Muhammad and slavery

The Prophet Muhammad did not try to abolish slavery, and bought, sold,
captured, and owned slaves himself. But he insisted that slave
ownerstreat their slaves well andstressed the virtue of freeing
slaves.
There are two different ways of interpreting this:
*. some modern writers believe that Muhammadintended his teachings to
lead to the gradual end of slavery by limiting opportunities toacquire
new slaves and allowing existing slaves to become free. This idea
doesn't appear in early writings.
*. others writers argue that by regulating slavery the Prophet gave
his authority to its continued existence, andthat by having slaves
himself he showed his approval
Muhammad treated slavesas human beings and clearly held some in the
highest esteem.
For example, he personally ensured the freedom of Bilal, an African
slave who had converted to Islam. Bilal was chosen as the first
muezzin of Islam because of his beautiful voice. A muezzin is the
person who calls the community to the daily prayers, and isa position
of great prominence and responsibility.
Zayd was a young boy who had grown up in the household of the Prophet
as a slave, and remained with the household, almost as an adopted
son,even after he was freed. He was amongst the first four people to
adopt Islam. Indeed when Zayd'sfather (a wealthy nobleman) tracked his
sondown and offered to buy his freedom from Muhammad, Muhammad told
Zayd that he was freeto go with his father with no money changing
hands, and to his father's astonishment Zayd chose to stay with
Muhammad.
The Prophet also married a Coptic Christian slave girl.
In his lifetime the Prophetintroduced the following rules about slavery:
*. Stated that freeing slaves was the act that God found most acceptable
*. Zakat (charity - the third Pillar of Islam ) was often used by the
state to free slaves
*. Stated that freeing a slave was the appropriate way to
gainforgiveness for certain wrongs
*. Ordered that those who committed certain wrongs should be penalised
by having to free their slaves
*. Stated that slaves should be allowed to buy their freedom, and if
necessary should be given the opportunity toearn money, or be lent
money by the state, in order to do so
*. Allowed slaves to be freed in certain circumstances
*. Stated that slaves' contracts should be interpreted in favour of the slaves
*. Stated that the duty of kindness towards slaves was the same of
that towards family, neighbours and others
*. Stated that when a slaveowner had a child with a female slave, the
child should be freed and could inherit from their father like any
other child (as in the case of Ibrahim )
There are a number of hadith that show that the Prophet treated slaves
well and expected others to do the same...
He will not enter Paradisewho behaveth ill to his slaves. The
Companions said, 'O Apostle of God! have you not told us, that there
will be a great many slaves and orphans amongst your disciples?' He
said, 'Yes; then be kindto them as to your own children, and give them
toeat what you eat yourselves. The slaves that say their prayers are
your brothers.
Be kind to slaves as to your own children...and those that say their
prayers are your brethren.
They (slaves or servants) are your brothers, and Allah has put them
under your command. So the one under whose hand Allah has put his
brother, should feed him of what he eats, and give him dresses of what
he wears, and should not ask him todo a thing beyond his capacity. And
if at all he asks him to do a hard task, he should help him therein.'
'There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a
plaintiff on the Day of Judgement. Of these three, one is he
whoenslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money'.
al-Bukhari and Ibn Majjah
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: "The Prophet said, 'Give food to the
hungry, pay a visit to the sick and release (set free) the one in
captivity (by paying his ransom).'"
Bukhari/

1b] Slavery in Islam

1b]
Is slavery still legal in Islam?
The answer is that slaveryis legal under Islamic law but only in
theory. Slaveryis illegal under the state law of all Muslim countries.
Theoretically Islamic law lays down that if a personwas captured in a
lawful jihad or was the descendent of an unbroken chain of people who
had been lawfully enslaved, then it might belegal to enslave them.
Nonetheless, should the legal condition for the enslavement of anyone
be proven (because he had been taken prisoner fighting against Islam
with a view to its extirpation and persisted in invincible ignorance
in his sacrilegious and infidelconvictions, or because there did exist
legal proof that all his ancestors without exception had been slaves
descended from a person taken prisoner conducting a warfare of such
invincible ignorance) Islam would be bound to recognize such slavery
as legal, eventhough recommending the freeing of the person and if
possible his conversion, in this modern age.
Tabandeh, Muslim Commentary on the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, quoted in 'Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im, Shari'a and Basic Human
Rights Concerns, in Liberal Islam, ed Charles Kurzman, 1998
In practice, it seems virtually impossible that there will ever again
be a jihad that is lawfully declared according to the strict letter of
the law, and there are no living descendants of lawful slaves, which
means that legal enslavement is unthinkable.
The law on slavery
Islamic law recognises slavery as an institution within society, and
attempts to regulate and restrict it in various ways.
Different Islamic legal schools differ in their interpretation of
Islamic law on slavery. Local customs in Muslim lands also affected
the way slaves were treated.
In the merchant cities of South-East Asia the sharia helped forge a
legal distinction between slave and non-slave unknown in the rural
hinterland.
More frequently, however,the application of the sharia outside the
Middle East was tempered by local customs. This allowed Muslims in
regions as distant as Somalia, India and Indonesia to argue for
themaintenance of pre-Islamic and other local structures of slavery
even if these ran counter to the prescriptions of thesharia.
Gwyn Campbell; Frank Cass, The Structure of Slavery in Indian Ocean
Africa and Asia, 2004
Islamic law clearly recognises that slaves are human beings, but it
frequently treats slaves asif they are property, laying down
regulations covering the buying and selling of slaves.
It encourages the freeing of slaves, which has the good effect of
diminishingthe slave population of a culture and, paradoxically,the
bad effect of encouraging those whose livelihood depends on slave
labour to find new ways of acquiring slaves.
Who can be enslaved
Under Islamic law people can only be legally enslaved in two circumstances:
*. as the result of being defeated in a war that was legal according to sharia
*. if they are born as the child of two slave parents
Other legal systems of thetime allowed people to beenslaved in a far
wider range of circumstances.
The sharia limits were often either ignored or evaded, and many
instances of slave trading by Muslims were in fact illegal, but
tolerated.
The following groups of people cannot be made slaves:
*. Free Muslims, but note that:
*. Slaves who convert to Islam are not automatically freed
*. Children born to legally enslaved Muslims are also slaves
*. Dhimmis
Slave rights
Islamic law gives slaves certain rights:
*. Slaves must not be mistreated or overworked, but should be treated well
*. Slaves must be properly maintained
*. Slaves may take legal action for a breach of these rules, and may
be freed as a result
*. Slaves may own property
*. Slaves may own slaves
*. Slaves can get married iftheir owner consents
*. Slaves may undertake business on the owner's behalf
*. Slaves guilty of crimes can only be given half the punishment that
would be given to a non-slave (although some schools of Islamic law do
allow the execution of a slave who commits murder)
*. A female slave cannot be separated from her child while it is under
7 years old
*. Female slaves cannot beforced into prostitution
Slave rights to freedom
Islamic law allows slaves to get their freedom under certain
circumstances. It divides slaves with the right to freedom into
various classes:
*. The mukatab : a slave who has the contractual right to buy their
freedom over time
*. The mudabbar : a slave who will be freed when their owner dies
(this might not happen if the owner's estate was too small)
*. The umm walid , a female slave who had borne her owner a child
Slaves must accept
*. Owners are allowed to have sex with their female slaves

