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Indonesia Travel Guide : Tourist Attractions : Bali : Holidays in Bali

Holidays in Bali, Indonesia - Bali is a picturesque paradise, with a
great combination of the tourist hotspots and the serene silence.
Small….yet rich in culture, Bali presents a concoction of absolutely
and friendly and warm people, an adventure in food, a beach-lovers
paradise and a feast for the lover of the arts and creativity.
Bali is famed for its white sandy beaches, the surf and stunning
sunsets. The water is as blue as blue can get. Thefamous white sun
umbrellas looked whiter against the deep aqua backdrop. For tourist,
Bali is a pure visual treat.A Kaleidoscope of colors,from the gentle
sloping rice terraces, to the dense woods and the efflorescent
Balinese gardens. Exotic flowers in bright colors contrast with
well-landscaped lung spaces and pools of water, while its people
enhance the color and vibrancy of the place.
Lush tropical forests, colorful festivals, beautiful beaches, quaint
performing arts and friendly locals, Bali is a fairy tale setting for
a fascinating cast of characters - your family. So go discover a
country full of surprises and magical legends. Make Bali your next
holiday destination.
And, like they say in Balinese….Terima kasih! (Thank you) Bali for a
wonderfully memorable holiday.
Things to do on a Balinese holiday:
*. You can take part in colorful festivals.
*. Watch Wayang shadowpuppetry.
*. Chill out on white sandy beaches.
*. Shop and enjoy the fabulous nightlife of Kuta.
*. Surf or make a splash in the sparkling waters.
*. Visit museums and art galleries.
*. Discover ancient caves and temples.

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Indonesia Travel Guide : Tourist Attractions : Bali : Holidays in Bali

Holidays in Bali, Indonesia - Bali is a picturesque paradise, with a
great combination of the tourist hotspots and the serene silence.
Small….yet rich in culture, Bali presents a concoction of absolutely
and friendly and warm people, an adventure in food, a beach-lovers
paradise and a feast for the lover of the arts and creativity.
Bali is famed for its white sandy beaches, the surf and stunning
sunsets. The water is as blue as blue can get. Thefamous white sun
umbrellas looked whiter against the deep aqua backdrop. For tourist,
Bali is a pure visual treat.A Kaleidoscope of colors,from the gentle
sloping rice terraces, to the dense woods and the efflorescent
Balinese gardens. Exotic flowers in bright colors contrast with
well-landscaped lung spaces and pools of water, while its people
enhance the color and vibrancy of the place.
Lush tropical forests, colorful festivals, beautiful beaches, quaint
performing arts and friendly locals, Bali is a fairy tale setting for
a fascinating cast of characters - your family. So go discover a
country full of surprises and magical legends. Make Bali your next
holiday destination.
And, like they say in Balinese….Terima kasih! (Thank you) Bali for a
wonderfully memorable holiday.
Things to do on a Balinese holiday:
*. You can take part in colorful festivals.
*. Watch Wayang shadowpuppetry.
*. Chill out on white sandy beaches.
*. Shop and enjoy the fabulous nightlife of Kuta.
*. Surf or make a splash in the sparkling waters.
*. Visit museums and art galleries.
*. Discover ancient caves and temples.

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Imam Muslim

BIRTH OF IMAM MUSLIM
His name was Abul-Hussain Muslim-bin-Habaj al Nishapuri. He was born
in a distinguished family of Arab Muslims in Khorasanwhich. was a
famous town of Russia. Imam Muslim was born in 817 A.D. corresponding
to theIslamic year 204 A.H. His forefathers occupied prominent
positions during the time of the four Caliphs. He travelled to many
places with the object of learning Hadith,and after completing his
studies in the various centres of learning, he settled at Nishapur. He
spend the rest of his life teaching Hadith.
EDUCATION
Imam Muslim started his studies at the very early age of fourteen
years. In the year 218 A.H. the atmosphere in Nishapur, his
birthplace, was of a religious and knowledge type. Nishapur had great
personalities in this period such as lmaam Rahiwe and lmaam
Zohri.After travelling widely in search of Hadith, he settled in
Nishapur as mentioned above. Imam Muslim was much impressed by the
vast knowledge of Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), in the fieldof Hadith and the
deep insight he possessed on this subject. He therefore attached
himself to Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) up to the end of his life. Imam Muslim
was also an admirer of another great teacher of Hadith, Muhammed bin
Yahya al Dhuli. He attended his lectures regularly. He visited Baghdad
several times and had the opportunity of deliveringlessons there. His
last visitto Baghdad was two years before his death.
IMAM MUSLIM'S TEACHERS
Imam Muslim (R.A.) apart from attending the lessons of Imaam
Bukhariregularly, also attended the lectures of lmaam Ahmad bin
Hambal, Abdullah al Qarri, Qutaibabin Said, Abdullah bin Maslama and
other great Muhadith.
IMAM MUSLIM'S STUDENTS
Imam Muslim (R.A.'s) mostnoted students are Hatim Razi, Ahrnad bin
Salmah, Abu Isa Tinnizi, Abubaker bin Khuzaima and other great
scholars.
CHARACTER AND KNOWLEDGE
Imam Muslim R.A. adhered strictly to the path of righteousness. Hewas
in fact a great saint of a very high calibre. His excellent character
can be well judged from the simple fact that he never ever indulged in
backbiting, a very common human failing. He had a remarkable memory.
Ishaq bin Rahwisaid of Imam Muslim; " I wonder what this personis
going to be?" This was said in his youth. Ishaq Kausar once addressed
lmam Muslim (R.A.) and said; "Your presence in the Muslim community
will always keep it in the good. " Abu Saimah who was a colleague of
lmam Muslim was so attached to him that while lmaam Sahib was busy
compiling the Sahih Muslim, he remained in lmaam Sahib's company for
fifteen years. He never told a lie nor did he ever use vulgar words.
MASLAK
Sheikh Abdul Latief says Imaam Tirmidhi and Imam Muslim were followers
of the Shafee school of thought, although they were both Mujtahids.
Moulana Abdur-Rashid says that Imaam Muslim was a Maliki. The fact is
what was said by Sheikh Tahir Jazari that Imam Muslim is not a Maliki
nor a Hanifi nor a Shafi, but hiscompilation of the sahih Muslim shows
that he was more inclined towards the Shafee school of thought.
SAHIH OF IMAM MUSLIM
Allamah Nabawi (R.A.) says that the Ummat haveaccepted the Bukhari
Shareef and Muslim Shareef as the Kitabs, which follow the Quraan,in
authenicity although the Bukhari is regarded as holding a higher
position than the Sahih Muslim for specific reasons, the sequence
applied in the Muslim is much better than that of Bukhari. It is known
as Al-Jamah as Sahih because it contains the eight different subjects
on Hadis.
AL-JAMAH AS SAHIH MUSLIM
Imam Bukhari (R.A.) concentrated his efforts on compilation of
authentic hadith as well as deduction of Laws from Hadith. This is the
most difficult part to understand in the Bukhari. How he deduced Laws
from the Hadis, Imam Muslim concentrated his efforts only on
compilation of authentic Hadith.

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Imam Shafi’ee

Imam Muhammad Ibn Idress Shafi'ee was born in Ghazah, Palestine in the
year 150 AH. Imam Shafi'ee was a descendent from the Hashimi family of
the Quaraish tribe to which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
belonged. His father diedaround the time of his birth and his mother
migrated to Makkah with Imam Shafi'ee when he was 2 years of age.
During his youth Imam Shafi'ee excelled in 2 activities: acquisition
of deeni ilm and archery. Bythe age of 7 Imam Shafi'ee had memorised
the Qur'an and at ten years of age he had committed the Mu'atta of
Imam Malik to memory.
At the age of 13 with his mother's permission Imam Shafi'ee departed
Makkah arrived in Madinah at the door of Imam Malik.
Teachers
His uncle, Muhammed IbnAli Ibn Shafi'ee
Imam Malik
Imam Muhammad ibnul Hassan Shaybanee
Imam Waqee'
Imam Sufyan ibn Uyaynah
Imam Shafi'ee is reported to have written over 150 books.
Imam Shafi'ee was an expert in both Hanafi and Maliki fiqh. From which
came about the Shafi'ee fiqh, which was spread by his students.
Imam Shafi'ee is a great role model, for both men and women. Never did
he speak a lie, and his hands reached out to thepoor generously.
Imam Muhammad said about him: The door of Fiqh was shut to the people,
Allah opened it because of Imam Shafi'ee.
Imam Shafi'ee died in Cairo, Egypt, on FRIDAY evening after Maghrib,
inRAJAB, 204 A.H. after a short illness at the age of 54 years.

