1a] How did Allaah open the chest of His noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings

1a]
because the narrators are trustworthy and well known. End quote.
The incident of his chest being opened is also mentioned in some
reports at other times, at the age of ten, and when his mission began,
but these are weak reports. See: al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah al-Saheehah
(1/103).
Ibn Katheer said in Tafseeral-Qur'aan il-'Azeem (4/677):
Allaah says "Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad)?"
meaning, did We not open your heart for you, i.e., We illuminated it
etc. This is like the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): "And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his
heart to Islam." [al-An'aam 6:125].
And it was said that what is meant by the verse "Have We not opened
your breast for you (O Muhammad)?" is the opening of his chest on the
night of the Isra', but there is no contradiction because the opening
of his chest includes what was done on the night of the Isra' as well
as the metaphorical meaning of opening his heart. And Allaah knows
best. End quote.
3 – It says in Rooh al-Ma'aani (30/166):
It was said that what is meant is: Did We not relieve your distress
and worry by showing you the reality of things and the insignificance
of this world, so that enabled you to bear hardship by mans of turning
to Allaah with du'aa'.
It was narrated from the majority that what is meant is: Did We not
bestow upon him wisdomand enable him to receivethat which was revealed
to him after it was difficult for him?
4 – Ibn 'Ashoor said in al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer (1/4850):
Opening his breast is a metaphor for the blessings that were bestowed
upon him and enabling him to attain all levels of perfection, and
informing him that Allaah is pleased with him, and glad tidings of the
victory that the religion would attain. End quote.
See: Subul al-Huda wa'l-Rashaad (2/59).
5 – Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Tafseer Soorat al-Sharh (p.1):
This opening is metaphorical, not physical. The opening of the heart
may be done so that it is able to receive the decree of Allaah of both
types, the shar'i decrees of Allaah, which means religion, and the
decree of Allaah which has to do with the calamities that may befall
man. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

1] How did Allaah open the chest of His noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings

1]
How did Allah the exalted dissect the messenger's chest (PBUH), when
He theexalted says:
"Have We not expanded thee thy breast?"
Is it true that it was by Gabriel's hands during themessenger's life?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, honoured His Prophets and
Messengers with immense blessings, first and foremost among which, and
the highest in status, was the blessing ofProphethood, as He chose
them to be close to Him and to bestow His mercy upon them.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"but Allaah chooses of His Messengers whom He wills"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:179]
"And also some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren,
We chose them, and We guided them to the Straight Path"
[al-An'aam 6:87]
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose His Prophet and Close
Friend Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for more
honour and bestowed a high status upon him, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Had not the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy beenupon you (O Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم), a party of them would certainly have made a
decision to mislead you, but (in fact) they mislead none except their
own selves, and no harm can they do to you in the least. Allaah has
sent down to you the book (the Qur'aan), and Al-Hikmah (Islamic laws,
knowledge of legal and illegal things, i.e. the Prophet's Sunnah --
legal ways), and taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is
the Grace of Allaah unto you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)"
[al-Nisa' 4:113]
As part of this Grace, Allaah opened the chest of His Noble Messenger
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and He referred
to this great blessing in a soorah of theQur'aan that will be recited
until the Day of Resurrection. It is called Soorat al-Sharh.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Have We not opened your breast for you ((O Muhammad?"
[al-Sharh 94:1]
The opening of the chest of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah
be upon him) points to a number of important meanings:
1 - Allaah opened his heart to Islam as a religion and law, which is
the greatest thing to which the heart may be opened. This is the
interpretation of Ibn 'Abbaas, as reported by al-Bukhaari in a
mu'allaq report in his Saheeh (Kitaab al-Tafseer/Baab Soorat al-Sharh,
p. 982).
2 - Allaah opened the chest of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in order to fill it (his heart) with
wisdom,knowledge and faith, as itwas interpreted by al-Hasan al-Basri.
The scholars mentioned in their commentaries on this incident of the
opening of the Prophet's chest, which happened twice during his life.
The first occurred when he was small and living among Banu Sa'd.
It was narrated from Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that that Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) whenhe was playing with the other boys. He took
hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and
tookout his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: "This
was the Shaytaan's share of you." Then he washed it in a vessel of
gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and
returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother -
meaning his nurse - and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to
him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I usedto see the mark of
that stitching on his chest.
Narrated by Muslim (162).
The second occurred on the night of the Isra'.
Abu Dharr used to narratethat the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The roof of my house was
opened when I was in Makkah, and Jibreel (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) came down and split open my chest, then he washed
it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden basin filled with
wisdom and faith and emptied it into my chest. Then he sealed it..."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (349) and Muslim (163).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fath
al-Baari (7/204):
Some of them denied thathis chest was opened on the night of the
Isra', and said that this only happened when he was small and living
among Banu Sa'd. But that cannotbe denied because there are many
reports about it.... All that has been narrated about his chest being
opened, his heart being taken out and otherextraordinary events must
be accepted withoutobjection or trying to interpret it other than what
it appears to mean, because Allaah si Able to do all that and none of
that is impossible. Al-Qurtubi said in al-Mufhim: No attention should
be paid to denials of the opening of his chest on the night of the
Isra', because the narrators are trustworthy and well known. End quote
:->

Can a person start fasting six days of Shawwaal when he still has days to make up from Ramadaan?

If a person fasts six days of Shawwaal after Ramadaan when he has not
yet completed the Ramadaan fast because he did not fast ten days
ofRamadaan for a legitimate reason will he have the same reward as a
person who fasted all ofRamadaan and followed itwith six days of
Shawwaal, i.e. will he be like a person who fasted for a lifetime?
Please explain to us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
The precise rewards for the deeds which people do for the sake of
Allaah issomething which is known only to Allaah. If a person seeks
the reward from Allaah and strives to obey Him, his reward will not be
lost, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous)
deedsin the most perfect manner to be lost." [al-Kahf 18:30]. If
someone has missed some of the days of Ramadaan, he should fast them
first, then fast six days of Shawwaal, because he cannot follow the
fast of Ramadaan with six days of Shawwaal unless he has completed his
Ramadaan fast.
And Allaah is the source ofstrength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah,

She wants to open a beauty salon and is asking about offering her services to non-Muslim women

I live in the United States and I am planning to open a hair salon,
but I heard that it is not permissible to offer this service except to
Muslim sisters who wear hijab. But in fact the location of this salon
will be in a place where there are no Muslims and the Muslim women who
come to it will be coming from far away, which is another matter
altogether. At the same time I cannot close the door to non-Muslim
women; rather from experience when I was a student in university
studying cosmetology it seems to me that this field is an opportunity
for da'wah because non-Muslim women will ask about why I wear hijab
and sometimes we have a detailed discussionwhich may lead to one of
them being guided, if Allah wills. In addition to that, most of my
neighbours are non-Muslim, as are some of our relatives, and all of
them want me to offer my services to them. What is your opinion?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
For a woman to work as ahairdresser for women is permissible in
principle, solong as that is not accompanied by any haraam things that
usually accompany this kind of work.
See the answer to question no. 120891
Secondly:
If most of the people in the place where you choose to work are not
Muslims and your work will basically be with kaafir women, then it is
not permissible for you towork in the field, because all of the
required guidelines on working in that field cannot be adhered to with
those who do not believe that these things are haraam and do not
adhere to thatat all. Undoubtedly working in that field will be
helping them in not covering and in making a wanton display and
uncovering, and even nakedness and changing the creation of Allah.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of themeaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
andpiety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And
fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2].
Thirdly:
With regard to the issue of mixing with these women and calling them
to Islam, this is a noble and important matter. However, it is not
permissible to participate with them in whatever they do of sins, or
to help them in that. It is not permissible to commit a certain sin
for the sake of a hoped-for or imagined interest. It is possible to
achieve the interest of da'wah by other ways or in other places where
it is not necessary to help them in sin.

Muslims say they do not worship idols. When they go to Mecca, why do they kiss a black stone?

