ummtaalib

Commanding the Good When I Don’t Do it? Answered by Shaykh Abu Usamah Question: The issue of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. There are certain things I do which can be deemed as Islamic and other things which can be deemed as haram. I am of the opinion therefore, that I can only really advice people on issues which I know I am doing good in, therefore I only advice people in certain things in terms of prayer, and establishing prayer or not drinking or zina. But there are other things which I almost feel hypocritical in talking about and when I try and give advice they look at me like I am in no position to do so. But that being said, if I have not yet perfected certain social issues like talking to women, listening to music (or at least so called haram music) am I even in the position to do so? many people would look at me and quite simply say ‘who’s he to give me advice’? Answer: al-Salam alaykum 1. The same question was asked by a Sahabi to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who replied that he should continue commanding the good and forbidding the evil even though he doesn’t practise it himself. There are 2 issues here: i. the responsibility of doing the good / refraining from the evil ii. the responsibility of commanding the good and forbidding the evil Neglecting the first does not excuse one from the second. Rather it is hoped that fulfilling the second responsibility will cause the person to fulfill the first. Walaikum assalam, Abu Usama Qibla.com

Guiding One’s Family Towards the Good: Advice & Tips SeekersGuidance Answered by Sidi Abdullah Anik Misra Question: I am an American-Muslim and have been Muslim all my life. My practice of Islam has been up and down throughout the years. My offences have been not acquriing Islamic knowledge, not praying, breaking fast, not dressing modestly etc. Since college I have been trying to improve my Islam by listening to scholars, watching less tv, praying consistently and making up fasts, etc. But unfortunately my family has not grown with me. My dad loves music, my sister don’t cover properly my niece watches tv and wants to be an actress an singer. I feel like I am doing the bare minumum to improve my Islam and am no where near perfect but what about my family? What can I do for them? And how can I correct them when I did many of the same things myself in recent history or still slip on these things myself? Answer: Wa alaikum as salaam, Thank you for your question. One of the most beautiful things to hear about is a Muslim who, through the confusions and tests of life, slightly goes off track, then realizes her mistake and is guided back to Allah Most High. It is indeed a great mercy from Allah Most High because He could have left us to spiral downward had He wanted; instead though, He wrapped us in His divine concern, lifted us up, and mended our broken souls. This shows us that He is lovingly watching over us even while we are heedless, and He is ready to forgive us, if only we sincerely return to Him. It is true that you should advise your family to the best, and your concern is commendable. However, the conditions to enjoining good and forbidding evil as a duty are: 1. that one has sound knowledge of what they are exhorting to, 2. that your advice will not cause a greater harm, such as a person becoming stubborn and spurning the religion altogether and 3. that you feel reasonably sure they will heed your advice at that time. This requires a lot of wisdom and patience as well, since people do not like to be “preached” to. [bajuri, Sharh Jawhara] Remember to be gradual and gentle with your family members, as you said you were just doing the same thing some time ago. The same way you would not like harsh or pushy advice, don’t be the one to do it. It’s ok that you’re still struggling; your advice will then go to help you and them- but only when they are ready to hear it. Tread carefully but surely, for you walk on people’s feelings; even the most disobedient of Muslims is a person of Paradise insha Allah and thus worthy of immense respect. Try to encourage the hearts towards Allah Most High first and give people hope to establish a relationship with Him. This bond, then prayer, will wean them [and us all!] off of their bad habits. When they are ready to cut things out of their lives, it will become apparent, perhaps without your even saying anything further. Judge and take account of yourself according to the standards of the Sacred Law, but look to others with the greater reality in mind- that they are simply playing out what Allah has destined for them, till and if He chooses to guide them back to Him. Perhaps Allah Most High has in store for them such a returning and repentance, that they become the most pleasing of people to Him. And make dua’ for them. Addressing my own self first, Wasallam, Abdullah Anik Misra Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

The Criteria of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Seekersguidance.org Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan Question: When should one be vague to avoid disputes (when one disagrees with the other person, but doesn’t say something negative in response) versus not supporting or even correcting incorrect Islamic beliefs. How does one know to choose one over the other? Answer: Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah, I pray this finds you in the best of health states. This returns to the issue of enjoining the good and forbidding evil, which is a communal obligation (fard kifaya) and an essential duty in Islam. Based on the criteria outlined below, if the conditions of enjoining the good and forbidding evil are met, one must do so. Otherwise, one can be vague so as to avoid disputation of no benefit. The Obligation and Importance Allah Most High states, “And let there be amongst you a group inviting to virtue, commanding the good and forbidding evil—those indeed are the successful ones” (3:104). And our Master Hudhayfa (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you must certainly command the good and forbid evil, or else a punishment from Him would soon be sent upon you, after which you would call upon Him yet your supplication (dua) would not be answered.” [Tirmidhi] Other narrations state that the punishment for abandoning this obligation is sweeping and general, afflicting both the righteous and the corrupt. Ibn Allan comments that the punishment can manifest as “the tyranny of leaders, the dominion of enemies, and other forms of tribulation.” [Dalil al-Falihin Sharh Riyad al-Salihin] Ya Latif – how unfortunately accurate for our times! And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) swore by Allah when conveying this, and said that supplication itself is unanswered until the community returns to enjoining the good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also described that when the people of knowledge in previous communities stopped condemning the evils of their societies and kept on socializing with evildoers despite the wrongs, Allah turned the hearts of the community against one another and cursed them upon the tongue of their prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi] And to get annoyed when corrected is itself a major sin. Our Master Ibn Masud (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Verily among the greatest of sins in the sight of Allah is for a person to be told, ‘Fear Allah,’ to which he responds, ‘Mind your own business!’” [sunan Nasa'i] Conditions of Incumbency While it is a communal obligation, commanding the good and forbidding evil is incumbent only if the following conditions are met: (1) Sound knowledge and understanding of the issue one is exhorting to. Scholars mention that anyone who takes up this obligation must know the different schools of thought on the issue at hand, such that his enjoining and forbidding only takes place with evils that are evil by scholarly consensus. This relates to clear matters that are generally known by the Muslims. With respect to matters on which there is scholarly disagreement, although they cannot be forbidden per se, one can still offer counsel and advice (nasiha), which is often needed as certain positions are not appropriate or applicable in all circumstances. (2) Gentleness and wisdom in one’s enjoining or forbidding. The sunna is to exhort in a manner that is general and discreet, so as to protect the feelings of the other party as much as possible. My teacher, for example, told me that if I am ever in a situation where someone else falls into backbiting, I should simply say, “Allah has prohibited us from backbiting.” If, however, one crosses the limits or is excessive in their condemnation, the good they perform is less than their own evil. (3) Clemency and steadfastness in the face of any difficulty one may encounter. (4) That one feels reasonably sure that the other party will take heed and listen. That is, a condition of incumbency is that benefit is likely or expected. This condition (reasonable surety of benefit) is the opinion of Imam Bajuri, Imam Qarafi, Imam Haskafi, Allama Ibn Abidin and others. Otherwise if one does not think they will listen, enjoining the good is recommended if there is a chance of benefit yet one is unsure. If benefit is unlikely, enjoining the good is permissible yet possibly disliked. And if one is certain that there would be no benefit, enjoining the good could be impermissible, as it might entail frivolous and useless speech and might worsen the situation (see condition 5 below). The upshot is that one must consider the likely benefit of one’s exhortation, and if benefit is unlikely, then silence might prove more beneficial. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say the good or remain silent.” [bukhari and Muslim] If one does not enjoin the good or forbid evil, then one must try to change the subject so as to end the unlawful talk; if this is not possible, one must get up and leave. (5) That one’s advice not lead to greater harm or worsen the situation, such as leading to more sin, more unlawful talk, or the other party’s outright disdain for the religion. In such cases it would be better — or at times obligatory — to remain silent, so as to choose the less harmful of two matters. Of course, one must still hate the wrong in one’s heart. (6) Sound intention, which is to desire nothing except that the word of Allah Most High reign supreme. This is essential and often neglected, as many people exhort others in religious matters for the sake of their own egos or out of animosity towards the other party. One’s motivation to correct others should also be out of sincere love and care for one’s brethren. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that the basis of the entire religion is sincere and genuine concern for others (al-Din al-nasiha), and he also said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [bukhari, Muslim] In fact, in his renowned hadith collection Riyad al-Salihin, Imam Nawawi placed the chapter on “Enjoining the Good and Forbidding Evil” immediately after the chapter on “Sincere and Genuine Concern”. As Imam Nahlawi states, “To conclude, there is a major catastrophe that one must be careful to avoid, namely: for the person of knowledge, when enjoining something, to perceive his own dignity due to his knowledge, and the other’s lowliness due to their ignorance. If this is one’s motivation, then this evil is itself much more vile than the evil he is forbidding. Truly, no one is safe from the plotting of Satan except one to whom Allah shows his own faults, and whose insight Allah opens by the light of true guidance.” [Nahlawi, Durar Mubaha; Khadimi, Nabulsi/Birgivi, Shuruh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya; Bajuri, Tuhfat al-Murid Sharh Jawharat al-Tawhid; Ibn Abidin/Haskafi, Radd al-Muhtar ala Durr al-Mukhtar] And Allah knows best. wassalam Faraz A. Khan Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Conditions to enjoining good and forbidding evil as a duty are:

