ummtaalib

The Greatest Champion of Human Rights Human rights are the basic, indisputable rights that every human naturally possesses. These rights are not privileges granted by any ruler or government. They are rights divinely bestowed on all human beings. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam was so particular about these rights that he stated that Islam is to be a well-wisher of others. His magnanimity went so far as to include the enemy combatants captured on the field of battle. In regards to these prisoners of war, He Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam issued the verdict, “I urge you to treat the prisoners kindly .” The Sahaabah would then content themselves with dry dates and feed their bread to the prisoners.” (Tabraani) This sublime conduct did not end at humans, but even the right ofanimals to live unharmed was taught by the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam.During a journey with Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam, some Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum came across a bird’s nest containing a few newly hatched birds. One of them removed the nestlings which caused the mother of the birds to beat her wings frantically in distress. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam noticed this and questioned the Sahaabah, “Who has caused distress to this bird by (removing her) nestlings? Return them to her.” Today we are witnessing one of the most tyrannical eras in human history. Atrocities of the worst kind are plastered daily on the headlines of the media. The need of the hour is the revival of the Islamic spirit of not only justice and equity, but also of compassion and mercy. A global change is the last step of the journey. The first step is for us to embrace this spirit within our own lives, a step which we all have the capability to do. The life of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam brimmed with kindness, compassion and love for Allah’s creation. Whether it was the nobilities of the time or the lowliest of servants, the Prophet’s example was always one of unrivalled mercy. Even the animals and insects were not overlooked by his encompassing nature of mercy. Perhaps the ultimate display of this mercy was at the Conquest of Makkah... Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam , standing as victor and conqueror over his greatest of enemies who for 20 years did all they could to terminate Him and the religion of Islam, does not unsheathe the sword, rather he bestows general forgiveness and amnesty. Such forgiveness was and is without similitude in human history. Profound was his example and profound are his words: The best of men is he who brings the greatest benefit to Mankind. (Musnad Shihaab) Those who are merciful will be afforded mercy by Rahmaan (the Most Merciful). Show mercy to the dwellers of the earth and the One in the heaven will be merciful to you. (Abu Dawud) The creation is the family of Allah. Thus the most loved person by Allah is the one who is the best to His family. (Shuabul Imaan) Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Dispel disunity and hatred in the Ummah Allah gives many opportunities and occasions for a person to be forgiven. But amidst many thousands and millions that Allah forgives, there is one category of people who are always derived from this mercy. These are people who harbor enmity, malice and rancor in their hearts for their fellow Muslim brothers/sisters. Here are some guidelines from Quran and Hadith that will help us dispel and remove this sickness of hatred, bad blood and enmity. Download here al-miftah

Iddat of a pregnant woman Q: I wish to know if I divorce my wife by one talaaq while she is pregnant and she gives birth after one month, does the iddat end there or is it a minimum of three months from the day of divorce? A: The iddat of a pregnant woman terminates upon the delivery of the child. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. وعدة الحامل أن تضع حملها كذا في الكافي ... وسواء كانت عن طلاق أو وفاة أو متاركة أو وطء بشبهة كذا في النهر الفائق (الفتاوى الهندية 1/528) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Joining Salaahs during safar Q: Is it permissible for one to join salaahs while travelling? I was informed that it is permissible and it is proven from the Ahaadith. A: There are two types of text in the Qur’an and Hadith. One is categorical and the other is ambiguous. Whenever the text is clear and categorical, all the Imaams are in agreement that the text will have to be followed. However, in the case where the text is ambiguous and there are contradictory narrations found, then each Imaam will employ his ijtihaad and reasoning in reaching the correct conclusion. This work is beyond the ability of the layman and even an Aalim. It is the work of the Imaam who has dedicated his life to researching the correct meanings and explanations of the Qur’an and Hadith. When a person with some knowledge pretends to be able to employ his discretion and tries to arrive at any conclusion then he is overstepping the mark. As a muqallid one has confined himself to the verdict of his Imaam and hence he should remain committed to the mazhab of his Imaam. He should not surpass the mark and begin to randomly pick and choose from various mazaahib according to his discretion. Hence, in the light of this preamble, since there is some apparent contradiction in this regard, our Ulama have preferred those Ahaadith that are more in conformity with the Quranic text. The Qur’an commands that each Salaah should be performed in its prescribed time. Allah Ta‘ala says: “Verily salaah has been ordained upon the believers to be performed in its prescribed time.” (4:103) Furthermore, whenever there is an apparent contradiction in the Ahaadith, we will look at the statements of the Sahaaba to see whether we can find any reconciliation between the contradictory Ahaadith. After viewing the statements of the Sahaaba, we establish that the leading Sahaaba have reported that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) never joined two Salaahs in one Salaah time besides the occasion of Haj. This is reported by Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (Radiyallahu Anhu) and Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) (Nasaai #3010, 597). Similarly, it is reported by Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) that apart from the occasion of haj, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) never joined two Salaahs in one Salaah time, not even during a journey. However, during the journey, he would perform one Salaah at the end of the Salaah time and the next Salaah at the beginning of the Salaah time. `Attaaf reports that Naafi` said: “We were returning with Ibnu `Umar (Radiyallahu Anhuma) from Makkah Mukarramah. On that day, we continued travelling until nightfall. We thought that Ibnu `Umar (Radiyallahu Anhuma) had forgotten about the Maghrib salaah and we thus reminded him of the salaah. He however remained silent. We continued travelling until the twilight was close to disappearing (and the time of Maghrib terminating). At that point, Ibnu `Umar (Radiyallahu Anhuma) disembarked and performed the Maghrib salaah. When the twilight disappeared and the time of Esha set in, he performed the Esha Salaah. He thereafter turned towards us and said, ‘We used to do the same with Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) when we were rushing during our journey.’” (Nasaai #569) Similar narrations have also been reported from other leading Sahaaba the likes of Hazrat Anas (Radhiyallahu Anhu) (Majmauz Zawaaid #2974), Hazrat Ali (Radhiyallahu Anhu) (Abu Dawood #1236) and Hazrat Muaaz bin Jabal (Radhiyallahu Anhu) (Majmauz Zawaaid #2975). Lastly, it is reported in the Muatta of Imaam Muhammad (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) regarding Hazrat Umar (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that he had written letters to all his governors commanding them to prevent people from joining salaahs. He also informed them that the one who joins salaahs has committed a major sin. (Muatta Imaam Muhammad #205). On account of the abovementioned narrations, our Ulama’ have mentioned that apart from Haj, it is not permissible for one to combine two salaahs in one salaah time. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. باب ما جاء في الجمع بين الصلاتين في الحضر - حدثنا هناد حدثنا أبو معاوية عن الأعمش عن حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال جمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بين الظهر والعصر وبين المغرب والعشاء بالمدينة من غير خوف ولا مطر قال فقيل لابن عباس ما أراد بذلك ؟ قال أراد أن لا يحرج أمته وفي الباب عن أبي هريرة قال أبو عيسى حديث ابن عباس قد روى عنه من غير وجه رواه جابر بن زيد و سعيد بن جبير و عبد الله بن شقيق العقيلي وقد روى عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم غير هذا. حدثنا أبو سلمة يحيى بن خلف البصري حدثنا المعتمر بن سليمان عن أبيه عن حنش عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال من جمع الصلاتين من غير عذر فقد أتى بابا من أبواب الكبائر قال أبو عيسى و حنش هذا هو أبو على الرحبي وهو حسين بن قيس وهو ضعيف عند أهل الحديث ضعفه أحمد وغيره والعمل على هذا عند أهل العلم أن لا يجمع بين الصلاتين إلا في السفر أو بعرفة ورخص بعض أهل العلم من التابعين في الجمع بين الصلاتين للمريض وبه يقول أحمد و إسحق وقال بعض أهل العلم يجمع بين الصلاتين في المطر وبه يقول الشافعي و أحمد و إسحق ولم ير الشافعي للمريض أن يجمع بين الصلاتين (ترمذي 1/48) باب ما جاء في الجمع بين الصلاتين - حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد دثنا الليث بن سعد عن يزيد بن أبي حبيب عن أبي الطفيل هو عامر بن واثلةعن معاذ بن جبل أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم كان في غزوة تبوك إذا ارتحل قبل زيغ لاشمس أخر الظهر إلى أن يجمعها إلى العصر فيصليهما جميعا وإذا ارتحل بعد زيغ الشمس عجل العصر إلى الظهر وصلى الظهر والعصرجميعا ثم سار وكان إذا ارتحل قبل المغرب أخر المغرب حتى يصليها مع العشاء وإذا ارتحل بعد المغرب عجل العشاء فصلاها مع المغرب قال وفي الباب عن علي وابن عمر وأنس وعبد الله بن عمرو وعائشة وابن عباس وأسامة بن زيد وجابر بن عبد الله قال أبو عيسى والصحيح عن أسامة وروى علي بن المديني عن أحمد بن حنبل عن قتيبة هذا الحديث. حدثنا عبد الصمد بن سليمان حدثنا زكريا اللؤلؤي حدثنا أبو بكر الأعين حدثنا علي بن المديني حدثنا أحمد بن حنبل حدثنا قتيبة بهذا الحديث يعني حديث معاذ وحديث معاذ حديث حسن غريب تفرد به قتيبة لا نعرف أحدا رواه عن الليث غيره وحديث الليث عن زيد بن أبي حبيب عن أبي الطفيل عن معاذ حديث غريب والمعروف عند أهل العلم حديث معاذ من حديث أبي الزبير عن أبي الطفيل عن معاذ أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم جمع في غزوة تبوك بين الظهر والعصر وبين المغرب والعشاء رواه قرة بن خالد وسفيان الثوري ومالك وغير واحد عن أبي الزبير المكي وبهذا الحديث يقول الشافعي وأحمد وإسحق يقولان لا بأس أن يجمع بين الصلاتين في السفر في وقت إحداهما. حدثنا هناد بن السري حدثنا عبدة بن سليمان عن عبيد الله بن عمر عن نافع عن ابن عمر : أنه استغيث على بعض أهله فجد به السيرن فأخر المغرب حتى غاب الشفق ثم نزل فجمع بينهما ثم أخبرهم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كان يفعل ذلك إذا جد به السير قال أبو عيسى هذا حديث حسن صحيح (ترمذي 1/123) Answered by: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Pearls of Wisdom: No.53 “Food for the Soul” SUBJECT: BEING GOOD TO YOUR WIVES Allah, The Most Exalted, says: "…And live with them in kindness…" (Quran 4:19) “And among His signs is that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find contentment in them, and He has instilled between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for people who reflect”. (Quran 30:21) The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “The most perfect of believers in belief is the best of them in character. The best of you are those who are the best to their women.” (Hadith Tirmidhi) "A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes something in her character, he should be pleased with some other trait of hers." (Hadith Muslim) Note: A husband is required to treat his wife with affection, respect her feelings, and show her kindness and consideration. It is the right of the wife to be treated well in all aspects of daily life. The husband should interact with her in a well-mannered way with a respectable attitude, sweet words and a smiling face. Being kind is indeed a pillar of strength that will fortify any marriage relationship. Remember being kind and respectful is more important that be ing right! A single harsh word can cause irreversible harm whereas a polite word could make her day! www.eislam.co.za