Isn't that like worshippingan idol?
Muslims do not worship the black stone. They regard the stone as a
created thing. The most fundamental principle of Islam is that nothing
or no one is to be worshipped except Allah, the one true God.
Muslims who can afford the journey are required once in their lifetime
to visit the House of Worshipin Makkah. This was the first house built
for the worship of the one true God. It was constructed byAbraham and
his son Ishmael, peace be upon them. The black stone was brought to
them from heaven by the angel Gabriel to function as a corner stone.
It was thus affixed in one corner.
Because Muslims kiss that stone, some observers hastily conclude that
Muslims worship it. A kiss, however, is not an act of worship unless
it is accompanied by an intention to worship. If you kiss your child,
for instance, that does not mean you worship your child.
Some may find it strange that Muslims should treat a stone with
respect. But this is not just any old stone. It is an item out of
paradise.
The act of fixing a stone to mark a place of worship is as old as
history. In the Bible we are told that Jacob, on whom be peace, had
fixeda stone at a place where he saw a vision. He poured oil on it and
calledit Bethel meaning 'house of God' (see Genesis 28:18). He did
this again upon God's instruction (see Genesis 35:1, 14, 15). No one
should understand from this that God instructed Jacob to worship the
stone.

Obama's "red line" warnings merely aimed to seek new pretext for Syria intervention

Once again, Western powers are digging deep for excuses to intervene
militarily in another conflict-torn Middle East country, as U.S.
President Barack Obama warned Monday that the use of chemical weapons
by Syria's government wouldchange his "calculus."
With the hypocritical talksof eliminating weapons ofmass destruction
in Iraq and protecting civilians in Libya still ringing in the ears,
such "red line" threats seem to have almost become a signal for the
United States and some of its Western allies to sharpen their weapons
before exercising interventionism.
The world should stay vigilant that these dangerously irresponsible
remarks would do nothing but effectively escalate the current bloody
situation in Syria and gravely tarnish the prospects of settling
Syria's 17-month-old crisisthrough political means.
It is true that the UN and Arab League-led mediation efforts on the
ground have yet to yield satisfactory results to broker a ceasefire
between government troops and armed rebels in Syria.
However, when continuous radicalism-fueled roadside bomb attacks,
along with heartrending poverty and chaos, have nearly killed the
hopes for stability andprosperity in Somalia, Iraqand Libya, nations
that have suffered West-led military interventions, foreign crusades
would simply incur even more violence, hostilities and hatred in
Syria.
Apart from being ineffective to bring real peace, military
interventions by the United States and its Western partners are always
interests-driven and highly selective.
It is not difficult to find that, under the disguise
ofhumanitarianism, the United States has always tried to smash
governments it considers as threats to its so-called national
interests and relentlessly replace them with those that are
Washington-friendly.
That easily explains why both Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Libya's
Muammar Gaddafi, who once worked closely with the United States, were
later depicted as brutal dictators with the people's blood dipping
through their fingers.
Right now, as conflicts between government troops and rebel forces
still rage in Syria, nations around the world should continue to build
on the progress that has been achieved by outgoing international envoy
Kofi Annan and his team.
Any attempt to scrap the chances for a political settlement and to
turn Syria into the next testingground for Western weapons must be
guarded against and ruledout.
China, being acutely aware of the harm of foreign interventions, has
always stood firmly against them and supported the political
settlement of all crises.
Thus, the Chinese government is keen to continue working with the
international community to back UN-backed negotiations aimed at
bringing real and lasting peace to Syria.

Russia warns West over Syria action

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West yesterday
against any unilateral action on Syria after President Barack Obama
said US forces could act if the Syrian leader deployed chemical
weapons againstrebels trying to topple him.
Lavrov met China's top diplomat and a Syrian government delegation
inwhat appeared to be a push to keep diplomacy going at a time when
fewer Western and Arab governments believe that a UN-backed peace plan
can end the violence in Syria.
Russia and China have opposed military intervention in Syria
throughout 17 months of bloodshed and have vetoed three UN Security
Council resolutions backedby Western and Arab states.
Lavrov spoke at a meeting with China's State Councillor Dai Bingguo
one day after Obama, in some of his strongest language yet, said US
forces could move against Syrian President Bashar Assad if he resorted
to chemical weapons against insurgents.
Russia and China base their diplomatic cooperation on "the need to
strictly adhere to the norms of international law and the principles
contained in the UN Charter, and not to allow their violation," Lavrov
said during his meeting with Dai.
"I think this is the only correct path in today's conditions," Lavrov told Dai.
Lavrov's remarks also underscored Moscow's wish to keep
internationalefforts to end Syria's crisis within the United Nations.
Obama said on Monday he had refrained "at this point" from ordering
military engagement in Syria. But when asked whether he might deploy
forces, for example to secure Syrian chemical and biological weapons,
he said his view could change.
Russia has also expressed concern about Syria chemical weapons,
sayingit had told Damascus that even the threat to use them was
unacceptable.
But Lavrov said on Monday that the Security Council alone could
authorise the use of external force against Syria, warning against
imposing "democracy by bombs."
To help counter Assad's superior firepower, Western powers are giving
non-lethal equipment to rebels and Saudi Arabia and Qatar are believed
to have funded arms shipments tothem.
After the talks with Dai, Lavrov met a Syrian government delegation.
Lavrov said he was interested in hearing"plans for further actions to
shift the situation into the channel of a political dialogue in order
for Syrians themselves to decide their fate without external
interference."
Lavrov said the path to a solution in Syria lay in thehalt to fighting
by both the government and its foes.

Power struggle: Egyptian wife wantsdivorce over energy crisis

An Egyptian woman filed for divorce this week in the city of Giza,
citing her husband's reaction to recent power outages, local media
reported Tuesday.
Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm said thewoman was fed up with her
husband's refusal to leave their densely-populated home district,
which has been hit by recurrent electricity cuts.
In the divorce filing, the woman reportedly cited unsuitable living
conditions, saying the area was not only prone to outages, but has
also become home to ex-convicts and unlicensed street hawkers.
When she insisted the family move house, her husband physically
attacked her in front of her children, the paper said.
She also reportedly said her husband could in fact afford a new house.
The family court based in Giza,near Cairo, has yet to rule on the
divorce request.
Several districts in the Egyptian capital of Cairo have had daily
power cutslasting several hours, while further south in the
governorates of Assuit, Sohag, al-Wadi al-Gadid, Minya, Fayoum, and
Beni Suef, power cuts have been lasting entire days.
The government has blamed the power shortages on spiraling consumption
rates and high temperatures.
Earlier this month, President Mohammed Mursi sought to calm Egyptians,
saying, "I am sorry for the power cuts. I have the same problem athome
and I promise it willbe solved as soon as possible," assuring that new
generation plants will be launched later this year.
Still, power cuts have driven Egyptians across the country to stage a
series of protests, some ofwhich blocked railway lines and highways,
while a number of hydro towershave reportedly been destroyed by
looters seeking electricity.

Vitamin C can cut harmful effects of airpollution

A diet rich in fruits and veggies may lessen the harmful effects of
air pollution for people suffering from chronic lung diseases,
researchers suggest.
Researchers looked at London hospital patients with asthma or chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and found that those with low
levels of vitamin C had an increased risk of breathingproblems on days
when outdoor air pollution levels were high.
"This study adds to a smallbut growing body of evidence that the
effects of air pollution might be modified by antioxidants,"said
Michael Brauer, an environmental health scientist at the University of
British Columbia in Canada.
Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, may protect the body from harmful
molecules called free radicals that damage cells. Free radicals can
form when air pollution enters the lungs, and evidence suggests they
play a role in heart disease, cancer and even respiratory ailments.
Antioxidants can bind to free radicals, counteractingthem before they
damage cells.
In the new study, researchers at Imperial College in London looked at
more than 200 patients admitted to the hospital for asthma or COPD,
along with the levels of air pollution on the days before and after
they entered the hospital. The majority of patients were between ages
54 and 74, though some were as young as 18. Many of them were former
smokers.
Specifically, the researchers looked at levels of "course particulate
matter," which is produced largely through the combustion offossil
fuels.
Results showed that with every increase in course particulate matter
of 10 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3), there was a 35 percent
increased risk of hospital admission for people with asthma or COPD.
However, the risk of admission was 1.2 times greater among people with
low levels of vitamin C.
Study researcher Cristina Canova said, "The protective effect of
vitamin C was still present after excluding smokers and elderly
subjects, implying that the effect of this antioxidant was not
explained by smoking or age." However, the study noted that smokers
and older people tend to have lower levels of many nutrients than
nonsmokers.