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Importance of Hajj

Hajj started with Ibraheem (Peace be upon him) who left his legacy
both in the Hanifiyah, the pristine religion of Islam and in Hajj. The
legacy of Ibraheem (A) was his millah, way, of true submission to
Allah. He was the first one who used the word "Islam". He named anyone
holding to the same faithas him a Muslim meaningthe one that
surrenders and submits to the will ofthe Creator, Allah. We read in
Surat al-Hajj,
"And strive in His cause asyou ought to strive, (withsincerity and
under discipline). He has chosenyou, and has imposed no difficulties
on you in religion; it is the way of your father Abraham. It isHe who
has named you Muslims, both before andin this (Revelation); that the
Messenger may be a witness for you, and you are witnesses for mankind!
So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to
Allah! He is your Protector, the best to protect and the Best to
help!" (22:78)
His submission and total surrender to the Will of Allah is related to
his establishment of Hajj. Even if Ibraheem (A) did not remain in
Makkah to the end of his life, he laidthe foundations of the Ka'bah in
the middle of Makkah valley as well as the principles of Tawheed,
genuine monotheism, in the heartof his son Ismaeel (A). The latter was
also a prophet and a messengerof Allah, who kept the promise to
preserve and guard Ka'bah as well as the Islamic faith. Later on, one
of his descendents through Kedar – the second son ofIshmael as
prophesied in Genesis 25:13 and a few other places – Muhammad (S), who
was also a Hanif, rejected the idolatry and paganism brought to Makkah
and called to the same faith as his forefathers Ibraheem (A) Ismaeel
(A). He was chosen by Allah tobe the last Messenger sent as Mercy to
the world. He restored that legacy, Islam, and preserved the Ka'bah
from the alien beliefs and practices. He reminded people of the
religion of Ibraheem (S) and its tenets and called everyone to the
religion of Ibraaheem (Peace be upon him).
The building of the Ka'bah was by Ibraaheem and his son Ismaeel (Peace
be upon them). This house was named "Ka'bah" after its cubic shape. It
is the center point for Muslims all over the world. When a Muslim
wants to pray, he, or she, must face Qiblah – the direction towards
Makkah. Hajj also cannot be performed except in Makkah and its
vicinity. The al-Masjid al-Haraam, holy mosque, was the first mosque
built in the world. It is today the most visited place on earth and
that is why it iscalled al-Bayt al-'ateeq meaning the ancient house.
One prayer in this mosque equals one hundred thousands prayers
elsewhere as stated in a few authentic hadiths.
When Ibraaheem (A) finished the construction of Ka'bah, he called
people to Hajj and prayed to Allah to bless Makkah and its vicinity
and to make people come visit it until the Dayof Judgement though it
was remote and in the desert.
"Remember Abraham said: "O my Lord! Make this city one of peace
andsecurity: and preserve meand my sons from worshipping idols. "O my
Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind; he then who
follows my (way) is of me, and he that disobeys me, but You are indeed
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. "O our Lord! I have made some of my
offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred
House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer:
so fill the hearts of some among people with love towards them, and
feed them with Fruits: so that they may give thanks." (14:35-7)
Allah (swt) always relates the story of Hajj and Ibraheem to Tawheed
and Islam, which is the way of Ibraheem, Muhammad, and all the
prophets (Peace be upon them).
"Remember We made theHouse a place of assembly for men and a place of
safety. And take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We
covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, thatthey should sanctify My House
for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein in Prayer). And remember Abraham
said:"My Lord, make this a Cityof Peace, and feed its People with
fruits' such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He said:
"(Yes), and such as reject Faith, for a while will I grant them their
Pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire, an evil
destination (indeed)!" And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the
foundations of the House(with this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this
service)from us: for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. "Our
Lord! Make of us Muslims bowing to Your Will); andof our progeny a
people Muslim, bowing to Your (Will); and show us our places for the
celebrationof (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for You are
the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. "Our Lord! Send amongst them a
Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Your Signs to them and
instruct them in Scriptureand Wisdom, and sanctifythem: for You are
the Exalted in Might, the MostWise." And who turns away from the
religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We
chose and rendered pure in this world: and he will be in the Hereafter
in the ranks of the Righteous. Behold! His Lord said to him: "Bow
(your will to Me):" he said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and
Cherisher of the Universe." And this was the Legacy that Abraham left
to his sons, and so did Jacob; "O my sons! Allah has chosen the Faith
for you; then die not except in the state of submission (to Allah)"
(2:125-32)
And talking about the first call to Hajj, Allah (swt) says,
"Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House,
(saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; and sanctify
My House forthose who compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). And proclaim thePilgrimage
among people; they will come toyou on foot and (mounted) on every kind
of camel, lean on accountof journeys through deep and distant mountain
highways. Thatthey may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and
celebrate the name of Allah, through the Days Appointed, over the
cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat
thereof and feed the distressed ones in want. Then let them complete
the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again)
circumambulate the Ancient House. Such (is the Pilgrimage):
whoeverhonors the sacred rites ofAllah, for him it is good in the
sight of his Lord" (22:26-30)
As we see here, Hajj was practiced before ProphetMuhammad (S) came,
butthe latter removed the false worshipped idols and ended all pagan
beliefs and practices, which had changed gradually the way of Ibraheem
and Ismaeel (A)as well as the Ka'bah's sanctity. Many rituals were
innovated by people over time, but Prophet Muhammad (S) showed his
companions with every detail how to perform the best pilgrimage. He
(S) said,
"O people! Learn from methe way how to perform your Hajj rituals for I
do not know if I will be able to make Hajj next year ornot." [Muslim,
An-Nassaa'i, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad].
Hajj: A station of Commemorations:
When we perform Hajj, we should relate the rituals to our forefathers
and ancestors in faith: Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Haajar, and Muhammad (S) as
well as the first generations of Muslims. In Hajj, we commemoratethem
as well as their sacrifice, sincerity, dedication and patience, which
constitute the main elements of their legacy. We should not perform
Hajj only physically, but spiritually as well. We should try to
understand the meaning of every thing we do andsee what lessons we can
draw. The following points are some reflections on the pillars of Hajj
and some other rituals:
- In the state of Ihram wewear for a couple of daysa seamless garment,
which is exactly like a shroud. It is a symbol of total renunciation
of worldly life in order to get purified and to raise the soul to a
high spiritual level of consciousness of Allah and the Eternal life.
It makes the pilgrim humble, equal to others, and helpless as if it is
the Day of resurrection.
The restrictions of the state of Ihraam are very rigorous in terms of
the way the pilgrim behaves with others, with himself,and with Allah
and also in terms of using regular worldly things such as putting
perfume, cutting one's hair…etc. This makes Hajj a school of
discipline, taqwah and self-control. A school, which can produce
righteous, decent, honestand hardworking peopleas the five daily
prayers and the fasting of Ramadan and the pillars of Islam do.
- In Tawaaf – Circumambulating around Ka'bah- the pilgrims walk fast
to commemorate the first generation of Muslims who came with the
Messenger of Allah (S) to perform Hajj. When the Polytheists of Makkah
started saying that the Prophet's companions were sick because they
were effected by the fever of Madinah, the Prophet (S) wanted to
disappoint them and show the opposite. That is why men almost jog with
short steps in the first three circumambulations and uncover their
right shoulders during all the tawaaf.
We also imitate the angels who circumambulate around al-bayt
al-Ma'amour – thefilled house – above in the seven Heaven as reported
in many authentic hadiths.
When we kiss the Black Stone, which was brought from Jannah,
weremember the other life and pray to Allah that Paradise will be our
abode. In the Hadith , theProphet (S) said that when the Black Stone
was brought from Jannah., it was very white, but it darkened and
became black because of the sins of human beings. We kiss it because
we saw the Prophet (S) doing it and it is simply an act of following.
The stone cannot bring any benefit or harm to us. All the rituals, the
pillars of Islamand our lives should be established by following the
best. If we understand deeply the meaning of "I bear witness that
Muhammad is the servant and Messenger of Allah" as following the
pattern of the model chosen by GodAlmighty, we will certainly reach
Jannah through the straight path, which is drawn by that model
practically.
- In as-Safaa and al-Marwah we commemorate Haajar (Peace be upon her),
the mother of Ismaeel (A) and the wife of Ibraheem(A). She performed
Sa'y when she was looking for water for her son. After she relied on
Allah and assured Ibraheem that Allah won't leave them without help
(he left with them some dates and water but soonit was finished after
a couple of days…). She was certain that Allah would not forsake her
and her son. In that remote place, water sprung out from under the
feet of Ismaeel the baby. After the certitude she had, her strong
faith in Allah, her sacrifice of searching for water by going back and
forth between as-Safaa and al-Marwah, Allah answered her du'aa and
blessed her with a water that run and never stopped in an arid and
rocky land. She left a great legacy in sacrifice, piety, trust in
Allah, and patience. Allah wants us to learn from her to the point
that he made Sa'y between as-Safaa and al-Marwah one of the pillars of
Hajj and Umrah.He says,
"Behold! As-Safa and al-Marwah are among the Symbols of Allah. So
ifthose who visit the Housein the Season or at other times, should
compass them round, it is no sin inthem. And if any one obeys his own
impulse toGood, be sure that Allah is He Who recognizes andknows."
(2:158)
- In Arafaat we commemorate the Success of Muslims over the pagans of
Makkah. It was the success of truth over falsehood. There, the Muslim
remembers that truth always prevailsno matter how long it takes for
falsehood and delusion to last and deceive. 'Arafaat is also the
symbol of unity and solidarity because it is a pillar of Hajj that
should be done by all the pilgrims in the same place and at the same
time following the same way. The day of Arafah reminds us also of the
Day of Judgement when we will all stand up waiting for the Just
Judgement of Allah Almighty.
Arafaat is also another symbol of manifestation of Tawheed in terms of
the unified collective standing of all the pilgrims at the same timein
the same place. Moreover, when Prophet Muhammad (S) performed Hajj he
stood on Arafaat as his forefather Ibraheem used to do instead of
standing on Muzdalifah as the Quraish pagans used to do because they
believed they should not go beyond al-Haram boundaries. This was
alsoanother example of the distortion of the religion of Ibraheem and
Ismaeel(A).
- In the Stoning at al-Jamaraat, we commemorate Ibraaheem (A) and
remember how strong and firm he was against Shaytan – our enemy since
the time of Adam (A). We should rememberhow Satan does his utmost
effort to distract us from doing what we're supposed to do to become
closer to Allah and to enter Paradise. Allah has told us that Satan is
our enemy and that we should be constantly in this life in a state of
war with him,
"Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this – Satan – is an enemy to you and
your wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden, so that you
are landed in misery." (20:117)
"Verily Satan is an enemyto you: so treat him as anenemy. He only
invites his adherents, that they may become companionsof the Blazing
Fire." (35:6)
We also reflect on the great sacrifices and trials Ibraahem had to
undergo such as offeringhis son Ismaael that he had to wait for his
birth for many decades. In the middle of joy and happiness for
becoming a father, Allah wanted to see how strong was his commitment
to Him. He ordered him to offer the most valuable thing he had; his
only son at that time. Ibraheem and Ismaeel did not fail in that very
difficult test and earned the pleasure of Allah. Allah called this
trial a great one when Hesaid, "For this was obviously a great trial."
"So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had
laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to
him, "O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the vision!" thus indeed
do We reward those who doright. For this was obviously a trial. And We
ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice" (37:103-07)
The most important thingwe should keep in our minds is that Allah
knowsbetter than we do even ifwe sometimes think that a certain action
is not clear to us or does not make a sense to us and why do we have
to perform it. Of course Allah orders only what is good and just for
us and all mankind. We should accept and submit to Allah. As a matter
of fact, one of the meanings of Islam is acceptance.
In commemorating this, the pilgrim should think whether he, or she, is
ready to offer the dearest thing to his, or her, heart for the sake of
Allah. This religion cannot survive in the hearts of people without
sacrifices, devotion, sincere love, commitment, and dedication. Allah
(swt) says,
"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely)
of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a truth Allah knows
it well." (3:92)
Lessons and Reflections:
- Hajj is an act of Worship– not tourism or promenade – which requires
a physical and spiritual preparation.
- It is a station of renewing Iman as many other stations where
sinsare wiped out by forgiveness and where faith, trust, and love of
Allah, His Messengers, and the believers increase. The pilgrim
getspurified and comes out of his sins like a newbornbaby.
- It is a school of training for Taqwah – consciousness of one's
duties towards Allah -, good character and discipline like in the
other schools of the pillars of Islam.
- It is a manifestation of brotherhood, equality and Unity. The
Muslims are like different branches but from one tree. In Hajj, we
learn how to develop the Spiritof Unity.
- It is an annual Muslim convention attended by Muslims from different
horizons, colors, races, and tongues… They exchange ideas and news and
celebrate their unity in faith and diversity in culture.
They meet in their center-point Makkah (Qiblah). Muslims always have
to have a center-point and should be constantly focused on their noble
goals.