Observing purda from adopted children Q: Is observing purda necessary between a man and his adopted daughter or a woman and her adopted son when they reach the age of puberty? A: We have prepared a detailed article on this issue. Below are the details: Islam places great emphasis on the aspect of segregation between males and females and a woman concealing herself from na-mahram (strange) males i.e. males with whom marriage is permissible. Once Hadhrat Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) was seated by Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) when Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked, “What is best for a woman?” All the sahaabah remained silent and nobody answered. Hadhrat Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) said, “When I went back home, I asked Hadhrat Fatimah (Radiyallahu Anha), ‘What is best for a woman?’ In answer she said, ‘That men do not see them.’ So I mentioned that to Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and he said: ‘Fatimah is part of me.’” (Musnadul Bazzaar # 526) Likewise, Allah Ta`ala explains in detail in Surah Noor as to which men in whose presence a woman can appear without the need of fully concealing herself. In light of this, the question arises as to the nature of the relationship between a woman and her adopted son, and a man and his adopted daughter. Will purdah be required or can they appear in the presence of each other? The answer to this will be based on the fact as to whether there was any type of foster relationship between the child and the stepmother. Hence, there can be one of three situations: 1. No foster relationship In this case, if the adopted child is a boy then once he reaches the age of adolescence – nearing puberty, the adoptive mother and the other females of the family will have to observe purdah in his presence and count him as a stranger in the laws of purdah, seclusion, nikaah etc. If the adopted child is a girl, then once she reaches the age of adolescence – nearing puberty, she will have to observe purdah before the adoptive father and the other males of the family. 2. Foster relationship through breast milk that was naturally produced due to pregnancy The adoptive mother and father will now be counted as the foster parents and their children will be counted as the foster siblings of the adopted child. Hence, in matters of purdah, seclusion and nikaah they will treat each other as one would treat one’s blood siblings. Therefore, purdah will not need to be observed and marriage with the foster sibling will not be permissible. If the adopted child is a boy then he will be a mahram for the adoptive mother and his foster sisters. Similarly, if the adopted child is a girl then her adoptive father and his sons will be her mahrams. Likewise, the parents of the adoptive mother and father will be regarded as the foster grandparents of this child. 3. Foster relationship through breast milk that was unnaturally produced through the aid of medication etc. and not pregnancy The adoptive mother will be regarded as the foster mother, but not the adoptive father. The children of the adoptive mother will be regarded as the foster siblings of the adopted child. Hence, in matters of purdah, seclusion and nikaah they will treat each other as one would treat one’s blood siblings. Likewise, the parents of the adoptive mother will be regarded as the foster grandparents of this child. Nonetheless, on account of the adoptive father being the husband of the foster mother, the adopted daughter will not have to observe purdah before him. However, the children of the adoptive father from another wife will not be regarded as the foster siblings of the adopted child. Similarly, the parents of the adoptive father will not be regarded as the foster grandparents of the adopted child. Thus, the adopted child will be treated as a stranger for them in matters of purdah, seclusion, nikaah, etc. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. عن علي رضي الله عنه أنه كان عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال أي شيء خير للمرأة فسكتوا فلما رجعت قلت لفاطمة أي شيء خير للنساء قالت ألا يراهن الرجال فذكرت ذلك للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال إنما فاطمة بضعة مني (المسند البزار رقم 526) وفي المحيط البرهاني 4 / 93 - 94 : فالرضاع في إيجاب الحرمة كالنسب والصهرية. والأصل فيه قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام (يحرم من الرضاع ما يحرم من النسب) . . . . قال أصحابنا رحمهم الله تعالى: وما يتعلق به التحريم في النسب يتعلق في الرضاع إلا في مسألتين . . . . والتحريم بالرضاع كما يثبت من جانب المرأة يثبت من جانب الرجل وهو الزوج الذي نزل لبنها بوطئه ويسميه الفقهاء لبن الفحل. وبيانه: أن المرأة إذا أرضعت بلبن حدث من حمل رجل فذلك الرجل أب الرضيع، لا يحل لذلك الرجل نكاحها إن كانت أنثى وفي الفتاوى الهندية 1 / 343 : وهذه الحرمة كما تثبت في جانب الأم تثبت في جانب الأب وهو الفحل الذي نزل اللبن بوطئه كذا في الظهيرية يحرم على الرضيع أبواه من الرضاع وأصولهما وفروعهما من النسب والرضاع جميعا حتى أن المرضعة لو ولدت من هذا الرجل أو غيره قبل هذا الإرضاع أو بعده أو أرضعت رضيعا أو ولد لهذا الرجل من غير هذه المرأة قبل هذا الإرضاع أو بعده أو أرضعت امرأة من لبنه رضيعا فالكل إخوة الرضيع وأخواته وفي الفتاوى الهندية 1 / 343 : رجل تزوج امرأة ولم تلد منه قط ثم نزل لها لبن فأرضعت صبيا كان الرضاع من المرأة دون زوجها حتى لا يحرم على الصبي أولاد هذا الرجل من غير هذه المرأة وفي الدر المختار مع هامشه رد المحتار 3 / 317 : (ولبن بكر بنت تسع سنين) فأكثر (محرم) (قوله ولبن بكر) المراد بها التي لم تجامع قط بنكاح أو سفاح وإن كانت العذرة غير باقية كأن زالت بنحو وثبة حموي والحرمة لا تتعدى إلى زوجها، حتى لو طلقها قبل الدخول له التزوج برضيعتها لأن اللبن ليس منه قهستاني ط؛ أما لو طلقها بعد الدخول فليس له التزوج بالرضيعة لأنها صارت من الربائب التي دخل بأمها بحر عن الخانية وفي رد المحتار 3 / 221 : ولهذا لو ولدت للزوج فنزل لها لبن فأرضعت به ثم جف لبنها ثم در فأرضعته صبية فإن لابن زوج المرضعة التزوج بهذه الصبية، ولو كان صبيا كان له التزوج بأولاد هذا الرجل من غير المرضعة بحر عن الخانية Answered by: Mufti Yusuf Mulla Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Is Following A Madhhab An Innovation Or An Obligation? This is a collection of articles about following one of the four Sunni madhhabs (Schools of Islamic jurisprudence) in Islam. The articles were written by the following contemporary authors from the Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi’i Madhabs: 1- Mufti Muhammed Taqi Usmani of Pakistan 2- Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (TJ Winters) of England 3 -Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller of America (currently based in Jordan) 4 -Shaykh Murabital Hajj of Mauritania 5- Dr. G. F. Haddad of Lebanon 6 -Dr. Sadi Kose of America ——————————————– The work may be downloaded – HERE FollowingAMadhhabInnovationOrObligation.pdf darultahqiq