5a] Is there anything in the Qur’aan or Sunnah about global warming?

5a]
which has the most rain and rivers on earth.
I said: Can you confirm that for us?
He said: Yes, this is an undeniable fact.
I said to him: Listen, who told Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) of that? This is all mentioned in a hadeeth that
was narrated by Muslim; he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The Hour will not begin until the land of the Arabsonce again
becomes meadows and rivers." Who told Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) that Arabia was once meadows and rivers? He
thought, then he said: TheRomans. I said to him: And who told him that
Arabia would once again become meadows and rivers? He thought for a
moment and said: The One Who is above! Then I said to him: Write it
down. So he wrote in his own hand: I am astonished at the scientific
facts that I have seen in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, which we could not
prove until recently by modern scientific methods. This indicates that
the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
not attain this knowledge except by revelation from above.
By Allaah, I spent only two and a half hours withthis German until he
said all of that. This giant among scientists wrote that and approved
of it, which indicates that thereis one science, one truth, One God.

And Allaah knows best.

5] Is there anything in the Qur’aan or Sunnah about global warming?

5]
What do Islam and Quran say about the big problem we have in the world
so-called "global warming"? They say that the world will melt after
some decades and things are getting really dangerous and so on. Does
the science in Quran tell something about this?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The problem of global warming is regarded as one of the most serious
environmental problems of our time, concerning which experts have held
many conferences and published many articles about its dire
consequences. These experts attribute this rise in temperature to the
accumulation of gases in the atmosphere that is caused by factories,
power stations and car emissions, which has led to a rise in air
temperature and ocean temperature, which threatens to melt the
ice-caps and cause flooding of land, which is expected to change the
features of some countries completely and to change the climate of
vast areas on earth.
We could not find anything about this in theQur'aan and Sunnah,
apartfrom one hadeeth which some scholars who are specialized in
sharee'ah and environmental sciences say has to do with this topic,
and some of the most prominent specialists in the world agreed with
them, which is that the Arabian Peninsula will again become meadows
and rivers. They attribute that to a complete change in the earth's
climate and the melting of the Arctic ice cap due to global warming.
What we think is that Arabia becoming meadows and rivers againis
something concerning which there is no doubt, but we cannot be certain
that it will happen because of the melting of the ice cap, because
that is known only to Allaah. But we mention this view because it is
relevant and because it has been said by some specialists, both
Muslims and kaafirs.
The hadeeth is:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "The Hour will not begin until the land of the Arabsonce
again becomes meadows and rivers." Narrated by Muslim (157).Meadows
refers to spacious land with a greatdeal of vegetation.
1.
Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjaar says:
This hadeeth is a scientificmiracle that describes a natural fact that
was not understood by scientists until the late twentieth century,
when it was proven by definitive evidence that the Arabian Peninsula
was meadows and rivers in ancient times. Climate studies have also
indicated that the arid desert is now on its way to becoming meadows
and rivers again, because the earth throughout its long history passes
through climatic changes that takeplace gradually over long periods of
time, or they may be sudden and swift.
Climate studies indicate that we are coming into anew rainy period,
the evidence of which is the shift of the ice-cap in the northern
hemisphere towards the south, and a noticeable fall in winter
temperatures.
The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
referred to this ice age in his hadeeth "until the land of the Arabs
once again becomes meadows and rivers" is proof of his Prophethood,
and shows that he was always connected to divine revelation, and was
taught by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. End quote.
See: http://www.eqraa.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3687
2.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Majeed al-Zandaani said:
Professor Alfred Kroner, one of the most famous geologists in the
world, attended a geological conference in the College of Earth
Sciences in the King 'Abd al-'Azeez University. I said to him: Do you
have any proof that Arabia was once gardens and rivers? He said: Yes,
this is well known to us and it is a scientific fact. Geologists know
this because if you dig in any area you will find signs that tell you
that this land used to be meadows and rivers. There is a lot of
evidence.
I said to him: Do you haveany evidence that Arabia will once again
become meadows and rivers? He said: This is something real and proven.
We geologists know it and measure it and calculate it. We can say
approximately when it will happen, and it is not far off, it is quite
close. I said: Why? He said: Because we have studied the history of
the earth in the past, and we have found that it passes through many
stages, oneof which is the ice ages. What does ice age mean? It means
that a certain amount of sea water turns into ice and collects at the
North Pole, then it begins to shift towards the south, and when it
shifts towards the south itcovers whatever is beneath it, and the
climate on earth changes. Among the climatic changes is the change
that takes place in Arabia, where the weather becomes cold and Arabia
becomes one of the lands which has the most rain and rivers on earth.
:->

Did any earthquake take place at the time ofthe Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)?

Did any earthquake take place at the time of the Messenger (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no proof in the books of Sunnah and reports with an
uninterrupted, saheeh isnaad, to suggest that there was any
earthquakein Madeenah at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him). The only reports that speak of that have
da'eef, mursal isnaads (i.e., they are weak). There follows further
explanation:
Firstly:
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan said: The
ground shook atthe time of the Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) and he put his hand on it then he said: "Be
still, for it is not yet time for that." Then he turned to face his
Companions and said: "Your Lord is asking you to seek forgiveness, so
seek forgiveness." Narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya in al-'Uqoobaat (no.
18). : 'Abd-Allaah told us, 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem told me,
Abu Maryam informed us, al-'Attaar ibn Khaalid al-Harami informed us,
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan toldme.
This isnaad is da'eef (weak) and has a number of faults, including:
1.
It is a mu'dal mursal report. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn
Marwaandied in 266 AH, so how hecould tell of something that happened
at the timeof the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
which no one else narrated?
2.
al-'Attaar ibn Khaalid al-Harami - I did not find any biography of him.
Secondly:
It was narrated that Shahribn Hawshab said: "There was an earthquake
in Madeenah at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and he said: "Your Lord is asking you to seek
forgiveness, so seek forgiveness."
Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (2/357). He said: Hafs told
us, from Layth, from Shahr.
This isnaad is da'eef and has a number of faults:
1.
It is mursal. Shahr ibn Hawshab died in 112 AH, and did not witness
the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
2.
Moreover he (Shahr ibn Hawshab) is da'eef (weak)in and of himself,
according to some scholars. Shu'bah said: I do not pay any attention
to his reports. Al-Nasaa'i said: He is not strong. Ibn Hibbaan said:
He is one of those who narrated from trustworthy narrators problematic
reports. al-Bayhaqi said: He is da'eef. Others regarded him as
trustworthy. Henceal-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said concerning him: He is
sadooq but he narrates many mursal reports and is confused. See
Tahdheebal-Tahdheeb, 4/371
3.
Layth ibn Abi Sulaym - he is confused a great deal and we cannot be
certain about his hadeeth, so he was rejected. See Tahdheeb
al-Tahdheeb, 8/468
Hence al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Talkhees al-Habeer (2/222): This
is mursal da'eef. End quote.
This report was also narrated from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased
with him), as reported in Tafseer al-Tabari (17/478): Bishr narrated
to us, Yazeed narrated to us, Sa'eed narrated to us, from Qataadah,
that he said: "And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make
them afraid (of destruction)" [al-Isra'17:59]. Allah causes people to
fear Him by whatever signs He wills, so that they might learn a lesson
or be reminded or come back (to Him). It was said to us that the
ground shook in Kufah at the time of Ibn Mas'ood, and he said: O
people, your Lord is asking you to seek forgiveness, so seek
forgiveness.
To sum up, there is no proof that an earthquake took place at the time
of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather it
happened after his time, at the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allah be pleased with him). That was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in
al-Musannaf (2/358) and by others from Naafi' from Safiyyah who said:
The earth shookat the time of 'Umar, and he addressed the people and
said: "If it happens again, I shall definitely abandon you and leave."
That was mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Muntazam, among the events of
the year 20 AH.
And Allah knows best.

4a] Emission of madhiy does not invalidate the fast

4a] in obedience tothe words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Tell the believing men tolower their gaze (from looking at forbidden
things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts).
That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what they do"
[al-Noor 24:30]
Muslim (2159) narrated that Jareer ibn 'Abd-Allaahsaid: I asked the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about
an accidental glance and he told me to look away.
Al-Nawawi said:
What is meant by an accidental or sudden glance is when one's
gazefalls upon a non-mahram woman unintentionally. There is no sin on
a person in the beginning, but he has to look away immediately. If he
looks away immediately then there is no sin on him, butif he continues
to look, then he commits a sin, because of this hadeeth. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined looking away, as
well as the verse, "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze".
If it is possible for a woman to take care of selling to women and
speaking to them, that is better and safer.
And Allaah knows best.

