4a] Ramadan Reflections on Surat al-Fatihah, the Grand Opening

4a]
I ask Allah to grant all of us Imaan (faith), Taqwa and a deeper
understanding of the Qur'an. Ameen.

4] Ramadan Reflections on Surat al-Fatihah, the Grand Opening

4]
This year, I am enjoying the benefits of praying Tarawih (night
prayers of Ramadan) behind Mufti Ismail Menk and listening to his
powerful Tafseer (explanation of the Quran)afterwards. On the opening
night, Mufti Menkbrought up an issue which always amazes me,the unique
method in which the Qur'an begins. This made me reflect on the opening
pages of the Qur'an.
Surah Al-Fatiha and the first three pages of Surah Baqarah are an
amazing and unique method of starting a book. Perhaps, it is because
we recite Surah Fatiha everyday, multiple times, that manyof us do not
take these verses seriously. Yet, the reason this Surah is emphasized
so much is because it is the most important chapter of the Qur'an. It
is Faatihatul Kitaab (The opening chapter of the book), Sab'aMathaani
(the seven oft-repeated verses 15:87) and Ummul Kitaab (the essence of
the book 13:39). It is the Surah thatwhen recited, Allah repliesto
each verse. It is the most important du'a that we can make.
The first half of Surah Fatiha is a declaration of Tawheed (Oneness of
Allah) in all of its forms: tawheed of Rububiyyah (Lordship) "All
praise to Allah, the Rabb (Lord) of the universe," (1:1), tawheed of
Asma Wa Sifaat (names and attributes) "Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgement," (1:2-3) and tawheed of Ibaadah
(worship), "You alone weworship and you alone we ask for help." (1:4)
The second half of Surah Fatiha is the most important du'a a person
could ever make, "Guide us to the straight path!" (1:5) The Surah then
explains what is the staight path and what is not. The straight path
is that which was shown to us and followed by those whom Allah has
favoured,which Allah explains in another verse, "whoever obeys Allah
and His messenger, then they will be with those whom Allah has
favoured from the prophets, truthful, matyrs and righteous." (4:69)
This verse refutes the claim by some people that you can find your own
way towards Paradise without following the people of the past. True
salvation lies in following the Salaf As-Saliheen (The
righteouspredecessors) and their understanding and practice of the
Qur'an.
An old illuminated manuscript of the Quran
Allah then shows us two types of misguidance. Thefirst form of
misguidance is to earn Allah's wrath byknowingly rejecting the truth
and the other form is to go astray by choosing to remain ignorant. So
we need to realize that choosing to remain ignorant can not excuse us
for our sins and deviations, and if we knowingly reject the truth, we
will be cursed by Allah. The only option left is to seek the truth and
ask Allah to guide us to the straight path.
Answers in Surat Al-Baqarah
Amazingly, the very next Surah begins by answering this du'a for
guidance. "This is the book in which there is no doubt! It is a
guidance for those who are God-conscious." (2:2)Three things are
interesting about this verse. Firstly, show me one other book which
begins by declaring its own perfection. No human author would
darereaders from the beginning by making the claim that there is
nothing doubtful in his book, this immidiately makes skeptics look for
mistakes. The Qur'an, being the perfect word of Allah, begins with
this challenge, a unique and powerful starting point.
Allah then explains to us that this Qur'an is the answer to our du'a
(prayer) for guidance but the condition is that we approach this
Qur'an with Taqwa (God-consciousness). This is why not everyone
benefits from reciting the Qur'an. Allah warns us on the next page to
not be from those who only recite ritually or with an evil intention
as "it is the same whether you warnthem or not, they will never
believe." (2:6) This verse is aimed primarily to those who choose to
reject Islam, but like all verses we need to apply itto ourselves and
make sure we do not possess any of the qualities that Allah dislikes.
The first three pages of Surah Baqarah describe three types of people
in terms of belief and relationship with Allah. Allah goes into detail
describing those who have Taqwa and attain success, then briefly
mentions those who choose to disbelieve, and finally He mentions in
even more detail, the hypocrites. It is for us to study these verses
and put into the practice the qualities of the successful while being
careful to guard ourselves from possessing the qualities ofthe
disbelievers or hypocrites.
After all of this, Allah mentions the first commandment in the Qur'an,
the most important commandmentand the benefit of obeying it. Allah
says, "O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before
you sothat you may attain Taqwa." (2:21) The first and most important
commandment is to uphold Tawheed by worshipping Allah alone as it is
through this that we can attain Taqwa and through Taqwa that we can
attain guidance from the Qur'an.:->

Hour of Accepted Dua on Jumuah

Rasulullah ( Allah bless him& give him peace) said:
"There is such an hour on Friday that if any Muslim makes dua in it,
his dua will definitely be accepted."
[Bukhari, Muslim]
The ulama have differed inspecifying that hour whichhas been mentioned
in theHadith. Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi rahmatullahialayh has
mentioned 40 different opinions in his book Sharh Sifrus Sa'aadah.
However, from among all these opinions he has given preference to two
opinions:
(1) That time is from the commencement of the khutbah till the end of
the salaat,
(2) That time is towards the end of the day.
A big group of ulama havegiven preference to this second opinion and
there are many Ahadith which support this opinion. Shaykh Dehlawi
rahmatullahialayh says that this narration is correct that Hadrat
Fatimah radiallahuanha used to order her maid on Fridays to inform her
when the day is about to end so that she could occupy herself in
making zikr and duas . (Ash'atulLama'aat)