Reading Dalail al Khayrat Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “People request permission (ijaza) for reciting ‘Dalail al Khayrat’ from the piously elders (shuyukh). There is faulty intention in doing so. They beleive that reciting it without permission will be without any blessings (baraka). Most likely, the system of acquiring permission was initially developed to make sure that the wordings of the text were correctly transmitted. While giving the permission the Shaykh used to listen to the recitation and made any corrections needed. In fact, the text that is worthy of being recited from the pulpit what has it to do with this intimate secrecy (of considering it essential to acquire an individual permission for its recitation). If someone ask’s me regarding the recitation of ‘Dalail al Khayrat’, I tell him to (recite, but) leave the recitation of the statements that say, The Prophet said (قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم). This is because few of the Prophetic sayings (hadith) in it are fabricated (موضوع). Apart from this, its subject matter is completely accurate.” Majmua e malfuzat: al-Kalam al-Hasan, 106 ashrafiya

Qibla.com Answered by Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali The inner dimension of Prayer Answer: from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya Ulum al-Din Sent by a subscriber. Chapter Two States at Each Stage of the Ritual Prayer The Call to Prayer [REVITALISATION OF THE SCIENCES OF RELIGION Abridged by Abd el Salam Haroun Revised and Translated by Dr Ahmad A Zidan When you hear the call to prayer given by the Muezzin, let yourself perceive the terror of the Summons on the Day of Resurrection. Prepare yourself inwardly and outwardly to respond, and to do so promptly. Those who are prompt in answering this call are the ones who will be summoned gently on the Day of the Great Review. So review your hearts now; if you find it full of joy and happiness, eager to respond with alacrity, you can expect the Summons to bring you good news and salvation on the Day of Judgment. That is why the Prophet used to say: “Comfort us, Bilal! For Bilal was the Muezzin and prayer was the joy and comfort of the Messenger. Ritual Purity When attending to ritual purity in the things that envelop you, do so progressively; your room, then your clothes, then your skin, do not neglect your inner being, which lies at the heart of all these. Endeavor to purify it with repentance and remorse for your excesses, and a determined resolution not to commit them in future. Cleanse your inner being in this way, for that is the place to be examined by the One you worship. Covering Private Parts You cover the private parts; i.e. prevent certain areas of the body from being exposed to human view. But what about the shameful areas of your inner being, those unworthy secrets of your soul, that are scrutinized only by Allah Almighty. Be conscious of these faults. Be discreet about them, but realize that nothing can be hidden from the sight of Allah, High Exalted. Only through repentance, shame and fear will they be forgiven. Facing The Qibla As for facing the Qibla, in doing so, you turn your external face away from all other directions and toward the House of Allah, High Exalted. Do you then suppose you are not also required to turn your heart away from everything else, directing it towards Allah Almighty? What an absurd notion, since this is the whole object of the exercise! The Prophet said: “When a man stands up to pray, directing his desire, his face and his heart towards Allah, he will come out of that prayer as on the day his mother gave him birth.” Standing Upright As for standing upright, it means holding oneself erect – in body and in spirit – in the presence of Allah. Your head which is the highest member of your body, out to be bowed down as a reminder of the need to keep the heart meek and humble, free of arrogance and pride. Intention When forming the intention, resolve to be responsive to Allah by performing the prayer in obedience to His command, by doing it properly, by avoiding things that invalidate or mar it, and by doing all this sincerely for the sake of Allah, in hope of His reward and in fear of His punishment, seeking His grace and favor by His leave. Takbir As for the Takbir (the words: Allahu Akbar), your heart must not gainsay the words on your tongue. If you feel in your heart that there is something greater than Allah High Exalted, though your words are true, Allah will attest that you are a liar. Opening Invocations When making the opening invocation be very wary of distinguished polytheism in yourself. It was concerning those who worship for the sake of human as well as Divine approval that Allah revealed in the Koran: “…whoever seeks to meet his Lord, then let him do righteous deeds, and never associate any other in worship with his Lord” (Chapter 18 verse 110) When you say: “I take refuge in Allah from accursed Satan,” you should be aware the devil is your enemy and that he is waiting for an opportunity to alienate you from Allah. Satan is envious of your ability to commune with Allah, and to prostrate yourself before Him. Reciting the Koran Where recitation of the Koran is concerned, we can distinguish three types of people: (a) those who move their tongues unconsciously, (b) those who pay conscious attention to the movement of the tongue, understanding the meaning while listening as if to a person outside themselves; this is the degree of ‘those on the right’, © those who start from awareness of the meaning, then use the tongue to give expression to this inner consciousness. The tongue may act as interpreter for the inner feeling, or as its teacher. In the case of those nearest to Allah, the tongue is an interpreter. Bowing DownAccording to Ikrimah, Allah is referring to the postures of standing, bowing, prostration and sitting when he says: “The One Who sees you when you stand in prayer, *And when you pray among those who prostrate.” (Chapter 26 verse 218-219) Bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujud) are accompanied by a renewed affirmation of the supreme great of Allah. In bowing you renew your submissiveness and humility, striving to refine your inner feeling through a fresh awareness of your own impotence and insignificance before the might and grandeur of your Lord. To confirm this, you seek the aid of your tongue, glorifying Allah and testifying repeatedly to His Supreme Majesty, both outwardly and inwardly. Then you rise from bowing, hopeful that He will be merciful towards you. To emphasize this hope within you, you say: “Allah hears those who give thanks to Him.” Acknowledging the need to express gratitude, you immediately add: “Grateful praise to You our Lord!” To show the abundance of this gratitude, you may also say: “As much as the heavens and earth contain.” Prostration Then you go down in prostration. This is the highest level of submission, for you are bringing the most precious part of your body, namely your face, down to meet the most lowly of all things, the dust of the earth. If possible, you should make your prostration directly on bare ground, this being more conducive to humility and a sure sign of self abasement. When you place yourself in this position of lowliness, you should be aware that you belong there. You are restoring the branch to its root, for of dust you were created and to dust you shall return. At the same time you should renew your inner awareness of Allah’s majesty, saying: “Glory to my Lord Most High!” Repeat this to add confirmation, for saying it only once is not sufficiently emphatic. When your inner feeling has clearly been refine, be confident in hoping for Allah’s mercy. For His mercy quickly flows towards weakness and lowliness, not towards arrogance and vanity. As you raise your head, say “Allahu Akbar!” and ask for what you need, making the supplication of your choice, e.g. “My Lord, forgive and have mercy! Overlook my faults of which You are aware!” You then make a second prostration, reinforcing your submissiveness. Sitting and TestifyingWhen you sit to make the testimony (tashahhud), sit decorously. Declare that all the prayers and good works you perform are for the sake of Allah, and everything belongs to Him. Such is the meaning of al-tahiyyat. Be inwardly aware of the Prophet, and on his noble person, as you say: “Peace be upon you, O Prophet, as well as Allah’s mercy and blessing.” Be sure that your salutation will reach him, and that he will return an even more perfect greeting to you. Then salute yourself and all Allah’s righteous servants. Then testify to the Unity of Allah, High Exalted, and to the mission of Mohammad, His Messenger, on him be peace and prayers. By repeating this two-fold testimony, you reaffirm the covenant of Allah, and assure yourself of its protection. End of SupplicationAt the end of your ritual prayer, you should offer a traditional supplication, imploring and entreating with meekness and humility, confidently hoping to be heard. Let your supplication include your parent and the other believers. SalutationFinally, and with the intention of concluding your prayer, address your salutation (salam) to the angels and the others present. Feel a sense of gratitude to Allah, High Exalted, for having enabled you to complete this act of worship. Imagine that you are saying farewell to this prayer of yours, and that you may not live to see another like it. States Conducive to Perfecting The Life in Prayer These qualities can be expressed in many ways, but they are well summed up in six words, namely: awareness; understanding; reverence; awe; hope; shame. AwarenessBy conscious awareness we mean that state in which one’s mind and feelings are in no way distracted from what one is doing and saying. Perception is united with action and speech. Thoughts do not wander. When the mind remains attentive to what one is doing, when one is wholeheartedly involved, and when nothings makes one heedless, that is when one has achieved conscious awareness. Understanding Understanding the meaning of one’s words is something that goes beyond awareness, for one may be conscious of making an utterance, yet not be aware of the meaning of that utterance. What we mean by understanding, therefore, is an awareness that also includes comprehension of the meaning of one’s utterance. People differ in this respect, not sharing a common understanding of the Koran and the glorifications. How many subtleties of meaning we have come to understand in the course of ritual prayer! Things that had never occurred to us before. It is in this context that prayer becomes a deterrent to indecency and mischief, for the understanding it brings is a positive obstacle to vice. Reverence As for reverence, this is something beyond both awareness and understanding. A man may address his servant in full awareness of his speech, and understanding the meaning of his words, yet without reverence, for reverence is an additional element. Awe As for awe, it is over and above reverence. In fact, it represents a kind of fear that grows out of the latter. Without experiencing fear, one will not stand in awe. There is an ordinary fear of things we find repugnant, like scorpions or bad temper, but this is not called awe. What we call awe is the kind of fear we have of a mighty king. Awe is the kind of fear induced by a sense of majesty. Hope As for hope, this is unquestionably something else again. There are many who revere some king or other, and who are in awe of him or afraid of his power, yet do not hope to be rewarded by him. In our prayers, however, we must hope for the reward of Allah, High Exalted; just as we fear His punishment for our faults. ShameAs for shame, it is something additional to all the rest, for it is based on the realization of one’s deficiencies and the apprehension of sin. It is quite possible to conceive of reverence, fear and hope, without this element of shame. Chapter Three Internal Prerequisites of Prayer: Actions of the Heart The Need for Humility and Conscious Awareness Many Koranic Verses and Traditions could be cited in evidence of this, including the words of Allah Almighty: “…and establish prayer for My Remembrance” (Chapter 20 verse 14) The obvious force of the imperative is to make something obligatory. Since heedlessness is the opposite of remembrance, how can someone who is heedless throughout his prayer be performing it in remembrance of Allah? The Almighty warns us in the Koran. “…do not be of those who are heedless.” (Chapter 7 verse 205) Here we have taken a negative imperative, with the obvious force of a prohibition. Allah High Exalted also says: “…until you can understand all that you say, (Chapter 4 verse 