1a] Slavery in Islam

1a]
Muslim slavery was not just economic
Unlike the Western slave trade, slavery in Islam was not wholly
motivatedby economics.
Although some Muslim slaves were used as productive labour it was not
generally on the samemass scale as in the West but in smaller
agricultural enterprises, workshops, building, mining and transport.
Slaves were also taken formilitary service, some serving in elite
corps essential to the ruler's control of the state, while others
joined the equivalent of the civil service.
Another category of slavery was sexual slaveryin which young women
were made concubines, either on a small scale or in large harems of
the powerful. Some of these women were able to achieve wealth and
power.
These harems might be guarded by eunuchs, men who had been enslaved
and castrated.
Where did the slaves come from?
Muslim traders took their slaves from three main areas:
*. Non-Muslim Africa, in particular the Horn
*. Central and Eastern Europe
*. Central Asia
The legality of slavery today
While Islamic law does allow slavery under certain conditions, it's
almost inconceivable that those conditions could ever occur in today's
world, and so slavery is effectively illegal in modern Islam. Muslim
countries also use secular law to prohibit slavery.
News stories do continue to report occasional instances of slavery in
a few Muslim countries, but these are usually denied by the
authorities concerned.:->

1] Slavery in Islam

1]
Slaves were owned in all Islamic societies, both sedentary and
nomadic, ranging from Arabia in the centre to North Africa in the west
and to what isnow Pakistan and Indonesia in the east. Some Islamic
states, such as the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Khanate, and the
Sokoto caliphate [Nigeria], must be termed slave societies because
slaves there were very important numerically as well as a focus of the
polities' energies.
Encyclopaedia Britannica - Slavery
Many societies throughout history have practised slavery , and Muslim
societies were no exception.
It's thought that as many people were enslaved in the Eastern slave
trade as in the Atlantic slave trade.
It's ironic that when the Atlantic slave trade was abolished the
Eastern trade expanded, suggesting that for some Africans the
abolition of the Atlantic trade didn't lead to freedom, but merely
changed their slave destination.
It's misleading to use phrases such as 'Islamic slavery' and 'Muslim
slave trade', even though slavery existed in many Muslim cultures at
varioustimes, since the Atlantic slave trade is not called the
Christian slave trade, even though most of those responsible for it
were Christians.
Slavery before Islam
Slavery was common in pre-Islamic times and accepted by many
ancientlegal systems and it continued under Islam.
Although Islam is much credited for moderating the age-old institution
of slavery, which was also accepted and endorsed bythe other
monotheistic religions, Christianity and Judaism, and was a
well-established custom of the pre-Islamic world, it has never
preached the abolition of slavery as a doctrine.
Forough Jahanbaksh, Islam, Democracy and Religious Modernism in Iran,
1953-2000, 2001
The condition of slaves, like that of women, may well have improved
with the coming of Islam, but the institution was not abolished, any
more than it was under Christianity at this period.
Malise Ruthven, Islam in the World, 2000
How Islam moderated slavery
Islam's approach to slavery added the idea that freedom was the
natural state of affairs for human beings and in line with this it
limited the opportunities to enslave people, commended the freeing of
slaves and regulated the way slaves were treated:
*. Islam greatly limited those who could be enslaved and under what
circumstances (although these restrictions were often evaded)
*. Islam treated slaves as human beings as well asproperty
*. Islam banned the mistreatment of slaves -indeed the tradition
repeatedly stresses the importance of treating slaves with kindness
and compassion
*. Islam allowed slaves to achieve their freedom and made freeing
slavesa virtuous act
*. Islam barred Muslims from enslaving other Muslims
But the essential nature ofslavery remained the same under Islam, as
elsewhere. It involved serious breaches of human rights and however
well they were treated, the slaves still had restricted freedom; and,
when the law was not obeyed, their lives could be very unpleasant.
The paradox
A poignant paradox of Islamic slavery is that the humanity of the
various rules and customs that ledto the freeing of slaves created a
demand for newslaves that could only be supplied by war, forcing
people into slavery or trading slaves.
Muslim slavery continued for centuries
The legality of slavery in Islam, together with the example of the
Prophet Muhammad , who himself bought, sold, captured, and owned
slaves, may explain why slavery persisted until the 19th century in
many places (and later still in some countries). The impetus for the
abolition of slavery came largely from colonial powers, although some
Muslim thinkers argued strongly for abolition.
Slaves came from many places
Unlike the Atlantic slave traders, Muslims enslaved people from many
cultures as well as Africa. Other sources included the Balkans,
Central Asia and Mediterranean Europe.
Slaves could be assimilated into Muslim society
Muhammad's teaching that slaves were to be regarded as human beings
with dignity and rights and not just as property, and that
freeingslaves was a virtuous thing to do, may have helped to create a
culture in which slaves became much more assimilated into the
community than they were in the West.
Muslim slaves could achieve status
Slaves in the Islamic world were not always at the bottom of the
social hierarchy. Slaves in Muslim societies had a greater range of
work, and took on a wider range of responsibilities, than those
enslaved in the Atlantic trade.
Some slaves earned respectable incomes and achieved considerable
power, although even such elite slaves still remained in the power of
their owners.

Some hadeeses

1] On Friday
On one Friday, Rasulullah ( Allah bless him & give him peace) said: "O
Muslims! Allah Ta'ala has made this day a day of eid . So have a bath
on this day, whoever has perfume should apply it, and use the miswaak.
" ( Ibn Majah )/
2] Auspiciousness of tears
It is related by Abdullah bin Masood that the Apostle of God said:
"The tears that fall from the eyes of a truthful Believer, out of the
fear of the Lord, and, then, roll down his face, however little they
are, even of the size of a fly [i.e., just one drop], shall prevent
the Fire of Hell from [touching] his face."
- Ibn Majah
Commentary
It shows that the face that gets wet, at any time, withtears shed in
response to the fear of the Lord will remain protected from theFire of
Hell .
When the happy tidings ofprotection against the Fire of Hell are given
in a Tradition, as a result of performing a virtuous deed, it,
generally, means that it is the characteristic attribute of that deed,
andGod will keep him safe from the infernal Fire who will carry it out
provided that he is not guilty of a mortal sin which calls for the
punishment of Fire, or if he has ever committed asin entailing
damnation, he has offered sincere repentance for it and resolved not
to do it again.It must not be taken for anattempt at explaining away a
difficulty but even in our common parlance such a condition is
supposed to be implied with a promise or assurance of that kind./
3] Do not be Envious of the Prosperity of an Evil Doer
Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahuanhu relates that the Apostle of Allah
sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:You should never be envious ofan
evil-doer (an infidel or a pervert) because of a blessing or
prosperity. Youdo not know what suffering he is going to endure after
death . At Allah's place (i.e., in the Hereafter) there is a killer
for him that will not die.
The narrator, Abdullah ibne Abi Maryam who related it, on the
authorityof AbuÊHurayrah radhiyallahu anhu says, "By 'killer', the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam meant the Fire of Hell (ie. the
evil-doer is going to live in Hell forever. To be envious of such a
man is rank foolishness and ignorance)."
(Baghawi)
Commentary
Often when a truthful Believer, who is spending his days in pain and
poverty, sees some wickedand godless person surrounded with comfort
and luxuries, the devil putsvarious doubts into his heart, or, at
least, he begins to feel envious of his happy circumstances. But it is
the height of ingratitude to Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, in this Tradition,has warned that no believing person should
grudge the short-lived happiness and prosperity of those who are
devoid ofthe blessings of faith and good-doing because, after all,
they are going to undergo the torment of Fire in the Hereafter.
If the bitter end which is awaiting those unfortunate men can be
known, material comfort and physical pleasures they are enjoying will
appear to be no better than the special consideration that is shown to
those who are sentenced to death a few days before their execution.
This, exactly, is the nature of the prosperity and bodily enjoyment of
the rebels against Allah in the sight of the bondsmen who are blessed
with faith in the reality of the Hereafter, as related by the
Apostles. They do not view with envy their wealth and comfort but are
thankful to Allah that by endowing them with Faith He has saved them
from the frightful chastisement thatis in store for the impudent
slaves of the flesh.
The humble writer has known faithful bondsmen who, on seeing godless
men of the world, spontaneously recited the prayer of gratitude and
thankfulness to the Lord the sacred Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
used to say when he saw anyone in distress: Praise be to the Lord who
saved me from that with which He hath inflicted thee, and made be
better than manyof His creatures./