The holy line of Prophet Muhammad(saas): Sayyids

Sayyid is the title given in Islamic culture to people descended from
Hassan (ra), grandson of our Prophet (saas) through hisdaughter Fatima
(ra). Individuals descended from Husayn (ra), the Prophet's (saas)
other grandson, are known as sharifs.
The Arabic word "sayyid" corresponds to the Englishwords "lord, chief,
or leader." In the Hadith, the term is used in the sense of "tribal
chief or eminent members of a community." Sayyids are also known as
"habib," "emir," or "mir" in variousIslamic lands. The great Islamic
scholars Imam al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhisay that this title was
firstused by the Prophet (saas) in reference to Hassan (ra). Rasul
al-Akram says that when sitting on the pulpit one day, he pointed to
Hassan (ra) in one of the rows and said: "This [grand]son of mine is a
sayyid. It is tobe hoped that through him Allah will establish peace
between two Muslim sects." (al-Bukhari, Sulh, 9; Fada'il al-Ashab, 22;
Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 31) In another hadith, our Prophet (saas) said:
"Hassan and Husayn are the two sayyids of the young people of
Paradise." (Tirmidhi, Manasik, 31)
Prophet Muhammad (saas) also imparted the glad tidings that the
blessed Mahdi (as), who will appear in the End Times and who is
awaitedwith great joy and expectation by all Muslims, will also be
descended from him:
"We are the sayyids of the people of Paradise, the sons of Abd
al-Muttalib. Me, Hamza, Ali, Jaffar, Hassan, Husayn, and the Mahdi."
(Ibn Majah, 34)
Muslims Have Always Treated the Sayyids with Great Love and Respect
Muslims have always extended the love and affection they feel for the
Prophet (saas) to the sayyids. Due to their deep love for Prophet's
(saas) family, Muslims have always held the descendants of his
grandchildren in the highest regard. Sayyids have enjoyed a privileged
position in worldly treatment in almost all Islamic countries, and
efforts have been made tobestow various advantages on them.
The most obvious proof ofthis is how, in the past, special bodies were
concerned with their affairs and that the person at the head of these
institutions (the naqib al-ashraf) was regarded as having one ofthe
highest ranks.
How Did the Sayyids Spread to Different Lands?
In the age of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, Muslims traveled to
many lands to spread the message of Islamic moral precepts. These
missionary journeys intensified considerably during the time of Umar
(ra) and Uthman (ra). There were many sayyids among those who set out
to spread the Qur'an's moral values to humanity.They generally settled
in the regions to which they traveled and assimilated with the local
inhabitants.
However, like other Muslim emigrants, the great majority of the
sayyids who emigrated left Arabia because of the strict policies of
the Umayyads, who assumed power after the age of theFour Rightly
Guided Caliphs.
Following the martyrdom of Hassan (ra) and Husayn (ra), their
migration accelerated still further, toplaces within the Islamic
state's borders of the time: the Maghreb (Morocco), the Caucasus,
Transoxiana, Khurasan, Tabaristan, and Yemen. Thanks to this
migration, many dynasties were founded, such as the Idrisids in
Morocco, the Sulaymanis in Yemen and the Zaydis, in Iran.
Many sayyids took up residence in the Mongol and Turkish states and
assimilated with the local peoples. Sometimes they even took their
places among the founders of other states, such as the Nogay dynasty,
which established itself in the Caucasus.
The Sayyids Also Migrated to Turkey
As the sole heir of the Ottoman Empire, the longest-lived and largest
Turkish Islamic state, Turkey is one of the countries most
intensivelysettled by sayyids. Today, they live in many parts of the
country, but especiallyin Ankara, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Erzurum, Elazig,
Erzincan, Adana, and Igdir. The majority of them settled in Anatolia
during the firstsayyid migrations. However, the migratory trend to
Turkish lands continued.
During the Ottoman-Russian and Russian-Caucasian wars in particular,
many sayyids living among the Caucasians migrated and settled in
central Anatolia.Among them was the family of Ömer Bey, the
grandfather of Harun Yahya, whose works inspire the subject matter of
our magazine.
The origins of Beslen Arslan Kasayev, Ömer Bey's grandfather, go
backto the Nogay dynasty. This family is also known as the
Arslanogullari (the sons of Arslan) and is one of the twenty-one
sayyid families whose names appear in a document prepared for the
Caucasus governorship in 1827. In 1902, the family left the Caucasus
and settled in Bala, a town in Ankara province. (*)
Sayyid families were known to and recognized by the people in the
regions where they lived. These families constituteda community,
recognizingand acting as guarantors for one another, ...

