Arslan

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem As-salaamu `alaykum wa Rahmaatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu The Book of Assistance By Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al Haddad

Insha'Allah, will post a book later on tonight. In the mean time, could you explain to me why it says "Dawah Team" under my name. Dont remember signing up for that...

Correct.

Wa `alaykumus-salaam Bismillahir-rahmaanir-raheem. Bahishti Zewar: Page 178

My dad is an NYC cab driver and he supported his 4 kids + wife just fine. Alhamdulillah. By the way, the fatwa is excellent, masha'Allah. Really good explanation. JazaakAllah for sharing.

No need to apologize. Insha'Allah, might post a book tomorrow. Getting late here. JazaakAllah for your help.

JazaakAllah. Where the button should be it actually says "You cannot start a new topic". This button is not clickable. I am, however, able to reply to a topic as I see a textbox when I click on a thread.

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu I am not able to start a new topic in the Islamic Books forum, neither in the main page nor in the 4 sub-categories. Is this category restricted to the Mods and Admin only?

Im sorry, I don't have any notes to share. I went through this series a long time ago, and did not really think about taking notes. Despite that, I do remember the concepts and discussions quite clearly. Just as a bit of overview, here are some of the major topics covered: Uncreatedness of the Qur'an Speech of Allah (ex: How did Allah talk to Musa? What is the "original" form of the Qur'an? etc..) Allah doing an illogical action (ex: Can Allah create another Allah? Can Allah make make himself die? etc..) Deviancy of the Khawaarij Deviancy of the Mu'tazilites Deviancy of the Murji`ah Deviancy of the Jabariyyah and Qadariyyah Correct `aqeedah regarding predestination and free-will Concept of accountability vs. predestination Insha'Allah, I would actually advise that (if you are listening to this series) you not make the same mistake I did and actually take notes and post them here for the benefit of everyone. As I said, this series can become quite technical, heavy and mind-numbing. Some of the questions discussed are pretty delicate, so organized notes would help. Wassalaam.

