. People try out new hair colors, liposuction, tummy tucks, weight loss measures, and plethora of physical fitness programs to keep themselves looking young and good-looking. What they overlook is the inside that really and truly matters. Relationships – how you deal with the less fortunate, being ethical in business dealings, and showing respect to the elderly – are all being ignored. Do we forgive or keep grudges? Do we do good to others even if they wrong us? The things – the Khulq – define a person. The last part of the Du’a – “…and forbid my face to the Hell Fire” – reminds the believer as he utters it while looking at his face in the mirror that indeed one of the torments of Hell is to have one’s face burned in it over and over again: “The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin with displaced lips (disfigured).” (Qur’an, 23:104) “…And if they ask for help (relief, water), they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will scald their faces.” (Qur’an, 18:29) Therefore, while looking in the mirror and reciting this Du’a, the believer focuses on the real and eternal preservation and well-being of his face – bypassing the trivial wrinkles and effects of ageing in this world – by asking Allah to forbid it the Hell-Fire. In this way, a simple Du’a taught to us by the Prophet (peace be upon him), when analyzed, reveals how thoroughly positive and increase the Adhkaar of Islam are. They remind believers to appreciate the good they possess, instead of focusing on minor blemishes; to strive for greater blessings than the fleeting, superficial ones, and finally, to ask for the permanent success and salvation in the Hereafter, than for the elusive, temporary, and worldly physical perfection. That is why, a sincere believer hardly gives a second thought to his wrinkles and grey hair – he has loftier goals in mind, and mightier goals to aspire to! – SG Islaaminfo.com

Why do Muslim women inherit half of what men do? Isn't that discrimination against women? Why are women treated unfairly in Islam? So are the allegations of the Orientalists and Non-Muslims correct? Are women denied equality by being given a lesser share and are women discriminated against in Islam? Contrary to the tide of misinformation and allegations, it was Islam which was the first religion to give women rights and a share in the inheritance at a time when women were considered property of their male counterparts and were denied all rights. It is also incorrect to say females always receive half the share. Although in most cases the male inherits a share that is twice that of a female, it is not always so. There are certain circumstances when they inherit equal shares, and in a few instances a female can inherit a larger share than that of the male. InshaAllah in this topic we will compile information which will answer the questions and clear the misconceptions beginning with Inheritance in Pre-Islamic Arabia and Inheritance laws for women in other religions. Discussions will follow on how Islam gave women their rights in inheritance at a time when women themselves were part of inheritance and the reasons behind the lesser share and how grave a sin it is when women are deprived of their rightful share of inheritance. Last but not least, a very important aspect overlooked by those who raise objections, examples of how females can inherit a share which is equal to, or even more than a male and where the male can even be left out completely. Advice to Muslims before going forward:

Does saying the Kalima include Agha Khanis amongst Muslim? Question: Are aga khani muslims or not (-) can a sunni muslim marry aga khani girl who is ready to read kalima but not ready to change her beleifs? Answer: It is not sufficient to be considered a Muslim to say the Kalima and at the same time hold the beliefs of the Aga Khani sect. The followers of this sect are undoubtedly disbelievers and it would be a heinous sin to marry from any of them. The following are some of their deviations: 1, They worship the picture of their Imam Aga Khan. 2, Their Bismillah is different to the Bismillah of the Muslims. 3, The method of performing their Salah has no basis in the Qur'an and Hadith but rather is in violation of the sacred sources. 4, Fasting is restricted to fasting of the eyes, mouth and hands. 5, Haj is for them is to visit their Imam. These and other beliefs and practices are a denial of that which is firmly established in the Religion of Islam, as taught and transmitted by the last Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and consequently leave a person a disbeliever. Fataawa Haqaniyya, vol.1 p.385. Mufti Mohammed Sajjad Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab As-Suffa Institute Follow-up: Question: I would like to correct you on a Q&A regarding Aga Khani's, aka Ismaili MUSLIMS. Yes, Aga Khani's are pure Shia Muslims and this has been proven in history. I would appreciate if you could please remove your answer regarding Aga Khani's not being Muslims, as they also follow the Shahadah, Allah (SWT), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)and the Holy Qur'an. We are no one to judge who are and who are not Muslims. Answer: Please note that just because a person says the Shahadah does not gaurantee that he/she is a Muslim, just as, for example, person who upholds justice but practices all forms of injustice, to continue to call him a just person, even if he proclaims to the world that he is just, is making a mockery of language and the intelligence. Shahadah does tell us that a person is a Muslim, but only as long as he/she does not uphold beliefs and ideas that negate it. If one were to uphold the view you seemingly do, then you would not be able declare anyone a disbeliever no matter how anti-Quranic and opposed to the clear teachings of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) they are. You would have to concede that even the Qadianis are Muslim as too are the Kharijis for they both pronounce the Shahadah, yet about the latter the Prophet (SAW) himself said, they would leave the Deen just as an arrow goes through its target (Sahih Muslim). Furthermore, this is not and never has been the approach of the best of generations and the Muslim scholars for the last 1400 years. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) with all the companions fought and killed those who denied Zakah, even though they would recite the Shahadah. The companions did this because these people had apostated from Islam, which is why those wars are known in Islamic History as the Riddah Wars (Apostasy wars). Similarly Islamic History testifies that Muslim scholars, in order to protect the pure Deen from corruption and the Ummah from misguidance, often declared as apostates or disbelievers individuals who held views that could not be reconciled in any way with the very teachings of the two entities found in the Shahadah. It will be clear to see for any objective person that this internal mechanism Islam has had to protect it from corruption is such a distinction that it helps prove its being the true Religion and divinely revealed. All other religions did, as you wish for Muslims to do, namely they let whatever erroneous baseless heresies reared their heads amongst them to take shelter under the name of the religion. Yet do you not see the absurdity of this, that something that is not only not revealed, but is in fact contrary to what is revealed, is somehow to be made equal to real revelation? Would we be so accommodating in worldly matters? If someone wished to buy another’s car and pulled out a pile of monopoly money, according to your principle the seller should happily accept the payment. But obviously you would never allow this, then why is it that when it comes to the most important of things: the Deen, upon which clings our eternal salvation or ruin we are prepared to make anything and everything the Religion of God. The Deen of Islam is that which the Holy Messenger (SAW) brought. Allah taala said: "Today I have perfected for you your Deen and completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Religion" (Sura al-Maidah:3). This verse was revealed right at the end of the Messenger of Allah’s (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) mission. Thus when we look to the teachings of the Aga Khanis we find clear violations of this and other sacred texts. To elaborate, when a person adopts a symbol of disbelief, it is sufficient for his/her leaving Islam. For example were a person to wear a cross around his neck, it would take him out of Islam. For this visual expression of Kufr is equivalent to a verbal or written expression of kufr. Now, it is from the practices of this sect that they worship the picture of Aga Khan and have it in their places of worship. Just as wearing a cross takes a person out of Islam so too would this act. Similarly the belief that Allah taala is dwelling within their leader, is also sufficient for Takfir. There are many other grave deviances found in this sect that take them out of the fold of Islam such as changes in the way they offer prayer. (See Jawaahir al-Fiqh, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, vol.1 p.70). Thus it is not permitted to marry into them, eat their slaughtered meat and generally mix with them. Mufti Mohammed Sajjad Wallahu Aalam bis-sawab

Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: Cleanliness is half of Imaan (faith), and Alhumdulillah (praising Allah) fills the scale, and Subhaanallah (glorifying Allah) and Alhumdulillah (praising Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and earth, and Salaah (prayer) is light, and Sadaqah (charity) is a proof (in your favour), and Sabr (patience) is brightness, and the Quraan is an evidence on your behalf or against you. Every person starts their day (and with their actions) either gain salvation or destroy themselves. (Muslim)

Hadhrat Waa’il (Radhiallahu Anhu) Has His Hair Cut. Hadhrat Waa’il bin Hujar (Radhiallahu Anhu) says: "I once visited Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) when the hair on my head was extremely long. While I was sitting with him, he uttered the words, 'Zubaab, Zubaab' (Meaning something evil). I thought that he was referring to my hair. I returned home and immediately had my hair cut. The next day when I went to visit him again, he said, 'I was not referring to your hair when I uttered those words yesterday. Anyway, it is good that you had your hair cut." (Fazaail Aamaal) This action of this Sahaabi reflects the true love he possessed for Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) within his heart. No sooner did he doubt that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was displeased with him on account of his long hair, he immediately had his hair cut. One can well imagine that if this was the level of the love they possessed, that just a mere doubt of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)’s displeasure would make them uneasy, could it have been possible for them to disobey the command of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) or go against his mubaarak sunnah. يَا رَبِّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ

Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation. يَا رَبِّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ

Oh yes i know where you're coming from Haya... We can at least have a longing and sigh for it

I don't agree...because when we abstain from what we are not allowed by Islam then we get full reward for it. Take the example of kissing the Hajare Aswad (Black Stone on the corner of the Ka'bah). Women are told to keep away as there is a lot of pushing and showing around it and we would be bumping into the men. For doing so we would still get the reward for it....and maybe even extra for keeping away from the men... hey, Allah ta'ala is as we think of Him : )

Non-Muslim writers on Slavery in Islam

How to Be a VIP on the Day of Judgment Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Allah will cover seven people with His shade, on the Day when there will be no shade but His: a just ruler, a youth who has grown up in the worship of Allah, a man whose heart is attached to the mosques, two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only, a man who refuses the call of a beautiful and influential woman for illicit relation with her and says: I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given, and a person who remembers Allah while he is alone and his eyes are flooded with tears." (Al-Bukhari) We all need Allah’s shade. To be under Allah’s shade is to be protected by Him and be blessed by Him. We need His shade in this life and in the Hereafter. It is mentioned that the Day of Judgment will be a very hard and difficult Day. On that day everyone will be worried and will try to find some protection and shade; but there will be no shade on that Day except the special shade of Allah. This shade will be granted to seven special types of people: 1. A just ruler or a just leader: It could be any person who has some authority and he/she uses this authority with justice and fairness without any favoritism or prejudice. Justice is the command of Allah for all people; but the most critical is the doing of justice when one has power and authority. More difficult is, of course, dealing justly with those who show hate and animosity towards you. A just person, especially a just leader or ruler, is given number one place in this list of seven. 2. A young person growing up in the worship of Allah: Worship of Allah is good for all people at any age and time; but the worship of Allah from the tender young age has special blessings. Many people become devoted to Allah when they grow old. In the old age when the body becomes weak, people start paying attention to the spirit. However, to be conscious of one’s spirit and growing up as a youth in the obedience of Allah bring a special honor and blessings. 3. A person whose heart is connected to the Masjid: Literally it says that the heart is hanging (mu`allaq) in the masjid. Imam Malik explained that it was a person who when he leaves the musjid, looks forward to coming back again soon. Normally people’s hearts are attached to their jobs, business and home. The masjid are not the priority for many people. However, those who love the House of Allah and keep it as their priority are the blessed people and they shall receive the special favor of Allah. 4. Two people loving each other for the sake of Allah: One should be friendly to all people and deal with all people in a kind and courteous manner. However, the friendship for the sake of Allah, for the reasons of piety and goodness is a very blessed friendship. This is a sincere friendship and when two or more people become attached to each other for Allah’s sake they bring a lot of good to themselves and to those around them. This is a kind of friendship that generates goodness in the world and is especially blessed by Allah. 5. A person of solid moral character: The Prophet gave an example of this solid character. He said a man tempted for illicit relationship by a woman who is beautiful and rich, influential or of a prestigious family (the word “mansib” means all these things in Arabic) and he refuses. Imam Ibn Hajar says that this is not limited to a man only who is tempted by a woman; it equally applies to a woman who may be tempted by a man who is very beautiful, powerful and rich and she refuses and says “I fear Allah.” It requires a lot of moral strength to refuse temptation when the other partner is attractive, rich, and not only consenting but persuasive. Those who have such a strong character are indeed under the protection of Allah. 6. A person of charity who does not show off his/her charity: A person gives charity in such a way that even his left hand does not know what his right hand has done. This is a very powerful and beautiful way to say that a person gives quietly, discreetly and with sincerity. His/her purpose is not to show off, seek publicity, name or fame; but only to please Allah. This is the highest kind of charity and it has a special reward and blessing from Allah. 7. A person who remembers Allah privately with eyes filled with tears: Thinking of Allah, repeating His Beautiful Names, thanking Him and praising Him, these are the ways to remember (dhikr) Allah. Doing the “dhikr” alone in one’s privacy, when no one is watching, with moving heart and tearful eyes is a sign of sincere faith and deep love of Allah. Those who have the love of Allah, they are indeed under His shade and protection. All these seven characters are deeply moral and spiritual characters. They indicate a person’s faith and sincere commitment. They are related to feeling, thinking, speaking and action. These are true characters of sincere believers. We pray to Allah to bless us with these characters and with his shade in this world and also in the Hereafter. Ameen. Islaaminfo.com