4] Emission of madhiy does not invalidate the fast

4]
Because of my work in a shopping centre, during the day in Ramadaan I
meet girls and speak to them without desire, but Ifeel something
coming out of my private part, and I do not know whether it is maniy
(semen) or madhiy (prostatic fluid). Is my fastinvalidated?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This questioner is uncertain as to whether itis maniy (semen) or
madhiy (prostatic fluid).
The difference between maniy and madhiy is that the maniy that comes
from a man is thick and white, and that which comes from a woman
[fluid emitted at the moment of climax] is thin and yellow. Madhiy is
thinand white and sticky and comes out during foreplay, or when
thinking about intercourse, or wanting it, or when looking, etc. It is
experienced by both men and women.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 5/418.
It seems most likely that which is coming out of you is madhiy and not
maniy, because maniy comes out gushing and a man can feel it.
Causing the emission of maniy is one of the thingsthat invalidates the
fast, ifthat happens as a result of intercourse or touching,or
repeatedly looking at women, then the fast is invalidated. See
question no. 2571 .With regard to madhiy, the scholars differed as to
whether it invalidates the fast if a person causes it to be emitted.
The view of the Hanbalis is that it does invalidate the fast if it is
caused direct physical contact, such as by touching, kissing, etc. But
if the cause is repeatedly looking, then it does not invalidate the
fast.
Abu Haneefah and al-Shaafa'i are of the viewthat emission of madhiy
does not invalidate the fast in any case, whether it is caused by
direct physical contact or otherwise, and that what invalidates the
fast is emission of maniy not madhiy.
See al-Mughni. 4/363
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti' (6/236), after
quoting the view of the Hanbalis on this issue: There is no sound
evidence to support that, because madhiy is of a lesser status than
maniy with regard to desire, and doesnot cause a person to be tired
after emitting it, so it cannot be likened to it.
The correct view is that if a person has direct physical contact and
emitsmadhiy, or masturbates and emits madhiy, this does not invalidate
the fast, and his fast is still valid. This is the view favoured by
Ibn Taymiyah(may Allaah have mercy on him). The proof for thisis the
fact that there is no proof to support the view that emission of
madhiy invalidates the fast, because this fast is an act of worship
that the person started as prescribed in sharee'ah and it cannot be
regardedas having been invalidated unless there isevidence to that
effect.
What is meant by "[he] masturbates and emits madhiy" is that he tried
toejaculate by means of masturbation but he did not, rather what came
outwas madhiy.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/267) was asked: if a man kisses[his wife] when he
is fasting, or watches some indecent movies and some madhiy comes out
of him, should he make up that fast?
He replied:
Emission of madhiy does not invalidate the fast according to the more
correct of the two scholarly opinions, whether that is because of
kissing one's wife, watching movies, or otherthings that provoke
desire. But it is not permissible for a Muslim to watch these indecent
movies or to listen to music and songs that Allaah has forbidden. If
maniy (semen) is emitted as the result of desire, then this
invalidates the fast whether that happened as the result of touching,
kissing, repeatedly looking or any other thing that provokes desire,
such as masturbation etc. But wetdreams and thinking do not invalidate
the fast, even if maniy is emitted as a result.
The Standing Committee (10/273) was asked: One day in Ramadaan I was
sitting beside my wife for about half an hour and we were fasting. We
werejoking and after I moved away from her I noticed a wet spot on my
pants that had come from my private part. And that happened a second
time. Ihope you can advise me whether I have to offer any expiation.
They replied:
If the situation is as you described, then you do not have to make up
that day or offer any expiation,on the assumption that your fast
remained valid, unless it is proven that that wetness is maniy
(semen), in which case you have to do ghusl and make up that day, but
you do not have to offer expiation.
The point is that you do not have to do anything and your fast is
valid, unless you are certain that what came out of you is maniy. If
it is maniythan you have to make upthat day but you do not have to
offer any expiation.
You should avoid speaking to women unnecessarily, and if you need to
speak to them then you should lower your gaze, in obedience tothe
words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): :->

If a woman’s nifaas ends before forty days, she should do ghusl andpray and fast

My wife gave birth aroundthe 15th of Sha'baan. Is it permissible for
her to pray, fast, do 'umrah, readQur'aan and do all other duties
prescribed in Islam when the nifaas (post-partum bleeding) stops and
she is sure of that, or should she wait for 40 days as some people
say?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The majority of scholars, including the four imams, are of the view
that there is no minimum limit for nifaas. Whenever a woman becomes
pure from nifaas, she has to do ghusl and pray and fast, even if that
is before fortydays have passed since the birth. Because no precise
definition has been narrated in sharee'ah with regard to the minimum
length of nifaas, so the matter should be based on experience, which
shows that nifaas may be very short or it may be long. - Ibn Qudaamah
in al-Mughni, 1/428. Some ofthe scholars narrated that there was
consensus on this point. Al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: The scholars among the companions ofthe Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Taabi'een and those who came
afterthem are agreed that a woman in nifaas should stop praying for
forty days, unless she sees that she has become pure before that, in
which case she should do ghusl and pray.
See al-Majmoo' by al-Nawawi, 2/541.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/195) was asked: is it permissible for a woman in
nifaas to pray, fast and do Hajj before forty days if she becomes pure
(i.e., ifthe bleeding stops)?
He replied: yes it is permissible for her to fast,pray and do Hajj and
'umrah, and it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with
her within forty days, if she becomes pure. If she becomes pure after
twenty days, she should do ghusl and pray and fast, and she is
permissible for her husband. The report from 'Uthmaan ibn Abi'l-Aas
which says that he regarded that as makroohis to be understood as
meaning disliked but not forbidden; this is his ijtihaad, but there is
no evidence for that.
The correct view is that there is nothing wrong with that if the woman
becomes pure before forty days. If the bleeding resumes within forty
days, then the correct view is that she should regard it as nifaas
within the forty-day period, but her fasts, prayers and Hajj at the
time when she waspure are still valid and shedoes not have to repeat
any of them, so long as they were done when shewas pure.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (5/458):
If a woman in nifaas sees that she has become pure before forty days
are over,then she should do ghusl and pray and fast, and herhusband
may have intercourse with her.
The Standing Committee (10/155) was asked abouta woman who gave birth
seven days before Ramadaan, then she became pure and fasted Ramadaan.
They replied: If the matter is as described and she fasted Ramadaan at
a time whenshe was pure, then her fast is valid and she does not have
to make it up.

Their Powers

Allaah has given the jinn powers that he has not given to humans.
Allaah has told us about some oftheir powers, such as the ability to
move and travelquickly. An 'ifreet from among the jinn guaranteed to
the Prophet Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) that he would bring the
throne of the Queen of Yemen to Jerusalem in a moment faster than that
needed for a man to get up from where he was sitting. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"An 'ifreet (strong one) from the jinns said: 'I will bring it [her
throne] to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily,
I am indeed strong,and trustworthy for such work.' One with whom was
knowledge of the Scripture said: 'I will bringit to you within the
twinkling of an eye!' - then when Sulaymaan saw it placed before him,
he said, 'This is by the Grace of my Lord...'" [al-Naml 27:39-40].

We all have a Jinn Companion

Every individual among the sons of Aadam has a jinn who has been
appointed to be his constant companion (qareen). Ibn Mas'ood said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, 'There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to
be his constant companion.' They said, 'And you too, O Messengerof
Allaah?' He said, 'Me too, but Allaah has helpedme and he has
submitted,so that he only helps me to do good.'" (Reported by Muslim,
2814). Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Muslim (17/175): "'He has
submitted' ... he became abelieving Muslim. This is the apparent
meaning. Al-Qaadi said: Know that the ummah is agreed upon the fact
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
protected from Shaytaan, physically and mentally, and with regard to
his speech. This hadeeth contains a reference to the warning against
the fitnah (temptation, trial) and whispers of the qareen (constant
companion from among the jinn). We know that he is with us sowe should
beware of him as much as possible."