“You think it to be small, whereas in the Sight of Allah it is grave.” (Surah Noor, Aayat 15) This Aayat condemns thinking of a particular sin to be trivial. The Aayat was revealed in connection with the Ifk episode in which the Munaafiqeen and some innocent Muslims caught in the gossip slandered Hazrat Aishah (Radhiyallahu anha). They are warned over thinking of it to be light. Now we should ponder over whether thinking of only that sin to be light, as the revelation suggests, or thinking of any major sin to be light is condemned as evil. Reflection reveals that the reproach is not confined to any particular sin. The particular circumstances of the revelation do not limit the censure in the Aayat. In so far as Allah Ta’ala saying that it is ‘grave’ in His Sight then, understand that any sin, irrespective of it being a minor sin, is in actual fact grave. The reason for this is that the nature of sin is disobedience to Allah Ta’ala Jalla Jalaaluhu (Sublime is His magnificence). And it is obvious that disobedience, regardless of its kind, is evil. The stages of sin – major and minor – are relative issues. It merely means that one sin is very bad whilst another is less evil. Otherwise, in actual fact every sin is grave. No sin should be treated lightly. The relative issues of small and big, here, are like the sky and earth being small in relation to the Arsh. But in actual fact the sky and earth are not small. Another example is that of dirt and najaasat. Dirt can be minor or major. When it is major it is termed najaasat. But both are dirt. And the raison d’être for this gravity in both major and minor sins is that the greater a person’s magnificence and beneficence the graver is disobedience to that person. It is obvious that no one’s magnificence and beneficence are comparable to Allah Ta’ala’s magnificence and beneficence. Thus, disobedience to Him is deplorable in the extreme. Therefore, disobedience to Allah Ta’ala by its very nature and demand is grave. The demand of the above is that no sin be committed. However, there are several reasons for this lapse. Some sins are considered to be ‘minor’ and thus committed, whereas on the basis of the very raison d’être mentioned the Fuqaha have declared that to trifle with any sin is kufr, be it a minor sin. In sum, every act of disobedience unto Allah Ta’ala is grave. From this angle the reproach in the Aayat covers every type of sin. Sin is like fire. A small flame is sufficient to burn out a house just as a blaze is. The flame is small and the blaze is big. Thus the question of whether the sin is small or big suggests that if it is ‘big’ one will stay clear of it, but if it is ‘small’ one will see. We will ask such a person if he consents to a flame being ignited to his curtain. If this is intolerable to him then how can disobedience to Allah Ta’ala be tolerable? The small flame will build up to become a raging fire. Similarly, a person persists with a minor sin. By persistent indulgence in a minor sin the sin becomes major. In other words, some people continue sinning, thinking that afterwards they will make Taubah. This is a serious error. Once sinning becomes habitual then Taubah becomes difficult for such a person. The reason for this is that it is easy to make Taubah from a new sin which has not yet become embedded in one. But to make Taubah from a sin which has become one’s habit is problematic. Together with that, when a person does not abstain from a ‘small’ sin then such a person becomes audacious. He then feels no inhibition in committing sin. He gradually perpetrates major sins then. This is like care is taken not to dirty clean clothes. But if the clothes have become gradually soiled then a person worries not of the clothes becoming further soiled. The whole garment then becomes soiled. The case with sinning is the same. Once sinning becomes a habit it is left and it becomes worse. For example, purchases on interest have become common among people. People habitually back bite others. Trust funds are abused without compunction. Friendship with members of the opposite sex is the norm. Just observe how these sins are committed without reservation. But many of the same sinners won’t drink beer. The difference is because of the habit having being formed in the case of the former, not with the latter. All this confirms that from becoming a habit persistence and thinking light of the sin are the consequence. In fact, the matter can become as serious as thinking of the sin to be good. In other words, not even thinking of it to be a sin, like the case with television. Then it is rare for a person to make Taubah. And the rote Taubah that is made is of no merit. Someone said: Tasbeeh in the hand Taubah on the tongue But the heart brimming with the delight of sins Our sins just laugh at our repentance For this reason there is no substance to our Taubah with our wanton transgression. We think that abandoning those sins will bring disgrace and indigence upon us. We do not feel bad at committing the sins, whereas the sign of Imaan is: “When your good deed brings you joy and your evil action makes you feel bad.” (Hadeeth) In short, these are some reasons why we find it difficult to make an honest Taubah. And all this establishes that it is foolish to continue sinning in the hope of making Taubah later. But some stupid people still labour under deception and audaciously sin thinking that they will make amends with Taubah. The similitude of such people is like a person has a balm and feeling covered he burns his fingers in a fire. Is this person not an absolute fool? Did any intelligent person ever do such a foolish thing? When audaciousness is not displayed with this fire then the Fire of Jahannam is seventy times more intense then this fire on earth! The balm for a burn is fully in one’s possession. And although Taubah is ostensibly volitional, but it is not 100% in one’s control like the balm for a burn. The reason for this is that the nature of Taubah is: “Taubah is becoming ashamed.” (Hadeeth) It is also interpreted as follows: It eats up one when doing wrong and leaves the heart distressed when sinning. Thus, Taubah is the aching and burning of the heart. It is known that aching is a feeling, which is not in one’s volition. This begs the question: Since Taubah is non-volitional then why have we been instructed to make Taubah, whereas Allah Ta’ala does not impose upon anyone one that which is not in his or hers volition? The answer to this question is that there are two types of volition; one is the volition directly associated with an article, and one is the volition pertaining to the means of the intended article. So Taubah is volitional as its means are volitional. The means are to meditate over the magnificence, honour and retribution of Allah Ta’ala. By doing this it is the Timeless Way of Allah Ta’ala that such feeling of remorse overtakes the heart which is in actual fact Taubah. Thus, Toobu (make Taubah) is commanded. [Source]