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Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

History would have by-passed this man as it had bypassed thousands of
Arabs before him. He, like them, would have had no claim to attention
or fame. The greatness of Islam, however, gave to Abdullah ibn
Hudhafah the opportunity to meet two world potentates of his
time--Khusraw Parvez the King of Persia and Heraclius, the Byzantine
emperor.
The story of his encounter with Khusraw Parvez began in the sixth year
of the hijrah when theProphet decided to send some of his Companions
with letters to rulers outside the Arabian peninsula inviting them to
Islam.
The Prophet attached great importance to this initiative. These
messengers were going to distant lands with whom there was no
agreement or treaty. They did not know the languages of these lands
nor anything about the ways and disposition of their rulers. They were
to invite these rulers to give up their religion and forsake their
power and glory and enter the religion of a people who shortly before
were almost their subjects. The mission was undoubtedly hazardous.
To make known his plan, the Prophet called his companions together and
addressed them. He started by praising God and thanking Him. He then
recited the Shahadah and went on:
"I want to send some of you to the rulers of foreign lands but don't
dispute with me as the Israelites disputed with Jesus, the son of
Mary. "O Prophet of God, we shall carry out whateveryou wish," they
responded."Send us wherever you desire."
The Prophet commissioned six of his Sahabah to carry his letters to
Arab and foreign rulers. One of these was Abdullah ibn Hudhafah. He
was chosen to take the Prophet's letter to Khusraw Parvez, the Persian
king.
Abdullah got his camel ready and bade farewell to his wife and son. He
set out, alone, and traversed mountains and valleys until he reached
the land of the Persian.
He sought permission to enter into the king's presence informing the
guards of the letter he was carrying. Khusraw Parvez thereupon ordered
his audience chamber to be made ready and summoned his prominent
aides. When they hadassembled he gave permission for Abdullah to
enter.
Abdullah entered and saw the Persian potentate dressed in delicate,
flowing robes and wearing a great, neatly arrangedturban. On Abdullah
was the plain, coarse clothes of the bedouin. His head though was held
high and his feet were firm.The honor of Islam burned fiercely in his
breast and the power of faith pulsated in his heart.
As soon as Khusraw Parvez saw him approaching he signal led toone of
his men to take the letterfrom his hand.
"No," said Abdullah. 'The Prophet commanded me to hand over this
letter to you directly and I shall not go against a command of the
Messenger of God."
"Let him come near to me," Khusraw said to his guards and Abdullah
went forward and handed over the letter. Khusraw then called an Arab
clerk who originally came from Hira and ordered him to open the letter
in his presence and read its contents. He began reading:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful. From Muhammad, the
Messenger of God, to Khusraw the ruler of Persia. Peace on whoever
follows the guidance . . ."
Khusraw only heard this much of the letter when the fire of anger
burst within him. His face became red and he began to perspire around
the neck. He snatched the letter from the clerk's hand and began
tearing itto pieces without knowing whatelse it contained and
shouted,"Does he dare to write to me like this, he who is my slave".
He was angry that the Prophet had not given him precedence in his
letter. He then commanded Abdullah to be expelled from hisassembly.
Abdullah was taken away, not knowing what would happen to him. Would
he be killed or would he be set free? But he did not want to wait to
find out. He said, "By God, I don't care what happens to me after the
letter ofthe Prophet has been so badly treated." He managed to get to
his camel and rode off.
When Khusraw's anger had subsided he commanded that Abdullah be
brought before him.But Abdullah was nowhere to befound. They searched
for him all the way to the Arabian peninsula but found that he had
gone ahead.
Back in Madinah, Abdullah told the Prophet how Khusraw had torn his
letter to pieces and the Prophet's only reply was, "May God tear up
his kingdom".
Meanwhile, Khusraw wrote to Badhan, his deputy in the Yemen, to send
two strong men to "that man who has appeared in the Hijaz" with orders
to bringhim to Persia.
Badhan dispatched two of his strongest men to the Prophet and gave
them a letter to him in which he was ordered to go with the two men to
meet Khusraw without delay. Badhan also asked the two men to get
whatever information they couldon the Prophet and to study his message
closely.
The men set out, moving very quickly. At Taif they met some Quraysh
traders and asked them about Muhammad. "He is in Yathrib," they said
and they went on to Makkah feeling extremely happy. This was good news
for them and they went around telling other Quraysh,"You will be
pleased. Khusraw is out to get Muhammad and you will be rid of his
evil."
The two men meanwhile made straight for Madinah where they met the
Prophet, handed him the letter of Badhan and said to him, "The king of
kings, Khusraw, has written to our ruler Badhan to send his men to get
you. We have come to take you with us. If you come willingly, Khusraw
has said that it will be good for you and he will spare you any
punishment. If you refuse, you will know the power of his punishment.
He haspower to destroy you and your people."
The Prophet smiled and said to them, "Go back to your mounts today and
return tomorrow."
On the following day, they came to the Prophet and said to him,"Are
you prepared to go with us to meet Khusraw?"
"You shall not meet Khusraw after today," replied the Prophet. "God
has killed him andhis son Shirwaih has taken his place on such a night
and on such a month."
The two men stared in the face of the Prophet. They were completely dumbfounded.
"Do you know what you are saying?" they asked. "Shall we write about
this to Badhan?"
"Yes," replied the Prophet, "and say to him that my religion has
informed me about what has happened to the Kingdom of Khusraw and that
if he should become Muslim, I would appointhim ruler over what he now
controls".
The two men returned to the Yemen and told Badhan what had happened.
Badhan said, "If what Muhammad has said is true, then he is a Prophet.
If not then we shall see what happens to him."
Not long afterwards a letter from Shirwaih came to Badhan in which he
said, "I killed Khusraw because of his tyranny against our people. He
regarded as lawful the killing of leaders, the capturing of their
women and the expropriating of their wealth. When this my letter
reaches you, take the allegiance of whoever is with you on my behalf."
As soon as Badhan had read Shirwaih's letter, he threw it aside and
announced his entry into Islam. The Persians with him in the Yemen
also became Muslim.
That's the story of Abdullah ibn Hudhafah's meeting with the Persian
king. His meeting with the Byzantine emperor took place during the
caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. It too is an astonishing story.
In the nineteenth year after the Hijrah, Umar dispatched an armyto
fight against the Byzantine. Init was Abdullah ibn Hudhafah. News of
the Muslim force reached the Byzantine emperor. He had heard of their
sincerity offaith, and their willingness to sacrifice their lives in
the way of God and His Prophet. He gave orders to his men to bring to
him any Muslim captive they might take alive.
God willed that Abdullah ibn Hudhafah should fall captive to the
Byzantines and he was brought before the Emperor. The Emperor looked
at Abdullah for a long time. Suddenly he said, "I shall make a
proposal to you."
