4a] Laylat al-Qadar - Dividing Qiyaam al-layl into two parts during the last ten days of Ramadan

4a] Laylat al-Qadar
~
:-> The reason why some people object to that is that it is contrary
to what is customary among the people of their countries and most of
the people nowadays; and because ofignorance of the Sunnah and reports
and of the practice of the Sahaabah, Taabi'oon and the imams of Islam;
and because of what some people think, that our prayer during thelast
ten days is a kind of salat al-ta'qeeb which was regarded as makroohby
some scholars, but thatis not in fact the case, because ta'qeeb is a
voluntary prayer offered in congregation after finishing Taraweeh and
Witr.
This is how all the fuqaha'defined ta'qeeb, as a voluntary prayer
offered in congregation after finishing Witr immediately after
Taraweeh. From these words it is clear that prayer offered in
congregation before Witr is not ta'qeeb. End quote.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said in Ithaaf Ahl al-Eemaan bi Majaalis
Shahr Ramadaan:
In the last ten days of Ramadan, the Muslims increase their efforts in
worship, following the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and seeking Laylat al-Qadr which is better than a
thousand months. Those who pray twenty-three rak'ahs at the beginning
of the month break it up during the last ten days, so they pray ten
rak'ahs at the beginning of the night, calling it Taraweeh, and they
pray ten at the end of the night, making them lengthy, and following
it with three rak'ahs of Witr, which they call qiyaam. This is a
variation in naming only. In fact all of it may be called Taraweeh or
it maybe called qiyaam. As for those who pray eleven or thirteen
rak'ahs at the beginning of the month, they add ten rak'ahs to that
during the last ten days, which they pray at the end of the night,
making it lengthy, makingthe most of the virtue of the last ten days
and increasing their efforts to do good. They have a precedent among
the Sahaabah and others whoprayed twenty-three rak'ahs, as stated
above. Thus they combine the two opinions: the opinionwhich favours
offering thirteen rak'ahs during the first twenty days and the opinion
which favoursoffering twenty-three during the last ten days.

And Allah knows best.

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4] Laylat al-Qadar - Dividing Qiyaam al-layl into two parts during the last ten days of Ramadan

4] Laylat al-Qadar
~
I hope that you could tell me about the opinions of the scholars with
regard to the ruling on dividing Taraweeh prayers in the last ten days
of Ramadan into two parts: at the beginning of the night and at the
end, as is done in many mosques. Please also mention the evidenceif
possible.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is mustahabb during the nights of Ramadan is to spend them in
qiyaam, prayer and worship, and to single out the last ten nights for
extra worship and striving, seeking forgiveness and mercy and seeking
Laylat al-Qadr which is better than a thousand months.
Moreover, Taraaweeh prayer is regarded as a kind of Qiyaam al-layl
andthey call it Taraweeh because people take brief breaks between
rak'ahs. Hence the matter is broadin scope, and it is permissible for
a person to pray whatever he wants of rak'ahs, at whatever time of the
night he wants.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (34/123):
There is no difference of opinion among the fuqaha' with regard to it
being Sunnah to pray during the nights of Ramadan (Qiyaam
al-layl),because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer, out of
faith and seeking the reward of Allah, his previous sins will be
forgiven."
The fuqaha' said: Taraweeh is the qiyaam (Qiyaam al-layl) of Ramadan.
Hence it is best to spend most of the night in it, because it is
Qiyaam al-layl. End quote.
What many imams do nowadays -- especially in the last ten days of
Ramadan -- leading the people in Taraweeh prayer immediately after
'Isha', then going back to the mosque in the last part of the night to
pray qiyaam, is something thatis prescribed and it is not forbidden.
There is no reason to suggest it is notallowed. What is required is to
strive hard in the lastten days according to one's ability. If a
person breaks up his night between prayer, resting, sleeping, and
reading Qur'aan, then he has donewell.
Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah Abaabateen said, as is narrated in al-Durar
al-Saniyyah (4/364):
In response to what somepeople do of objecting to the one who prays
more during the last ten days ofRamadan than he usually did in the
first twenty days, on the grounds that this is more than is usual and
is ignorance of the Sunnah and the practice of the Sahaabah, Taabi'een
and imams of Islam,
We say: There are hadeeths from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) which encourage praying Qiyaam al-layl during
Ramadan, and particularly emphasise it during the last ten days.
Once it becomes clear thatthere is no specific number of rak'ahs for
Taraweeh, and that the time for it according to allscholars is from
after the Sunnah of 'Isha' until the break of dawn, and that spending
the night in worship is a confirmed Sunnah, and that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) prayed taraweeh for many
nights in congregation, then how can anyone object to the one who
prays more during the last ten nights than he did at the beginning of
the month? So during the last ten days, he prays at the beginning of
the night, as he did at the beginning ofthe month, or a little, or a
lot, without praying Witr, for the sake of those who are weak and want
to limit themselves to that; then after that he does more prayers in
congregation and calls all of it qiyaam or taraweeh.
Perhaps the one who objects to that is confusedby what many of the
fuqaha' say, that it is mustahabb for the imam not to pray more than
one includes than one khatmah (reading of the entire Qur'aan), unless
thepeople behind him prefer to do more than that. The reason they gave
for not doing more than one khatmah is the hardship that may be caused
for the people behind him, not because doing more than that is not
prescribedin sharee'ah. So from theirwording we may conclude that if
people behind him want to do more than one khatmah, that is good, as
was clearly stated in the words of the scholars.
As for what many of the common people say, calling what is done at the
beginning of the nightTaraweeh and the prayersoffered after that
qiyaam, this is what the uneducated people say. Rather all of it is
qiyaam and taraweeh. The qiyaam of Ramadaan is called Taraweeh because
they used to have a rest (yastareehoona) after every four rak'ahs
because they used to make the prayers lengthy.The reason why some
people object to that is that it is contrary to what is customary
among the people of their countries and most of the people nowadays;
and because ofignorance of the Sunnah and reports and of the practice
of the Sahaabah, :->