The time of Tahajjud Q. What is the time of performing Tahajjud Salaah? Can I perform Tahajjud Salaah at Fajr time? (Question published as received) A. Tahajjud Salaah may be performed after the Esha Salaah until Subah Saadiq (the starting of Fajr Salaah time). However, the reward for Tahajjud Salaah increases if it is performed after half of the night has elapsed. Tahajjud Salaah cannot be performed after Subah Saadiq or at Fajr Salaah time. Allah Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Allah's Promise: A Journey Through Bipolar Disorder What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. -Ralph Waldo Emerson You could have hit me upside my head a 1000 times and I would have been unaware of it all. My mind was detached from consciousness leaving my body unable to function. I could not eat on my own, walk on my own and I was verbally unresponsive. I was comatose and for a month’s time I have no memories of my own. You might be wondering what could cause such a state? A severe case of Bipolar Disorder. There is a dark angle to this story yet I must share it with you, and when the story is finished I pray you will be enlightened. At the age of fourteen, my future was bright. I was a straight A student, a well-liked president of my class and a participant in a plethora of after-school activities. I was confident, determined and, in my mind, headed straight to Harvard in four years. Allah had different plans for me. Sophomore year, I had to leave private school and transfer to a public school that was three times the size of my precious former school. I was unprepared for how it would, by design, chew me up and spit me out. I was ostracized at my new school. I was the “know it all” black girl who came from an uppity private school and I was not received well. I tried to fit in, but was unable to fit into a place that was not made to fit me. I was swallowed up by the rejection of my peers. I found myself very alone in a state of cultural shock. I didn’t have any friends and would spend the majority of the school day talking to no one. I quickly became depressed and things spiraled out of control. In order to cope, I started acting out. I found a home in the “bad crowd”. I started skipping school, doing drugs, stealing and lying incessantly. I experienced many sleepless nights and my thoughts would race in an uncontrollable battle. I didn’t want to keep doing the things I was doing; the things I knew Allah didn’t want me to do, but I couldn’t stop. I was a tortured soul. I didn’t know the erratic state I was experiencing had a name. It was Mania. The state of mind that accompanies the Depression found in the Bipolar illness. My parents thought something was wrong with me and sent me to the therapist, but it was useless. I was so confused and couldn’t voice the currents of inner turmoil that were afflicting me. It was a turmoil I saw eating away at my soul; a turmoil no one else could see. Towards the end of my breakdown period, I started running away habitually. The last time I ran away the police became involved and I had to go to court. In court, I declared that I wanted to divorce my family and live as a ward of the state in foster care. My parents were disgusted with me, but they had no idea how disgusted I was by me. I wanted to leave my family because I felt like I didn’t deserve their love. So in the end they let me go to teach me a lesson. I regrettably went. I stayed in foster care for about a month. It wasn’t the worst of places or the best of places. In my tortured state, I would cry to go home every day and when I arrived home I felt like the lesson was learned. I felt like I could miraculously do better this time, but once again Allah had different plans for me. In no time, I experienced scary hallucinations. I would see animals (snakes and alligators) in me and feel them move in serpent like patterns. My parents told me I was talking about being dead and in Hell along with the hallucinations for about two weeks before my mind and body shut down. In the hospital, it took the doctors some time to reach a proper diagnosis. In the early nineties, hallucinations with Bipolar Disorder were very rare. The comatose state troubled the doctors as well. They had never seen a case so severe in a person so young. They pumped my body with thirty pills a day in order to bring me out of the comatose state. I stayed on thirty pills for about five years too long. I was over-medicated and the medications had devastating side effects that worsened with time. I suffered from hair loss, 100 pound weight gain, hand tremors and eye seizures; returning to life was just the beginning. My rebirth was the beginning to uncertainty and never knowing if my past would repeat itself again. It was the beginning to living a life that was held captive by debilitating side effects. I was told by doctors that I never would have to be that sick again if I took the thirty pills. So you could imagine how hard it was for me to challenge this theory, but I did. I did because I believed that Allah would answer my prayers for relief. I started researching my array of pills and discovered that I was, in some cases, taking triple the amount of pills for the same symptoms. So I asked the doctors why and I started to ask more questions and more questions until it was clear that I wasn’t going to stand for being their guinea pig anymore. I started to pay attention to my symptoms. I would journal improvement or lack of improvement. I became my best advocate and Allah paved the way. I had insurance issues and had to change doctors. My new doctor was more willing to change the medicine. This happened a couple of times before I found myself on only 6 pills rather than thirty, then three and eventually down to one over a ten year span. With the decrease of the pills, I found it easier to lose weight. I actually became stable and my illness went into remission, which is when symptoms become significantly reduced or disappear and no longer impact your life. My faith in Allah gave me the courage to fight for stability and freedom from the weight of side effects. This was not an easy fight, but I believed to my core that Allah would protect me. Despite everything, I always knew I came back for a reason, Allah’s reason. I experienced my darkest days to share the promise of light given to us every day. I never forgot Allah and His promise to us all. His promise that with every difficulty there is relief ( Qu’ran Sura 94), and He gives us no burden greater than what our hearts can bear (Qur‘an Sura 2). Today, I am no longer on thirty pills. I am a mother of a beautiful four year old, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and an author, Al-Hamdulillah. My memoir, "She Smiles and Cries", utilizes poetry and prose to highlight my teenage breakdown and critical aspects of recovery. I have shared my journey with mental illness to inspire others. I pray all who read this article will feel inspired. More importantly, I pray you will remember that we all have the capacity to rise above pain… to smile after we cry, MashAllah. Editors Note: Although it is important to fully educate yourself about all of your treatment options and make an informed decision about the medications you are being prescribed, psychotropic medications should never be adjusted without the help of a trained medical professional. Stopping medication on your own can have severe consequences. With many thanks to mentalHealth4Muslims.com for permission to reproduce the article