The reality of belief in the angels

What does belief in the angels mean?
Praise be to Allaah.
The angels form an unseen world; they were created by Allaah from
light and they obey the commands of Allaah:
"who disobey not, (from executing) the Commandsthey receive from
Allaah, but do that which they are commanded"
[al-Tahreem 66:6 – interpretation of the meaning]
Belief in the angels implies four essential things:
1 – Affirming that they exist and that they are part of the creation
of Allaah, subject to His Lordship and subjugated to Him.
"…honoured slaves.
They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command"
[al-Anbiya' 21:26-27 – interpretation of the meaning]
"who disobey not, (from executing) the Commandsthey receive from
Allaah, but do that which they are commanded"
[al-Tahreem 66:6 – interpretation of the meaning]
"And those who are near Him (i.e. the angels) are not too proud to
worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship).
They (i.e. the angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they
never slacken (to do so)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:19-20 – interpretation of the meaning]
2 – Belief in the names of those whose name we know, such as Jibreel,
Mikaa'eel, Israafeel, Maalik, Radwaan and others – peace be upon them.
3 – Belief in the attributesof those whose attributes we know, as we
know thedescription of Jibreel fromthe Sunnah, and that he has six
hundred wings which filled the horizon orthe sky.
4 – Belief in the actions which we know some of them do, so Jibreel
(peace be upon him) was entrusted with that whichrevives the heart,
namely the Revelation. Israafeel isentrusted with sounding the
Trumpet-blast (to herald the onset of the Day of Resurrection);
Mikaa'eel is entrusted with the rain; Maalik is entrusted with Hell,
and so on.
One of the most important things that we must believe in is that every
person has two angels with him who record his deeds. Allaah says
(interpretation of themeaning):
"(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each
human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note
his or her actions)
Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready
(to record it)"[Qaaf 50:17-18]
i.e., a watcher from among these angels who is present. So beware lest
these two angels record anything from you that will be bad for you on
theDay of Resurrection, for everything that you say will be recorded
against you, and when the Day of Resurrection comes, each person's
book of deeds will be brought out,
"…and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book
which he will find wide open.
(It will be said to him): 'Read your book. You yourself are sufficient
as areckoner against you this Day.'"
[al-Isra' 17:13-14 – interpretation of the meaning].
We ask Allaah to conceal our sins and forgive us, for He is
All-Seeing, Ever Responsive. And Allaah knows best.
:-* key word:- Belief in the Angels

An item in possession has been paid for with both halal and haraam money

What should a person do with the profits he made from selling cigarettes, when it has been mixed with other lawful money?
He who has done businessin things that are prohibited in Islam, such as musical instruments, prohibited cassettes, cigarettes etc. while knowing the ruling on them then wishes to repent, needs to give away in charity all the profits he made from them. This will be a means of purification and will not be counted as spending in the way of Allah, for Allah is pure anddoes not accept but the pure.
Further, if this money getsmixed up with other earnings, as in the case of a shop owner who sells many other items, then if he can compute the amount of profits made from them, he should do it in the hope of purifying the rest of his earnings.
In other words he who has some money earned through unlawful means and intends to repent, should: If he was an unbeliever atthe time of earning the money, he is not obliged to atone for them or seek their purification. For the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not demand from his followers that they purify their wealth after coming into the fold of Islam. If he was Muslim at the time of earning the money, well aware of its Islamic ban and prohibition, then he should separate it out at the time of repentance.
Excerpts from the book"I would like to repent BUT..."

:-* key word:- Rulings on Tawbah/ - - - :-> 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 permissible for a zaani (fornicator) to marry a believing woman?

please tell me can i marry a beliver if i`ve had sex with a non muslim
please answer?
Praise be to Allaah.
If a fornicator repents sincerely, Allaah accepts his repentance.
Allaah says (interpretation of themeaning):
"And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor
kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor
commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive
the punishment.
The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he
will abide therein in disgrace;
Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do
righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good
deeds,and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he
repents towards Allaah with true repentance" [al-Furqaan 25:68-71]
See also question no. 728.
If he repents, then he maymarry a believing woman.If a fornicator
repents, he should conceal his past and not spread word of it.And
Allaah knows best.
:-* key word:- Rulings on Tawbah

Is it recommended to fast ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah including the day of Eid?

Please could you answer my questions regarding this month of Dhul Hijjah. On your website you mention how it is recommended to fast on the day of ‘Arafah, but I have read that this is true also of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah Is this correct? If it is then can you confirm if in total there will be 9 not ten fasts as the tenth day is the Day of Eid.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah is mustahabb. This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), as narrated in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him): “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah then these ten days – i.e., ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah).” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad for the sake of Allaah?” Hesaid: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah, unless a man goes out himself with his wealth and does not come back with anything (i.e., he expends all his wealth and is martyred).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 969.
And it was narrated from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid from his wife that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’ and three days of each month – the first Monday and two Thursdays.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 21829; AbuDawood, 2437; classed as da’eef in Nasab al-Raayah,2/180, but classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
With regard to fasting on the day of Eid, this is haraam, as is indicated by the marfoo’ hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (mayAllaah be pleased with him): “He [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] forbade fasting on the day of (Eid) al-Fitr and theday of al-Nahr (the day of sacrifice, i.e., Eid al-Adha).”Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1992; Muslim, 827. The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to fast on these days.
Righteous deeds on these ten days are better than on others. With regard to fasting, that should only be done on nine of them; the tenth day is the day ofEid when it is haraam to fast.
Based on this, what is meant by the virtue of theten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah is fasting nine days only, even though they are called ten days./ - - - :-> 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