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A Plant Fashions itself to Display the Name of Allah

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Reward for Helping Others

Ibn Abbas narrated, Once Iwas in a state of itikaaf in the Prophet's
Mosque (Medina). A certain person came to me and sat down. I said to
him, 'O so and so, you look sad'. He said, 'Yes of course, o fraternal
brother of the Prophet. So-and-so has his due on me, and by theone who
lies in eternal peace in the grave (i.e. Prophet Muhammad), I am not
able to pay the debt' I said, 'Should I not talk to him about your
debt?' He said, 'You can do so if you like' There upon I put my shoes
on and went out of the mosque. The person asked him, 'Have you
forgotten the state you were in (i.e. itikaaf)?' I replied, 'Not at
all, but I have heard rom the one who lies in eternal peace in the
grave [saying this his eyes became filled with tears], said:
"One who moves to fulfill any need of his brother, and makes effort
for it, will find it better than itikaaf of ten years; and one who
performs itikaaf for one day for the pleasure of Allah, he will create
a distance of three ditches between him and the hell - and each ditch
has a width which lies between East and West, or between the heaven
and earth."
Source: Al Targhib Vol II p 272.
By the blessings of Allah, we are approaching another Ramadan. For
most of us, we feel a little taste of hunger during this month only.
But thereare billions for whom it is a matter of daily life. Let us
get immense rewards by helping our needy brothers and sisters around
the world during this month of generosity./
-
to help a heart Patiant: Address want to send Any Amount. * Write
to 'aydnajimudeen@ymail.com'

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2a] A Golden Principle About How to Benefit from the Qur’an

2a]
Allah says,
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The metaphor of His
light is that of a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp inside a
glass, the glass like a brilliant start, lit from a blessed tree, an
olive, neither of the east nor the west, its oil all but giving off
light even if no fire touches it. Light upon light! Allah guides to
His Light whoever He wills, Allah propounds metaphors for mankind and
Allah has knowledge of all things." [5]
This verse refers to the light of the innate nature covered by the
light of revelation; this is the condition of the person who has a
living, receiving heart. We have explained this verse, its subtleties
and lessons in detail in ourbook, Ijtima` al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah `ala
Ghazw al-Mu`attila wa'l-Jahmiyyah. [6]
Therefore, the person who has this type of attentive heart receives
the meanings of the Qur'an and readily accepts them so much so that it
seems as if the words have been inscribed in his heart and he is able
to recite them fluidly from memory.
Other people have hearts which fall below the level of those mentioned
above;their hearts are not as ready to receive the truth, they are not
completely alive, and their innate nature is not as refined.
Therefore, they stand in need of a witness who would differentiate the
truth from falsehood for them. In order to be guided, such a person
must pay the utmost attention to the Qur'an's words, he must devote
his heart to it, ponder it and comprehend its meanings, and only after
this will he come to realise that it is true.
The first type of person sees the truth of what he is invited to and
informed of with his own eyes. The second type of person has learned
that it is the truth, has certainty in it and is satisfied. The first
has attained the ranking of beneficence, ihsan and the second has
attained the ranking of faith, iman . Thefirst has attained `ilm
al-yaqin from which his heart has ascended to the degree of ` ayn
al-yaqin . The second has acquired that level of unwavering belief
which takes him out of the fold of disbelief and into the fold of
Islam. [7]
` Ayn al-Yaqin is of two categories: what is acquired in this world
and what is acquired in the Hereafter. In this world it is to the
heart what the beheld is to the eye. All thematters of the unseen
thatthe Messengers informed us of will be seen by the eye in the
Hereafter and the inner sight in this world; in both cases, this is
`ayn al-yaqin. 1 Qaf (50): 37 2 Ya Sin (36): 69-70 3 Ibn Qutaybah,
Gharibu'l-Qur'an, pg. 419 4 Saba' (34): 6 5 al-Nur (24): 35 6 Ibn
al-Qayyim, Ijtima`, pp. 6-12. He also discussed this verse in al-Wabil
al-Sayyib, pp. 65-68, I`lam al-Muwaqqi`in, vol. 1, pp. 205-209,
al-Sawa`iq al-Mursalah, vol. 3, pg. 8517 i.e. he has acquired the
station of `ilm al-yaqin/