Does Allaah come downto the first heaven on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan?

Does Allaah come down to the first heaven on the night of the
fifteenth of Sha'baan and forgive all the people except two types,
namely kaafirs and those engaged in disputes?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This is mentioned in someahaadeeth, but there is some scholarly
difference of opinion as to the soundness of those ahaadeeth. There is
no saheeh hadeeth concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth
of Sha'baan.
It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah looks down
on thenight of the fifteenth of Sha'baan and forgives all his creation
except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against the Muslims."
Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1390.
The "one who harbours hatred against the Muslims" means one who has
enmity towards a Muslim brother.
In al-Zawaa'id it says: Its isnaad is da'eef, because 'Abd-Allaah ibn
Lahee'ah is da'eef (weak) and al-Waleed ibn Muslim is mudallis.
There is also some idtiraab (weakness) in thehadeeth, as stated by
al-Daaraqutni in al-'Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said: This hadeeth is not
proven.
It was narrated from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal, 'Aa'ishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu
Tha'labah al-Khushaniand others, but the isnaads are not free of some
weakness, and some of them are very weak.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan there
are numerous ahaadeeth, concerning which the scholars differed, but
most of them classed them as da'eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of
them as saheeh.
Lataa'if al-Ma'aazif, 261.
Allaah's descending to thefirst heaven does not onlyhappen on the
night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan, rather it is proven in
al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that Allaah descends to the first heaven
every night, in thelast third of the night. Thenight of the fifteenth
of Sha'baan is included in this general meaning.
Hence, when 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak was asked about the descent of
Allaah on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan, he said to the one
who asked him: "O weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends
every night!"
Narrated by Abu 'Uthmaan al-Saabooni in I'tiqaad Ahl al-Sunnah, no.92.
Al-'Aqeeli (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to Allaah's descending on the night of the fifteenth of
Sha'baan there are ahaadeeth which are weak, but the reports thatHe
descends every night are proven and saheeh, sothe night of the
fifteenth of Sha'baan is included in that, in sha Allaah.
Al-Du'afa', 3/29.
See also the answer to question no. 8907 .
On this site you can also find an article by Shaykh Ibn Baz (may
Allaah have mercy on him) concerningthe ruling on celebrating the
night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan.

Should he fast on the fifteenth of Sha’baan even if the hadeeth is da'eef?

Is it permissible, even after finding out that a hadeeth is da'eef
(weak), to follow it, by way of doing righteous deeds? The hadeeth
says: "When it is halfway through Sha'baan, spend that night in prayer
and fast on that day." The fast is observed as a voluntary act of
devotion to Allaah, as is spending that night in prayer (qiyaam
al-layl).
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
What is narrated concerning the virtue of praying, fasting and
worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha'baan (al-nusf min Sha'baan) does
not come under the heading of da'eef (weak), rather it comes under the
heading of mawdoo' (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not
permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing
righteous deeds or otherwise.
A number of scholars ruled that the reports concerning that were
false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his book al-Mawdoo'aat, 2/440-445; Ibn
Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in al-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah
al-Shaafa'i in al-Baa'ith 'ala Inkaar al-Bida' wa'l-Hawaadith,
124-137; al-'Iraaqi in Takhreej Ihyaa' 'Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh
al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] narrated that there was consensus on the fact
thatthey are false, in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 28/138.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Hukm
al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusfmin Sha'baan (Ruling on celebrating the
fifteenth of Sha'baan):
Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan (Laylat al-Nusf min
Sha'baan) by praying etc, or singling out this day for fasting, is a
reprehensible bid'ah (innovation) according to the majority of
scholars, and there is no basis for this in sharee'ah.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of
Sha'baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha'baan). All the ahaadeeth that have
beennarrated concerning that are mawdoo' (fabricated) and da'eef
(weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about thisnight,
and no recitation ofQur'aan or prayer, whether alone or in
congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars
have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not
permissible to single it out for any special actions. This is the
correct view. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511.
See also question no. 8907 .
Secondly:
Even if we assume that the hadeeth is da'eef (weak) and not mawdoo'
(fabricated), the correct scholarly view is that weak ahaadeeth should
not be followed at all, even if they speak of righteous deeds or of
targheeb and tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are
sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da'eef reports.
Nothing is known in Islam to suggest that this night or day is
special, either from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) or from his companions.
The scholar Ahmad Shaakir said: There is no difference between rulings
or righteous deeds; we do not take any of them from da'eef reports,
rather no one hast he right to use any report as evidence unless it is
proven to be soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a saheeh or hasan hadeeth.
Al-Baa'ith al-Hatheeth, 1/278.
For more information, see: al-Qawl al-Muneef fi Hukm al-'Aml
bi'l-Hadeethal-Da'eef.
See also the answer to question no. 44877 .
And Allaah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors:
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The eclipse prayer is prescribed when one sees an eclipse, not when one hears news ofan eclipse from the astronomers

Should we offer the eclipse prayer (salaat al-kusoof) based on the announcements of astronomers published in the newspaper? If the eclipse takes place in another country should we pray the eclipse prayeror is it necessary to see the eclipse with the nakedeye?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are saheeh ahaadeeth according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined offering the eclipse prayerand reciting dhikr and du’aa’s when the Muslims see an eclipse of the sun or the moon. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allaah and they do not become eclipsed for the death or birth of anyone. But Allaah sends them to make His slaves fear (Him), so if you see that, then pray and make du’aa’ until it is over.” According to another version he said: “So if you see that, then hasten to remember Allaah and call upon Him and seek His forgiveness.” So he (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the command to pray, make du’aa’, remember Allaah and pray for forgiveness to actual sighting of the eclipse and not to the reports of the astronomers.
What all the Muslims must do is adhere to the Sunnah and act in accordance with it, and to beware of everything thatis contrary to it.
Hence we know that those who offer the eclipse prayer on the basisof astronomers’ reports are making a mistake andgoing against the Sunnah.
It should also be noted that it is not prescribed for the people who live in a country where the eclipse is not happening to offer the prayer, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the command to pray etc to actual sighting of the eclipse, notto news from astronomers that an eclipse was going to happen, or to its happening in another country. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)”
[al-Hashr 59:7]
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good exampleto follow”
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered the eclipse prayer, when that happened in Madeenah and the people saw it, Allaah said (interpretationof the meaning):
“And let those who oppose the Messenger’s (Muhammad’s) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant) should befall themor a painful torment be inflicted on them”
[al-Noor 24:63]
It is known that he was the most knowledgeable and most sincere of people, and that he was the one who conveyed the rulings from Allaah. If it was prescribed to offer the eclipse prayer on the basis of astronomers’ reports, or when an eclipse occurs in another region that is only seen by the local inhabitants, then he would have said so and would have guided his ummah to do that. Since he did not say that, rather he said the opposite, and he told his ummah to base their actions on actual sighting of the eclipse, we know from that that this prayer is only prescribed for those who see the eclipse and in whose land it occurs. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawawa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz ,/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

If an eclipse is a natural phenomenon, then whyshould we feel scared and pray?