Ruling on fasting the days of al-Tashreeq

I have the habit of fasting every Thursday and it so happened that I fasted onThursday 12th Dhu’l-Hijjah. On the Friday I heard that it is not permissible to fast on the Days of al-Tashreeq and that Thursday was the third of the days of al-Tashreeq. Is there any sin on me if I fasted that day? Is it true that it is not permissible to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq orshould we avoid fasting only on the first days of Eid?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting on the two days of Eid is haraam, as indicated by the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade fastingon the day of al-Fitr and al-Nahr.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1992; Muslim,827. The scholars are unanimously agreed that fasting on these two days is haraam.
It is also haraam to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq which are thethree days after Eid al-Adha (the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhu’l-Hijjah) because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The days of al-Tashreeq are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allaah.” Narrated by Muslim, 1141.
Abu Dawood (2418) narrated from Abu Murrahthe freed slave of Umm Haani that he entered with ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr upon his father ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas. He offered them food and said, “Eat.” He said, “I am fasting.” ‘Amr said: “Eat, for these are the days on which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would tell us not to fast and forbade us to fast, and these are the days of al-Tashreeq.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
But it is permissible to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq for a pilgrim who does not have a hadiy (sacrificial animal). It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah and Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them) said: No one was allowed to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq except one who could notfind a hadiy. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1998.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: It is permissible for those who are doing Hajj qiraan or tamattu’, if they cannot find a hadiy, to fast these three days so that the Hajj season will not end before they fast. But apart from that it is not permissible to fast on these days, even if a person is obliged to fast for two consecutive months; he should not fast on the day of Eid and the three days following it, but then he should continue his fast.
And Allaah 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

The people of the Cave are the people of the Inscription

Were the people of the Cave the people of the Inscription, or were
these two different groups of people?
Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh al-Shanqeeti said, commenting on the
aayah(interpretation of the meaning): "Do you think that the people
of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names ofthe people of
the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?" [al-Kahf 18:9]
The apparent meaning is that the People of the Cave and of the
Inscription were all one group, mentioned in conjunction with two
things. This is in contrast to those who say that the people of the
Cave were one group and the peopleof the Inscription were another
group. Allaah toldthis story to His Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon them) in this soorah, and He did not mention anything
about the people of the Inscription. This is unlike those who claim
that the people of the Cave were three persons behind whom the rock
fell and blocked the entrance of the cave in which they were, so they
prayed to Allaah by virtue of their righteous deeds; they were one who
honoured his parents, one who was chaste, and one who was a hired
labourer. Their story is well known and isproven in al-Saheeh, but
interpreting this aayah as meaning that these were the people referred
to therein is far-fetched as you can see. It should be noted there is
nothing about the story of the people of the cave, their names and
which part of the earth they were in that has been narrated in any
sound report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), in addition to what is mentioned in the Qur'aan. The Mufassireen
quoted many of those details from the Israa'eeliyyaat (reports from
Jewish sources) which we will not quote here because they cannot be
relied upon.

A Group of Jinns meet Prophet Muhammad

It is stated by Imam Baihaqi in "Dalail-e-Nubuwwat" on the authority
of Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood (ra) that the Prophet (saw) once, said
to his companions in Makkah:"Whosoever from amongst you desires to see
the jinns, he should come to me tonight." Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood
stated that nobody except me came that night. The Prophet (saw) took
me with him to a high hill in Makkah. He drew a circle with his foot
for me and advised me to keep sitting within that circle. Seating
Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood within that circle, he advanced ahead and
then stood at a place. There, he started recitation of the Holy Quran.
All of a sudden a big group of jinns encircled the Prophet (saw) and
that group stood as a wall between me and the Prophet (saw)and I heard
the jinns saying: "Who gives evidence that you are the Prophet." There
was a tree nearby. The Prophet (saw) observed: "Will you accept my
claim if this tree gives the evidence?" The jinns said: "Yes, we shall
accept it." On that, the Prophet (saw) called the tree. The tree came
nearby and gave the evidence accordingly and all the jinns embraced
Islam.

2b] Is there a Sunnah prayer before Jumua‘ah?

there was only this adhaan immediately before the khutbah, and that is
the Maaliki madhhab until the present day.
If you were to say: perhaps he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) offered the Sunnah prayer in his house after the sun passed the
zenith,then he came out? I would say: If he did that, his wives (may
Allah be pleased with them) wouldhave narrated it from himas they
narrated all other prayer s that he did in his house by night and by
day, and the way in whichhe prayed tahajjud and qiyaam al-layl. As no
such thing as been narrated, the basic principle is that it did not
happen and thatit was not prescribed. End quote.
This issue was discussed further and at length by Imam al-Haafiz Abu
Shaamah (may Allah have mercy on him). See: al-Baa'ith 'ala Inkaar
al-Bida' wa'l-Hawaadith, p. 96 ff.
To sum up: There is no regular Sunnah prayer prescribed before
Jumu'ah; rather what is prescribed is to offer whatever voluntary
prayers one wants, from the time one enters the mosque until the imam
ascends the minbar.
And Allah knows best.
:-* key word:- Voluntary Prayers

2a] Is there a Sunnah prayer before Jumua‘ah?