"What is it?" asked Abdullah. "I suggest that you become a Christian.
If you do this, you will be set free and I shall grant you a safe
refuge." The prisoner's reaction was furious: "Death is preferable to
me a thousand times to what you ask me to do."
"I see that you are a bold man. However, if you respond positively to
what I propose to you, I will give you a share in my authority and
swear you in as my aide."
The prisoner, shackled in his chains, smiled and said, "By God,if you
give me all that you possess and all that the Arabs have in exchange
for giving up the religion of Muhammad, I shall not do so."
"Then I shall kill you."
"Do what you want," answered Abdullah.
The emperor then had him put on a cross and ordered his soldiers to
throw spears at him, first near his hands and then near his feet, all
the while tellinghim to accept Christianity or at least give up his
religion. This herefused over and over again to do.
The emperor then had him taken down from the wooden cross. He called
for a great pot to be brought. This was filled with oil which was then
heated under a fierce fire. He then had two other Muslim prisoners
brought and had one of them thrown into the boiling oil. The
prisoner's flesh sizzled and soon his bones could be seen. The emperor
turned to Abdullah andinvited him to Christianity.
This was the most terrible test that Abdullah had to face up till now.
But he remained firm and the emperor gave up trying. He then ordered
that Abdullah too be thrown into the pot. As he was being taken away
he began to shed tears. The emperor thought that he had at last
beenbroken and had him brought back to him. He once more suggested
that Abdullah become a Christian but to his astonishment, Abdullah
refused.
"Damn you! Why did you weep then?" shouted the emperor.
"I cried," said Abdullah,"because I said to myself 'You will now be
thrown into this potand your soul will depart'. What I really desired
then was to have as many souls as the number of hairs on my body and
to have all of them thrown into this pot forthe sake of God."
The tyrant then said, "Will you kiss my head? I will then set you free?"
"And all the Muslim prisoners also?" asked Abdullah.
This the emperor agreed to do and Abdullah said to himself,"One of the
enemies of God! I shall kiss his head and he shall set me and all
other Muslim prisoners free. There can be no blame on me for doing
this." He then went up to the emperor and kissed his forehead. All the
Muslim prisoners were released and handed over to Abdullah.
Abdullah ibn Hudhafah eventually came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and told
him what had happened. Umar was greatlypleased and when he looked at
the prisoners he said, "Every Muslim has a duty to kiss the head of
Abdullah ibn Khudhafah and I shall start." Umar then got up and kissed
the head of Abdullah ibn Hudhafah .

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Disbelief/Kufr

"Allah is not satisfied with disbelief for his servants." (Sura Az-Zumar39:7)
"Surely, Allah does not forgive that a partner is ascribed to Him, and
He forgives anything short of that for whomsoever He wills. Whoever
ascribes a partner to Allah commits a terrible sin." (Sura the women
4.48)
We need to know about disbelief to protect ourselves from it and not
to accuse others of it.
In the Arabic language Kufr means to cover up or hide. A farmer is
known as a kafir becausehe covers seeds in the ground.
In the sacred law kufr/disbelief is to deny anything that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought, with the condition
that it is definite and two to deny or refuse something that is
definite
This is either something well known about the religion to the Ashari's
orsomething that is just definite to the Maturidi's.
Others say it is to deny something that is well-known by Islam, for
example to deny fasting during Ramadan
Something definite is something that is in the Quran or widely
transmitted hadith.
The Ashari's and the Maturidi's are two groups of Sunni theological
belief and themain groups of this time
There is major and minordisbelief:
Major is disbelief as described above
Minor is when someone is an ingrate about blessings
The conditions for disbelief/kufr are:
1. Sanity: a person has to be sane, an insane persons is not taken to task
2. Awake: if they say it in their sleep, it does not count
3. Forced: if someone is forced then it does not count
The definition of faith/Imam is acceptance of the heart with
affirmation on the tongue
With the conditions:
1. Not to do an action of disbelief.
2. And not to jest about it. (jest about religious matters)
The levels of disbelief/kufr are:
1. Kufr Inkari/ Denial disbelief: denies belief
2. Kufr 'Inadi/ beliefs inside but rejects on his tongue like Abu Jahl
3. Kufr juhudu/ungrateful disbelief: knows the beliefs and rejects
4. Kufr Nifaq/hypocrisy disbelief: no belief but hesays he is a believer
Action does not take one out of Islam as action is not included in
faith according to the Maturdi's.
To disbelief in Allah someone has to give him human attributes
Disbelief in the Prophets (upon them peace) is to deny their
prophethoods which have been accepted by consensus. Examples which are
not accepted by consensus are Dhulqarnan, Dhulqifal, Luqman and Khidr.
Disbelief about religion isto say something is halal/permissible when
itis prohibited/haram. For example to say fornication is halal without
marriage
Disbelief about the companions is say that a companion is going to
hell when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said
they are going to paradise, like the ten promised paradise and the
Bayat ul-Ridwan/the oath of acceptance. Cursing the companions does
not constitute to disbelief but denying that Abu Bakr as a companion
does, because he mentioned inthe Quran during the migration to Medina.
Alsoto say that the Angel Gabriel made a mistake and should have gone
to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) instead.
Disbelief about scholars iswhen someone hates a scholar without valid
reason. Also to make fun of the circles of knowledge or to say
something else is better than Islamic knowledge.
Black magic is a major wrong action but is not disbelief unless you
thinkthat it has a power on its own.
A person can fall into disbelief but disbelief does not fall onto a person
A word of disbelief does not mean that the personleaves Islam and the
only person who judge this is a Judge/Qadi. The Qadi has to know one
school correctly, some information of other schools and he has to be
close to someone who can derive his own rulings a mujtahid.
It is not permissible for an average person to call another Muslim a
disbeliever because the hadith prevents us. "If a man calls his
brother a disbeliever then one of them deserves the description." (Key
to Paradise page 78 hadith from Bukhari 6045, 6103 and Muslim 60, 61)
The prophetic narration, "The difference between a man and disbelief;
is leaving prayer." (Muslim) Ibn Abbas was asked about this and he
said this was about kufr an-Na'ma/ingratitide of blessings; minor not
major disbelief.
No one can guarantee that they will die on Islam
A person who has pronounced the words ofdisbelief must:
1. Repent to Allah
2. Repeat testification of faith: "There is no deity except Allah…"
3. Reject previous position
4. Re-marry if necessary
5. Repeat necessary actions like Hajj – disbelieve will destroy all
their previous actions
To protect ourselves fromdisbelief you can say the following:
اللهم إني أعوذُ بِك ان أُشركَ بِك شيئٌ وأنا أعلمُوأستغفرُكَ لِما لا
أعلم وأنتَ علام الغيوب
O'Allah I seek refuge withyou; if I have associated with you anything;
and I know; and I seek forgiveness to what I do not know; and you know
the unseen.
Allahumma inni aa'du bikan urshrika bik shayyan wa ana a'lamu wa
astaghfiruka lima la a'lamu wa anta 'alam al-ghayub