43) This explained the reason for debarring those who are intoxicated from the mosque, but the term intoxicated applies be extension to those who are wholly preoccupied with temptations and worldly thoughts. When the Prophet said: “The prayer is nothing but submissiveness and humility…” he used a particularly definite and emphatic construction in Arabic. The Prophet said: “If a man’s prayer does not deter him from indecency and mischief, he gains nothing from Allah but remoteness.” Heedless prayer does nothing to deter a man from these vices. The heedless are alluded to in the Tradition: “Many of those who pray derive nothing from their prayers except weariness and strain.” The Prophet said: “A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of which he is conscious.” This is confirmed by the Tradition: “When performing the prayer, one is conversing intimately with one’s Lord.” Speaking in a state of heedlessness is certainly not what is meant by intimate conversation with Allah Almighty. To Clarify matters further, let us consider the contrast between ritual prayer, on the one hand, and Zakat, fasting and pilgrimage on the other. A man may pay his Alms without being consciously attentive, yet the very act of parting with money runs counter to greed and is hard on the lower self. The case of fasting is similar; since it subdues the natural forces and breaks hold of the passions, which are the tools of Allah’s enemy Satan, its purpose may well be achieved in spite of heedlessness. As for Pilgrimage, it presents physical hardship and difficulty and involves painful struggle, whether or not its actions are performed in full awareness. In contrast to these other religious duties, ritual prayer consists only in remembrance, recitation, bowing, prostration, standing erect and sitting down. and other forms of worship. It is unique in having capital punishment as the penalty for its abandonment. I do not believe that ritual prayer enjoys all this special dignity by virtue of its external motions, unless these are linked to the purpose of intimate communion with Allah. That is what has priority over Fasting, Zakat, Pilgrimage and so on; indeed, over sacrifices and offerings which entail self-denial through financial outlay. As Allah High Exalted says: “It is not their flesh that reaches Allah, nor their blood, but that which reaches Allah is your piety…” (Chapter 22 verse 37) What is meant here by ‘devotion’ is a quality that gains control over the heart, disposing it to comply with the commands it is required to obey. What, then, of the ritual prayer, if its actions are without purpose? You may say that I am going against the consensus of the jurists, if I make the validity of prayer dependent on conscious awareness, since they stipulate such attention only at the initial ‘Allahu Akbar’. But the jurists do not concern themselves with the inner life or the way of the Hereafter. Their job is to formulate the outer rules of religion, with reference to external physical behavior. As for what is beneficial to the afterlife, this is beyond the scope of jurisprudence, since no consensus can be claimed. Sufyan al-Thawri, an early legal scholar, is reported as saying: “Without humility and awareness, one’s prayer is invalid.” It is related that al-Hasan said: “Any prayer performed without conscious awareness is a short cut to punishment.” According to Mu’adh ibn Jabal: “A man gets no credit for a prayer in which he deliberately notices those on his right and left.” According to an authenticated Tradition, Allah’s Messenger said: “Though he performs the whole prayer, a man may be credit with no more than one sixth or one tenth of it. A man gets credit only for that part of his prayer of which he is conscious.” If this had been transmitted on lesser authority, it would surely have become a dogma, so why should it not be taken seriously? Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd said: “The scholars are unanimously agreed that a man gets credit only for that part of his prayers of which he is conscious.” According to him, there is actually a consensus to this effect. In short, conscious awareness is the very spirit of ritual prayer. Attentiveness to the initial ‘Allahu Akbar’ represents the bare minimum required to keep the spark of this spirit alive; of Allah we beg His gracious support! Medication Conducive To Inner Serenity As a believer, one must magnify Allah High Exalted, in fear and in hope and in humble awareness of one’s shortcomings. There can be no relaxation in any of this once faith has been achieved, although one’s intensity will depend on the strength of one’s conviction. Any slackness in prayer is surely caused by mental distraction, divided attention, failure to be whole hearted in communion, and a heedless attitude to worship. Random mental activity is the thing that distracts us from prayer; it must therefore be dispelled so that a feeling of serenity can be acquired. To remove the symptom we must treat the cause, so let us find out where it lies. Stray thoughts may be prompted by something external, or they may arise from within. As for external causes, our attention is caught by anything that happens to engage our eyes or ears. We begin to take an interest in it. Then one thought leads to another and the process goes on and on. Seeing gives rise to thinking, then one thought becomes the cause of another. Sensory impressions do not divert those who intention is strong and whose aspiration is lofty, but they inevitably distract the weak. The remedy lies in cutting off these causes by lowering the eyes, praying in a room, leaving no distracting objects in front of one, or reducing one’s range of vision by praying close up to a wall. One should avoid performing the prayer on the street, in places where there is artificial decoration and on colored carpets. That is why very devout people used to worship in a small dark cell, where there was just enough room for prostration, for it is easier to concentrate in such conditions. Those who were strong would attend the mosques, keeping their eyes downcast and confining their gaze to the place of prostration. They considered their prayers to be perfect when they were unaware of the people to their right and left. Ibn Umar would allow no object to remain in the place of prayer, not even a copy of the Koran. He would remove any sword he found there and erase any writing. Internal causes pose a more serious problem. One’s worldly concerns may be many and varied, so that the mind does not dwell on a single subject but keeps flying from one direction to another. To lower the eyes is then to no avail, for plenty of distractions have already got inside. The way to deal with this is to make a deliberate effort to comprehend the meaning of the words one is reciting in the prayer, concentrating on this to the exclusion of everything else. It is helpful to prepare for this before the initial consecration, by reminding oneself of the Hereafter and that one is standing in communion in the awesome presence of Allah Almighty, and under His scrutiny. Before consecration for prayer, one should empty the heart of all its cares, leaving oneself free of potential distractions. Allah’s Messenger once said to Uthman ibn Abi Shayba: “I forgot to tell you to cover up the cooking pots that are in the house, for there should be nothing in the house to distract people from their prayers.” This is a technique for quieting the mind. If mental agitation is not stilled by this tranquilizer, the only recourse is a putative that will strike at the roots of the malady. That is to say, one must examine the distractions that prevent the attainment of inner serenity. These will undoubtedly be traced to one’s pressing concerns, which have become so important simply because of one’s base desires. One must therefore discipline the lower self by abstaining from those desires and by severing those ties. Anything that distracts us from prayer is the adversary of our religion; the army of Satan is the foe. To hold it in check is more troublesome than driving it out, so let us drive it out and be rid of it. The Prophet once prayed while wearing a cloak with an ornamented border, a gift from Abu Jahm. He removed it when he had finished his prayers, saying: “Take it back to Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer. Bring me Abu Jahm’s cloak of course wool.” The Messenger of Allah Once had new laces put in his sandals. When their newness attracted his attention during the prayer, he had them removed and the worn laces put back. According to another Tradition the Prophet once found himself admiring the beauty of a pair of sandals he was wearing, so he made a prostration and said: “I have humbled myself before my Lord, so that He will not be displeased with me.” Then he went out and gave the sandals to the first beggar he met. He then told Ali to buy a worn pair of tanned leather sandals, which he put on his feet. Before it was declared unlawful for men to wear gold, the Prophet used to wear a gold ring on his finger. As he stood in the pulpit one day, he threw this ring away, saying: “It distracted me, a glance towards it and a glance towards you.” It is related that Abu Talha once prayed in his garden where there were trees. He was attracted by the sight of a honey bird and he spent so long following its movements as it flew about seeking an opening in the foliage, that he forgot how many cycles of prayer he had completed. He told the Messenger of Allah about the temptation to which he had succumbed, then said: “O Messenger of Allah I offer my garden as a charity. Dispose of it as you wish.” According to a different source, he was distracted by the pleasant sight of the bees, buzzing round the fruit as he prayed in the garden. He mentioned this to Uthman, saying: “I offer it as a charity. Use it for the sake of Allah.” Uthman then sold the garden for fifty thousand. Such conduct was intended to eradicate cause of mental distraction and to atone for deficiencies in prayer. This medicine tackles the root of the disease; it is the only effective remedy. As for the gentler measure we proposed, such as calming oneself and concentrating on understanding the words used in prayer, they may be useful when passions are feeble and cares are only marginally distracting. But it is useless to try and calm oneself when the pressure of desire is strong, for it will attract you and you will attract it until it gets the better of you. You will be cause up in this process throughout your prayer. Consider this analogy: There was a man beneath a tree. He wished to collect his thoughts, but the sparrows disturbed him with their chirping. He would chase them with a stick and then resume his train of thought, but the sparrows would come back and he would have to scare them away with the stick once again. Eventually someone told him: “This is like being a slave at the wheel, going round and round forever. If you want to escape the vicious circle, you should fell the tree.” So it is with the tree of base desire. Thoughts are attracted to its ramifying twigs and branches, just like sparrows to real trees. Flies are attracted by filth and chasing them becomes a full time occupation, for they just keep coming back. Random thoughts are like flies. Our base desires are numerous and human beings are seldom free of them. They all share a common root, namely, love of this world. That is the origin of every fault, the basis of every shortcoming, the source of all corruption. Filled with the love of this world, a person becomes so attached to it that he fails to make provision for the Hereafter. He then has no hope of experiencing the pure bliss of communion in prayer. Those who delight in this world can take no delight in Allah, nor in communion with Him. A man aspires to that which gives him joy, so if his pleasure lies in this world, he will surely seek it there. Nevertheless, one must continue to strive, turning the heart back towards prayer and reducing the causes of distraction. This is bitter medicine, so bitter that we instinctively recoil from taking it. The sickness remains chronic and the disease becomes incurable. Great men have endeavored to perform two cycles of prayer without having any internal conversation about worldly matters, only to find themselves unequal to the task. No hope, then, for the likes of us! If only we may be safe from temptation during half of our prayer, or one third, so that our deeds are at least a mixture of good and bad. In short, the worldly and spiritual aspirations in the human heart are like water poured into a cup full of vinegar; as water goes in, an equal volume of vinegar inevitably goes out and the two can never combine. Source