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alahi wasallam said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you must certainly command the good and forbid evil, or else a punishment from Him would soon be sent upon you, after which you would call upon Him yet your supplication (dua) would not be answered.” [Tirmidhi] The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam also described that when the people of knowledge in previous communities stopped condemning the evils of their societies and kept on socializing with evildoers despite the wrongs, Allah turned the hearts of the community against one another and cursed them upon the tongue of their prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi] The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever sees something evil should change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue; and if he cannot do even that, then in his heart. That is the weakest degree of faith.” [Muslim] On the authority of Ibn Mas`ud that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “There was not a single Prophet among those who were sent before me who did not have apostles and companions and followed his Sunna and obeyed his commands. But afterwards other generations came whose words belied their deeds, and whose deeds were not in accordance with what they commanded others to do. Whoever struggles against them with his hand is a believer. Whoever struggles against them with his tongue is a believer. And whoever struggles against them with his heart is a believer. But when none of these things are done, then not a single mustard’s seed weight of faith is present.” [Muslim]

Enjoining Good & Forbidding Evil "You are the best community that has been raised for mankind. You enjoin good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah." [Aal-e-Imran, 3:110]. "The believers, men and women, are protectors of each other: they enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil." [Tauba, 9:71]

Taqlid & the falsification of Islamic History Article by: Mufti Mohammed Sajaad 24 Ramadan 14 24 September 2008 Taqlid means following the legal opinions of a scholar without gaining knowledge of the detailed evidences for those opinions. A person is compelled to do this as he is not able to encompass the evidences to assert his own view on any particular detailed issue related to the Deen. This reliance upon a group of highly trained individuals is seen in every aspect of human life from when we wish to build an extension to our homes to when we wish to cure ourselves; we unquestioningly defer to the experts. The sick person never tries to diagnose himself, let alone be bold enough to prescribe using his own knowledge, the course of medicine he needs to take. Rather he sits humbly and accepts everything his doctor tells him and prescribes him. It would seem, Islam alone has been singled out as being that one thing that any person not only may exercise his mental abilities (however deficient they are) to determine its detailed teachings, but moreover it is said to be his duty. It is an undisputed fact that Taqlid existed from the very beginning of Islam, as that is the normative procedure for learning. The Companions and Successors (Tabieen) of other Companions were compelled to do Taqlid of their seniors, those of the Companions and Successors who were not scholars, simply took the Deen from those who were scholars. Their basis for their doing Taqlid, apart from the obvious reason mentioned above, was the evidences that made it an obligation for them. Allah (SWT) said in the Holy Qur’an: Ask the people of Remembrance if you know not (Sura al-Anbiya:7) Elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an Allah (SWT) commanded the believers thus: Obey Allah, the Messenger and those authorities amongst you Ibn Abbas (R.A.), Mujahid, and many authorities in Tafsir (Exegesis of the Holy Qur’an) stated “Those authorities amongst you” are the Islamic Jurists, see Tafsir Tabari and Al-Tafsir al-Kabir of Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Amongst the many hadith that prove Taqlid is a hadith recorded in Sunnan Abu Daud, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily the cure to not knowing is asking.” Taqlid in the age of the Sahabah There are many examples in the hadith books where we find the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) doing Taqlid of other more learned Companions. [1] Abu Ayub al-Ansari (R.A.) was once on his way to Hajj and lost his camels he brought to be sacrificed (and by which a person comes out of Ihram). On the day of sacrifice he came to Umar and asked him what to do? Umar (R.A.) told him to do as those who perform Umrah do (that is to shave or cut their hair), and you will be out of Ihram. Then in the next year do Hajj and make the sacrifice. Note, here neither did Abu Ayub (R.A.) ask for proof nor was it given, a clear example of Taqlid (Muwatta Imam Malik). [2] Once Umar (R.A.) saw Talha (R.A.) wearing a coloured piece of cloth while he was in the state of Ihram (So long as the cloth is not scented such coloured sheets would be permitted for Ihram). Umar (R.A.) asked him the reason for wearing such sheets. Talha (R.A.) replied that the cloth was from a material which had not been scented. Umar (R.A.) said: “You are people who are followed by others. If an unknowing person saw this cloth, he would think Talha wore this cloth in Ihram (thus he would assume scented cloth is permitted). Refrain from using coloured sheets.” (Muwatta) This shows, that there is nothing essentially wrong with following scholars without evidence, rather it was always one of the ways the masses learnt their Deen as is shown by Umar’s (R.A.) statement. [3] One of the most obvious examples of Taqlid was that of when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) sent Muadh Ibn Jabal (R.A.) to Yemen as a teacher. Whilst in Yemen the people, took exclusively what he taught them as Deen, in old and new issues, which is but Taqlid. For example, he was asked concerning a man who had been survived by daughter and a sister only, how would his inheritance be distributed amongst them. He ruled that they should receive half each and he did this as a Mufti and without mentioning the proof for his view to the people for his opinion. (Sahih al-Bukhari). [4] We also find a clear example of Sahabah doing Taqlid Shakhsi (specific Taqlid). It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Ikrimah (R.A.) that the people of Medina asked Ibn Abbas (R.A.) concerning a woman who did Tawaf and then experienced her menstrual cycle (i.e. despite having Tawaf al-Wida upon her, is she permitted to return home or should she wait till her period passes?). Ibn Abbas (R.A.) replied: “She may return.” The people said: “We will not accept your opinion over the opinion of Zayd (Ibn Thabit).” (Sahih al-Bukhari). Two things become abundantly clear from this incident. The first is that the Medinans did Specific Taqlid (Taqlid Shakhsi) of Zayd Ibn Thabit (R.A.), and consequently they would not accept the opinions of another scholar from the Sahabah. Secondly, Ibn Abbas (R.A.) himself never blamed them for following his opinions exclusively. It would be fair to say that up to the second century, two kinds of Taqlid were common in the Ummah, the non-specific kind (Taqlid ghayr Shakhsi) and specific Taqlid (Taqlid Shakhsi). Most muslims, when wanting to know Islam’s ruling on an issue, would simply go to any scholar in the community who they considered an authority. But examples can be found, such as those mentioned above, where Muslims also did specific Taqlid of a particular Companion or Successor exclusively. Thus we learn from this that there is nothing essentially blameworthy with someone being a Hanafi or Maliki, for there were people who were Masudis (followers of the opinions of Ibn Masud), Muadhis, Abbasis, etc. only they did not go by those names. One of the factors in the consolidation of Taqlid Shakhsi and the phasing out of the other kind of Taqlid was the emergence of four scholars who gained such recognition for their learning and piety that students and even other scholars flocked around them. All four were blessed with long lives such that they could encompass each and every chapter of legal rulings and importantly were undisputed Mujtahids. A mujtahid is a master scholar who has reached the highest and most difficult level of Ijtihad (Independent juridical reasoning). There are many kinds of lesser scholars; however the one who is permitted to exercise his Ijtihad in elaborating rulings is one who has spent many years acquiring the skills, primary religious sciences and auxiliary sciences enabling him to soundly interpret the Holy Texts and thus deserving of being considered an authority in the important matters of the Deen. Briefly, this entails Deep knowledge of the Arabic language; grammar, semantics and rhetoric. Intimate knowledge of the Holy Qur’an, its well established Tafsir, verses that are abrogated and the occasions of revelation. Knowledge of the Hadith; having obtained the narrations from their narrators, to also know the state of the chain and its narrators. In this regard it was the view of Imam Ahmad that a person cannot be considered a Mujtahid until he has not memorised three hundred thousand hadith. The students of these four Imams further elaborated their legal opinions, their principles (the tools of interpretation), and most importantly preserved them and then transmitted the scholar’s school (Madhab) to the next generation. These four scholars were: Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) - 80-150 A.H. Imam Malik Ibn Anas (R.A.) - 93-179 A.H. Imam Muhammad Ibn Idris al-Shafi (R.A.) - 150-204 A.H. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (R.A.) - 164-241 A.H. If we take a snapshot of the Ummah by the end of the second century, we see Taqlid was of other than the above four sunni scholars and these four Imams. With time, the majority of people ended up doing Taqlid of these four schools. By virtue of them being fully formed, propagated, and codified, more and more scholars received training in these codified school. The Ummah’s convergence upon the acceptance of these four schools was coincidental, and not divinely revealed. Having said this, the mercy that lay in the converging on the four for the Ummah is not hidden, and hence it was seen as divine intervention to ensure the preservation of the Deen, as Allah (SWT) had promised: Indeed We who have revealed the Remembrance and it is for Us to preserve it (sura Al-Hijr:9) This is not to say there have only ever been four scholars in the Ummah who had reached the high rank of Ijtihad. There were several others, but their schools did not receive that same kind of attention that these four Imams received, thus it is not actually possible to do Taqlid of them. They may have had a thriving circle of students once, but they, for whatever reason, did not fully document, codify or transmit the school. One may find some of their legal opinions have been persevered, but that is not sufficient to consider that school fit for Taqlid. Just to give one glaring danger inherent in permitting this, leaving aside the fact there are but a handful of their legal opinions that have come down to us, it is not known if that particular opinion was the final opinion of that scholar, or did he change his view in later life. For that would require commentaries written by his students, as well as a strong transmission of all his opinions. This problem is carefully taken care of in the four established schools. Thus the four schools became to represent de facto Sunni Islam. Anyone who wished to seriously study Islamic law, as a beginner, was compelled, by virtue of the schools’ undisputed academic prowess and chapter by chapter preservation, to align themselves with one of them. It is for this reason that we have another inexplicable fact that non-Muqallids (those who deny Taqlid and consider it unlawful) try to avoid. That is the fact that the vast majority of sunni scholastic geniuses followed one of the four schools. For example ,the following is just a selection of unquestionable authorities in our Deen who were known to have adhered to one Madhab from the four: Imam Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi (Shafi) Imam Abu Jafar al-Tahavi (Hanafi) Imam Fakr al-Din al-Razi (Shafi) Imam Ibn abd al-Bar (Maliki) Imam Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi (Shafi) Imam Abu Bakr Jassas (Hanafi) Imam Ibn al-Hummam (Hanafi) Imam Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi (Maliki) Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani (Shafi) Imam Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi (Maliki) Imam Badr al-Din al-Ayni (Hanafi) Imam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (Shafi) Certainly, there is a difference in the way the scholar follows (does Taqlid) of a school and how others do it. A true well-grounded scholar in the Islamic sciences can also and did look at the evidences and if he believed that other than what the school teaches was the true position then he would leave the school on that issue. For the masses however, this is beyond their capabilities usually and nor is it required of each believer to become an Alim or Mujtahid as that would have demanded for everyone to leave devotion to other important academic areas such as medicine, engineering etc, seeking a livelihood, but our merciful