How do some rocks without any legs, arms, muscles or brains ''walk''? Whatis the wisdom behind traveling rocks?

Walking is an ordinary everyday activity . That is why it is not
surprising to see a bird , a man or a cat walking since they are all
living beings. However, something so ordinary forliving organisms is
quite extraordinary when it is seen in nonliving things.
A miracle has been taking place in California's Death Valley National
Park . Rocks that weigh up to a 100 pounds "walk", sometimes traveling
morethan a hundred yards leaving straight , twisted ,or zigzagged
trails behindthem in one or more directions.
THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALKING ROCKS HASBEEN SOLVED BY ADVANCED SCIENCE.
The "walking rocks" phenomenon has confounded the scientific community
. Scientists have puzzled over the rocks at the valley for a century.
In 2010, researchers at NASA started investigating the area. Sensors
were placed on the flat area at depths of three-quarters to four
inches deep. The units registered that the top layer of the soil froze
in March , and it was wet up to three inches deep in April. According
to this data, the team drew someconclusions .
In March, the snow on thesurrounding mountains flows into the valley
as a thin layer of water and produces a circle of ice . InApril , when
a second layer of water flows into the valley, this " ice collar"under
the rocks act as a boat on which the rocks float.
The ice collars are as hard as glass , therefore they leave a trail on
the surfaceof the valley , but when they melt and disappear , only the
rocks and their trails are seen afterwards.
Because there is no rain orearthquakes in this part ofthe valley , it
eliminates the possible effects of these occurrences .
Another early suggestion was that the rocks were driven by gravity .
However, this theory was also discounted when it was revealed that
most ofthe rocks are actually traveling uphill.
Walking rocks is not an ordinary event witnessed everywhere. It is
observedin only one area on Earth as a proof of Allah's perfect
creation. Allah is the owner and Creator of the living and the non
-living . He sometimes reminds us of this fact by creating
extraordinary occurrences like the one on Death Valley. He also
creates the causes like thephysical conditions such as rain , wind,
etc. to formthe unexpected result. Both the cause and the result is
his doing.
A Qur'anic verse points to this fact explaining how non-living rocks
move with the awe of Allah :
Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even
harder. For indeed, there are stonesfrom which rivers burst forth, and
there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there
are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not
unaware of what you do. ( Surat al-Baqara, 74)
Even more fascinating than this is the movementof giant mountains and
massive continents , which weigh millions of tons. They all move with
Allah's permission. This information that we have learned of only
relatively recently, was stated in the Quran with 1,400 years ago in
this verse:
And if there was any Qur'an by which the mountains would be removed
or the Earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak,
[it would be this Qur'an], but to Allah belongs the affair entirely.
Then have those who believed not accepted that had Allah willed,
Hewould have guided the people, all of them? Andthose who disbelieve
donot cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity - or it
will descend near their home - until there comes the promise of Allah
. Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise ( Surah Ra'd , 31).

4b] Beware of the evil plans of Satan

4b]
One can also drive away evil plans of Satan by constantly remembering
Allah by saying "SubhaanAllah" (glory be to Allah), "Alhamdulillaah"
(praise be to Allah) "Allahu Akbar" ( Allah is the Greatest) "Laa
ilaaha illa Allah" (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah)
e.t.c. The Prophet saws said:
"Whoever says, "La ilaaha illa Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lahoo,
lahul-mulk, walahul-hamdu wa huwa alaa kulli shay'in qadeer," (
meaning: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. He isOne
without any partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and praise andHe has
power over all things) hundred times a day, that will be enough for
him as a protection from Satan for the whole day. it is also as if he
has freed a slave and one hundred good deeds will be recorded for
him."
Making Jihaad in the way of Allah, attending gatherings of knowledge
and where good deeds aredone, keeping away from gatherings of play
which Satan attends and in whichhe causes enmity, hatred and misery
also protect from the evil plans of Satan.
Further, foremost of the things that protect one from the devilish
plans of Satan is Tawheed (belief inIslamic monotheism), putting one's
trust in Allah and being sincere in worshipping Him. Allah says,
"Certainly, you (Satan) shall have no authority over My slaves except
those who follow you and those who go astray (the criminals,
polytheisms and evil-doers)."(Al-Hijr 15:42)
Therefore, dear Muslims, beware of Satan's footsteps and evil plans. Allah says,
"O you who believe! Enterperfectly in Islam and follow not the
footsteps ofSatan. Verily, he is to you aplain enemy. Then if you
slide back after the clear signs have come to you, then know that
Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."(Al-Baqarah 2:208-209)
Brothers in faith! Fear Allah as He should be feared and know that
Satan calls man to all evil things and prevents him from doing any
good deed. The first thing that Satan calls to is disbelief inAllah.
If one responds to him, he has surrendered his affairs to him, Satan
will then lead him to all evil and destructive things in this world
and the Hereafter. But if man does not respond to him when he invites
him to disbelief, he calls him to bid'ah (innovations in matters of
religion), for a person who indulges in bid'ah does notgenerally
repent from it, because he regards that aspart of his religion, and
this gladdens Satan. If Satan is unable to make him indulge in bid'ah,
he invites him to committing major sins, then to minor ones. If he
does not succeed in doing that, he distracts him from doing
recommendable deeds with indulgence in lawful things and engage him
with matters that are of no concern to him.
Satan by his nature, searches man's mind and looks for his preferences
inorder to approach him through that and make him commit sins through
what he has inclinations to. Allah says,
"O mankind! Verily! The promise of Allah is true. So let not this
present life deceive you and let not the chief deceiver [Satan]
deceive you about Allah. Surely, Satan is an enemy to you, so treat
him as an enemy. He only invites his followers that they may become
the dwellers of the blazing Fire."(Faatir 35:6-6)
Furthermore, Satan is pleased by sins that man regards as
insignificant, therefore beware of him. The Prophet said:
Satan has lost hope that people would worship himin the Arabian
peninsula, but he is pleased to sow discard among you."/