polytheism or idolatry

ar son do not associate partners to Allah, Truly idolatry is a great
injustice." Luqman 31:12
"Allah does not forgive idolatry, yet he will forgive other than that,
to whomever he pleases." The Women 4:48
Shirk in the Arabic language means to co share or to share
In the sacred law it means to make a partner to God, in essence or worship
There are six types of Shirk:
1. Shirk Istqlal: Autonomous idolatry – tobelief in separate deities
i.e. Zoroastrians
2. Shirk Tab'ad: separate idolatry – to say God is one of three
3. Shirk Taqrib: approximate idolatry – tosay that they are
worshipping idols to get closer to God.
4. Shirk Taqlid: Imitative idolatry – to follow fathers
5. Shirk Falsafa: idolatry of the philosophers – to believe that there
is a power other than God
6. Shirk Al-Gharad: idolatry of intention – this is carry out actions
for other God, in intention
The first four are considered as disbelief/kufr
The fifth: we have to findout: a) if he believes that something has
independence power then it is kufr, b) if they believe that they have
a power by God then this isinnovation/Bi'da
The sixth is a sin
Shirk/idolatry is minor and major.
One to five are major idolatry and number six in minor because of the
hadith that it is minor idolatry when the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) warned the companions. The Prophetsaid, "I only
fear for you minor idolatry." The companions asked, "What is minor
idolatry?"He replied, "Ostentation."(Imam Ahmed Musnad 23119)
According to other scholars they state idolatry is three kinds:
1. Idolatry in Lordship/Rububiyyah by two things: a) to deny God and
say he is created, b) to say someone can create other than God.
2. Idolatry in Uluhiyyah: this is worship of other things, this is
major and the minor shirk has been explained before
3. Idolatry in names and attributes of God, this is of two types: A)
to consider something similar to God, someone can forgive other than
him. B) To make god similar to creation

Advice for Husband

Discussion between the spouses increases the love between them and
strengthens the bond between them; it also helps to reach the right
decision in matters of married life and household and family affairs.❤
When starting a discussion between you and your wife , open your heart
and mind to what she has to say, and listen attentively. Then you can
either accept what she says and thank her, or reject it gently whilst
also thanking her. ❤
Do not forget that she is your life partner and the one who is helping
you to raise your children and organise your household. So it is not
appropriate to close the doors of discussion to her. ❤
You should not be too proud of your opinion and or feel that you do
not need to discuss with her and hear her opinion. ❤
Do not neglect the words of your Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him): ❤ "The best of you is the one who is best to
his wife." ❤
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 3895; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3314.
Over and above that, do not forget the words of Allah (interpretation
of the meaning):
❤ "And live with them honourably" [an-Nisa' 4:19] ❤.
Husbands who do not admit their mistakes and do not acknowledge
thattheir wives could be rightis the very essence of arrogance, as the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) defined it . It was
narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him)
thatthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
❤ "No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of arrogance in
his heart." ❤
It is not the attribute of the wise and mature manto insist when he is
in thewrong that his wife should be the one to apologise. Rather he is
the one who should hasten to admit his mistake, apologise for it and
ask his wife to forgive him. And her dutyis to apologize to her
husband if she is the one who is in the wrong. It is in this way that
married life takes a correct courseand lasting love and compassion are
strengthened between the spouses. Abu'd-Darda'(may Allah be pleased
with him) said to his wife:
❤"If you see me angry, tryto calm me down, and if Isee you angry I
shall try to calm you down, otherwise we cannot livetogether." ❤
❤ We ask Allah to guide all married couples to that which He loves and
is pleased with, and to bring them together in the best of ways.❤
Ameen!

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Distance from Bad Death

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "He who
desires that his life be prolonged, his Rizq be expanded and he be
distanced from a bad death, should be afraid of Allah and should take
care of his relatives." [Musnad Ahmed]
Two things (fearing Allah and taking care of relatives) result in
three benefits:
1. A longer life,
2. Greater Rizq,
3. A good death.
Rizq is usually taken to mean livelihood but it is inclusive of much
more. Itincludes all that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) bestows on one of
his creatures. Thus, in a person's Rizq is their wealth, their
children, their natural abilities such as intelligence, etc.
Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is Al-Ghani. Al-Ghani means "The Rich One":
Hewho does not depend foranything on anyone, He is entirely
self-sufficient. In fact, He is the means ofenrichment of all others.
Whichever human being does good, does so for his/her own benefit. If
everyone on earth were to become fully consciousof Allah's rights,
obey Himand thus do good, it would not increase His kingdom. And if
all human beings were to become disobedient to Him, that too would
only be their own loss and it would not decrease His kingdom or harm
Him in the least. Despite Allah's independence of His creation, He is
not unmindful of them and it does not prevent Him from being merciful
towards us.

Earliest Return for Silah Rehmi

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Of all
good deeds, the earliest return one gets is on Silah Rehmi (caring for
relatives); to the point that even if the members of a bad and
disobedient family (rebellious to Allah) practice Silah Rehmi their
wealth is increased. A person who practices Silah Rehmi never has any
member ofhis clan become dependent." [Saheeh Ibn Hibban]
Some people think that Silah Rehmi (taking care of relatives) can only
be done with money. This is a defective understanding. Silah Rehmi is
the effort one undertakes to bring any good and to prevent anything
bad from reaching your near and distant relatives.
Silah Rehmi is rewarded even if done by a Kaafir or Munaafiq. Of
course, their reward is limited to returns in this world only, for
they have no share in the Hereafter.