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1] A Golden Principle About How to Benefit from the Qur’an

1]
If you truly want to benefit from the Qur'an, your heart must be
attentive and alert when reciting it or listening to it.Listen to it
carefully with presence of mind, paying attention to it as if Allah
Himself was speaking to you directly. Understand that this Qur'an is
an address directed to you from Allah, Most High, upon the tongue of
His Messenger (SAW).
Allah, Most High, says,
"Truly there is a reminder in this for anyone who has a heart, or who
listens attentively with presence of mind." [1]
A deep and lasting impression is dependant upon something that will
stimulate a person, a location that can be influenced, his being in
theright condition, and removing any barrier that would impede this
from happening. This verse mentions of all of these in the most
succinct and lucidof ways; clearly articulating the intended meaning.
"Truly there is a reminder in this"
refers to the previous verses of this chapter. This,the Qur'an, is the stimulus.
"for anyone who has a heart"
refers to the location that can be influenced. The heart referred to
here is the living heart: the heart that is aware of Allah. He, Most
High, says,
"it is simply a reminder and a clear Qur'an so that you may warn
thosewho are truly alive," [2]
i.e. those whose hearts arealive.
"or who listens attentively,"
i.e. directs his faculty of hearing towards it and pays it the utmost
attention. This is the condition that must exist for a person to be
roused by the words.
"with presence of mind,"
i.e. with an alert and present heart, not one thatis unmindful and
absent. Ibn Qutaybah said,
i.e. a person who listens attentively to Allah's Book with presence of
heart andmind, not someone who isunmindful with an absent air.' [3]
This then alludes to the barrier: an unmindful and inattentive heart
which does not understand what is being said and, as such, is unable
to reflect upon it or direct any conscious thought towards it.
Therefore, if all these things come together, the end-result is
obtained: benefiting from the Qur'anand taking heed.
If someone were to ask: if the end-result, the lasting impression, is
only attained by the combination of these matters, why then did Allah
say
"or"
in the verse,
"or who listens attentively"
which implies a choice between one or another option? Surely "and"
should have been mentioned in its place?
It is said in reply: this is a good question; "or" has been mentioned
by taking into consideration the state of the addressee.
Some people have hearts which are alive, hearts thatwill readily
accept the truth and whose innate nature ( fitrah ) is intact; if such
a person was to reflect in his very heart and turn his mind to it, he
would conclude that the Qur'an is authentic and true. His heart would
witness what the Qur'an informs it of and the subsequent impression
upon it would be light layered on top of the light of its innate
nature. This is the description of those about whom it is said,
"those who have been given knowledge see that what has been sent down
to you from your Lord is the truth." [4]
Concerning them, Allah says,:->

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Does the one who startsto pray Taraweeh have to complete it?

If a Muslim starts to pray Taraweeh, does he have to complete it? Or
can he pray as much as he wants and then leave?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that Taraweeh is a Sunnah andis naafil; it is the
qiyaam of Ramadan. The same may be said of night prayers, Duha
(forenoon) prayer and the regular Sunnah prayers that are offered
along with the obligatory prayers. All of them are naafil, so he may
do them if he wants or not do them if he wants, but doing them is
better.
If he starts to pray Taraweeh with the imam and wants to leave
beforecompleting it, there is nothing wrong with that, but staying
with the imam until he finishes is better, and it will be recorded for
him as if he spent this night in prayer, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever prays qiyaam
with the imam until he finishes, Allah will record for him the qiyaam
of onenight." So if he stays with the imam until he completes it, he
will have attained the virtue of spending the whole night in prayer,
but if he leaves after praying some rak'ahs, there is nothing wrong
with that and no sin, because it is naafil. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

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The dhikr that is prescribed when breaking the fast