4a] Beware of the evil plans of Satan

4a]
All these devilish tricks of Satan that Allah informed us about are
but weak tricks that get weakened and eliminated by Eemaanand seeking
the protectionof Allah. He says,
"Ever feeble indeed is the plan of Satan." (An-Nisaa 4:76)
Allah also says of him,
"Verily! He has no power over those who believe and put their trust in
their Lord (Allah). His power is only over those who obey and follow
him (Satan) andthose who join partner with Him (Allah)"(An-Nahl
16:99-100)
He, indeed has no power over the believers who puttheir trust in Allah.
This enemy, whom we believe in his existence, whose impacts we feel
and the result of whose evil deeds we know has laid in wait for men in
ways that lead to good deeds in order to prevent them from doing it.
Allah says,
"(Satan) said: Because youhave sent me astray, surely. I will sit in
wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will
come to them from their front and rear, their right and left, and You
will not find mostof them as thankful ones."(Al-A'raaf 7:16-17)
Brothers in faith! We can not prevent the evils of Satan, or render
his plans ineffective or escape from his traps except by
seekingAllah's protection. Allah says,
"And whoever holds firm to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's religion and
obeys all that Allah has ordered practically), then He is indeed
guided to the right path."(Aal-'Imraan 3:101)
Brothers in Islam! Allah has explained to us that this avowed enemy
leads man to sin and destructiveacts and then abandon him. He has made
shirk (associating partners to Allah in acts of worship) fair seeming
to the peoples of Noah, 'Aad, Thamood; made sodomy fair seeming to the
people of Prophet Loot and made different kinds of sins fair-seeming
to many others, but when the repercussions of their evil deeds came
upon them, hedisowned and abandoned them. Allah says,
"(Their allies deceived them) like Satan, when he says to man:
'Disbelieve in Allah!' But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Satan
says: 'I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of all the worlds'. So
the end of both will be that, they will be in the Fire abiding
therein. Such is the recompense of the wrong-doers"(Al-Hashr 59:16-17)
As for the Day of the Resurrection, Satan will stand on a mountain of
fire and deliver a speech tohis followers as Allah informs:
"Verily, Allah promised you a truth. And I promised you, but I
betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you and
you responded to me. So blame me not but blame yourselves. I can not
help you nor can you help me. Ideny your former act in associating me
as a partner with Allah( by obeying me in the life of the world).'
Verily, there is a painful torment to the wrong-doers."(Ibraheem
14:22)
After this speech, nothing more will be heard except sighing in a high
and low tone, regret, crying and wailing. Then Allah will say:
"Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me."(Al-Mu'minoon 23:108)
Dear brothers! Evil of Satancan also be averted by seeking refuge with
Allah from him. Allah says,
"And if an evil whisper from Satan tries to turn you away (from doing
good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the
All-Knower."(Fussilat 41:36)
In the hadeeth, it is reported that two men abused each other in the
presence of the Messenger of Allah and the face of one of them turned
red (out of severe rage). The Messenger of Allah said:
'I know a word that if thisman says it, his anger will go away. It is,
'A'oodhu billaahi minash-shaytaanir-rajeem." (I seekrefuge with Allah
from Satan, the accursed".
One can also prevent the evil plan of Satan by observing the prayers
in congregation. Allah says,
"Verily, As-Salaah (prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e. great sins
and every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar(i.e.
disbelief, polytheism and every kind of evil wicked deed)".
(Al-Ankaboot 29:45).
The Prophet also said:
"whoever observes fajr prayer in congregation shall remain under
Allah's protection until evening, so, do not let Allah found you
wanting in fulfilling His rights upon you".
Evils of Satan can also be prevented by reading Aayatul-Kursiy (Qur'an
2:255), Sooratul-Ikhlaas (Chapter 112) Al-Mu'awwidhatayn (Chapters 113
and 114) and Sooratul-Ghaafir (Chapter 40) at the end of each prayer.
One should also be reciting the Qur'aan frequently, for, themore he
recites, the more he protects himself from Satan.
Likewise is paying Zakaat, making voluntary charity and spending in
the good cause. The Prophet saws said:
"Charity erases sins as water blows out fire." When a Muslim is
cleansedof all his sins, he is then saves from a great evil.:->

Human Kindness in Islam

Nasiruddin was the slave of a king, and very fond of hunting. One day
he came across a very pretty baby deer and picked it up and rode away.
The mother deer saw Nasiruddin take her baby and followed him
anxiously. Nasiruddin, pleased with the baby dear, was thinking about
presenting it to his children to play with. Aftera time, he chanced to
look back and saw the mother deer following him, her expression full
of grief. He noticed too that she did not seem to care about her own
safety. Moved to pity, Nasiruddin set the baby deer free. The mother
deer nuzzled and licked her baby fondly andthe two deer leapt
happilyaway into the forest. But many times the mother deer looked
back at Nasiruddin, as if to expressher thanks.
That night Nasiruddin dreamt that the revered Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) was addressing him: 'Nasiruddin, your name has been entered in
the list of Allah , and you will one day have a kingdom. But remember
that when you are king you will also have many responsibilities. Just
as youhave shown mercy to the deer today, you should be merciful to
all Allah's creatures. You should not forget your people by falling
into a life of luxury.'
This dream came true and Nasiruddin did become king, Amir Nasiruddin
Subaktagin, father of Sultan Muhammad .
The moral of the story is that if we wish Allah to be merciful to us,
we must beeager to show mercy to allthe living creatures of the earth.
When a flower blooms, its colour and scent first touch the garden near
it, and then spread. In the same way, a Muslim 's acts of human
kindness should first touch those nearest to him, his family and his
neighbours.

Moderation in Human Relations

"Love your friend moderately lest he becomes your enemy one day, and
hate your enemy moderately lest he becomes your friend one day!"
Tirmidhi
When we get extremely close to people and lower our guard by letting
them know every detail of our life, trusting them with everything, a
day can come when we regret because they can hold us ransom with what
they know about us if the friendship is broken f…or some reason.
At times we cannot correctpeople because we have allowed them to get
so close to us that they would use against us some of what they know
of us.
Similarly when we dislike someone, we should neveroppress them or do
something unbecoming of a true believer as a day may come when a
strong friendship is developed between us and we are embarrassed by
past actions.
Amazing piece of advice which is worth pondering over and making good
useof in our lives. An enemy can become a very great friend or
relative and a friend can become a fierce enemy.
"The Almighty is all able tocreate between you and your enemies a
strong bond of friendship for indeed Allah is All Able, Allah is Most
Forgiving Most Merciful"

Flavour of Faith

It is related by Abbas bin Adbul Muttalib that he heard the Apostle of
God say: "He tasted the flavour of Faith and experienced its sweetness
who agreed with a truthful heart to accept God as His Cherisher, Islam
as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet." [Bukhari]
Commentary:
Just as all delicious foods posses a flavour but can beperceived only
when one'sfaculty of taste has not been lost or become perverted due
to illness or any other cause, there is also a special sweetness in
faith which can be enjoyedby those alone who have, willingly and
earnestly, made Allah their Lord and Master, Muhammad (PBUH)their
prophet and guide, and Islam their religion and way of life, and
whosehearts have bowed in submission to God and yielded in obedience
to the prophet and assented to be the adherents of the path of Islam.
In other words, their bond with God, the prophet and Islam is not
merely formal,hereditary or intellectual but real, sincere and
genuine.
Anas related to us that "Only he will taste the sweetness of faith who
has these three qualities: the love of God and the prophet that comes
to himbefore everything else, he loves whom he loves solely for the
sake of God, and the idea of going backto apostasy after he has
embraced Islam is as repugnant to him as beingthrown into fire."
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
The subject matter of this tradition is almost identical to that of
proceeding one. It says that the sweetness of faithcan only be
perceived by him whose love for God and the Apostle is strongerthat
for anyone or anything else in the world,so much so that when he loves
somebody, it is wholly for the sake of God,and who is so deeply
devoted to the Islamic faith that the very idea of leaving it and
reverting back to the apostasy is as painful to him as being cast into
fire.