It is now known that eclipse is nothing but a normal process that occurs after a regular interval (that can be known) of the moon coming between the sun& the earth. Then why was it that Holy Prophet(pbuh) used to pray at that time, though it didn't cause any danger!?
Praise be to Allaah.
When the sun was eclipsed at the time of theMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he commanded someone to call out “al-salaatu jaami’ah (prayer is about to begin)”, and he led the people in prayer. Then he addressed them and explained to them the reason for the eclipse, anddeclared their jaahili beliefs to be null and void.He explained to them what they should do, suchas praying and making du’aa’ and giving in charity. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allaah; they do not become eclipsed for the death or life of anyone. If you see that then call upon Allaah and magnify Him, and pray, and give in charity.” The Muslims did not know when an eclipse would happen, but when it did happen, they would hasten to do what Allaah had prescribed, such as praying etc.
When an eclipse happened, they would be afraid that is was a warning of impending disaster, so they would turn to Allaah and pray to Him to ward off that which they feared. When astronomy and the calculations of the movements of the sun and moon became well known in later times, and it became known that theexperts could know whenan eclipse was likely to happen, the scholars (‘ulamaa’) pointed out that this did not change the ruling, and that the Muslims still had to do what they were commanded to do at the time of an eclipse, even if they knew about it in advance. But it is not prescribed to concern ourselves with the matterof predicting eclipses, because that is not what Allaah and His Messenger commanded us to do. Thescholars also explained that an eclipse may be a sign or a cause of something bad happeningto people. When the questioner says that eclipses do not cause hrm,she is speaking without knowledge and objecting to the sharee’ah of Allaah.People do not necessarily know of the events whichAllaah causes to happen at the time of an eclipse, and some people may know about that whilst others do not. It could be that because of the Muslims’ prayers, Allaah wards off bad things which are known only to Him. The Muslim must submit to the ruling of Allaah and act in accordance with His sharee’ah, and have faith in His wisdom, because Heis the All-Knowing, All-Wise, may He be glorified and exalted.
(Written by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak).
Solar and lunar eclipses are two of the signs of Allaah with which He scares His slaves and reminds them of some of the things which will happen on the Day of Resurrection, when the sun will be wound round and will lose its light and be overthrown and the stars will fall (cf. al-Takweer 81:1), and the sight will be dazed, the moon will be eclipsed andthe sun and moon will be joined together (by going into one another, or folded up, or deprived of their light) (al-Qiyaamah 75:8-9). This is why Muslims should be alarmed by eclipses. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fear Allaah very much, and oneday he came out in an agitated state, thinking that the Hour had begun, when the sun was eclipsed during his lifetime… This is indicativeof the great extent to which he kept the Hour inmind and feared it. We, on the other hand, have become negligent and most people no longer think of eclipses as anything other than a natural phenomenon which they go out to watch with special glasses, carrying cameras. They limit themselves to the worldly scientific explanation without understanding the reminder of the Hereafter which it brings. This is oneof the signs of hard-heartedness and a lack of concern about the matters of the Hereafter. It reflects a lack of fear of the onset of the Hour, andignorance of the aims of sharee’ah and the reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to feel fear when these eclipses happened. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to stand to pray the eclipse prayer,because they believed that if indeed the Hour had come, they would notthen be counted negligent of their prayer, and if this eclipse was nothing to do with the Hour, then they would not lose anything by praying, for they would have earned a great reward. We ask Allaah to make us among those who fear Him and who are afraid of the Hour. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Is it prescribed to pray when an earthquake happens or there are strong winds?

If there is an earthquake or other signs in some land, is it prescribed for itspeople to pray ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is mustahabb to pray when one of these signs happens, such as eclipses, earthquakes, violent storms, persistent and frightening winds, and destructive floods, because it is narrated in a saheeh report from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he prayed when an earthquake struck Basra, offering a prayer like the eclipse prayer. Then he said: This is how prayers should be offered at the time of these signs.
Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah, 2/472; ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq, 3/101; al-Bayhaqi in as-Sunan al-Kubra, 3/343. And he said: This is proven from Ibn ‘Abbaas. End quote. Classed as saheeh by al-Haafiz in Fath al-Baari, 2/521
Al-Kasaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is mustahabb to pray atall times of alarm, such as when there are strong winds, earthquakes, darkness, and ongoing rain, because they are causes of alarm and fear.
End quote from Badaa’i‘ as-Sanaa’i‘, 1/282
It says in Manh al-Jaleel Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel (1/333): It is recommended to pray when there is an earthquake or similar frightening signs such as epidemics and plagues, individually or in congregation, two rak‘ahsor more. End quote.
The Hanbalis limited the recommendation of prayer to earthquakes, because that was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas. As for other signs, it is not prescribed to pray at those times.
See: Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 2/66
Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) was of the view that it is prescribed to pray at times of these signs individually, but it is not prescribed to pray in congregation on such occasions.
See: al-Majmoo‘, 5/61, by an-Nawawi.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah havemercy on him) was of the view that it is prescribed to pray in the event of all signs. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The eclipse prayer may be offered on all occasions when there is a sign, such as earthquakes and other events. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and was narrated from Ahmad. It isalso the view among our companions and others.
End Quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/358
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) mentioned three opinions concerning the matter, the third of which is that this prayer may be offered at the time of any frightening sign. Then he (may Allah have mercy onhim) said: This last view isthe view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah havemercy on him), and it is a very strong view. This is the more correct view.
End quote from ash-Sharhal-Mumti‘, 5/93
And Allah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

3b] The sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “al-Battaar” and his relics in museums

3b]
Allaah, may He be glorified, knows best about them. But with regard to some of them, we cannot hide our suspicion concerning them
Al-Athaar al-Nabawiyyah (p. 78)
And on p. 82 he said – after quoting reports of some of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) seeking blessing from the hairs of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
There is no sound evidence to prove that any of the hairs that werein the hands of the peoplecould be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because the hairs that the people havewere some of that which had been shared out among the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), but it is difficult to tell what is genuine from what is not.
End quote.
4 – Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is essential to note that we believe it is permissible to seek blessing from the relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we do notdenounce it, contrary to what our opponents think, but this seeking of blessing is subject to certain conditions, including the following:
Correct faith that is acceptable to Allaah. If a person is not a Muslim who believes sincerely in Islam, Allaah will never grant him any good by hisseeking blessing in this manner.
It is also stipulated that the one who wants to seek blessing have found one of the genuine relics of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him).
We know that relics such as his garments, hair, etc. have been lost and it is not possible for anyone toprove with certainty that any of them exist.
Al-Tawassul (1/145).
5 – Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said in an article entitled Ta’qeeb ‘ala Mulaahazaat al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Majdhoob ibn Mustafa:
With regard to things thatare separated from the body (of the Prophet) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or things that were in contact with his body, blessing may be sought from them if they existed during his life and after his death if they have survived, but in most cases they did not survive after his death. As for the claims made by some charlatans nowadays that some of his hair etc still exists, these are false claims for which there is no evidence…
These relics do not exist now, because so much time has passed that it is most likely that they havedisintegrated or been lost,and there is no evidence to support the claims made that some of them still exist.
Al-Bayaan li Akhta’ Ba’d al-Kuttaab (p. 154).
6 – Under the title Hal yoojad Shay’un min Athaar al-Rasool sall-Allaah ‘alayhiwa sallam fi’l-‘Asr al-haadir (Does any relic of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) exist at present?) Dr. Naasir ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Jadee’describes types of seekingblessing and the rulings on them. On pp. 256-260 he explains that it is uncertain that any of the relics that exist currently can truly be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he states that many of the relics of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have disappeared through the ages due to loss, wars andturmoil.
End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

3a] The sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “al-Battaar” and his relics in museums

3a]
the sword of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), Dhu’l-Fiqaar, but it does not say that it included an image of anyone. How could the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have kept sucha sword, when he is the one who forbade images and ordered that they be erased?
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) conquered Makkah, he did not enter the Ka’bah until after he had issued instructions that the images inside it be erased.
It was narrated from Jaabir that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), at the time of the conquest when he was in al-Bat-ha’, to go to the Ka’bah and erase every image that was inside it, and theProphet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not enter ituntil it had been rid of every image that was inside it.
Narrated by Abu Dawood(4156); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
It is proven in the Sunnah that the handle of the sword Dhu’l-Fiqaar was made of silver.
It was narrated that Abu Umaamah ibn Sahl said: The pommel of the swordof the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was made of silver. Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (5373) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is permissible to adorn a sword with a little silver, because there was some silver on the sword of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him).
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (25/64).
Thirdly:
The claims made on that website – that this is the sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – may be answered by noting that there is no proof that any of the relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) survived for sure. Claims have been made that shoes, hair, garments and precious stones that belonged to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) exist in many parts of the world, and every nation claims that it is right and others are wrong. But it has been proven in the past and in recent times that the claims of many topossess items owned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are false, because they are making money out of these claims.
In his book Mafaakahah al-Khullaan fi Hawaadith al-Zamaan, Ibn Tuloon mentioned the events of 919 AH, when someone claimed to have in his possession a vessel and some of the sticks of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but then they realized that these were not relics of the Prophet, rather they were relics of al-Layth ibn Sa’d.
Some of the khulafa’ and senior Sahaabah preserved some relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but many of them were lost in the turmoils that befell the Islamic state one after another.
For example, when the Tatars attacked Baghdad (656 AH), they burned the cloak (burdah) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When Timurlane attacked Damascus (803 AH), shoes that were said to have belonged to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) disappeared.
Hence the imams doubtedthat it could be proven that any of the relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have survived until now, and some of them are certain that it cannot be proven.
1 – Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, speaking of the garments of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
I say: It is not known what happened to these three garments after that.
Al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (6/10) and al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah (4/713).
2 – al-Suyooti (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said:
This burdah was in the keeping of the caliphs who passed it down to one another and wore it on their shoulders in processions, both walkingand riding. It was being worn by al-Muqtadir when he was killed and was stained with blood. I think that it was lost during the turmoil causedby the Tatars. Inna Lillaahiwa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (verily we belong to Allaah and unto Him is our return).
Tareekh al-Khulafa’ (p. 14).
3 – The great scholar Ahmad Timur Pasha said –after listing the relics attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Istanbul:
It is obvious that some of these relics may be genuine, but we do not see any of the trustworthy scholars stating definitely whetherthey are genuine or not. Allaah, :->