QUESTION Is it permissible for a man to marry his wife's stepmother? Man A is married to Woman B, whose father has four wives, one of whom (Woman C) is 3 years older than Woman B. Woman B's father (i.e. Woman C's husband) dies, and Man A marries Woman B's stepmother, i.e. Woman C. Is this permissible? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, The nature of Shariah is such that it intends to eradicate anything that may lead to disputes and the breaking of ties. In many injunctions of Shariah, we see that the main cause behind the prohibition of a certain act is the possibility of disputes and arguments arising. Many laws of commerce and trade are based on this very principle. Due to this, it was prohibited for a man to combine two or more women in his marriage (i.e. at the same time) who are closely related to each other. Co-wives normally and naturally become jealous of one another and not everything is hunky-dory between them, thus the idea behind the prevention of combining two relatives in marriage is to prevent the severing of ties between relatives and closely related people. The great Hanafi jurist (faqih), Imam Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) explains: “…Combing them (closely related women) in marriage is unlawful (haram) due to the reason that it will normally lead to the breaking of ties between the co-wives who are related. And the evidence for this is the Hadith recorded by al-Tabrani that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “If you do that (m: i.e. combine two related women in marriage), you will be breaking ties” and more details is mentioned in Fath al-Qadir.” (Radd al-Muhtar, 3/36) Thus, the Qur’an prohibited the combining of two sisters in marriage. Allah Most High states: “Prohibited to you (for marriage) are……two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time.” (Surah al-Nisa, 23) Similarly, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “A woman and her paternal aunt must not be combined in marriage, neither a woman and her maternal aunt.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 4820) Based on the above, the Hanafi jurists (fuqaha) have laid down a principle with regards to the prohibition of combining two women in marriage which is that, it is not permissible to combine two women who are such that, if one of them were a man, it would not be permissible for her (him) to marry the other. It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya: “The principle (asl) is that it will not be permissible to combine two women (in marriage) who are such that if one of them was presumed to be a man, from any side, it would not be permissible for them to marry each other.” (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1/277) Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states: “It is unlawful to combine two women (in marriage) who are such that if one of them was presumed to be a man, it would not be permissible for him (her) to marry the other.” (See: Radd al-Muhtar ala al-Durr, 3/38) The meaning of the above two texts is that, Allah Most High has mentioned the list of people whom it is unlawful for one to marry, such as one’s sister, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, mother in-law, wife’s daughter, etc. Thus, if one intends to combine two women in marriage, one must look at whether, if one of them was assumed to be a man, it would be permissible for her (him) to marry the other? If not, then it would be unlawful to combine them in marriage. This assumption must be from both sides, as mentioned in the text of al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, where it stated “from any side”. For example, there are two sisters, and a person wants to combine them in marriage. Now, if we presume any one of them to be a man, marriage would be unlawful between them. The reason being is that if any one of them was presumed to be a man, he will be the brother of the other, and marriage with one’s sister is unlawful. This will be the case regardless of whom we presume to be a man, i.e. from both sides. Having understood the above, we come to the question of marrying one’s stepmother in-law. To combine a woman and her real mother (i.e. real mother in-law) in marriage is without doubt unlawful, for if any one of them were to be a man, marriage would not be lawful between them. Let’s say the mother was a man. In this situation it will be unlawful for a father to marry his own daughter. Suppose we considered the daughter to be a man, even in this case, it is unlawful for a son to marry his mother. Thus, to have a daughter and her (real mother) in marriage at the same time is unlawful. However, the case with combing a woman and her step-mother is not the same, in that this is permissible. The reason here is that, if we presumed the daughter to be a man, then indeed it will not be permissible for a man to marry his step-mother. However, in the vice versa situation, meaning if we presumed the mother to be a man, it will be allowed for him to marry the girl. The women will not be considered to be a stepfather marrying his daughter, rather a strange (ajnabi) man marrying a girl, for we presumed her to be man, thus she cannot be the wife of her husband (I hope this is understandable!). Thus, the Hanafi Fuqaha have permitted the marriage to a woman and her stepdaughter at the same time. It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya: “It will be permissible to combine (in marriage) a woman and her husband’s daughter (m: from another wife), because if the women (m: mother) was presumed to be a man, it would be permissible for him to marry the girl. However, in the vice versa situation, it would not be allowed.” (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1/277) Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states: “It is permissible to combine (in marriage) a woman and her husband’s daughter (m: i.e. a girl and her stepmother).” Imam Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) explains the above by stating: “…Because if the woman (mother) was presumed to be a man, he will be marrying the husband’s daughter, and she (the daughter) will be considered to be a daughter of a strange man (m: meaning, she cannot be classed as a man and also have a husband at the same time, thus one will have to say that her relationship with the girl is that of a stranger).” (Radd al-Muhtar, 3/39) In conclusion, it is permitted for a man to combine a girl and her stepmother in marriage at the same time, or in other words, a woman and her stepdaughter. Thus, marriage with a stepmother in-Law is perfectly permissible whether separately or with keeping her stepdaughter in the marriage. And Allah knows best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK [Emphasis added by self] [Source]