Accepting an Invitation

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) narrates that the Holy
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"The person who is invitedamongst you by his brother should accept the
invitation whether it is a wedding invitation or anything similar to
it." [Muslim]
Hadhrat Jabir ibn Abdullah (radiallahu anhu) narrates that the Holy
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"If anyone of you is invitedto partake of meals, he should at least
accept the invitation. Thereafter he may partake of it if he desires
or he may totally abstain from it." [Muslim]
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) narrates that the Holy Prophet
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"If anyone of you is invitedfor meals, he should accept the
invitation. If he is fasting, he should make Duaa (of goodness and
blessing) for the inviter (some maintain that he should set out and
perform salaah at the host's house), and if he is not fastin he should
partake of the meal." [Muslim]
No excuse will be entertained in declining aninvitation. However, if
wine and other intoxicantsare provided at the invitation or food will
be eaten out of gold and silver utensils or there is a fear of any
other evil, one should on no account accept the invitation.
If uninvited people accompany one who is invited, he should firstly
seek the host's consent so that he is not annoyed anddisheartened (by
the arrival of an uninvited guest).
Hadhrat Abu Masood Badri(radiallahu anhu) narrates:A certain person
invited the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم over for meals. Including
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, food was prepared for 5 people. On the
way to the invitation, a sixth person joined them. When the group
arrived at the door of the host, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said:
"This person has also joined us. if you wish to, you may permit him or
else he will return."
He (the host) said:
"O Prophet of Allah صلى اللهعليه وسلم, I don't mind him partaking of
the meal." [Muslim]
Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Masood (radiallahu anhu) says that the Holy
Prophet(صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"Accept the invitation of he who invites you. Avoid declining a gift
and refrain from annoying the Muslims." [Muslim]

Meeting another Muslim with a cheerful countenance

When one Muslim meets another he should confront him with a smile and
cheerful countenance and physically express his delight in meeting
him. This will entail a fortification of love and affection between
them. Ifyou confront a grieved person with a cheerful countenance, you
might just allay his grief or at least pacify him. A person feels
unrestrained in expressing himself if he is confronted cheerfully
thereby aiding him in fulfilling his needs.
Hadhrat Abu Dhar (رضى الله تعالى عنه) narrates that the Holy Prophet
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"Don't ever belittle any of your good deeds even though this may be
meeting your brother witha cheerful countenance." [Muslim]
The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
"When two Muslims meetsand clasp each others hands, their sins are
shed as a tree sheds it's leaves."
Together with a buoyant confrontation, clasping each others hands is
also mustahab (preferable) as this increases mutual love and
affection.
Hadhrat Qatadah (رضى الله تعالى عنه) relates that he enquired of
Hadhrat Anas (رضى الله تعالى عنه) if the companions of the Holy
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) grasped each others handswhilst meeting.
Hadhrat Anas (رضى الله تعالى عنه) replied: "Yes of course!" [Fathul
Baari]
Hadhrat Baraa (رضى الله تعالى عنه) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وسلم) said:
"When two Muslims meet one another and clasp each others hands, they
are forgiven even before they separate from one another." [Abu Daud]

Raising one’s hands during the khateeb’s du’aa’ in the second khutbah

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What is the ruling on one who raises his hands when the khateeb makes
du'aa' for the Muslims during the second khutbah? Please quote the
evidence (daleel), mayAllaah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Raising the hands is not prescribed during the Friday khutbah or the
Eid khutbah, neither for the imaam nor for the members of the
congregation. Rather what is prescribed is to listen attentively to
the imaam and to say ameen to his du'aa', saying that to oneself
without raising one's voice. But raising the hands is not prescribed,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
not raise his hands during the Friday khutbah or the Eid khutbah. When
one of theSahaabah saw one of the governors raising his hands during
the Friday khutbah, he denounced him for that and said that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not raise his
hands. Yes, if the imaam prays for rain during the Friday khutbah,
then he may raise his hands whilst praying for rain, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to raise his
hands in this case. So ifhe prays for rain during the Friday khutbah
or Eid khutbah, then it is prescribed for him to raisehis hands,
following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).

3a] What is your opinion of a Jumu’ah khutbah that,along with the prayer, lasts ten minutes?

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3a]
He also said:
It is mustahabb to keep the khutbah short, because of the hadeeth
quoted above, and so thatthey do not get bored by it. Our companions
said: Keeping it short should bedone in moderation, and should not be
taken to such extremes that (its benefit) is erased altogether.
Al-Majmoo' (4/358)
Thirdly:
But we cannot say that a khutbah that is very shortdoes not count,
when most of the scholars are of the view that if the khutbah contains
the essential parts (lit. pillars) then it is valid. There is a great
difference of opinion as to the definition of those essential parts.
The correct view is that there is nothing that can be called the
essential parts or pillars of the khutbah, and everything that may be
called a khutbah, even if it is only a few words, iscounted as such
and is valid as a khutbah.
This is the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Shaykh Ibn Sa'di,
whose views we have mentioned in the answer to question no. 115854. In
the answer referred to, Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) supported this view, but he pointed out that it should not be
followed. Please see his words in that answer.
Fourthly:
This khateeb whose khutbah and prayer together take ten minutesdoes
not have deep understanding of Islam, rather he is ignorant, because
understanding of the religion means keeping the khutbah short and
making the prayer long, not effectively destroying them both!
Let us read what the Khateeb of al-Masjid al-Haraam, Shaykh Sa'ood
al-Shuraym, says concerning the length of the Jumu'ah khutbah and
prayer, with approximate length of time:
Shaykh Sa'ood al-Shuraym(may Allaah preserve him)said:
In order to reach an approximate definition of what is meant by the
prayer being long and thekhutbah being short in modern terms, I say –
andAllaah is the source of strength –
If you recite in Fajr prayer,for example, al-Jumu'ah and
al-Munaafiqoon at a moderate speed, the prayer will take you no less
than ten minutes, if not fifteen. I tried it and I found that to be
the case. All of this applies if you recite at a moderate speed, with
the rukoo' (bowing) and sujood (prostration) of the prayer. So how
about if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
following the command of his Lord, "And recite the Qur'aan (aloud) in
a slow, (pleasant tone and) style" [al-Muzzammil 73:4], and he used to
make the bowing, rising, prostration and sitting between two
prostrationslengthy, and the narrator of the hadeeth said: "to such an
extent that one would think he had forgotten"? In the hadeeth of
al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) it says: The
prayer of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his bowing, and when he raised his head from bowing, and
when he prostrated, and the time between two prostrationswere all
nearly the same.
Al-Shaamil fi Fiqh al-Khateeb wa'l-Khutbah (p. 154)
From this it is clear that it is not possible for this khateeb to
deliver the Friday khutbah and offer the Jumu'ah prayer in ten
minutes, unless there is clear undermining of bothmatters, the khutbah
and the prayer.
Such a person needs to betold, because perhaps he may have
misunderstood something from the Sunnah with regard to this matter, so
he is spoiling both the khutbahand the prayer, whilst thinking that he
is one of those who do good!
If he does not respond to your telling him, then look for someone else
who establishes the Sunnah in a proper way or close enough, and pray
with him, and protect your prayer, and keep your heart sound. As for
him who does not learn and does not want to, leave him to his own
devices.
And Allaah knows best.