What is the ruling on the du'aa' from hadeeth which they say are
da'eef (weak), such as:
1 – Saying when breakingthe fast: "Allaahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala
rizqikaaftartu (O Allaah, for You Ihave fasted and by Your provision I
have broken the fast)."
2 – Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah astaghfir Allaah as'aluka
al-jannah wa a'oodhu bika min al-naar (I bear witness that there is no
god but Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask You for Paradise
and Iseek refuge with You from the Fire).
Is this prescribed, permissible, not permissible, makrooh, notvalid or haraam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Saying du'aa' in the wordsmentioned when breaking the fast was
narrated in a da'eef (weak) hadeeth which was narrated by Abu Dawood
(2358) from Mu'aadh ibn Zuhrah, who heard that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when he broke his fast,
"Allaahumma laka sumtu was 'ala rizqika aftartu (O Allaah, for You
Ihave fasted and by Your provision I have broken the fast)."
There is no need for this, because we have the report narrated by Abu
Dawood (2357) from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: When the Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) broke his fast, he would say: "Dhahaba al-zamau'a, wa
abtallat al-'urooq wa thabata al-ajr insha Allah (Thirst has gone, the
veins are moist, and the reward is assured, if Allaah wills)." This
hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Secondly:
It is mustahabb for the fasting person to say du'aa' whilst he is
fasting and when breaking the fast, because of the reportnarrated by
Ahmad (8030) from Abu Hurayrah(may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: We said: O Messenger of Allaah, when we see you our hearts are
softened and we are people of the Hereafter, but when we leave you we
are attracted by this world and by our womenfolk and children. He
said: "If you were always as you are when you are with me, the angels
would shake hands with you andthey would visit you in your houses. If
you did not commit sin, Allaah would bring another people who would
commit sin so that He could forgive them." He said: We said: O
Messenger of Allaah, tell us about Paradise, what isit built of? He
said: "Bricksof gold and bricks of silver; its mortar is musk, its
pebbles are pearls and rubies, its soil is saffron. Whoever enters it
will be happy and will never be miserable, he will abide therein
forever and never die. His clothes will never wear out and his youth
will never fade. There are three whose du'aa' will not be rejected: a
just ruler, a fasting person until he breaks the fast, and the prayer
of one who has been wronged. Itis borne on the clouds andthe gates of
heaven are opened for it, and the Lord, may He be glorified and
exalted, says: 'By My glory, I will grant you help even if it is after
some time.'"
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad.
It was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2525) with the words, "… the
fasting person when he breaks his fast…" This was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
So you may ask Allaah for Paradise and seek refuge with Him from the
Fire, and you can pray for forgiveness, and offer other du'aa's that
are prescribed in Islam. As for the du'aa' in this particular form –
Ashhaduan laa ilaaha ill-Allaah astaghfir Allaah as'aluka al-jannah wa
a'oodhu bika min al-naar (I bear witness that there is no god but
Allaah, I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask You for Paradise and Iseek
refuge with You from the Fire) – we could not find any source for it.
And Allaah knows best.

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The virtue of giving iftaar to one who is fasting

What is the reward for giving iftaar to one who isfasting?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his,
without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the
slightest."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Maajah, 1746. Classed as saheeh by
Ibn Hibaan, 8/216 and by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6415.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said: What is meant by giving him
iftaar is giving him enough to satisfy him. Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 194
The righteous salaf were keen to provide food for others and they
thought that this was one of the best of righteous deeds.
One of the salaf said: For me to invite ten of my companions and feed
them food that they like is dearer to me than freeing ten of the sons
of Ismaa'eel from slavery.
Many of the salaf used to give up their iftaar for others, such as
'Abd-Allaah ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), Dawood
al-Taa'i, Maalik ibn Dinar and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Ibn 'Umar used only
to break his fast with orphans and the poor andneedy.
There were among the salaf those who used to offer food to their
brothers whilst fasting, and they would sit and serve them, such as
al-Hasan and Ibn al-Mubaarak.
Abu al-Siwaar al-'Adawi said: Men from the tribe of Banu 'Adiyy used
to pray in this mosque and not one of them would break his fast on his
own; if they found someone to join them they would eat with him,
otherwise they would take their food out to the mosque and eat with
the people, and the people would eat with them.
From the 'ibaadah of providing food for people stem many other acts of
worship such as creating love and friendship towards those who are
given the food, which is a means of entering Paradise, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You will not enter
Paradise until you truly believe, and you will not truly believe until
you love one another." Narrated by Muslim, 54. It also fosters the
practice ofsitting with righteous people and seeking reward by helping
them to do acts of worship for which they gain strength by eating your
food.

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He told his wife to make food for him during the day in Ramadan!

I have a daughter who is married and she and her husband came to stay
with us during the month of Ramadan. After we hadfasted for one week
of themonth, my daughter's husband went with his friends for an
excursion, and the shaytaan tempted them and they ate and drank during
the day in Ramadan. On the morning of the next day, my daughter's
husband asked her to make food for him but she refused. He swore that
he would divorce her if she did not make it, and she swore that she
would not make it. In order to get out of this situation, I asked my
son's wife to make food for him and she refused, but I forced her to
do it, so she made food for him reluctantly, and he sat and ate on his
own and none of us ate with him. Were we sinning in this case? What do
we have todo in order to expiate thissin?.

Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that breaking the fast in Ramadan with no legitimate
excuse is a major sin and grave evil. If it is done because of an
excuse such as travelling -- which means a journey of approximately 70
or 80km, which is the distance that could be covered in one night on
mounts and on foot, which is what is called travelling -- there
isnothing wrong with breaking the fast in this case. But if one is at
homeor on the outskirts of the city, that is not called travelling and
breaking the fast in this case is a major sin. The one who helps the
person to break his fast shares with him inthe sin, because Allah, may
He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
andpiety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2].
The one who helps a person who breaks the fast in Ramadan without an
excuse, by offering himfood or coffee or tea or any other food or
drink is a sinner who is a partner in sin with the one who breaks the
fast, but his fast is still valid and is not invalidated by his
helping that person. But he is a sinner and he has to repent to Allah.
As you forced your daughter or your son's wife to make the food, you
have to repent to Allah. You did wrong by telling her to make food for
him. She did right by not obeying him, because there is no obedience
to acreated being if it involvesdisobedience towards the Creator. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Obedience is
only in that which is right and proper." If her husband ordered her to
bring him food during the day in Ramadan, without any excuse that
would make it permissible for him to break the fast, such as sickness
or travelling, she has no right to help him to do that which Allah
hasforbidden, even if he gets angry or divorces her, because obedience
to Allah takes precedence over obedience to one's husband or father or
ruler,because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Obedience is only in that which is right and proper"; he also
said: "There is no obedience to any created being if it involves
disobedience towards Allah."
This man is not regarded as a traveller because he stayed with them
for a week and it seems that hehad decided to stay for more than four
days. This means that he was obliged to fast according to the correct
scholarly view, which is the view ofthe majority of scholars. As they
had decided to stay for more than four days with their in-laws, they
should have fasted with them. If the stay is four days or less, they
are not obliged to fast because they are travellers, but if they do
fast, there is nothing wrong with that. But as they intended to stay
with them for more than four days, what they should have done in this
case is fast, so as to avoid an area of scholarly disagreement and so
as tofollow the view of the majority, because the basic principle is
that one should fast in Ramadan, and there is some doubt as to whether
it was permissible to break the fast. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

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The fasting person should try hard eat sahoor even if it is a little

We often hear about sahoor during the blessedmonth of Ramadan, and we
hear in the hadeeths that are quoted in the mosques that sahoor is a
blessing. But sometimes we do not want to eat sahoor because we had
supper late, so we omit this blessing. Is there any sin on us for
that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that sahoor is a Sunnah and anact of worship,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
enjoined that. He said: "Eat sahoor, for insahoor there is barakah
(blessing)." And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the people of
the Book is eating sahoor." The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) used to eat sahoor, so sahoor isSunnah but it is not
obligatory. The one who does not eat sahoor is notsinning but he is
forsakinga Sunnah.
So people should eat sahoor even if it is only a little; it does not
have to be a lot. So one should eatsahoor using whatever is available,
whether it is a few dates or some other kind of food, at the end ofthe
night. If there is no food or he does not feel like eating, then he
can drink a little milk or at least water, whatever he can, and he
should not forgo sahoor, because there is barakah and a great deal of
goodness in eating it; it will help the fasting person in whatever he
does during the day. So the fasting person should not forgo sahoor
even if it is a little, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Eat sahoor, for in sahoor there is barakah
(blessing)." This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said, and this kind of barakah should not be ignored; rather
thebeliever should be keen to attain it even if that is by eating a
small amount of food or dates or milk, which will help him in both
religious and worldly acts during the day. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

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Should Maghrib prayer be given precedence over food or should food be given precedence over prayer?

How should the Muslim break his fast? Because many people are
distracted by eating until the time for Maghrib prayer ends, and if
you ask them they tell you: There is no prayer in the presence of
food. Is it permissible to quote these words as evidence, because the
time for Maghrib is short? Now what should I do? Should I break my
fast with somedates and then pray Maghrib and after that finish
eating, or should I finish eating completely and then pray Maghrib?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Sunnah is for the fasting person to hasten to break the fast as
soon as he is certain that the sun has set, because of the hadeeths
"The people will continue to be fine solong as they hasten to break
the fast" and "The most beloved of the slaves of Allah to Allah
arethose who are quickest tobreak the fast." The best way for the one
who is fasting is to break his fast with a few dates, then delay
eating until after Maghrib prayer, so that hemay combine the Sunnah of
hastening to break the fast and praying Maghrib at the beginning of
its time, in congregation, following the example of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
With regard to the hadeeths, "There is no prayer in the presence of
food or when resisting the urge to relieve oneself" and "If 'Isha' and
dinner come at the same time, start with dinner," and similar reports,
what is meant is if a person is offered food or if he comes to eat,
then he should start with the foodbefore praying, so that he can pray
without his mindbeing focused on the foodand his prayer then will be
offered with proper focus and humility. But heshould not ask for food
tobe brought before praying if that means thathe will miss out on
offering the prayer at the beginning of its time or praying in
congregation.
And Allah is the source of strength; may Allah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End
quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez Aal al-Shaykh,
Shaykh 'Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr
Abu Zayd.