divine Shariah inherently does not demand of us things that are impossible, as Allah (SWT) says: Allah does not burden a person with more than he can bear (sura Al-Baqara:286) Hence their duty is to simply follow true scholars as ordered in the verse in Sura Al-Anbiya. It is interesting to note that even though the likes of the scholars mentioned above did have a level of ijtihad, in their views they themselves did not feel themselves able to dispense with Taqlid of one of the four Imams they followed. The hadith collection Al-Jami` of Imam Tirmidhi is a testament to this. If a person, acquainted with the shafi school, goes through this book he will see that the hadith are brought in support of this school, as is plain to see from the chapter headings and Imam Tirmidhi’s commentary. In the second century there was a kind of consensus of the scholars that it was the interest of the Deen that for the layman, Taqlid be only done of the four schools. Having said this, a person was not restricted in who he asked for legal opinions from the four codified schools. This kind of non-specific Taqlid is known as “Taqlid ghayr Shaksi.” Because of the general greater religiosity in those first generations a person would, even though he was not restricted by the scholars in whose Taqlid he did, seek out the most pious scholar and even if he ever gained more than one opinion, he would incline to side of precaution in the opinion he chose, and the threat of following desires was little. Taqlid ghayr Shakhsi to Taqlid Shakhsi The further we get away in time from the best of generations, in particular after the second century, as impiety and following desires become more common, the scholars become more unequivocal of the obligatoriness of following only one school for every Muslim. The historical facts make this abundantly clear and anyone who contends otherwise is frankly out of touch with the reality. He is neither aware of the countless illustrious jurists who have stated this view, he seems oblivious of the state of the people of that time let alone his own time. Thus the fact is that by the end of the second century, and also the end of the best of generations, there was shift in the attitude of the masses and personal desires started becoming prominent in the opinions being followed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself had forewarned of this when he said, “then falsehood (kadhib) would become widespread.” It was then the scholars unanimously agreed, that no longer will people be able to have the option to hand pick opinions, rather they must follow one school only whichever that maybe from the four. Imam Shah Waliullah, states: After the second century adherence to specific schools appeared amongst the Muslims…. And this was the obligation at that time see Al-Insaf fi Bayan Asbab al-Ikhtilaf, p.70. Shaikh Wahbah al-Zuhaili in Al-Fiqh al-Islami wa adillatuh, vol.1 p.94, however has stated that the position of the majority of scholars was that only Taqlid of any scholar is wajib (Taqlid ghayr Shakhsi), and only a few scholars held Taqlid to be wajib of a specific school (Taqlid Shakhsi). This claim however not only conflicts with the patent need of the Deen and Ummah that lye in making Taqlid Shakhsi Wajib, it is also not corroborated by the facts, the most incontrovertible of which is the great number of jurists who stated this very view as we will be recorded below. On the other hand, Shaikh Wahbah supported his view by citing only two or three authors, which it is hard to see how constitute a majority? To be sure the claim is an error, the argument presented by Shaikh Wahbah, that underlies this view, we see is also clearly flawed. The reasoning he gives for why specific Taqlid (Taqlid Shakhsi) cannot be wajib, in his own words is: Allah only obligated following the scholars without specification of one and not another, He said: "Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know" (Sura Anbiya:7) (Op.Cit). The reality however is that in this verse Allah (SWT) made generic Taqlid obligatory or Taqlid in general (Jins of Taqlid or Mutlaq Taqlid). Now Taqlid in this general sense has under it two, call them, constituents or kinds or sub-categories (Anwa` or Afrad): Taqlid ghayr Shakhsi (non-specific Taqlid of any scholar) Taqlid Shakhsi (specific Taqlid of a particular scholar) Thus it becomes apparent that Taqlid itself is an obligation (wajib), with all the kinds of Taqlid that come under it logically taking that ruling, as they are but kinds of the same thing. Though indeed there is a choice, in acting upon the Deen, which of the two kinds one practices. Just as if a mother ordered her son to buy her “fruit,” under this general term (Mutlaq) would come many kinds of fruits, for example apple, orange, pear etc. It would be true to say that the obligation applied to all these fruits, that there is a choice in which fruit he chooses is another issue. What matters is that he chooses any fruit, and whichever fruit the son chooses he’ll have fulfilled his duty. But what cannot be said is that to buy apples on the one hand is obligatory, but as for oranges, that is just permissible (and to say unlawful is just absurd). To take another example, this time from the Deen, if someone broke an oath he would have to give the atonement (Kafaarah). The atonement for breaking an oath is Fard (Obligatory), however under this generic/general term or Mutlaq are three constituents/kinds (afrad): (1) Feeding the poor, (2) Clothing the poor, (3) Freeing a slave. Each one will take the ruling of the atonement, namely Fard, and what is Mubah or permissible is the choosing one any one of these three. Thus the upshot of this discussion is that the verse in Sura Anbiya actually made both kinds of Taqlid wajib, and by an individual doing either one of the two, he would have fulfilled the obligation upon him. It was for this reason we find examples of both kinds of Taqlid being practised by the first generations as recorded above. As for why the scholars prohibited the option of Taqlid Ghayr Shakhsi, it was due to a change in the condition of the people, the juristic basis for which we will speak more on later. The Majority of Ulema on Taqlid Shakhsi In this section of the essay my primary concern was to bring such quotes from undisputed experts of the Deen showing Taqlid Shakhsi as an obligation had become the common view amongst scholars throughout most of Islamic History. Having said this, I have also taken the opportunity to add some other quotations, not specifically on Taqlid Shakhsi, in order to refute two other views being promoted today, which though marginal, their fallacy and heretical nature require exposing. The first view is that Taqlid, whatever kind it is, is unlawful and that rather it is the duty of every Muslim to derive for himself all the detailed rulings from the Holy Qur’an and Sunna. This view is held by groups known as the “Ahle-hadith” or “Salafis.” One of the reasons, they succeed in getting people to believe such baseless and outlandish claims is they falsely give the impression this is also the view of most of the great Islamic scholars in the past. The actual position of the classical scholars of Islam, as proven by the quotes below, however is very different to this. Furthermore, it is quite startling that a scholar who they themselves rely upon greatly, namely the late Shaikh Salih bin Uthaymin, has stated unequivocally the non-scholar must do Taqlid of the scholars in his Al-Usul min `ilm al-Usul. In his recorded lectures of the same text he says that for the average Muslim to try to delve into the Holy Qur’an and Sunna in order to deduct rulings is like a person who has not learnt swimming to swim in a sea. It will only lead to his destruction. His is the final quote in the selection. The second view is less heretical and dangerous for at least it acknowledges the sacred Deen cannot be left in the hands of absolute infants in terms of Islamic learning. The holders of this view say it is permitted to follow any scholar, even if he be from other than the four schools. But of course the main intent behind the following texts is to show that the view of the vast majority of the Scholars of Ahl al-Sunna, was and is that Taqlid Shakhsi in particular is wajib. The scholars we mention are such authorities in the Sacred Knowledge of the Deen, that it is not unreasonable to assume that this ruling, that Taqlid shakhsi is obligatory, was also the view of their many eminent teachers, students and the whole school they belonged to. Imam Ibn al-Hummam, author of many unique works in Jurisprudence and Doctrine records the view of the Hanafi scholars on Taqlid of a single Mujtahid in the commentary of Hidayah Fath al-Qadir: (As for the layman) it is obligatory for him (Al-wajib alayh) to do Taqlid of a single Mujtahid….The jurists have stated that the one who switches from one Madhab to another by his Ijtihad and evidence is sinful deserving of being punished. Thus one who does so without Ijtihad and evidence is even more deserving. (vol.6 p.360) Imam Nawawi writes in Al-Majmu` Sharh Al-Muhadhdhab: The second view is it is obligatory (yalzimuhu) for him to follow one particular school, and that was the definitive position according to Imam Abul-Hassan (the father of Imam al-Haramayn Al-Juwayni). And this applies to everyone who has not reached the rank of Ijtihad of the jurists and scholars of other disciplines. The reasoning for this ruling is that if it was permitted to follow any school one wished it would lead to hand-picking the dispensations of the schools, following one’s desires. He would be choosing between Halal and Haram, and obligatory and permissible. Ultimately that would lead to relinquishing oneself from the burden of responsibility. This is not the same as during the first generations, for the schools that were sufficient in terms of their rulings for newer issues, were neither codified or did they became popular. Thus on this basis it is obligatory for a person to strive in choosing a Madhab which alone he follows. (Vol.1 p.93) Imam Sharani, an undisputed authority in the Shafi school writes in Al-Mizan al-Kubra: …You (O student) have no excuse left for not doing Taqlid of any Madhab you wish from the schools of the four Imams, for they are all paths to Heaven…. (p.55 vol.1) Shaikh Salih al-Sunusi writes in Fath al-`Alee al-Malik fil-Fatwa `ala Madhab al-Imam Malik: As for the scholar who has not reached the level of Ijtihad and the non-scholar, they must do Taqlid of the Mujtahid….And the most correct view is that it is obligatory (wajib) to adhere to a particular school from the four schools… (Section on Usul al-Fiqh p.40-41) In Tuhfa al-Muhtaj fi Sharh al-Minhaj, Shaikh al-Islam Ahmad Ibn Hajr al-Haytami writes: The claim the layman has no Madhab is proscribed, rather it is necessary (yalzamuhu) for him to do Taqlid of a recognised school. (As for the claim: scholars did not obligate following one school), that was before the codification of the schools and their establishment. (Vol.12 p.491-Kitab al-Zakah) In the famous 12 volume Maliki compendium of Fataawa, Al-Mi`yar al-Mu`rib an Fataawa ahl al-Ifriqiyya wa al-Andalus wa al-Maghrib, Imam Ahmad al-Wanshirisi records the Fatwa on Taqlid: It is not permitted (laa yajoozu) for the follower of a scholar to choose the most pleasing to him of the schools and one that agrees the most with him. It is his duty to do Taqlid of the Imam whose school he believes to be right in comparison to the other schools. (vol.11 p.163-164) The great authority in Usul Imam Aamidi writes in Al-Ihkam fi Usul al-Ahkam: The layman and anyone who is not capable of Ijtihad, even if he has acquired mastery of some of the disciplines (Ulum) related to Ijtihad, is obligated (yalzimuh) with following the positions of the Mujtahid Imams and taking his juristic opinions and this is the view of the experts from the scholars of the principles (Al-Muhaqqiqin minnal-Usulyyin). It was the Mutazila of Baghdad who prohibited that except if the soundness of his Ijtihad becomes clear to him. (vol.4 p.278) Imam Zahid al-Kawthari, Hanafi jurist and senior juridical advisor to the last Shaikh al-Islam of the Ottoman Empire, wrote in a impassioned article against the growing modern trend of non-Madhabism, entitled Al-Laa Madhabiyya Qantara al-Laa Deeniyya (“Non-Madhabism is a bridge to Non-religion”): Those who call the masses to throwing away adhering to a madhab from the Madhabs of the followed Imams, whose lives we briefly mentioned in what has passed, will be of two groups; those who consider that all the derived opinions of the Mujtahid are right, such that it is permitted for the layman to follow any opinion of any Mujtahid, not restricting himself to the opinions of a single Mujtahid whom he selects to be followed, such thinking belongs to the Mutazila. The (second group) are the Sufis who consider the Mujtahids to be all right in the sense that they seek out the hardest opinions from their positions without confining themselves to following one Mujtahid. (Published in Maqalaat al-Kawthari, p.224-225) Imam Al-Jalaal Shams al-Din al-Muhalli writes in the commentary of the Shafi text Jam` al-Jawami,`: And the soundest position (wal-Asahh) is that it is obligatory (yajibu) for the non-scholar/layman and other than him of those who have not reached the rank of Ijtihad, adherence of one particular school from the Madhabs of the Mujtahid Imams (iltizam Madhab Muayyan min madaahib al-Mujtahideen) that