3] What is your opinion of a Jumu’ah khutbah that,along with the prayer, lasts ten minutes?

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3]
What do you say about animam whose khutbah, along with the prayer,
takes only ten minutes? Yes, ten minutes! Is this Jumu'ah valid?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There can be no doubt that keeping the Jumu'ah khutbah short is
indicative of the khateeb'sunderstanding of Islam, ashe can compile
many meanings in a few words, and does not speak for so long that the
people forget the first things he said by the time he reaches the end.
This was the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) in hisregular khutbahs; indeed this is what he enjoined, and it
is the best way. Similarly his exhortations were few so that what he
exhorted the people couldbe remembered. So his Jumu'ah khutbahs were
short and the exhortations few.
Abu Waa'il said: 'Ammaar addressed us and he spoke briefly but
eloquently. When he came down (from the minbar), we said: O
Abu'l-Yaqzaan, you spoke eloquently but briefly, would that you had
madeit longer. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (S) say: "A
man's lengthening his prayer and shortening his khutbah is a sign of
his understanding (of religion), so make your prayers lengthy and your
khutbahs brief, for there ischarm in eloquent speech."
Narrated by Muslim (969).
There are many comments from the scholars to confirm this idea:
1.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for making the khutbah short, it is a Sunnah to be followed. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
enjoined that and did it. According to the hadeeth of 'Ammaar ibn
Yaasir: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) enjoined making the khutbah short. And he used to give khutbahs
with good words and few,and he disliked prattle and long-windedness.
The scholars disapprove of exhortations in which some is forgotten
becauseof the length, and they like that in which the listener can
focus on whatis said and learns from it after memorizing it. That can
only occur when the exhortation is brief.
Al-Istidhkaar (2/363, 364).
2.
Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible to make the khutbah lengthy.
Al-Muhalla (5/60).
3.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is better to keep the khutbah short, because there are two benefits
of keeping the khutbah short:
(i) The listeners do not get bored, becauseif the
khutbah is lengthy –especially if the khateeb delivers it in a boring
manner which does not move their hearts and does not motivate them
–then the people will get bored and fed up.
(ii) That makes thelistener remember better, because if
it is too long, the first part of it is lost by the time he reaches
the end, but if it is short, then it is possible to remember it and
learn from it. Hence the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "A man's lengthening his prayer and shortening his khutbah
is a sign of his understanding (of religion)," i.e., it is indicative
of his understanding of religion and shows that he pays attention to
people's circumstances. But sometimes there is a needfor a lengthy
exhortation, and if a person speaks at length because the situation
requires that, it does not mean that he is excluded from the
description of being one who understands religion,because length and
shortness are relative matters. It is proven that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would sometimes give a khutbah by
reciting Soorat Qaaf, and Soorat Qaaf, when recited slowly and
carefully (tarteel) and pausing at every verse, takes a long time.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti' 'ala Zaad al-Mustaqni' (5/65).
Secondly:
This keeping the khutbah short should not be done in such a way as to
erode the khutbah altogether, so that the people do not benefit at all
from the khutbah. They have not travelled long distances orcome out of
their homes merely to see the khateeb, or to hear the tone of his
voice, rather they have come to attain some benefit by hearing his
exhortation or an Islamic ruling and so on. Hence attention should
bepaid to moderation in thismatter.
It was narrated that Jaabiribn Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said:I was praying with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his prayer was moderate and his
khutbah was moderate.
Narrated by Muslim (1433).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., it was somewhere between being very long or too short to be any benefit.
Sharh Muslim (6/159):->

2b] Friday khutbah in languages other than Arabic

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2b]
elsewhere in the Muslim world, unless Arabic is taught from the
primary stage and is made the language of knowledge. End quote.
Majallat al-Manaar (6/496).
Fourthly:
With regard to praying four Sunnah rak'ahs before Jumu'ah, there is no
Sunnah prayer before Jumu'ah. Rather it is prescribed to offer
voluntary prayers in general before it, without specifying any
particular number.
And Allaah knows best.

2a] Friday khutbah in languages other than Arabic

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2a]
As for the evidence that it is permissible in cases of necessity;
there is some evidence to that effect in sharee'ah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people,
in order that he might make (the Message)clear for them"
[Ibraaheem 14:4]
For example, when the Sahaabah invaded non-Arab lands such as Persia
and Byzantium, they did not fight them until they called them to Islam
via interpreters. Endquote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz (12/372).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The correct view with regard to this matter is that it is permissible
for the khateeb to deliver thekhutbah in a language that the people
present understand, if the people present are not Arabs and do not
know Arabic. He may deliver the khutbah in their language, becausethat
is the means of explaining to them, and the purpose of the khutbah is
to explain the sacred limits of Allaah to His slaves, and exhort them,
and guide them. But the verses of Qur'aan should be recited in Arabic,
then explained in the language of the people.
The fact that he may give the khutbah in the language of the people is
indicated by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people,
in order that he might make (the Message)clear for them"
[Ibraaheem 14:4].
Allaah stated that the means of conveying should be in the
languagethat the people addressedunderstand. Based on that, he may
give the khutbah in a language other than Arabic, but if he recites
verses of Qur'aan, they must be in Arabic, in which the Qur'aan was
revealed, then after that he may explain them to these people in their
language. End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb.
See the answer to question no. 984 .
Secondly:
The format of Jumu'ah prayer should not be changed to what is
mentioned in the question, whereby there are two khutbahs, one before
the adhaan in the people's language and another after the adhaan in
Arabic. Rather there should a khutbah either inthe language of the
people or in Arabic then translated into the other language
straightaway whilst the khateeb is still on the minbar.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about translating the Friday khutbah into some other languages, after
Jumu'ah prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam, so that those who do not know
Arabic could benefitfrom it. He replied:
We do not agree with what has been mentioned, and there is no
justification for delivering another khutbah on Friday before or after
the prayer.
If the aim is to translate the khutbah to those whodo not understand
Arabic, then the khutbah etc can be translated via the radioat times
other than Jumu'ah prayer. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibnIbraaheem (3/20).
We encourage all Muslimsto learn Arabic, because it is the language of
the Qur'aan and through it they can understand Islam better, and
understand the meanings of the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Shaykh Rasheed Rida (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
We have stated more than once that knowledgeof Arabic is obligatory
upon every Muslim, because understanding the religion, establishing
its rituals and fulfilling its obligations all depend on understanding
this language, and cannot be valid without it. Although the Friday
khutbah does not absolutely have to be in Arabic, this ritual is of
great importance.
The non-Arabs who entered Islam in the early period hastened to learn
Arabic in order to understand the Qur'aan and Sunnah and to form bonds
through the language without which the unity of the ummah cannot be
achieved. The Sahaabah used to addressthe people in Arabic in every
land that they conquered, and it was notlong before the language of
the lands that they entered became Arabic, due to the influence of the
spirit of Islam, not for worldly gains or by force of compulsion. If
they hadthought that it was acceptable to leave the non-Arab nations
who entered their religion with their own languages,they would have
hastened to learn the languages of those nations and established the
religious obligations and acts of worship for them in those languages,
and Greek would have remained Greek, Persian would have remained
Persian, and so on.
The difference in languages that we see today among Muslims is one of
the most serious bad effects of politics. If the Ottoman and Iranian
states do not try to spread Arabic in their realms, there will come a
day when they will regretthat. We cannot rely on any religious reform
in India or elsewhere in the Muslim world,
:->