Your death clock is ticking One night, when I was about 15 years old, I thought I was going to die. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, I just went to bed and was overcome with an overwhelming feeling that I was going to die. I tossed and turned, afraid that it was going to happen at any second. It was an unexplainable, perhaps irrational, kind of fear. But the fear kept me up praying that it not happen that night, too scared to shout out to anyone and tell them what I was thinking, or ask them to stay with me during my last moments, I can amusingly admit. As if death only visits after hours, I gave in to sleep when light broke. There’s no fear – or less fear – when you are surrounded by light. Everything that has life comes with an expiry date. Your death clock is ticking. The very moment Allah Ta'ala commanded an angel to blow your soul into your body – just a developing foetus housed inside your mother’s womb, the countdown to your body’s last breath began. Death’s inevitability is probably the only subject of life’s reality that humanity agrees on. As Muslims we are aware of what happens after death, despite some denying that there is a definite state of Barzakh, an interval between death and resurrection. In a Hadith relayed upon the authority of al-Bara’ ibn `Aazib, the Sahaabah RA went with Nabi Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) to a burial of a man from the Ansaar until they arrived at the grave and the man had still not been placed inside it. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) sat down and the Sahaabah sat around him. “You would have thought that birds were upon our heads from our silence and in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) was a stick which he was poking the ground with. Then he started looking at the sky and looking at the earth and looking up down three times. Then he said to us, ‘Ask Allah for refuge from the torment of the grave’, he repeated this command two or three times. Then he said O Allah I seek refuge in you from the torment of the grave (three times).”(Bukhari) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) warned us to prepare for death and seek refuge in Allah Ta'ala from the torment of the grave. Yet it has become something we take lightly. Nowadays we chat about death casually, even flippantly. Like many other of life’s aspects, we speak about it knowledgeably but our actions demonstrate incompetency. Just like the Ihram places everyone on equal terms, so does the grave. From lofty mansions, luxury apartments or mud huts, our eventual place of residence is the same – a rectangular hole, six feet in the ground. In that confined space, either a garden from heaven or a hole from hell, we’ll lay draped in a sheet of white inexpensive cloth, the only thing to separate us from a blanket of sand. You could say we’re living by the YOLO (You Only Live Once) slogan. But then again you only die once also. Many think death is a bridge they’ll cross when they get there. The bridge comes after, and it’s as thin as a strand of hair, as sharp as a sword and its length spans over Hell fire. “Every soul shall taste death,” Allah Ta'ala repeats this aayah in different chapters in the Quraan. The word taste is used to express that death is just the beginning of something. It isn’t the complete experience or the end of life. It is merely the movement from one reality to another, the start to a new beginning. The dead are buried among us, living in their own realm. Driving pass cemeteries still doesn’t make it easy to envisage. Knowing the scary reality of the Hereafter we spend the present lost in life’s luxuries. We openly justify wrongs and delude ourselves into a false sense of intellect and understanding. We scold anyone who speaks or writes truth only because we choose to idle away in disobedience. And sadly disobedience is taken for granted. Obedience is brushed away as being conservative, disobedience regarded as open minded. And the new rule propagated through shaytaan’s social media is that life’s pleasures can and must be enjoyed. Instead of asking ourselves if we are ready to taste death were it to visit us in the next five minutes or whether death in disobedience bodes well for us, we scold anyone who exposes our collective flaws. We cloak ourselves in labels of intellect and knowledge yet our actions don’t separate us from the disbelievers, only our names do. In the hereafter every soul shall experience its own reality and come to intimately understand its true condition and where it stands in relation to the nature, purpose, and greater realities of existence. There are two resurrections that take place after death, the first is in the Barzakh and the second is at the final judgment. A person’s life is likened to a book – with each thought, word, and action, they are writing on the pages of their soul, the state of their nafs is impacted by what they occupy themselves with in this world. Some might incorrectly perceive me to be writing this self righteously. What Taqwa does an article like this inspire, others will question. Accusations of this being an “uneducated opinion” or a misunderstood acceptance of the truth as though it is based on fabrication will be thrown around. It’s written in the hope that it serves as a reminder – to myself first. There are many verses in the noble Quraan and Ahadith that speak of life after death. Rasulullah’s (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) advice to us, mentioned above, and his own urgent seeking of refuge in Allah Ta'ala, is that not enough evidence? Reminding ourselves of death is a painful necessity. Especially since there is much we condone as acceptable in our daily lives. Life is a beautiful scene. But it is temporary. If we get too engrossed in the comforts it offers, we lose focus of the final destination because we can’t see it or feel it or comprehend it. Islam does not teach us to live life according to the immoral system of YOLO but to worship Allah Ta'ala and devote our thoughts, actions, words and life to seeking His Pleasure, and only so we may be rewarded with the ultimate prize. We can never go back and make a new beginning or change things, but we can struggle to make a better ending. We can do our best to add up our good deeds. We can strive for piety and the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala because to Allah do we belong and to Him is our return. Death is scary. It is inescapable. It is real. But there is no fear when you are shrouded in light. Sakeena Suliman Islaaminfo.com