he beliefs to be preferable to another school or equal to it. (Kitab al-Ijtihad, p.93) Imam Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, the Faqih of the 19th Century, writes in Fataawa Rashidyya: When the corruption that comes from non-specific Taqlid is obvious, and no one will deny this provided he is fair, then when specific Taqlid is termed obligatory for other than itself (Wajib li-ghayrihi), and non-specific Taqld is termed unlawful, this will not be by mere opinion, rather it is by the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he commanded that removing corruption is an obligation upon every individual. (p.205) Imam Abd al-Hay al-Lakhnawi writes in his Majmuat al-Fataawa, after mentioning the various views of the scholars on Taqlid: On this subject the soundest view is that the laypeople will be prevented from such (choosing) of different opinions, especially the people of this time, for whom there is no cure but the following of a particular Madhab. If these people were allowed to choose between their Madhab and another, it would give rise to great tribulations. (vol.3 p.195) Imam Rajab al-Hanbali writes in his book: “Refutation of anyone who follows other than the four schools”: …that is the Mujtahid, assuming his existence, his duty (Farduhu) is to follow what becomes apparent to him of the Truth. As for the non-Mujtahid his duty is Taqlid (p.6) In the well known Maliki text Maraqi al-Saud, it is stated: (Taqlid) is necessary (yalzimu) for other than the one who has achieved the rank of absolute ijtihad. Even if he is limited (mujtahid) who is unable (to perform absolute Ijtihad). (Point 957, p.39) He writes further on: “Every school from the schools of the (four) Mujtahids is a means that reaches one to Paradise.” In one of the most authoritative juristic commentaries of the Holy Qur’an, Al-Jami` li-ahkam al-Qar’an, by the scholar Imam Qurtubi, commenting on verse 7 in Sura Anbiya, he writes: The scholars did not disagree that it is obligatory for the non-scholars (al-`Aamah) to do Taqlid of their scholars and they are meant in the verse: Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know. And the scholars by consensus (Ajma`oo) stated it is necessary (laa budda) for he who is unable to see to do Taqlid of someone else who will tell him of the direction of the Qiblah, if it becomes difficult for him. Similarly, one who does no possess knowledge or insight of what the Deen teaches, then it is necessary (laa budda) for him to do Taqlid of that scholar who does. (p.181 vol.11) The internationally renowned scholar Mufti Taqi Uthmani writes in his commentary on the Book: Al-Misbah fi Rasm al-Mufti wa Manaahij al-Ifta: The sound view, and upon which are the majority of the scholars, is that it is obligatory (Yajibu) for all those who have not reached the rank of Ijtihad to adhere to a particular school from the four well known, codified and definitively transmitted schools. This is in order to regulate a person’s actions and control his worldly dealings in a way that protects from confusion, errors and fulfils the compelling need. (vol.1, pp 251-252) Shaikh Salih bin al-Uthaymin writes in his book Al-Usul min `ilm al-Usul in the chapter on Taqlid: Taqlid takes place in two places; the first is that the person doing Taqlid be a layman, incapable of discerning the ruling by himself, so his duty (Farduhu) is to do Taqlid due to the statement of Allah (SWT): “Ask the people of Remembrance if you know not (Sura al-Nahl:43). (p.68) Shaikh al-Uthaymin also outlines in the chapter preceding this one what is needed for a person to be fit to deduce rulings from the Sacred texts, in other words the Pre-requisites of Ijtihad. He records six conditions, the first of which is the condition of encompassing all the verses and ahadith on the subject. This would, at the very first hurdle, lose most of us who have not learnt, let alone mastered, the Arabic language. Translations can never convey the linguistic intricacies, rhetorical devices and semantic nuances of the original Arabic, and furthermore a vast number of the hadith have yet to be translated into English. Juristic basis for Taqlid Shaksi alone being obligatory It is important to elaborate in detail what led to the change in ruling from permissibility to asking any of the scholars of the four schools to following one school from the four exclusively? As already stated both kinds of Taqlid (non-specific of the four and specific) were obligatory for the layman. However the option was open to him of following one school, as some did, and if he was not particularly discerning as the average lay person is, he simply asked any scholar he considered to be a reliable scholar regardless of his school. The first kind of Taqlid however produced a danger which with the passing of time became more and more real. Namely, people would “shop” for opinions. They would ask different scholars and often would follow a scholar merely due to ease in that view and it according with his whim. The early blessed generations were largely saved from this. In fact all Muslim scholars by consensus consider it absolutely for forbidden for a person to want to do something and then look for justification through texts and opinions of the scholars. The Holy Qur’an itself condemns those who act in this way when it says: Have you seen he who takes his desire as his god. (Al-Jaathiyah:23) The great jurist of the Hanafi school, Imam Ibn Aabideen records the following eye-opening incident that shows us the gravity of this problem. There was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa who once approached the Ashab al-Hadith (those who clam to only follow hadith), for the hand of his daughter in marriage. The father in law to be refused, and said he would only marry her to him if he started raising his hands (raf` al-yadayn) in Salah, reciting behind the Imam and pronouncing the Ameen loudly. The student agreed and consequently was wed to his wife. When the hanafi jurist Abu Bakr al-Jawzajani was informed of this he replied: “As for the nikah it is sound, but I fear that he (the student) may have left the Deen because he left what he believed to be the truth for his personal desire.” Imam Shatibi amongst other jurists has explained the danger in leaving Fiqh unregulated further, saying; ultimately the very purpose of the Shariah which is Takleef, or charging people with duties and responsibilities and taking them away from merely following their desires, with all the corruption and harm this brings, would become defunct as lay people sought refuge in the weak opinions of inferior scholars or from within the other three schools. Thus to prevent the doors of irreligion from opening the scholars concurred that it was now obligatory to follow one school whichever that be from those that had been thoroughly debated by the geniuses of the Ummah, documented and transmitted. There is no doubt that such lofty credentials belonged exclusively to the four schools. It was only due to the dangers mentioned earlier that lay in allowing Taqlid ghar Shakhsi (non-specific Taqlid) that the scholars declared it unlawful. What was the legal evidence or basis by which they effectively declared something unlawful which was clearly permissible previously? The jurists appreciate well that rulings change with time and there are many examples in the Shariah where something at one time was permitted, is made unlawful and vice versa in consideration of other greater principles of the Deen. Selling arms in an Islamic State is something permitted, however jurists declared selling arms unlawful at a time of civil war, as killing the life of a believer is from the gravest of sins whichever side he may be on. Another example is, the action of Uthman (R.A.) in standardising the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, prayed to Allah (SWT) for the Holy Qur’an to be revealed in seven independent dialects of the Arabs, so that it would be easy for them to recite. During the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) the various Arabs would recite it according to one of these dialects. Soon after the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) Islam had spread across to persia, asia and africa. With the spread of Islam also meant the new Muslims of these non-Arab lands would be learning and reciting the Book of Allah. It was at this time, during the Khilafah of the Khalif Uthman, that the existence of several dialects became a cause for confusion for these new Muslims. What had initially been for the purpose of facilitation and ease was becoming, in this new context, a means of difficulty and confusion. Thus Uthman (R.A.) declared the writing down, reciting and instruction of six dialects of the Holy Qur’an as unlawful and this was done in the presence of companions who concurred with him. Hence what was once permitted was made unlawful. Similarly, when the jurists saw, with the variety of opinions existent in the community and the threat of following desires and irreligion, they made Taqlid of only the four schools obligatory. Then as moral uprightness became less and less amongst the masses and the tendency to follow one’s desires in legal opinions increased, the ruling was given that Taqlid of only one school is permitted for the layman. This ruling was given on the basis of preventing the evil of following desires from coming into being, technically termed “Blocking the means” and in order to preserve the obligation of the duties and responsibilities believers have been charged with. Some may bring a criticism here that, other jurists do not accept the juristic principle of blocking the means. The truth however is that all jurists have acknowledged this principle, even if they have done so using other names for it. Imam Shatibi in his Muwafaqat, vol. 4 p.66 quotes Imam Qarafi as saying that there is Ijma (Mujma` alayh) of the scholars on its acceptance. Imam Abu Zahra, in his Usul al-Fiqh, p.253, has confirmed it to be the view of all four schools. The reason for its general acceptance is that it is in reality a law based on common sense of looking to the end result of an action. If something is evil or unlawful then it is nonsensical to think there is nothing wrong with the presence of those things that directly lead to that evil. In fact, we see it in action in our daily lives, in every aspect of life. If we prevent our children from going out alone, though they may not understand this, it is not because stepping outside is in itself forbidden, rather it is due to the threat of being abducted etc. It is logical and obvious that things that lead to an unlawful also be forbidden. Man-made laws are incapable of acknowledging this truth such that even though studies prove pornography leads to rape and other sexual offences, they do not even make a feeble attempt to curb it. The Divine law of Allah Almighty and Wise could never be so deficient and for which reason we see that many of the laws of the Islamic State are based upon it. Another juristic principle similar to the “blocking the mean” principle, is the principle of “Acquiring of the means” by which an obligation can only be fulfilled. Usul books speak of this as Muqadimat al-wajib wajib or maa laa yutimmu al-wajib illa bihi fa huwa wajib. In this case some act needs to come into existence due to the command of Allah (SWT), however to achieve that act sometimes another thing maybe required, thus in order to fulfil the order the other thing will also become obligatory even when it has not been explicitly commanded by the Lawgiver. An example of the latter principle (of acquiring the means) is the order in the Holy Qur’an to give Zakah. Now it is obvious a person will only be able to carry out this command properly, if he has the detailed knowledge of Zakah rules, what is Nisab, on what things must Zakah be given, what makes a person illegible to give Zakah and so on. Thus, though there is no text specifically making study of the rules of Zakah wajib, based on this juristic principle, it would be said that it is wajib for a Muslim to learn the fiqh of Zakah and even to attend a Zakah course teaching such a course, being held at a particular Institute in his locality. Thus the unlawful consequence of people following their desires, a thing forbidden clearly in the Holy Qur’an, establishes the unlawfulness of unrestricted Taqlid or Taqlid ghayr shakhsi. Similarly, the obligation to preserve the Shariah from distortion and corruption, establishes the obligation of adherence to Taqlid Shakhsi. Furthermore, one will note, whereas in the case of other issues, their rulings are established by one of either of these two usuli principles, the necessity of Taqlid Shakshi is established by both principles. There are other issues related to this topic deserving discussion, but are beyond the scope of the article, such as what are the conditions under which a Madhab is left and answering the evidences usually quoted against Taqlid. For these and other topics works that can be consulted are: Jawahir al-Fiqh by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, vol.1; Qawaid fi Ulum al-Fiqh by Shaikh Habib Ahmad al-Kairawani (punlished as an introduction to Imam Zafar Ahmad Uthmani’s Iila al-Sunnan); Al-Kalam al-Mufid fi Ithbat al-Taqlid by Maulana Muhammad Sarfraz Khan Safdar; The legal Status of following a Madhab by Mufti Taqi Uthmani; Al-Laa Madhabiyya Akhtar Bida`h tuhaddi al-Shariat al-Islamiyya by Shaikh Ramadan al-Buti.