3] The sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “al-Battaar” and his relics in museums

3]
I have read of and seen photographs of a sword called al-battar that the prophet salallahu alaihi wa salaam supposedly owned. pictures of the sword can be seen here:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/humss/bwheeler/swords/batar.html the sword is inscribed with the name of the prophets and has a picture of prophet dawood alaihi salam cutting off the headof goliath on it. considering the prophet salallahu alaihi wasalaam forbade pictures of peopleor animals, why would heown a sword that has pictures on it? any response would be appreciated.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
In the books of Seerah it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a number of swords. Some of the scholars said that he had nine swords, but there is no proof of that in the saheeh Sunnah except in the case of only one.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said:
He (peace and blessings ofAllaah be upon him) had nine swords: Ma’thoor, which was the first sword he owned and which he inherited from his father; al-‘Adb (cutting or sharp); Dhu’l-Fiqaar, which almost never left his side, its handle, its pommel, its ring, its decorations and the end of its scabbard were made of silver; al-Qal’i; al-Battaar; al-Hatif; al-Rasoob; al-Mikhdham; and al-Qadeeb. The end of the scabbard was of silver.
His sword Dhu’l-Fiqaar was acquired as booty at the battle of Badr, and it is the one that was shownin dreams.
When he entered Makkah on the day of the Conquest, there were goldand silver on his sword. [This was classed as da’eef(weak) by al-Albaani in Mukhtasar al-Shamaa’il (87)]. Zaad al-Ma’aad (1/130). See also: al-Taraateeb al-Idaariyyahby al-Kataani (1/343).
The only sword for which there is proof in the saheeh Sunnah is Dhu’l-Fiqaar.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) acquired his word Dhu’l-Fiqaar on the day of Badr and this is the one that hesaw in a dream on the day of Uhud.
It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1561) and IbnMaajah (2808) and classedas hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
The phrase translated here as “acquired” means he took it in addition to his share of the booty.
Ahmad (2441) narrated – in a report classed as hasan by al-Arna’oot – a more complete account, in which the dream is described:
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) acquired his sword Dhu’l-Fiqaar on the day of Badr, and it is the one concerning which he saw a dream on the day of Uhud. He said: “I saw that my sword Dhu’l-Fiqaar was blunted and I interpreted that as some loss that would affect you.And I saw myself with a ram riding behind me andI interpreted that ... ; and Isaw myself wearing a strong coat of chain-mail and I interpreted that as Madeenah. And I saw cattle being slaughtered, and by Allaah what good cattle they are, by Allaah what good cattle they are.” What the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said came to pass.
The sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was called Dhu’l-Fiqaar because it had fine and beautiful engraving on it and engraving may be called fiqrah in Arabic. This was the most famousof his swords.
As for his sword al-Battaar, it is mentionedby Ibn Sa’d in al-Tabaqaat(1/486), but it is mursal – which is a type of da’eef (weak) report – its isnaad includes al-Waaqidi. And there are other ahaadeethwhich are not saheeh.
Al-Haafiz al-‘Iraqi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: In al-Tabaqaat, Ibn Sa’d mentions the mursal report of Marwaanibn Abi Sa’eed Ibn al-Mu’alla who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) acquired three swords from the weapons of Banu Qaynuqa’: a sword called Qa’li, a sword calledBattaar and a sword called al-Hatif. After that, he got al-Mikhdham and Rasoob.
Its isnaad includes al-Waaqidi.
Takhreej Ahaadeeth al-Ihya’ (2471).
Al-Qal’i is named after Marj al-Qal’ah, a place in the desert.
Since there is no proof in the saheeh Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a sword bythis name, how can we believe that it existed in the form described by the one who claims that it is apicture of the sword of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
Secondly:
There is a description in the Sunnah of the sword of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), Dhu’l-Fiqaar, but it does not say that it included an image of anyone. :->

2b] The Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) and the establishment of the Islamic society

2b]
It was narrated from Anas(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "None of you
truly believes until heloves for his brother whathe loves for
himself."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 13; Muslim, 45.
It was narrated that al-Nu'maan ibn Basheer said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
believers, in their mutual mercy, love and compassion, are like a
(single) body; if one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body will
join it in staying awake and suffering fever."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5665; Muslim, 2586./

2a] The Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) and the establishment of the Islamic society

2a]
Is there a marketplace where people trade?" He said, "The marketplace
of Qaynuqaa'." So the next day 'Abd al-Rahmaan went there and took
some cottage cheese and ghee, and he did that the next day. It was not
long before 'And al-Rahmaan came with traces of yellow (perfume) on
him. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, "Have you gotten married?" He said, "Yes?" He said, "To
whom?" He said, "A woman from among the Ansaar." He said, "How much
was the mahr?" He said, "A gold piece equal in weight to adate stone
(or a date stone of gold)." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said to him, "Give a wedding feast (waleemah), even if
with one sheep."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1943.
2 – It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that when the Muhaajireen came to Madeenah, a Muhaajir would inherit
from an Ansaari to the exclusion of the Ansaari's own relatives,
because of the bonds of brotherhoodthat the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had established between them. When
the verse "And to everyone, We have appointed heirs" [al-Nisa' 4:33 –
interpretation of the meaning] was revealed, that was abrogated. And
the phrase "To those also with whom you have made a pledge
(brotherhood)" [al-Nisa' 4:33 – interpretation of the meaning] has to
do with the covenant of helping, supporting and advising one another.
So the rights of inheritance no longer apply, but they may bequeath to
one another.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2170.
Thirdly:
Zakaah was prescribed in the second year of the Hijrah, which made the
rich and poor more equal and increased the coherence of the Madeenan
society, and the bonds of brotherhoodfor the sake of Allaah became
stronger than before. Indeed, the matterwent further than zakaah to
include voluntary charity.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: Abu Talhah was the wealthiest of the Ansaar of Madeenah in terms
of palm trees, and the dearest of his wealth to him was (the garden
of) Bayraha', which was opposite the mosque. TheMessenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to enter it and drink
from good water that was to be found there. Anas said: When the verse
"By no means shall you attain Al-Birr (piety, righteousness — here it
means Allaah's reward, i.e.Paradise), unless you spend (in Allaah's
Cause) of that which you love" [Aal- Imraan 3:92 – interpretation of
the meaning] was revealed, Abu Talhah got up and went to the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "O
Messenger of Allaah, Allaah says 'By no means shall you attain Al-Birr
(piety, righteousness — here it means Allaah's reward, i.e. Paradise),
unless you spend (in Allaah's Cause) of that which you love' and the
dearest of my wealth to me is Bayraha'. (I give it in) charity for the
sake of Allaah, hoping to earn its reward with Allaah, so dispose of
it, O Messenger of Allaah, as Allaah shows you." The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Well done,
that is a profitable deal, that is a profitable deal. I have heard
what you said and I think that you should distribute it among your
relatives." Abu Talhah said, "I shall do that, O Messenger of Allaah,"
and he distributed it among his relatives and the sons of his paternal
uncles.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1392; Muslim, 998
So the signs of harmony appeared among the Muslims in Madeenah, andthe
Muhaajireen recognized the rights thattheir Ansaar brothers had over
them. There are a number of ahaadeeth concerning that, includingthe
following:
It was narrated that Anassaid: When the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) cameto Madeenah, the Muhaajireen came to him
and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, we have never seen any people more
generous when they havethe means and more helpful when they have
little than the people among whom we have settled. They have looked
after us and they have let us join them and share in all their happy
occasions, to such an extent that we are afraid that they will take
all the reward. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, "Not so long as you pray for themand praise them."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2487; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2020.
Allaah created loved between the hearts of thepeople of Madeenah, and
love for the sake of Allaahwas one of the symbols ofthe people that
Allaah enjoined upon them and made it one of the signs of perfect
faith.
It was narrated from Anas(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: :->