2a] See: Minah al-'Allaam Sharh Buloogh al-Muraam,1/162
See also: al-Ajwibah an-Naafi'ah by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have
mercy on him), 59-70
Imam Abu Shaamah discussed these two issues: that there is no regular
Sunnah prayer before Jumu'ah and that itis prescribed to offer
voluntary prayers before Jumu'ah prayer until the imam comes out.
He (may Allah have mercyon him) said:
Chapter on innovations of Jumu'ah
People usually pray between the two adhaanson Friday, offering naafil
prayers of two or four rak'ahs, and so on, until the imam comes out.
Thatis permissible and it is nota problem from the point of view of it
being prayer. Rather the problem is what the common folk and most of
those who think of themselves as knowledgeable believe, that it is a
Sunnah prayer before Jumu'ah, as they pray Sunnah before Zuhr, and
they declare their intention that it is the Sunnah of Jumu'ah, and
offer their own reasoning for this view, based on the idea that if we
say that Jumu'ah is a shortened form of Zuhr, then it has the same as
Zuhr (Sunnah prayers before and after, and so on).
None of that is based on aproper examination of theissue. There is no
Sunnah before Jumu'ah, like 'Isha' and Maghrib, and also like'Asr
according to one opinion, which is the correct opinion according to
some of them. It is a prayer that is like no other, with its own
merits.
The evidence that there is no Sunnah before it is that what is meant
when we describe a prayer as being "Sunnah" is that it is based on
words or actions narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). There is no report from the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to indicate that the prayer
before Jumu'ah is Sunnah, and it is possible to draw an analogy
between prayers.
However, when it comes to praying after Jumu'ah, it is narrated in
as-Saheehthat the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
used to pray two rak'ahs after Jumu'ah. [Narrated by al-Bukhaari (937)
and Muslim (882) from the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar] andthat he said:
"Whoever among you wants to prayafter Jumu'ah, let him pray four
(rak'ahs) Narrated by Muslim (881).Abu 'Eesa at-Tirmidhi said:It was
narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) that
he instructed people to pray two rak'ahs then four after Jumu'ah.
'Ata' said: I saw Ibn 'Umar praying two rak'ahs after Jumu'ah, then he
prayed four after that.
If you say: at-Tirmidhi also narrated from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be
pleased with him) that he used to pray four rak'ahs before Jumu'ah and
four afterwards, and this was the view of an-Nawawi and Ibn
al-Mubaarak, so this indicates that there is a Sunnah prayer before it
of four rak'ahs, as is also the case with Zuhr,
My response is: what is meant by 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood praying four
rak'ahs before Jumu'ah is that he used to do that voluntarily until
the imamcame out, as we have mentioned above. How do you know that he
believed that it was the Sunnah prayer of Jumu'ah?
More than that was narrated from others among the Sahaabah (may Allah
be pleased with them). Abu Bakr ibn al-Mundhir said: We narrated from
Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to pray twelve
rak'ahs before Jumu'ah. It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas(may Allah be
pleased with him) that he used to pray eight rak'ahs. This indicates
that they did this as something voluntary on their own initiative,
without any instructions from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), hence the variation in the numbers (of rak'ahs)
narrated from them. The matter of voluntary prayers is broad in scope.
And perhaps they did that, or most of it, before the adhaan and the
onset of the time for Jumu'ah, because they used to come early and
pray until the imam came out.
They used to do something similar in the case of Eid prayer, and it
isdefinitively known that there is no Sunnah prayer connected to the
Eid prayer. They used to pray after the sun had risen high, either in
the musalla(prayer place) or in their houses, then they would offer
the Eid prayer. That was narrated from a number of the Sahaabah and
Taabi'een, and al-Haafiz al-Bayhaqi devoted a chapter to that in his
Sunan.
Moreover the evidence that this is correct is the fact that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to come out of
his house on Friday and ascend his minbar, then the mu'adhdhin would
give the call to prayer, and when he had finished the Prophet would
start his khutbah. If there were any Sunnah prayer before Jumu'ah, he
would have told them to pray Sunnah after the adhaan and he would have
done it himself. At the time of theProphet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), there was only this adhaan immediately before the
khutbah, :->
:-* key word:- Voluntary Prayers

2] Is there a Sunnah prayer before Jumua‘ah?