2] Friday khutbah in languages other than Arabic

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2]
Could you kindly detail what should be done by the congregation for
Jumaprayers? Basically, we listen to a speech in our language then
Adhan, then four sunna salaat. After this the Imam devlivers the
khutba in Arabic. During his khutbhahow should we sit? Then there is a
pause in the khutbha, what should be recited here?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The fuqaha' are unanimously agreed that it is better for the khutbah
to be in Arabic, but they differed as to whether that is essential.
There are three points of view:
1-
That it is essential for it tobe in Arabic for the one who is able to
do that, even if the listeners do not know Arabic.
This is the view of the Maalikis and it is the well-known view of the Hanbalis.
See: al-Fawaakih al-Diwaani (1/306) and Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (2/34).
2-
That it is essential for it tobe in Arabic for the one who is able to
do that, unless none of the listeners know Arabic, in which case he
should givethe khutbah in their language.
This is the correct view according to the Shaafa'is,and it is the view
of some of the Hanbalis.
See: al-Majmoo' by al-Nawawi (4/522).
3-
It is mustahabb for the khutbah to be in Arabic but it is not
essential, and the khateeb may deliver the khutbah in his own language
instead of Arabic. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and some of the
Shaafa'is.
See: Radd al-Muhtaar (1/543) and al-Mawsoo'ahal-Fiqhiyyah (19/180).
This third view is the correct one, and it is the view favoured by a
number of our contemporary scholars, because there is no clear
evidence to say that the khutbah must be in Arabic, and because the
purpose of the khutbah is to exhort, benefit and teach, which can only
be done by using the language of the people present.
It says in a statement of the Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League:
The fairest opinion is that using Arabic when giving the khutbah on
Friday and at Eid in countries where it is not spoken is not a
condition of it beingvalid, but it is better to say the preliminaries
of the khutbah and any Qur'aanic verses quoted inArabic, so as to get
non-Arabs used to hearing Arabic and the Qur'aan, which will make it
easier to learn it and read the Qur'aan in the language in which it
was revealed. Then the khateeb can follow that with exhortation in
their language which they understand. End quote.
Qiraaraat al-Majma' al-Fiqhi (p. 99) (fifth session, fifth statement).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
There is no proof in the hadeeth to suggest that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stipulated that the Friday
khutbah shouldbe in Arabic, rather he delivered the khutbah in Arabic
because it was his language and the language of his people. Sothe one
who addressed them and guided them and reminded them spokein their
language that they understood. But he sent letters in Arabic to the
kings and rulers of nations, and he knew thatthey spoke languages
other than Arabic, and he knew that they would have them translated
intotheir languages so that they would know what was in them.
Based on this, it is permissible for the khateeb to deliver the
khutbah in a language where the people or the vast majority of its
inhabitants do not know Arabic to deliver the khutbah in Arabic then
translate it into the local language, so that they will understand
what he is advising and reminding them of, and they will benefit from
his khutbah.
He may also deliver the khutbah in the language of his country, even
if it is not Arabic, and thus he will accomplish the guidance,
teaching, exhortation and reminderthat are the purpose of the khutbah.
But it is better to deliver the khutbah in Arabic and then translate
it to the listeners, so as to combinethe guidance of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his khutbahsand his
letters with achieving the aim of giving the khutbah, and so as to
avoid an area concerning which there is scholarly dispute. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (8/253).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Perhaps it is better, and Allaah knows best, to discuss this matter in
detail and say:
If the majority of people in the mosque are non-Arabic speakers who do
not understand Arabic, then there is nothing wrong with giving the
khutbah in a language other than Arabic, or delivering it in Arabic
thentranslating it.
But if most of the people present know Arabic and understand it in
general, then it is better to stick toArabic and not go against the
guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
especially since the salaf used to deliver khutbahs in mosques where
there were non-Arabs present, and it is not narrated that they used to
translate it, because Islam was prevalent and so was Arabic.:->

1a] What should be said when the imam sits down between the two khutbahs at Jumu’ah prayer?

Key word - {*Friday Prayers:-}
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1a]
The same may also be said of the imam; he should say du'aa' between
the two khutbahs but it should be silent, asking for whatever he wants
of things in this world and inthe Hereafter.
The same may also be said concerning prostration during Jumu'ah
prayer, after reciting the adhkaar that were narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one may say du'aa' as one
wishes.
And after the tashahhud and before the salaam, one may say du'aa' for
whatever one wants, aftersaying du'aa' for that which it is narrated
one should say du'aa' for. End quote.
He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him):
Du'aa' during this time is good and is mustahabb, because this time is
a time when it is hoped prayers will be answered. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that on Friday there is a
time when no Muslim slave asks Allaah for something when he is
standing and praying but He will answer him.
The time of prayer is the most likely to be the time when du'aa's are
answered, because of the report narrated by Muslimfrom Abu Moosa
al-Ash'ari(may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "It is
between the time when the imam comes out until the prayer ends."
Based on this, one should make the most of this opportunity and say
du'aa' between the two khutbahs.
With regard to raising thehands, I do not think there is anything
wrong with it, because the basic principle with regard to du'aa' is
that its etiquette includes raising the hands.So if a person raises
his hands there is nothing wrong with it, and if he says du'aa'
without raising his hands there is nothing wrong with it. This has to
do with du'aa' between the two khutbahs. End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb(Fataawa al-Salaah/Salaat al-Jumu'ah)
Thirdly:
Some fuqaha' said that it is mustahabb to recite Qur'aan when the imam
sits down between the two khutbahs, and some of them mentioned Soorat
al-Ikhlaas in particular, based on the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn Samurah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to give two khutbahs, sitting in
between them. He would recite Qur'aan and remindthe people. Narrated
by Muslim (862). A similar version was narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his
Saheeh (7/42), which he included in a chapter entitled "Mention of
what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
say when he sat down between the two khutbahs." End quote.
Al-Khateeb al-Sharbeeni (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
His sitting between the two khutbahs was about the length of Soorat al-Ikhlaas.
Should he recite Qur'aan or dhikr therein, or remain silent?
They did not discuss it, but in Saheeh Ibn Hibbaanit says that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite
Qur'aan therein. End quote.
Mughni al-Muhtaaj (1/557).
The correct view is that the words of Jaabir ibn Samurah in the
hadeeth, "he would recite Qur'aan and remind the people" do not refer
to the sitting between the two khutbahs, rather they refer to what is
mentioned at the beginning of the hadeeth,"The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to give two khutbahs", i.e., he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would deliver two khutbahs
on the minbar, which both included recitation of Qur'aan and
exhortation and reminders to the people.
Hence al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi said in Siyar A'laam al-Nubala' (16/102),
in his biographyof Ibn Hibbaan, in an important discussion of mistakes
made by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh: One of the things which al-Dhahabi
regarded as a mistake on his part was his categorizing of this
hadeeth, when he – Ibn Hibbaan – said: Mention of what [the Prophet]
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite when he sat
down between the two khutbahs. And he did not mention anything. End
quote. Meaning that the hadeeth does not indicatewhat he mentioned in
thechapter heading.
The more correct view –and Allaah knows best – is that there is no
binding Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) concerning this matter. The one who wants to use this brief
moment of silence to say du'aa' or dhikr or recite Qur'aan may do so,
so long as he does not disturb others.
And Allaah knows best.