Question: As-salaamu `alaykum Im having difficulty understanding a mas'alah. In Bahishti zewar, on page 405 of the 2005 English translation, it states, (mas'alah #11) "If a woman and her step-daughter marry a person at the same time, the nikah will be valid." Kindly explain why such a nikah would be valid. From what I've learned (as a muqallid of the Hanafi madhab), the `ulama say that you cannot marry two women such that if one of them were a male, they would not be able to marry each other. This is why you cannot marry a womans aunt and niece, because if one of them were a male, they would not be able to marry each other. Now if we apply this principle to a woman and her step-daughter, we reach the same conclusion. A woman cannot marry her step-son, nor can a step-daughter marry her step-father due to hurmat-e-musaharah. So why is this mas'alah saying otherwise? Please explain where I've gone wrong. Answer: ASSALAMU ALAIKUM 25 Shawwaal 1435 (22 August 2014) Arslan Sana Your e-mail dated 22 August 2014 refers. The relationship between a stepdaughter and her stepmother is not original. It is ‘artificial’, having developed at a later stage. If one of the two had to be a male, then at one stage marriage would have been valid between them. The rule mentioned by you applies to such two females who are related by blood ties from inception, e.g. two sisters; an aunt and her niece. If one of them had been a male, never would marriage have been valid. Was-salaam A.S. Desai For Mujlisul Ulama of S.A.

Letter from an Irish Mother to her Son Dear Son, Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alive. I'm writing this letter slowly because I know you can't read fast. We are all doing very well. You won't recognise the house when you get home - we have moved. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address because the last Irish family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so that they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works so well though: last week I put a load in and pulled the chain and haven't seen them since. Your father's got a really good job now. He's got 500 men under him. He's cutting the grass at the cemetery. Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven't found out if it's a boy or a girl, so I don't know whether you are an auntie or an uncle. Your brother Tom is still in the army. He's only been there a short while and they've already made him a court martial! Your Uncle Patrick drowned last week in a vat of whiskey in the Dublin Brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely. They cremated him and it took three days to put out the fire. I'm sorry to say that your cousin Seamus was arrested while riding his bicycle last week. They are charging him with dope peddling. I went to the doctor on Thursday and your father went with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for ten minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him. The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice this week, first for three days and then for four days. Monday was so windy one of the chickens laid the same egg four times. We had a letter from the under-taker. He said if the last payment on your Grandmother's plot wasn't paid in seven days, up she comes. About that coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Stanley said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets. John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out. Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down. There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened. Your loving Mum P.S. I was going to send you some money but I had already sealed the envelope.

Central Park, New York A man is taking a walk in Central park in New York. Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a pit bull dog . He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl’s life. A policeman who was watching the scene walks over and says: “You are a hero, tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers: “Brave New Yorker saves the life of little girl” The man says: – “But I am not a New Yorker!” “Oh ,then it will say in newspapers in the morning: ‘Brave American saves life of little girl’” – the policeman answers. “But I am not an American!” – says the man. “Oh, what are you then? ” The man says: – “I am a Saudi !” The next day the newspapers says: “Islamic extremist kills innocent American dog.

Reliance of the Traveler - Shafi'i Fiqh Kitaab A CLASSIC MANUAL OF ISLAMIC SACRED LAW BY AHMAD IBN NAQIB AL-MISRI (Died 1368 AD) Translated by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller

Would just like to point out that the one who wears hijab and the one who doesn't are not in the same category. The latter is more sinful because she is neglecting a fardh, while the former is sinful (to a lesser degree) because she is neglecting the wujoob of niqaab.

I've posted some more resources and lectures here in THIS thread.

Difference of the Imams by Shaykh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhelvi (rahmatullahi `alayh) Major topics covered: Ikhtilaaf between the 4 Madhabs The various reasons for how these ikhtilaaf arose Various examples of ahadith which lead to ikhtilaaf Inevitability of Ikhtilaaf and how they are mercy to the ummah Basic principles of hadith Basic principles of fiqh Approach of the Hanafi madhab

By the way, only the posts in the home page are from myself. The rest of the tabs are excerpts from Kitaabul Meeraath.

Ameen. Yes, I've tried to make it as simple as possible so I've included examples for every single rule and law covered. However, you have to build up to it. If certain rules aren't understood before hand, calculating shares is not possible. The whole point is that it be accessible to laymen who wish to at least learn the basics, while at the same time those who are interested and motivated enough can learn more in-depth. Not many English resources on inheritance law online, so I decided to start my own. Unfortunately thats true. Many people have neglected these laws, which Is why I stress on them a lot. Not to mention the injustice that happens when the estate is divided. Brothers force their sisters to give up their share, and the sister thinks she is obligated to. If people were educated about their rights when it comes to inheritance this would not happen. On the one hand the female is being oppressed, and on the other hand the male is consuming the fire of Jahannum with that haraam wealth he has wrongfully acquired. This is a big issue and I think more `ulamaa' need to tackle it.

Shama'il al-Tirmidhi - Taught by Mufti `Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf I absolutely cannot describe to you how much I loved this series. Alhamdulillah, Allah gave me the taufeeq to listen to every single dars start to finish. It took me a few months, but alhamdulillah, every second of it was beautiful. Highly recommended!