2]
We know from the saheeh hadeeths that there are four rak'ahs before
Zuhr. How should we do these rak'ahs on Friday? It is known that there
are no Sunnah prayers before Jumu'ah, but for a person who has the
habit of praying thesefour rak'ahs, is it acceptable for him to do
them on Friday? Is it acceptable for him to praythem before the sun
passes the zenith?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There is no proven report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) that he prescribed a regular Sunnah (Sunnah
raatibah) prayer to be offered before it, and there is no proven
report from any ofthe Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) that they prayed anyregular Sunnah prayer before
Jumu'ah like the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr or any other prayer.
It is not valid to pray the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr on Friday,
because Jumu'ah is not Zuhr; rather it is a prayer with its own
rulings. So it is notZuhr and it is not valid either to compare it to
Zuhr in that regard.
See the answer to question no. 114765
With regard to the report which says that Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be
pleased with him) used topray four rak'ahs before Jumu'ah and four
afterwards, it was narrated by at-Tirmidhi ina mu'allaqan which he
narrated in a way that indicates that it is weak; itis also mawqoof,
with a isnaad that ends with Ibn Mas'ood. The commentator on
at-Tirmidhi narrated from al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on
him) that 'Abd ar-Razzaaq and at-Tabaraani narrated it ina marfoo'
report, but its isnaad has some weakness and interruptions, and a
report that is like this cannot be quoted as evidence.
See: Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 8/261
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (It is) munkar,
as it says in as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah, 3/83
Secondly:
It is mustahabb for the one who comes to Jumu'ah to offer voluntary
prayers beforehand, whatever he is able to do, from when he enters the
mosque until the imam comes out to the people, without that being
limited to a specific number. So he may pray two or four rak'ahs, or
whatever Allahwills that he should pray.
Al-Bukhaari (883) and Muslim (657) narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi
said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does ghusl on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can,
uses (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the perfume of his house,
then goes out (for the Jumu'ah prayer) and does not separate between
two (persons sitting together in the mosque), then prays as much as is
decreed for him, then remains silent whilst the imam is speaking, his
sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven for
him."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, discussing matters
that are specific to Friday:
It is not makrooh to pray on Friday at the time of the zenith,
according to ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and those who
agreed with him. This is the view favoured by our shaykh,
Abu'l-'Abbaas ibn Taymiyah, and he did not base his view on the
hadeeth of Layth from Mujaahid from Abu'l-Khaleel from Abu Qataadah
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which
states that it is makrooh to pray at midday except on Friday, and he
said: "Hell flares up (at noon) except on Friday". Rather he based his
view on a report which states that whoever comes to Jumu'ah, it is
mustahabb for him to pray until the imam comes out.
He quoted the hadeeth of Salmaan mentioned above, then he said: The
report recommends praying as much as is decreed for one, and not
stopping until the time when the imam comes out.
Hence more than one of the salaf, including 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allah be pleased with him), who was followed in that by Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, said that the appearance of the imam prevents prayer and his
khutbah prevents speaking. They said that the factor which prevents
prayer is the appearance of the imam, not the mid-point of the day
(noon).
Moreover, if the people are inside the mosque, beneath the roof, and
they cannot tell when the zenith occurs, and a man is focusing on his
prayer, he does not know when the zenith occurs and he cannot go out,
stepping over people's necks to look at the sun and come back, and it
is not prescribed for him to do that. End quote from Zaadal-Ma'aad,
1/365
Ash-Shawkaani also regarded this view as being more correct and
henoted that the hadeeth ofSalmaan mentioned above makes an exception
to the general meaning of the hadeeths that forbid praying at the time
of the zenith. See Nayl al-Awtaar, 3/313
This view was also favoured by Shaykh Saalihal-Fawzaan (may Allah
preserve him) and he quoted as evidence for it something similar to
what was narrated from Ibn al-Qayyim. :->
:-* key word:- Voluntary Prayers

Ruling on tahiyyat al-masjid (“greeting the mosque”)

Is tahiyyat al-masjid ("greeting the mosque") wajib(fard) ?
Praise be to Allaah.
Tahiyyat al-masjid ("greeting the mosque") isSunnah according to
mostof the scholars; some of the scholars stated that there was
consensus on this point.
Abu Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "When one of you
enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two
rak'ahs."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1167; Muslim, 714
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are
unanimously agreed that it is mustahabb to greet the mosque, and it is
makrooh to sit down without greeting it with no excuse, because of the
hadeeth of Abu Qataadah which clearly states that that is not allowed.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 3/544
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars
are unanimously agreed that the command in this case is a
recommendation (as opposed to an obligation).Ibn Battaal narrated from
the literalists that it is obligatory, but Ibn Hazm stated that it is
not obligatory.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 1/538, 539. See also al-Muhalla, 2/7
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah (7/137): The Sunnah for the
one who enters the mosque at any time is to pray tahiyyat al-masjid,
because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him): "When one of you enters the mosque,
let him not sit down until he has prayed two ra 'ahs.Saheeh – agreed
upon.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said: The view that
tahiyyat al-masjid is obligatory is a strong view, but the more likely
to be correct is the view that it is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah
mu'akkadah). And Allah knows best.
:-* key word:- Voluntary Prayers