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2a] Getting Children Accustomed to Fasting

2a]
It should be noted that if the child becomes too exhausted, you should
not insist that he completes the fast, so thatthis will not make him
hate acts of worship or lead to him lying or make him sick, because he
is notyet one of those who are accountable. It is important to pay
attention to this and not be harsh with regard to telling the child to
fast.
And Allah knows best.

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2] Getting Children Accustomed to Fasting

2] I have a son who is nine years old and I would like your help in
teaching me how I can make my son get used to fasting Ramadan in sha
Allaah, because he only fasted 15days of Ramadan last year.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We are very happy to see questions like this, which is indicative of
great care and concern for children and for raising them to worship
Allah. This is good care for those whom Allah has entrustedto the
parents' care.
Secondly:
A boy of nine years of ageis not one of those who are accountable for
fasting according to sharee'ah (Islamic law), because he has not yet
reached puberty. But Allahhas enjoined parents to raise their children
to do acts of worship. Allah commands them to teach their children the
prayer when they are seven years old, and to smack them (lightly) if
they do not do it when they are ten years old. The Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them) used to make their children fast when they
were small so as to make them get used to this great act of worship.
All ofthat is indicative of great concern to raise one's children with
the best of attributes and deeds.
With regard to prayer:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: " Teach your children to pray when they are sevenyears old and
smack themif they do not pray when they are ten years old, and
separate them in their beds." Narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
With regard to fasting:
It was narrated that al-Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidh ibn 'Afra' (may Allah
be pleased with her) said: On the morning of 'Ashoora', the Messenger
of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to the
villages of the Ansaar around Madeenah, saying: "Whoever started the
day fasting, let him complete his fast, and whoever started the day
not fasting, let him complete the rest of the day (without food)."
After that, we used to faston this day, and we would make our children
fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make them toys
out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give (that
toy) to him until it was time to break the fast.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136).
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one who was drunk during
Ramadan: "Woe toyou! Even our children arefasting!" And he hit him.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari ina mu'allaq report, Bab Sawm al-Subyaan
(Chapter on the fast of children).
The age at which parents should start teaching theirchildren to fast
is the age when they are able to fast, which varies according to the
physical constitution of each child, but some scholars have defined it
as the age of ten years.
For more details on that please see the answer to question number
65558 , in which there is important information.
Thirdly:
With regard to means of helping children to get used to fasting, that
may involve a number of things, such as:
1. Telling them of the virtues of fasting and thatit is one of the
most important means of entering Paradise, and that in Paradise there
is a gate called al-Rayyaan through which those whofast will enter.
2. Prior experience of getting used to fasting, such as fasting a
few daysin the month of Sha'ban, so that fasting in Ramadan will not
come asa shock to them.
3. Fasting part of the day and increasing the time gradually.
4. Delaying sahoor (pre-dawn meal) until the last part of the
night. Thatwill help them to fast during the day.
5. Encouraging them to fast by giving them rewards each day or each week.
6. Praising them in front of the family at the time of iftaar
(breaking fast) and sahoor, because that will raise their morale.
7. Instilling a spirit of competition for the one who has more
than one child, whilst rememberingthat it is essential not to rebuke
the one who is struggling.
8. Distracting the one who gets hungry by letting him sleep or
play permissible games that do not involve effort, as the noble
Sahaabah (Companions) used to do with their children. There are
suitable programmes for children and cartoons on the trustworthy
Islamic channels with which you can distract them.
9. It is preferable for the father to take his son -- especially
after 'Asr -- toattend the prayer and lessons, and to stay in the
mosque to read Qur'aan and remember Allah.
10. Arranging visits duringthe day and night to families whose young
children are also fasting, so as to encourage them to carry on
fasting.
11. Rewarding them with permissible trips after iftaar, or making the
kindsof food, sweets, fruits and juices that they want.
It should be noted:->

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Ruling on offering food to non-Muslim workers during the day in Ramadan