Stay Sharp! By Muhammad Arshad They say that a fool lives to eat and a wise person eats to live. But then the question remains: for what purpose does the wise person live? Living is not an end by itself. There has to be a purpose for to live for. So what is this purpose? Most who reflect or think about life in any detail will consider and ponder about this. If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, obviously there would be no purpose after becoming wealthy. How could wealth then be considered as the aim of life? Once upon a time, a strong woodcutter got a job with a timber merchant. The pay was good, so he determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe. The first day he brought 18 trees. He tried harder, but only managed 15 the second day. The third day saw him bring only 10. Day by day the amount decreased. The woodcutter thought he was losing his strength and went to the boss and apologized. "When last did you sharpen your axe?" asked the timber merchant. "Sharpen? I had no time for that. I was very busy trying to cut trees," replied the woodcutter. Our lives are like this. We get so busy that we don’t take time to sharpen our axe. Everyone is busier, but less happy than ever. Why? We have forgotten how to “stay sharp”. There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. No doubt we have to work hard but in doing so the primary objectives must not be ignored! Indeed we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important matters like taking time worship Allah Ta’ala and serve His Deen in the way shown to us by The Noble Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), fulfilling our obligations to family and community etc. “The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, for life without a purpose is like a body without a soul” So take time to reflect for if we don’t sharpen our axes, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness! www.eislam.co.za

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QUESTION Can you give me a list of animals that are Halal and Haram according to the Hanafi School? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion. It only commands and prohibits that which is in the best interests of the human being. The human mind however, due to it being very limited and restricted, may not be able to understand the logic behind every ruling. It may not be able to comprehend properly why a particular ruling is given, but Allah Most High- the Merciful and All-Knowing- is the best to decide what is beneficial and harmful for us, for He is the one who created us. Allah Most High blessed humanity with His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace), as a light and light-giving. The Sacred Law (Shariah) of Islam that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) came with from Allah differentiated between a living and a dead animal. Dead animals were declared unlawful (haram). Certain animals that were harmful to the welfare of humans were also prohibited, such as pigs, dogs, cats and wild animals. Thus, the animals that have been prohibited for consumption by Shariah is due to the fact that they are harmful for human consumption, whether we realize and understand this or otherwise. After understanding the above, it should be noted that each of the four Sunni Schools of Islamic law (madhhabs) have their own principles (based on the guidelines of the Qur’an & Sunnah) with regards to which animals are lawful (halal) and which are unlawful (haram) for consumption. Below are the basic principles of permissibility and impermissibility in the Hanafi School with regards to animal consumption, as mentioned in the classical books of Hanafi jurisprudence. (Culled from: al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/289-291, Bada’i al-Sana’i, 5/35-39 and Radd al-Muhtar, 304-308) 1) Animals that have been clearly and explicitly prohibited in the Qur’an or Sunnah are without doubt Haram, such as a swine, donkey, etc. 2) Animals that are born and live in water are all Haram with the exception of fish. All types of fishes are Halal, with the exception of that which dies naturally in the sea without any external cause. However, if a fish was to die due to some external cause such as cold, heat, being thrown to the shore by the water, colliding with a stone, etc, then it would be Halal. Allah Most High says: “Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine…..” (Surah al-Ma’idah, V: 53) In the above verse, Allah Almighty forbade the meat of all dead animals without differentiating between sea-animals and land-animals. Thus, all sea-animals would also be included in this general prohibition. However, fish has been exempted from this general ruling due to the explicit mention of its permissibility by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him eternal peace) said: “Two types of dead meat and two types of blood have been made lawful for our consumption: The two dead meats are: fish and locust, and the two types of blood are: liver and spleen.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Ibn Majah) Moreover, there is no mention in the Sunnah literature that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) or his Companions (Allah be pleased with them all) ever consumed the meat of a sea-animal besides the fish, hence if it was permitted, it would have at least been consumed once in order to show its permissibility. (Dars Tirmidhi, 1/280) As far as the fish which dies naturally in the sea without an external cause (samak al-tafi) is concerned, Sayyiduna Jabir ibn Abd Allah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “What the sea throws up and is left by the tide you may eat, but what dies in the sea and floats you must not eat.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3809 & Sunan Ibn Majah) Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) forbade the selling of naturally dead fish (floating fish) in the markets. (Bada’i al-Sana’i, 5/36 and al-Ikhtiyar) In light of the above, all sea-animals are Haram except for fish. It will be permitted to eat a fish even without slaughtering it according to the rules of Shariah. However, a fish that dies naturally without an external cause and begins to float on the surface of the water (Samak al-Tafi) is also considered Haram. 3) The third principle is that, amongst the land-animals, those that have no blood in them are considered Haram, such as a hornet, fly, spider, beetle, scorpion, ant, etc. Allah Most High says: “…for he (the Prophet) commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure)…” (Surah al-A’raf, V: 157) Thus, animals that don’t contain blood such as spiders and others are considered to be from “what is impure” because a sound natured person would detest their consumption. The only exception is that of a locust, for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) clearly permitted its consumption, in the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud and Musnad Ahmad quoted earlier. Similarly, Ibn Abi Awfa (Allah be pleased with him) was asked concerning the consuming of a locust and he said: “I fought with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in six or seven battles, and we used to eat it (locust) with him. “ (Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3806) 4) The forth principle is that those land-animals who have blood in them but the blood does not flow, in other words animals that do not have flowing blood, are also considered Haram, such as a snake, lizard, chameleon, etc. 5) The fifth principle is that all types of pests (hasharat al-Ardh) are also considered Haram, such as a mouse, hedgehog, jerboa, etc. The reasoning behind the prohibition of these animals is the same verse of Surah al-A’raf quoted above, in that they are considered impure (khabith) for consumption. 6) The sixth principle is, land-animals who have flowing blood in them and they survive on grass and leaves, and do not prey on other animals (i.e. non-predatory terrestrial animals) are all considered Halal, such as a camel, cow, goat, buffalo, sheep, deer, etc, although there is a slight difference of opinion within the Hanafi School with regards to the consumption of horse-meat, as will be discussed later. Also, a donkey is exempted from this general ruling, in that its meat in considered Haram for consumption. Allah Most High says: “And cattle (an’am), He has created for you, from them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their (meat) you eat.” (Surah al-Nahl, V: 5) And: “It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that you may use some for riding and some for food.” (Surah al-Mu’min, V: 79) In the above two verses, Allah Most High uses the term “al-An’am” (cattle) which refers to non-predatory animals, according to the unanimous agreement of all the linguistics. As far as the consumption of horse-meat is concerned, Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) considers is somewhat disliked (makruh tanzihan) due to its honour and due to the fact that a horse is needed in Jihad. Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (Allah have mercy on them both) consider it Halal, and it is said that Imam Abu Hanifa also retreated to this opinion. Thus, it would be permitted to consume horse-meat, although better to avoid. With regards to the meat of a donkey and mule, Allah Most High says: “And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which you have no knowledge.” (Surah al-Nahl, V: 8) So, in regards to all other non-predatory animals, Allah Almighty mentions that He has created them for consumption (as we have seen in the verses mention earlier). However, with regards to donkeys and mules, He mentions that they are for riding and adornment (zeenah). Had consumption of these animals been Halal, Allah Almighty would surely have mentioned it. Moreover, Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the meat of donkeys on the day of the battle of Khaybar.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5202) Sayyiduna Abu Tha’laba (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) prohibited the eating of donkey’s meat. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5205) Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said: “The donkeys have been (slaughtered and) eaten.” Another man came and said: “The donkeys have been destroyed.” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) ordered a caller to announce to the people: “Allah and His Messenger forbid you to eat the meat of donkeys, for it is impure.” Thus the pots were turned upside down while the (donkey’s) meat was boiling in them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5208) With regards to the mules, Sayyiduna Khalid ibn al-Walid (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the meat of horses, mules and donkeys.” (Musnad Ahmad, 4/89, Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3790, Sunan Nasa’i and Sunan Ibn Majah) However, the fuqaha mention that the ruling on a mule would be that of its mother. If the mother is a donkey, then it would be definitely Haram. If the mother is some Halal animal such as a cow, it would be completely Halal, and if the mother is a horse, then the rules of eating horse-meat would apply. (See: Radd al-muhtar) 7) The seventh principle is that all terrestrial predatory animals and beasts, i.e. animals that hunt with their teeth, are considered Haram, such as a lion, cheetah, tiger, leopard, wolf, fox, dog, cat, etc. 8) The eighth principle is that all birds of prey, i.e. those that hunt with their claws/talons, are considered Haram, such as a falcon, eagle, kite, hawk, bat, etc. The proof for both these principles (seven and eight) is the famous Hadith of Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) prohibited the eating of all fanged beasts of prey, and all the birds having talons.” (Sahih Muslim, no: 1934) Hence, all beasts and birds of prey, beasts that hunt with their teeth and birds who hunt with their talons/claws, are unanimously considered Haram. 9) The ninth principle is that birds who do not hunt with their claws and do not prey on other animals, rather they merely eat grains and crop, are all considered Halal, such as a chicken, duck, pigeon, dove, sparrow, crow, etc. Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (Allah be pleased with him) says: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) consuming (the meat of) chicken.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5198) 10) The tenth principle is that if a Halal animal only consumes impure things to the extent that it creates bad odour in its meat and milk, then it will be Makruh to consume its meat and drink its milk. However, if it consumes other things along with the impure, or if it does not create bad smell in its meat and milk, then the meat and milk will be totally Halal. (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/340) It is stated in al-Fatwa al-Hindiya: “A chicken will only be considered a jallalah (hence makruh) if the majority of what it eats is impure, and that it penetrates into the meat in such a way that it creates a bad smell.” (See: al-fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/289) 11) The last principle is that if one parent of an animal is Halal and the other Haram, consideration will be taken of the mother. Thus, if the mother is a Halal animal, the offspring would also be Halal, such as a mule whose mother is a cow. If however, the mother is a Haram animal, the offspring would also be Haram, such as a mule whose mother is a donkey. The above were eleven general and broad principles with regards to the consumption of animal meat, according to the Hanafi School of thought. It should be noted here that the meaning of Halal is merely that one may eat of the animal, but there are separate rules with regards to slaughtering and hunting these animals, for which one may refer to previously posted articles or the books of Fiqh. Failure to comply with these rules may well render a Halal animal Haram. In light of the above general principles, the following is a list of Halal and Haram animals in the Hanafi School: (Both these lists of animals are not exclusive) Animals whose meat is Halal: 1) Camel 2) Goat 3) Sheep 4) Buffalo 5) Stag 6) Rabbit 7) Cow (including mountain cow) 8) Wild-ass (The prohibition in the Hadith is of domesticated donkeys) 9) Fish (of all types, including prawns according to those who consider prawns to be a form of fish. Others however, don’t permit its consumption, for they don’t consider prawns to be from the fish family. For details, see an earlier post). 10) Deer/Antelope/Gazelle 11) Duck 12) Heron (grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill). 13) Nightingale 14) Quail 15) Parrot 16) Francolin 17) Locust 18) Partridge (heavy-bodied small-winged South American game bird) 19) Lark (North American yellow-breasted songbirds) 20) Sparrow 21) Goose 22) Ostrich 23) Dove 24) Pigeon 25) Stork 26) Rooster 27) Chicken 28) Peacock 29) Starling 30) Hoopoe (any of several crested Old World birds with a slender down-curving bill, known in Arabic as Hudhud- that was sent by Sayyiduna Suleyman (peace be upon him). Animals whose meat is Haram: 1) Wolf 2) Hyena 3) Cat 4) Monkey 5) Scorpion 6) Leopard 7) Tiger 8) Cheetah 9) Lion 10) Jerboa 11) Bear 12) Swine/pig 13) Squirrel 14) Hedgehog 15) Snake 16) Tortoise/Turtle 17) Dog 18) Crab 19) Jackal 20) Donkey (domesticated) 21) Lizard (The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the eating of a Lizard. Recorded by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan from Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl (Allah be pleased with him). Hadith no: 3790) 22) Fox 23) Crocodile 24) Weasel 25) Elephant (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/306) 26) Falcon 27) Hawk 28) Kite 29) Bat 30) Vulture 31) Mouse 32) Rat 33) All insects, such as a Mosquito, Fly, Wasp, Spider, Beetle, etc. And Allah knows best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK Source