Question: Is having a Slave (girl) for sex nowadays allowed? Rules and regulations of Slavery in Islam Mufti Ebrahim Desai Question What is the Islamic law with regard to slave-women? Was It permissible to have relations with these slave-women without a formal marriage ceremony? Answer In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Firstly, it should be borne in mind that slavery was not something that was introduced by Islam; on the contrary, it was something that had its roots planted long before the advent of Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to state that slavery is probably as old as war itself, because it is one of the consequences of war. Thus, slavery apparently first reared its head with the first wars that took place an the face of earth. War is a factor that makes soft men stern, kind men harsh and delicate men rugged. A man who cannot bear to see the sight of blood under normal circumstances becomes capable of shedding the blood of hundreds under the pressure of war. Those who were not killed in warfare, used to be taken as prisoners of war. The pages of history will show that many alternative, expedient methods were used through the ages to deal with prisoners of war. Some used to be executed while others would be set free, with or without a ransom. Then, there were others who were neither executed nor set free. These were enslaved. When Islam came and prospered, its power was challenged by the enemies of Islam and the need to go to war arose. By that time, slavery had virtually become an international custom. It was also rife among the Arabs from the days of darkness and ignorance. Thus, abolishing it instantaneously would have caused chaos and pandemonium among the Arab people. Hence, a process of gradual extirpation had to be implemented. Moreover, if the Muslims would set all their enemy-prisoners free and tolerate their fellow Muslims being captured and enslaved by the enemies, it would have lead to a sharp decrease in the Muslim military force and given a great advantage to the enemy forces which was something that the Muslims could not afford. Furthermore, it is a well known fact that warfare tactics used by one side are often countered by the opposing side in order to maintain a balance of power. Hence, wartime diplomacy necessitated the enslaving of prisoners. In the "Jihaads" (Islamic wars) that took place, women were also, at times, taken as prisoners of war by the Muslim warriors. These women captives used to be distributed as part of the booty among the soldiers, after their return to Islamic territory. Each soldier was then entitled to have relations ONLY with the slave girl over which he was given the RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP and NOT with those slave girls that were not in his possession. This RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP was given to him by the "Ameerul-Mu'mineen" (Head of the Islamic state.) Due to this right of ownership, It became lawful for the owner of a slave girl to have intercourse with her. It may, superficially, appear distasteful to copulate with a woman who is not a man's legal wife, but once Shariat makes something lawful, we have to accept it as lawful, whether it appeals to our taste, or not; and whether we know its underlying wisdom or not. It is necessary for a Muslim to be acquainted with the laws of Shariat, but it is not necessary for him to delve into each law in order to find the underlying wisdom of these laws because knowledge of the wisdom of some of the laws may be beyond his puny comprehension. Allah Ta'ala has said in the Holy Quran: "Wa maa ooteetum min al-ilm illaa qaleelan" which means, more or less, that, "You have been given a very small portion of knowledge". Hence, if a person fails to comprehend the underlying wisdom of any law of Shariat, he cannot regard it as a fault of Shariat (Allah forbid), on the contrary, it is the fault of his own perception and lack of understanding, because no law of Shariat is contradictory to wisdom. Nevertheless, the wisdom underlying the permission granted by Shariat to copulate with a slave woman is as follows: The LEGAL possession that a Muslim receives over a slave woman from the "Ameerul-Mu'mineen" (the Islamic Head of State) gives him legal credence to have coition with the slave woman in his possession, just as the marriage ceremony gives him legal credence to have coition with his wife. In other words, this LEGAL POSSESSION is, in effect, a SUBSTITUTE of the MARRIAGE CEREMONY. A free woman cannot be 'possessed', bought or sold like other possessions; therefore Shariat instituted a 'marriage ceremony' in which affirmation and consent takes place, which gives a man the right to copulate with her. On the other hand, a slave girl can be possessed and even bought and sold, thus, this right of possession, substituting as a marriage ceremony, entitles the owner to copulate with her. A similar example can be found in the slaughtering of animals; that after a formal slaughtering process, in which the words, "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar" are recited, goats, cows, etc.; become "Halaal" and lawful for consumption, whereas fish becomes "Halaal" merely through 'possession' which substitutes for the slaughtering. In other words, just as legal possession of a fish that has been fished out of the water, makes it Halaal for human consumption without the initiation of a formal slaughtering process; similarly legal possession of a slave woman made her Halaal for the purpose of coition with her owner without the initiation of a formal marriage ceremony. In short, permission to have intercourse with a slave woman was not something barbaric or uncivilised; on the contrary, it was almost as good as a marriage ceremony. In fact, possession of a slave woman resembles a marriage ceremony in many ways and both have a lot in common with each other. One similarity is this that just as a free woman cannot have two husbands simultaneously, a slave woman cannot be used for intercourse by two owners. Another similarity is that a free woman whose marriage is on the rocks, cannot marry another man until her previous marriage is nullified through divorce, etc. Due to the discrepancies between husband and wife, the marriage sometimes reaches a stage where it becomes virtually impossible for the couple to live as man and wife with the result that divorce is brought into force to nullify marriage ties. Similarly, if a slave woman was married previously in enemy territory to a non-Muslim, and is then captured alone, i.e. without her husband, it is not permissible for any Muslim to have relations with her until her previous marriage is nullified, and that is done by bringing her to an Islamic country and making her the legal possession of a Muslim. Bringing her into Islamic territory necessitates the rendering of her previous marriage as null and void by Islamic law because with her husband in enemy territory and she in Islamic territory, it becomes virtually impossible for them to meet and live as man and wife. That is why it is not permissible to have intercourse with a woman whose husband is also taken into captivity and put into slavery with her. Another resemblance between the two is that, just as a divorcee has to spend a period called "Iddat" before another man is allowed to marry her, similarly, a slave woman has to spend a period called "Istibraa" before her owner can have coition with her. Another similarity between marriage and possession of a slave woman is that just as the wife becomes a dependant of the husband and he has to provide a home, food and clothing for her, a slave woman also becomes a dependant of her owner and he has to provide a home, food and clothing for her. Yet another similarity is this that just as marriage makes the close relatives of the wife Haraam upon the husband; i.e. he cannot get married to his wife's mother, grandmother, sister, etc., similarly if a man has copulated with a slave woman the slave woman's close relatives also become Haraam upon the owner. With all these similarities it does not make sense to regard copulation with a slave woman distasteful whilst copulation with one's wife is not regarded as distasteful. A question that may still arise is that why does the owner of a slave woman not marry her before having relations with her? Well, this is impracticable because of a few intricate technicalities. Firstly, we know that a man has to give "Mahr" (dower-money) to his bride. The Holy Quran says:- "And allowed unto you is whatsoever is beyond that, so that ye may seek them with your substance (i.e. with your dower-money). " - (4:24). Thus, "Mahr" is a conditional prerequisite of Nikah. If a man has to marry his slave woman, it would not be possible for him to abide by this condition of 'Mahr' because by Islamic law, a slave does not have rights over any property, i.e. she cannot own anything. In fact, whatever she has with her too, i.e. her clothing, etc., is all regarded as the property of her owner. Therefore, If he gets married to his slave girl and gives her the 'Mahr' she cannot become the owner of it because she has no right of ownership. The 'Mahr' would bounce back to the owner of the slave girl and it would tantamount to giving the 'mahr' to himself. Hence, the owner would become the payer as well as the PAYEE of the 'mahr' which would only result in the mockery of the whole system of 'mahr'. It would be absolutely superflous to have such a marriage ceremony performed that makes a mockery of the 'mahr' system. Hence, the owner cannot get married to her while she remains a slave girl. However, if he sets her free, then he can get married to her on the basis of her having become a liberated woman. Although the owner himself cannot get married to his slave woman, without giving her freedom, he can get her married to someone else. If he gets her married to someone else, then only her husband can now have intercourse with her and the owner's right of having intercourse with her comes to an end. All these facts prove that the slave girl does not become an instrument of sex; on the contrary, her honour is upheld, in that only one man is allowed to have intercourse with her JUST AS only one man (the husband) is allowed to have intercourse with his lawfully wedded wife. Islam ensured that the slave girl's duties were not restricted merely to domestic chores but also gave her master permission to copulate with her. This concession created an atmosphere of love and harmony between the slave girl and her master. Islam thereby raised the status of the war captive-maidens close to that of wives. It was a psychological cure to her grief-stricken heart, being deprived of her family and thrown into the hands of a strange society. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) enjoined his followers to treat the slaves kindly, gently, and, above all, to regard them as members of the family. In this way, they were made to feel wanted; which was far better than treating them as outcasts and leaving them to wander the streets of a strange society in a peniless, destitute condition. Such treatment would have ultimately forced them to take up evil occupations such as prostitution in the case of slave woman in order to fill their hungry stomachs. The First World War in 1914 was a clear reflection of the evils involved in setting captive women free to roars about in a strange society with strange surroundings. During that war, German and English women prisoners on either side were set free to roam the streets with no-one to feed them. The result was obvious that they resorted to other unrefined and uncivilised methods of income on the streets. Thus, it is evident that the Islamic treatment of women prisoners of war was conducive towards better social relations and led to the refinement of their overall social lives. Over and above all this, History will show that Islam did not encourage slavery but rather encouraged moves towards the extirpation of slavery. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said something to this effect in a Hadith, that: "Whosoever freed a Muslim slave, the Lord would redeem all his limbs - in compensation for each limb of the slave, so much so that the private parts for the private parts - from the Fire of Hell. "If a slave woman becomes pregnant from her owner, and delivers his child, she automatically gets her freedom after the death of her master whose child she gave birth to. Moreover, there are many wrongs and sins for which the liberation of a slave serves as a compensation and atonement. This was a further incentive for the extirpation of slavery. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam also taught that whosoever teaches good manners to his slave girl, adorns her with politeness and good education, then frees her and gets married to her, for him there is double recompense and reward. These encouraging teachings served as incentives towards the emancipation of slaves and slaves were liberated by the thousands. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam himself freed 63 slaves, Hazrat Abu Bakr Radhiallahu Anhu freed 63, Hazrat Abdur-Rahman bin Auf Radhiallahu Anhu 30,000; Hazrat Hakim bin Huzam Radhiallahu Anhu 100; Hazrat Abbas Radhiallahu Anhu 70; Hazrat Ayesha Radhiallahu Anha 69; Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar Radhiallahu Anhu 100; Hazrat Uthman Radhiallahu Anhu used to free one slave every Friday and he would say that he would tree any slave who performed his prayers with humility. Hazrat Zul-Kilah Radhiallahu Anhu freed 8,000 slaves in a single day. Hazrat Umar Radhiallahu Anhu passed certain laws during his Khilafat which led to the emancipation of thousands of slaves, and to the prevention of certain specific forms of slavery. Some of the edicts that he issued: 1 All the apostate tribes that were enslaved during the Khilaafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Radhiallahu Anhu were to be freed. 2 A Zimmi (protected non-Muslim subject of an Islamic state) should not be enslaved. 3 Arabs will not be enslaved. 4 Those who had been enslaved during the days of ignorance (prior to the advent of Islam) and had lived to witness the Islamic era, should redeem themselves from slavery by paying their costs (their value) to their owners whether they were willing or not. As a result of all these laws, there came a time when slavery was totally extirpated. But of course, this extirpation came about after a gradual process because that was the only safe and expedient way of tackling the problem. Because of the prevalence of slavery in the initial stages of Islam the necessity of educating the people about the treatment of slaves also arose. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam taught his followers how the slaves should be treated with kindness, etc. In fact, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam himself possessed slave girls. In this way, he was able to demonstrate practically how kindly and politely the slave should be treated. Because it is relevant to the topic, it would be appropriate to mention here that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam also had four slave girls. One was Hazrat Maria Qibtiyya Radhiallahu Anha who was the mother of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam's son, Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam who passed away in infanthood. The others were, Hazrat Rayhaan binte Samoon; Hazrat Nafisa and a fourth, whose name has not been recorded in History. One question that still remains is whether slavery still legally prevails anywhere in the Islamic world and whether it can be successfully implemented in this age. Well, there is no prevalence of lawful slavery in the Islamic world today and it would be difficult to implement it because of the stringent conditions attached to it. Firstly, the prisoners have to be captured in 'Jihaad' in the true sense of the word. Then again, If true 'Jihaad' did break out somewhere, there are still a number of other laws and conditions to abide by which are far too stringent for any Islamic country in the world to abide by in this time and age when people's personal gains and whims and desire are being given preference to over Islamic Law. According to Islamic Law, captive female prisoners are also part and parcel of the booty. One fifth of the booty has to be first distributed to the needy, orphans, etc. The remaining four-fifths should then be distributed among the soldiers who participated in the war. The distribution can only take effect after the booty is brought into Islamic territory. The Ameerul-Mu'mineen (Head of the Islamic State) remains the guardian of the female prisoners until he allocates them to the soldiers. Only after a soldier has been allotted a slave girl, and made the owner of her, will she become his lawful possession. After she spends a period called 'Istibraa', which is the elapse of one menstrual period, It becomes permissible for her owner to have relations with her. After possession of the slave too there are a number of other laws that affect the master and slave. There is hardly any Islamic country today that can abide to all these conditions, with the result that it is quite difficult to implement slavery in this time and age. The subject of slavery in Islam is quite comprehensive and there are many laws that pertain to slaves which the Jurisprudents of Islam have outlined. It is, however, hoped that the above mentioned facts will be adequate enough to answer your question. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Askimam