There is a man who has land and has non-Muslim workers. They asked him
to give them food during the day in Ramadan, otherwise they will leave
the job. And in fact he did bring them food in Ramadan throughout the
month. What is your opinion on this action?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Bringing non-Muslims [into the country] to workis not appropriate and
they should not be brought; rather no non-Muslims should be brought
in, because bringing in non-Muslims may adversely affect a person in
himself or in his beliefs or in his attitude, or it may adversely
affect his children and household members, especially female
servantsand nannies, because the harm they cause is great. So no one
should be brought to work in the house or to raise the children except
Muslim women only. The same applies to men; only Muslims should be
brought in and not non-Muslims, because they cause a great deal of
harm and because their beliefs and attitudes are not the same as the
beliefs and attitudes of Muslims. So it is essential to avoid bringing
them in so as to avoid the evil that may be caused by following their
example and mixing with them.
Moreover, it is not permissible for any religion but one to remainin
the Arabian Peninsula; there should not be two religions in it. But
these servants and workers maystay there for a long time because of
work or because of wanting to work. It is not permissibleto bring
non-Muslims intothe Arabian Peninsula, because the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Expel the Jews and Christians
from the Arabian Peninsula." And according to another version he said:
"Expel themushrikeen (polytheists)."And he left instructions to that
effect when he died (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So it
is not permissible for a Muslim to bring in anyonebut Muslim men and
women into the Arabian Peninsula, and not anyone else.
No one should be broughtinto the Arabian peninsulaexcept Muslims, as
we have stated above, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) enjoined that the mushrikeen, Jews and Christians
should be expelled from it and only one religion should be leftin it,
because it is the cradle of Islam and because the Muslims pin their
hopes on it after Allah, and take it as an example. Therefore if
non-Muslims are brought in, that opens the door to other people
bringing in non-Muslims and mixing with them, and this will cause a
great deal of harm to all.
With regard to offering food to them:
It is not permissible to offer food to them. If theyare not Muslim and
they want food to be offered to them in Ramadan, he should not help
them with that. If they are kuffaar, even if they fast their fast will
not be valid.However, the minor issuesof sharee'ah are addressed to
them, and if that is addressed to them it is not permissible to help
them in that which will go against sharee'ah. Rather they should be
advised and taught in the hope that they might become Muslim. So they
should be called to Islam and told about what is good and right in the
hope that they might become Muslim, then one will attain a reward like
theirs. "The one who tells another about something good will have a
reward like that of the one who does it." "If one man wereto be guided
through you that would be better for you than having red camels (the
best kind)." This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said.
If they insist, then they are the ones who should make their own food.
They are the ones who should take care of their own needs in this
regard, in the hope that they maybe influenced by this and become
Muslim. Otherwise their contracts should be cancelled and Allah will
bring someone better than them. He should not take this matter lightly
and if they decide to leave the job, then praise be to Allah, they
have given up the job and Allah will bring people better than them. So
he should never help them in this matter; he should not help them to
find food and drink in Ramadan, whether they are kaafirs or evildoers
(faasiq) among the Muslims who do not fast. They should not help them
to eat or drink in Ramadan or help them to do anything that Allah
hasforbidden. They can do it for themselves and buy what they need
themselves. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

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1a] The story of the killing of ‘Asma bint Marwaan is false

1a] who said:
A woman from Banu Khatamah wrote poetry lampooning the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and news of that reached
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and upset him.
He said: "Who will deal with her for me?" A man from among her people
said: I will, O Messenger of Allah!She was a seller of dates, so he
went to her and said to her: Do you have any dates? She said: Yes. So
she showed him some dates, and he said: I want something better than
this. So she went inside toshow him and he followed her and looked
right and left, but he did not see anything except a small table, and
he kept hitting her head with it until he killed her. Then he went to
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O
Messenger of Allah,I have taken care of her for you. The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The validity of what
you have done is something that no one could dispute."
This woman was 'Asma bint Marwaan.
This is an invalid isnaad and a fabricated report that was narrated by
Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj of whom al-Bukhaari said:His hadeeth is to be
rejected. Ibn Ma'een said: (He is) an evil liar. Ad-Daaraqutni said:
(He is)a liar; and on one occasion he said: He is nottrustworthy.
Mizaan al-I'tidaal, 3/509
Ibn 'Adiyy said: Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj fabricated the hadeeth about
the woman who used to lampoon the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), according to which when she was killed he
(allegedly) said: "The validity of what you have done is something
that noone could dispute."
End quote from al-Mawdoo'aat by Ibn al-Jawzi 3/18
This hadeeth was also mentioned by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have
mercy on him) in ad-Da'eefah (6013); he said it is fabricated
(mawdoo').
It was narrated by al-Waaqidi in al-Maghaazi(p. 173) and via him by
al-Qadaa'i (858): 'Abdullahibn al-Haarith told me, from his father,
that 'Asma bint Marwaan, fromBanu Umayyah ibn Zayd, was married to
Yazeed ibn Zayd ibn Hisn al-Khatmi. She used to revile the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), criticise Islam and incite
people against the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
When news of what she said and her incitement of the people reached
'Umayr ibn 'Adiyyibn Kharashah ibn Umayyah al-Khatmi, he said: O
Allah, I make a vow to You that I shall killher if You grant a safe
return to Madinah to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) – as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) was inBadr at that time. When the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came back from Badr,
'Umayr ibn 'Adiyy came to her in the middle of the night and entered
upon her in her house when she had agroup of her children sleeping
around her, including an infant who was still being breastfed. He
reached out to touch her and found the infant whom she was
breastfeeding. He pushed the child aside then he plunged his sword
into her chest until it came outof her back. Then he wentout and
prayed Fajr with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) in Madinah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) finished praying, he looked at 'Umayr and said: Did you kill
the daughter of Marwaan? He said: Yes, may my father be sacrificed for
you, O Messenger of Allah.
'Umayr was afraid that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) would not approve of his killing her, so he said: Is there
any sinon me for that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "The validity of
whatyou have done is something that no one could dispute." And this is
the first time I heard this phrase from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). 'Umayr said: The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) turnedto those who were around him and
said: "If you want to see a man who supported Allah and His Messenger,
then look at 'Ubayr ibn 'Adiyy."
End quote.
This is a worthless isnaad. Imam Ahmad said concerning al-Waaqidi –
whose name was Muhammad ibn 'Umar ibnWaaqid – : He is a liar; he
alters hadeeths. Ibn Ma'een said: He is not trustworthy. On one
occasion he said: His hadeeth is not to be written down.
Al-Bukhaariand Abu Haatim said: He is matrook (rejected). Abu Haatim
and an-Nasaa'i said: He fabricates hadeeth. Ibn 'Adiyy said: His
hadeeths are odd and problematic. Ibn al-Madeeni said: al-Waaqidi
fabricates hadeeth.
Mizaan al-I'tidaal, 3/663
An-Nasaa'i said: The liars who are known for fabricating hadeeth are
four: Ibraaheem ibn Abi Yahya in Madinah, al-Waaqidi in Baghdad,
Muqaatil in Khorasan and Muhammad ibn Sa'eed in Syria./