25 Dua's from Qur'an

1. Our Lord! Grant us goodin this world and good in the life to come
and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)
2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and
give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250)
3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286)
4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those
before us. (2:286)
5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to
bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You areour Protector.
Help us against those who deny the truth. (2:286)
6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have
guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are
the Giver of bounties without measure. (3:8)
7. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our
doings,and make firm our steps and succour us against those who deny
the truth.(3:147)
8. Our Lord! Whomsoever You shall commit to the Fire, truly You have
brought [him] to disgrace,and never will wrongdoers find any helpers
(3:192)
9. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto faith:
"Believe in your Lord" as we have believed. (3:193)
10. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds and take
our souls in the company of the righteous. (3:193)
11. Our Lord! And grant usthat which you have promised to us by Your
messengers and save us from shame on the Day ofJudgement. Verily You
never fail to fulfill Your promise. (3:194)
12. Our Lord! We have sinned against ourselves, and unless You grant
us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly
be lost! (7:23)
13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of
evildoing. (7:47)
14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You
are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89)
15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die
as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126)
16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as
by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86)
17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as
well as all that we bring into the open, for nothingwhatever, be it on
earth or in heaven, remains hidden from Allah (14:38)
18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our
affairs for us in the right way. (18:10)
19. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to
our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of
You. (25:74)
20. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge,
forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and ward off from them
the punishment of Hell. (40:7)
21. Our Lord! Make them enter the Garden of Eden which You have
promisedto them, and to the righteous from among their fathers, their
wives and their offspring, for verily You are alone the Almighty and
the truly Wise. (40:8)
22. Our Lord! Relieve us ofthe torment, for we do really believe. (44:12)
23. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins as well as those of our brethren who
proceeded us in faith and let not our hearts entertain any unworthy
thoughts or feelings against [any of] those who have believed. Our
Lord! You are indeed full of kindness and Most Merciful (59:10)
24. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, andto You do we turn in
repentance, for unto You is the end of all journeys. (60:4)
25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for
verily You have power over all things. (66:8)/

1a] IMAM TIRMIZI (R.A) 209 A.H. – 279 A.H.

1a]
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had a large number of students from all over the
world. The most famous amongstthem were Haysam ibn Kulaib (R.A.), Abul
Abbaas (R.A.) and Muhammed ibn Ahmed (R.A.) Shah Abdul Aziz (R.A.)
describes ImaamTirmizi (R.A.) in the following words: "His memory was
unique and his piety and fear of Allah Ta'la was of a very high
caliber. He would cry so much out of the fear of Allah, that towards
the end of his life he lost his sight."
According to Ibn Taimiya (R.A.) and Shah Waliullah (R.A.), Imaam
Timizi (R.A.) was an independent Jurist (Mujtahid). Hazrat
MoulanaAnwar Shah Kashmiri (R.A.)is of the opinion that he was a
Shafi.
In the year 279 A.H. in a village called Bawag at theripe age of 70 ,
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) left this temporary abode for the ever lasting
life of the hereafter. May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen. The enormity of his sacrifices and the extent to which he
served Deen can never be fully comprehended./

1] IMAM TIRMIZI (R.A) 209 A.H. – 279 A.H.

1]
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) was born during the reign of the Abbasid Khalifa
Mamoon al Rasheed. The Abbasid Caliphate, despite its brilliant
contributions to Islaam, brought along with it many thorny problems.
Greek Philosophy had a free flowinto the Islamic world. Thiswas fully
sanctioned by the government until eventually it declared the
Mu'tazila school of thoughtas the state religion. Anyone who opposed
the Mu'tazila school of thoughtwould be opposing the state. With the
influence ofGreek philosophy infiltrating within the people, many
Muslims began attempting to reconcile between reason and revelation.
As a result they deviated themselves and misled many innocent weak
Muslims away from Allah and His Rasul [sallallahu alyhi wasallam].Many
scholars of Islaam had come to the fore in order to defend the
Shariah. Forgeries and interpolations in Hadith byrulers who wished to
fulfil their personal motives wascommon. In the first century Umar bin
Abdul Aziz(R.A.) initiated a movement for the compilation of the
Mubarak Hadeeth of Nabi [sallallahu alayhi wasallam] as there was a
fear of it being lost. Eventually this gigantic task was undertaken by
six towering scholars of Islaam. One of them was…….. Imaam Abu Isa
Muhammed ibn Isa Tirmizi (R.A.)
Having grown up in an environment of learning, together with
possessing many great qualities naturally drove Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.)
to dedicate his life totally towards the field of Hadith. He obtained
his basic knowledge at home and later travelled to far off lands in
search of this great science. He studied Hadith under great
personalities such as Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), Imaam Muslim (R.A.) and
Imaam Abu Dawood (R.A.). In some narrations Imaam Bukhari and Imaam
Muslim (R.A.) are his students as well. Once Imaam Bukhari (R.A.)
mentioned to him "I have benefited more from you than you have
benefitted from me." Moosa ibn Alaq (R.A.) once said : "When Imaam
Bukhari passed away, he left no one in Khurasaan who compared with Abu
Isa Tirmizi (R.A.) in Ilm, memory, piety and abstinence." According to
Abdullah ibn Muhammed Al-Ansaari (R.A.), Imaam Tirmizi's Al-Jami is
more beneficial than the works of Bukhari and Muslim (R.A.) since
their compilations can only be understood by a very deepsighted
scholar whereas AlJami can be understood byboth the scholar and the
lay man. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) said that he compiledthis book and
presented it to the learned of Hejaaz, Iraaq and Khuraasaan and they
were pleased with it. Who ever has this book in his home, it is as
though he has the Prophet [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] speaking to him
there.
His remarkable memory:
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had an exceptionally remarkable memory. If he
heard something once he never forgot it. Once on hisway to Makkah,
Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.) met a Muhadith from whom he had previously copied
two chapters of hadith. Thinking that he had the notes with him he
asked the Muhadith if he would allow him to read out these two
chapters so thathe may correct any errors. After realizing that he did
not have those notes with him he took a blank piece of paper and read
out the entire two parts from memory. When the Muhadith realized what
hewas doing he rebuked Imam Tirmizi (R.A.) saying: "Have you no shame,
Why are you wasting my time." Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) assured him that he
had committed all the ahadith to memory. The Muhadith was not
convinced, even though he recited all the Ahadith from memory. Imaam
Tirmizi (R.A.) requested him to recite to him some other Ahadith. The
Muhaddith recited 40 ahadith which Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) repeated
without making a single error, thus showing his remarkable power of
committing Ahadith to memory.
Another incident has been recorded by Hakeemul Ummat (R.A.) in his
Al-Misk-us-Zaki, depicting the profound memory of Imaam Tirmizi
(R.A.). He writes:"Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had lost his sight towards the
latter portion of his life. Once whilst on ajourney, at a certain
point he bowed his head. When asked as to why he did this, he replied:
"Is there not a tree here whose branches hang over in such a manner
that it harms those who are passing by." They answered in the
negative. He was quite shocked when he heard this as he distinctly
remembered there being a tree and wasworried as to whether his memory
was failing him ornot. He stopped the caravan immediately and asked
his companions to enquire from the locals whether a tree had
existedthere or not. "If it is established that no tree existed then I
will stop narrating the Hadith of Nabi [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] due
to my weakmemory." On inquiry it was shown to them that a tree had
previously existedover there but due to it being a hindrance to
travelers it was removed." :->