Rules and regulations of Slavery in Islam Shaykh (Mufti) Ebrahim Desai (HA) Question Is slavery still allowed in Islam in this day and age? In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Answer As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Before answering your query, we shall reproduce an excerpt regarding slavery in Islam from Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani below: Let us now address the objection that Islam is the great upholder of human rights. Then how is it that it allows the enslaving of human beings? This objection is a fallacy based on the false analogy drawn between Islamic concept of slavery and its practice in other religions and communities; whereas in Islam after the rights given to the slaves and the social status granted to them, they can hardly be called slaves in the generally accepted sense of the word. They in fact constitute a brotherhood. A famous orientalist in his book Arab Civilization writes: When the word 'slave' is uttered in the presence of a European who is used to reading American writings, he conceives in his mind those helpless people who are shackled with chains, around whose necks are iron collars, who are lashed with whips and driven forth, whose food is barely enough to subsist, and for whom nothing more than dark dungeons are available to live in...there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Islam's concept of slavery is completely different from the Christian concept of slavery. The Islamic viewpoint regarding slaves has been made plain in a famous Hadith of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) as follows: Your slaves are your brothers, and Allah has put them under your control. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats, and dress him of what he wears. Do not overburden them [slaves] to do things beyond their capacity, and if you do so, then help them.[sahih al-Bukhari, 2545, The Book on Manumission of Slaves] The social and civil rights that Islam has accorded to the slaves are almost equal to free individuals. Thus, as opposed to other nations, Islam has not only permitted the slaves to marry but also emphasized that the masters should marry off those of their slaves and slavegirls who are righteous [Al-Quran, 24:32] so much so that he can even marry a free woman. A slave's share from the spoils of war is equal to that of a free person. If he gives refuge to an enemy, it would be respected in the same way as given by a free individual. There are so many injunctions in Qur`ān and Hadīth regarding good treatment of slaves that if they are collected together, they can be compiled into a voluminous book. Sayyidunā 'Alī (radiyallahu 'anh) says that the last words of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) before his departure from this earthly life were: "Take care of prayer; take care of prayer and keep your duty to Allah regarding slaves under your command."[sunan Ibn Majah, 2698, The Book of Wills] Islam organized education and training programmes for slaves. Its effect was seen during the reign of 'Abd-ul-Malik Ibn Marwan in almost all the provinces of the Islamic State. Some of the best and greatest authorities on education and intellectual development were slaves whose chronicles are narrated in several history books. Furthermore, this nominal slavery was gradually abolished or reduced. There is a huge number of Qur'anic verses and Holy Prophetic Traditions which set out the virtues and merits of setting the slaves free. There is no act better than emancipation of slaves. In juristic injunctions, pretexts have been looked for to emancipate slaves: expiation for violating fast, for murder, for zihār, for violating oaths and vows - in all these cases the first compulsory command is to emancipate a slave. A Hadīth tells us that if a person has slapped a slave, its expiation is to set him free. Thus, the Companions used to emancipate slaves in large numbers. To sum up: anyone who looks impartially at the comprehensive reforms Islam introduced in the system of slavery, he cannot escape the conclusion that drawing analogy between Islamic concept of slavery and its practice among other nations is absolutely false. Furthermore, holding prisoners of war in bondage is only up to the point of permissibility which means that if an Islamic State deems it appropriate, it may hold them in bondage, but it has not been taken as an obligatory or as a commendable act. As a matter of fact, the collective teachings of Qur'an and Hadīth lead us to believe that emancipating them is more meritorious. [uthmani, M. Shafi, "An Objection and its Rebuttal", Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān] Now that the general concept of slavery in Islam has been understood, we will move on to the question of slavery and its permissibility in this day and age. Simply put, if Muslim nations enter into a compact with non-Muslim nations regarding a certain issue, as long as it does not contravene the general principles of Sharī'ah, then such a pact will be binding upon those Muslim nations and it will be there duty to hold up such a covenant.[uthmani, M. Shafi, "An Objection and its Rebuttal", Ma'ārif al-Qur`ān], Arabic as follows: وإذا رأي الإمام موادعة أهل الهرب، ولم يأخذ علي ذلك مالا، فلا بأس به، والكلام ههنا في فصول: أحدها: ؟إذا طلبوا من الإمام الموادعة سنين معلومة بغير شيء، والحكم فيه أن الإمام ينظر في ذلك، إن رأي الموادعة خيرا للمسلمين لشدة شوكة أهل الحرب وما أشبه ذلك فعل ذلك، فقد صح أن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم صالح أهل مكة عام الحديبية علي أن وضع الحرب نينه وبينهم عشر سنين...ومن النظر حفظه قوة المسلمين أولا، وربما يكون ذلك في الموادعة إذا كان للمشركين شوكة، أو يحتاج الإمام إلي أن يور في دار الحرب؛ ليتوصل الإمام إلي قوم لهم بأس شديد، فلا نجد بدا من أن نوادع من علي طريقه لنأمن منهم. (المحيط البرهاني، ج ٧، ص ٢٩٠، إدارة القرآن والعلوم الإسلامية) [قال صاحب الهداية] (وَإِذَا رَأَى الْإِمَامُ أَنْ يُصَالِحَ أَهْلَ الْحَرْبِ أَوْ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مَصْلَحَةً لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ) لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَإِنْ جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ} [الأنفال: 61] «وَوَادَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ عَامَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ عَلَى أَنْ يَضَعَ الْحَرْبَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُمْ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ» ، وَلِأَنَّ الْمُوَادَعَةَ جِهَادٌ مَعْنًى إذَا كَانَ خَيْرًا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ لِأَنَّ الْمَقْصُودَ وَهُوَ دَفْعُ الشَّرِّ حَاصِلٌ بِهِ، وَلَا يُقْتَصَرُ الْحُكْمُ عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ الْمَرْوِيَّةِ لِتَعَدِّي الْمَعْنَى إلَى مَا زَادَ عَلَيْهَا، بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ خَيْرًا؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَرَكَ الْجِهَادَ صُورَةً وَمَعْنًى [قال البابرتي] وَقَوْلُهُ (لِتَعَدِّي الْمَعْنَى) وَهُوَ دَفْعُ الشَّرِّ. (العناية شرح الهداية، ج ٣، ص ٢٦٣، دار الكتب العلمية) In our times, there are international treaties upheld by many countries between many nations that state that "no person shall be held in slavery." This clause can be found under article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many countries signed this pact and agreed to uphold such a covenant. For a broad list of such treaties and the general agreement between such nations, you may refer to the following two links: Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights These laws further extended to abolishing all forms of human trafficking as a result of the ongoing sexual abuse, human bondage, and complete disregard to human rights resulting from today's form of human slavery. Examples of such laws include the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and the Palermo Protocol regarding children and women. All in all, as stated before, the Islamic form of slavery cannot be compared to the atrocities committed by the slavery we have come to know today. In order to combat such oppression and violation of human rights, international laws were created and many Muslim nations also agreed to abide by these laws for the greater good and to combat the oppression resulting from modern slavery. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Bilal Mohammad Student Darul Iftaa New Jersey, USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Askimam