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1] The story of the killing of ‘Asma bint Marwaan is false

1]
brother my question was about the death of Asmaabint Marwaan people
speaking against islam say that she was killed on the order of the
prophet in a very brutal way and this indicates according tosome about
the messenger of Allahs lust for power in yathrib It would be highly
appreciated if this topic is explained so that i can answer these
people how benevolent the messenger of Allah was
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be exalted, has told us in His holy Book that He only
sent HisMessenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
as a mercy to all people. Allah, may He be glorified, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We have sent you (OMuhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the
Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:107].
The one who accepts this mercy and gives thanks for this grace will be
blessed in this world and in the Hereafter; the one who rejects it and
denies it will be a loser in this world and in the Hereafter.
End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/385
Al-Haakim narrated in al-Mustadrak (100) that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O
people, I am but a bestowed mercy." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inSaheeh al-Jaami', 2345.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the one who
pardoned all of Quraysh, even though they had let him down, opposed
him, expelled him, waged war against him and incited the Arabs against
him. When he conquered Makkah, he pardoned them and did not punish
them or take revenge on them for their bad treatment.
He is the one who pardoned the Jewish woman who had poisoned the
mutton for him. al-Bukhaari (2617) and Muslim (5834) narrated from
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Jewish woman
brought the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) some
poisoned mutton and he ate some of it. Then she was brought to him and
itwas said: Will you give us permission to execute her? He said: No.
'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never took revenge for his
own sake, unless one of the sacred limits of Allaah hadbeen
transgressed, then he would take revenge for the sake of Allaah.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6126) and Muslim (2327).
Al-Bukhaari (4838) narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may
Allah be pleased with him) concerning this versein the Qur'aan – "O
Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and
abearer of glad tidings, anda warner" [al-Ahzaab 33:45] – that he
said: In the Torah it says: O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness
and as a bearer of glad tidings, a saviour to the unlettered. You are
My slave and My Messenger, and I have named you al-Mutawakkil(the one
who puts his trust solely in Allah). He is not coarse or uncouth,
shouting in the marketplace; he does not repay evil with evil,
ratherhe overlooks and forgives.
The reports that speak of his patience in putting up with annoyance,
and his forgiveness and tolerance,his not holding things against
people and his returning evil with good are innumerable. These people
only want to undermine the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) as a sign of their increase in kufr and because
of the jealousy, resentment and hatred they have in their hearts, and
because they hope and wish to extinguish the light of Allah. "But
Allah will complete His Light even though the disbelievers hate (it)."
[as-Saff 61:8].
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) forbade the killing ofwomen. Abu Dawood (2669) narrated that
Rabaah ibn Rabee' said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) on a campaign, and he saw thepeople
gathered around something. He sent a manto find out what they were
looking at, and he came back and told him that it was a woman who had
been killed. He said: "Such a one could not have been a fighter."
Khaalid ibn al-Waleed wasleading the vanguard of the army, so he sent
a man to him and said: "TellKhaalid: Do not kill any woman or hired
worker."
Secondly:
As for the report about the slaying of 'Asma bint Marwaan that is
propagated by these liars,it is a fabricated report. It was narrated
by al-Qadaa'i in Musnad ash-Shihaab (856), al-Khateeb in at-Tareekh
(13/99), Ibn 'Asaakir in hisTareekh (51/244), and Ibn'Umar al-Harbi in
his Fawaa'id (50), all via Muhammad ibn al-Hajjaaj al-Lakhami Abu
Ibraaheem al-Waasiti from Mujaalid ibn Sa'eed from ash-Sha'bi from Ibn
'Abbaas, who said :->

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