Husband sharing his nights equally between his wives Q: Can you explain the method of equal distribution of time between wives and does equality of time extend to the day as well or is it restricted to the night? Similarly, could you inform me from what time till what time is it considered night? Does it end at Subah Saadiq or sunrise? A: It is compulsory upon the husband to share his nights equally between his wives. The method of equal distribution is left to the discretion of the husband, (for example if he spends three nights with one wife, it is compulsory upon him to spend the next three nights with the other wife. If he wishes to spend two nights with one wife, it is compulsory upon him to spend the same amount of time with the other wife). The night commences from sunset and ends at subh saadiq (dawn). As far as the time during the day is concerned, it is preferable for the husband (though not compulsory) to share his time equally between his wives. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( ويقيم عند كل واحدة منهن يوما وليلة ) لكن إنما تلزمه التسوية في الليل حتى لو جاء للأولى بعد الغروب وللثانية بعد العشاء فقد ترك القسم ولا يجامعها في غير نوبتها. (الدر المختار 3/207) ومما يجب على الأزواج للنساء العدل والتسوية بينهن فيما يملكه والبيتوتة عندها للصحبة والمؤانسة لا فيما لا يملك وهو الحب والجماع كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان. (الفتاوى الهندية 1/340) تنبيه قد علمت أن النهار الشرعي من طلوع الفجر إلى الغروب (رد المحتار 2/377) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Reason for Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordering us to occasionally walk barefoot Question Have the commentators of Hadith given a reason as to why Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered us to walk barefoot occasionally? Answer Mulla ‘Ali Al Qari (rahimahullah) cites three reasons as to why Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered us to walk barefoot occasionally : To create humility within a person To break one’s ego To become accustomed to it as sometimes a person will be forced to walk barefoot (Mirqat, vol. 8 pg. 291, Hadith: 4449) See the Hadith references here. And Allah Ta’ala Knows best. Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Occasionally walking barefoot Question Is this authentic? “A man from the companions of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) traveled to Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd (radiyallahu ‘anhu) when he was in Egypt. After a brief conversation he asked him ‘Why do I not see any shoes on you?’ Fadalah replied: Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would command us to go barefoot sometimes.” Answer Imam Abu Dawud and Imam Ahmad (rahimahumallah) have recorded this Hadith. ‘Allamah ‘Iraqi (rahimahullah) has declared the chain authentic (jayyid). (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 4157, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 6 pg. 22. Al Mughni ‘An Hamlil Asfar, Hadith: 4042) And Allah Ta’ala Knows best. Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar hadithanswers