Slaves in Islam – The Concept & Their Rights By Ebrahim Saifuddin Slavery is a concept that existed since pre-recorded history. However the way it was practiced in the Islamic world differs greatly than how it was practiced in the rest of the world. Even in the more recent times, centuries after the introduction of Islam, the non-Muslims have practiced slavery in the most barbaric manner. The whole Trans-Atlantic nonsense that was practiced by the Americans is one of the worst forms of slavery man has witnessed. The slaves were not treated as humans and did not have any rights. This way was much similar to the form practiced before the advent of Islam in the Times of Ignorance (Ja’hilah). Islam indeed came as a blessing to all Mankind and it was seen that slaves were given rights, something which the rest of the world never gave them. Treatment of Slaves Apart from giving the slaves their rights, Islam also took it a step ahead and discouraged slavery from being practiced. It is seen in history that slaves were mistreated in the non-Islamic world. Not only were they verbally abused, they were physically abused as well. The master would overburden the slave and make them work all day. Slaves would wear torn and tattered clothes while the masters would dress with the finest threads available. When it would come to food, the slaves would get leftovers or if not, very little food which would certainly not include good quality food. Some would not even get meat or fruits which their masters ate. Prophet Muhammad(saw) with Divine Inspiration from Allah(swt) forbade such acts. Masters could not abuse their slaves and had to give them the same that they ate and wore. Narated by Al-Ma’rur: At Ar-Rabadha I met Abu Dhar who was wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a similar one. I asked about the reason for it. He replied, “I abused a person by calling his mother with bad names.” The Prophet said to me, ‘O Abu Dhar! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names you still have some characteristics of ignorance. Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them.’” – [bukhari, Vol.1, Book 2, #29] The introduction of Islam and with the application of Islam by Muslims, slavery had a new meaning altogether. It no longer meant that you have a beast under your control and hence you could abuse it, make it work like a donkey all day and at the end of the day give it crumbs to eat so that it stays alive. Islam made it clear to every follower that a human being who is a slave is yet the brother of a Muslim and the slave had their rights which is compulsory for a Muslim to fulfill. It taught that slaves and masters are equal in the sights of Allah(swt) and if a Muslim was given a brother under his command then he had to make sure that the brother was given the rights which Islam prescribed. In another narration the importance of giving slaves education and teaching them good manners is stressed by Prophet Muhammad(saw): Narrated Abu Burda’s father: Allah’s Apostle said “Three persons will have a double reward: 1. A Person from the people of the scriptures who believed in his prophet (Jesus or Moses) and then believed in the Prophet Muhammad (i .e. has embraced Islam). 2. A slave who discharges his duties to Allah and his master. 3. A master of a woman-slave who teaches her good manners and educates her in the best possible way (the religion) and manumits her and then marries her.” – [bukhari Vol.1, Book 3, #97A] Here it is seen that not only education has been given importance but slavery is also discouraged. It is well known that a person belonging to the People of the Book would receive a double reward for accepting Islam. Similarly the same double reward is offered to a person who would free his woman-slave and marry her after giving her education and teaching her good manners. This way slavery is discouraged in the Islamic world. The Muslims were also forbidden from forcing their slave-girls into prostitution so that they would earn money out of it. There was an incident when the slave-girl of an Ansari was forced after which a verse relating to the act was revealed by Allah(swt). Narated by Jabir ibn Abdullah: Musaykah, a slave-girl of some Ansari, came and said: My master forces me to commit fornication. Thereupon the following verse was revealed: “But force not your maids to prostitution (when they desire chastity).” – [Abu Dawud, Book 6, #2304] The Lessons of Equality There can be found numerous evidences in the Islamic traditions which teach us that slaves are to be treated like any other human being. Prophet Muhammad(saw) has taught us that slaves are equal to everyone else. People belonging to the days of ignorance would not stand next to a slave while Muslims stand next to them in prayers showing a sign of unity and uniformity in their status in front of Allah(swt). Hazrat Bilal was one of the first slaves to accept Islam. He was tortured by the pagans so that he would renounce Islam and come back to the pagan ways. However he did not reject Islam and adhered to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad(saw). He was also the first person to stand on top of the Ka’aba and give the Adhan (the Muslim call for prayer). It is also important to note that further evidence for the equality and recognition of slaves as normal human beings is seen in the numerous ahadith narrated by the slaves and freed slaves that are considered as true and followed by millions of Muslims in the world today. This means that their testimony is also recognized and accepted. We can also see from the traditions that slaves would not only stand shoulder to shoulder with others Muslims during prayer but would also lead the prayers. Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: When the earliest emigrants came to Al-’Usba a place in Quba’, before the arrival of the Prophet- Salim, the slave of Abu Hudhaifa, who knew the Qur’an more than the others used to lead them in prayer. – [bukhari, Vol.1, Book 11, #661] In the Quran one can see clearly that the woman-slaves and man-slaves who have accepted Islam are better than the free women and men from the disbelievers. Muslims are advised to get the son or daughter married to a woman-slave or man-slave rather than a free woman or man from among the idolaters. Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But Allah beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: That they may celebrate His praise. – [Quran 2:221] Islam goes a step ahead in giving respect to the slaves and it is narrated that Prophet Muhammad(saw) asked people not to refer to a slave saying “this is my slave” but rather to say “this is my man” or “this is my woman”. Islam Stresses on Freeing Slaves Importance was stressed upon manumitting slaves a lot by Allah(swt) through his last and final prophet(saw). Even if a disbeliever practiced slave-manumitting before accepting Islam, it is told that he would yet be rewarded for this good deed after accepting Islam. In Islam there is a concept that all good done for the sake of Allah(swt) will be rewarded and all those done for other causes e.g. fame, fortune etc will not be rewarded in the Hereafter. Manumitting slaves is among those good deeds which are rewarded even if done before accepting Islam. Narrated Hakim bin Hizam: I said to Allah’s Apostle, “Before embracing Islam I used to do good deeds like giving in charity, slave-manumitting, and the keeping of good relations with Kith and kin. Shall I be rewarded for those deeds?” The Prophet replied, “You became Muslim with all those good deeds (Without losing their reward).” – [bukhari, Vol.2, Book 24, #517] Allah(swt) through his prophet(saw) stressed the good in freeing a slave. A person once came to Prophet Muhammad(saw) saying that he had sexual intercourse with his wife while he was fasting and thus wished to seek guidance in that matter. The first form of compensation which Prophet Muhammad(saw) informed him of was the freeing of a slave. Narrated by Abu Huraira: While we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I have been ruined.” Allah’s Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied “I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting.” Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you afford to manumit a slave?” He replied in the negative. Allah’s Apostle asked him, “Can you fast for two successive months?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, “Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?” He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet. He asked, “Where is the questioner?” He replied, “I (am here).” The Prophet said (to him), “Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity.” The man said, “Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina‘s) two mountains who are poorer than I.” The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, ‘Feed your family with it.” – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 31, #157] There were times when a slave was jointly owned by two people. In such cases there were times when one owner, for the sake of Allah(swt) would want to manumit his share in the joint ownership. Under such circumstances it was told that the person manumitting his share of the ownership should also pay for the remaining share to ensure that the slave is freed completely. However if he could not do so, the remaining price would then be estimated and the slave had the right to work and pay the amount required for his freedom to the other owner. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he does not have sufficient money to manumit him, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him)”. – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 44, #672] Further in the Quran it is seen that people are encouraged to marry the slaves. If a person cannot marry a free woman for whatever reason, to prevent him from committing sin, the Quran asks them to marry from among the slave women. If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And Allah hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable. – [Quran 4:25] They can take the permission of the master and marry the slave. This was yet another example of Allah(swt) ensuring that slaves would be freed as marriage with the slave of another would make the slave a free person. Why Gradual Elimination? There is no doubt that Islam encouraged the freeing of slaves. However one would ask that as slavery is a social disease, why Islam did not make it forbidden. Firstly slavery as seen in Islam is poles apart than the one practiced by those who do not follow the guidelines presented by Islam. Secondly slavery could not have been forbidden in those days. Islam did not allow the selling of free people as slaves. Majority of the slaves were the people captured in the wars fought by the Muslims against the non-Muslims. Due to the lack of prison systems in those days, it was important to keep the captured people as slaves. If these people would be allowed to live freely within the Muslims, they would have regrouped and not only attacked the Muslims but probably would have also tried to assassinate the Sahabah or even Prophet Muhammad(saw). By giving these people as slaves, they were distributed and thus could not regroup and attack the Muslims. Islam never started slavery and it is well known that slavery was practiced much before the introduction of Islam. Islam actually laid down all the rules so that eventually slavery would be eliminated completely. There are many great rewards for freeing a slave. Allah(swt) has given man all the incentive to free slaves which would in return eventually eradicate slavery completely. Another narration goes as follows: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave.” Said bin Marjana said that he narrated that Hadith to ‘Ali bin Al-Husain and he freed his slave for whom ‘Abdullah bin Ja’far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars. – [bukhari, Vol.3, Book 46, #693] Islam’s Stand on Slavery Islam teaches its followers to respect all Mankind regardless of their color, race or their bank balance. Slaves were given rights which were not heard of in other societies. Islam gave them protection and asked people to treat them as brothers and give them to eat of what they ate and to wear what they wore. The Bible too speaks about slaves and lays down laws regarding the treatment of slaves. “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” – [Exodus 21:20-21] As it can be seen, the Bible allows a person to beat their slave and the master will not be punished unless the slave dies. The slave is treated as a personal property of the master. Islam came to correct such manmade rules regarding not only slavery but a lot of concepts. Islam has been the original advocate for humanity and has always taught men the importance of humanity. With the introduction of Islam slaves were treated as human beings rather than personal property. Moreover Islam made sure that gradually people will not perform this act and encouraged the freeing of slaves. Manumitting a slave was encouraged for the smallest of reasons. If there was a solar eclipse, people were recommended to free a slave – If there was a lunar eclipse, people were recommended to free a slave. It can be seen that Muslims were encouraged to free slaves for any and every reason. Islam gave security to the slaves and laid down directions so that slavery would eventually be eliminated completely.