Masjid Al-Mustarah, a witness to history Place where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) rested and prayed after he returned from the Battle of Uhud. Saturday, 02 August 2014 MADINAH — Masjid Al-Mustarah, located 2.5 kilometers northwest of the Prophet's Mosque, has acquired its name because the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) rested and prayed at this place after he returned from the Battle of Uhud. Mustarah in Arabic means to take rest. Whenever the Prophet visited the graves of the martyrs of Uhud, he rested at the place. It is also called Bani Haritha Mosque because it is located among houses belonging to the tribe. The mosque was built during the times of the Prophet and Madinah historians say the Prophet prayed in the mosque. The mosque is located to left of the road leading to Uhud Mountain and is about half a meter above ground. Due its historical significance, the mosque was renovated and expanded during the Saudi era. The mosque is rectangular in shape and occupies a 491-square-meter area and is distinguishable by its beautiful dome and minaret. The mosque has entrances from the east, west and north. Historian Ahmad Murshed said the mosque is located among the homes of Bani Haritha. A Turkish castle that stood west of the mosque was removed in 1995. http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140802213307

"The likeness of the believer who reads the Qur'an is like that of citron; its taste is delicious and its scent is pleasant. And the likeness of the believer who does not read the Qur'an is like that of a date; its taste is delicious, yet it has no scent. And the likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is like that of a basil; its scent is pleasant, yet its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite that does not read the Qur'an is like that of a colocynth; its taste is bitter and it has no scent." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

1 The Noble Features of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 2 The Seal of Nubuwwah (Prophethood) of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 3 The Mubaarak Hair of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 4 The Combing of The Hair of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 5 The Appearing of the White Hair of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 6 Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Using a Dye 7 The Kuhl of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 8 The Dressing of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 9 The Khuff (leather socks) of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 10 The Shoes of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 11 The Mubaarak Ring of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 12 Chapter Stating that Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam wore The Ring on his Right hand 13 The Sword of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 14 The Armor of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 15 The Helmet of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 16 The Turban of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 17 The Lungi of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 18 The Walking of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 19 The Qinaa of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 20 The Sitting of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 21 The Pillow of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 22 Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Leaning on Something other than a Pillow 23 The Description of the Eating of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 24 The Bread of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 25 The Description of the Curry of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 26 Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Performing Wudu at the Time of Eating 27 The Words That of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam said Before and after Eating 28 The Cup of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 29 The Fruits Eaten by Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 30 The Description of the Things Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Drank 31 Those Hadith Describing the Manner Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Drank 32 Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam Useing 'Itr 33 The Speech of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 34 The Laughing of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 35 The Description of the Joking of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 36 The Description of the Saying of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam on Poetry 37 The Story Telling of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam at Night 38 The Sleeping of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 39 The Worship and Devotion of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 40 Salaatut Duha (Chaast Prayers) 41 Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam performing nawaafil at home 42 The fasting of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 43 The recital of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 44 The weeping of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 45 The narrations of The bed of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 46 That which has been narrated on the humbleness of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 47 The noble character and habits of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 48 The Modesty of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 49 The hajaamah (cupping- cautering) of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 50 The living of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 51 The names of Sayyidina Rasullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 52 The noble age of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 53 The death of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 54 The legacy of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam 55 The seeing of Sayyidina Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam in a dream Credits to source: Inter=Islam

Shamaail Tirmidhi The Virtues and Noble Character of The Prophet Muhammad Classic Book of Hadeeth by Imaam Abi 'Eesaa Muhammad bin 'Eesah bin Sorah At-Tirmidhi R.A.(209-279A.H.) Commentary by Shaykhul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Muhajir Madni (R.A) Presented in Arabic and English Introduction All paise be to Allah who alone sustains the world. Exalted salaah (blessings) and complete salaam (peace) be on our master Muhammad Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam and his family and companions. The Shamaa-il of Imaam Abu 'Eesa Timidhi has a collection of 397 ahaadith and is divided into 55 chapters on the physical Description and character of our beloved Nabi Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam. It has been printed on numerous occasions and many commentaries have been written on it. The present English translation and commentary is of the Khasaa-il Nabawi Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam by the late Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Rahamatullahi 'Alayhi. It will enable a Muslim to achieve a link and connection with the one whom Allah Ta'aala has made as a mercy unto mankind, and most certainly Allah has spoken the truth when He mentions in His Book: "Verily, you (0 Muhammad) are of a very high (noble) character". A Muslim can truly claim his love for Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam, if he attempts to follow the manner and life-style of the messenger of Islam. We are given such an opportunity, after the reading of this book, for it enlightens the reader with the intimate aspect of Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam's life. Finally, we ask, Allah Ta'aala to reward us and that He instill within us the distinguished features and august character of this most Noble Messenger, who is the perfect example for Muslims. FCPM Shamaail Tirmidhi available on: Inter-Islam