Allah

When things are down
And you are out of your mind
Remember just remember
Allah is The Kind.
When your life is in darkness
And nothing is right
Remember just remember
Through the darkness,
Allah is The Light.
When nothing makes sense
And your heading for demise
Remember just remember
It doesn't make sense, but Allah is The Wise.
When times are troubled
And no one seems to care
Remember just remember
Allah won't hurt you, He is The Fair.
When your heart is breaking
And your pain makes you fall
Remember just remember Allah Sees it all.
When you are weak
And the road seems long
Remember just remember
Seek strength from The Strong.
When life is a burden
And everything is unstable
Remember just remember
Allah is The Able.
When the way is cloudy
And there is no one by your side
Remember just remember
Allah is The Only Guide.
When no one wants to listen
Or is willing to lend an ear
Remember just remember
Allah is always ready to hear.
When you are poor and penniless
And you are stuck in a niche
Remember just remember
Allah is The Rich.
When you are down in your misery
And there is nowhere to run
Remember just remember
You can always run to The One.
And when your scars are hurting
And your heart is in fear
Remember just remember
Allah is really here.

Dua When Leaving theHome

.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ
إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
In the name of Allah (SWT),I depend on Allah (SWT), and we do not have
any power to do good deeds or to avoid evil deeds except with the help of Allah.
( Tirmidhi )

Muslims believe thatJesus did not die on the cross. Does that mean he died of natural causes? Will he come again? Whyis he the only prophet to return?

Muslims believe that God'smessenger Jesus, son of Mary, on whom be
peace, did not die yet. God tells us in His own words that Jesus was
raised up by God and that he was neither killed nor crucified(see
Qur'an 4:157-158). Furthermore, God tells us that in order to foil the
plans of the unbelievers, God recalled Jesus and raised him up (see
Qur'an 3:55). Muslims understandfrom these Qur'anic passages that
Jesus did not die.
Muslims believe that Jesuswill be coming again. A common explanation
of verse 159 of Surah 4 in the Qur'an is that when Jesus returns, the
people of the book will each believe in Jesus as he really is. Another
verse in the Qur'an calls Jesus, on whom be peace, a sign of the day
of Judgement (seeQur'an 43:61). This was further explained by the
prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, when he said that Jesus's return
will be a sign that the dayof Judgement is near.
God alone knows the full wisdom behind what He does. We can only try
to understand some of the reasons. With God's help we can point to
several reasons why Jesus will be coming again. One reason is that
when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary about the birth of Jesus, he
prophesied that Jesus will speak to mankind while he is a baby and
again when he is mature (see Qur'an 3:46). The Arabic word Kahlan here
translated 'maturity' actually refers to a maturity at 40 years old.
When Jesus comes back he will live to this age and the prophecy willbe
fulfilled. Jesus also foretold his death (see Qur'an 19:33). This too
will be fulfilled when he returns, and Jesus will be buried in Medina
near his brother in faith, the last prophet, on whom be peace.
Another reason for Jesus's second coming is that he will be honored
with the opportunity to personally correct the belief of his people.
Too many have disbelieved and rejected him. Many others have believed
incorrectly abouthim. When he returns, everyone will believe in him
correctly. Yet anotherreason for his coming is that some of his
teachingshave been forgotten (see Qur'an 5:14), and replacedby
misguided teachings (see Qur'an 5:77, 9:30). Jesus will have the honor
of breaking the symbols of such false teachings and dramatically
confirming his true teachings which were alsotaught by his brother in
faith, the last prophet, on whom be peace.
A further reason is that in the last days an evil man called the
Antichrist will arise. He will spread muchcorruption on the earth.
Jesus will return to slay this man and restore peace on earth.
As to why Jesus alone andno other prophet will come back is for God
alone to say. The above are only a few indications.
Finally, we must admit that Jesus, on whom be peace, was very unique.
His entry into the world was unique, his departurewas unique, and his
return will be spectacular. The Qur'an rightly calls him "illustrious
in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto
Allah)" (Qur'an 3:45).