SLAVERY IN ISLAM A famous orientalist in his book Arab Civilization writes: "When the word 'slave' is uttered in the presence of a European who is used to reading American writings, he conceives in his mind those helpless people who are shackled with chains, around whose necks are iron collars, who are lashed with whips and driven forth, whose food is barely enough to subsist, and for whom nothing more than dark dungeons are available to live in...there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Islam's concept of slavery is completely different from the Christian concept of slavery." Misconceptions abound regarding slavery in Islam. InshaAllah in this topic we will compile answers to the many questions raised regarding it. The following are excerpts taken from the articles which follow to highlight the important points... Slavery: practiced long before the advent of Islam Slaves according to Islam The status of slaves in Islam Freeing slaves was encouraged Slavery Today

Can a woman in the state of haidh go in sajda and make dua? Q: I would like to know if a woman can make duaa whilst in sajdah when she is in the state of haidh? A: In the state of haidh, she cannot perform Salaah nor can she make a sajdah. However she can make dua. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( فيها حيض ) لأن العبرة لأوله وآخره وعليه المتون فليحفظ ثم ذكر أحكامه بقوله ( يمنع صلاة ) مطلقا ولو سجدة شكر ( وصوما ) وجماعا قال الشامي : قوله ( يمنع ) أي الحيض وكذا النفاس خزائن قوله ( صلاة ) أي يمنع صحتها ويحرمها وهل يمنع وجوبها لعدم فائدته وهي الأداء أو القضاء أم لا وتسقط للحرج خلافا وعامتهم على الأول وبسطنا الكلام على ذلك فيما علقناه على البحر قوله ( مطلقا ) أي كلا أو بعضا لأن منع الشيء منع لأبعاضه نهر قوله ( ولو سجدة شكر ) أي أو تلاوة فيمنع صحتهما ويحرمهما بحر (رد المحتار 1/290) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)