By Khalid Baig The crowd was growing in size by the minute. They were beating drums, singing, dancing, and shouting in joy. Pagan Makkah was about to kill Khubaib bin Adi Ansari, Radi-Allahu anhu, who had been captured through a sinister and treacherous plot, then sold in the slave market so the buyers could exact their vengeance. It started when some tribesmen from Uthul and Qara went to Madinah and requested the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to send some teachers with them who could educate their fellow tribesmen about Islam. The request was granted and about ten Companions were sent with them. When the group reached Raji' two hundred armed men were lying in wait for them. Khubaib and Zaid bin Adathna, Radi-Allahu anhuma, were captured alive, while the others were martyred. Then they were sold in exchange for a hundred heads of camel. Both had fought in the battle of Badr and their swords had killed some pagan soldiers. Now the relatives of those killed in war wanted to get even. Of course, Arab traditions did not allow revenge for war like this. But their opponents were Muslims. Then, as now, the pagan world was ready to violate its own rules and traditions when the victims were Muslims. While facing death, Khubaib, Radi-Allahu anhu, said a poem that has been recorded by history. It includes these lines: "They say if I renounce Islam, my life will be spared. But it is better to die with belief than to live with unbelief." At the last minute, the pagans asked him: "Don't you wish that you were spared and Muhammad (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) got this punishment? Would not you like that you were resting comfortably in your home, while he was killed in your place?" From the man who was about to die because he had accepted the Message brought by Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, came this reply: "By Allah, I cannot even imagine that a thorn should prick the foot of Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, while I rest in my home." Abu Sufyan, an unbeliever at the time, remarked to his associates: "See, the love of the companions for Muhammad (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is unparalleled and unprecedented." At another time, a similar observation was made by another Quraish leader Urwah ibn Mas'ud al Thaqafi. "I have seen Ceasar and Chosroes in their pomp, but never have I seen a man honored, as Muhammad is honored by his comrades." The biographies of the Companions are full of stories that show their extra-ordinary love and devotion for the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The Qur'an itself attests to this. "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves." [Al-Ahzab 33:6] It is a statement of fact as well as a command. The following two ahadith, from among the many on the subject, clarify this point further. "None of you can be a believer unless he loves me more than his parents, his children, and all the people." [bukhari and Muslim] "There are three signs that indicate that a person has tasted the sweetness of faith. 1) That he loves Allah and His Prophet more than anything else. 2) He loves everyone solely for the sake of Allah. 3) After accepting Islam he hates going back to unbelief as much as he hates going into the fire." [bukhari and Muslim] It has to be so, because our relationship to the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is at the core of our entire religion. He is human, not Divine, but he is our connection to the Deity. He relays to us the Word of Allah and he explains what the Word means. He sets a personal example that we look at not just for admiration but emulation. Our relationship to him is legal as well as personal; moral as well as spiritual; intellectual as well as emotional. Allah chose him to guide us, educate us, inspire us, and purify us --- and we remain indebted forever! This not only establishes a relationship between a believer and the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, it also establishes the relationship among the believers, making them one unit because of--- in addition to their common faith--- their common love for the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Together these facts explain a Muslim's sensitivity to the honor of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. To begin with, we must remember that the honor of everyone is important. As the hadith reminds us: "If a believer does not come to the help of another believer whose honor and dignity are under attack, then Allah will also not help him when he is most in need of Allah's help. And a believer who does come to the help of another believer whose honor and dignity are under attack, then Allah will also help him when he is most in need of Allah's help." [Abu Dawood]. If a Muslim is not supposed to be indifferent when the honor of another ordinary Muslim is under attack, how in the world can anyone expect him or her to be indifferent when the honor and dignity of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself may be under attack? As has been noted by someone else, a civilization in which nothing is sacred may have difficulty in understanding the values of a civilization in which sacred is all that counts. But if it cannot understand the logic, because of its own blinders, it will have to come to terms with the facts on the ground: Muslims treat their Prophet, and all the prophets, with utmost respect and they simply cannot tolerate any willful insult and disrespect. To compromise on this issue would tantamount to compromising one's faith. And no one has a right to demand that. The blasphemy laws in Muslim countries like the one in Pakistan, are not only based on solid and agreed upon juristic grounds, they express a fundamental value of the Muslim civilization. We need not offer any apologies for that just because the forces of profanity seem to be powerful. Some think that the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, forgave his worst enemies and never took revenge for himself. So any law that prescribed punishment for assaulting the honor of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is clearly against his Sunnah. What the prophetic example teaches is that we should also be willing to forgive those who have committed offenses against us, personally. But we know of Ka'ab bin Ashraf who used to abuse the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and instigated others to do so. He ordered Mohammed ibn Salma to execute Ka'ab. (Bukhari) There are not many but history records that whenever anyone tried to abuse the person of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he was meted with the same punishment. As the Persian poet said, "May take liberty with God, Be careful with Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam."

By Khalid Baig "O Believers! Save Yourself and Your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones." [At-Tahreem, 66:6] This verse points to the goal as well as the required seriousness of our efforts in bringing up our children. The central goal of their education and upbringing must be to prepare them for the future --- the Ultimate and Everlasting Future. One path leads to success there. It is the path of obedience to our Creator. We must protect them from taking any other path for all other paths lead to the blazing Hellfire. Our efforts must have the urgency they would have if we saw flames engulfing our children here. While this is a universal command to believing parents everywhere, it assumes special importance for those living in non-Muslim societies for two principal reasons: The pressures to assimilate from all societal organizations are just overwhelming. While schools and television remain the two most potent instruments for corrupting both the intellectual as well as the emotional space of the young minds, the popular culture and secular ideas invade from all possible directions. The institutions that have been built so far to counter this tremendous force miss the target by a huge margin in numbers as well as quality. In the U.S., for example, there are 400 full time Islamic schools. While this looks like a big number, these schools can only accommodate about five percent of the Muslim student population. More than 95% will go to the government run secular schools. Moreover, even those going to the Islamic Schools are taught the same secular-humanist values and ideas that are dispensed by the public school system as no integrated Islamic curriculum exists today. The Islamic schools merely add Islamic studies, Arabic, and Qur’an to a secular curriculum that remains intact. The results are devastating. Despite all the noise about Islam being the fastest growing religion (in the U.S./West/World), the Muslim children in Western countries are succumbing to the pressures at an alarming rate. Some openly renounce Islam. A large number develop doubts and misunderstandings about their religion. They seek compromises between Islam and un-Islam, or quietly develop those compromises in their lives without telling their parents. The result is an epidemic of confusion, split personalities, arguments with parents, or rebellion. While that should be the impetus for developing better Islamic Schools and other institutions, we should never lose sight of the fact that the biggest role in the upbringing of the children belongs to the parents. This verse says clearly that the responsibility for proper education and upbringing of the children lies squarely with the parents. This is a duty assigned to them by Allah and they will be held accountable for it. As parents are we up to the task? Are we even clear about where we want to go and how to get there? Do we understand Islamic teachings about parenting and our responsibilities according to the Shariah? Sadly, the answer is no. Our goals as well as ideas about parenting show the same confusions that we are finding in the next generation about Islam. Here is a deeper look at some commonly held ideas and "truths" about parenting. "Too much discipline will cause rebellion." Too much discipline can certainly cause rebellion. So can too little. Muslim homes should be loving, caring homes where persuasion works most of the time. But when there is need for discipline, shying away from it can only exacerbate the problem. In the U.S., spanking a child by the parents is a no-no. Yet laws allow a thirteen year old to be treated as an adult (and held with adult criminals) in violent crime cases. Islam asks us to avoid both extremes. For example, we are asked to encourage the children to offer prayers from the age of seven. But they should be disciplined if they refuse to pray after age ten. Insufficient parental control can be as damaging as too much parental control. "Outside influences do not matter if the home is good." A good home is essential to proper upbringing. At the same time, we cannot be complacent about outside influences. Children, like budding plants, have to be protected from the harmful environment, whether it is friends, media, books, or whatever. It is not healthy to let the children be pulled in all different directions in the fallacious hopes that they will ultimately sort out things for themselves. That is a prescription for raising a "post-modern" person for whom, "Everything is O.K." "It makes no difference if the mother stays home or works outside." Children everywhere need the loving, nurturing presence of the mother. But, in immigrant Muslim communities, where other support facilities are often missing or woefully inadequate, it makes a huge difference. Unfortunately, most mothers are reluctant to step up to their responsibility here. First, their own education did not prepare them for it, physically or psychologically. Second, there is a lot of self-generated economic pressure forcing women into the work force. Third, and most distressing, in many Muslim communities the working women enjoy a higher social status than the "mere housewives." Mothers should remember the hadith, that the wife is responsible for the children of her husband and will be held accountable for them. Those who belittle the task of homemaking are putting our next generations at extreme risk. "Good scores mean good upbringing." Good scores only mean that the student has absorbed the material that he was tested on very well. Whether that is good or bad depends upon the material itself. If a student obtained top grades in the seventh grade History in the U.S., for example, it does indicate a very high probability that he also swallowed --- hook, line and sinker --- all the lies and distortions in World history and History of Islam. Do not be surprised then, when he grows up a living question mark about Islam. As long as they are not being taught from an integrated Islamic curriculum, our blind emphasis on high scores in all subjects may be misplaced. "Daughters and Sons: Islam demands equality." Most certainly, Islam strictly forbids preferential treatment of boys or girls. But it is a gross misinterpretation of this command that Islam favors a unisex world. Men and women have different roles in life and our sons and daughters must be prepared for their respective roles.