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Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

Is it permissible for a person who has bought a car or a house to
offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The blessings that Allaah bestows upon people are many, and His bounty
and generosity towards them are vast. Ablessing can only be responded
to by giving thanks and appreciating it. Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, has enjoined giving thanks to Him, for He is Appreciative
and loves those who give thanks.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So eat of the lawful andgood food which Allaah has provided for you.
And be grateful for the Graces of Allaah, if it is He Whom you
worship"
[al-Nahl 16:144]
"seek your provision from Allaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and
be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back"
[al-'Ankaboot 29:17]
Part of being grateful to Allaah is seeking to drawcloser to Him by
means of different kinds of acts of worship and to endear oneself to
Him bymeans of good deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on.
Another part of being grateful to Allaah is giving thanks to Him by
means of sacrifice rituals, which means offering a sacrifice for the
sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
his commentary on the verse "Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and
sacrifice (to Him only)" [al-Kawthar 108:2]:
What is meant is that prayer and sacrifice are the best of the things
by means of which one maydraw closer to Allaah, and the usage of the
word fa (translated here as "therefore") points to the reason, i.e.,
doing that – prayer and sacrifice – in gratitude for that which Allaah
hasgiven him of al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise) and much goodness. So
he should give thanks to the One Who has blessedhim and worship Him,
and the two greatest types of worship are these two acts of worship;
indeed, prayer is the ultimate act of worship. It is as if He is
saying to him: We have given you al-Kawthar and a great deal of
goodness, and We have blessed you with that because you have been
doing these two acts of worship in gratitude for Our blessing to you;
these are the reasons why We have bestowed these blessings upon you,
so do these two things for Us, for prayer and sacrifice are surrounded
by blessings that come before them and after them. The best financial
act of worship is sacrifice and the best physical act of worship
isprayer, and the benefits that a slave of Allaah may gain from prayer
cannot be compared to any other type of worship, as is known bythose
whose hearts are alive and those of high aspirations. Adding to it the
benefits of offering sacrifice, which is a sign of devotion to Allaah
and thinking positively of Him, and having strong certainty and faith
about that which isin the hand of Allaah is something wonderful, if
that is accompanied by faith and sincerity. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) obeyed the command of his Lord and
prayed and sacrificed a great deal toHim; he even sacrificed
sixty-three camels with his own hand during theFarewell Pilgrimage,
andhe used to offer sacrifices on the Eids andat other times. End
quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa 916/532).
If Allaah bestows a great blessing upon a person –and all His blessing
are great – then it is mustahabb for him to give thanks to Allaah for
it by showing kindness to people, so he should offer a sacrifice and
make food and invite hisbrothers and friends, and give charity to
thosewho are in need.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (26/180-181):
It is mustahabb to give thanks anew when new blessings come, by
speaking words of praise. Gratitude for thatmay also be expressed by
doing acts of worship, which includes offering a sacrifice or inviting
people to a meal. The fuqaha' have mentioned the kinds of meals that
may be offered when blessing are renewed, such as thewakeerah which is
madefor a new home, or naqee'ah which is made on the return of an
absent loved one, and hidhaaq which is done when a child completes a
reading of the Qur'aan.
The view of the Hanbalis,the more correct view among the Shaafa'is, is
that these meals are mustahabb.
Ibn Qudaamah said: These invitations – otherthan the wedding feast
(waleemah) and 'aqeeqah – are something good, but they are like
invitations that are given for no reason; if the person who does them
intends thereby to give thanks to Allaah for His blessing and to feed
his brothers and offer food, then he will have the reward for that in
sha Allaah. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
If one of my children does well in school, is it permissible for me to
offer a sacrifice to celebrate his success, and to give thanks to
Allaah?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with making food (waleemah) if the children or
one of them succeeds, and inviting one's loved ones and his child's
friends, to celebrate Allaah's blessing and to encourage the child.
Endquote.
Liqaa'aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (no. 161, question no. 1).
Secondly:
It is essential to beware of some beliefs which many people hold, and
say that in order to protect the new house or car it is essential to
offer a sacrifice and sprinkle it with the blood of the
slaughteredanimal, or that evil spirits will not keep away from you
unless you do that, otherwise the blessing will soon dissipate. hese
are jaahili beliefs which do not come from someone who believes in
Allaah ashis Lord Who possesses all powers to bring benefit or cause
harm, inWhose hand is the creation and the commandment, and knows that
it is not permissible to do acts of worship unless they are done for
the sake of Allaah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked about the belief
held by many people, that offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the
new house before entering it is one of the most important means of
warding off the evil eye, and making the house blessed, and avoiding
calamities and undesirable events.
They replied:
If this custom – i.e., offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the
newhouse – is done in order to placate the jinn and ward off
calamities and undesirable events, thenit is a haraam custom, and is
in fact shirk. This is what seems to be the case with offering the
sacrifice before enteringthe house, and doing it on the threshold in
particular.
But if the intention is to honour one's new neighbours and get to know
them, and to give thanks to Allaah for the blessing of a new home, and
to honour one's relatives and friends on this occasion, and to show
them the house, then this is good and theone who does it is to be
praised for his action. But that is only usually done after the people
have moved into the house, and not before, and the animal or animals
should not be slaughtered on the threshold of the house or in the
entryway to thehouse. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (1/214)
See also the answer to question no. 26952 , which quotes two fatwas
from Shaykh 'Abdal-'Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen concerning
the same topic.
And Allaah knows best.

He put on scented antiperspirant during ihram because he was unaware of the ruling

I did 'Umrah, praise be to Allah, and I ask Allah to accept it. But
before I entered ihram I put on antiperspirant, and it was scented,
because I was unaware of the ruling on that. Do I have to do
anything?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for the muhrim (pilgrim in ihram) to use perfume
on his body or clothing, because of the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas (may
Allahbe pleased with him) according to which a man's camel threw him
and broke his neck when we were with the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) and he was in ihram. The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Wash him with water and lotus
leaves, and shroud him in his two garments, but do not putany perfume
on him or cover his head, for Allah will raise him on the Dayof
Resurrection reciting the Talbiyah."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1267) and Muslim (1206).
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are
unanimously agreed that the pilgrim in ihramis forbidden to use
perfume. End quote.
Al-Mughni, 3/147
The perfume that is forbidden to the pilgrim in ihram includes scented
antiperspirant.
But if a person did that out of forgetfulness or ignorance, he does
not have to do anything, because Allah, may He beexalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget and lapse into error inadvertently"
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
"And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in
regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever
OftForgiving, Most Merciful"
[al-Ahzaab 33:5].
See also the answer to question no. 49026 .
And Allah knows best.

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He entered ihram for ‘umrah at the end of Sha’baan and performedit in Ramadan; will he have the reward of ‘Umrah in Ramadaan?

A man entered ihram for'umrah before the adhaan for Maghrib on the
last day of Sha'baan, and after Maghrib it wasannounced that Ramadan
had begun. Will his 'Umrah be counted for him as being in Ramadan or
not? In other words, he formed the intention to enter ihraam before
Maghrib, and he did 'Umrah that night, i.e., the first night of
Ramadan.
Praise be to Allaah.
'Umrah in Ramadan brings a great reward, which is the reward of Hajj.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said
to a woman of the Ansaar: "What kept you from performing Hajj with
us?" She said: We only have two camels and the father of her sonand
her son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left us the other camel
so that we could carry water on it. He said: "When Ramadaan comes, go
for 'Umrah, for 'Umrah in (that month) is equivalent to Hajj."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256).
In order for the Muslim to attain that great reward, he has to enter
ihram for 'umrah and perform the rituals in the month of Ramadan. He
cannot enter ihram for it on the last day of Sha'baan, even if he
performs its rituals in Ramadan, and he cannotenter ihram for it in
Ramadan and perform the rituals in Shawwaal.
There are two ways of performing 'umrah that do not bring the reward of Hajj:
1 – Entering ihram for 'umrah at the end of the month of Sha'baan and
performing the rituals after the month of Ramadan begins.
2 – Entering ihram for 'umrah before the sun sets on the last day of
Ramadan and performing the rituals on the night before Eid.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
For the person who does'umrah in Ramadan it is essential that his
'umrah -- from entering ihram until the end of it -- should be in
Ramadan. Based on that, let us lookat another example:
If a man reaches the miqaat in the last hour of Sha'baan and enters
ihram for 'umrah, then the sun sets and Ramadan begins with the
setting of the sun, then he comes to Makkah and does tawaafand saa'i
and cuts his hair, can it be said that he did 'umrah in Ramadan?
The answer is: No, because he started his 'umrah before the month of
Ramadan began.
A third example: A man entered ihram for 'umrah before the sun set on
the last day of Ramadan, and he did tawaaf and saa'i for 'umrah on the
night before Eid. Can it be said that he did 'umrah in Ramadan?
The answer is: No, because he did not do 'Umrah in Ramadan, as part of
his 'umrah was done outside of Ramadan. 'Umrah in Ramadan is that
which lasts from the start of ihram to the end (in Ramadan). End
quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen, 21/352, 353
And Allah knows best.