1] What should be said when the imam sits down between the two khutbahs at Jumu’ah prayer?

Key word - {*Friday Prayers:-}
- - -
1]
What should be said when the imam sits downbetween the two khutbahs at
Jumu'ah prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to deliver two khutbahs on Friday and he separated them
bysitting down briefly on the minbar.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to give two khutbahs and sit down between them. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (928).
It is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) or the Sahaabah, as far as we know, said any specific du'aa'
or dhikr between the two khutbahs of Jumu'ah. Rather some of the
scholars said that it is mustahabb to say du'aa' between the two
khutbahs, seeking the time when du'aa' is answered on Friday. One of
the strongest opinions about that time is that it is from when the
imam first comes out to give thekhutbah until the end of the prayer.
This has been discussed in the answer toquestion no. 112165 .
But because this du'aa' was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the noble Sahaabah, we should not
affirm it or take it as a binding Sunnah; it is also not permissible
to raise one's voice when saying itand disturb the others who are
present. Some scholars have warned against that.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami narrated that al-Qaadi said: Du'aa' during this
sitting (between the two khutbahs) will be answered. Then Ibn Hajar
said:
It may be understood from what al-Qaadi said that the Sunnah is for
the people present to make use of the time when the imam sits to say
du'aa', because it is affirmed thatit is answered at that time. If
they say du'aa' then it is better for it to be silent, because by
saying it out loud they may disturb others, and because saying it
silently is better in the case of du'aa', unless it is for a reason.
End quote.
Al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (1/251-252).
Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan Abu Bateen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: Du'aa'whilst sitting between thetwo khutbahs – I
do not know anything about it, and the one who does that seeking the
time mentioned on Friday (when du'aa' may be answered) should not be
objected to. End quote.
Rasaa'il wa Fataawa al-Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah AbuBateen (p. 163)
Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Rida (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for raising the hands and the voice in du'aa' when the khateeb sits
down between the two khutabhs, we do not know of any Sunnah to support
that; there wouldbe nothing wrong with it were it not for the fact
that it disturbs others andbecause they regarded it as a Sunnah to be
followed without any evidence.
What is narrated is to ask for silence when the imam ascends the
minbar,but the silence is for the purpose of listening. Hence we say
that there isnothing wrong with saying du'aa' at times other than when
listeningis required, but one should say du'aa' quietly and not
disturb others with one's du'aa'. Not all the people should raise
their hands so that this becomes one of the rituals of Jumu'ah for
which there is no teachingin the Sunnah. Rather they are going against
theclear Sunnah, if when the imam stands up and begins the second
khutbah they continue with their du'aa's. It is better for them to
listen and ponder at the time of the khutbah, and think and reflect at
the time when the imam is resting.The least that can be said about
this action of theirs is that it is an inappropriate innovation. End
quote.
Majallat al-Manaar (6/792).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked whether
there is a specificdu'aa' or dhikr that the worshipper may say between
the two Jumu'ahkhutbahs? Is it narrated that the khateeb should say
du'aa' between the two khutbahs or not?
He replied:
There is no specific dhikr or du'aa', rather a person may say whatever
supplication he wants, because this is a time when du'aa's are
answered. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "On Friday there is a time when no Muslim slave asks Allaah for
something when he is standing and praying but He will give itto him."
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from the hadeeth of Abu Moosa: "Itis
between the time whenthe imam comes out – i.e.,enters the mosque –
until the prayer ends."
This is a time when du'aa's are answered, so one should make the most
of this opportunity and say du'aa' between the two khutbahs, asking
for whatever he wants of the good things of this world and the
Hereafter.
:->

Is it obligatory to read Qur’aan with the rules of Tajweed?

Some scholars of tajweed said that it is obligatory to read Qur'aan
with the rules of tajweed. Is that true?
Praise be to Allah.
The correct view is that reading Qur'aan with the rules of tajweed is
not obligatory; tajweed is only a means of making one's recitation
more beautiful. If a person reads and pronounces theletters clearly
with the vowels as marked, then this is sufficient. With regard to the
verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "and recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and)
style" [al-Muzzammil 73:4], that does not refer to tajweed;rather what
is meant is toread it at a measured pace.

It is not permissible to stay away from Jumu‘ahprayer without an excuse

I graduated as a radiologytechnician in the Norton Hospital in
America. They offered me a job last week, but it seems that they will
not give me a day off on Fridays to perform Jumu'ah prayer. What is
the ruling?
Praise be to Allah.
It is obligatory on the onewho can hear the call to prayer on Friday
and is one of those for whom Jumu'ah is obligatory -- that is he is a
male, Muslim, accountable and free (not a slave) -- to respond to the
call. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salat(prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumuah prayer), come to the
remembrance of Allah (Jumuah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salat
(prayer)) and leave off business (and every other thing), that is
better for you if you did but know!"
[al-Jumu 'ah 63:9].
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"People must cease neglecting Jumu'ah, or Allaah will put a seal over
their hearts and they will truly be among the negligent." Narrated by
Muslim, 865.
Secondly:
There are some excuses that make it permissible for a Muslim to miss
Jumu'ah prayer, such as being sick or doing essential work that he
cannot leave in order to offer Jumu'ah prayer, as inthe case of one
who is treating the sick or dealing with emergency cases in the
hospital, or one who works as a security guard for a place of great
importance, and other such jobs.
This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 36530
Based on that, if your presence in the hospital atthe time of Jumu'ah
prayer is necessary for dealing with emergency and accident cases, and
there is no one else you can do this job apart fromyou, then there is
nothingwrong with your not attending Jumu'ah prayer in that case, and
you may pray it as Zuhr.
But if your staying in the hospital at that time is not necessary,
because there are others who could do the work besidesyou, then there
is no excuse for you to miss Jumu'ah prayer, and you have to do look
for another job which will not conflict with your Islamic duty. If a
person gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate
him withsomething better than it.
We ask Allah to make what is good easy for youwherever it is.
And Allah knows best.

Your Deeds Alone Are Faithful

In this world you have three companions :
one is faithful, the others are treacherous.
The latter are friends and possessions;
the faithful one is excellence in deeds.
Your wealth won't come with you out of your palace;
your friend will come, but only as far as the grave.
When the day of doom comes to meet you,
your friend will say, "I've come this far, but no farther. I will
stand a whileat your grave."
Your deeds alone are faithful: make them your refuge,
for they alone will accompany you into the depths of the tomb.

Consistency in Deeds

"The best of deeds are those carried out regularly even if they are
little deeds. " – Hadith
Never underestimate the reward of punctuality upon a small deed that
is very easy to fulfill or achieve. Regularity or punctuality upon
little deeds, is much more rewarding than huge deeds that are not
fulfilled except haphazardly. Do not be from those who have a tendency
to start off something really good, but give up after a while.
Be strong and keep going.
May the Almighty strengthen our resolve to be regular in fulfilling
our good deeds even if they are little. Aameen.