Question Is it permissible to wipe over thin cotton socks during wudhu? Answer It is not permissible to wipe over thin socks according to any of the four Mazahib. Whichever Imam gave permission for wiping over socks restricted it to Thakhinayn(thick socks), therefore if they are thin and water is seeping through, then wiping over them will not be permissible. It is written in Ma’rifus-sunan: اتفقوا على جواز المسح على المجلدين والمنعلين وكذالك اتفقوا على عدم جوازه على الرقيقين يشفان واختلفوا فى الثخينين فالجمهور جوزوه ومنعه ابو حنيفة “They all agree upon wiping over socks which are covered with leather or which have leather soles, similarly they agree upon the impermissibility of wiping over thin socks through which water seeps, and they differ regarding thick ones, the majority permit it whereas Imam Abu Hanifah (ra) prohibits it.” (Ma’arifus-sunan pg 346 vol 1) There is no Hadith in Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim which states the permissibility of wiping over thin socks. However, there are Mutawatir Ahadith regarding wiping over Khuffayn (leather socks). There is one Hadith in Abu Dawud regarding Masah alal Jawrabayn. However, even Imam Abu Dawud narrated this Hadith and said, ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Mahdi would not narrate this Hadith, as this is narrated from Mughirah ibn Shu’ba’ and what is well known in the Hadith of Mughirah is that, “He wiped over Khuffayn (leather socks).” (In other words, Jawrabayn here is Wahm (mistake)). Imam Abu Dawud says, ‘This Hadith is also narrated from Abu Musa, however the chain is not Muttasil (connected) nor Qawiyy (strong)’. (Abu Dawud Pg22) The great Salafi scholar Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Al Mubarakpuri writes in Tuhfatul Ahwazi Sharhut-Tirmizi, “(Imam Tirmizi has classed this Hadith as ‘Sahih’) however, Bayhaqi has narrated the Hadith of Mughirah and said that the Hadith is Munkar. Sufyaan Thauri has classed it Dhaeef and so has Abdur-Rahman ibn Mahdi, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Maeen, Ali ibnul Madini and Muslim ibn Hajjaj. What is actually recorded from Mughirah is the Hadith of wiping over leather socks. Imam Nawawi (ra) has mentioned that all the above Muhadditheen, had they been alone, they would have been put ahead of Imam Tirmizi (ra). Another point is that Jarh supersedes Ta’deel and two narrators in this chain are Dhaeef, Abu Qays al-Awadi and Hudhail ibn Shurahbil. Sheikh Mubarakpuri writes there are two other Ahadith from Ibn Mas’ood (ra) and Bilal (ra) but they are both Dhaeef and unsuitable as evidence, thereafter he mentions the chain of both the Ahadith and their weaknesses. He concludes saying: والحاصل انه ليس فى باب المسح على الجوربين حديث مرفوع صحيح خال عن الكلام هذا ما عندي والله اعلم The conclusion is, that with regards to wiping over cotton socks, there is no Marfoo’ Hadith which could be classed Saheeh and free from dispute. (Tuhfatul Ahwazi pg 333 vol 1) He further states that some people who allow wiping over socks put forward in their argument the Hadith Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal narrates in his Musnad Ahmed from Thawban (ra) which mentions wiping over ‘Tasakheen’ thus they say that ‘Tasakheen’ means cotton socks. Sheikh Mubarakpuri writes, “This Hadith is also not suitable for use as evidence because Raashid ibn Sa’d did not hear from Thawbaan so there is a disconnection in the chain. Secondly, the scholars of Lughat have said that Tasakheen are socks made from leather. Imam Ibnul-Atheer quotes in his Nihayah under the letter taa’ التساخين هى الخفاف ولا واحد لها من لفظها وقيل واحدها تسخين و تسخان و تسخن “Tasakheen are leather socks” (Tuhfatul Ahwazi pg 339 vol 1) Shaykh ibn Baz (ra) has also written in his Fatawa, “It is not permissible to wipe over them” (thin socks). (fatawa islamiyya pg102). For reference for all four mazahib see text below from al fiqhul islami wa adilatuhu vol 1 pg 498: قال ابو حنيفة لا يجوز المسح على الجوربين الا ان يكونا مجلدين او منعلين لان الجورب ليس معنى الخف لانه لا يمكن مواظبة المشى فيه الا اذا كانا منعلا وهو محمل الحديث المخبر للمسح على الجورب…الا انه رجع الى قول الصاحبين في اخر عمره…واشترط المالكية كابي حنيفة ان يكونا الجوربان مجلدين ظاهرهما وباطنهما حتى يمكن المشي فيهما عادة… واجاز الشافعية المسح على الجورب بشرطين احدهما ان يكون صفيقا لا يشف بحيث يمكن متابعة المشي عيله الثانى ان يكون منعلا فان اختل احد الشرطين لم يجز المسح عليه… واباح الحنابلة المسح على الجورب بالشرطين المذكورين في الخف وهما الاول ان يكون صفيقا لا يبدو منه شئ من القدم الثانى ان يمكن متابعة المشى فيه… Therefore, if you are a follower of any of the four mazaahib, it would be Haram for you to wipe over thin cotton socks. Any Salah preformed by wiping over thin socks will not be valid and that Salah will have to be repeated after washing the feet. Consequently, Salah behind an Imam who has wiped over thin socks will not be allowed. Therefore, Salah should only be lead by a person who has washed his feet according to the command of the Holy Quran or wiped over khuffayn according to the Mutawatir Ahadeeth. In the verse of the Quran, Allah orders the washing of 3 limbs and the wiping of only the head. Therefore, if someone only wipes his arms or face, his wudu is not valid. The same applies to foot wiping – and foot wiping is done only by the Rawaafidh, Shias. We have been forced to write this fatwa as we have been informed and seen with our own eyes people wiping over thin socks in wudhu areas where there are puddles of water. Socks get wet on the soles and with these socks, they enter the masjid, wetting the carpet wherever they tread. This makes the carpet smell and others would have to prostrate at that place where they have wetted. If these people had taken their socks off, washed their feet and then wiped them on the mats provided outside the wudhu area, this would not have happened. Furthermore, Salaah is the most important Ibadah. It should be performed in such a manner that it is correct according to the opinion of all the Ulema. That is why we say that even though Salat alan nabiyy during the final Tashaahhud is only masnoon according to the majority of the mazhabs, however Imam Shafi’i (ra) has said that it is Fard, so one should not neglect it. Similarly, Ta’adile Arkaan (exercising composure during postures) is not fardh according to the Hanafi Madhab. However, according to the other mazhabs, it is fardh, therefore Salaah should be performed with great calmness. The Prophet (Saw) has said, “Allah loves the effects of worship on his servants.” (Mishkaat). For example, the smell appearing due to fasting is more beloved to Allah than Musk. Similarly, any suffering due to washing the limbs in Wudhu is beloved to Allah. Jannat has been surrounded by things that a person dislikes, so one should be cautious about all the facts of Shariah. If you are at work, on a plane or in a difficult situation, and need to complete Wudhu quickly, a single wash will suffice. Washing 3 times is Sunnah and better, but it isn’t fardh, so it can be left out when needed. Those people who find it inconvienient taking off their shoes and socks every time they perform Wudhu, have 2 alternatives to the normal washing of the feet. Alternative 1: Wear leather socks. Alternative 2: Wear Khuff-like waterproof socks which go above the ankles, produced by companies like Sealskinz and Gortex. These socks meet all the criteria of being wudu-wipable, and therefore are permissible to wear and wipe over during Wudhu. They cost about £20 a pair and can be bought on the internet. Please note: The conditions of Masah alal khuff: They should be worn after performing full wudhu including washing of the feet. They should not be torn, if they have holes more than three small toes then masah on them will not be correct. The timing of masah is one day and one night for a muqeem and three days and three nights for a musafir. The timing does not start from the moment you make wudhu or when you wear them but rather from the moment your wudhu breaks e.g. if you washed the feet for the wudhu of fajar then you wore the socks thereafter, your wudhu broke at 10:00am then you will be allowed to wipe over them until 10:00am the following day, then at that time your masah limit and wudhu will be finished and you will have to do wudhu all over again, washing the feet. Masah can only be done after hadath asghar (minor impurity). Therfore, if janabat (major impurity) takes place the khuffayn will have to be taken off and the feet will be washed. Please note: The terminological difference between wiping (masah) and washing (ghasl). Masah is just wiping a wet hand over the area. For example, passing your hand across part or all of your head, or wiping the top of the Khuff. On the other hand, Ghasl is wetting the whole limb, in such a way that some drops of water fall off the limb. Thus, wetting the whole arm or foot with a single cupped handful of water is sufficient, and the Fardh of a single wash will be completed. قَوْلُهُ : أَيْ إسَالَةُ الْمَاءِ إلَخْ ) قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ : وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي مَعْنَاهُ الشَّرْعِيِّ ، فَقَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ : هُوَ الْإِسَالَةُ مَعَ التَّقَاطُرِ وَلَوْ قَطْرَةً حَتَّى لَوْ لَمْ يُسِلْ الْمَاءَ بِأَنْ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ اسْتِعْمَالَ الدُّهْنِ لَمْ يَجُزْ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ ، وَكَذَا لَوْ تَوَضَّأَ بِالثَّلْجِ وَلَمْ يَقْطُرْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَجُزْ . عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ هُوَ مُجَرَّدُ بَلِّ الْمَحَلِّ بِالْمَاءِ سَالَ أَوْ لَمْ يَسِلْ .رد المحتار951 Note that even under normal circumstances, one should not use an excessive quantity of water. The Prophet (saw) used no more than a small bowlful of water for Wudhu. In the hadith this has been narrated as one Mudd equal to nearly 775ml/655g. Once Rasulullah (saw) passed by one sahabi who was using excessive water during wudhu so he said, “O sa’d! Do not exceed the limit!” he asked, “Are there any limits in wudhu which are exceeded? He replied, “Yes, even if you are on a flowing river.” Once Rasullulah (saw) was riding, he passed by a river and he felt like performing wudhu so he dismounted, took a bowl, filled it from the river and performed wudhu. There was some water left in the bowl so he went back and poured it inside the river saying, “maybe Allah will benefit some bird, animal or human being through this amount.” Written by: Shaykh Abdur-Rahim Attested by: Mufti Tahir Sahib, Mufti Ibrahim Raja sahib, and Moulana Nawshaad Sahib Tafseer Raheemi