Does a man need his first wife's permission to take a second wife Q. Does a man need the permission of the first wife to take a second wife? If he does so without her permission, will the marriage be valid? A. The permission of the first wife is not a condition for the validity of the second Nikah. The Nikah will be valid even though she does not have knowledge of it. Kindly take note of the following: In principle, it is permissible for a Muslim male to marry up to four wives according to Shariah on condition that equality is maintained amongst all wives and that their rights be duly fulfilled. If one does not have the capability to fulfil those obligations without causing the least infringement of their rights, then he should keep one wife. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has emphasized on maintaining full justice and equality between wives and has given warnings to those who do otherwise. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has stated in a Hadith, "Anyone who has two wives and he cannot fulfil their rights equally and justly, shall be raised on the Day of Judgment in a condition that one of his shoulders will be drooping down." (Tirmidhi) Another important act the husband should do when considering a second wife is to discuss the issue with his first wife. Although it is not his obligation to inform the first wife, one should discuss the matter beforehand and not keep a second marriage secretive from the first wife, as the second marriage is likely to be exposed to her at some point in time. This will most certainly cause the first wife to become upset. It is extremely important for a husband and wife to have full trust in each other. Therefore, anyone who thinks of having more than one wife should first think about all of those factors and he should also look into himself and figure out realistically whether or not he has the ability to treat them equally and justly. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Taahir Hansa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh.) Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Who Knows Better? Some contemporaries, who degrade the Fiqh of the four Imams and their followers, actually do so because they view legitimate “difference of opinion” as evil. This is the reason for which they keep harping on the fact that we need to follow the Quran and Sunnah and not any of the Schools of Fiqh. This is analysis of their claim. My Honourable Teacher, Al-Muhaddith, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) responds to this with the following: “Firstly, this implies that the Imams of the four Madhahib (Schools of Fiqh) were not following the Quran and Sunnah ! Secondly, this can only be said in ignorance of the reality we are faced with; tell me in the name of Allah! Up to how many “schools” have they resulted in, after Muslims lived within the four schools for centuries? Where is the logic behind their claim?! Lastly, I will explain further that following the Quran and Sunnah actually leads us to legitimate difference of opinion.” (Atharul Hadithi Shareef, fi ikhtilafil A-immatil Fuqaha, pg.77) A valuable lesson Shaykh ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) has included the following incident in his glorious book “Atharul Hadith”. “Sayyiduna ‘Urwah ibn Zubair – a Tabi’e- (rahimahullah) once objected to Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma): “You have been misleading the people!” Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhuma) asked for the reason, to which ‘Urwah replied: “When a person dons his Ihram for Haj or ‘Umrah and after arriving in Makkah performs the tawaf only, you state that he is now free of his ihram. Whereas Sayyiduna ‘Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallahu’anhuma) actually opposed this view!” Ibn ‘Abbas responded: “Are the two of them (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiyallahu’anhuma) preferred to you over what is in the Quran and Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam)?” ‘Urwah replied: “Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallahu’anhuma) had more knowledge/ understanding of the Quran and Sunnah than me and you put together!” (Al-Mu’jamul Awsat of Tabarani, Hadith:21) In a narration of Musnad Ahmad Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhuma) responded to ‘Urwah’s objection by saying: “I am quoting a Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) to you, and quote Abu Bakr and ‘Umar?!” ‘Urwah replied: “They followed Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) more than you, and they knew more about him than you knew” (Musnad Ahmad, vol.1, pg.252) The narrator; Ibn Abi Mulaykah (rahimahullah) comments: “Urwah defeated him.” Shaykh ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) explains: “…’Urwah is actually saying to Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas: “By us taking the view of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu’anhuma) we aren’t disregarding the way of the sunnah. In fact we find ourselves with two options; that which Ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhuma) witnessed (and understood) from Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) and what Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallahu’anhuma) witnessed/understood. We then preferred their view because they were most knowledgeable regarding the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam).” (Atharul Hadithi Sharif, fi ikhtilafil A-immatil Fuqaha, pg. 108) Imam Sufyan Thawri (rahimahullah) said: نسلم ما سمعنا، ونكل ما لا نعلم إلى عالمه، ونتهم رأينا لرأيهم “We follow what we know, and hand over what we do not know to those who do know. We will even question our understanding in favour of theirs” (Al-Intiqa, pg.265, 266) The reality of “Fiqhus Sunnah” Shaykh (may Allah protect him) writes further: “And this is our response to those who ask us to abandon the Fiqh of Imams: Abu Hanifah, Malik, Shafi’e and Ahmad (rahimahumullah) and to rather take –what they label as- “Fiqhus-Sunnah” or “Fiqhul-Quran was-Sunnah” We say to them: “We are not prepared to accept you’ll as alternatives to those Imams, for they were undoubtedly more knowledgeable than you’ll regarding the sunnah. In fact there is no comparison between you’ll and them in knowledge. It is actually our eagerness to follow the way of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) that leads us to follow what these great Imams had understood (and presented to the ummah) as the sunnah!” (Atharul Hadithi Shareef, fi ikhtilafil A-immatil Fuqaha, pgs. 108-109.) The true meaning of Fiqh of Abu Hanifah etc. The word fiqh actually translates as: understanding. Shaykh ‘Awwamah writes: “Therefore, when we say “Fiqh of Abu Hanifah, Fiqh of Shafi’e and so on, the actual meaning of this is: the understanding of Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Shafi’e. The question that arises is: Their understanding of what? It is their understanding of none other than the Quran and Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) The reason for this is that “Fiqh” in fact means: understanding.” Don’t be fooled! “In light of the above, we can now realize a widespread grave mistake which nobody seems to pay attention to, or even rectify; when certain people label their “understanding” as “Fiqhus Sunnah” or Fiqhus Sunnah wal Kitab” This term literally translates as: “the understanding of the Quran and Sunnah”. In this case it is the understanding of some unknown, or under qualified person. It is his understanding which he seeks to legitimise by attributing it to the Quran and Sunnah. This is done to give the impression that they are presenting before the people the “original authentic source” of knowledge (whereas it is merely their distorted understanding). In this manner they deter others from the Fiqh of the Imams; Abu Hanifah, Shafi’e, Malik and Ahmad (rahimahumullah). They even boldly venture to say: “People! Do you want “Fiqh of Muhammad sallallahu’alaihi wasallam” or “Fiqh of Abu Hanifah and Shafi’ie”? One of them had the audacity to ask before leading the salah; “Should I perform the salah of Muhammad (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) or the salah of Abu Hanifah”!! This is all the consequence of them attributing their Fiqh/understanding to the Quran and sunnah, and the fiqh/understanding of Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Shafi’e to Abu Hanifah and Shafi’e, not to the Quran and Sunnah. In so doing, they have separated the correct understanding of the Quran and Sunnah (the understanding of legitimate scholars) which in reality was the most appropriate explanation of the Quran and Hadith. They severed this and then produced a new understanding which they attribute to the Quran and Sunnah!” (Atharul Hadith, pgs.134-135) They truly did know better Imam Malik (rahimahullah) said: سلموا للأئمة ولا تجادلوهم، فلو كنا كلما جاءنا رجل أجدل من رجل اتبعناه: لخفنا أن نقع في رد ما جاء به جبريل عليه السلام “Submit to the Imams and don’t argue with them, for if we were to follow every convincing debater, I fear we may end up refuting what Angel Jibrail brought from the skies” (Atharul Hadith, pg.117) Imam Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah (rahimahullah) said: التسليم للفقهاء سلامة في الدين “In conceding to the Fuqaha (Jurists) is the security for our din” (Atharul Hadith, pg.117) Imam Sufyan Thawri (rahimahullah) said: نسلم ما سمعنا، ونكل ما لا نعلم إلى عالمه، ونتهم رأينا لرأيهم “We follow what we know, and hand over what we do not know to those who do know. We will even question our understanding in favour of theirs” (Al-Intiqa, pg.265, 266) These quotations are so glaring in the current conditions. So the next time someone confronts us with arguments like the ones discussed above, we shouldn’t be moved. In fact, these last three quotations are sufficient in response! May Allah Ta’ala keep us under the shadows of our Imams which ultimately lead us to the shadow of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam). Amin. al-miftah

Pearls of Wisdom: No.52 “Food for the Soul” SUBJECT: ENJOINING GOOD & FORBIDDING EVIL Allah, The Most Exalted, says: “Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah” (Qur’an Surah Aali Imraan 110) The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand (by taking action); and if he cannot, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he cannot, then with his heart (by feeling that it is wrong) – and that is the weakest of faith.” (Hadith Muslim) Note: We have a duty to do whatever is within our means to bring about positive change and this can be achieved by enjoining good and forbidding evil. Ultimately change will come from our Creator but we have a duty to promote good and admonish where necessary. We cannot be complacent while an evil is perpetrated as this would eventually impact on our well-being and similarly by promoting good will benefit us eventually. Enjoin good and prevent evil even if it may seem so minute or insignificant for a single flame used destructively may destroy the world, whereas the same flame used constructively may light the world! www.eislam.co.za

The Deception of Shaitaan Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned: In today’s times, the statement, “This mouth is unworthy of making du‘aa” is commonly heard from people. A person once came to me and expressed the same feeling, saying that he was unworthy of making du‘aa. In reply, I asked him, “Do you perform Salaah? Do you recite the Kalimah?” When he replied that he does perform Salaah and recite the Kalimah, I said, “When you are worthy enough to perform Salaah, to fast and to recite the Kalimah, then why are you unworthy of making du‘aa?” This feeling, that you are unworthy of making du‘aa, is in actual fact created by Shaitaan in his effort to mislead you. He wishes to deprive you of the barakah of turning to Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa. Similarly, your nafs does not wish to exert itself in any work. Therefore, whenever it is told to do any good work, it looks for some excuse or the other to avoid doing that good work. (Malfoozaat Husnul Azeez pg.128) Ihyaauddeen.co.za

No Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhum) ever forged a Hadith! There have always been enemies of Islam throughout time, who attacked the credibility of the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) from various angles. Those who attack the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) are actually targeting Islam, but they hide their vendetta against Islam behined this smoke screen! Among these accusations is that certain Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) actually forged Hadiths of Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam). Some have specifically accused Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu) to have done so. A decent Muslim never accepts any such allegation against the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum). The following article is a brief refutation of this allegation. The View of the Authentic Scholars The view of the Ahlus Sunnah is that no Sahabi ever forged any Hadith. To accuse any Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhu) of such a deed, is a serious and completely false allegation against those souls who were divinely selected by Allah Ta’ala for the companionship of our Beloved Nabi (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam)! Accusing the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhu) of such a deed is against the Quran, Hadith and the consensus of the Scholars, in addition to it being completely irrational! The Sahabah were selected by Allah Ta’ala to accompany Nabi (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam), to learn from him and pass on Islam to the rest of the world. Allah Ta’ala will never choose people who would end up forging Hadiths against our Master, (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam)! Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) states: ‘It is not known [or ever proven] that any Sahabi (radiyallahu’anhu) lied about Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam)… Allah Ta’ala had protected them from forging anything about their Nabi (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam).’ (Ar-Radd ‘alal Akhna’i; see Lamahat, pg.55) This is further understood from the Hadith in which Nabi (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) unconditionally instructed every Sahabi to convey his message to those who were not present. This Hadith proves the suitability of every Sahabi for this task. Based on the above [any many more proofs] all the ‘Ulama of Islam have a united stance; that every Sahabi was reliable. They can therefore never be suspected of such a sin. One who believes differently will be sinful. For more reading on this topic, refer to Lamahat min Tarikhis sunnah of Shaykh ‘Abdul Fattah (rahimahullah), pgs. 40-73 and Shaykh ‘Awwama’s recent booklet; Khutuwat manhajiyyah fi ithbati ‘adalatis Sahabah. Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu) As far as the specific accusation against Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu), this too is baseless. As clearly proven above, no Sahabi ever forged a Hadith. Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu) is no different. Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has recorded that Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu’anhuma) said regarding Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu): ‘He is a faqih.’ [a Jurist] (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 3765. Also see Hadith: 3764) One who is a faqih -especially in that golden era- will never commit such a sin. Imam Ibn Sirin (rahimahullah) is authentically reported to have said: ‘Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah was not a suspect of fabricating Hadith of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).’ (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 4126, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 25753 and Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4 pg. 93) This allegation against Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu) is therefore baseless. Furthermore, some contemporaries have cited an unreliable narration to support this allegation. A narration of this kind cannot match up to and never be used against the authentic ones quoted above! The Hidden Agenda Imam Nasai (rahimahullah) said the following when he was asked about the allegations that some people had levelled against Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu’anhu): ‘Whoever attacks Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah, in reality seeks to attack the Sahabah in general… Whoever attacks the Sahabah, actually has the motive of attacking Islam‘ (Tahdhibul Kamal, vol.1 pg.45, Lamahat min Tarikhis sunnah, pg.43) And Allah Ta’ala Knows best. al-miftah

The Incident of the Sock Once upon a time there was a very rare, wise and saintly rich man whose name was Hamza. Sensing his approaching death, Hamza called his son to his side and gave him these instructions, “My son, I shall be leaving you very shortly. On the day I die and they have washed my body and shroud it, I want you to put one of my socks on my foot, burying me with it. This is my final request of you.” Soon after this, Hamza did indeed die, leaving behind his goods, his property, his children and his dependents. The body had been washed and was almost completely wrapped in the shroud, when the son remembered his father’s wish. Finding an old sock of his fathers, he handed it to the washer of the dead, saying, “In accordance with my father’s last request, please put this sock on his foot.” “That is quite impossible” said the washer of the dead, “Such a thing is utterly impermissible, I cannot do this.” Despite this valid objection, the son insisted, “That was my father’s final request; it must certainly be carried out.” The washer was unmoved, “If you won’t take my word for it, go and ask the scholarly elders. They will confirm what I tell you, that it is not permissible.” Holding up the funeral, the son consulted the elder men, religious head and scholars, all of whom declared that this was impermissible.The son kept on insisting, but to no avail. Hours and hours of deliberation went on, with no success.Family, friends, acquaintances and neighbours that attended Hamza’s funeral, were getting frustrated, wondering what all the fuss was about. Just then, an aged old friend of Hamza interrupted the debate with these words to the son, “My boy, your late father entrusted me with a letter which I was to hand over to you after his departure, but not until there was a long delay at his funeral.” The whole crowd were taken by surprise. Teary eyed, the son opened the envelope and read out the contents of his father’s letter… “My son, all this wealth and property I have left to you. Now you see, at this last moment, they won’t even let me take an old sock with me to my grave. You yourself will be in my condition one day and they will also refuse to let you take anything with you to your grave; except for your good deeds which will be the only thing you can carry over from this fleeting world into the Hereafter. So pull yourself together and be prepared. Spend the fortune I have left you, not for the satisfaction of vain desires, but in ways pleasing to Allah Ta’ala, that you may achieve honour in both worlds.” Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Celebrating birthdays on an alternate day Q. Is there any difference in celebrating a Birthday on any other day besides the actual day of a birthday in Islam? A part of my father’s side of the family do not fully practice Islam but my father is a fully practicing Muslim. My father’s side of the family celebrated a Birthday on the actual day of the Birthday but my father did not attend due to intermingling, cutting of a cake, blowing of candles etc. A few days later, my father’s side of the family arranged another birthday celebration (with all of the above) for those who did not attend on the actual day of the birthday celebration. My father’s side of the family is saying that it is okay to celebrate a Birthday on any other day besides the actual day of the Birthday. What is the Sharia ruling in this case? (Question published as received) A. There is no difference between celebrating a birthday on the actual day or on a different day. The issue of celebrating a birthday is not solely based on the fact of celebrating on the actual day, rather it is based on emulating the ways and actions of the disbelievers. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, “He who imitates a group of people is one of them.” (Abu Dawood) In the enquired situation, it is evident that the event arranged on an alternate day emulated the actions of the disbelievers which were contrary to Islam. Therefore, it will not be permissible to celebrate or be part of such an event irrespective if it is celebrated on the actual birthday or an alternate day. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh) Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

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Is Euthanasia permissible on animals Q. As salaam u alaikum Respected Mufti Sahib I have a pet hamster who is old and quite ill. Is it permissible to have him euthanased at the SPCA? (Question published as received) A. If an animal is in pain and agony and there is no hope of its recovery and it is close to dying, it will be permissible to euthanize such an animal to relieve it of its pain. (Shaami 6/474) And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh) Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians

Discharging the fidyah for the missed Salaahs of the deceased Q: What do the Ulama say about a person who passed away reciting the Kalimah but for most of his life didn't perform Salaah. What can the family do to compensate for his qadha Salaah? Please guide. A: Reciting the Kalimah at the time of maut is a sign of one passing away upon Imaan. However, this will not compensate and atone for leaving out Salaah for the past years. Leaving out Salaah is a major sin and severe warnings have been sounded in the Ahaadith for the one who forgoes his Salaah. If the deceased had made a bequest that fidyah be given for his missed Salaah, then fidyah should be discharged on behalf of each Salaah from one third of the estate. If the deceased did not make a bequest, then the wealth of the estate cannot be given as fidyah on behalf of the missed Salaahs of the deceased. The entire estate will be wound and distributed among the heirs according to the stipulated shares of inheritance. If any adult heir wishes, he may discharge fidyah from his own share of the inheritance on behalf of the missed Salaahs of the deceased. However, this should be done with his free will and choice and without any coercion and force. Similarly, the family should make dua for the forgiveness of the deceased. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( ولو مات وعليه صلوات فائتة وأوصى بالكفارة يعطى لكل صلاة نصف صاع من بر ) كالفطرة ( وكذا حكم الوتر ) والصوم وإنما يعطى ( من ثلث ماله ) قال الشامي : مطلب في إسقاط الصلاة عن الميت قوله ( يعطى ) بالبناء للمجهول أي يعطي عنه وليه أي من له ولاية التصرف في ماله بوصاية أو وراثة فيلزمه ذلك من الثلث إن أوصى وإلا فلا يلزم الولي ذلك لأنها عبادة فلا بد فيها من الاختيار فإذا لم يوص فات الشرط فيسقط في حق أحكام الدنيا للتعذر بخلاف حق العباد فإن الواجب فيه وصوله إلى مستحقه لا غير ولهذا لو ظفر به الغريم يأخذه بلا قضاء ولا رضا ويبرأ من عليه الحق بذلك إمداد ثم اعلم أنه إذا أوصى بفديه الصوم يحكم بالجواز قطعا لأنه منصوص عليه وأما إذا لم يوص فتطوع بها الوارث فقد قال محمد في الزيادات إنه يجزيه إن شاء الله تعالى فعلق الإجزاء بالمشيئة لعدم النص وكذا علقه بالمشيئة فيما إذا أوصى بفدية الصلاة لأنهم ألحقوها بالصوم احتياطا لاحتمال كون النص فيه معلولا بالعحز فتشمل العلة الصلاة وإن لم يكن معلولا تكون الفدية برا مبتدأ يصلح ماحيا للسيئات فكان فيها شبهة كما إذا لم يوص بفدية الصوم فلذا جزم محمد بالأول ولم يجزم بالأخيرين فعلم أنه إذا لم يوص بفدية الصلاة فالشبهة أقوى واعلم أيضا أن المذكور فيما رأيته من كتب علمائنا فروعا وأصولا إذا لم يوص بفدية الصوم يجوز أن يتبرع عنه وليه والمتبادر من التقييد بالولي أنه لا يصح من مال الأجنبي ونظيره ما قالوه فيما إذا أوصى بحجة الفرض فتبرع الوارث بالحج لا يجوز وإن لم يوص فتبرع الوارث إما بالحج بنفسه أو بالإحجاج عنه رجلا يجزيه وظاهره أنه لو تبرع غير الوارث لا يجزيه نعم وقع في شرح نور الإيضاح للشرنبلالي التعبير بالوصي أو الأجنبي فتأمل وتمام ذلك في آخر رسالتنا المسماة ( شفاء العليل في بطلان الوصية بالختمات والتهاليل ) (رد المحتار 2/ 72) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)