As-salaamu `alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu A series of Audio duroos on `Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, taught by Mufti `Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf: http://www.zamzamacademy.com/view/audios/aqidah-tahawiyah/ The full Aqeedah Tahawiyyah text can be found HERE I dont know why they never finished the series, but the duroos that are put up are spectacular and definitely beneficial. It does get a bit technical and heavy, so may not be everyone's cup of tea. Wassalaam.

JazaakAllah. Its the same one already posted in post #21. Still in the works, many more topics to cover. As of now, I am getting it reviewed by various `ulamaa. So far Mufti Ismaa'il Moosa has looked at it thoroughly and gave it the "seal of approval" as well as Maulana Muntasir Zaman and Darul Uloom NY. Currently, Mufti Zameel-ur-Rahman is giving it a look. Alhamdulillah, no mistakes have been found so far. Insha'Allah, my intention is to get as many `ulamaa to review it as possible and then post their names on the site to make it "official". The more the merrier. Requesting du'aas.

1. If a woman renounces Islam, she will be given a respite of three days in which all her doubts regarding Islam may be cleared. If she returns to Islam within the three days, well and good. If not, she will be imprisoned forever. If she repents, she will be freed. 2. Once a person utters the words of kufr, imaan will no longer remain with him. All the pious deeds and forms of ibaadah which he may have fulfilled while he was a Muslim will be rendered null and void. His marriage will be null and void. If he had performed the fard hajj, it will also be rendered null and void. If he repents and returns to Islam, he will have to renew his marriage and also repeat his hajj. 3. Similarly, if a woman's husband becomes a kaafir, their marriage will be annulled. As long as he does not repent and renew his marriage, the woman cannot have any contact with him. If they continue with their marital and sexual relationships, the woman will also be sinful. If the man imposes upon her to have sexual relationships with her, she should expose him to the public and she should not shy away from this. There is no shame in matters of religion. 4. Once the words of kufr are uttered, imaan will leave the person. If these words are uttered jokingly and one does not have kufr in one’s heart, even then the same rule will apply. For example, if a person asks: "Hasn't Allah the power to do such and such thing?" And the person who is being addressed replies: "No!" then in such a case this person will become devoid of imaan. 5. A person says: "Come, let us offer our salaat." And the person replies: "Why should I waste my time going up and down?" Or, a person tells you to fast and you reply saying: "Why should I kill myself staying hungry?" or you tell him: "Only the person who does not have any food in his house should fast." All this is regarded as kufr. 6. A person saw another person committing a sin, so he asked him: "Don't you fear Allah?" The person replied: "No, I don't fear Him." He will become a kaafir by replying in this way. 7. A person saw another person committing a sin, so he asked him: "Aren't you a Muslim that you are committing such a sin?" The person replied: "No, I'm not a Muslim." He will become a kaafir irrespective of whether he was serious or he said it jokingly. 8. A person commenced offering salaat. Coincidentally, he was afflicted by a calamity. So he said: "All this is because of offering salaat." He will become a kaafir. 9. A person saw something good with a kaafir. On seeing this, he remarked: "It would have been nice if I was also a kaafir so that I could also do the same thing." He will become a kaafir. 10. A person's son or beloved one passed away, so he said: "O Allah! Why did You oppress me in this way? Why are You torturing me?" By saying this, the person will become a kaafir. 11. A person says: "Even if Allah asks me to do this work I will not do it." or: "Even if the angel Jibra'eel comes down, I will not listen to him." He will become a kaafir. 12. A person says: "I do such work that even Allah does not know about it." He will become a kaafir. 13. If a person derides Allah Ta'ala or any of His prophets, finds fault with the Shariah or is attracted to certain acts of kufr, his imaan will leave him. All those acts which cause one's imaan to leave a person have been mentioned in Part One of Bahishti Zewar. For further details, refer to the relevant chapters of Part One. One should be very cautious in preserving one's imaan. May Allah Ta'ala protect our imaan, and may we leave this world with imaan. Aameen. [Source: Bahishti Zewar pages 375-377]

JazaakAllah for the warm welcome both of you. I've been a silent reader for a while now, and just yesterday decided to register. Why not right? Anyway, Im quite impressed with this library of information you two have put together. Its an excellent resource masha'Allah. May Allah reward all who put effort into putting this forum together. Ameen. The full playlist can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL41FE9D3A889EE2C4 A few ahadith here and there seem to be missing, but most are there. If you find a playlist with all 40, post the link here insha'Allah.