Amount of water used in Wudhu One should not use an excessive quantity of water. The Prophet used no more than a small bowlful of water for Wudhu. In the hadith this has been narrated as one Mudd equal to nearly 775ml/655g. Once Rasulullah passed by one sahabi who was using excessive water during wudhu so he said, “O sa’d! Do not exceed the limit!” he asked, “Are there any limits in wudhu which are exceeded? He replied, “Yes, even if you are on a flowing river.” (Tafseer Raheemi) The Prophetic Mudd

The Prophetic Mudd One should not use an excessive quantity of water. The Prophet used no more than a small bowlful of water for Wudhu. In the hadith this has been narrated as one Mudd equal to nearly 775ml/655g. Once Rasulullah passed by one sahabi who was using excessive water during wudhu so he said, “O sa’d! Do not exceed the limit!” he asked, “Are there any limits in wudhu which are exceeded? He replied, “Yes, even if you are on a flowing river.” (Tafseer Raheemi) From Ashrafiya Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said, ‘We must be careful while performinf wudhu. Wasting large amounts of water is sinful. Our master Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in regards to wudhu, ‘Don’t waste water even if you are performing it at a riverbank.’ The Sunna amount of water to use in wudhu is approximately 775 ml. (That is less than a liter.)’ Waaz, May 2014 (Mudd:The picture above shows a container of this capacity)

Virtues of reciting the Qur’an * Hadith – 1: Usman RadiyAllahu `anhu narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said: "The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) Hadith – 2: Abu Sa'eed RadiyAllahu `anhu narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said: "Almighty Allah says; "If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favors of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Qur'an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favors of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the super­iority of Allah over the entire creation." (Tirmidhi, Bayhaqi) Hadith – 3: Uqba ibn Amir RadiyAllahu `anhu said: "Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam came to us while we were sitting on the Suffa and asked if anyone of us would like to go to the market of Buthan or Aqeeq and fetch from there 2 she­ camels of the finest breed without committing any sin or severing a tie of kinship. We replied that every one of us would love to do so. Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam then said that going to the Masjid and reciting or teaching 2 ayaat (verses) of the Qur'an is more pre­cious than 2 she-camels, 3 ayaat are more precious than 3 she-camels, and that similarly re­citing or teaching of 4 ayaat is better than 4 she-camels and an equal number of camels." (Muslim, Abu Dawud) Hadith – 4: Aa’isha (Radiallaho anha) narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam once said, "One who is well versed in the Qur'an will be in the company of those angels who are scribes, noble and righteous; and one who falters in reading the Qur'an, and has to exert hard for learning, gets double the reward." (Muslim) Hadith – 5: Abdullah ibn Amr RadiyAllahu `anhu re­ports that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said: "On the Day of Judgment, it will be said to the Man devoted to the Qur'an, 'Go on reciting the Qur'an and continue ascending the stories of Paradise and recite in the slow manner as you had been reading in worldly life; your final place will be where you reach at the time of the last ayat of your recitation." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud) Hadith – 6: Ibn Mas'oad RadiyAllahu `anhu narrates that Rasullullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said, "Whoever reads one letter of the Book of Allah is credited with one blessing and one blessing is equal to tenfold the like thereof in its reward. I do not say that الم (Alif Lam Meem) is one letter, but '(ا )' (Alif) is one letter, ' ( ل )’ (Lam) is one letter, and '( م )' (Meem) is one letter." (Tirmidhi) Hadith – 7: Mu'az Juhani RadiyAllahu `anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said, "Whoever reads the Qur'an and acts upon what is con­tained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgment, the brightness of which will excel that of the sun, if the same were within your worldly houses. So, what do you think about the person who himself acts upon it?" (Ahmad, Abu Dawud) Hadith – 8: Ali RadiyAllahu `anhu says that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said, "Whoever reads Qur'an and learns it by heart, and regards what it makes lawful as lawful and its unlawful as forbidden, will be admitted into Paradise by Almighty Allah Who will also accept his intercession in respect of 10 such persons of his family who shall have been doomed to Hell." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi) Hadith – 9: Abu Huraira RadiyAllahu `anhu narrated that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam said, "Learn the Qur'an and recite it, because the example of one who learns the Qur'an, reads it and recites it in Ta­hajjud is like an open bag full of musk, the fragrance spreads over the entire place, and a person who has learnt the Qur'an but sleeps while the Qur'an is in his heart, is like a bag full of musk but with its mouth closed." (Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Maja, Ibn Hibban) * The English translation describes the meaning of the Hadith. The scholarly reader is requested to refer to the original Arabic text in the books of Hadith referenced above. islameasy.org

مسجد عائشة الراجحي Masjid Aisha Al-Rajhi - second largest Masjid in Makkah Inside Location: (Muzdalefa Road/3th ring Road before Al-Taif Road detour) in Al-Naseem neighborhood (south of Al-Azizeyyah and north of Al-Awali district) (Exactly at the eastern foot of Jabal Thawr "Mount Thawr") Facilities: - a large library - conference hall - fully equipped area for washing the dead - 8 elevators and 8 escalators to reach its different levels - control room to monitor the Masjid throughout with CCTV - It has its own water treatment plants - separate area for I’thikaf, with furnished rooms, central kitchen, dining room, individual lockers

Question: How can the following hadith be explained, as some modernists/ikhwanis in Europe use it to prove prayers can be joined in summer (maghrib immediately followed by 'isha). Ibn-Abbas (RA) one day delivered a sermon in the afternoon until the sun set and the stars began to appear in the sky, so people kept saying: the prayer! The prayer! And a man from the tribe of Tamim walked towards him and said strongly: the prayer! The prayer! Ibn-Abbas replied: Are you going to teach me the Sunna, what a fool you are! Then he said: I've seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) combine noon and mid afternoon, and combine sunset and nightfall prayers. The narrator, Abdullah son of Shaqiq, goes on to say: I still felt uneasy, so I went over to Abu-Hurayra (the great companion of the Prophet) and asked him about that and he confirmed the validity of what Ibn-Abbas said. [Refer to Sahih Muslim]. I am aware the majority of 'ulama do not permit combining prayers if there is no travel, fear or rain (as reported by Imam Nawawi (RA), but how is this specific hadith to be understod ? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. The ĥadīth in question is as follows: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، قَالَ: خَطَبَنَا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ يَوْمًا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ، وَبَدَتِ النُّجُومُ، وَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَقُولُونَ: الصَّلَاةَ الصَّلَاةَ، قَالَ: فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ، لَا يَفْتُرُ، وَلَا يَنْثَنِي: الصَّلَاةَ الصَّلَاةَ، فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: أَتُعَلِّمُنِي بِالسُّنَّةِ؟ لَا أُمَّ لَكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَمَعَ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ، وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ». قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ شَقِيقٍ: فَحَاكَ فِي صَدْرِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ، فَأَتَيْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَصَدَّقَ مَقَالَتَهُ (صحيح مسلم، باب الجمع بين الصلاتين في الحضر) Narrated from ‘Abdullāh bin Shaqīq, he said: Ibn ‘Abbās addressed us one day after ‘Aŝr until the sun set and the stars were visible. The people started saying, “Ŝalāh! Ŝalāh!” So a man from Banī Tamīm rushed to him without pausing: “Ŝalāh! Ŝalāh!” Ibn ‘Abbās said, “Are you teaching me Sunnah? May you lose your mother (an exclamation of rebuke not intending the actual meaning).” He further said, “I saw Rasoolullāh Sallallāhu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam ‘combine’ between Zuhr and ‘Aŝr and between Maghrib and ‘Ishā’…(Saĥīĥ Muslim) The meaning of “combine between Zuhr and ‘Aŝr and between Maghrib and ‘Ishā’” is not literal. Rather, “combining” is meant in its figurative sense; in academic terms it is called jam‘ ŝūrī.[1] Meaning, the first of two ŝalāts is performed right before the time may expire and the second ŝalāh is prayed immediately after the time commences. For example, if Maghrib time ends at 8:00 p.m. (naturally that means ‘Ishā’ commences immediately thereafter), one wishing to do jam‘ ŝūrī will perform Maghrib Ŝalāh at ~7:50 p.m. Then he will wait for a short while (~5 minutes) until ‘Ishā’ time sets in and perform ‘Ishā’ thereafter. Apparently one has “combined” his prayers. However, in reality each ŝalāh was performed in its own time. This interpretation of the hadith has been presented by the following great muhadditīn[2]: Imam Al Qurtubī Imāmul Ĥaramain Imam Ibn Al Mājishūn Imam Al Taĥāwī And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Hisham Dawood Student, Darul Iftaa Chicago, USA Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net [1] حاشية السندي على صحيح مسلم و كذا قال العلامة شبير أحمد في فتح المهم [2] فتح الباري ج-٢ ص-٣٠، دار الحديث