The reason why it is prescribed for Muslims to perform Hajj once in alifetime

Why should Muslims atleast visit mecca once in their life time?
Praise be to Allaah.
We Muslims feel honoured and proud to be the slaves of Allaah, the
One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who begets not nor was He begotten,
and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him; He is our Lord and
we have no Lord besides Him. Hence we respond to the commands of our
Lord with the utmost humility and submit to His commands, for we know
that He is the All-Wise and no wisdom is greater than His. We know
that He is the Most-Merciful and there is none more merciful than Him,
may He be glorified and praised. Hence we love Him in a way that
demands that we obey His commands even if that is somewhat difficult
for us. We feel proud, happy and content when we do that which He
commands us to do.
For if a human loves another person, he lovesto serve him and that may
make him happy. Sowhat do you think aboutthe Almighty Lord Who created
us and grants us provision, and everything that we have is a blessing
from Him? And His is the highest description. We owe everything to our
Lord, so we must hasten to do all that He commands us to do, so that
we might give back some small thanks for His great blessings. We can
never thank Him enough, but by His grace Allaah the Most Generous
accepts our small efforts and rewards us for them greatly.
For example, Hajj or pilgrimage. If a Muslim does Hajj in the manner
required by his Lord, then Allaah has promised to forgive him his sins
and admit him toParadise, on condition that he does not spoil this
action by committing any major action that would invalidate it and
earn the anger of Allaah.
One of the great mercies that Allaah has bestowedupon this ummah
(nation, i.e., the Muslims), is that Allaah has made obedience to His
commands and the commands of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) subject to thecondition that one be able to do
them. So long as a person is able to do them, then it is obligatory
for him to do what is required of him, otherwise he is not obliged to
do so and he is excused. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope"
[al-Baqarah 2:286] – i.e., He does not ask him to do more than he can bear.
Concerning Hajj in particular, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that
mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's
conveyance, provision and residence)"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:97]
By His mercy He has enjoined this upon His slaves once in a lifetime,
so that it will not be too difficult for them, but Heurges those who
are able to do Hajj and 'Umrah more than once to do so. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Keep on doing Hajj
and 'Umrah, for theytake away poverty and sins as the bellows takes
away the impurity from iron." (Narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 2/4; this is a
saheeh hadeeth as was stated by al-Albaani in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah,
1200).
This great act of worshipwas prescribed by Allaahso that we might
praise Him and glorify Him, andthank Him for His great blessings and
bounty. The purpose of Tawaaf around the Ka'bah is notsimply to go
around these stones! No, rather the reason is that Allaah has
commanded us to goaround it seven times and we obey Allaah by going
around it seven times, no more and no less; rather we do what He has
commanded us and we feel that we are His slaves, humbling ourselves
before Him and praising Him and thanking Him for choosing us to be His
slaves out of all of mankind who worship various gods, and may even
worship themselves or their own desires.
The same applies to all the rituals of Hajj, and indeed to all the
acts of worship that Allaah has prescribed for us. Praise be to
Allaah, Who has honoured us with this great religion.
Moreover, your interest in asking about the Hajj at your young age
indicates that you are keen to learn and find out. We advise you to
learn more about Islam and to read about it, andto find out for
yourself that it is the religion thatsuits the natural inclinations of
man. This will set you on the path towards pleasing your Almighty
Lord, Who created you and Who provides for you, and Who deserves that
you should worship Him alone and none other.
Perhaps you know that our prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) toldus that his fellow-Prophet 'Eesa (Jesus –
peace be upon him) will come down at the end of time and will perform
pilgrimage to this House,and he will declare his belief in Allah alone
(Tawheed). We believe that this will happen as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us, just aswe believe that the
sun rises in the morning. TheProphet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is mysoul, the son of Maryam
(the son of Mary, i.e. Jesus) will certainly pronounce the Talbiyah
for Hajj or for 'Umrah, orfor both in the valley of Rawha." (Narrated
by Muslim, 1252). The valleyof Rawha' is a place between Makkah and
Madeenah.
[Translator's note: The Talbiyah is a prayer recited by pilgrims going
to Makkah. It may be translated as follows: "Here I am at your
service, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am at Your Service, You have no
partner, here I am. All praise and blessings are Yours, and all
dominion. You have no partner."]
We ask Allaah to open your heart to true guidance… Ameen.

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Pilgrim in ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah drinking coffee containing saffron

We were in ihraam, and on our way to Makkah we drank tea and
coffee,and there was saffron in the coffee. Do we have to do
anything?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If that was due to ignorance on your part, then you do not have to do
anything. If you werenot sure whether it was saffron or not, then you
do not have to do anything. If you were certain that it was saffron
and you knew that it is not permissible for the muhrim to drink coffee
in which there is saffron, then if there was a fragrance, then hedid
something wrong, but if there was nothing but the colour, then there
is no sin on him for that.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)
http://www.ibnothaimeen.com/all/noor/article_6040.shtml
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
asked: A woman who was in ihraam for 'Umrah drank coffee with saffron
before completing 'Umrah. Is saffron a type of perfume? Did it spoil
the 'Umrah or not?
He replied:
The muhrim who drinks coffee containing saffron is doing wrong,
because saffron is a kindof perfume and should not be used in coffee
by the muhrim, just as he should not use it on his clothes or body
when heis in ihraam. If the man or woman in ihraam does that out of
ignorance or by mistake,then they do not have todo anything, but if
they do that deliberately, knowing that he is in ihraam, then it is
not permissible. He (the muhrim) should give charity, feeding six poor
persons, giving each onehalf a saa' of dates or wheat, or fast for
three days, or sacrifice a sheep.

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He weeps when he hears Qur’aan but he does the secret habit and mistreats his parents. Is he a hypocrite?