2] The Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) and the establishment of the Islamic society

2]
How and with degree of success was muhammed(s.a.w)able to establish a
stable community in medinah 632ce.
Praise be to Allaah.
Undoubtedly the society that was established by the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Madeenah was an example of a
stable and secure society. That was manifestly apparent from the
moment the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) first
set foot in Madeenah and stated to form the Islamic state. The
security and stability of this society were due to a number of reasons
and factors, including the following:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) built the
mosque in Madeenah as soon as he arrived there, which helped to
establish a focal point to which people could turn when calamities
struck, and a place where the Muslims could gather to meet one another
and find out about one another, so they could find out who was sick
and go to visit them, attend the funerals of those who died, help
their poor and arrange marriages for those who were single.
These are some of the ahaadeeth concerning that:
It was narrated from Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) came to Madeenah, he ordered that the mosque should be
built, and he said, "O Banu Najjaar, name me a price for this garden
of yours." They said, "No by Allaah, we will not seek its price except
from Allaah."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2622; Muslim, 524)
It was narrated that al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib said: "[The verse] 'and do
not aim at that which is bad to spend from it' [al-Baqarah 2:267 –
interpretation of the meaning] was revealed concerning us Ansaar. We
used to own date palm trees. A man would bring (the harvest) from his
date palms, whether it was a little or a lot. A manwould bring one or
two bunches of dates and hang them in the mosque.Ahl al-Suffah – or
according to a report narrated by Ibn Maajah, the poor among the
Muhaajireen – had no food, so if one of them got hungry he would come
and strike the bunch with his stick, and ripe and unripe dates would
fall, and he would eat them. But there were some uncharitable
peoplewho would bring a bunch of dates that contained rotten or
dried-up dates, or a bunch that was damaged, and hang it up. Then
Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Spend of the good things which you have (legally)
earned, and of that which We have produced from the earth for you, and
do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would
not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein"
[al-Baqarah 2:267]
He said: if any one of you were to be given something like they gave,
he would not accept it unless he did so with his eyes closed or out of
shyness. He said, after that one of us would bring the best dates that
he had.
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2987; Ibn Maajah, 1822. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2389.
Secondly:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) established
brotherhood between theMuhaajireen (the Emigrants who had come from
Makkah) and the Ansaar (helpers, the Muslims in Madeenah). This action
strengthened the bonds between the members of the Madeenan society in
a manner previously unheard of. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) established bonds of brotherhood between non-Arabs
and Arabs, between free men and former slaves, between people of
Quraysh and members of other tribes. So the society became one entity,
after which it was not surprising that anAnsaari would ask a Muhaajir
to take half of his wealth, or an Ansaari would offer to divorce one
of his wives so that a Muhaajir could marry her, or a Muhaajir would
inherit from an Ansaari, because of the strength ofthe bonds between
them. Then inheritance betweenthem was abrogated by the verse on
inheritance, but the Ansaar were encouraged to bequeath something to
them. This was an exemplary society.
There follow some of the ahaadeeth concerning that:
1 – It was narrated that 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: When we came to Madeenah, the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) established bonds
of brotherhood between meand Sa'd ibn al-Rabee'. Sa'd ibn al-Rabee'
said: "I am the wealthiest of the Ansaar, so I will give you half my
wealth, and see which of my wives you would prefer, I will divorce her
for you, and when she becomes permissible you can marryher." 'Abd
al-Rahmaan said to him, "I do not need that. Is there a marketplace
where people trade?" :->

1a] A Christian is asking, what do you do during the month of Ramadaan?

1a]
and they wish that the whole year was Ramadaan.
Perhaps if you visit an Islamic Centre, you will see for yourself the
happiness and joy that the Muslims, young and old, feel during
Ramadaan. This is due to the effects of worship andobedience, as
stated above.
We ask Allaah to guide you to that which is good for you and will
bring youhappiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
And Allaah knows best.

1] A Christian is asking, what do you do during the month of Ramadaan?

1]
What do you do during the month of fasting?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has singled out the month of Ramadaan with special virtues that
are not present in any other month. It is the best of months. Allaah
has the right to single out some months and nights and prefer them
over others, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "And your
Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses"
[al-Qasas 28:68]
Allaah has placed in the month of Ramadaan Laylat al-Qadr (the Night
of Decree), of which He says (interpretation of themeaning):
"The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months"
[al-Qadr 97:3]
i.e., worship on that night brings a greater reward than worshipping
for a thousand months; this is by the great bounty of Allaah towards
this ummah (nation - i.e., the Muslims).
Laylat al-Qadr occurs during the last ten nights of Ramadaan. Hence
the Muslims strive hard in worship during these ten days more than at
other times, seeking this blessed night.
With regard to what we Muslims do in Ramadaan, we seek to draw closer
to Allaah and strive hard in worship. Various kinds of worship have
been prescribed for us, by which we seek to draw closer to Allaah.
These include the following:
1 -Fasting.
This means refraining from food, drink, intercourse and sexual
activity from dawn until sunset. We are not the only nation on whom
Godhas enjoined fasting, rather there is no nation among the previous
nations upon whom God did not enjoin fasting. Allaah says
(interpretationof the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)"
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
2 - Prayers at night (Taraweeh)
Praying at night (qiyaam al-layl) has a great effect in purifying and
reforming hearts, and is also a means of forgiveness of sin.
3 - Reading Qur'aan
Ramadaan is the month of the Qur'aan, in which the revelation of the
Qur'aan to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
first began. Hence you will findthe Muslims reading the entire Qur'aan
during Ramadaan, and some of them read the entire Bookonce or twice,
or more than that. The Muslim knows that reading a single letter of
the Qur'aan brings a tenfold reward, and that reading a single page
brings a thousand rewards (hasanaat).
4 - Charity and feeding the poor
Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most
generous of people, and he was at his most generous in Ramadaan.
Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us
to feed the poor and to give fasting people food to break their fast.
He toldus that the reward of the one who gives food to a fasting
person to break his fast is equivalent to the reward of the fasting
person, without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person
in the slightest.
5 - Supplication
Ramadaan is the month of supplication (du'aa'). It is mustahabb for
the fasting person to make du'aa', and the du'aa' (supplication) of
one who has fasted at the time of breaking the fast will not be
rejected.
6 - I'tikaaf ("retreat" for worship)
This means staying in the mosque in order to devote oneself to
worshipof Allaah. It is Sunnah in the last ten days of Ramadaan,
seeking Laylatal-Qadr.
7 - Allaah has enjoined a special charity to be givenat the end of
Ramadaan. This is called Zakaat al-Fitr, by means of which the fasting
person offers expiation for any idle or obscene speech he may have
uttered during his fast; it is also a means of feeding and helping the
poor.
It is obligatory upon every Muslim, young and old, male and female. It
is one of the ways of making people feel the unity, cohesion and
mutual compassion of theMuslim community.
8 - Allaah has also enjoined that those who have fasted should offer
the Eid prayer, as a conclusion to these good deeds that they have
done during Ramadaan, and as a way of bringing them together to
express their joy and gratitude towards Allaah.
The point is that the Muslim spends the month of Ramadaan in fasting,
praying, offering night prayers (Taraweeh), remembering Allaah and
reading Qur'aan, and has ended it with i'tikaaf and charity, as well
as striving to uphold the ties of kinship and do good deeds, and
spending a great deal for the sake of Allaah, and other righteous good
deeds. Ramadaan is an occasion that is good for him, in which he does
acts of worship and rids himself of the burdens of sin. On every night
of Ramadaan Allaah frees people from Hell, overlooks their bad deeds
and forgives their sins. Hence the month of Ramadaan is the most
beloved of months to the Muslims, and they feel happy, joyful and
content at this time, and they wish that the whole year was Ramadaan.
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