I read on a website about the characteristicsof the beloved prophet ,
and this made me cry. I also cry sometimes whilepraying in the masjid,
especially if the imam has a passionate voice. Despite this, I fall in
sins like masturbation, and talking loudly to my father. I read on
your website about the reasons of such sins and how to stop doing
them.My question is: Am I considered hypocrite by committing such
sins?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We think that your asking whether you are a hypocrite or not is a sign
of much goodness in you in sha Allaah, because when a Muslim fears
that he may fall into hypocrisy, this indicates that his heart
is(spiritually) alive and that he is keen to protect his faith.
Ibraaheem al-Taymi said:Whenever I examine my words against my deeds,I
fear that I am insincere.Al-Hasan al-Basri said of hypocrisy: No one
fears it but a believer, and no one feels safe from it buta hypocrite.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The more faith and knowledge a person has,the more he will fear that
he may be among this class of people (i.e., hypocrites), hence the
leaders and earliest generations of this ummah were so afraid that
they might be among them. 'Umar usedto say to Hudhayfah: I adjure you
by Allaah, didthe Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) mention me along with the people (i.e., the hypocrites)?
He said: No, but I would not praise anyone after you, meaning; I would
not praise people (by saying that they are not mentioned among the
hypocrites). It does not mean that 'Umar was theonly one who was free
of hypocrisy.
Tareeq al-Hijratayn (p. 604)
The greatest of the awliya' (close friends of Allaah) feared this for
themselves.
1 – Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: I met thirty of the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), all of whom
feared being hypocrites, and none of them ever said that he had faith
equivalent to that of Jibreel and Mikaa'eel.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The most prominent among Sahaabah whom Ibn Abi Mulaykah met were:
'Aa'ishah, her sister Asma', Umm Salamah, the four 'Abd-Allaahs, Abu
Hurayrah, 'Uqbah ibn al-Haarith and al-Miswar ibn Makhramah. These are
among those from whom he heard hadeeth. He also met other more
prominent Sahaabah than these, such as 'Ali ibn Abi Taaliband Sa'd ibn
Abi Waqqaas, and he confirmed that they were afraid of hypocrisy in
their actions and nothing to the contrary was narrated from any of the
Sahaabah, so it is as if there was consensus on this matter. That is
because the believers' deeds maybecome contaminated with elements that
undermine ikhlaas (sincerity towards Allaah). The fact that they
feared it does not mean that they fell into it, rather it means that
they were extremely cautious and pious, may Allaah be pleased with
them.
Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar (1/110,111).
2 – al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
al-Ja'd Abu 'Uthmaan said: I said to Abu Raja' al-'Attaaridi: Did you
meet anyone whom I met of the companions of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) who feared falling into hypocrisy? He
said: Yes. Praise be to Allaah I met some of the prominent ones among
them, and they used to fear it a great deal. And he had met 'Umar.
3 – and he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Among those of the Sahaabah who used to seek refuge with Allaah from
falling into hypocrisy were: Hudhayfah, Abu'l-Darda' and Abu Ayyoob
al-Ansaari. Among the Taabi'een there were many who did that. Ibn
Sireen said: There is nothing I fear more thanthis verse
(interpretationof the meaning): "And ofmankind, there are
some(hypocrites) who say: 'We believe in Allaah andthe Last Day,'
while in fact they believe not" [al-Baqarah 2:8]. Ayyoob said: Every
verse in the Qur'aan which mentions hypocrisy I fear lest it apply to
me. Mu'aawiyahibn Qurrah said: 'Umar used to fear it, so how I can
feel safe from it? al-Hasan spoke a great deal concerning this matter,
as did the imamsof Islam after them.
According to a report narrated by Ibn Haani', Imam Ahmad was asked:
What do you say about one who does not fear hypocrisy for himself?
Hesaid: Who can feel safe from hypocrisy?
Fath al-Baari by Ibn Rajab (1/178, 179).
Pay attention to two important matters:
1 – The hypocrisy that was feared by those imams among the Sahaabah
and those who came after them was hypocrisy in deeds, which leads to
hypocrisyin the heart, which leadsone to Hell – we seek refuge with
Allaah – this is the kind of hypocrisy which is mentioned in a number
of ahaadeeth which warn the Muslim against acquiring its
characteristics, such as the following:
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are
four characteristics, whoever has them all is a pure hypocrite, and
whoever has one of them has one of the characteristics of hypocrisy,
until he gives it up: when he speaks helies, when he makes a covenant
he betrays it, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he
disputes he resorts to obscene speech."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (34) and Muslim (58).
It was also narrated (2632) by al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on
him) who said after it:
What this means according to the scholarsis hypocrisy of action. It
was the hypocrisy of disbelieving at the time of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Something similar
was narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri when he said: Hypocrisy is of two
types: hypocrisy of action and hypocrisy of disbelief.
End quote.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This goes back to what we mentioned above: that hypocrisy may be minor
or major. Minor hypocrisy is hypocrisy of action, which is what these
people feared for themselves. It leads to major hypocrisy which
isfeared for the one who is overcome by minor hypocrisy to such an
extent that it robs him offaith altogether, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"when they turned away(from the path of Allaah), Allaah turned their
hearts away (from the Right Path)"
[al-Saff 61:5]
"And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance),
as they refused to believe therein for the first time"
[al-An'aam 6:110]
Fath al-Baari by Ibn Rajab (1/179).
Imam al-Nawawi commented on this hadeeth … See his Sharh Muslim (2/46-48).
2 – These prominent figures were the most righteous of people in
heart, and they were those who most respected the sacred limits and
were least likely to transgress them,but because of their great
awareness of theirLord and their fear of Hiswrath, they would regard a
minor sin – if they fell into it – as a major sin. Some of them feared
showing off, and others feared falling short in their deeds lest their
actions contradict their words, and others thought that being
distracted by permissibleinteractions in their homes with their wives
and families even though they focused properly in gatherings of dhikr
was a kind of hypocrisy.
It was narrated that Hanzalah al-Usaydi said: Abu Bakr met me and
said: How are you, O Hanzalah? I said: Hanzalah has become a
hypocrite. He said: Subhaan Allaah! What are you saying? I said: When
we are with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) he reminds us of the Fire and the Garden until it isas if we
are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we depart from the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we
attend to our wives and children and businesses, and we forget a great
deal. Abu Bakr said: By Allaah, we experience something similar. Abu
Bakr and I went and entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), andI said: Hanzalah has become a
hypocrite, O Messenger of Allaah. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Why is that?" I said: O
Messenger of Allaah, when we are with you, you remind us of the Fire
and the Garden until it is as if weare seeing them with our own eyes,
but when we depart from you, we attend to our wives and children and
businesses, and we forget a great deal. The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand
is mysoul, if you continued as you are when you are with me, and
continued to remember (Paradise and Hell), the angels would shake
hands with you in your homes and on the streets. But, O Hanzalah,
there is a time for this and a time for that" (he said it) three
times.
Narrated by Muslim (2750).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the words "we attend to ourwives and children and businesses",
Al-Harawi and others said: What this means is that we get absorbed
with that and get busy with it.
"businesses" refers how a man earns a living.
"Hanzalah has become a hypocrite" means: he was afraid that he had
become a hypocrite, because he felt the fear of Allaah when he was
sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
andthat was manifested in the way he focused on remembrance of Allaah
and thinking of the Hereafter, but when he departed he became
distracted by his wife and children and earning a living in this
world, and the basic meaning of hypocrisy is showing the opposite of
what one conceals of evil, so he was afraid that he was a hypocrite
because of that. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told him that this was not hypocrisy, and that they were not
expected to be like that all the time. "There is a time for this and a
time for that."
Sharh Muslim (17/66, 67)
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
When it became clear to the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
that hypocrisy meant a difference between one's inner thoughts and
outward appearance, some of them feared that if they lost the focus
and presence of mind they attained when they listened to reminders,
after they returned to worldly matters and were distracted by their
families and children and wealth, that this was hypocrisy, as was
narrated in Saheeh Muslim from Hanzalah al-Asadi … and he quoted the
hadeeth –
Fath al-Baari by Ibn Rajab (1/111).
With regard to your situation, you have to fear more than those pure
awliya' (close friends of Allaah) amongthe Sahaabah, Taabi'eenand
subsequent generations did, because you are disobeying Allaah by doing
the secret habit and by mistreating your parents. Your saying thatyou
sometimes raise your voice somewhat to your father will not excuse you
from the warning of punishment. You are forbidden to sayeven "uff" (a
mild word of objection) to your parents, so how about if you raise
your voice and speak loudly to them? What you must do is beware lest
your sins lead you to a bad end.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) gave a chapter heading to
the report he narrated from Ibraaheem al-Taymi, Ibn Abi Mulaykah and
al-Hasan al-Basri – whichwe have quoted above –saying: Chapter on the
believer's fear that his deeds may be cancelled out without him
realizing.
And he ended this chapter by saying:
And there is fear for the one who persists in hypocrisy and sin
without repenting, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while
they know" [Aal 'Imraan 3:135].
End quote.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
What the words of al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) – And
there is fear for the one who persists in hypocrisy and sin without
repenting, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "and
do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know" [Aal
'Imraan 3:135] – mean is that if one persists in sin and the various
types of hypocrisy without repenting there is the fear that the one
who does that may be punished by having his faith taken away
altogether, so that he becomes a complete hypocrite and meets a bad
end – we seek refuge with Allaah from that – as it is said that sinis
the way to kufr.
Fath al-Baari by Ibn Rajab (1/181).
Secondly:
We encourage you to continue softening your heart and weeping when you
hear Qur'aan, and listening to exhortations, and at the same time we
encourage you to repentfrom sinful actions and to refrain from doing
the secret habit, and to refrain from mistreating your parents. We
encourage you to hastento apologize to them and to honour them
andtreat them kindly in word and deed. Beware of continuing to sin
without repenting, and remember that the one who truly fears Allaah is
not the one who weeps and sheds tears, rather he is the one who gives
up something for which he fears he may be punished.
What we have quoted toyou of warnings about that is sufficient, in sha
Allaah, to make you hasten to repent and turn to Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.

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The Locks on the Door

I always lock my doors before going outside. I believe all of us do
the same to protect our valuable properties fromthe thieves. I have
seen people with more than 3locks on the door and some also have a
specialized integrated alarm system against forceful entry! Some
alsohave 24 hours live monitoring systems builtin the house. Then one
day I was thinking, it is quite sad that we use so many locks in order
to safeguard some belongings, but, we have little or no locks at all
in ourselves to safeguard our iman from Shaitan and evils ofthis
world. This iman, which is more precious than any material thing,
needs more protection than our belongings.

Darkness vs. Light

Once I had to go to a cityfor a few days. My plane landed there during
the late night hours. A brother gave me a ride to the place where I
was going to stay. This was the first time I visited this town and was
curious to see what it looked like. However, it was dark at night and
I wasn't able to see many things.
The next day, I went out with the brother and he happened to take the
same road as the previous night. But sinceit was day time, I was able
to see the river, hills, and many other landscapes that was not
properly visible the previous night.
It came to my mind that this is similar to what wego through in our
lives. Allah Ta'ala as told us through the Quran and Prophet Muhammad
(saw) about the many unseen things that are awaiting us in the
hereafter. While we are in this world, it's just likewe are in
darkness. We are not able to see all these things. But as soonas we
die and close our eyes, everything will open up to us like the day
time and we will seewhatever was hidden.


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